p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="12101afb281669b8b07d4122c079fdc1"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"In the apartment above the Mellark Bakery, where the family of five lived, there was a small coat closet by the entrance door. Their winter coats only lived there half of the year, retired when flowers started to bloom in the spring and taken back out when it got darker earlier in the afternoon. The closet was so small that nothing else but her father's briefcase of important documents could fit. And, on occasions when her father was obliviously baking away downstairs or her brothers were on an errand around town, Rosemary was stuffed in there too./em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="9bcb316fb6475394fdc86baa15670f1c"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"In the beginning of her forays into the closet, she would freak out. The claustrophobia she experienced and the way the darkness played with her mind had her in a wild panic and she would scream and weep and bang on the door to be let out, but her mother would ignore her. Peeta, on the occasions where he was present, would be locked in their shared bedroom, unable to help in any way because of his age, and at that time, Rye worked with their father in the bakery more than his siblings did. Sometimes Rosemary would be there for a few hours, exhausted by her spent emotions and fears. She would just sit and wait for it to be over, retreating into her head where she'd go over books she had memorized or daydream about being with Peeta, Rye, or Kline./em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="152553cec71a8809c6ebfd4f70429451"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Rye had been her hero. One day, while he took a break from work downstairs, he heard her as soon as he walked through the door. Seeing Rye's face, horror struck and bewildered, had sent her gasping, hysterically asking him for his help. Rye acted immediately and pulled her out of the cubby and into his arms, asking over and over again what had happened./em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="7f9edf308a17d1dd88b6c99614b371f6"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Rosemary couldn't answer him, she couldn't speak as she sobbed into his shoulder and stared at the door, her eyes adjusting to the light. She felt him stiffen and she heard him yell for a few minutes, and then he carried her past their mother and into her bedroom where he discovered Peeta, who was also hysterical./em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="3366220a0bb31c7c8df82e25f3d50768"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Rosemary started working more in the bakery after that, but there were still times when their mother would shove her into the closet when Rye and Sage were away. Each time when Rye got home, he'd check the closet and most of the time she would be there, staring blankly into the dark. As she got older and stronger and Capri couldn't just shove her in there, the visits to the closet ended. Instead, Capri moved onto Peeta. She still received snide comments and smacks to the face when she protected Peeta–hardly ever allowing him to be alone with the horrid woman–but that was fine as long as Peeta was okay. Sometimes, when she couldn't prevent the abuse and both of them got hurt, she got so angry that she wanted to lash out, taking that stupid tube of parchment paper and knocking her mother over the head with it./em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="2cf5100f49c7c02e23f80958f7938a14"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"It was in those moments when Rosemary had to take a break from Parchment Pike and try different methods of releasing her energy. She had dealt with violence from her mother her whole life, she didn't want to continue the cycle or experience more than she had to./em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="ccab05191160bff3332cad7276bff9b3"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Rye, this whole life, never received the same treatment from their mother like Rosemary and Peeta. Sometimes Rosemary resented him for it, but most of the time she was just relieved he didn't have to deal with it. Being the favorite child was saving his life and Rye stepped in between Capri and her youngest children as often as he could. It was more than Sage did, and it led to feelings that she hid deep, deep inside her because she couldn't hate her father, too./em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="6051bee79d36f85534dc3d6334fd8323"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Protecting Peeta became second nature to her, to the point that she didn't even realize that she spent too much time with her younger brother. A lot of things became second nature; the dingy solar power night light that sat on the table next to the bunk beds she and Peeta shared, the way she went out of her way to avoid small spaces, and how often she had to fake smiles to her father and other families in the square to let them know she was okay./em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="336d5ebc5436534e61d16e63ddfca327"-/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="4a60d61eabbcdea8a2cbea26dec047e6"span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Rosemary/em/span/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="5004884ec5a52667c944f8c325b562b4"They had been working practically non-stop since they entered the bakery after school. Rye was sent into Sage's office to help the man with finances and other "owner" business, Peeta started making two different types of cookies and dabbled at cake decorating, and Rosemary went between the counter, helping customers with Capri, the bread ovens, and making sweet bread batter for the next morning./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="5e9e6ef41f024ae89dddf486a119e481"It was hard work, but Rosemary loved it. It was routine and she liked routine. She would feel off if she didn't bake everyday. One of her favorite tasks to do at work was the cake decorating. She wasn't a great artist on paper, but on cake? She was very good and better than everyone in her family but Peeta, who was just inexperienced and watched her eagerly, trying to soak up everything that she could teach him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="df64df19b50b2dce0497724e783e614c"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"One day,/em she thought very proudly as he continued to practice on a small cake, em style="box-sizing: border-box;"he'll be better than me./em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="af8e079ffd0533441b27ac8771f01289"She swiped an errant finger into the frosting that Peeta was smoothing down and ducked away laughing as he swiped at her. She popped the finger into her mouth and basked in the sugary sweetness. It wasn't often that she got to indulge in their own products, especially the cakes, so she had to take chances here and there when their mother wasn't looking./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="ee407ab2fff19b52b4e89da5cda4c0e0""It started to rain," she informed him after cleaning her hands. "Mother will want to start closing up the shop. Could you take out the trash and watch the ovens for me for a few minutes while I help her close?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="26df9ef4bf2b98f9d242b267a69e8ea7"There would be no more customers for the day, as no one ventured into the rain./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="97e28e21a449c9a8fa0e4459ef89389f""No problem," Peeta finished his crumb coat and set his frosting tools aside. "How hard is the rain? Thunderstorm level, you think?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="6411cb594132d9a6368d63878d9e15b5"Rosemary smiled; Peeta loved thunderstorms so much that she had begun to love them as well. "I think so."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="2477e45a85677b739acc2e0760a7f988"Peeta grinned widely. "Nice."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="99fc6318a8be907ea8c3eecd4fdeeffd"The siblings went their separate ways to start their tasks. Capri wasn't in the storefront when she came in behind the counter, but she assumed that she was talking with Sage and Rye. Rosemary started gathering the unsold baked goods, giving them a quick check over to see what could last another day on their second chance rack, and then sorted them. The ones that couldn't go on the second chance rack, mostly different types of bread, went into a small container that they'd bring to their apartment, supplying their bread for the week. Sometimes, if there was a cookie or pastry that was on the fence, she'd sneak it for herself, Rye, or Peeta. Her dad knew about this, and very much encouraged it, but if her mother knew she'd be slapped silly./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="c77294b76856a0b1de7cf704dc85818f"With the baked goods packed away for tomorrow, she cleaned the cases and all other surfaces in the vicinity. Once that was done, she checked the cash register to see if she needed to supply that to her father, but the drawer was gone, indicating that Capri had already taken it back to the office. She moved onto sweep and mop the floors, making quick work of the store from years of experience./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="83109d30f5f433001941dfeb703fe4be"When she finally entered the office after closing the shop, Capri wasn't present. Sage was hunched over the desk, contents of the cash drawer in front of him as he calculated sales for the day. Rye was on the other end of the desk, going through their inventory log and making sure they had enough supplies for the rest of the month./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="c7e1a780bbec216e9bb5b41d761bc711""I think we're almost out of cinnamon," she informed her brother, announcing her presence at the same time./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="73347923c5f4e4d62f8d1ece8eee1ed4""We are," Rye confirmed, the tip of a pencil balanced on his bottom lip as he glared at the book. "Country-wide shortage for the next few weeks."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="fac9e5031e4947e3fb874750032871d0""We'll get through it," Sage reassured his oldest children with a tired smile. "Come here, Sparky, tell me about your day."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="bb31f15b580f1530a11b28abbf050cf3"When her father lifted his left arm for a hug, she burrowed into his side. Though she often had thoughts of frustration and anger over her father's inability to keep his wife from hitting her children, she truly loved him. Though it was clear that Sage did not have a favorite child, he genuinely treated them all the same, it was clear that Rosemary was very special to him. Through eavesdropping, Rosemary knew this was because she was practically a clone of his late sister, and even named after her./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="b6f4f69d3edffe466e028fad6d52c5e0"Rosemary soaked up the attention and let him call her sparky even though she didn't think the nickname fit her at all. When she told Rye that one time, he laughed and explained to her why Sage called her that. Before Peeta was born, Rosemary was already fiercely protective of her brother and Kline, but she became more intense when her baby brother came into the picture. While Rosemary was a quiet girl, there was never a time when she would hold her tongue rather than protect the people she loved. Her loyalty and love could literally spark confrontation and start a battle she was more than likely to win./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="e4487bd15a964e087bf8751ad02d5081""Nothing special happened," Rosemary reported, breathing in her father's comforting scent. Sage, Peeta, and Rye all shared the same soap so they all had a similar scent that had her comfortable in seconds. "And yours?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="66795a48d3dedae83409bab34b4ec486""Tiring," Sage sniffed, somewhat congested from the spring allergies they all shared. "Been trying to adjust recipes all day because of the cinnamon. I think we're going to have to take cinnamon-raisin bread off the menu, just so we can make goods that use less of it."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="868cb82264b6dc1f175f1364a93ccb14""Cinnamon appears everywhere," Rye groaned."Luckily that's one of our worst sellers."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="6d09f616e0c57fe2121ca8ae4f60430d"It was true; the Mellark family ate a lot of leftover cinnamon-raisin bread. Personally, Rosemary loved it, especially heated up or toasted./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="572e651620f5dbf114eab006a71b149f""YOU STUPID, STUPID BOY!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="cd554dd341171ce71e313bc2734b22c6"Rosemary flinched when she heard Capri start screaming from the kitchen. She ignored Sage's heavy sigh and bolted from the office, making her way into the kitchen. Her mother was hovering over Peeta, his cheek already slapped red, and Rosemary rushed in between them, pushing her mother out of the way./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="a476f332f756a5e9e795b7c8874286ab""Mother!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="4535ec94c9fbd200ace16f8752ac9640"A harsh stinging appeared on her right cheek, pushing her back into Peeta, who steadied her and made an angry grunting noise that wasn't heard over Rosemary's gasp of pain. Rosemary palmed the heated cheek, willing for the stinging to go away and for her tears not to fall. Unfortunately, Rosemary was a crier and it happened when she felt any emotion highly enough./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="abcc118279779c6d3755a70c63030c74"Her vision was blurry from tears as she snapped her head back to Capri, mouth formed into scowl./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="c38e7af6ed2ecd02c55ba649612020c6""You should have known better than to let him watch the bread," Capri snarled at her. "The idiot burned it."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="3e4f581f01fc85087e526b3105435a0d"Rosemary's eyes darted away from Capri and scanned the kitchen. One of the bread trays that had been in the oven when she left was thrown on the counter, half-burnt and unusable. She sighed; she shouldn't be surprised that her mother got upset over something so simple./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="b111f6e13bd7d485ee8cebd71a1a6d75""I'll make another batch," Rosemary's voice trembled./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="4cab7fa829fad3f4e03fc3b5e22dcb8c""Yes, you will," Capri turned to Peeta. "You, go feed the bread to the hogs. Try not to fuck up anything else while you're out there."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="567e9d75c285cf48f2440343c5cccf82"Rosemary and Peeta let go of their grips on one another and Peeta scrambled to the tray, picking it up and sliding out the back door into the rain./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="ada74a59dfe723f655a6cf5f7f71632a""You'll stay up and bake the replacement batch. I better not hear the apartment door open until you do."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="2a716fcf02ea8131ccd27e4d380db3ad""Mother."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="001a4cdf91b5096f72a082bd80be66c0"Both Capri and Rosemary turned to the kitchen door, where Rye stood tall as can be, his arms strongly folded over his chest. His bright blue eyes softened when they went from Capri to Rosemary until he saw the red welt on her cheek. He looked back to Capri, eyes as angry as Rosemary had ever seen./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="284167436331a306a46ef56bebe22a6d""I'm eighteen now. If you hit them again, we'll be gone. I don't care if Dad wants to stay or go, I will be taking Rosemary and Peeta and you will never see us again," when Capri gasped wetly, startled by his threat, he stepped further into the kitchen. "I'm tired of you treating them like this. I couldn't do much before, but now I can. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Do not touch them./em"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="a3ceeaca24cb0daf4317ae0167bdf5f4"For a moment it was quiet, until the silence was disrupted by the back door opening, the sound of heavy rain, and the door closing again. Peeta slumped into view, soaking wet, and paused when he saw the stand off between Rye and Capri. When he glanced at Rosemary questioningly, she shrugged./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="04ffb700a89113a654fa1e8a8ef79103""Rose, I'll rebake the bread. Both of you should go to bed," Rye told his younger siblings. "Dad's made dinner. Go on."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="11dbd4c34ae750f6fb9913a3a7b91b68"Rosemary hurriedly grabbed Peeta's arm and together, they scurried out of the kitchen past Capri, who was just frozen, staring at Rye in shock. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="d771d7b114b0301f5c26aba5d17aec50""What is going on?" Peeta whispered as they started up the stairs./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="4bad46929a208ca00e27289bb3d044fb""Rye threatened Mother," she told him quietly. "He said he'd take us and leave if she hit us again."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="de48c50ad2690ca5df08c2722d453972""He did?" Peeta's eyes widened. They both knew the implications of Rye's threat; at the risk of not seeing Rye again, Capri would take his threat seriously. "You really think she'll listen to him?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="2be30e433c2e65219034aad751272857""I hope she does," when they came to the landing, she paused, waiting a moment to open the door. "What was up with the burnt bread? You've never done that before."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="73ac9f1c0a46e36901cfeeda45a63ce8""When I took out the garbage, I saw Katniss."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="92fa8b667119230cb9c5294822a568fa"Rosemary's eyebrows creased in worry as soon as she heard Katniss' name. Katniss Everdeen was a classmate of Peeta's, and he had adored her for years. The only reason that the Mellark's really knew the Everdeens was because their dads went to school together and their acquaintanceship carried on into adulthood, when Mr. Everdeen would deliver freshly-hunted squirrels to the family, his daughter becoming an apprentice at his side./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="a509be588525db60b353e555bf22ce83"Katniss was a sweet girl, according to the few times that Rosemary had interacted with her, and a great big sister. She simply adored her father, so after the mine accident in January where Mr. Everdeen was killed, Peeta and Rosemary had been concerned about her. Her father was the destitute family's main provider, so things got worse for Katniss, her mother, and her little sister. It probably didn't help that there were rumors that Mrs. Everdeen, who was a great healer that mostly worked with homemade remedies and people outside of the district's healthcare system, was almost catatonic in her grief./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="0414f64a041d8de981aa26d538bf60ac""She hasn't been bringing lunch lately and I'm sure she was hungry," Peeta continued. "I-I burnt the bread on purpose. I'm sorry, Rose. I didn't mean for you to get in trouble."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="bd984c2bc0d6f16fc85938fdb1157695""It wasn't your fault," Rosemary assured him, poking his cheek to put a smile on his face. "You did a good thing, giving Katniss that bread. I just wish you would have told me. I would have made another batch and you could have given her fresh loaves."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="296622a1007585b5139f734c7195f3f3""I didn't think to do that," Peeta grimaced, embarrassed by his line of thinking. "I think that would have been better for all three of us."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="ba6a6c29790d6d60fbe1a5d7a871bd23"Rosemary giggled and grabbed the door knob, opening the door and allowing Peeta to step into the apartment first. "Next time, then."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="c500d61c14d7b62583d7e7fd56cdf072"It smelt like boiled potatoes in the apartment, so that meant that they were having stew for dinner, probably made with cheap meat trimmings from the butcher across the square. It would be a good, filling meal that would combat the cold that the storm was bringing in for the night./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="0bc2c8d523ff23e9f351863d570854b1"Sage greeted Rosemary and Peeta with a warm smile and two bowls of stew. They each grabbed a hunk of bread and tucked in, eating slowly to savor the taste and make the meal go further. When the door opened, Rosemary startled and quickly swallowed, nerves churning her stomach. Capri stomped by the kitchen without a word or even a glare, and continued on into her room, slamming the door shut behind her./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="699bc4f04cfc7308430a9da2bea84ed3""Keep eating," Sage encouraged his youngest children and finished the rest of his stew. "I'll be right back."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="e8025d72ccd1901ba3850f22ca76de9d"He left the kitchen and disappeared behind the door that Capri had just shut./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="d21e5e997bbd8f28bc3872ce9c12748b"Rosemary finished her stew first and went about washing the dishes from dinner, taking Peeta's bowl from him when he finished with food. While Peeta started drying the dishes, Rosemary went to the bathroom to get ready for bed. It wasn't a washing day–filling up the tub everyday was too expensive and they didn't have a shower–so she cleaned up with warm water, soap, and an old washcloth. Feeling fresher, she braided her hair, changed into one of her dad's old nightshirts, brushed her teeth, and made sure to scrub under her fingernails for any leftover dirt. Once her hands were dry, she checked the half-moon indents on her palms to see if any skin had broken recently; everything felt fine and the callouses that had grown over time seemed unharmed. Lastly, she checked her face where her mother had hit her, thankful that there was no skin breakage, just some tenderness./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="884b20b2c9edc47451133c830348c338"She left the bathroom and slipped past Peeta in the hall, allowing him his evening time in the bathroom. Surprisingly, when she entered the room she and Peeta shared, Rye was sitting on the bottom bunk, playing with her only pair of knitting needles./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="9c84d41242ab79f1bbe8f3e03b4d8915""Don't break those," she warned him, forcing them out of his hands. Rye huffed a laugh and watched her put them back in place, next to her small pile of yarn. "Is the bread done?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="d818d366588b4c22aaadf3d06eb56344""No, not yet. It's in the oven," Rye stood up and allowed her to take his place on her bed. "I wanted to check on you and Peeta. I talked to him already, how are you?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="be15eef7042082987f6fe6a58a06427b""I'm the same as I always am," Rosemary pressed her lips together into a mild smile and nervously smoothed down the fabric covering her pillow. "Do you think Mother will stop?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="78d14ab481dad7c789770624e7bddfe5""I hope so," unbeknownst to him, he answered the same way she did when Peeta asked earlier. "I'm sorry it took me this long to step in. I should have done it a long time ago, when she first put you in the closet. When she first hit Peeta."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="d0fbe22fe75af0c4a5f14fcb7f008a66"Rosemary didn't know what to say. Her first instinct was to just brush him off, to tell him that everything was fine and it wasn't his responsibility to step in. But she couldn't. Because despite the fact that he pulled her from the closet a couple of times, despite his moments of interference where everything would calm down while he was there, but the second he walked away Capri would start up again, and despite how much she loved her brother, she couldn't just say that everything was okay, that everything was fine. It wasn't./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="76eb26304aba72c7ebd08325e98f29aa"The first time that Rosemary ever saw Capri hit Peeta, she had run straight toward her mother and pushed her off of him. She got a severe beating and the worst part of it for her was that Peeta didn't get any relief from her interference. From the beginning, she had done everything possible to help Peeta and she still couldn't help him enough. So, when Rye would interfere, she'd be hopeful, and then it always got bad again./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="9053c489a276a258505f078312b32660"She had such complicated feelings about it all and it kept her up at night. Because she loved Rye with her whole heart but she was allowed to feel disappointed by him, right? She was so happy he didn't have to go through what she and Peeta did, but at the same time, why were they targeted and he wasn't?/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="cd662b4e857f7d1ca2f4e31423772c37"And yet.../p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="acaf5ddd5824e99feae32c95bec6745f"Rye wasn't their mother. He was not the one to raise his hands to them, or the one to stuff her in the closet. Rye was the one to place a cool washcloth on Peeta's bruises, the one who pulled her from the depths of her mind, the one that loved them enough to do something about the abuse they suffered at the hands of Capri Mellark. He was Rye and she could never be mad at him, even if he did annoy the pants off of her at times./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="94ea7e54e29ebf71f5b8b3bc79d34ed2""Well, you did something now," Rosemary kicked his shin with a warm smile, wordlessly letting him know that all was forgiven. "And you're here. That's all I can ask for."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="9bcb316fb6475394fdc86baa15670f1c"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"In the beginning of her forays into the closet, she would freak out. The claustrophobia she experienced and the way the darkness played with her mind had her in a wild panic and she would scream and weep and bang on the door to be let out, but her mother would ignore her. Peeta, on the occasions where he was present, would be locked in their shared bedroom, unable to help in any way because of his age, and at that time, Rye worked with their father in the bakery more than his siblings did. Sometimes Rosemary would be there for a few hours, exhausted by her spent emotions and fears. She would just sit and wait for it to be over, retreating into her head where she'd go over books she had memorized or daydream about being with Peeta, Rye, or Kline./em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="152553cec71a8809c6ebfd4f70429451"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Rye had been her hero. One day, while he took a break from work downstairs, he heard her as soon as he walked through the door. Seeing Rye's face, horror struck and bewildered, had sent her gasping, hysterically asking him for his help. Rye acted immediately and pulled her out of the cubby and into his arms, asking over and over again what had happened./em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="7f9edf308a17d1dd88b6c99614b371f6"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Rosemary couldn't answer him, she couldn't speak as she sobbed into his shoulder and stared at the door, her eyes adjusting to the light. She felt him stiffen and she heard him yell for a few minutes, and then he carried her past their mother and into her bedroom where he discovered Peeta, who was also hysterical./em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="3366220a0bb31c7c8df82e25f3d50768"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Rosemary started working more in the bakery after that, but there were still times when their mother would shove her into the closet when Rye and Sage were away. Each time when Rye got home, he'd check the closet and most of the time she would be there, staring blankly into the dark. As she got older and stronger and Capri couldn't just shove her in there, the visits to the closet ended. Instead, Capri moved onto Peeta. She still received snide comments and smacks to the face when she protected Peeta–hardly ever allowing him to be alone with the horrid woman–but that was fine as long as Peeta was okay. Sometimes, when she couldn't prevent the abuse and both of them got hurt, she got so angry that she wanted to lash out, taking that stupid tube of parchment paper and knocking her mother over the head with it./em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="2cf5100f49c7c02e23f80958f7938a14"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"It was in those moments when Rosemary had to take a break from Parchment Pike and try different methods of releasing her energy. She had dealt with violence from her mother her whole life, she didn't want to continue the cycle or experience more than she had to./em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="ccab05191160bff3332cad7276bff9b3"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Rye, this whole life, never received the same treatment from their mother like Rosemary and Peeta. Sometimes Rosemary resented him for it, but most of the time she was just relieved he didn't have to deal with it. Being the favorite child was saving his life and Rye stepped in between Capri and her youngest children as often as he could. It was more than Sage did, and it led to feelings that she hid deep, deep inside her because she couldn't hate her father, too./em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="6051bee79d36f85534dc3d6334fd8323"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Protecting Peeta became second nature to her, to the point that she didn't even realize that she spent too much time with her younger brother. A lot of things became second nature; the dingy solar power night light that sat on the table next to the bunk beds she and Peeta shared, the way she went out of her way to avoid small spaces, and how often she had to fake smiles to her father and other families in the square to let them know she was okay./em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="336d5ebc5436534e61d16e63ddfca327"-/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="4a60d61eabbcdea8a2cbea26dec047e6"span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Rosemary/em/span/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="5004884ec5a52667c944f8c325b562b4"They had been working practically non-stop since they entered the bakery after school. Rye was sent into Sage's office to help the man with finances and other "owner" business, Peeta started making two different types of cookies and dabbled at cake decorating, and Rosemary went between the counter, helping customers with Capri, the bread ovens, and making sweet bread batter for the next morning./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="5e9e6ef41f024ae89dddf486a119e481"It was hard work, but Rosemary loved it. It was routine and she liked routine. She would feel off if she didn't bake everyday. One of her favorite tasks to do at work was the cake decorating. She wasn't a great artist on paper, but on cake? She was very good and better than everyone in her family but Peeta, who was just inexperienced and watched her eagerly, trying to soak up everything that she could teach him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="df64df19b50b2dce0497724e783e614c"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"One day,/em she thought very proudly as he continued to practice on a small cake, em style="box-sizing: border-box;"he'll be better than me./em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="af8e079ffd0533441b27ac8771f01289"She swiped an errant finger into the frosting that Peeta was smoothing down and ducked away laughing as he swiped at her. She popped the finger into her mouth and basked in the sugary sweetness. It wasn't often that she got to indulge in their own products, especially the cakes, so she had to take chances here and there when their mother wasn't looking./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="ee407ab2fff19b52b4e89da5cda4c0e0""It started to rain," she informed him after cleaning her hands. "Mother will want to start closing up the shop. Could you take out the trash and watch the ovens for me for a few minutes while I help her close?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="26df9ef4bf2b98f9d242b267a69e8ea7"There would be no more customers for the day, as no one ventured into the rain./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="97e28e21a449c9a8fa0e4459ef89389f""No problem," Peeta finished his crumb coat and set his frosting tools aside. "How hard is the rain? Thunderstorm level, you think?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="6411cb594132d9a6368d63878d9e15b5"Rosemary smiled; Peeta loved thunderstorms so much that she had begun to love them as well. "I think so."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="2477e45a85677b739acc2e0760a7f988"Peeta grinned widely. "Nice."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="99fc6318a8be907ea8c3eecd4fdeeffd"The siblings went their separate ways to start their tasks. Capri wasn't in the storefront when she came in behind the counter, but she assumed that she was talking with Sage and Rye. Rosemary started gathering the unsold baked goods, giving them a quick check over to see what could last another day on their second chance rack, and then sorted them. The ones that couldn't go on the second chance rack, mostly different types of bread, went into a small container that they'd bring to their apartment, supplying their bread for the week. Sometimes, if there was a cookie or pastry that was on the fence, she'd sneak it for herself, Rye, or Peeta. Her dad knew about this, and very much encouraged it, but if her mother knew she'd be slapped silly./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="c77294b76856a0b1de7cf704dc85818f"With the baked goods packed away for tomorrow, she cleaned the cases and all other surfaces in the vicinity. Once that was done, she checked the cash register to see if she needed to supply that to her father, but the drawer was gone, indicating that Capri had already taken it back to the office. She moved onto sweep and mop the floors, making quick work of the store from years of experience./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="83109d30f5f433001941dfeb703fe4be"When she finally entered the office after closing the shop, Capri wasn't present. Sage was hunched over the desk, contents of the cash drawer in front of him as he calculated sales for the day. Rye was on the other end of the desk, going through their inventory log and making sure they had enough supplies for the rest of the month./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="c7e1a780bbec216e9bb5b41d761bc711""I think we're almost out of cinnamon," she informed her brother, announcing her presence at the same time./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="73347923c5f4e4d62f8d1ece8eee1ed4""We are," Rye confirmed, the tip of a pencil balanced on his bottom lip as he glared at the book. "Country-wide shortage for the next few weeks."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="fac9e5031e4947e3fb874750032871d0""We'll get through it," Sage reassured his oldest children with a tired smile. "Come here, Sparky, tell me about your day."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="bb31f15b580f1530a11b28abbf050cf3"When her father lifted his left arm for a hug, she burrowed into his side. Though she often had thoughts of frustration and anger over her father's inability to keep his wife from hitting her children, she truly loved him. Though it was clear that Sage did not have a favorite child, he genuinely treated them all the same, it was clear that Rosemary was very special to him. Through eavesdropping, Rosemary knew this was because she was practically a clone of his late sister, and even named after her./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="b6f4f69d3edffe466e028fad6d52c5e0"Rosemary soaked up the attention and let him call her sparky even though she didn't think the nickname fit her at all. When she told Rye that one time, he laughed and explained to her why Sage called her that. Before Peeta was born, Rosemary was already fiercely protective of her brother and Kline, but she became more intense when her baby brother came into the picture. While Rosemary was a quiet girl, there was never a time when she would hold her tongue rather than protect the people she loved. Her loyalty and love could literally spark confrontation and start a battle she was more than likely to win./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="e4487bd15a964e087bf8751ad02d5081""Nothing special happened," Rosemary reported, breathing in her father's comforting scent. Sage, Peeta, and Rye all shared the same soap so they all had a similar scent that had her comfortable in seconds. "And yours?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="66795a48d3dedae83409bab34b4ec486""Tiring," Sage sniffed, somewhat congested from the spring allergies they all shared. "Been trying to adjust recipes all day because of the cinnamon. I think we're going to have to take cinnamon-raisin bread off the menu, just so we can make goods that use less of it."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="868cb82264b6dc1f175f1364a93ccb14""Cinnamon appears everywhere," Rye groaned."Luckily that's one of our worst sellers."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="6d09f616e0c57fe2121ca8ae4f60430d"It was true; the Mellark family ate a lot of leftover cinnamon-raisin bread. Personally, Rosemary loved it, especially heated up or toasted./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="572e651620f5dbf114eab006a71b149f""YOU STUPID, STUPID BOY!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="cd554dd341171ce71e313bc2734b22c6"Rosemary flinched when she heard Capri start screaming from the kitchen. She ignored Sage's heavy sigh and bolted from the office, making her way into the kitchen. Her mother was hovering over Peeta, his cheek already slapped red, and Rosemary rushed in between them, pushing her mother out of the way./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="a476f332f756a5e9e795b7c8874286ab""Mother!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="4535ec94c9fbd200ace16f8752ac9640"A harsh stinging appeared on her right cheek, pushing her back into Peeta, who steadied her and made an angry grunting noise that wasn't heard over Rosemary's gasp of pain. Rosemary palmed the heated cheek, willing for the stinging to go away and for her tears not to fall. Unfortunately, Rosemary was a crier and it happened when she felt any emotion highly enough./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="abcc118279779c6d3755a70c63030c74"Her vision was blurry from tears as she snapped her head back to Capri, mouth formed into scowl./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="c38e7af6ed2ecd02c55ba649612020c6""You should have known better than to let him watch the bread," Capri snarled at her. "The idiot burned it."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="3e4f581f01fc85087e526b3105435a0d"Rosemary's eyes darted away from Capri and scanned the kitchen. One of the bread trays that had been in the oven when she left was thrown on the counter, half-burnt and unusable. She sighed; she shouldn't be surprised that her mother got upset over something so simple./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="b111f6e13bd7d485ee8cebd71a1a6d75""I'll make another batch," Rosemary's voice trembled./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="4cab7fa829fad3f4e03fc3b5e22dcb8c""Yes, you will," Capri turned to Peeta. "You, go feed the bread to the hogs. Try not to fuck up anything else while you're out there."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="567e9d75c285cf48f2440343c5cccf82"Rosemary and Peeta let go of their grips on one another and Peeta scrambled to the tray, picking it up and sliding out the back door into the rain./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="ada74a59dfe723f655a6cf5f7f71632a""You'll stay up and bake the replacement batch. I better not hear the apartment door open until you do."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="2a716fcf02ea8131ccd27e4d380db3ad""Mother."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="001a4cdf91b5096f72a082bd80be66c0"Both Capri and Rosemary turned to the kitchen door, where Rye stood tall as can be, his arms strongly folded over his chest. His bright blue eyes softened when they went from Capri to Rosemary until he saw the red welt on her cheek. He looked back to Capri, eyes as angry as Rosemary had ever seen./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="284167436331a306a46ef56bebe22a6d""I'm eighteen now. If you hit them again, we'll be gone. I don't care if Dad wants to stay or go, I will be taking Rosemary and Peeta and you will never see us again," when Capri gasped wetly, startled by his threat, he stepped further into the kitchen. "I'm tired of you treating them like this. I couldn't do much before, but now I can. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Do not touch them./em"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="a3ceeaca24cb0daf4317ae0167bdf5f4"For a moment it was quiet, until the silence was disrupted by the back door opening, the sound of heavy rain, and the door closing again. Peeta slumped into view, soaking wet, and paused when he saw the stand off between Rye and Capri. When he glanced at Rosemary questioningly, she shrugged./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="04ffb700a89113a654fa1e8a8ef79103""Rose, I'll rebake the bread. Both of you should go to bed," Rye told his younger siblings. "Dad's made dinner. Go on."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="11dbd4c34ae750f6fb9913a3a7b91b68"Rosemary hurriedly grabbed Peeta's arm and together, they scurried out of the kitchen past Capri, who was just frozen, staring at Rye in shock. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="d771d7b114b0301f5c26aba5d17aec50""What is going on?" Peeta whispered as they started up the stairs./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="4bad46929a208ca00e27289bb3d044fb""Rye threatened Mother," she told him quietly. "He said he'd take us and leave if she hit us again."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="de48c50ad2690ca5df08c2722d453972""He did?" Peeta's eyes widened. They both knew the implications of Rye's threat; at the risk of not seeing Rye again, Capri would take his threat seriously. "You really think she'll listen to him?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="2be30e433c2e65219034aad751272857""I hope she does," when they came to the landing, she paused, waiting a moment to open the door. "What was up with the burnt bread? You've never done that before."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="73ac9f1c0a46e36901cfeeda45a63ce8""When I took out the garbage, I saw Katniss."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="92fa8b667119230cb9c5294822a568fa"Rosemary's eyebrows creased in worry as soon as she heard Katniss' name. Katniss Everdeen was a classmate of Peeta's, and he had adored her for years. The only reason that the Mellark's really knew the Everdeens was because their dads went to school together and their acquaintanceship carried on into adulthood, when Mr. Everdeen would deliver freshly-hunted squirrels to the family, his daughter becoming an apprentice at his side./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="a509be588525db60b353e555bf22ce83"Katniss was a sweet girl, according to the few times that Rosemary had interacted with her, and a great big sister. She simply adored her father, so after the mine accident in January where Mr. Everdeen was killed, Peeta and Rosemary had been concerned about her. Her father was the destitute family's main provider, so things got worse for Katniss, her mother, and her little sister. It probably didn't help that there were rumors that Mrs. Everdeen, who was a great healer that mostly worked with homemade remedies and people outside of the district's healthcare system, was almost catatonic in her grief./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="0414f64a041d8de981aa26d538bf60ac""She hasn't been bringing lunch lately and I'm sure she was hungry," Peeta continued. "I-I burnt the bread on purpose. I'm sorry, Rose. I didn't mean for you to get in trouble."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="bd984c2bc0d6f16fc85938fdb1157695""It wasn't your fault," Rosemary assured him, poking his cheek to put a smile on his face. "You did a good thing, giving Katniss that bread. I just wish you would have told me. I would have made another batch and you could have given her fresh loaves."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="296622a1007585b5139f734c7195f3f3""I didn't think to do that," Peeta grimaced, embarrassed by his line of thinking. "I think that would have been better for all three of us."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="ba6a6c29790d6d60fbe1a5d7a871bd23"Rosemary giggled and grabbed the door knob, opening the door and allowing Peeta to step into the apartment first. "Next time, then."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="c500d61c14d7b62583d7e7fd56cdf072"It smelt like boiled potatoes in the apartment, so that meant that they were having stew for dinner, probably made with cheap meat trimmings from the butcher across the square. It would be a good, filling meal that would combat the cold that the storm was bringing in for the night./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="0bc2c8d523ff23e9f351863d570854b1"Sage greeted Rosemary and Peeta with a warm smile and two bowls of stew. They each grabbed a hunk of bread and tucked in, eating slowly to savor the taste and make the meal go further. When the door opened, Rosemary startled and quickly swallowed, nerves churning her stomach. Capri stomped by the kitchen without a word or even a glare, and continued on into her room, slamming the door shut behind her./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="699bc4f04cfc7308430a9da2bea84ed3""Keep eating," Sage encouraged his youngest children and finished the rest of his stew. "I'll be right back."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="e8025d72ccd1901ba3850f22ca76de9d"He left the kitchen and disappeared behind the door that Capri had just shut./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="d21e5e997bbd8f28bc3872ce9c12748b"Rosemary finished her stew first and went about washing the dishes from dinner, taking Peeta's bowl from him when he finished with food. While Peeta started drying the dishes, Rosemary went to the bathroom to get ready for bed. It wasn't a washing day–filling up the tub everyday was too expensive and they didn't have a shower–so she cleaned up with warm water, soap, and an old washcloth. Feeling fresher, she braided her hair, changed into one of her dad's old nightshirts, brushed her teeth, and made sure to scrub under her fingernails for any leftover dirt. Once her hands were dry, she checked the half-moon indents on her palms to see if any skin had broken recently; everything felt fine and the callouses that had grown over time seemed unharmed. Lastly, she checked her face where her mother had hit her, thankful that there was no skin breakage, just some tenderness./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="884b20b2c9edc47451133c830348c338"She left the bathroom and slipped past Peeta in the hall, allowing him his evening time in the bathroom. Surprisingly, when she entered the room she and Peeta shared, Rye was sitting on the bottom bunk, playing with her only pair of knitting needles./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="9c84d41242ab79f1bbe8f3e03b4d8915""Don't break those," she warned him, forcing them out of his hands. Rye huffed a laugh and watched her put them back in place, next to her small pile of yarn. "Is the bread done?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="d818d366588b4c22aaadf3d06eb56344""No, not yet. It's in the oven," Rye stood up and allowed her to take his place on her bed. "I wanted to check on you and Peeta. I talked to him already, how are you?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="be15eef7042082987f6fe6a58a06427b""I'm the same as I always am," Rosemary pressed her lips together into a mild smile and nervously smoothed down the fabric covering her pillow. "Do you think Mother will stop?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="78d14ab481dad7c789770624e7bddfe5""I hope so," unbeknownst to him, he answered the same way she did when Peeta asked earlier. "I'm sorry it took me this long to step in. I should have done it a long time ago, when she first put you in the closet. When she first hit Peeta."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="d0fbe22fe75af0c4a5f14fcb7f008a66"Rosemary didn't know what to say. Her first instinct was to just brush him off, to tell him that everything was fine and it wasn't his responsibility to step in. But she couldn't. Because despite the fact that he pulled her from the closet a couple of times, despite his moments of interference where everything would calm down while he was there, but the second he walked away Capri would start up again, and despite how much she loved her brother, she couldn't just say that everything was okay, that everything was fine. It wasn't./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="76eb26304aba72c7ebd08325e98f29aa"The first time that Rosemary ever saw Capri hit Peeta, she had run straight toward her mother and pushed her off of him. She got a severe beating and the worst part of it for her was that Peeta didn't get any relief from her interference. From the beginning, she had done everything possible to help Peeta and she still couldn't help him enough. So, when Rye would interfere, she'd be hopeful, and then it always got bad again./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="9053c489a276a258505f078312b32660"She had such complicated feelings about it all and it kept her up at night. Because she loved Rye with her whole heart but she was allowed to feel disappointed by him, right? She was so happy he didn't have to go through what she and Peeta did, but at the same time, why were they targeted and he wasn't?/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="cd662b4e857f7d1ca2f4e31423772c37"And yet.../p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="acaf5ddd5824e99feae32c95bec6745f"Rye wasn't their mother. He was not the one to raise his hands to them, or the one to stuff her in the closet. Rye was the one to place a cool washcloth on Peeta's bruises, the one who pulled her from the depths of her mind, the one that loved them enough to do something about the abuse they suffered at the hands of Capri Mellark. He was Rye and she could never be mad at him, even if he did annoy the pants off of her at times./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="94ea7e54e29ebf71f5b8b3bc79d34ed2""Well, you did something now," Rosemary kicked his shin with a warm smile, wordlessly letting him know that all was forgiven. "And you're here. That's all I can ask for."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" /p