1936
Katniss sat at a flimsy card table. She cut a single potato into tiny chunks on a wooden chopping block; then dumped the pieces into an oiled pan atop an already warmed hot plate. While the potato slices sizzled, she cut two hot dogs into thin slivers and added them to the pan, along with a dash of salt and pepper. The meal wasn't fancy, but it was cheap and would fill her and Peeta's bellies. She left it to cook so she could put on some lipstick. Peeta would be home soon.
The furnished, two-room apartment may have been sparse having no kitchen - only a folding table and a hot plate - but Katniss was pleased with their home. The doilies her sister-in-law Delly had mailed her for a wedding gift hid the frayed upholstered arms of the old sofa. The faded patchwork quilt that once covered her parents' bed now lay on the lumpy mattress that she and Peeta shared. Someone with more money might have called their living quarters dumpy, but to her it was perfect.
Katniss had married Peeta six months earlier when her teaching job broke for summer vacation. She hadn't planned to stay home and keep house, but the district didn't permit teachers to be married, and she hadn't been able to find another job.
So, she'd spent the last five months overseeing their household budget, maintaining a spick and span domicile, and, in her spare time, reading books she borrowed from the nearby Carnegie library.
In the bathroom, she washed her face, added some lipstick, and re-braided her hair before studying herself in the looking glass. Her eyes were bright and her cheeks rosy.
It's because I'm happy.
Her thoughts flew to the upcoming holiday. Christmas is coming in less than a month. I need to talk to Peeta about a tree. It would be cheaper to make one out of newspaper than buying a real one. I'll also need to think about something I can make for him because I don't have any money to buy him a gift.
From inside the tiny bathroom, she heard the front door open.
She stepped into the living room with a smile on her face. "How was your day?"
Dark circles lined Peeta's eyes.
He's exhausted because of the lumpy mattress.
When he didn't answer, or even smile, she grew panicked. She stepped closer.
"What's wrong?"
Peeta pulled her into his arms and gave her a long hug. Then, he let go and sat down on the sofa, hunching over and resting his face in his hands.
Katniss sat beside him and stroked his hair. Oh, no. Has he lost his job?
The United States economy was far better this past year than it had been over the last few years when Peeta's parents had urged him to leave the Mellark family bakery in the small town of Dandelion to find work elsewhere. Katniss had met him in Panem where he had found work in one of the city's many bakeries.
Peeta finally lifted his head and looked at her. "Mom called me at work today. Dad collapsed. The doctor thinks it's his heart. Mom wants us to come home to help them out."
Katniss' first reaction was sympathy, but a rush of anger quickly followed.
Leave our home and move to Dandelion?
Katniss had never even met Peeta's family. They hadn't been able to attend the couple's courthouse wedding because they didn't want to close their bakery even for a couple of days. And Peeta had hinted more than once that his mother was a difficult woman to get along with.
Why do we have to be the ones to come to the rescue?
"What about your brothers?" she questioned.
Peeta shook his head. "Phyl has a good government job in Washington, D.C., and Rye recently opened a second shoe repair shop for his father-in-law upstate. It would be easier and more convenient for me to help them. Anyway, I'm the best baker of us three."
He's probably right. But Dandelion isn't my home. I grew up here in Panem City. Although there's nothing keeping me here since Mom died.
"Where will we live?" she asked, trying to put up roadblocks to the relocation.
"With my parents. We'll stay in my old bedroom for now." Peeta's parents lived in a small apartment over their shop.
Katniss looked around their tiny flat with sadness. I don't want to leave our first home. Then she looked at her husband. I guess I was living the "best" part, now I'm facing the "worse" part of the marriage vows I took.
Peeta sniffed at the air. "Is something burning?"
"Oh, no." Katniss jumped up from the sofa. She ran across the room and removed the pan from the hot plate. The hot dog pieces were singed black, but the potatoes were extra crispy, just the way she liked them.
She set the pan onto the wooden cutting board to cool. She took a deep breath and turned toward her husband, plastering a cheerful smile on her face. "When will we leave?"
"Tomorrow. I quit my job after the phone call." Peeta gave her a hopeful look. "The owner said he'll take me back when Dad gets better."
If he gets better.
They began packing after dinner. By the next afternoon, they were on the train headed for Peeta's childhood home. They carried everything they owned in two suitcases.
They got off the train around midnight. "Maybe we should spring for a cab," Katniss suggested. "It's late, and the suitcases are heavy."
Peeta chuckled. "Dandelion's too small to have taxi service. We'll walk. It's not far."
Peeta took a suitcase in each hand and Katniss followed him out of the station and down a few blocks until they reached the sidewalks of Main Street. Along the way, Peeta pointed out the businesses that lined the street and whispered stories about each so as not to wake up the owners who lived above their shops and were likely asleep.
"Here we are," he said, stopping abruptly in front of Mellark Bakery. The shop had a large display window featuring fancy cakes made of plaster. Peeta set the suitcases down, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a key. He opened the heavy wooden door. A loud bell sounded. Katniss stepped inside first, holding the door for Peeta to carry the luggage inside.
A voice called out, "Is that you, Peeta?"
"Yeah, it's me, Mom."
Peeta motioned for Katniss to go behind the empty display cases and enter the kitchen. He followed with the luggage. An open doorway in a corner of the kitchen lit up the room. In the doorway stood a stout, blonde-haired woman in a bathrobe and slippers.
"I'm glad you could get here so fast. We haven't opened the bakery for two days. I'd like it to open it in the morning."
It's after midnight already.
"Okay, Mom. We better turn in then, it's late."
The woman eyed Katniss carefully. "You must be Katniss. You're not what I expected."
What did you expect?
"It's nice to finally meet you, too, Mrs. Mellark." Katniss stepped forward to hug her, but her mother-in-law quickly turned around and climbed the stairs.
"Follow her up, Katniss," Peeta encouraged. "I'll be right behind you."
At the top of the stairs was a small living room with old-fashioned furniture that looked as if it had never been sat on. A large radio stood in the corner. Katniss followed her mother-in-law through that parlor-like room into the much larger dining room which housed a massive table, and a hutch filled with dishes. She got a quick look through another doorway to take in the kitchen. It was a real kitchen, unlike her cardboard table with a hotplate.
Her mother-in-law led her to a short hallway and into a small bedroom, switching on the overhead light. "I put a cot against the other wall since the twin is too narrow for the two of you."
We can't even sleep next to each other.
In addition to the two separate beds, the room held a dresser with a mirror above it. There wasn't a closet, only some hooks on the wall above the cot.
"How did you and your brothers all fit in this small room?" Katniss asked, when the door was closed.
"It was bigger then. After Phyl and Rye moved out, my parents knocked down the wall between their bedroom and this room to give themselves more space.
"It's not ideal, but this arrangement is only temporary. If Dad doesn't get better soon, we'll buy a double bed."
They quickly stripped off their clothes. Peeta climbed into the twin bed and Katniss turned off the light and settled in the cot. Already she could hear Peeta snoring lightly. She was glad he'd fallen asleep quickly especially if his mother expected him to be up in a few hours to start work in the bakery.
It seemed to her as if she'd only fallen asleep when the overhead light woke her up again.
Peeta was rifling through one of the suitcases. "Sorry, Katniss, I need to find my work clothes."
He kissed her forehead, and said, "Go back to sleep, honey," and turned off the light.
She fell into a deep sleep only to be awakened a couple of hours later by a pounding on the door. "Wake up, Katniss," her mother-in-law called. "You need to give Henry his breakfast."
Exhausted, Katniss jumped out of bed and began rifling through the other suitcase looking for a house dress. As she surveyed the mess in the tiny bedroom which now had clothes scattered across the floor and two unmade beds, she sighed. I need to get this place in order. But first she had to help her in-laws.
When Katniss exited the room a couple of minutes later, she found her mother-in-law in the kitchen frying bacon and making oatmeal. "There's some coffee left in the pot," she said. "Help yourself."
Katniss poured herself a cup and took a sip.
"There's cream in the refrigerator if you want some."
Katniss opened the door and pulled out a small glass bottle of cream. She also noticed milk, butter, eggs, and a couple of packages wrapped in butcher paper. Clearly her in-laws ate better than she and Peeta had been eating.
After adding the cream to her coffee, her mother-in-law handed Katniss a tray she'd prepared for her husband's breakfast. It included a bowl of oatmeal, two slices of toast, and a couple pieces of bacon.
"I need to go downstairs and work the counter. Bring this food to Henry and make sure he eats it all. Then you can begin the housework."
"Okay, Mrs. Mellark."
"Call me Greta," she said as she headed for the stairs that led to the bakery. But then she turned and called out.
"I expect you to be up earlier tomorrow morning to make Henry's breakfast. I let you sleep in today because you got here so late."
Katniss glanced at the kitchen clock which read 7 a.m. Greta had awakened her thirty minutes prior.
How early does she want me to get up?
She picked up the tray and headed down the hallway to the other bedroom. The door was ajar, and Katniss poked her head in. The room was three times as large as the one she and Peeta slept in. It was filled with a polished mahogany bedstead, a highboy dresser, and an elegantly carved armoire. A matching vanity table was next to the highboy dresser.
Peeta's father appeared to be awake. He lay stiffly staring upward at the ceiling.
"Henry, it's Katniss," she called out. "Is it all right if I come in? I have your breakfast."
A groan sounded, which she took as a "yes", so she entered the room.
Henry's skin was pale. His head was not even resting on the pillow, which had been pushed to the side.
Katniss set the tray on top of the dresser. "Let me get you better situated." She grabbed both pillows from the other side of the bed and then walked around it to lift her father-in-law's upper frame so she could prop him up to eat. It took a bit of doing, but she managed to get him upright.
Then she carried the tray and set it on his lap.
"I don't know if I can eat this all this," he said.
"Greta said you should try."
"I'll bet she did."
"Do you want some coffee?" Katniss asked.
Henry shook his head. "Maybe later." He gave her a smile. "It's about time I met my new daughter-in-law. Peeta got himself a pretty one."
Katniss blushed.
"I wanted to come for the wedding," he continued. "But Greta didn't think it would be a good idea to close the bakery."
"I'm glad to finally meet you, too. I just wish it hadn't under these circumstances."
Henry looked down at the tray and then back at her. "I'll be back to work in no time. The doctor says I just need to rest a bit."
"Peeta and I will do everything we can to help you do just that." She smiled back at him. "I need to do some tidying up now. Will you be all right?"
He nodded.
"I'll leave the door open. If you need something, just call out."
She left the room and headed for the one in which she and Peeta were lodged. She made the two beds and put their clothes away in the dresser. She pushed the two suitcases neatly against the wall.
Good thing I won't be spending much awake time in here. It's depressing.
She spent the remainder of the morning washing the breakfast dishes in the kitchen, sweeping the hardwood floors, and using the carpet sweeper on the large throw rug in the living room. Periodically she checked on Henry to be sure he had everything he needed.
Peeta came upstairs for lunch at 11:30 a.m. He brought a loaf of bread with him. "It's stale, but if you toast it in the oven, it will be fine."
While Katniss cooked him a fried egg sandwich, Peeta laid his head on the table and dozed. When it was ready, Katniss woke him up to eat it. He was on his way downstairs as soon as he swallowed the last bite.
Greta came upstairs next. "What have you been doing all morning?" she asked Katniss.
Katniss gave a recitation of her work.
"I have some ironing for you this afternoon," Greta said. She made herself a jam sandwich, visited her husband for a few minutes, then showed Katniss the ironing basket before she returned to the bakery below.
After frying two more eggs, Katniss made sandwiches for herself and Henry. She brought both sandwiches into Henry's room and sat down on the side of the bed to eat with him.
When they finished their meal, she returned to the kitchen to wash the lunch dishes.
Afterward, she set up the iron board in the hallway, plugged in the iron, and sprinkled cool water on the wrinkled, laundry.
Once the iron was hot, she set to work. She sang as she ironed – it made the job pleasant, and the time go faster.
Listen, big boy
Now that I've got you made
Goodness, but I'm afraid
Something's going to happen to you
Listen, big boy
You've got me hooked and how
I would die if I should lose you now
Button up your overcoat
When the wind is free
Take good care of yourself
You belong to me
Oh, eat an apple every day
Get to bed by three
Take good care of yourself
You belong to me
Be careful crossing streets, ooh, ooh
Don't eat meat, ooh, ooh
Cut out sweets, ooh, ooh
You'll get a pain and ruin your tum-tum
Before she could begin the next verse, a strong baritone sounded from the open door of the bedroom. She inwardly chuckled at the lyrics.
Keep away from bootleg hooch
When you're on a spree
Take good care of yourself
You belong to me
When Henry stopped singing, Katniss stepped away from the ironing board and into the bedroom doorway. "You have a wonderful voice, Henry."
"Thanks, I've been in the church choir for years. That's another reason I need to get better – I need to sing at the Christmas service."
"My dad was a great singer."
"You must have inherited his gift then," Henry said. "Cause you sound like an angel. You should join our choir."
Katniss nodded, but she hoped she and Peeta would be back in Dandelion City after New Year's.
Henry doesn't seem that ill.
"We have a radio in the living room," Henry continued. "Why don't you turn it on?"
That's a great idea. Why didn't I think of it? It's probably because Peeta and I don't own one.
"Okay," she said.
She walked to the living room and switched on the radio. A song was playing. She turned the volume on loud enough for Henry to hear in the bedroom. Then she walked back to the hallway to finish her ironing. Following the song was a comedy sketch. After that an orchestra played.
She hummed and swayed her hips while she worked. She peeked into the room and noted the smile on Henry's face as the music played. He swung an arm in time to the music as if he were conducting the orchestra.
"I've finished ironing," she called out when an hour had passed. "I'm going into the kitchen to make dinner."
She snuck a peak at him. Henry was sound asleep. Katniss turned off the radio.
In the kitchen she decided on sausages and potatoes because that was all she could find. She cut the fat sausages and potatoes up into tiny bits and put them into the frying pan to cook, the same meal she and Peeta ate regularly.
Peeta and Greta came upstairs to the aroma of fried meat and potatoes.
"Smells good," Peeta said.
He looks exhausted.
"You cut up the sausage," Mrs. Mellark shrieked. She walked into the kitchen with a bag and pulled out four rolls. "I was planning to make dinner sandwiches with those sausages"
"I'm sorry, I didn't know." Katniss lifted the wooden spoon she'd been using to stir the potatoes and sausage bits. "This is a recipe Peeta and I always eat."
Mrs. Mellark frowned. "When's the last time you checked on Henry."
"Just before I started cooking. He was taking a nap."
Greta stormed out of the kitchen and toward the bedroom.
Peeta, who'd been standing nearby, came close. He wrapped an arm around Katniss and kissed her cheek. "Don't let Mom make you feel bad. It was a long day, and she's worried about Dad."
"He's in good spirits," Katniss said. "He asked me to turn up the radio so he could listen to music while I ironed."
"Dad's always loved music."
Greta returned and took a bowl of dinner to the bedroom to give Henry.
"Should we wait to eat until your mother returns?" Katniss asked Peeta.
"Nah, I'm starving."
It was good they didn't wait because they were finished long before Greta returned to the kitchen with Henry's empty bowl.
"I left some dinner on the counter for you," Katniss called out from the living room as she and Peeta listened to the radio. She'd already washed the frying pan, and other dishes.
"I'll put it in the refrigerator," Greta said. "I'm not hungry."
Katniss threw Peeta a concerned look.
"She ate stale cookies all afternoon," Peeta whispered.
The days that followed fell into a pattern. Peeta awoke at 3 a.m. every morning. Katniss was out of bed and dressed by 6 a.m. She made coffee and cooked breakfast for everyone, running downstairs to bring Peeta and his mother a mug, and an egg sandwich while they worked. Then she went back upstairs to gobble down her own meal before beginning her day of housekeeping which included washing the dishes, making beds, sweeping the floors, dusting, scrubbing down the single bathroom, preparing lunch for everyone, doing the laundry and ironing. But most important was her task to tend to Henry to be sure he was comfortable and well-fed.
Katniss liked the afternoons best. She would turn up the radio and listen to soap operas or variety shows while she worked. Often, she found herself sitting on the side of Henry's bed chatting with him while she mended clothes.
Henry spoke about his life - about the difficulties he had opening in the bakery.
"I never made much money, but I started a business and raised three fine sons. I'm happy."
"It sounds like you've had a good life," Katniss agreed.
She got to know her father-in-law so much better than her mother-in-law who rushed about and was a continual snit about something – her husband's ill health, the delivery boy who mixed up the bakery supplies order, or her daughter-in-law who couldn't get out the stain in the tablecloth.
Later while Henry napped, Katniss would prepare the dinner that Greta requested. On two occasions Henry made it to the table to eat with them, but most days Greta insisted he eat all his meals in bed.
Afterward, Katniss washed the dishes, and Peeta dried. Greta was too tired from standing all day long behind the front to help. She turned in early leaving Katniss and Peeta in the living room to listen to the radio on low volume.
The bakery was open every day of the week except Sunday. On their first Sunday in Dandelion, Katniss and Peeta attended services at the church Peeta's family had attended for years. Greta stayed back to tend to Henry.
Henry had always made it a habit to bring any leftover cookies to church for the congregants to enjoy with coffee after the service. Peeta and Katniss brought them in his stead.
"Can we count on the bakery to supply the cookies for the children's Christmas party?" Deacon Boggs asked, as they were leaving the fellowship hall. "Your father has always helped out in the past."
"We'd love to do it," Katniss answered.
"We'll have to pay for the ingredients out of our own pocket," Peeta told her as they walked home. "Mom complained to me about bringing the cookies over this morning. She's not as generous as Dad."
"We can pay," Katniss said. "It's the right thing to do." Even if it means we wait longer for a double bed.
Peeta wrapped his arm around her side, hugging her close. "I'm glad you offered."
After church, Greta asked Katniss to help prepare the big afternoon meal while Peeta deep cleaned the bakery.
Katniss dreaded working in the kitchen with Greta who criticized the way she peeled the potatoes, sliced the carrots, and set the table. Katniss hadn't been raised in a household with so much silverware. She never knew anyone who changed forks and spoons for various dishes.
But all the trouble was worth it because after the big Sunday dinner, Greta left the house to visit friends. While Henry napped, Katniss and Peeta spent two hours alone in their room enjoying each other's company.
After, as they lay squished together in Peeta's twin bed he whispered a promise that he'd get them a double bed soon so they could spend every night in each other's arms.
That would sure be nice.
The next day, Deacon Boggs and Deacon Bristol came to call after dinner. Deacon Boggs had stopped by the bakery earlier in the day to arrange the visit, so Peeta stayed downstairs after eating to open the door and bring the men upstairs. After visiting with Henry and praying with him, the men asked to speak with Peeta.
Katniss made hot chocolate for them as they talked at the dining table.
"Would you be able to help us out by playing Santa Claus for this year's children's Christmas party?" Deacon Bristol asked.
Peeta's eyebrows rose. "Has Haymitch Abernathy turned in his beard after all these years?"
Both men frowned.
"No," Deacon Boggs admitted. "But the board doesn't think he should be around the kids. He hasn't been to church in three months. We're certain he's fallen off the wagon."
"Have you told Haymitch that he's being replaced?"
Deacon Bristol shook his head. "We haven't been able to talk with him. He won't answer his door. At any rate, we wanted to be sure we had a replacement before we said anything."
"Well, I'd be happy to wear the suit if Haymitch is unable to wear it. But I'd like to talk to him first."
Later, after the men left Peeta told Katniss about Haymitch Abernathy. He had been Peeta's Sunday school teacher throughout his childhood. He'd played Santa Claus at the children's Christmas party since Peeta was a boy.
"It's no secret he had a drinking problem when he was young," Peeta explained. "He's talked about it at church for years, telling us what a miracle it was that he lost his taste for the stuff. But Dad wrote me that Haymitch's wife Maysilee died this past spring, so maybe he's developed a taste for it again."
Peeta sighed. "I'd like to help him if I can."
Why are you getting involved? Don't you have enough on your plate already?
But Katniss couldn't complain because she knew that Peeta was kind. He cared about everyone. Likely his former Sunday School teacher played a role in making him that way.
The next evening, after Greta turned in for the night, Peeta asked Katniss to make up a plate of leftovers for Haymitch. He put the covered plate into a basket, along with a slice of pecan pie wrapped in cloth.
"Will you come with me?" he asked.
"Of course," Katniss said, picking up the basket. She was curious about Haymitch, and eager to get out of the apartment.
The couple put on their coats and set off for Haymitch's house.
"If we were living alone, I would invite him to dinner," Peeta said. "But with Dad sick and Mom…" he didn't continue but Katniss understood his reluctance completely.
They pounded on Haymitch's door for several minutes, but he didn't open it. Still, they knew he was inside because they could see him through the white lace curtains that hung in the front window.
Peeta called out, "Open up Haymitch. It's Peeta Mellark. I want to talk with you."
Eventually the porch light turned on. The door opened. Haymitch's eyes were bleary. His hair was uncombed and his face unshaven.
"What's all this?" he asked gruffy.
"We brought you dinner," Katniss said.
"Who are you?" Haymitch scowled at Katniss. He shifted his body to block the view of the interior of his house, but Katniss caught a glimpse of a front room littered with clothing and empty liquor bottles.
"Haymitch, this is Katniss, my wife," Peeta said.
"Peeta Mellark? Didn't you move away?"
Peeta nodded. "But we moved in with my parents last week to help them out with the bakery. My dad's sick."
Haymitch's eyes grew watery. "Sorry to hear that. You're dad's a fine fellow. I haven't been around much to hear any news."
"I know," Peeta said. "And it's getting close to Christmas. Do you plan to reprise your role as Santa at the children's Christmas party?"
Haymitch rubbed his neck. "I haven't given it much thought." He frowned. "With the state I'm in, I don't suppose the deacons would be keen on it."
"They aren't," Peeta said. His voice grew soft. "They offered me the job this year. But I wanted to find out if you were still interested. Are you?"
Haymitch sighed. "It's probably time I passed the beard along to a younger man."
"Peeta's too young to be Santa," Katniss spoke.
"And too svelte," Peeta added, running his hand down his stocky mid-section.
"I've dropped a few pounds myself," Haymitch said. "But you can always add a pillow to bulk yourself up."
"Well, why don't you think about it some more," Peeta said.
Haymitch nodded. He started to close the door.
Katniss put her foot forward to stop him. "Wait, we brought you dinner."
"No, no," Haymitch began but Katniss shoved the basket right into his belly "There's pecan pie for dessert."
"He looks miserable," Katniss said as they walked home.
"He does," Peeta agreed. "It's sad because he was so energetic. Nothing like the old man we saw today."
"He must miss his wife terribly."
"I can't blame him." Peeta reached out for her hand and squeezed it. "I don't know what I'd do if I were in his shoes."
She caught the crack in his voice and the look in his eyes and it made her heart ache. She was young and healthy, but Peeta's father wasn't. Will he lose his dad soon? Maybe that's why Greta is so blunt and nasty at times. She can't handle what's been thrown at her.
"I think I'll visit Haymitch again," Peeta said. "It might cheer him up some."
"That would be a nice thing to do. We could also bring him some more food. I doubt he's doing any cooking."
Despite the master of the house being sick in bed, the apartment had taken on a festive air. Greta put her family treasures throughout the living room – a carved wood nativity scene atop the radio, a snow globe featuring a cabin in the woods placed on a shelf, and a tall nutcracker, his painted face faded, set next to a bowl of nuts on a side table.
"Don't use the nutcracker," Peeta warned when Katniss attempted to crack a nut. "It's just for show. And those nuts must be ten years old at least."
The day after they visited Haymitch, while Henry was reminiscing about Christmas' past to Katniss, he mentioned Haymitch Abernathy's yearly portrayal of Santa at the children's party. With an opening like that, Katniss couldn't help but tell her father-in-law about Haymitch's current state and how she and Peeta has brought him dinner.
"Bring him a meal every day," Henry said. "You can take him my lunch. I'm lying in bed all day. I don't need so much food. Besides it's good to help a neighbor who's fallen on tough times."
But he advised Katniss not to mention it to Greta. "She's too concerned about the finances."
His comments made Katniss wonder if Greta was upset that she had to feed her and Peeta as well. Greta ordered good cuts of meat from the butcher and fresh fruits and vegetables from the grocer.
We've been eating better here than we did when we lived by ourselves. Still if Henry says it's okay, I'll do it. I could also serve myself a bit less as well. My skirt waistband is getting tight with all this good food.
The next day, Katniss carefully portioned out their lunch making five plates instead of four. She hid the extra plate for Haymitch in the oven. After lunch, when Peeta and Greta returned to the bakery, Katniss snuck out the back stairway and dropped off a meal to Haymitch. The old Sunday school teacher was wearing clean clothes and had combed his hair.
Katniss wished she could spend some time and visit with him, but she knew Greta would have a fit if she found out that Henry was alone.
So, a new daily routine of subterfuge was formed – sneaking lunch to Haymitch, and making gifts in secret – an embroidered hanky for Henry, a knit dishcloth for Greta, and a knit cap for Peeta. She could work on her in-laws gifts in the evenings, but she had to be stealthy about knitting Peeta's cap, if it was going to be a surprise.
"How's Haymitch?" Peeta asked a few nights later as they lay close in the twin bed.
"Better," Katniss whispered. "He even let me inside the house today. The place is a mess, there are empty bottles all around, but I was able to tidy a bit. I wish I had more time."
"I'll go with you on Sunday afternoon," Peeta said. "I'd like to talk him into coming back to church before the party. He has a better chance of keeping his job as Santa if the deacons can see that he's sobered up."
Sunday afternoon, Katniss and Peeta carried over dinner and cleaning tools, including a broom, a bucket, and rags. "We came to clean up your house," Peeta said.
Haymitch's eyebrows rose, but he let them inside and the couple got to work. Katniss went into the kitchen and washed and dried the dishes. Peeta swept the floors and boxed up the empty liquor bottles.
Meanwhile Haymitch sat at the table and ate. When he was done, he got up and helped Peeta organize the bedroom. "A lot of this stuff needs to be laundered. Maysilee used to send it out to be done."
"I surprised none of those sweet older ladies at church came by to help you after your wife's death," Katniss said.
"Effie Trinket did, but I sent her packing," Haymitch said. "She's too bossy."
Katniss hadn't been introduced to Effie Trinket, but she remembered Peeta pointing her out. He said she chaired almost all the committees at the church.
"I had a liquor bottle on the table," Haymitch continued. "Effie noticed and got upset."
"She had reason to," Peeta said. "You're not acting like the Haymitch we all know. I'm sorry about Maysilee, but you can't hide out in your house drinking. You've inspired a lot of people at church over the years. It's time you pick yourself up and get busy again. You need to be of service, Mr. Claus."
The children's Christmas party was to be held on Sunday evening – five days before Christmas. Peeta and Katniss escorted Haymitch to the church service that morning and sat with him. Heads turned as they sat down. Some people smiled at Haymitch. A few came over to shake his hand.
He has friends here.
After the service was over, Peeta and Haymitch went in search of Deacon Boggs, while Katniss went into the fellowship hall. As she was waiting in line to get a cup of coffee, Effie Trinket approached her.
"I understand you and your husband have gotten Haymitch to sober up."
Who told her? Only Henry knows what Peeta and I have been up to. And he hasn't left the house to tell anyone.
"I'm glad to see him looking better," Effie said. "He's meant to play Santa."
Greta wasn't happy when Katniss joined Peeta to spend Sunday afternoon baking sugar cookies for the evening party. It meant she had to cook lunch for everyone by herself. But they needed at least ten dozen cookies and Peeta needed Katniss' help, especially because he insisted on icing all the cookies and then topping them with crushed peppermint.
Haymitch had a car, so he helped the couple deliver the cookies to the church. While he went to change into his costume, Katniss and Peeta joined the party.
While they'd been baking, others had been decorating the church hall with green and red streamers. A Christmas tree adorned with colorful balls and silver tinsel sat in the corner.
Mothers and fathers stood along the wall watching their children play a few organized games. An air of excitement filled the room as the children anticipated the arrival of Santa.
Peeta leaned close to Katniss and whispered, "Someday we'll be part of that group."
A happy feeling came over her.
When the final game was over, Haymitch entered the room. His suit was cherry red, and his fake beard was snowy white.
The noisy room fell silent when the children caught sight of him.
Haymitch looked around the room, noticed Katniss and Peeta, and winked.
"That's a fancy get-up he's got on," Katniss whispered.
"He makes a great Santa. I believed he was the real one when I was a child."
Thinking about tiny Peeta warmed Katniss' heart. I hope we have a child that looks just like Peeta.
Haymitch made his way to a chair at the end of the room and sat down. He pulled a package from his bag and read the name on the tag. "Where's Rue?"
A small, brown-skinned girl made her way through the crowd. She stood fearlessly in front of him.
"Do you have something for me, Santa?"
He handed her the package.
"Can I open it now or do I have to wait for Christmas?"
"If it's all right with your Mama, you can open it now."
The child turned toward her mother, who nodded.
Quickly she ripped off the paper to reveal a handsewn doll wearing a colorful dress.
"The older ladies make the dolls and their clothes," Peeta whispered to Katniss.
The next recipient was a boy who got a painted toy boat.
"Some of the men make the toys for the boys. For some of these kids, this is the only gift they'll receive."
The room was filled with cries of happiness and giggles and smiles.
Katniss reached for Peeta's hand. Moving to Dandelion isn't so bad.
xxxxx
In the early morning of the 22th, Katniss and Peeta woke up to the sound of screaming.
"He's dead. He's dead."
Peeta leaped up from the twin bed and ran out of the room down the short hallway to his parents' bedroom. Katniss sat up quickly in the cot. Her head spun. She lay back down to steady herself. Am I getting sick?
From the other room she could hear Peeta. "What happened?"
"He started shaking and shaking and then he stopped. When I turned on the light he wasn't breathing. Call the doctor," Greta said.
Has Henry died? But he was fine yesterday. He was getting better. He asked so many questions about the party and was talking about going to church on Christmas Eve.
Katniss forced herself to sit up again. She was still dizzy, and her head ached, but after a few minutes she stood up.
She walked across the room, switched on the overhead light, and pulled her robe off the hook on the back of the door. She could hear Peeta calling Dr. Latier.
She went to her in-laws' bedroom to find Greta sobbing as she was draped over Henry's chest. Katniss' eyes flew to her father-in-law's face.
He has a lopsided smile.
As she stood bearing witness, she felt strong arms wrap around her from behind. A hand touched her stomach lightly before it lifted, and she was released from the hug.
"Peeta," she began, turning to speak with her husband. But Peeta wasn't there.
Who hugged me?
A shiver went down her spine. She looked at the melancholy scene before her and left the room in search of Peeta. She found him in their bedroom, putting on his clothes.
"The doctor's on his way, although it's obviously too late to do anything." He was rubbing his face trying to hide his tears.
"Oh, Peeta this so awful…" Katniss said before bursting into tears herself.
"I need to go downstairs and get the bread started."
"You can't open today," she said. Your father just died.
"Christmas is in three days. People depend on us for their baked goods. Will you work the counter today? Mom won't be able to."
Katniss sighed. Her head was pounding. She needed to go back to bed and sleep. "Okay."
"That's fine. I'll bake a less today, then we can close early."
At 10 a.m., Katniss was behind the bakery counter suffering from a terrible headache when Haymitch appeared to relieve her. The news of Henry's sudden, unexpected death had already spread throughout Dandelion.
I suppose the doctor who had pronounced Henry dead, or the funeral home employees who removed the body, or the pastor who Peeta had called spread the word.
Katniss was relieved. She was too tired, and sick to be personally contacting so many people.
She went upstairs to check on Greta who was sleeping on the sofa and then decided to take a nap herself. It was dark when she awoke. She left the bedroom looking for Peeta, surprised to find Haymitch reading a book at the dining table. "Your husband and mother-in-law are at the funeral home finalizing arrangements."
She nodded. "Do you want me to fix you some dinner?"
Haymitch chuckled. "You won't need to fix dinner for the next week. Look in the refrigerator."
Katniss opened the door. Inside she found a cooked ham, a roasted chicken, several salads, and a few oranges. She turned back to Haymitch. "Where did all this food come from?"
"The neighbors."
"Even though everyone is struggling?"
"That's how people are," Haymitch said. "They want to help."
Katniss was impressed. No one had brought food to her when her mother had died. I guess people are kinder in small towns.
"Let me make you a plate."
"Only if you'll join me," Haymitch said. "You look kind of peaked. You need to keep up your strength."
Katniss wasn't hungry, but she agreed and made them both plates. She took one orange, peeled it and divided it into sections to share with Haymitch.
She was washing up the dinner dishes while Haymitch set up the board for a game of checkers when Peeta and Greta arrived home. Greta refused to eat and went into the bedroom, while Katniss quickly dished out some food for Peeta.
Over the casual game of checkers with both Katniss and Peeta playing together as a team, Peeta told them about the funeral arrangements.
"It will be held on Christmas Eve. Fortunately, the ground hasn't frozen yet so they can dig the hole."
Thinking about Henry in the cold earth made Katniss' eyes water. She's spent the last few weeks getting to know him. Now he was gone. After eating she grew tired.
"I'm turning in," she said, leaving Peeta and Haymitch to their game.
She climbed into Peeta's twin bed and curled up. Her eyes closed as the world spun around her.
From above, somewhere close to the ceiling Katniss watched Peeta come into the room. "Stole my bed." His voice sounded as he was joking. But once he kissed her, he jumped back. "You're so warm." He tried to shake her awake.
As he shook her limp body, a feeling of lightness and joy came over her. She laughed, her voice sounding like the peals of a bell. Then she rose upward, through the ceiling, past the slanted roof, hovering for a moment over the street lined with shops, moving faster and faster until she was even with the clouds, then going higher and higher until she was even with the moon. Into the blackness she rose, but the dark became flooded with star light, brighter and brighter until she found herself at an elevation so high she wondered if the small blue and green ball beneath her was the Earth.
This is a very strange dream. Another thought followed. Maybe I'm dead.
Funnily enough she didn't miss anything she'd left behind, even Peeta. She looked around trying to figure out where she might be. Heaven?
But it wasn't a place she was in, more of a sensation of light and peace and overwhelming joy.
There must be more to death than this, although this is awfully nice.
From behind, someone tapped her shoulder.
How can that be? I don't have a body.
She turned around to see her father-in-law. But this Henry didn't look thin and gray. He was fit and his cheeks were radiant.
"I'm glad to see you," he said. But it wasn't as if she heard his words with her ears. It was as if she could read his thoughts.
"Am I dead?" she asked. "Because you are."
"I've never been more alive," Henry responded chuckling heartily. "But you're right that my existence in that world has ended." He pointed down toward the tiny ball floating in space.
"Has my existence ended, too?"
"That's not my call to make. But here, let me show you around. There are some folks I think you'd like to meet."
He looked upward and scanned the sky. It was so littered with stars that there was no darkness. He reached for her hand and then Katniss was flying - flying through the light –faster and faster – the sound of singing surrounding them like a warm blanket. They arrived at a swift stop as the music reached a crescendo then fell into an aria of exquisite beauty. The song was the most beautiful melody she'd ever heard.
"You have a lovely voice, Katniss, I thought you'd like to join in with the choir.
Choir?
As her eyesight grew more accustomed to the light she came to see more clearly. Around her were beings dressed in white. The words of the song they sang told a story of wonder and amazement.
As she moved closer to the throng, she pulled on the robe of a being on the edge of the group. "What is that song you sing?"
"A song of praise."
"But why?"
"A babe has been born. He lies in a manger."
"But that happened a long time ago," Katniss exclaimed.
The being shook his head and continued to sing.
"We are in a place outside of time," Henry explained.
They stood or floated, Katniss was not sure for a long while listening to the song.
"It's time for you to go back," Henry said.
"But I don't want to leave."
"You must. I have things to do and so do you. You're going to be a mother."
A mother? "Are you certain?"
"It's written in the stars." Henry smiled. "You're already expecting."
The light grew so intense that she couldn't see Henry any longer, couldn't see the choir robed in white, and the song they were singing had turned into a low hymn that played on the radio in the living room.
Her light spirit slipped into her heavy flesh, and she felt the cool compress that Peeta had placed on her forehead. She opened her eyes to find Dr. Latier standing beside her husband.
"The fever seems to have broken," the doctor said.
"Oh, Katniss," Peeta sighed. He reached for her hand and squeezed it. "You had me scared there for a moment."
She wanted to tell him where she'd been and who she'd seen and that they were having a baby, but her mouth was so dry she couldn't speak, and her limbs were so achy and tired – probably from flying through the heavens – that all she could do was wet her lips and moan as her body shivered with cold.
"Keep her warm and give her plenty of fluids," the doctor told Peeta. "She should be fine. Several people who attended the children's Christmas party have been taken ill with influenza. Fortunately, it hasn't proved life-threatening so far."
Katniss spent the next three days in bed. She missed Henry's funeral, missed meeting Peeta's brothers, missed Christmas, and missed seeing her mother-in-law leave to stay her at oldest son's house.
Peeta shut the bakery down for a week after the holiday. He ran himself ragged taking care of Katniss, so ragged that when she began to feel better, he took to the cot, and she had to tend to him. But his illness was minor compared to her own. It was a couple of days into the new year when Peeta decided he was well enough to re-open the bakery. A letter had arrived from Greta stating she was going to be away for several months and might not ever return. She wanted to visit family and sleep in. She was done with rising early. She asked Peeta to take over the running of the family business.
"I guess we're staying in Dandelion for now."
Since Greta was gone with no date of return, Katniss reorganized the kitchen to her liking, and then cleaned out her in-law's bedroom. Peeta purchased a new bedframe and mattress, and new linens. Katniss put her patchwork quilt on top of the bed.
I'll turn the small bedroom into a nursery.
Haymitch worked the bakery counter a couple of hours every morning, allowing Katniss time to sleep in and tidy the house. It was a good arrangement for everyone.
Occasionally, when she was nursing little Henry in the middle of the night, and singing him a lullaby to put him back to sleep, she heard a faint baritone join in. She knew it was her son's grandpa. He was a member of that heavenly choir now.
The End
Author's notes: Andrew Carnegie, a Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist, financed the building of 2,509 Carnegie libraries throughout the western world between 1883-1929. More than 1,600 libraries were built in the United States. The buildings were constructed in a variety of architectural styles.
The United States economy was slightly improved in 1936 over the lows that began in the fall of 1929. However, the measures President Franklin Delano Roosevelt had taken to help unemployed citizens since he had taken office in 1933 were expensive. It didn't help that taxes were increased to pay for them. In the fall of 1936, President Roosevelt handily won a second term. In his second inaugural address in 1937, the president stated that one third of Americans were ill-housed, ill-clad, and ill-nourished.
The 1930s is considered the golden age of radio in America. At the start of the decade, 40% of households (12 million) owned a radio. That number increased to 28 million households in 1939. The radios were the size of a piece of furniture. They provided news and entertainment for American families. Even President Roosevelt used the medium to connect with citizens by holding "fireside chats" as they were called to bolster the confidence of the populace.
The song, "Button Up Your Overcoat," was written in 1928 by B.G. DeSylva and Lew Brown, with music composed by Ray Henderson. It was first performed by vocalist Ruth Etting. (And a recording of her version can be found on YouTube.) The most famous rendition of this song was recorded in 1929 by Helen Kane. Kane's childlike voice was the inspiration for the voice of cartoon character Betty Boop. (Her recording is also on YouTube.) "Button Up Your Overcoat" was included in the Broadway musical Follow Thru in 1929, and in a film version of the musical in 1930. The song has been sung in a variety of films, t.v. shows, and commercial advertisements since then.
During the 19th and early 20th centuries the temperance movement gained traction in many countries. It was a social movement that promoted complete abstinence from alcohol. The movement was an attempt to address the problem of alcoholism. Consequently, in the United States, the 18th amendment to the Constitution was instituted in 1920 which made it was illegal to produce, import, transport or sell alcoholic beverages. While it lessened the overall consumption of alcohol among the general public, it didn't stop people from making their own liquor and getting drunk. Consequently, the amendment was repealed in March of 1933.
However, in 1935, a more effective treatment for addressing alcoholism came about with the creation of Alcoholics Anonymous. The four founding members were Bill Wilson, Ebby Thatcher, Rowland Hazard, and Dr. Bob Smith. Wilson and Smith were both alcoholics in the 1930s, unable to achieve sustained abstinence despite their Christian faith and membership in the Oxford Group, a Christian organization whose principles heavily influenced the creation of the 12 steps. The meeting between Bill W. and Dr. Bob in 1935 marked the formation of AA, and the famous blue book, Alcoholics Anonymous, was published in 1939.
In the 1930s, treatment for a heart attack was prolonged bed rest, oxygen, and sedation. Most patients were cared for at home. Even as late as the 1950's, many doctors were prescribing four to eight weeks of bed rest and delaying a cardiac patient's return to work for up to six months.
Dear readers, I hope you enjoyed this story which was written especially for you. Merry Christmas and a Happy 2025.