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After breakfast, when everyone’s bellies were full of hash browns and eggs and sausage, Haymitch took Willow into the sitting room. Katniss and Peeta wanted to bathe Rye in the sink and they needed a lot of space to handle a slippery baby without another little one getting in the way.
Haymitch sat down in the easy chair, Willow immediately crawling onto his lap.
“Well, what do you think, should we wake up Auntie Effie? Should we give her a call?”
It was only a little after nine in the morning, which meant that it was about seven a.m. in the Capitol, and Haymitch knew Effie liked to sleep in on Mondays. But he liked to keep her on her toes.
“Yeah! I wanna talk to her!” Willow wriggled in his lap, trying to jump up and down but only succeeding in jamming her bony knees into his thighs.
“Alright, stop wigglin’ then.” Haymitch grunted in pain and picked up the phone. “You gotta say hi first, okay?”
“Yay!”
Haymitch knew that if Effie heard Willow's voice she wouldn't be able to yell at him for calling her so early in the morning. He dialed in her number and listened as the phone rang out for a while, much longer than it usually took her to answer, and he adjusted the knob to increase the volume from the receiver so that both he and Willow could hear it.
“Hello, this is Effie Trinket.”
Haymitch could easily tell she had just woken up. Her voice was groggy and there wasn't quite enough pep in her tone for its lightness to be believable. He smirked and nudged Willow to get her to say something.
“Hi, Auntie!”
Effie was more like a meemaw to Katniss and Peeta's kids, in the same way Haymitch was their papaw, but she refused the nickname. Instead opting for auntie, as it made her sound, in her own words, 'less old and haggard.'
“Well, I'll be! Am I speaking to Miss Willow Everdeen-Mellark?”
Haymitch smiled. Sometimes, he thought about how good of a mother Effie would have made, but it didn't take a genius to figure out why an escort for the Hunger Games never brought kids into the world.
“Yes.” The girl grinned.
“My, it is early.” Effie said lightly, but with just enough bite aimed at whoever the adult was on the line.
Haymitch chuckled at that, and Effie must've heard it.
“Did Papaw put you up to this?”
“He's right here! How did you know?”
“She has magical witch powers.” Haymitch said in a spooky tone.
“Auntie Effie, you're a witch?” Willow asked excitedly.
“Yes, but don't worry, I only use my powers for good... Except when Papaw is naughty.”
“She's so mean to me sometimes.” He said.
Willow thought for a moment. “That's why you shouldn't be naughty.”
“Precisely, my dear! But Papaw has not learned that yet.”
“I have learned it, I just like to push Auntie's buttons.”
“Why?” Willow furrowed her eyebrows.
Haymitch shrugged. “It's just too fun.”
He could almost hear Effie's eyes roll.
“I played with the ducks this morning!” Willow yelled into the phone.
“You did? Were they nice to you?”
“Yep! They love me.”
“Well, I wish they were that nice to me. Do you remember when one nipped me on the rear-end last time I was visiting?”
Willow burst into laughter at the memory. “It bit your butt!”
Haymitch chuckled at her amusement.
He could hear Effie's grin through the tone of her voice. “Well, next time I visit you must tell me how to get on their good side. I'm afraid I need a lot of help with that.”
“Maybe they don't like witches.” Willow replied.
”Maybe so, but I still think you try to help me next time I'm there.”
“Okay, I’ll try.”
“And when will that be?” Haymitch added in an exasperated tone, without thinking.
The truth was that, for the past couple weeks, he had been trying to get Effie to make plans for another visit. It had only been about three months since she had last come over the winter, but she had stayed for a month, and he had really gotten used to her being there all the time. Usually, her visits only lasted two or three weeks, but she had decided to stay longer to help Katniss and Peeta more with the kids. It had only been a few months since Rye had been born at that time and they were having difficulties adjusting to another baby in the mix. So, Effie stayed longer than normal and Haymitch got used to it.
He awkwardly cleared his throat. “Alright, Willow, is there anything else you wanna say to Auntie Effie?”
“I want to play with my doll.”
“Okay, say goodbye.”
“Bye, Auntie!”
“Goodbye, my little dearest one. Mwah, mwah!” Effie made some kissy noises, then quickly added in a harsh whisper. “Haymitch, do not hang up the phone.”
He turned the volume knob down and put the receiver to his ear. Willow was already off his lap and across the room, changing her doll’s outfit.
“I wasn't going to.” He said softly. He sighed. “Sorry, for sayin' that.”
“I'll try to move some things around and come back soon... I'm sure Rye is already so much bigger.”
Haymitch nodded. “He's getting chunky.”
“Good... I miss seeing all of you.”
“We all miss you too... I know you have your things in the Capitol that keep you busy, but... There are things out here for you, too.”
“I know.”
“Rye's already starting to crawl.”
“Are you trying to make me feel bad?”
“No, I just- I want you to be here to see everything. I want us to share it together.”
“You can't say things like that, Haymitch Abernathy.” Effie replied quietly.
“Why not?” His voice was soft to match her tone, but also to indicate how sincere he was.
“Those are the kind of words that will convince a woman you love her.”
“I didn't think you needed anymore convincing, Effie.”
A soft crackle between the lines filled the silence.
“Did you?” Haymitch eventually asked.
“No.” She admitted.
He watched as Katniss entered the room. Her face turned quizzical as she saw him on the phone.
She bent down to Willow. “Who's Papaw talking to?”
“Auntie.”
Any suspicion in Katniss's face disappeared. As much as none of them needed to be on guard anymore, the nerves were still hard to shake.
She looked back over to Haymitch. “Hi, Effie!”
“Did you hear Katniss?” He asked into the phone.
“Yes, tell her I say hi and I miss her.”
“She says she misses you.”
“Well, tell her to get her butt back out here then!” Katniss yelled as she walked into the hallway again.
“Did you hear that?”
Effie sighed. “Yes.”
“Look, Eff, I don't need you to drop everything in the Capitol to move and feel trapped here forever. Just stay a bit longer next time. Really get a feel for what life's like out here. You won't have to spend as much energy helping the kids next time. They've got a good enough handle on things now, so we'll have more time to do whatever you want. More people have been moving out here. The community's getting a lot bigger.”
He wondered if he would ever really be able to convince a city person like Effie to settle down out in the sticks, but he just wanted her to try. He knew she wasn't good with change. He knew that Effie had always been someone who thrived on things being easily predictable. She liked order. It made her feel safe. Moving to the complete opposite environment of the only one she'd truly known in her entire life was the antithesis to that. Yet, Haymitch knew she was strong enough to overcome that fear. He saw how she survived in District Thirteen with none of the usual things that made her feel safe. He knew she could take that leap if she were brave enough.
“Okay.” She replied. “I'll plan on staying for two months next time.”
“Soon?”
“Well, if I arrive in time for Katniss's birthday, and I stay for two months, that means I'd be there for your birthday too.”
“May is two months away...”
“Why don't you come here for a while, Haymitch? Even for just a week or two.”
She had a point... He knew relationships went both ways. He supposed the same reasons he didn't like being in the Capitol were some of the same reasons Effie didn't like being in Twelve. Haymitch never really knew what people actually thought of him there, even after all this time.
“Okay.” He knew it would be hard being away from everyone in Twelve, but he needed Effie. She was his family too now, and he couldn’t go so long without seeing her, without holding her in his arms. “I will.”
“Really?! When?”
Peeta walked into the room, sitting down next to Willow, whispering softly. Haymitch knew Peeta was listening, but he wasn't self-conscious when it came to the boy hearing him talk to Effie. Peeta had always been unashamed in his love, so Haymitch knew he wouldn’t judge. Katniss on the other hand... Sometimes Haymitch wasn't more forthcoming about the actual depth of him and Effie's relationship around her.
“Uh...” Haymitch watched as Peeta combed the doll's hair, getting all the tangles out that Willow was too impatient to sit and work through. “Whenever you want.”
“Oh! Really, Hay? Do you mean it because there is a wonderful party I'm attending in two weeks. I already sent back the invitation and declined a plus-one, obviously, but it's a friend's party and I can call her to say you're coming.”
Haymitch suppressed a sigh. He knew Capitol parties nowadays weren't what they used to be, but the idea still made him feel on edge.
Effie must have been able to sense his trepidation. “It will be a small affair, I promise. My friend throws this party every year and only invites the people she truly likes, so there really aren't that many guests and it's always such a lovely time.”
Haymitch chuckled.
“I would love it if you came.” She cooed into the phone.
He felt a small blush heat up on his cheeks. It still amazed him sometimes – how honest they were about their feelings now, and how it felt so right.
“Okay, I'll come.”
Peeta looked up at him and raised an eyebrow, a small smirk on his face. Sure, the boy knew what it was to love someone, but it didn't stop him from being a little shit about it sometimes. Haymitch glared at him, and Peeta smiled.
“This is amazing news!” Effie squealed. “You know what, I've just decided I'm going to make you a new suit vest for the occasion!”
“Oh, that's not-”
“No, I want to! I found this gorgeous fabric a month ago and I immediately had to have it because I just knew it would look absolutely stunning on you.”
Haymitch couldn't help but smile. “Well, if you really want to.”
“Are you kidding? I was going to make something for you with it anyway, and this is the perfect opportunity! Oh, Haymitch, it is a beautiful crushed velvet – soft lilac – that will look simply divine on you.”
“Well, um, wow. I don't quite know what to say. Especially because I'm not in the privacy of my own home, so I have to keep my words kid-friendly.“
“Oh,” Effie scoffed, “how you can make what I just said dirty is beyond me.”
“You'd be surprised, princess.”
“Let's go see what Mama’s up to.” Peeta grabbed Willow, leaving the room with a smile and a shake of his head.
Haymitch chuckled. “I've just run Peeta and Willow out of the room.”
“My word, Haymitch! You are a guest in their house and your mind is in the gutter!”
“I can't help it when you get all excited.” He whispered. “You're still in bed, right?”
She paused for a few seconds. “Yes.”
“Alright, stay right there. I'm gonna head home and call you back.”
“Haymitch, I do have things I need to get done this morning. I can't be holed up in my bedroom just talking to you for hours first thing.”
“Well, we won't just be talking.”
“Oh dear, please hang up the phone and call me back in private so the kids don't have to hear this from you anymore.”
Haymitch laughed and then placed the phone back on its base, walking by Katniss and Peeta in the kitchen on his way out.
“Do not bother me until well after noon today.” He said with a smirk.
“You're disgusting.” Katniss replied.
Haymitch chuckled to himself all the way home, with the anticipation of the coming hour or two tingling in his fingers.