Cruel Summer

4

Jo's sitting at the kitchen table when I get home after hunting the next day, holding something in her hand that's got her looking a bit uncharacteristically misty-eyed.

"What's that?" I ask, coming up beside her.

She hands me the photo of a chubby newborn with green eyes. "Annie's had the baby. His name is Ronan."

I put my hand on her shoulder and she rests hers on top of mine. "Ronan," I repeat, studying the tiny, alien-looking child. I'd never quite understood when people saw babies and said they look like their parents. To be honest, they usually barely look human when they're as young as Ronan is, let alone have any resemblance to anyone in their family. But Ronan is the spitting image of his father, from the sea green eyes, to the bronze fluff on his head, down to the smile—as gummy and toothless it may be right now. "He looks just like him."

"He really does," she says with a sad smile. "Finnick would've loved to meet him." She wipes away a tear, and I pretend not to notice. "Anyways, we're invited to his naming ceremony in a few days."

I give her a puzzled look. "I thought his name was Ronan."

"It is, brainless," she snorts. "It's just tradition in Four to hold an official ceremony for it."

"Then we'll be there," I say. "We owe that much to Finnick, and it will be nice to see Annie too."

I take the photo of Ronan and stick it on the fridge with a magnet before sitting myself next to Jo and reading the attached card that came in the envelope. I scan quickly through Annie's note, but to my surprise find no mention of my name anywhere, only Johanna's.

To Auntie Jo.

I grab the envelope to double check that it wasn't a typo, but sure enough, I'm not listed anywhere on that either .

Johanna Mason

Victory Way 4

Victors' Village, District 12

  My heart sinks.

Not Johanna Mason and Katniss Everdeen. Just Jo. Addressed to my house.

"What's up?" asks Jo, noting my shift in mood.

"I don't think I'm invited," I say in slight shock. I mean, I can't say it doesn't make sense. I don't really know Annie other than what Finnick told me, nor does she really know me for that matter, other than what Peeta's told her. I have no relationship with her or her son other than my friendship with Finnick.

But it still hurts.

"I'm sure you are. Annie would've never sent one to the house and not meant to include the both of us," Jo says matter-of-factly, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms. "She knows how close you were with Finnick and she would never not want you to be a part of his son's life. Plus, she probably just knows we live together and didn't write both names since she knew it'd get to you no matter what."

"Maybe," I say, but something tells me that's not the case.

"Definitely," she says. She suddenly looks me up and down and makes a weird face. "Is that Peeta's shirt?"

There was no point in denying it; I was practically swimming in the borrowed t-shirt. In my hurry to dress a bit more provocatively last night, I'd forgotten a top to change into for this morning. "Yeah, I'm just behind on laundry, so I stole one of his," I say, repeating the same lie I'd told to Peeta the night before for lack of a more creative reason.

She stares at me suspiciously. "Oh, really? Because — "

We're interrupted by the loud bang! of the front door opening abruptly, followed by a man's voice yelling, "He's here!" A moment later, Peeta appears around the corner, grinning from ear to ear.