No Games Left to Play

10: A Cake and A Letter

It's been two weeks since Effie was in twelve planning Peeta and I's wedding. That means there is only two weeks left until our wedding day. Yesterday, Peeta and I met with the district's new Mayor, John Kravitz, at the Justice building to make a plan for signing the marriage papers. Since we are having the ceremony in the meadow, Mayor Kravitz said that Peeta and I could go ahead and sign them after the ceremony. Once he pronounces us husband and wife, everyone will walk to the Justice Building. Our guests will wait outside while Peeta and I sign the papers. When we finish, the rest of the district will join our guests to sing the traditional song as Peeta and I walk back to our home in the Victors Village. The day after the ceremony, Peeta and I decided to have a small dinner with our close friends and family; My mom, Effie, Haymitch, Johanna, Annie and her son, Cressida, Beetee, Pollux, Elroy and his wife Krystal.

Slowly but surely, our guests are receiving their invitations in the mail. The number of letters or phone calls from our loved ones informing us they'll be attending our wedding increase everyday. Lately it has felt like our phone has been ringing off the hook but today it's been oddly quiet.

The only phone call I gotten all day has been from Peeta. This morning before he went to the bakery he told me that he was going to start designing our wedding cake. He said that he wanted to practice so he could work out all the kinks and make sure I liked it. I told him that it didn't matter to me what the cake looked like, I was just happy to be marrying him.

He called me when he finished the mock up, as he called it, to come look at it.

I walk through bakery door and hear the bells ring above the door.

"Hey, Ms. Everdeen." Elroy greets me. "Are you here to see Peeta?"

"Elroy, I told you to call me Katniss."

"I don't mind calling you Ms. Everdeen."

"It makes me feel old, and I'm only 20. You call Peeta by his first name, call me by mine."

"Alright." Elroy smiles. "Do you want me to take you back to Peeta?"

"Sure." I nod.

We walk back to Peeta's office and find him looking at a bunch of papers scattered across his desk. He has his elbow propped up on the desk with his hand resting on his forehead. The other hand is holding a paper and you can tell he is thinking really hard about something on that paper. Elroy knocks on his door to get his attention. Peeta looks up at me and smiles.

"Oh hey." he says.

"Whatcha got there?" I ask.

"I got a complicated order today, I've just been trying to figure it out." he says as he puts down the paper. He gets up from his chair and walks over to hug me. I lay a kiss on his lips.

"Thank you for showing her back Elroy." Peeta says.

"No problem," Elroy says. "I'll leave you two alone."

Elroy leaves and Peeta wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me closer to him.

"I missed you." he says. He sways us from side to side.

"I missed you too." I say.

"Wanna see our cake?"

"Mmhmm." I nod.

"Come on." Peeta grabs my hand and shows me the way.

He walks me to his decorating table and has me sit on a chair.

"Stay here." he says. He goes into the freezer and walks out with a three tier cake, covered in white fondant with orange flowers. As he brings it closer I can see the flowers are roses and tulips, along with loose yellow-orange petals scattered around each tier. When he sits the cake down in front of me, I see it has white piping across the fondant.