The family ties of Lily Juniper Abernathy (book 3)

Chapter 14

Finnick

"Can we not just wake him up?" My mom whispered

I shook my head "It's not fair?"

"I used to wake you up?"

"Yeah I know- even when I was a teenager and wanted to sleep in?"

She shrugged "I was excited!?"

"I could tell when you jumped on my bed every Christmas for 19 years?"

She smiled "It's only coz I love you."

"Uh-huh?"

"Has he woke up yet?"

I turned to Lily "Not yet?"

She rolled her eyes sitting on the settee with me and my mom "I dread to think what he'll be like as a teenager then?"

"Are you sure we can't just wake him Finn?" Mom began again

I sighed hard "I'm sure?"

Lily

Annie then asked me to help with last night's washing up. We'd spent hours last night waiting to be assigned a house. We had to argue one out of them because there was a flat above the fishmongers but that could hardly be called one: it was tiny and Finn used as a storeroom in winter when the reservoir froze over so where were we meant to live now? So they agreed to give us one. Eventually. They argued with Katniss too, made the point that she had family in 4 so why wasn't she going there?

I presumed that's why Charlie was tired. We didn't actually get the full set of keys until one o'clock this morning so we'd been crammed in here with no running water and no fire for two whole weeks.

This place was basic compared to the other houses I'd lived in. But I quite liked it. It was ordinary. We had a fire, a cooking pot, the old settee out of the flat and three beds- All in one room because the two bedrooms that we did have had signs of rats so they were coming to clear that up today. On Charlie's birthday. Great. So, we couldn't stay in the house. The plan was me him and Finn were going to the reservoir. We'd bought him his own little fishing rod and my mom and Annie had bought him clothes since he needed them now. I liked us living together with Annie. It made me feel secure and Charlie seemed to be enjoying the whole thing. Me and Finn never had any of this. People say you always try and give your kids what you never had so that's what we'd been trying for the past four years. Finn put his arms around me and kissed the side of my head as I washed and Annie dried.

"What do you want?" I mumbled smiling

"Nothing, morning?"

"Ummm, morning?"

"You don't sound like you mean that?" He teased

"Unless you have a way to get us all out of going to the Capitol for Christmas then I'm not that interested?"

Finnick

Everyone who was going to the Capitol for Christmas didn't actually want to go.

"Why don't we just not go?"

Lily smiled "I wish but we've already said we're going and apparently it's rude?"

"See, your mom thinks it's rude."

My mom wacked me with the dish towel "That's because it is."

I was about to say something back but she seemed too engrossed in the drying to even take notice that our conversation wasn't over. I turned again and she was gone. Everything dried and gleaming. Lily kissed my cheek and I tucked some of her fringe behind her ear holding her cheek in my palm. I brought my finger to get chin and leaned in...then she ducked and her and my mom were laughing.