Haymitch loved you like all fire. You were his girl. And like geese he mated for life.

So your death ruined him. He felt responsible for it all. The death of his fellow tributes and district partners in the arena, the death of his mother and little brother and you...He gave you gumdrops the day of the reaping...a parting gift. And somehow Snow knew about it. And staged a poisoning. Delivered a bag of poisoned blood red gumdrops right to your door which he unknowingly fed right to you during your reunion.

By the time he realized what they were and who they were from it was too late. Your legs gave out and you coughed up blood. You said a final bit of poetry to him and slipped away.

And Haymitch slipped into madness. Pushed people away, locked himself in the victor's village and drank. Oh he drank. He never had a taste for liquor before but now a cocktail of nepenthe and sleep syrup were the only things that could drown out his misery.

He did it to not feel...and to see you. Sometimes sitting on the porch drunk and delusional he could see you as the sun rose. Every once and a while he was graced by the sight of you. Just a glimpse of your ghost singing a song, or picking wildflowers or playing with your flock of geese...

Today was one of those precious mornings. He sees a glimmer of you as the sun touches the meadow In front of his house. Sees you happily humming to yourself walking idly not a care in the world. He sits up his eyes softening and his voice raises above the birds and bugs.

"Lenore Dove..."