Dani had long ago decided that there
was something magic about spring. It all started with her love for
dandelions. She'd always enjoyed watching them pop out of the ground
when the weather became warm, and she'd proudly proclaim that these
little yellow flowers were her namesake. As she got older, Dani
discovered the other magical things that happened during the season,
from the other flowers coming up from the ground or the birds
beginning to sing again. Yes, Dani had decided that spring was the
most magical time of year.
This was the first spring where Dani
found herself proficient enough at needlepoint to attempt to recreate
the beauty she saw around her. She'd done so in the past with
paintings and drawings, but she liked this way much better.
Needlepoint couldn't quite relay the depth that a painting could, but
Dani was proud of her current work just the same. Dani's needlepoint
wasn't based on any particular scene as everything happened too
quickly during the spring for her to capture it with the long process
of needlepoint, yet she constantly found herself outdoors for
inspiration and just pure admiration of the beauty.
Aldine didn't seem to quite understand
it all, but she had admitted that it was "nice out" and was
currently sitting underneath the shade of a tree in the backyard of
the Mellark household. Dani was a lot more focused on her
needlepoint than her friend, so Aldine had pulled out the notebook
that was constantly on her person and began scribbling down the
poetry she was notorious for. For every bit that Dani wanted to
express herself with pictures, Aldine had the same desire to express
herself through words.
The two girls were so absorbed in their
own outlets that neither of them noticed Peeta exiting the house on
the opposite side of the yard. "You two look hard at work."
The two girls were startled to hear Peeta's words. Dani silently
breathed a sigh of relief that she was working with a dull needle
because otherwise she'd have been bleeding after her slight jump.
"Way to make yourself known, Dad,"
Dani grumbled in a tone that showed she wasn't really upset.
Peeta chuckled to himself. "Sorry
about that. I didn't realize your minds were wandering that much. I
guess I'm just used to your mom hearing me from a mile away."
Dani smiled. She'd heard her mom remark about her father's unusually
loud footsteps many times before.
"You do walk like an elephant,"
Dani joked.
"I'll take that as a complement
since elephants can actually walk very quietly." Dani decided
not to question how her dad knew such a random fact about an animal
that she didn't think he'd ever actually seen before.
Dani then noticed her mom coming from
the direction of the woods, and she realized why her dad had come
outside and disturbed their peace and quiet. When she reached them,
Katniss settled in next to Peeta where he had made himself
comfortable on the porch steps. She set her bow and arrows gently
down on the steps and leaned into Peeta. Dani smiled at her parents'
contentment and turned to look back at Aldine, who'd been extremely
quiet. Aldine's nose was still buried in her notebook, and Dani let
out a small chuckle at the sight. Aldine could sink deep into
writing and forget the world sometimes. Dani happily turned back to
her needlepoint as she sat in comfortable silence with her friend and
parents.
It was just a small moment in her life,
nothing more than a sunny spring day, but Dani made sure to file it
away in her memories carefully. The way her friend sat contently
next to her; the way her parents looked so content sitting next to
each other; the way the birds chirped in the sky; the way the
squirrels scurrying across the grass; the way the wind blew the newly
bloomed flowers and trees; and the way her needle felt as it
recreated the nature around her. It all added up to one magical
moment that Dani wanted to keep forever.
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