Victors Support Group

Year Thirteen- Johanna

"Every day, step by step,

We dare to love again."

-Tove Lo

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I hardly recognize the woman I see when I look in the mirror. She's getting closer to forty years old every day, and wrinkles are beginning to show around her brown eyes. Her hair is longer than it's ever been, near her elbows- Oh goody. Are those gray strands popping up? Great. But I really don't want to dye it. One of the only things I like about my appearance is my natural hair color. When it grew back, it became lighter, red instead of the old brown. I was pleasantly surprised by that. Red is awesome. Not that my friends care, because they've never said a word about this change. Did they even notice? Or maybe they're just not wanting to bring up my days in the Capitol dungeons.

I say, what's done is done. We can't go back and change things. Don't you think I would if I could?

Through my gigantic windows, I can see a woman approaching the door. Hmm. I'm not expecting anybody yet. Effie Trinket and the victors won't be coming until this evening. I greet her anyway, hoping she's not another desperate author who wants to write my biography. They still try every now and then.

"Hello," I tell her.

"Hi," she says. "Are you Johanna Mason?"

"Yeah."

"I'm Beverly White. You'd know me by my maiden name- Mason."

Another look at her, and I clearly see a female version of my own father, aged by decades. She's got to be in her sixties at this point, like he would've been.

Don't cry, Jo. Don't. Cry.

"Wait a minute.... Aunt Bev?"

She nods, smiling grimly. "It's me, JoJo."

Beverly helped raise me and my siblings after Mom got sick. When I was ten, she ran off into the wilderness, and we lost all contact with her. Dad assumed that she'd died. I even mourned her because I knew it was probably true.

But here she is.

"You do know the Games are over, right?" I ask her.

"So I heard."

"Where have you been this whole time? Why didn't you look for me earlier?"

"I thought you were gone!" she cries. "It was only when I asked people in town that I found out what happened to you. I wasn't surprised about Jeremy... but Alice and Nate, too?"

"That's right. They've been dead for eighteen years. You shouldn't have left in the first place! Life was horrible, but I knew you would be there to cheer me up. And then, you weren't. Explain how you, the closest thing to a mother we had, could just abandon me- no, not just me- us! We missed you every single day..."

Tears are falling down Bev's face. "I can't take it back. But I'm here now."

"It is good to see you again," I admit.

"Remember your Uncle Rick?"

"Barely. Your wedding was just before you took off." That dreaded feeling settles in my gut again. "He's not... alive, is he?"

"No."

Figures. Darn. I liked him, too.

"It was hard, of course," Bev goes on, "but something wonderful did come out of the time I had with him. Eighteen years ago, I gave birth. You have a cousin, JoJo. Her name is Naomi."

My heart starts beating faster. "Have? Where is she?"

"She was checking out the woodshop in town. I couldn't pull her away, so I said I'd bring you to her."

We head out together, my legs racing with anticipation. Will Naomi like me? Is she good with an axe? Maybe she's never touched one. In which case, I'd have to teach her some tricks. I have no trouble finding her. She has Alice's button nose, even my freckles. Yup. We're definitely related.

"Naomi White," I say.

She grins. "Johanna Mason. Pinch me. I didn't believe Mom at first when she told me. I mean, you're so famous, but I guess I could see a resemblance whenever I saw you on TV or in photos. My cousin is Johanna Mason!"

"I'm just Jo to you, okay?"

"Okay, Jo... Um... We should hug or something."

I put my arms around her, mostly because I can't believe this is real. Inside, I'm laughing. Of course, my own cousin is starstruck by me.

Once we break apart, I peer down at my watch. "You know what? Let's go back to my house. I have some friends who might want to meet you."

"You don't mean, Katniss Everdeen, Peeta Mellark, and those other victors?"

"Yes, actually," I reply, amused that she guessed correctly. "Well, I call the lovebirds Brainless and Bread Boy."

Naomi lets out the girliest squeal I've ever heard.

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The victors don't look too happy, standing in the cold on my porch, but when they notice the people I brought, they perk up, and not just because they weren't expecting others.

"So... How is it these ladies look like you, Johanna?" Beetee asks.

"Yeah," Peeta agrees. "You said you had no family anymore."

"I bet you're about to tell us an interesting story," Enobaria says with a smirk.

"Well, I literally just found out I was wrong," I admit, gesturing from Bev to Naomi. "The Mason tree won't die with me after all. Everybody, this is my aunt, Bev, and my cousin, Naomi."

"There are more of you?" Enobaria asks. "God help us."

Everyone but Bev and Naomi breaks into laughter. They just look confused, while memories cause me to clutch my sides because they hurt so much.

"Am I missing something?" Bev asks.

"Yeah, the last twenty-five years of my life," I replied. "I'm not the girl you remember."

"Honey, I know you're not. I wouldn't expect that from someone who had to grow up fast. Especially not after two Hunger Games."

I see Katniss look at Bev with respect. "We all changed. But your niece, Johanna... she's one of a kind."

"You bet I am," I say, giving a curtsy. All of us walk into my house, laughing again.

There's no one left I love. I guess that's not true. I have five people who traveled to hell and back with me. That counts for something, right? And now... now I know my biological family isn't all wiped out.

Is it crazy that I'm happy?