The Mellark Children

Chapter 56: The One With The Trip

"Daddy!" she cheers.

I crawl back up on the bed beside my daughter and it doesn't take long for her to scooch up to me. I can hear a muffled Peeta answer her.

"How's my gorgeous girl?" I just barely make out.

"Sad," she pouts.

"Uh oh," I hear. "Why are you sad?"

"I miss you," she says.

"I miss you, too," he replies.

"When are you coming home?" she asks.

"Soon, Wills. Very soon."

"Tomorrow?"

He sighs, "No, not tomorrow. I've got a few more weeks left."

7 weeks, 5 days, and 12 hours left, I say to myself. Not that I'm counting.

"Promise we'll play when you get home?"

"I pinkie promise," he says.

I see her hold up her pinkie finger as if she was actually about to make a pinkie promise.

"Hold it up, daddy," she says.

I hear him shuffle around, "you can never break a pinkie promise."

Willow smiles and snuggles against me more.

"Guess what?" she says, happily.

"What?" I hardly hear.

"I went to the bakery today!"

"You did?" I'm stating to lose him.

"Mhmm, Raven taught me how to make Madeline cookies."

Madeline, a name we had discussed for Willow. I bite my lip to keep me from smiling, my hand instinctively resting near my belly.

"They're doing a good job, daddy." she pauses, I hear mutterings from the other end of the phone that I'm not able to make out. "Rye is good," she adds with a yawn. She wiggles and sits up straighter, like she's trying to wake herself up some more.

"You should get to bed, Wills," I finally hear the sweet voice of my husband again.

"No," she whines.

"Do you want me to tell you a story?" he asks.

She nods.

"He can't see you nod, Bug," I remind her.

"Yes please."

Peeta starts in on this elaborate story, and after a couple minutes Willow's breathing starts to reflect that of her father's when he falls into a deep slumber. Her weight against me starts to feel heavier. Soon, the phone falls from her hand into her lap. I quickly pick it up, my ear being met with a chuckle from my husband.

"She dropped the phone, didn't she?"

"Yeah," I lightly laugh. "She's zonked."

We're quiet for a minute.

"I should probably get her to bed," I finally say.

"Probably." he says, " Leave me on the line? I like to hear your voice as I fall asleep."

"Sure," I smile.

* * *

The next afternoon I got a call from Dr. Aurelius to discuss what it means for me to come be a part of this testing process. Dr. Aurelius stressed this is not to make me a testing subject, he wants to be certain that Peeta can handle himself. He doesn't want to send Peeta home thinking everything is perfect, and then catch wind that he got triggered immediately after coming home.