Finding the Missing Piece: Book 4

Chapter Seventy-Six

I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him into a hug, "It's okay. I like how it is now and I don't want it to change for a while."

"Okay, but I'm still gonna try to let you have fun."

I smile and kiss his cheek.

"We won't go until like six or seven. When it gets dark."

I nod my head, "What do we do until then?" I ask.

He shrugs, "Want to make some Christmas cookies?"

"Yeah, that sounds really good. I just can't eat a lot or eat the frosting like usual." I groan.

Peeta chuckles, "As much sugar is in them and the doctor said not a lot of sugar, then I'm limiting you to just two."

"Okay, but you can only have two too." I say.

He chuckles, "That's fine. That's usually all I can handle."

I smile, "Take me downstairs." I say, holding my arms out for him. He grins and walks over to me, picking me up off the bed and we go downstairs.

"Am I getting too heavy yet?"

"Nope."

I scoff, "I'm like 35 more pounds than I was."

"And you're still light and you think you're fat but all you have is a belly now which is because there's a baby in it." He says, poking my belly softly with his finger.

"But still. I feel huge."

"Don't take this the wrong way but it's because you're bigger now than you've ever been." Peeta says.

"Wow, thanks." I say, a little offended but not really, because it's true.

He sighs as he sits me on a barstool.

"I didn't mean it like that."

"I know you didn't. It's true but I don't know how to contain my emotions any better than before. I think it's worse now."

"You're fine, Katniss." Peeta assures me, leaning down and kissing the top of my head.

He gets everything out and starts making the cookie dough. I sit back and watch him, like I usually do. He rolls and cuts them out and I help as he puts them in the oven.

We make small talk.

"You can do the frosting." He tells me, handing my a bowl and spoon.

He gets out all the ingredients and helps me put them all in, in the right measurements.

"Stir it up." Peeta tells me.

I scoff, "I need help."

"How about I help you frost the cookies?"

"How about you help me do both?" I suggest.

Peeta laughs, closing his eyes.

"I'm serious."

He grins and walks around the counter behind me, wrapping his muscular arms around me and wrapping his hands around mine that holds the wooden spoon and the other holds my free hand.

Peeta moves my hand and he "shows" me how to stir the frosting, even though I'm perfectly capable of doing it myself, but neither of us complain.

I stare at him attentively as he focuses on making the icing perfect.

I lean forward and press a kiss to his cheek. His eyes break away from the work and he looks at me. Our faces just centimeters from each other and he smiles a little, then goes back to work.