Finding the Missing Piece: Book 4

Chapter Ninety-Four

He is the one who helped get me here.

"Katniss, why are you crying?" Peeta asks, walking into the living room.

I shoot my head up, "Because you're being mean to me." I cry.

I literally sound like a five year old but I can't help it and I know if I'm this bad now-I'll be a thousand times worse in labor.

What I just don't seem to understand is that I've spent the last two months trying to stop preterm labor, Dr. Coles swearing up and down that any kind of over-activity would put me straight back into labor and I've done just about everything I can and nothing.

I'm still dilated and now, since I've been more active there's contractions every once in a great while but nothing consistent like there was a few months ago and none of it makes any sense to me at all.

He sits down on the couch next to me and wraps his arms around my shoulders. I want to push him away but of course, his arms make me feel better no matter if I'm angry with him or not.

"Katniss, listen to me." Peeta mumbles into my ear.

"I'm listening, Peeta." I choke out frustratingly.

It takes a few seconds before he begins, "I'm so ready for Willow to come, I am. I know very much so that you're miserable and have been the majority of your pregnancy but we just need to give her a few more days or at least until she decides she's good and ready before we try anything else. There's 8 days until she comes for sure. If she isn't here by then and if she comes before then, great."

"I don't understand why you want me to be miserable for 8 more days." I mumble angrily.

He sighs deeply and his grip on me loosens.

"Because I'm really really scared."

I look into his blue eyes and it's only now that I realized how surprisingly terrified he is of this all.

"I'm scared too. I have to push a baby out of my body and then raise her up and hope I'm doing a good job but never knowing for eighteen years." I groan.

"Katniss, I'm scared for you more than anything. I know damn well that you're a 100% ready to be a mom but I'm gonna be a dad and even though I've bothered you for over a year about it, you've finally given it to me and I'm terrified."

"There's nothing to be scared of on your part." I mutter, but there is in fact a lot to be scared of.

"Yes, there is. You just don't want to admit it but you've told me a billion reasons to be scared." Peeta reminds me.

"Then what's your reason?"

"I'm afraid something is going to go wrong. That something will happen to you or Willow. Katniss, if I lost either of you, the other one would be completely screwed because I would just flat out die. I can't take losing anyone else."

It breaks my heart hearing him say those sweet, sad words.

"Peeta, you won't. Nothing is going to happen to us." I assure him but I don't know what the future holds.

"Well, we don't know." He says, releasing me completely.

I look down and grab his hands in mine and set one on my belly and the other against my lips and stare at his wedding band.

I remember the day I put that on his finger and how he cried and cried.

"I know." I whisper.

"No, you don't."

I nod my head, "I know because the day I put this ring on your finger I promised you that I would always be here for you and that I wouldn't leave." I remind him, even though I've come so close to it.