The Mellark Children

Chapter 35: The One With Willow's Question

Now that Peeta knows that I'm pregnant, I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I can finally breathe again. It's strange, though. I had only known for certain myself for not even a full hour but there was this pit in my stomach— this guilt or pressure, I'm not sure which— about telling him he was going to be a dad again. I don't remember ever feeling that way the first time around. Maybe it was because we had already been trying for a year and we were constantly waiting for that positive response together and this time I went and found out alone? Something was off and it was making me want to curl up in a ball and hide my pregnancy until it was time for me to deliver.

I think it all started when I came through the front door because I had been crawling out of my skin with excitement until then. Once I had seen the situation I walked into, I started second guessing everything. And then when he told me he didn't want to have another baby... I was devastated. But as soon as I said the words 'I'm pregnant,' it was like a switch had flipped and Peeta was beyond thrilled about our second little munchkin on the way.

After I told Peeta the good news, he went downstairs to make dinner and I stayed up in our room to 'rest' but I ended up spending the whole time admiring my belly. I walked over to the full-length mirror in the corner of our bedroom beside our closet, lifted up my shirt, and gazed at my reflection.

Now that I know there's actually a baby in there, I can see the roundness I had so obliviously missed. Peeta was right, this one is sitting differently. My bump is a little higher than it was with Willow. She sat right at the waistband of my pants. This guy is sitting more beneath my belly button.

I let out a sigh as I relax a hand against my bare flesh, "I guess I shouldn't call you little guy until we know if you're gonna be a girl or a boy, huh?"

For the first time, I notice a little flutter and it actually puts a smile on my face.

"Katniss," I hear Peeta holler from the bottom of the steps. "Dinner is ready."

"Yeah, mama! Come and eat," Willow joins him.

"You hungry?" I ask the baby.

I give my belly a quick rub and adjust my shirt so it is back to how it is supposed to be worn. It's so strange how my body was so oblivious to the life growing inside of it until now.

"See, I'm already getting back into the swing of things," I say, talking to the baby again.

As I travel down the steps, the little flutters continue and make my hand instinctively and protectively cover my baby belly. I want to tell them to calm down because we need to hide them from their sister still, but I don't know how to refer to them.

"We need to find you a nickname," I whisper quietly just before reaching the bottom of the stairs.

Willow gasps when I enter the kitchen, "Mama is here now we can eat."

I take my eyes off of her sitting all cute at the table and look over at Peeta quizzically.

"She was about to come up and get you," he says.

"You were bein' so slow and I'm super hungry," Willow whines.
"I'm sorry, Little bug," I frown, gently patting the top of her head.

"It's ok," she smiles, beautifully. "I still love you."

I chuckle, taking my seat a the dinner table beside her, "What did daddy make for dinner?"

"We are having lamb stew with cheese buns," Peeta smiles, setting a plate of cheese buns down in front of me.

My lower lip sticks outs, "You're so good to me."

"It was my idea, mama," Willow says. "I told daddy we needed to make your favorite food because you're sick and you always make me my favorite food when I'm not feeling good so we had to do the same for you."