Katniss POV- (11pm that night)
"Peeta, someone is knocking." I say, slightly annoyed with whoever is at the door right now, disrupting my rare, earlier nights rest.
He jumps, I think he was asleep.
"What?" He asks.
"Someone is knocking at the front door." I say.
He gets out of bed, still in his underwear and peaks out our bedroom window.
"I can't see who it is." He says.
I hear a few more soft knocks and he hurries down the stairs.
Who could it be this late at night on Christmas?
I just hope whoever it is isn't delivering bad news or something.
I sit up, covering myself with our comforter, trying to listen to what's happening downstairs.
Peeta POV-
I rush downstairs and open the front door.
My face grows red and I feel shocked to see her.
"Mrs. Everdeen?" I say, embarrassed.
For one, I'm in my underwear and it's eleven at night.
I awkwardly hide behind the door, just peaking my head out.
If I know anything about Katniss, I know she's not going to be happy about this unexpected visitor.
"Peeta." She nods, not making any eye contact with me.
I awkward look about, trying to figure out what to do next.
"Um, come in. It's cold outside. I will be right back." I say, quickly going back upstairs.
Before I can even make it to the top, Katniss is already asking me who it is.
"It's your mother." I mumble, shutting our bedroom door behind me.
Katniss's face drops, angry.
"Why? What does she want?" She snaps.
I know this day isn't going to end as great as it began.
I pull on a shirt and some sweat pants, handing her some clothes too.
"I don't know. I was kind of in my underwear when I answered the door so I didn't ask questions." I tell her.
"You don't expect me to go out and talk to her, do you?"
I hold my breath, "If you're really against talking to her, I could tell her you're asleep but it only saves you until the morning."
She groans, "Shit, Peeta. Right when everything is perfect, she pulls this."
I shrug, "Katniss, you have to talk to her eventually, why not tonight? Get it over with."
She stares at the darkness, "No. Please don't make me talk to her tonight. Maybe by tomorrow, I'll feel differently but I can't right now." She begs me.
I know she wants nothing to do with her mother and honestly, I don't blame her.
If she really didn't want to have anything to do with us, then why is she here?
Why hasn't she called her daughter in 8 months?
Why doesn't she care anymore and why doesn't she want to be in our daughter's life, let alone her own daughter's life?
So many questions run through my mind and I can't help but to become a bit angry, just like Katniss.
I don't blame her one bit for being upset or not wanting to talk to her, but I can't very well not go out there now.
I walk over to our bed and Katniss wraps her arms around my waist.
I pat her back and lean down, kissing her forehead.
"It'll be okay. You don't even have to talk to her if you don't want to. I won't make you." I say.
She looks up at me, "Please, just hurry back to bed?"
I nod my head, "I'll try to make this as quick as possible but you know she will spend the night."
Katniss rolls her eyes, nodding.
"I'll be back soon. You try to get some rest. Don't worry about her." I say, messing her hair up with my hand.
She smiles sadly, "I love you."
I nod my head, "I love you," and quietly, I shut our bedroom door and head downstairs, holding my breath.
"Uh, sorry about that. We were asleep." I say.
"No, I'm very sorry. I tried making it earlier but the flight got delayed." Mrs. Everdeen says.
I gesture the couch and we both go sit.
I sit on the long couch while she sits on the love seat.
"I love what you've done with the place. It's far nicer than it was when I lived here."
I fake a smile, "Thanks. I like it too. Katniss did a good job on picking stuff out." I laugh a little.
This is so awkward but I have to do it.
She smiles sadly, not making any eye contact with me.
I never expected this to happen, especially not tonight of all nights.
I thought maybe if she did something like this, it would've been while Katniss was in the hospital having Willow.
Again, my question is why now?
What made her suddenly show up?
"How is she doing? I'm guessing she hasn't had the baby yet?"
I swear if I was as twisted as my mind is telling me to be right now, I would tell her we already had Willow. That she is upstairs asleep with Katniss and she can't see her, but that wouldn't be very good in the long run.
I shake my head, "No, not yet." I say.
She doesn't even know her name and didn't even call to check on either of them after that day.
"Oh good."
I roll my eyes, knowing she's not looking.
"Yeah, Katniss is on bed rest though. She can't do anything. She can't leave our bedroom." I lie.
Well, it's not completely a lie but I'll have to make sure Katniss knows I told her this.
Maybe it'll save her some time or something, I don't know.
"Oh."
I nod my head, "You know how she is. She's not very happy about it."
She's not happy one bit about it but she does have more freedom than I'm leading on, but Mrs. Everdeen doesn't need to know that.
"Yes. She is her father's daughter." Mrs. Everdeen says with a soft, breathy laugh.
I involuntarily smile at the thought.
From what I've heard, Katniss is exactly like her dad, in every way and they were best friends.
He was her hero and her best friend.
That's what I've become to Katniss, is what she and everyone else tells me and I just hope I have that same relationship with Willow.
That's all I want.
To be Willow's hero and her best friend, just like I am for her mom.
I chuckle quietly, thinking about all these things but still feeling somewhat angry with her.
"She doesn't want to talk to me, does she?" Mrs. Everdeen asks.
I shrug, "I'm really not sure what she wants anymore. When it comes to you and this whole situation and I don't blame her." I tell her straightforward.
She lets out a sigh, "I just don't know that my heart can handle loving anyone else."
I look up at her, trying to figure out the point of this whole thing and the meaning behind her words, her altered personalities. There's side of her I saw when we met, when Katniss was in pain, when she and Katniss were both in pain, this one, the angry/bitter one, the one that loves us and the one she's been on and off for four years.
I hold back my words.
"I don't want you or Katniss to have to experience it either, losing anyone else. I'm not going to live forever and distancing myself from you all seems best, that way you won't be sad." She explains.
"But we will be sad. A lot of people will be." I tell her truthfully.
Somehow, I know that even if she and Willow never get to form a relationship, Willow will be hurt too, because Katniss will be.
"I doubt it, Peeta."
I look up at her sad, tired eyes and suddenly, I see what Katniss described to me, when she looked into my eyes even just a few weeks back.
It is a look that doesn't make you feel good, if we are being honest.
Seeing someone you care about that sad.
But we are being honest so I'll say that I saw it in Katniss's eyes too, maybe everyone's sadness just reflects off one another's.
Especially when it's with Katniss and I.
If there's anything I've learned about our relationship, it's that our moods reflect the other's.
If I'm sad, Katniss is sad and vice versa and it's been that way since we first met.
"Why did you come then?" I ask her, kind of rudely.
I just need to know, I can't have her keep hurting Katniss and soon Willow.
She was already disappointed there was no phone call today.
I never even told her about the call I made to her when she was in the hospital.
She would've been even more devastated that her mother didn't show up or care or call back.
Katniss is already so confused by this all, she doesn't need her mother confusing her more or hurting her.
"I don't know."
"Well, you don't understand how much your absence has affected her the last nine-ish months, being that roughly 7 of them she's been pregnant." I start.
Mrs. Everdeen closes her eyes and has her head down.
I shouldn't be going on like this because I've griped her out a lot the last four years, but she's ridiculous.
"You two are too young to be parents. Maybe it wouldn't have been so rough if you would've waited."
I could explode.
After she asked us, the night before we left for college, before we were even married, when we were having kids.
"Her 20th birthday, no call. No card. No text. Nothing. That hurt her and she didn't even know you'd spend the next 7 months ignoring her." I shoot, "We are ready to be parents. Maybe it's not ideal but we waited until we were married. Sure, we didn't exactly plan on having a baby so early but it happened and neither of us could be happier and you should be too."
"You should've waited."
"You asked us when we were having kids the night before we left for college so why the sudden change in heart?" I ask angrily.
Gosh, this escalated quickly.
I love Mrs. Everdeen but she literally makes no sense to me.
She gave birth to my wife and I owe her that much respect but as far as respect goes, if she doesn't want to have any for Katniss or Willow, that's where I draw the line and maybe that's why I've said all the mean things I have to her.
"I didn't come to argue. I don't know why I came. I just did. I came to see my daughter one last time, because I'm sure after this, I'll never be allowed back in this house."
I make an annoyed face.
"It's not like I'm going to take her from you or kick you out but I'm not going to make Katniss see you if she doesn't want to." I say.
If she thinks I am going to prevent her from seeing Katniss or even Willow, then she is crazy.
I could never do that to her, no matter what she's done in the past but she can't keep walking in and out of our lives like that. Hell, I know that if my dad or brother's wanted to see her I would've let them. I'm not sure if I would've let my mother though but that's different.
"Peeta, I know you love Katniss. I know that, if I didn't believe it I wouldn't leave her but she is better off without me."
"How do you know? Because as much as I would like to believe I'm the only one who makes her happy, I see it with everyone we know. With Carter and Finn and with Bristol and Finnick and even that stupid cat, she's happy. When we talk about you and how you haven't called, she tries to act like it doesn't bother her, but it does. It destroys her and if you don't think you make her happy, then you're lying to yourself." I say truthfully.
Her birthday was just one of many let downs.
She doesn't say anything but I don't immediately run out of things to say.
"Katniss, is the most forgiving person I've ever met. After my family died, I unfortunately haven't been the best husband and I'll admit it but she's forgiven me. I know she will do the same for you but you've got to stop walking in and out of her life." I say.
"You don't understand, Peeta."
I shrug, "No, I don't but I'm tired of being confused. I'm tired of trying to to explain to Katniss the reason you don't want to have anything to do with us. I don't even understand it myself. I don't see why you wouldn't want to be in her life or even the new life she's bringing into the world in a couple of months." I say.
"I don't want to love them more than I already do."
"It's ultimately your choice but we will find a way to cope if you do go."
"I don't know what to do."
"You need to spend time with those two precious girls while you can because it's the only time you have." I state.
It's the same with me.
It's the reason I am not planning on opening the bakery for a long while after Willow is born.
I want to spend every second I can with my girls and I don't I want to miss a thing.
"I don't know if I can handle it." She mumbles.
"Then leave." I say.
"Can I at least see her in the morning? I'll go after that. You won't have to see me ever again, or call or send pictures or anything." She tells me.
What is she doing?
I had really hoped she would agree and just keep in contact but she literally wants to lose contact completely and that's sad and sorry as hell on her part.
She is willingly missing out on her daughter's and granddaughter's lives and that hurts me more than it hurts her.
Katniss and Willow are worth it and she should want to be in their lives.
"I will ask but I'm sure she won't be very happy with your decisions."
"A little more hurt won't hurt her any."
"That's selfish of you. The fact that you're deciding to cause her more pain and heartbreak disgust me." I say, getting up off the couch, about to absolutely lose it.
I look down, "Are you staying here?" I ask harshly, "Because Prim's room is the guest bedroom and shame on you that you left that for your daughter to have to go through. She shouldn't have had to do that." I say rudely.
"Where's her things?" Mrs. Everdeen asks, narrowing her eyes at me.
"In the garage. I didn't throw anything away." I say, remembering how Katniss was determined for me not to throw anything away, whether it was a pin or a crayon, I kept it all because I know that's what she wanted.
"I'm staying here, I suppose." She shrugs.
"That's fine but you have the couch, unless you just want to sleep in the guest bedroom."
"I'm fine here. Thank you."
I go receive a heavy blanket from the closet and a throw pillow, putting it on the big couch and walking back up the stairs before any other words can be exchanged.