Katniss POV- (About 8am)
"Mrs. Mellark, your baby is hungry and very upset." A nurse wakes me, tapping my shoulder.
I jolt awake and look around sleepily and see Peeta in the corner of the dim room, bouncing and shushing a baby.
I'm so confused when I wake up but then I realize I had Willow at 4:50 this morning.
"Sir, she's awake." The nurse tells Peeta pointing to me and she leaves the room, shutting the big wooden door behind her, the lock clicks.
He looks over at me and smiles a little helplessly, walking over immediately.
Peeta hands me our red faced, screaming newborn. She hasn't eaten since about 5 this morning so no wonder she's so upset.
I lift my shirt up and reveal what she's wanting and she immediately latches on, thankfully.
"Sorry, how long was she crying?" I ask him quietly.
"About thirty minutes or so." He informs me.
"You should've woken me sooner."
"You were sleeping too good. You had a really long night."
I frown, "Peeta, it's okay. You should've just woken me up." I tell him, slightly annoyed he didn't do it sooner.
I would rather my sleep be interrupted for a little while than to have my baby crying because she's hungry. But I know Peeta is still set on what I need and not what Willow needs for a minute.
"Sorry." He says with a shrug, like I am mad at him for it.
I'm irritated but not mad.
"It's okay." I tell him.
He leans forward and pecks my lips.
"The nurses had to wake me up. I was dead asleep too. I heard her but I thought it was a dream." He says embarrassedly.
I laugh, "Maybe they'll kick us out and we can go home sooner."
"Not for 24 hours so I guess not until tomorrow morning."
I groan, "I'm just ready to take her home already and be out of here."
"How are you feeling this morning?"
"Like I just gave birth to an 8 pound baby." I shrug.
Peeta chuckles, "Hm, that's strange. I wonder why?"
I smile and stare down at her, "You're such a chunky little baby." I tell her, even though she's quite small and skinny but her cheeks are chunky.
Peeta smiles and I lean down, pressing a kiss to her little forehead.
"This is all like a dream. When I woke up earlier, I was so confused but so happy." Peeta tells me.
"Me too. It took a second for me to register that you were holding our baby."
"The lactation lady came by but you were sleeping so she was going to visit a few other people before she came back here."
I nod my head.
"Did you tell anyone about her?" I ask him, knowing that he probably did.
"Everyone went home at midnight when they realized they weren't going to get to see her and they all texted this morning."
"Did you tell them anything?" I ask.
"No, I wanted to wait until you wanted to. I told them she was born but I didn't send pictures or any information."
"Okay, I guess when the lady leaves then we can call Bristol first. Then Finnick and Annie and go from there."
"Sounds good."
I sigh and the silence becomes long and awkward.
"Thank you for not leaving me, even after last night." I tell him gratefully.
Peeta's eyes meet mine and he sighs, "I wouldn't miss this for anything else in the world. I'm sorry about the past."
"I know you are but that doesn't matter anymore. We have a brand new start." I say positively.
There's a knock on the door.
"Mrs. Mellark?" An older lady calls.
I nod my head and she approaches us.
"Who is this beautiful baby?" She asks, looking at Willow.
I try hiding my breasts with her blanket, "Her name is Willow." I say.
She bends down, getting a little too close for comfort, "Try holding her like this and see if it's more comfortable." She says, gently turning her belly to belly with me, her wobbly head and mouth impatiently sucking away.
"No. I don't like that, it was better the way I was doing it." I say, shaking my head.
"Okay, try holding her like this and see if it's better." She says, flipping her body around with her legs in between my side and arm-making me look like I'm holding a football.
I roll my eyes and look up at her, she's staring at my breasts.
"I still like the way I was doing it before." I tell her, feeling uncomfortable with this all.
Peeta gives me a look out of the corner of his eye and I can tell he's getting just upset with her as I am.
"Okay, put her back the way you had her." She directs me.
I sigh and carefully flip her back around and into my arms, cradling her.
"She seems to be latching okay in that position. Are you wanting to pump?"
"Pump?" I ask.
"Pump milk out of your breasts so you can bottle feed her too." She explains.
"Um, I guess so." I say, looking at Peeta and he nods his head.
"It'll allow daddy to have some time to bond and feed when you want to rest."
"Let's try that then." I shrug.
The specialist goes and retrieves me a breast pump and helps me set it up while Peeta burps Willow. The nurses come in and examine her and change her diaper, cleaning her umbilical cord stump too.
"She looks really good. I think she has her daddy's eyes." One nurse says.
Peeta smiles.
"Sir, would you like to go give her her first bath?" The nurse asks Peeta.
Peeta looks at me, "Katniss, do you care if I go just for a minute?"
"No, I don't mind. Go." I smile, I wanting him to be the one to do it since I really can't.
The lady comes in and helps me get situated and teaches me how to use the uncomfortable machine and then thankfully, she leaves.
Peeta comes in a while later with a very squeaky clean baby.
"Hi, Mommy." Peeta says for Willow, placing her in my arms again. She's wide awake and swaddled in a beautiful baby blanket Peeta bought her.
The nurse comes in behind him, "She's all cleaned up and we put her in a onesie for any visitors you may have today." She smiles.
I thank her she tells us Willow needs to be put in her bed for awhile and allow me to catch up on some rest.
I press and kiss to her forehead and the nurse puts her in the makeshift bed again and goes.
"How was it?" I ask him after the nurse leaves.
"Screamed her little head off." Peeta tells me with a laugh, putting his chin on my shoulder and pressing a kiss to it.
I frown and make a pouty lip, "Poor baby." I say, glancing over at her, she's just staring up at the ceiling.
"But she calmed right down after we got her out, so bath time at home is gonna be fun." Peeta laughs.
I grin and lean my head on his shoulder.
"Wow, she's just so cute." I say looking at her.
He chuckles, "Agreed. She's the cutest baby I've ever seen."
I smile.
"You can call Bristol and them to come by if you want to." I tell him.
He calls Bristol and she is very excited. She's leaving Carter with Finnick and Annie while she visits and then they'll switch places.
The nurses come in with Bristol a while later, she's smiling from ear to ear.
"Wash at the sink to the elbow, pick any dirt out of your nails and put a gown over your clothes." The nurse instructs her.
She washes her hands really good and cleans her nails and then dries them, then she puts a new gown over her clothes and comes over, the nurse leaves.
Her eyes immediately find Willow, who's squiggling around, trying to get out of the blanket.
Peeta stands up and walks around to her, picking her up.
Bristol looks pitifully at me.
"How are you feeling?" She asks.
I sigh, "Just sore. I haven't been out of bed since about 5 this morning so it's probably worse now."
"What time was she born?"
"4:51." I say.
"Goodness and you came here at 8:30 last night?"
I nod my head.
"You did so good." Bristol says, giving me a sad smile.
"Thanks." I say as Peeta walks over and hands her Willow.
It's pains us both to see anyone but each other holding her but we both know we can be like that.
"Oh, Kat." Bristol says softly, her brown eyes wide.
"She's pretty cute, huh?" Peeta laughs.
"Oh my goodness. She is precious." She nearly squeals.
I smile at the sight.
"She looks a lot like you, Peeta." Bristol says.
He smiles and I squeeze his hand.
"How much did she weigh?"
"8 pounds 3 ounces." Peeta tells her.
"You're a big baby." Bristol says in a baby voice and grins at Willow.
She stares up at Bristol.
"Is she calm so far?"
"So far, unless she's hungry or Peeta gives her a bath." I laugh a little, even though it hurts to laugh.
"She is very sweet, I'm so happy for you. I better get going. She has a lot of people who are anxiously waiting to meet her." Bristol says, gently handing her back to Peeta.
She gives us both quick hugs, "Congratulations, you two. You deserve her." She says admiringly and leaves.
Annie and Finnick soon show up and have to do the same procedures Bristol did, which I am glad.
"Peetie!" Finnick whispers excitedly.
Annie comes to my side.
"How are you?" She asks sweetly.
"I feel okay, just really tired." I say.
She smiles sadly, "Better get some rest while you can."
I smile and nod my head.
Finnick is the first of them to hold her.
Annie hovers over, looking at Willow.
"Kat, you did a good job." Finnick says, taking a glance at Willow and then back at me.
I smile, "Thanks, Finnick." I shrug.
"Finn is so excited for his little girlfriend to finally be born." Finnick says with a smirk.
I scoff and Annie and Peeta just shake their heads and laugh.
"She looks like a mini-girl version of my Peetie-Pie with Katniss's hair." Finnick states the obvious.
Willow's eyes grow wide as he keeps going on about her and she looks nearly creeped out.
Peeta and I just laugh.
Annie finally gets to hold her, "I know, baby. Finn felt the same way when he met Finnick too. He's a little crazy." Annie tells her with a smile.
Finnick scoffs.
I sit back and laugh, Peeta looks at me and smiles.
Finnick is definitely that.
"She's so so beautiful, Katniss." Annie keeps saying.
"Thank you." I tell her proudly.
A nurse comes in and checks her diaper and the last time she ate and vitals and then leaves again.
"Wow, it makes me want to have another baby." Finnick tells Peeta, slapping his shoulder.
I look down at his hand that's very bruised and laugh to myself.
It's not really funny but it is.
Annie cocks her head towards him, "Most definitely not." She says.
"Then I'll just have to spoil Finn and Carter and then all of Katniss and Peeta's babies then."
"We aren't having anymore for a long time, so good luck." Peeta tells him.
Finnick laughs, "Whatever, Peetie is a sex-god. You'll be pregnant in the next year, guaranteed."
I shoot him a glare, "Nope." Peeta and I say together.
It's not that we probably won't have more kids in the future or that we don't want more eventually but it won't be for a long time-we've already discussed it.
"I still can't believe my Peetie-Pie finally joined the dad club! Congrats, man!" Finnick says he and Peeta high five quietly.
Annie and I look at each other and just smile, shaking our heads like we always do and have always done.
"I will see you soon, baby. You're so sweet." Annie says, handing Willow off to me after a long while.
"She's just perfect. I'm so happy for you, Katniss." Annie says, taking my hand and squeezing it, giving me a big smile.
Finnick comes over and kisses the top of my head and messes up my hair worse, "She's really cute, Kitty Kat. I'm very proud of you." He says and I grin.
"Bye kiddo. Uncle Finnie will see you soon. Be good for your Daddy but not your Momma." He tells a sleeping Willow and then smirks at me.
I scoff, laughing at Finnick as they go.
As soon as the door shuts, I turn to Peeta.
"Can you please go get me something to eat?" I ask him desperately.
He smiles widely.
"Yeah, I'm surprised you haven't been begging me for food." Peeta laughs and I roll my eyes.
"I haven't had anything since 7 last night and it's nearly 10:30." I shrug.
He smiles, "Proud of you."
"Good, now go get me a nurse so I can ask about walking around and then go find me some really good food." I instruct him.
He chuckles and exits the room.
I admire our sleeping baby girl and press my lips to her forehead, "I love you so much." I whisper to her.
This all seems so surreal.
Peeta returns a few minutes later with a nurse, "Let's put the baby up and then I'll help you up. You need to be really careful when you move the next few weeks. You're going to be extremely sore."
"Already done." I sigh as she helps me turn and get my legs off the bed.
Peeta holds one hand while the nurse holds the other and I stand up.
My legs are shaky and it feels like I've been hit by a truck, twice.
"Ow, that doesn't feel to good." I complain.
I walk around the room some with the nurse's help while Peeta runs down to the cafeteria to get us both some food.
Willow is still sound asleep in her bed.
"First baby?" The nurse asks curiously.
She's tall with dark hair and eyes.
"Yes. Could you tell?" I ask a bit embarrassed.
She chuckles, "By your screaming last night, yes. You seemed kind of shocked at how bad it hurts."
"Do you have any kids?"
The lady nods, "A one year old and a four year old." She says.
"Aw, that's very sweet." I smile.
She looks over, "Yeah, her name is Willow, right?"
I nod my head.
"She's really sweet. I was helping your husband with her bath."
I laugh a little, "I heard she wasn't too thrilled."
"Oh no, most babies aren't." The lady laughs.
"Do you know if the whole 'active in the womb, calm on the outside' thing is true?"
"It's not." She tells me.
I chuckle, "Great."
"My four year old literally never quit moving and hasn't since."
I laugh and look over at my sleeping baby and sigh.
Hoping she stays like this.
"Well, I think that's enough walking for now. If you need any bathroom breaks, you can call and I can come or if you want to walk. Your husband is more than welcome to help." She tells me, helping me back into bed.
"Okay."
"Get some sleep if you can. You've been up awhile."
I chuckle, my now shrunken abdomen still aching, "So have you."
"Five to five. Someone called in too." She sighs.
"I'm sorry. Thank you for being here though. My mom is a nurse so I know the feeling. It's a crazy job but I appreciate you."
"Thank you very much for that, hun."
I smile at her as she leaves.
As the door closes, I turn on my left side and face Willow.
Hopefully, Peeta will be back soon because I'm starving, plus I'm so tired.
And luckily, he does.
"Hey, you awake?" Peeta asks softly as he comes into the room again, shutting the door behind him.
I turn around to let him know that I am awake and still very hungry.
"I got you some food and a soda." He says, grinning.
"Thank you." I say as he sits down next to me again.
He hands me some food and I dig in and he does too.
"She's still just fast asleep, isn't she?" Peeta asks with a wide smile.
I glance over, "Yeah, I am really hoping she stays this good."
He sighs.
"Yeah. I'm kind of like you, ready to go home."
"I don't understand why we can't leave yet, it's not like they're really doing anything with her or not letting us or anyone see her, you know? We're are just kind of here and they're not monitoring her all too much. I don't get it."
He shrugs, "It's probably hospital rules."
I nod my head.
"Dr. Coles will be up after she leaves the office. She called while I was downstairs." He informs me.
I sigh, "Okay." I say.
"Is your sandwich good?" Peeta asks.
I nod my head.
It's as good as I'll be getting a hospital.
"Mine too." He says.
"So, now what?" I ask.
He sighs, "Now, we sleep. Unless you want to call the rest of the group to visit."
"Can you give me until 5pm to do that?"
"I sure can. You'll probably have to wake up a few times to feed her. How long has it been since the last time?"
"About two hours, so who knows how long that sleep will last." I shrug my sore shoulders.
"Okay, don't worry about it. Just go ahead and get some rest, we aren't going anywhere." He whispers with a smile as I scoot down deeper into the bed, snuggling up to his side.
He rubs my shoulder and finishes eating as I fall into a slumber.
Peeta POV- (Nearly an hour later)
(On the phone with Glimmer)
"She's sleeping, she doesn't want any more visitors until after five." I tell her.
"Ugh, fine. How many people in the room besides you three?"
"Three."
"Oh, good! Can me, Clove, and Johanna come up first, then let the boys go in?"
I sigh, "Uh, sure."
"Okay. How is Katniss?"
"Hurting but she did a lot better than I thought she would." I tell her truthfully.
She was mean but no where near the way I thought she would be. I'm really proud of her for that and for the whole thing. She did a great job, it was just difficult to see her in so much pain.
"Good. Can I have some information about her? How much did she weigh and stuff?" Glimmer asks excitedly.
"8 pounds 3 ounces. 17 and 3/4 long." I say.
"Oh Peeta. I'm so happy for you guys."
"Thank you." I laugh.
"Well, I guess around five we will head up. What's the room number?"
"Floor 13. Room 307."
"Alright, well we will see you guys soon!" She squeals and hangs up.
I sigh and lay my phone on Katniss's rolling table.
I scoot down deeper into the tiny bed with her and that's when the nurse walks in.
"Diaper changing time. Then we are going to check their vitals." The nurse tells me.
She changes Willow's diaper, without waking her and checks her temperature, listens to her heart and does a few other things then wakes up Katniss to do the same.
Everything is good with them both, thankfully and Katniss soon falls back to sleep.
I know I need to sleep too, all this lack of sleep I'll be having the next year isn't going to go down so well with me but I have to remember Katniss's sleep rules over mine.
I lay back down and snuggle up to her, only to be woken up a short period later to a fussy baby.
"Katniss." I say as I pick Willow up, popping a pacifier in her moth, hoping she won't get too out of control angry.
Katniss opens her sleepy eyes and turns onto her back.
I hand her Willow and she cradles her in her arms and she begins nursing her again.
I sit on the edge of the bed and I look down at Willow who's wide awake.
She's really alert and I like that.
"Hi, Willow." I say, kissing the top of her head.
Willow blinks her tiny blue eyes at me.
"Gosh, are you as exhausted as I am?" Katniss asks me, half asleep.
"Nope, I'm not. I'm sure she's nearly done then you can go back to sleep. It's only 11:45." I say.
"I want at least until five to sleep."
"You'll get it. You'll probably only have to wake up one or two more times until then." I tell her.
"Good. I want you to sleep too, so you don't get sick."
"I'll be just fine but I'll try. Clove, Glimmer, and Johanna will be here at five along with the boys." I tell her, her face showing she's absolutely thrilled.
"I love them all but there's just too many of them to deal with." She complains.
"I know but at least they care." I remind her.
"True. I just want to call my mom so bad and tell her but I'm still so upset with her." Katniss says, staring down at Willow, almost in a daze.
"I know you are, so am I."
"Either way, how could anyone not want to have anything to do with their grandchild? I mean my mom is never going to know how beautiful she is."
"What gets me is she always talked about how you were her only kid left but now she wants nothing to do with you." I groan.
I probably can never forgive her for that. Just because Prim is gone means nothing, Katniss is still her daughter and that should say something but it obviously doesn't.
"I wish Prim was here to see Willow. And my dad and yours. I wish Ryan and David were here to see her too." Katniss whispers softly.
I lean over and kiss her forehead, "Me too, but they're watching over her right now. Prim is I'm sure of it." I tell Katniss positively.
If I knew Prim, I know that's who she's looking after now. Not Katniss, no longer her mother or Rue, but Willow and there's something weirdly assuring of that.
Tears stream down her cheeks and I wipe them away with my thumb.
"It's okay." I whisper to her.
"I know, it's just emotional. My sister and my dad missed the two most important days of my life and my mother voluntarily missed one. I'm sure if she wouldn't have promised me, she wouldn't have shown up for our wedding." Katniss says angrily.
"I don't know but I promise you it's going to be okay. As long as Willow has us, that's all that really matters, right?" I asks.
She nods her head, "My two missing pieces."
"And mine too." I say truthfully.
I am complete.
Willow finishes eating and I burp her so that Katniss can go back to sleep. I place her back into her little bed, even though all I would like to do is hold her all day but I can't.
Little snores quickly escape Katniss and that's how I know the true extent of her exhaustion: snores.
"Willow, did you know that you're so beautiful just like your Mommy?" I ask her as I stand there hovering over her.
"Mommy is the prettiest girl you'll ever see. I think you look like her one day, if it helps anything, you probably won't look like me forever." I laugh bit.
Everyone keeps saying how she looks like me but that's not completely true or at least I can't see it.
"Your Momma is the prettiest girl I've ever seen until I met you and now there's a tie between you both." I say, shrugging my shoulders with a quiet laugh.
I look back at Katniss and I'm just so amazed. I've always been amazed by her but now it's like a whole new kind of amazed. She made me this little thing with her body and pushed it out of her and she was in the worst pain of her life and she's not bitter about it or complaining and she didn't break my hand.
Man, I love her.
Katniss is literally my superhero. I know I couldn't have done what she had done and I will be forever grateful for her.
One thing I know is that I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Katniss and Willow.
I would've just died or hell, even committed suicide if it hadn't have been for my best friend and I owe her my everything for that.
I'm happy again because of her and because of Willow.
They were my light at the end of the tunnel and I know Katniss was there the whole time but she never gave up on me. Even when she wanted to or should've and I'm so thankful for that.
Katniss has always been my light but until those darkest days, I never really realized how much of a light she truly was for me.
She loved me and guided me back to this beautiful moment today.
I will never stop owing her for saving me or giving me the most beautiful baby in the world.
Our baby.
Its only know I look back and realize how much she was so against having a baby at least for a few years but a month tops of me being depressed, she decided she wanted to have one to help me. I don't know anyone but Katniss that would do that, she's so selfless. She even set up at an obstetricians office to try and see what she could do to help her get pregnant faster, little did she know she was already three months pregnant at the time and that was possibly the best surprise, even though I ruined it.
I will never be able to forgive myself for that and as much as Katniss says she has or will. I know she will never completely forgive me either and she has every right not to. If I could go back and change that one stupid move I made, it would've saved us so much trust that I'm still not sure we will ever gain back.
That could've been the best birthday ever if I wouldn't have left that morning. I probably could've quit being so sad quicker too. I'm not sure what would've happened but things would've been different-surely in a better way than they were. She woke up at like 5 in the morning to make me a birthday cake and spent weeks trying to find me good gifts and I left he. I still don't know what the hell I was thinking when I did that. That was the stupidest thing I've ever done in my whole life.
Sure, I try to spend a lot of my time and money on her but the sacrifices she's made for me is more valuable than anything I've ever done for her.
Giving me Willow was most selfless thing she could've ever done. I have never been at a worse time in my life and she changed that.
If she wouldn't have been pregnant, I'm not sure I would've been able to recover so quickly. I hate to say that I got better because she was pregnant, because I know that I promised to stay with her no matter what but it's like there was nothing to look forward to, so she was trying to make there be.
I don't know how to explain it but I hope I never ever have to go through that again. I have a beautiful family now, they genuinely love me and care about me and will never leave me-unlike my biological family.
These two beautiful girls right here in this room are all that matter in my life.
I have a family now.
A wife and a daughter.
I guess until today, I never really understood what Katniss meant when she said she had 'missing pieces.'
I never realized the depth of that comparison.
I've found my missing pieces.
My life puzzle is at last complete