Chapter One
Katniss's POV
'It's been four years, Katniss, calm down. It's just Peeta, and your daughter. You can do this.' I think as I walk through the streets of District 12. It's been a little over four years since our daughter was born, and a little over four years since I left.
When I got pregnant I told myself I'd go through with it and I'd end up happy because Peeta was the father and with me every step of the way.
When she was born I had a mental breakdown, but I could have never told Peeta that. So, to protect him and our baby, I left. I left him to take care of her by himself, and today I'm going back to see him, and her.
As I walk into the bakery I call out, "Peeta? Peeta Mellark?" hoping he'd recognize my voice.
Thom, who Peeta had just hired before I left, walks out to greet me.
"Hello, welcome to the Mellark Bakery. How may I help yo-?" He asks stopping mid-sentence realizing who I am. "K-Katniss? Wh-what are you doing here?" He finishes frantically.
"Hi, Thom, nice to see you again. I came to see Peeta, is he in today?" I ask him nervously, switching my gaze from Thom to my hands.
"Yes, I-I.. I'll just go get him for you." He says pushing open the door to the kitchen.
A minute later he returns with Peeta following him. "Who would be here to see me Thom? I have a lot of orders to fill, and need to get back to work!" He says to Thom a little irritated.
Peeta looks up and his eyes catch mine, and he stops dead in his tracks. "K-Katniss? Wh-? Why?"
"I'm sorry, Peeta... I... I just came to talk to you. I-I.. I made a mistake, okay? I never should have left you. I never should have been gone from our daughter's life these past four years. I'm an idiot, just say it!" I yell at him, getting upset with myself for leaving.
"I-I… I can't, Katniss. You left. You left me alone with a newborn. You've missed the first four years of her life, her biggest moments! I don't know if I want to listen." He says, shaking his head and sighing. "I don't know if I can do it anymore."
"I just need you to listen to me, Peeta. Just listen. I want to see my daughter. I need to see my daughter," I explain, "I have nothing else anymore, Peeta. You don't know how hard these four years have been."
As I talk a little girl comes from the back room to Peeta, "Daddy? Can I have a cookie? I finished my lunch already," she asks with a big smile on her face, unaware I'm even in the room.
Peeta leans down and picks the girl up.
"Of course, Princess. Here," He says as he picks up a cookie decorated like a tiger-lily, Peeta's favorite flower.
"Thank you, Daddy! Now, let me down. I want to go play with my toys," she says squirming and pushing on his arm.
Peeta releases her and turns back to me. "There you saw her, now get out of my bakery. You don't deserve anything more than that. You left her before you even gave her a name, Katniss! How am I supposed to forgive that?"
"Peeta, please? Can I at least know what you named her? I'm her mom, I want to know." I beg, wiping the tears from my eyes.
"Fine, Katniss. I named her Everdeen Rose Mellark, but I call her Rose. I couldn't call her Everdeen when you weren't around." he tells me as he sighs, and leans against the wall, like he used to when he was frustrated with me. "Everdeen, so she'd always have a part of you, and Rose after Primrose. I knew that you wanted to remember her in some way, so I guess her name is for you, but you never got to know until four years, later. "
"I-I… I had no idea, Peeta…" I say softly as tears flow from my eyes. "Thank you for naming her after me. It means a lot to me. It really does."