Chapter 10 - First Weeks Home
Effie POV.
It's been 2 weeks since we got back from the hospital with the babies. Haymitch, thanks to his clumsiness, needs to stay in bed rest because of his broken arm and leg. So basically I am taking care of 2 newborn babies and a full-grown man. I must admit it's so difficult.
Every single night the babies wake up every 2 hours, and it takes me like 1 hour to get them back to sleep, when I finally am about to go to sleep myself, Haymitch wakes up and wants me to stay up with him.
I haven't slept at all, I sleep at least 2-3 hours each day. I look and feel horrible. I have purple circles around my eyes, I haven't taken a bath in like 3 days, I barely eat, and my breast are really sore.
The babies feed every two hours, I decided to breast feed and my beast are so sore! They are huge and hurt so much.
Haymitch's doctor says that in 1 more week Haymitch will be himself again and will be able to do all the things he used to do and help me with the babies. Katniss and Peeta sometimes come and help with the twins. They are also noticing how tired I am but of course, Haymitch being Haymitch doesn't notice it.
Today, was no different, I looked at the clocked and noticed it was 12 PM which meant time to feed the twins. I went downstairs to grab a bottle with breast milk and when I got it I sat down. I started drifting off, and finally some peace came over me and I fell asleep.
A while later, I felt somebody trying to wake me up. I woke up and found Peeta with a worried face in front of me.
"Oh Peeta! I'm sorry, how much time have you guys been here?" I asked while standing up and yawning.
"We've been here for a while now, Katniss is upstairs feeding the twins." Peeta said, still worried as he saw me going around picking up toys and blankets from the floor.
"Thank you Peeta, I fell asleep and totally forgot about feeding the twins." I smiled at him and sat down next to him, yawning again.
"Effie? Are you okay? Be honest with me. I just want to help." He said so sincerely.
I sighed, "Peeta, I'm so tired. I haven't slept properly in days, haven't fed myself well enough, my breast hurt so much, and I haven't had a bath in 3 days. I love the twins and Haymitch but he just isn't helping me in this. He said we would be parents together and it's like I'm a single mother watching over the twins and over Haymitch. I know Haymitch is in bed rest but he can easily tell me to get the twins to him with bottles and he can feed them and burp them. I'm just really tired, I don't have any more energy." I said, as I felt good to get all this of my chest.
I felt Peeta hug me, "I know Effie, I know you are really tired, but me and Katniss have come to help you and she will talk some sense into Haymitch. Don't worry everything will be fine. Today, you will go to our home and relax. Me, Katniss and Haymitch will watch over the kids."
"Oh Peeta, thank you very much but I can't let you do that. I knew what I was getting myself into when I found out I was pregnant. I will stay here and help you, after all they are my responsibility." I said to him.
I know Peeta is being nice to me by offering a day to relax but I can't let Katniss and Peeta take care of the twins, they have a daughter of their own. The twins are Haymitch and I's responsibility, not theirs. It's just to much to ask.
"Come no Effie! You basically are taking care of everyone here, let us help you, just for today go to our house and relax, sleep, eat and take a bath. I'll talk some sense into Haymitch." I hear Katniss say as she walks downstairs with Juliet in her arms.
"But..." I was trying to make and excuse of staying and helping but Peeta pushed me out of the door and intro their house. "Now just relax Effie, You deserve it." He said as he smiled and left me there.
Katniss POV.
I went upstairs to Haymitch and Effie's room to see Haymitch laying in bed with food and watching TV. I quickly turned the TV off.
"Hey! I was watching that!" he yelled as he tried to get the remote from me.
"Is this what you have done the past 2 weeks, laying here, eating, and watching TV?" I asked him angry.
"Sweetheart, I'm in bed rest, according to the doctor there isn't much I can do." He replied as if it was obvious.
"Oh! There is lots of stuff you can do. One of those could be help Effie." I yell again, taking his bag of ships from him.
"Effie is doing fine. She is taking good care of the twins and she seems fine, she never asks for my help." He says as he shoots a glare at me.
"Effie is doing everything around this place, haven't you seen her lately? She has purple circles around her eyes because she only sleeps about 2 to 3 hours a day. She hasn't taken a bath in 3 days. She has barely even fed herself. She is running around getting all this stuff for you and the twins that she has barely payed any attention to her body. She is exhausted. While she is taking care of YOUR son and daughter you are here having the time of your life. Haymitch, if you love her as much as you did 9 months ago, show her. Show her that you care about her and your children because you aren't doing a great job. I understand you are in bed rest but you can easily tell Effie to bring the babies to you, you can feed them and burp them and put them back to sleep while she rest a little. Do something Haymitch, Effie didn't sign up to be a single mother." I told him as I threw the remote of the TV at him and left to the kitchen where Peeta was making lunch.
I sit down with a huff into the table and put my head in my hands. Peeta comes and hugs me and starts rubbing my back. "That sounded fun." He said softly.
"Oh believe me it was." I said.
"Don't worry, he will come around soon enough." Peeta said going to pick up Primrue, who had started crying.
"Let's hope so." I said as I went upstairs with the twins.
Haymitch POV.
I just stayed there without moving. Was I really that blind? Has Effie really been that tired but wouldn't ask me for help? I'm so stupid! She has been taking care of the twins and myself all by herself. She is really strong but she can't look after all of us, including herself. The doctor had told her, after the birth, that she had to take it easy because her body was going to be sore for a couple of weeks. But Effie isn't taking it easy, because she has no choice. Because I could help but I was so stupid and never offered myself.
Katniss is right, I should help. Effie isn't a single mother, I am the father, I need to help her.
I stood up and went to the twins room to find Mason trashing around in his crib. I managed to pick him up with one arm and noticed that he needed a diaper change. I changed him and sat on the rocking chair to get him back to sleep.
When I finally got him to sleep after a good 30 minutes, I saw that Juliet also needed a diaper change. I changed her diaper and again it took 30 minutes to put her to sleep.
I went back to the bed to lay down when I heard one of the twins crying. I stood up as fast as I could and saw that Mason was crying. But Katniss fed him an hour ago so I think he must just be cranky. I put him to sleep after a good 20 minutes and went back to our bedroom. I finally noticed how tired Effie must be. God I'm fucking horrible.
Effie POV.
After a long relaxing day, I finally think it's time to go back home and help out. I slept, ate and took a bath, I'm full of energy again. After all, it was almost 8 PM which meant the twins needed feeding. I entered the house and saw that everything was normal.
Katniss and Peeta were playing with Primrue and the twins seemed to be okay upstairs, I needed to check on Haymitch. After thanking Katniss and Peeta they decided to go home. I went upstairs to our room and saw that Haymitch wasn't in bed. I went to the twins room and saw him sitting in the rocking chair feeding Juliet. He didn't hear me enter so I stayed at the door just watching.
This was the man I married. The caring and loving man I fell in love. He is back.
"Juliet, you look just like you mommy. You are beautiful. I'm sorry I wasn't here for you and you brother for the first weeks, but I'm here now and I'm not planning on leaving. I love you Juliet." Haymitch said softly, kissing her little head and started burping her. That's when he noticed I was in the door.
"Hi Effie. I want you to know I'm sorry I wasn't there for you this weeks. I was terrible husband, taking advantage of you like I did. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. I promise I will help you from now on, ill or not ill." He said regretful. I don't know what Katniss said to him but I thank her with all my heart.
I walked up to him and kissed him in the lips.
"Is that a yes?" He said, smirking.
"Yes, that's a yes." We were about to get another kiss when Mason started crying.
I pulled away before he could kiss me and got Mason. We were just how we needed to be.