a/n: For starters, I've decided 4 day weekends and 3 day work weeks are totally the way to go in the summer! Because I have a 5 day work week coming up though (and because I'll be in Florida from Friday to Friday this coming week) I wanted to get out the next interlude (which is being split into TWO interludes, one of which I am posting tonight with the other to follow tomorrow!) and hopefully one more chapter before summer vacation part 1. So keep an eye out for the second part of this interlude tomorrow and chapter 31 by Friday (at the latest!). Enjoy!
Interlude 7
I could show you love
In a tidal wave of mystery
You'll still be standing next to me
"Safe and Sound" Capital Cities
Waking to the sound of birds chirping through the open window, the first thing I see is the phone sitting on the nighstand where I left it the night before and I wonder if Peeta is still on the other end.
I send up a silent wish that this is the last day I will have to look into my children's eyes and tell them that their father isn't feeling well and then deal with whatever the fall out comes from their sadness over that information. If I'm being honest, I send up another, hoping for my own sake that his episode ends because I have become selfishly reliant on his presence to keep my own bad thoughts away.
Just as I am reaching out to pick the phone up and check, I hear a soft laugh and a quietly whispered 'Morning, baby.' From behind me. With a gasp, I turn over quickly and on the other side of the bed curled around our still sleeping babies who are cuddled close in each other's arms, is Peeta.
My eyes instantly fill with tears and I climb carefully over the kids and right on top of their father who I've been apart from for what has only been two days but feels like an eternity after the range of emotions I've been through with the children in that time.
"Peeta!" I whisper and bury my face in his neck and my fingers in his thick blonde hair as his arms come up to hold me close. "Oh, sweetie…I'm so glad you're here…" I sigh and pull back to look down in his eyes that are as clear and blue as the summer sky, with no trace of whatever false memories have plagued him for the last few days.
"Me too…I hated being away from you guys." He whispers with a big grin and we both look over as Bow stirs and blinks open her eyes. Peeta smiles at her and she blinks a few times in surprise and tears well in my eyes as I see unconditional love blossom in my daughter's eyes when she realizes her father is in bed with us.
"Daddy?" She murmurs sleepily and then squeals when she realizes Peeta is not a part of whatever dream she's just come out of, but is instead really right in front of her.
"Daddy!" She screeches and Finn startles awake as Bow climbs over him and lauches herself at Peeta.
Seeing Peeta with the children he wanted for so many years always reminds me that the paralyzing fear I felt carrying them in my womb was worth it a thousand times over. I slide to Peeta's side nearest to the edge of the mattress to make room for Bow who is scrambling into his arms.
In the midst of Bow chanting 'Daddy' and both of us laughing at her excitement, poor Finn has sat up and started howling in sadness at being woken so violently from his sleep.
"Aww…it's okay buddy, come here." Peeta soothes even as he laughs at our little boy's indignation. Finn's head snaps around when he hears his Daddy's voice and he cries harder when he sees Peeta is in bed with us and scrambles over into his side. Bow chuckles and climbs up to straddle Peeta's chest and Finn wraps his arms around Peeta's neck still crying.
Peeta looks over at me and we are both laughing but I see a tear at the corner of one of Peeta's eyes and reach up to wipe it away mouthing 'I love you' to him and he immediately mouthes it back.
As I cuddle up to my family and reach over to pat Finn's bottom when he tucks his knees up under his belly and calms slightly, everything feels right with the world again. I kiss Bow's head and she shifts so that I can share Peeta's shoulder with her and my daughter and I blink contentedly at each other in the arms of the man we both love most.
"My Daddy." Finn whimpers and I smile sadly when he brings one hand back around from behind Peeta's head and grabs onto his father's earlobe, rubbing it between his fingers in the same way he's done since he was a tiny baby. Peeta wraps the arm not holding me and Bow around Finn's tiny form and squeezes him tightly.
"My buddy." Peeta says trying to match Finn's tone and kisses the top of our son's curly head as we all settle in for a much-needed snuggle.
Bow lifts her head after a few minutes and grabs Peeta's face, holding it between her little hands and searching his eyes carefully.
"You feel better now, Daddy?" She asks softly and Peeta moves the hand he has curled around my shoulder to the back of Bow's head and pets her hair softly.
"Sure do, little girl. Does that mean it's time to begin plowing through my schedule of events we put together over lunch yesterday?" Peeta teases and Bow shakes her head and frowns.
"Not yet, snuggling first." She pouts and I bite my lip when I see a few more tears slip down Peeta's cheeks as he pulls us all closer in his arms.
"Sounds fantastic." Peeta whispers and I let my eyes slip shut to catch up on my sleep.
When I wake again, Finn and Bow are nowhere to be seen but I am still resting with my head on Peeta's shoulder. He is sleeping soundly, his left hand curled lovingly over top of my right where it rests on his stomach.
I take the opportunity to look him over, making sure that he is alright after his episode. Aside from a few days stubble on his chin and the slightly purple circles under his eyes, he looks fine. He could use a haircut, but I'll worry about that later since Finn needs one too and he prefers having it done at the same time as his Daddy sitting on the steps of the front porch.
My little man who looks so much like his father but with my stubborn disposition.
Unconsciously, I reach out to stroke Peeta's cheek and his beautiful blue eyes blink open in the morning light.
"Hey…" he rumbles sleepily and looks around even as he pulls me close and kisses me for the first time in two days. I kiss him back deeply as his hands slide up to hold my face and we both moan softly into each other's mouths.
"Where'd the kids go?" He asks pulling back a little to nibble on my lower lip gently. I shrug and lean in towards him more, recapturing his lips and slipping my tongue into his mouth and Peeta leans up on his elbow to lean over and kiss me properly.
"With Haymitch, I'm sure…" I whisper and glance towards the open bedroom door before I go back to focusing on Peeta's lips on mine and his hand which has made its way up the front of his t-shirt that I am wearing.
"Good." Peeta replies and his tone makes me moan again and arch my back into his wandering hand as it finds and squeezes my left breast.
"Peeta…" I warn even as I slide my own hands up to grip his broad shoulders and press my hips into his.
Peeta rolls onto me and drops his legs on either side of my thighs, pressing the seam of the jeans he's wearing against the warmth between my legs so that I can feel how much he wants me.
"Peeta…" I warn again and he moves his kisses to my neck before I pinch the back of his arm to get his attention and he pulls back a little to look down at me.
I nod at the door again and he slowly turns his head to see our daughter standing in the doorway making a face that tells both Peeta and I she has been standing there long enough.
Peeta tries to casually remove his hand from my breast and sits up beside me as I pop up and fix my clothes around my body quickly.
"Did you lose your necklace, Mommy?" Bow asks with her nose squished up as she tries to figure out what exactly we are doing.
"What baby?" I ask running my fingers through my hair to straighten it out while Peeta shifts his right leg to hide his erection.
Bow shrugs and looks between the two of us as she skips into the room and hops up on the end of the bed. I appreciate that Haymitch has already dressed the kids for the day and the smear of purple on Bow's chin tells me they've eaten as well.
"Well…isn't that what Daddy was helping you look for in your shirt?" She asks innocently and I swat Peeta's elbow when he turns his head away and snorts a laugh.
"Oh! Well…yes, of course that's what he was doing…" I say and reach for my necklace which has turned around backwards from lying down and spin the pearl around so that it is laying straight.
'Oh, there it is! All better…" I say excitedly and Bow grins and slides off the end of the bed, straightening out the brown and blue sundress she's wearing.
"Good, come have breakfast. Finn wants Daddy again." She calls over her shoulder as she skips back out the door.
Later, after Haymitch has pointedly ignored any and all hints to giving Peeta and I some alone time, we march off to the lake for the afternoon with both kids and a satchel of food for a picnic dinner.
"Bow, you watch your brother and don't get too far ahead of us!" I call as I nervously watch their heads bobbing along through the forest ahead of us.
Peeta and I have walked this trail so often over the years that there is a well-worn path leading all the way from the meadow straight to our cabin by the lake. We've been to the cabin to stay at least a half dozen times this summer already.
"They're fine, honey." Peeta says from beside me where he's holding my hand as we tromp through our forest. "They're only 100 yards in front of us. I can see them just fine." He smiles and I shrug and adjust the picnic blanket under my arm.
"I know…I know, I just…worry." I say with a nervous laugh and Peeta squeezes my hand gently. After all the time I made him wait to be a father because of old fears I just couldn't let go of, Peeta knows exactly why I worry.
"I know you do." He says softly and raises his fingers to his mouth, whistling loudly for the kids. "Bow! Hang on back a little bit!" he calls and Bow stops and grabs Finn's hand as she waits patiently for us to get a little closer to them before she continues on.
"Thanks." I mouth to Peeta and he smiles shyly as we follow after the kids more closely.