Today is going to be a really long, really hard day. I haven't seen my family since new years day and it is January 27th and everyone is coming for the opening day of Peeta and I's restaurant. I'm showing now. Not much, but enough to make me look like I gained weight. I'm in a tight white dress and I left my hair down. I managed to get the principle of the school I worked out to announce it to the kids I taught, who are all in ninth grade now. He said that a lot of them are coming.
Besides the kids and the family, that's all I know.
Peeta and I are both really nervous that nobody else is going to show up.
"You look beautiful." Peeta kisses my cheek from behind and puts his hands on my belly, pulling me back against his chest. I'm staring at myself in the mirror. "Stop that baby, you are not fat." He says.
"I'm fatter than I used to be." I say.
"Because you're pregnant. Right after the baby is born, you'll go back to normal. Now let's go downstairs, our employees are waiting on us. We haven't seen Jess, Aunt Megan or Uncle Andrew, and none of us make a move to get in contact with them.
We both go down to the first floor, and there's a huge line outside, lining up the street. Anyone outside can see us because the whole front wall of the first and second floor is glass. The only reason the third floor isn't, is because that's me and Peeta's house, although we do have a window seat in the dining room that anyone can see into.
We don't really go in there unless we have company, anyways. I sometimes go in there to sit at the window though.
We have a staff of twelve, six girls and six boys. The six girls are the waitresses and the guys are generally in the kitchen, and we have two managers, one female, one male, but Peeta and I are the main ones.
We have; Kara, who is the female manager, Macy, Miranda, Quinn, Ella and Victoria for the girls, for the boys we have; Justin, who is the male manager, Richard, Travis, Nick, Michael and Parker.
"This is going to be crazy busy. My whole family is coming in." Kara says.
"Ours too," I say. We treat them as our friends.
"It's noon. Let's get this show on the road." Peeta says. We all high five and then Peeta opens the door.
…s…
I'm running around, taking orders, and excusing myself every time I nearly slam into someone. Our family isn't here and I'm honestly dreading their reaction to the fact that I'm a fat ass.
I seat another family and get them their drinks, and then Macy and I collide, spilling drinks all over one another. People stare at us, and she looks panicked.
"It's fine, I'm not mad come here." I pull her into the kitchen, both of us dripping as I set down our trays. "Peeta, I need you to cover Macy and I while we go change." I say. He rips off his apron.
"Okay," he's clearly in just as much of a rush that I am.
"Katniss, I am so sorry-"
"It's alright, I'm not mad at you, accidents happen, and we both ran into each other, so I'm sorry too." I say.
"I don't have clothes here." She says.
"That's fine." She's my old size. I pull her up to the second floor, past a huge group of my students from last year, and through the door and me and Peeta's, which I lock behind me before pulling her upstairs to the living room.
"This is your house?" she asks.
"Yeah, me and Peeta's." I say. I pull her into our bedroom and open my closet. "Pick anything you'd like," I say after getting my other white skintight dress that has a low back. The back dips down low and it's literally as tight as my skin.
She gets a white dress with lace on it with lace three quarter sleeves. "Can I wear this?" she asks.
"Yeah, and you can take a quick shower if you want to." I say.
"Oh no, that's fine. Where's the bathroom?" she asks.
"Right across the hall." I reply. She disappears and I quickly change. She walks into the room. "I'll wash your clothes and have Peeta and I change them over so you can have them back when you leave." I say. I start her clothes in the laundry and then we rush back downstairs.
"Okay," she smiles.
"Ms. Everdeen!" The group of students chant, causing me to stop.
"Yes?" I ask.
"I hate to ask…" Marshal begins, "But are you pregnant?"
I smile. "Yes, now I really have to go. Do you guys need anything? Refills?" I ask.
"Can I have more coke, please?" Allison hands me her cup.
"Of course, anyone else?"
Everyone shakes their heads and I go downstairs. My family is here now. I put up a finger, telling them to wait before getting Allison her drink and taking it up to her, going back down.
"Your showing!" Mama gasps. I just smile.
"Yeah…how many of you guys are their?" I ask.
"um…" They all look around.
"Twenty?" Johanna asks.
"I think theirs…no way, there is much more than twenty." Annie argues.
"There's forty six." Peeta says behind me. "Always has been, not always will be." He says.
"Forty six?" I repeat, looking around. "We do not have enough tables open for forty six people." I say.
"Well…" Peeta sighs.
"We can split up." Aunt Kari suggests.
"So…three tables of 15?" I ask.
"Yes, just do that." Mama says. Peeta and I walk off, taking empty tables and pushing them together, making three tables of fifteen. They all divide up and we take their orders and drinks. The kitchen is getting really busy and Peeta has to go back to help them, apologizing four times before I just walk away, giving the family their drinks. I clean off tables for people that have left and drop by the counter where you pay and put the tips in the jar.
"Hey Brainless, wait," Johanna stops.
"What?" I ask.
"Two things, one, I need for sprite." She hands me her cup. "And you should play music. People will like it better." She says. I let ouot a breath and nod, going to the kitchen to fill her cup.
"Hey Peeta, Johanna said we should play music. Can we do that?" I ask.
"Oh yeah, I forgot that." He brushes past me, kissing my cheek as he goes. I give Johanna her drink, thankful to find that things have calmed down. Me and the six other girls go around and wipe down the tables and collecting tips and everything. Someone left their phone on accident, so I take it and put it under the counter in the bucket labeled forgotten which already has a purse, a wallet and some keys.
It calms down enough for me to pull up a chair with my family, which now has joined together.
"I can't believe your showing Katniss, oh I'm so excited!" Annie exclaims.
"Me too," I smile.
"Katniss, can I take my break?" Miranda asks.
We let everyone get an hour break, and they just ask when they can take it.
"Yeah, go ahead." I say.
"Great, thanks." She puts her apron away, grabs her things and leaves.
"I'll be right back." I get up and go upstairs, checking on the very few people up there, who all say their good before I go up into the house and change the laundry over, feed Godiva and go back down.
…..s…..
Right when Miranda gets back, a huge crowd hits us and our family leaves so we can have more tables.
I seat a few of my old students, who ask if I'm pregnant and then get scolded by their mothers, who apologize on behalf of their children. I tell them I am pregnant and then am forced to seat someone else. I'm exhausted now.
Olive and her mother walk in with a baby, and I walk over to them.
"Ms. Everdeen!" she shifts the child in her arms and hugs me.
"Hey Olive." I smile as I seat them. The baby is really young.
"Hi Ms. Everdeen! Do you want to hold him? His name is Kaden." She says.
"Oh, I can't. If your here later I might, okay?" I ask.
"Okay." She says.
'What do you guys want to drink?" I ask.
"Can I have water please?" Mrs. Pother says. I write down water.
'Sure, and what about you Olive?" I ask.
"Milk? Do you have milk?" she asks.
"Yes, I'll be right back." I write down milk and then head off to get their drinks. I pace them in front of them and take their orders before going off again.
….s….
Now it's March 27th and Peeta and I are rushing to the doctors. We find out the sex today and I'm so excited. He's just reaching for the door when it bursts open and Prim with Chase, Johanna, and Annie walk in.
"Can we come? My car broke down a few miles back on the way here and we ran the rest of the way!" Prim says. I look at Peeta, who just shrugs.
"Okay," I say. Prim even has the car seat. We head down to the car, through the restaurant. We had to hire, more people. Prim puts Chase in the car seat and we head to the doctors.
"What do you want?" Johanna asks.
"A baby. I don't care if its girl, boy, alien, dog, I just want a baby." I say.
"What about you?" Johanna taps Peeta's shoulder.
"Same as Katniss." He says.
"When are you going baby shopping?" Prim demands.
"I don't know." I sigh because my back is not my friend and put my feet on the dashboard. When we get to the doctor's office, Peeta signs me in and then the four of us go through baby magazines and look at all the pictures.
"Look at this one!" I gasp, pointing at an adorable baby.
"Aww! Her name is…Holland." Prim says. We all smile.
"Mrs. Mellark?" I look up, now used to being referred to at "Mrs. Mellark" instead of "Ms. Everdeen"
We all rise, putting down the magazine and walking into the room with my doctor. She's not delivering me, my mother is, but she's going to be there and she's going to help out.
"I've met you…" she points at Prim. "Your Prim and Chase." She says. Prim nods.
"That's Annie. She's my best friend and then that's Johanna, my cousin and my best friend." I say.
"Well it's lovely to meet you, I'm doctor Nikki." She says.
"Nice to meet you," Jo and Ann say. She starts asking me questions, and I answer all of them as best I can.
"Has the baby kicked you yet?" she asks as she pours jell all over me.
"I think so…I'm not sure but I think so." I say. I told everyone already and they all flipped. Mama almost flew all the way out here to feel.
"I think the baby will kick for sure by next week. That's how it was for my first. I didn't know if he had kicked, and then a week later, he nailed me in the ribs." She laughs and I smile.
Why does everyone have boys?
Prim has a boy, Olive has a boy, Dr. Nikki has two boys…
Why isn't anyone having girls these days?
She turns on the machines and we all wait in silence. The heartbeat fills the room and makes all of us smile.
"We won't be able to find out the sex if the baby isn't in the righ-oh! Never mind!" She grins.
"Well?" I ask. Peeta has my hand and the girls are all on the edge of their seats.
"It's a girl." She says.
"A girl! Oh my god!" Annie squeals. We all start smiling and talking at once.
"We have to get her hair bows!" Annie says.
"And hair ribbons and cute little dresses!" Prim squeals.
"Do you all want the ultrasound?" She asks.
"Yeah, but can you give me two more?" I ask.
"Of course." She hands out the ultrasounds and hands me two more. She talks to Peeta and I about some things, like how the baby is healthy and she thinks that I'm going to go into labor on the third so she wants me at the hospital on the second. We listen intently, and then leave.
"Why'd you get two more?" Peeta asks.
"Let's to see our parents."
...9...
It was just Peeta and I that went.
"Oh my! Look at you!" Mama gasps. It doesn't surprise me that all three families are here. "Oh my god, you found out the sex yesterday, didn't you?" She asks.
"Yes." Peeta says as he shuts the door. They pull us into the living room and sit us down, all of us waiting expectantly. I hand one of the ultrasounds to my mother and the other to Mrs. Mellark.
"It's a girl!" Mama says.
Everyone starts cheering and going crazy.
...9...
We have to go back home for work.
The house smells strongly of paint when we get there.
"Smells like paint in here." I say.
"It smells really strong of paint." Peeta agrees.
"What the heck?" I mumble, looking around. It gets stronger the further we get down the hall. I see the room next to ours, where we're putting the nursery has an ajar door. I push it open and gasp. Someone snuck in when we were gone and painted the entire room a soft pink. There's a crib in here and every single baby supply known to man. "Peeta!" I call, crying. He comes up behind me.
"Oh my god!" He gasps. We both walk into the room and start going through the drawers.
I find all the answers I need.
My fingers my be small but I've already got Auntie Prim wrapped around them.
My fingers may be small but I've already got Auntie Johanna wrapped around them.
My fingers my be small but I've already got Auntie Annie wrapped around them.
Johanna is just going to be Auntie.
"Peeta it was Prim, Jo and Ann." I say. I want to lift my baby out if that crib right now.
"We need to go thank them." He says.
For some reason, a name pops into my head. "Do you like the name Hallie?" I ask.
"Yeah," he says. "I love that name, actually." He admits. "Hallie." He whispers. "Let's name her Hallie." I smile.
"Hallie." I test it out.
And then I gasp, because she kicked me.
"Peeta! Peeta she kicked!" I exclaim.
"She did?" He puts his hands on my belly and she kicks again. He bends down and places a gentle kiss on my belly. "Katniss, can I ask you something?" He asks as he rises.
"Hmm?" I ask.
"Can we...will you...can..." He sighs. "We haven't had sex in a while...and..." He stops. "Never mind." He goes to walk away, and I realize we haven't had sex since New Years Day. It's been three, four months in a few days. We hardly ever kiss anymore, either.
I just haven't been in 'the mood'.
I grab his hand.
"Okay." I say.
"Okay what?" He looks frustrated and upset.
"Okay we can have sex."
...9...
"You three! Oh my god!" I hug all three girls and they all smile.
"Did you like?" Prim asks.
"Love! I loved!" I start crying again. I was hysterical last night. I cried for six hours nonstop and I didn't even have a reason. Peeta held me the whole time.
"Don't cry." He looks frantic.
"Why can't she cry?" Johanna asks.
"Because she was hysterical for six hours and didn't even know why!" Peeta says as he hugs me again.