I AM SO INCREDIBLY SORRY ABOUT THE LONG WAIT! That's why I've posted this without even editing. I'll go back and edit later, I just wanted it get this up. Only about three chapters left for this story and hopefully I'll have the chapters up shortly. I started writing another story on my phone's notepad while driving from one state to another and spent new years editing it and putting some it it into chapters. The first chapter is a href=" /works/3110327/chapters/6738566"here/a so go and check it out once you've read this.

One month. One month was all it took for everything to fall into place. One month to settle into the idea that Peeta and I were getting married, and soon, if he gets his way. It only took one day for things to get blown up again.

It's later than normal when I'm walking out of work and towards my car. I'm on the phone with Prim, who is coming to 12 soon to discuss wedding plans when I notice a blonde leaning against the hood of my jeep.

"Uh Prim, I have to go," I don't bother waiting for a goodbye in response before I'm hanging up. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah, you can give me the ring that supposed to be mine," Delly sneered, pushing off my Jeep and walking towards me.

"Oh I'm sorry; I didn't realize it had your name on it."

"Don't be a bitch. If you knew what was good for you, you'd go back to the Capitol and forget all about the time you tried to play house with my family."

"They aren't your family anymore. They haven't been since you walked out on them."

"You talk as if you know the whole story. Peeta knew I was coming back. He knew that I'd come back for him and our kids after I cleared my head. I'm here now, so do us all a favor and pack your bags now."

"I don't think so."

I get into my Jeep but before I get a chance to close the door Delly grabs it and yanks it open again.

"I didn't want to show these to you but you're leaving me no choice."

Delly whips out her phone and shows it to me. On the screen is a conversation of text messages between her and Peeta.

I miss you. The kids miss you. I wish things could be different. If things were different we would still be together. I still love you, you know that.

I slide the messages to the left to check the dates and times; they're all recent. The last one only being a few weeks ago. I stop scrolling after that. "I've got to go."

I slam the door shut and zoom off and out of the parking lot not stopping for oncoming traffic. I'm so stupid. This is the exact reason why I put off relationships. They're too messy, too complicated, and someone always gets hurt. You love someone too much and they don't love you enough.

I pull into the driveway and note that Peeta is still not home. Great, this will give me a chance for me to mull over what exactly I'm going to say to him.

"Mama!" Jack shouts when I walk through the door and I have to do everything possible not to burst out in tears.

Posy, our babysitter, appears in the doorway with a sleepy looking Sage resting on her hip. "Sage isn't feeling too well, I took her temperature but she didn't have one."

I reach out for her and immediately Sage lets go of Posy and is in my arm. "What hurts, Baby?"

"My tummy," she mumbles in my neck.

"Okay, let's get you some medicine then bath time and we can go bed early, sound good?"

Sage nods and I head further into the house, setting my purse onto the counter, digging out my wallet and producing a couple bills to pay Posy with. "Thanks Pose, I'll see you tomorrow."

It's not until I've gotten medicine and a piece of toast into Sage when Bran makes his presence known. He said something about needing help with a few last math questions and then he'd be done. I tell him that once I get Sage into the bath that I'll be in his room to help.

"Okay what do you need help with?" I ask as I knock on Bran's door some minutes later.

"This math is stupid. I don't need it; I'm just going to be a baker like dad."

"Well bakers do need math. What if your dad needed to double the recipe, he'd need to know math in order to double it correctly."

"Or you could just put two of everything in, no math at all."

"True, but it's still good to know."

Jack is jumping on my bed, not something he's normally aloud to do, while I help put some of my lavender lotion on to help her sleep when I hear the front door open and close. Shit, I haven't had time to even think about what I'm going to say to Peeta.

My heart and stomach clench tightly as I kiss Sage and tell her I love her before tucking her into bed and shutting her door. I snatch Jack up off my bed mid jump and take him to Bran's room and ask him to look after his brother before shutting his door as well.

I slowly make my way down the stairs, steadying my breath and steeling my emotions.

Peeta is in the kitchen starting on dinner even though it's my night to cook.

"Hey where are the kids?"

"Sage is sick and in bed. The boys are in Bran's room."

"Gotcha. How was work?"

I don't answer because if I open my mouth, I swear I'll throw up. I grip onto the countertop and snap my eyes shut quickly. I can't do this.

"You okay? Maybe you're sick too. Why don't you lay down, the boys and I can fend for ourselves tonight."

"I'm not sick," I get out.

"Then what's wrong?"

Peeta dries his hands off with a hand towel and tries to touch me, but I pull away. Now I can see that he's filled with as much fear as I am.

"Delly came to see me today. She was waiting by my car when I got off."

"I'll talk to her, she won't bother you anymore. Delly isn't a problem for us."

"No, I think I'm the problem."

"What?" Peeta asked in a confused tone.

"I saw the text messages."

All of the color drains from Peeta's face as if you switched a colored TV to black and white. This isn't the type of reaction I wanted from him. I wasn't expecting this 'shit I've been caught' look; I wanted an explanation of Delly is crazy and coerced me to say those things.

"If things were different, you two would be together. If you hadn't made a previous engagement to me, you two would still be together."

"It's not like that," Peeta runs his fingers through his hair. The nerves are getting at him too.

"Then what's it like?"

"I meant that if we weren't together, that Delly and I would have most likely gotten back together."

"It's the same thing. I'm standing in the way of a family being together. You know how much I would give for my family to all be together and happy?"

"But your dad is dead; you can't get him back, Katniss. Delly chose to leave. She was willing to give up her family."

"But she came back. She came back for you and for your kids, and she's not going to leave until she proves that she wants to be back in all of your lives again."

"She can be in our lives, just not in the way she wants."

"But you still love her!" I shout loudly then immediately stop, remembering that there are kids upstairs that don't need to hear this fight. "How am I supposed to compete with a woman you were married to and had kids with and still love after all of this time and everything that she's done?"

"Stop," Peeta's voice is shaky. "I know what you're going to say next but I'm going to let you say it."

"I just don't see how this can get any better."

"It will. We're going to get married and have another baby or two. We're going to be happy, Katniss."

Peeta wraps his arms around me faster than I push him away and his lips are on me. I don't kiss back. I have to focus on trying to tame the tears pouring out of my eyes. It's not until Peeta pulls away do I realize that Peeta is crying too.

"We need a break. We rushed into this too fast. We haven't been together a year yet and we're engaged and living together. We need a break to decide if this is what we really want."

"You are what I want, Katniss. This break isn't going to change how I feel about you."

"Maybe, maybe not. Either way, it'll be good for us. I'm going to say goodbye to the boys then I'm going to go, okay?"

"You don't need to leave, I will. The kids will miss you."

"Yeah but you're their dad."

"And you're their mom."

I shake my head. "Not really."

I dry my eyes on the way upstairs and to Bran's room. Jack is jumping on the bed and Bran is ignoring him while playing some video game. I catch Jack from falling back down onto the bed and hug him close to me, smelling him in and memorizing how he feels.

"Be good," I whisper into his ear before letting him go back to jumping.

Bran has pushed paused on his game and is now watching me with a look of horror plastered on his face. He's too smart for me to fool him. I give him a weak smile anyways as I blink back the oncoming tears.

"No," he states sternly. Oh, how much he looks like Peeta in this moment.

"It'll only be for a little bit, and if not, you'll still see me. I promise."

"That's what she said before she left too."

"And she's back now. Ready to be your mom."

"She'll never be my mom."

I don't reply, I just bend down and hug him. Bran hugs back even tighter, as if trying to convey in this hug how badly he doesn't want me to leave. If he only knew that I didn't want to leave either.

"Take care of your brother and sister, okay? Make sure they're safe and that they're being good. You have my phone number and you can call me anytime you want, day or night. I'll be at Johanna's," if she'll have me, "and you remember where that is right? So if you ever need me, I'll be close by."

Bran's face is blotched red and wet with tears, Jack is oblivious to us in the background.

"You and dad can work it out. You can get married and we'll stay a family and you'll help me with my math. I'll get really good at math if you just stay," Bran chokes out a plea.

"It'll happen eventually. Just not right now okay?"

"Can I come with you? Please, I don't want to be with dad. I hate him."

"You don't hate him. It's not his fault I'm leaving. He doesn't want me to either. You need to stay here and take care of everyone okay? I know you've been doing it all your life but I'll be back soon."

"I love you," he hugs me once more.

"I love you too, Bran. Always."

I leave Bran in his bed room. I don't want him to physically see me walking out of the door like he saw Delly. It would be too much for all of us. After packing a small bag I come back down the steps, Peeta is leaning against the counter with a glass of whiskey in his hand. The way he gulps it down and immediately pours another one tells me that it wasn't his first. I screw the cap onto the bottle and put it back in the cabinet above the fridge before he has a chance to down his glass and fill up again.

"The boys still need dinner. Jack gets moody when he doesn't eat around six, then he's a terror to put to bed."

"I know how my kids act," he spits out.

I want to say something about how just a few minutes ago Peeta was saying that they were our kids but now they're just his. Things change fast for him, obviously.

"I'm just reminding you," I try and cool my temper. I'd hate to leave on an even worse note. "Bran's mad. He probably won't come out of his room tonight."

"I don't know why he's mad; he should be used to women walking out on him."

"Don't!" I whip around and point a finger in Peeta's face. "Do not blame this on me. I am not the one texting my ex and telling him that if I wasn't engaged that I'd be with him and that I do still love him."

"She's the mother of my children, Katniss. There will always be some love towards her. I'm not going to act on it."

"Maybe you should."

"Is that what you want?"

"I want you to be happy."

"I'd be happy if you unpacked that bag and we worked it out."

I shake my head. "This is something we both need."

I'm about to leave but before I do I slide off the engagement ring on my left ring finger and set it on the counter next to where Peeta stands. It's the lowest of blows but I can't be wearing a constant reminder of what may never happen. I kiss Peeta's cheek and make my way to the door. I half expect Peeta to try and stop me but he doesn't and I'm not sure how I feel about that.

I went to upload this and it said that I didn't even post chapter 15. I thought I did, but maybe not. Anyways, it should be up now. Sorry for the long wait.