This is it! The final chapter! I couldn't have done this without the support from my wonderful betas NotAnIslander and HPFanonezillion. They are both wonderful authors, so be sure to check out their stories!

Please don't forget to drop me a review! I'd really love to hear what everyone thought of this story, both good and bad! This was my first completely original story, and leaving me feedback really helps me grow as a writer. :)

I stare at her with wide eyes, certain that I've heard her wrong. She stopped taking her birth control pills a few months ago with her doctor's blessing, fed up with the frequent nausea they caused and with having to take a pill every day. But even though her nutrition is now up to par and her stress levels decreased, her cycles still remained irregular.

I guess that's a moot point now.

"You are?" My brow furrows in confusion. "How do you know?"

Katniss leans forward, smoothing out the lines in my forehead. "I got sick at work today," she says. "Someone made something in the microwave in the break room, and the smell was so overwhelming that I just threw up right there into the trash can." She shakes her head. "I called Delly, and she came and brought me to urgent care. They did a test there."

What? Why on earth would she call Delly if she was sick?

"Wait a minute," I say testily. "You called Delly? Why didn't you call me?"

"Because Delly was at home and you were working," she replies, her eyebrows knitting together. "And I didn't think it was anything worth bothering you about."

"Well, obviously you were wrong!" I snap, raking my hand through my hair. "Good grief, Katniss. You don't think I'd want to know when my own wife is sick? Or be the first to know that you're… that you're pregnant? How could you let Delly find out before me?"

"I didn't tell Delly!" she snaps right back, her lips twisting into a scowl, the hurt in her eyes piercing my heart like a spear. "I just told her I still felt queasy and she brought me right home. So you don't have to worry about that!"

Then she pushes herself up off the couch and stomps past me into the kitchen.

Well, that definitely could've gone better.

I sigh heavily as I get to my feet. "Where are you going?"

Instead of answering, she grabs the cutting board from its hook and opens the refrigerator, pulling out carrots and celery which she begins to chop at an alarming rate.

"Katniss?" I say in a much quieter voice. "What're you doing?"

Her eyes don't leave the cutting board. "What's it look like I'm doing? I'm chopping vegetables."

Tread lightly here, Mellark.

"I thought I told you that I'd make dinner tonight."

She shakes her head, her gaze stubbornly trained on the cutting board. "Well, it seems like all you want to do is yell at me, so I guess I'm gonna do it."

I reach around, managing to still her hand holding the knife before she can chop off her own fingertips. "Katniss. Please, just stop. Before you hurt yourself."

Her hand stops, but her eyes stay fixed on the counter. "I know what I'm doing with knives, Peeta. My father taught me how to skin animals before I even knew how to write my name."

"That may be," I say. "But right now I'd like to give you a hug, and I'd prefer if you'd put the knife down first."

Her lower lip starts to shake as she releases the knife, finally turning towards me. I immediately engulf her into my arms, inhaling the lavender scent of her hair. This is much better.

Then it hits me, like a rolling pin to the chest. Katniss is pregnant.

I'm going to be a father.

Oh God, I'm gonna be a father!

My arms instinctively tighten around her, a little too much when she squeaks in protest. "Are you really having my baby?"

"Mmmhmm," she replies, her voice muffled against my chest. She leans back, just far enough to see my face. "The doctor said I'm already eight weeks along."

"Eight weeks…" my voice trails off as I stroke her silky hair, doing the math in my head. "So that means-"

"Baby's due around Easter next year," Katniss finishes.

Oh, how perfect is that!

"Are you okay?" I ask, cupping her face. "I mean, this is probably a lot sooner than you were thinking."

"I wasn't at first," she confesses. She looks away, staring off into the distance. "When the doctor came back and told me the test was positive all I could feel was fear. I was shaking so badly when Delly brought me home I could barely climb up the steps."

"And now?" I ask tentatively.

"I'm still scared," she whispers. A single tear slides down her left cheek that I brush away. "Peeta, what if I'm a horrible mother?"

"That's impossible," I murmur. "With the way you take care of me, and how you took care of Delly after Teddy was born, how can you think you'll be anything less than an incredible mother?"

She shakes her head, burying her face into my chest. "But… what if something happens to you? Or to the baby? I'll shut down, just like my mom."

My heart breaks a little at the despair in her voice. "You. Will. Not." I slip my fingers into her braid, massaging her scalp the way she likes. "I know I didn't know your mom personally, but from what you've told me, you're so much stronger than she was, Katniss. You're a survivor."

"Maybe," she mumbles, sniffing. "I know being in Minnesota will help. It's so peaceful there, and we'll be surrounded by family who love us. Not like your mother. She'll either keep pretending that we don't exist, or try to move in with us and never let you touch your own child. Like she did with your brother and Casey."

I freeze at her words, my stomach dropping to my knees. She has an excellent point regarding my mother, but… "Uh, Katniss. Do you really think it's a good idea for us to consider moving so far away right now? I mean, I haven't even told Joseph that I'll interview for the job-"

"Of course you're gonna interview!" Katniss retorts, leaning back and scowling. "Why wouldn't you? It's the exact job you've always wanted! And then we can buy our cabin; you told me yourself that Didi said she'd sell it to us!"

Fear bubbles up into my chest and steals my breath. This is all happening way too fast for my comfort. "Katniss, just hold on a minute, okay? We need to pray about this. I don't think you understand just how life-changing becoming a pastor can be! And moving over a thousand miles away when you're pregnant is maybe not the smartest thing to do either."

"You know Joseph and Katherine will help us!" Katniss sputters, spinning out of my arms to glare at me. "Katherine even told me one of her cousins is a homebirth midwife."

Homebirth? What's a homebirth? I take a step backwards to lean against the counter, holding up my hands. "Wait. Just, wait a minute. My head is spinning so fast I feel dizzy."

Katniss turns back to the cutting board, picking up the knife to resume her chopping. "I don't understand how you can't see that this is God's plan for us," she mutters under her breath. "I mean, the timing couldn't be more perfect!"

I take a deep breath, scrubbing my hands over my face. "Yeah, well, I never thought God's plan would involve me moving to one of the coldest states in the country!" Katniss huffs, not looking up from her chopping, so I reach over to still her hand once more. "I guess… I'm just scared."

Her shoulders sag as she sighs, setting down the knife and turning towards me. I gather her back into my arms, trying to draw strength from the reserves I know she has. "I am too," she admits. "But something about this feels right to me, Peeta. I am scared, but in some ways I'm not. Like I know deep down that this is where God wants us. Does that make any sense?"

"Yeah," I whisper. "But I think I'm stuck on the scared part." I press a soft kiss to the top of her head. "I want to talk to Finnick before I tell Joseph yes or no. He'll at least be more objective about it than we are right now. Okay?"

She nods against my chest, and I feel some of the tension leave my body almost immediately.

"Thank you." I look over at the cutting board, where Katniss's fervent chopping has reduced the poor vegetables to nothing but mush. I nudge her head with my shoulder. "Um, maybe we should order a pizza for dinner?"

Her head turns, snorting with laughter at the mess on the cutting board. Sweeping it into the sink, she cleans off the board and the knife, replacing them in their respective homes. "Pizza sounds excellent."

We end up going out since it's quicker than delivery, with Katniss devouring over half of the large pizza herself. Returning home, we pop in Spider-Man Homecoming, snuggling on the couch until bedtime. As soon as the credits roll Katniss swipes the remote, turning off the TV and grabbing my hand.

"Hey!" I protest as she pulls me towards the bedroom. "You forgot about the end-credit scenes!"

"You've seen them before," she murmurs, turning to kiss along my throat. I hiss as her cold hands slide under my shirt. "Right now I'm hungry."

I growl as I pick her up, placing her gently on the bed. "You're sure I won't hurt you? Or the baby?"

She smiles her glorious smile, holding open her arms. "I'm sure. Now, c'mere and kiss me."

I pause outside Finnick's office door the following afternoon, gulping as my heart flutters with apprehension. "Hey," I say, poking my head around the frame. "You got a minute?"

Finnick's eyes peak over the book in his hand, narrowing as they focus on me. "Yeah…" he says slowly. "What's wrong?"

I shrug as I walk into the office, sitting down on his new loveseat. "Why do you think something's wrong?"

His green eyes narrow even further, his nose wrinkling as he tilts his head. "Because I've known you for over seven years, and the only time you use that tone of voice is when you're either nervous about something, or something's wrong." He closes the book, leaning in with his elbows on the desk. "So, which is it?"

"Um…" I stutter, shaking my head, my mouth suddenly dry. How can I possibly ask this? How am I supposed to ask the person who brought me through the worst time in my life, who introduced and led me to the Lord… if it's okay for me to leave him?

"Peeta?" he asks, his face now showing concern rather than mirth. "What is it?"

"I got asked to interview for a job," I blurt out. I pinch the bridge of my nose. "At CMCC. Up in Minnesota."

Leaning back in his chair, Finnick crosses his arms, his lips twisting into a smirk. "Uh huh. And?"

"And?" I repeat, perplexed. "What do you mean, and?"

"C'mon Peeta, I'm not a dummy. I figured it was only a matter of time before that church tried to snatch you up. I mean, you've been unofficially pastoring the guy's son for almost two years now."

I shake my head in bewilderment. "That's just one kid, that doesn't mean-"

"And about twenty or so of his friends," Finnick interrupts. "And who knows how many of their friends."

"That's different!" I insist as I run my hand through my hair. This conversation is not going at all how I expected. "That's more of a mentoring-type thing, not really a-"

"And what do you think most of what pastoring is?" he asks, grinning. He gestures between the two of us. "Most of my time is certainly spent doing things like this. Not all of it is the glamorous stuff, standing up there on the stage while hundreds of eyes gaze lovingly at you."

A sputter of laughter bubbles up from my chest. "Good grief, Finnick! That's not why I wanted to be a pastor!"

Finnick winks at me. "Well, it's still a perk," he says, chuckling. "There's nothing like a bunch of hormonal teenagers hanging on your every word to give your ego a little boost from time to time."

I scratch the back of my neck, unsure exactly how this conversation managed to derail in such spectacular fashion. "Um… so-"

"So, you're gonna interview, right?" he asks. "Right?" he repeats when I don't answer.

"I don't know!" I yelp. "Katniss-, um, we just found out. She's pregnant. So I'm not sure if now's the best time to be trying to move, and-"

"Whoa!" Finnick exclaims, holding up his hands. "Wait a minute. Katniss is pregnant?"

I swallow hard. "Yeah. We just found out yesterday."

He tilts his head, cocking an eyebrow. "Well, well, well. That is excellent." He leans forward suddenly, looking skeptical. "You're not gonna use that as an excuse not to go for this job, are ya?"

"Um, well-"

"Peeta! This is the exact job you went to school for! This is what you've always wanted to do! I can't understand why you're so tentative about it!"

"I'm scared!" I confess, slumping back against the loveseat cushions. "What-, what if I'm not ready? What if I'm terrible at it? What if I move my wife across half the country and it doesn't work out? Then what?"

"Then you come back," Finnick says firmly, glaring at me. "Like Annie and I did. And you try again later."

"But Katniss is pregnant!"

"So was Annie! And we already had one kid!"

Oops. I'd forgotten that little detail.

I huff out a deep breath. "So you think I should go for it?"

He looks at me like I've just grown a second head. "Yeah! Of course you should!"

"I didn't realize you were so eager to get rid of me." I try to make it sound like a joke, but there's a little too much pain lacing my voice for it to be completely humorous.

"Peeta," he replies, assuming his pastor voice. "You know that's not it at all. You're ready for this. You're ready to work without a safety net. God knows it. I know it. Katniss probably knows it. This Pastor Joseph knows it. What's holding you back?"

Absolutely nothing. Except myself.

I look down, fiddling with the strap of my backpack. "Me. Only me."

"Well," Finnick says. "Quit it. Quit holding yourself back. Go on the interview and see what happens. No matter what, God's got this. He won't let you down."

Tears well in my eyes. Those are the same exact words he used to convince me to apply to Bible college, back when I had no means to cover the tuition. "I know," I say quietly. I breathe in deeply through my nose. "Okay. I'll do it."

"That's the way!" Finnick exclaims, slamming his palm onto the desk loud enough to make me jump. "Now, tell Katniss not to buy any maternity clothes until Annie goes through her stuff. She might have some things that Katniss can use."

I wince at the verbal whiplash. "Uh, okay. I'll let her know. Thanks."

Pulling my computer from my backpack, I open up my email, composing a quick reply to Pastor Joseph accepting the interview invitation. He responds about five minutes later with an itinerary already prepared. There's even time set aside for Katniss to tour around the area with Katherine after we meet with the church elders.

It sure seems like they want us up there. Dear Lord, please help me to stay focused and humble!

I arrive at the Community Center later that afternoon to find Katniss waiting for me outside, looking a little peaked. "I threw up again at work today," she grumbles as she slides into the car. "Stupid people and their microwave."

"Is there anything you can take for the nausea?" I ask. With Katniss finally at a healthy, stable weight, I'd rather she not have trouble keeping her meals down while she's trying to grow our baby.

"I know of some things I can try," she replies, leaning her head against the window. "There's only tomorrow left before we leave anyway."

"That's good."

"Did you talk to Finnick today?" she asks, tentatively.

"I did," I respond as I pull into our designated parking space. "He told me to go for it."

Smiling a huge, toothy grin, Katniss grabs my hand, bringing it to her cheek. "I knew he would. See? He knows you're ready, just like me."

We arrive at the cabin late on Monday afternoon, and as we've done for the past two years, we practically pounce on each other almost as soon as we walk in the door. Katniss is right; there's something about this place that's peaceful, allowing us to live and love free of our normal fears and inhibitions. I could sense it the first time we came here, and it's only grown stronger with each subsequent trip.

My interview begins on Wednesday morning in Pastor Joseph's office, with Katniss and me sitting down with Joseph and Katherine to discuss their plans for the new Teen Ministry, which they've decided to name Alive. An hour later, Joseph escorts us into the conference room to meet with the rest of the church elders.

Following a break for lunch, Katherine takes Katniss to tour the area surrounding the church while Joseph and I meet back in his office. He officially offers me the job about five minutes later, saying the elders had already given their blessing after hearing testimony from Michael Everdeen and several of his friends that I'd been mentoring. After hammering out details of salary, housing allowance, and insurance, Joseph hands me an offer letter, telling me to contact him as soon as Katniss and I have made our decision.

We spend the next two days in fervent prayer, going over every tiny detail I can think of, reminding Katniss over and over that our lives will never be the same. Her steadfast opinion that this is the Lord's plan for us never wavers for one second, and eventually, that steadfastness is what breaks down my final barrier of fear.

Returning to the church with the signed offer letter, Joseph and Katherine invite us out to dinner to celebrate, talking late into the evening about everything from ministry plans to high school hockey to the best method of preparing your yard for winter.

It's now after midnight, and I can't sleep. Katniss is lying next to me, her back snuggled up right against my chest as usual, her head resting on my outstretched arm. I've taken to resting my left palm over her belly lately, like I'm subconsciously trying to protect the sweet life inside.

She insisted that I call Didi as soon as we got back after our celebratory dinner earlier tonight, shooting down even the thought of looking at other homes in the area. Didi was ecstatic to hear of our desire to purchase what we've come to call 'our cabin', and arranged for us to take permanent residency on November first, which would get us here hopefully before the major snows hit. It was decided that we'd rent at first, then set a closing date for the purchase once all the proper arrangements could be made.

I slowly slide my arm out from under Katniss and roll onto my back, looking over at her peacefully sleeping form. She stirs slightly a minute later, breathing in as she rolls over, seeking me out in the darkness, sleepily opening one eye when she notices me out of position.

"Are you okay?" she whispers, lying her head on my chest.

I tilt her head up so I can kiss her lips. "Yeah. I'm sorry I woke you. I can't seem to shut my mind off tonight."

Her fingers trail along my jaw, a touch she knows is soothing. "We had a busy day today."

"Yeah." I slip my hand under the t-shirt she's wearing, the feel of her bare skin beneath my palm awakening me even further. "I guess you could say that."

Propping herself up on her elbow, she looks down over me, smiling shyly as her hand trails across my chest. "Well… since we're awake… "

I wrap my hand around the back of her neck, pulling her down for a kiss. "Excellent idea."

Upon our return to Virginia, Katniss immediately gives her notice at the Community Center, staying just long enough to train a replacement bookkeeper before her nausea becomes unbearable. Even struggling against the symptoms of early pregnancy, she still manages to start packing and planning our move, ordering a moving truck and coordinating with Didi over what furniture to leave in the cabin and what to move out. She also makes arrangements for us to stop over in Bloomington for two days, so we can visit with Anita and Albert and go shopping for baby stuff at Ikea.

Katherine, after hearing of our planned stop at Ikea, volunteers herself and Michael to fly out to Virginia and help us move, much to my relief. I was not looking forward to Katniss driving all that way by herself in the car after she had adamantly refused to get a trailer. With Katherine along, she'll be able to share the driving responsibilities with Katniss, and I'll have Michael to talk to up in the moving van.

Breaking the news to my parents goes about as well as I expected. After Rye moved in with his older girlfriend, my mother apparently decided that Katniss wasn't that bad after all. So, now that we're leaving, she takes it as a personal insult. After suffering through a very uncomfortable family dinner, where Mom pesters us with silly questions and badgers Katniss about her wish to give birth in our home instead of a hospital, we both agree that moving as far away from her as possible is the best thing we can do for our child.

At least my father and Bannock seem happy for us. Ban even promises to come and visit sometime, saying he'd always wanted to try ice fishing.

The week prior to our departure seems to fly by. Katniss gets in touch with Rachel, Katherine's midwife cousin, scheduling a prenatal appointment for the week after we move in. Katherine and Michael fly in on Thursday and immediately jump in to help with the rest of the packing. Our church group throws us a going-away party at the coffee shop on Friday, inviting Finnick and Annie and many of the coffee shop staff, and presenting us with a generous gift card for Home Depot.

Delly and Thom and Finnick and Annie are all there at 6am Saturday morning to help us load up the moving truck, all three of their boys in tow. Delly starts sobbing before the the truck is even loaded, saying over and over how much she's going to miss "her babies" and to make sure we come back and visit at some point.

Once the truck is packed and the empty apartment scrubbed from top to bottom, Delly and Thom give us one final hug, promising to keep in touch before taking a tired and cranky Teddy and heading home.

"Hey guys," Finnick says as Thom's car pulls away. "Let's all pray together one more time, yeah?"

We join hands in a circle, with both Odair boys clinging to my legs as Finnick clears his throat. "Dear Heavenly Father. I didn't know what I was getting myself into when I walked into that hospital room, way back in May seven years ago. I didn't know the boy lying in that bed, who at first refused to even look at me, would become one of my closest friends. I didn't know that he would fall in love with and marry the girl who was perfect for him. And I didn't know that one day you would call the two of them to do your work way the heck up in Minnesota, of all places. But you did. You knew that's where you wanted him, where you wanted both Peeta and Katniss, so you brought 'em together, fixed 'em up, and now you're shipping 'em out."

He looks over at me, his green eyes as misty as I'm sure mine are. "And I couldn't be prouder to have been a part of it. Lord, I ask for traveling mercies. I ask for your blessing on them as they begin their new ministry, and I ask that you please keep them from freezing to death." He pauses to wink at me. "At least for the first couple years. In Jesus' name, amen."

Then Finnick envelopes me in a bear hug and I immediately start to cry, so hard that he starts laughing at me. "What is wrong with you?" he asks, shaking his head. "This isn't goodbye, right? Not really."

"I never said I was sorry!" I choke out between sobs. "For what I said, that first time… in the hospital. I was so mean to you… I can't believe you even came back to see me the next day."

"Peeta," he replies, trying to stifle his laughter. "I forgave you for that a long time ago. You know that! I knew that angry boy wasn't the real you."

"I know." I breathe in, shuddering and scrubbing at my eyes. "I know you did. But I needed to tell you anyway."

"And now you have," he says, thumping me on the back. "You go and do wonderful things up there now, ya hear? Those people are blessed to have you."

"Yeah, we will," I say through the marble-sized lump in my throat. "And you'll have to come and visit us. I think you guys would like it."

"Maybe in the summer sometime," he laughs, releasing me and clapping my shoulder. "It'll be too cold up there in the winter for my thin blood. You just make sure you get some heavy coats when you go shopping, 'cause I think you're in for a shock at how cold it's gonna be."

"Yeah. Katniss has our shopping list all planned out. Coats, boots, hats, gloves, and lots of baby stuff."

"Well, if she's on top of things, you'll be fine." He hugs Katniss next, whispering something into her ear that makes her blush while Annie pries Noah and Finn away from my legs.

"Godspeed, Peeta," she says in her soft, Louisiana accent as she gives me a hug. "You two will be just fine."

"Thank you," I murmur. "I know we will."

Then, after syncing up the maps on our phones, I get Katniss and Katherine situated in the car and climb into the moving van, with Michael searching for a decent radio station as we drive away, the Odair family waving in the distance.

"Yellow primrose, yellow primrose, yellow primrose" I mumble under my breath, searching through Google images to find a halfway decent picture so I can be sure to dig up the correct bushes. It's still dark outside, and the entire world seems to still be asleep, including my wife.

Finding an acceptable photo, I shine the flashlight down at the ground in front of me and pick up the wheelbarrow, clomping into the woods in search of the primrose bushes Katniss found the first time we came here. Above-freezing temps only arrived about two weeks ago, and with Katniss's due date rapidly approaching, I want to get this last detail for the house taken care of before baby decides to make her appearance.

It's been incredible how quickly Katniss and I adjusted to our new lives here. When we finally pulled into the cabin's gravel driveway, loaded down with furniture and our haul from Ikea, over twenty people were here waiting for us, ready to help with unpacking and assembling and otherwise getting us settled in. Katniss and I didn't even have to cook for almost two weeks with various people bringing us food and taking us out for meals.

We officially closed on the house mid-December, finding a realtor and lawyer through the church to walk us through the complicated process. We also purchased another car, a Toyota Highlander, after we realized pretty fast that our little car was not the best on the roads once the snow started to fall.

The congregation at CMCC gave us a standing ovation when Pastor Joseph introduced us during the weekend services the first week in December, with several parents finding us after service to introduce us to their sons and daughters. We also met Cinna, the new music leader. Katniss especially was drawn to him; his soft-spokenness and laid-back nature in sharp contrast to his popular rock-star persona.

The Alive Teen Ministry officially launched the first weekend of the new year. Katniss was there, backstage with me before the start of the Sunday evening service, keeping me from hyperventilating and praying over me with Pastor Joseph. She was there, in the front row of the auditorium, sitting with almost a hundred teenagers as I preached my first message, smiling my smile and calming my nerves.

The ministry has taken off fast, surpassing even Joseph's wildest dreams. We've already nearly outgrown the smaller auditorium, and plans are in place to add a second teen service during the normal Sunday morning service times once next fall rolls around. This will help the families that drive in from the more outlying areas, so the parents can attend church at the same time as their children.

I'm about twenty-five yards or so into the woods when I stumble upon a cluster of bushes, about two feet tall with narrow, pointy-shaped leaves. I consult with the picture on my phone one more time before carefully digging up three of them, placing them into the wheelbarrow to bring back to the house.

"Maybe I should've waited a couple more days," I grumble a few minutes later, sweating under my heavy sweatshirt and coat as I pound the spade into the barely-thawed soil beneath the kitchen window. The sun has now risen completely over the lake, bathing the still water in a glowing orange light.

The three holes finally dug, I heft the first bush into its new home, being as careful as possible to treat the roots gently. I want to make sure these precious bushes grow and flourish here in their new home, like we have.

I'm so engrossed in my labor that I nearly jump out of my skin at the sound of Katniss yelling my name. In my haste to get into the forest this morning before she woke up, it completely slipped my mind to leave her a note, telling her where I'd be.

"Peeta!" she screams, her voice carrying in the crisp morning air. "Peeta! Where are you?"

"I'm here!" I respond, getting heavily to my feet and moving around to the front of the house. "I was-"

"What were you doing?" she yells, smacking me in the chest before launching herself into my arms, the blanket she'd wrapped around her shoulders sliding to the ground. "I woke up and you were gone!"

"I'm sorry, love," I say timidly into her hair. "I should've left you a note." I crouch down to pick up the blanket, tucking it around her and leading her over to the newly planted bushes. "I went into the woods this morning and dug these up. I thought… I thought you'd like them here, right next to the house."

She stares at the bushes, not recognizing them at first in the absence of their signature blossoms. Her lower lip starts to shake as realization dawns. "The primroses," she whispers. She looks up at me in confusion. "You went into the woods? By yourself? And you weren't scared?"

"Um, yeah," I stammer. "I guess I did." It hadn't even occurred to me that I'd voluntarily chosen to set foot in a woods by myself this morning. All I'd been concerned with was finding the correct bushes. "Yeah, I did," I repeat, this time with confidence. "I wanted to find these for you. How'd I do?"

She wraps her arms around my waist, as best as she can with her round belly and my thick, puffy coat. "They're perfect. And I'm proud of you."

Easter Sunday dawns sunny and crisp, perfect for the Resurrection Service. I've been awake already for over an hour, doing my morning devotions and baking some more cheese buns, which never seem to last long around here.

At her checkup on Friday afternoon, Rachel the midwife pronounced Katniss "ready whenever baby decides she's ready", so yesterday we spent most of the afternoon setting up the birthing pool in the living room, washing diapers and baby clothes, and getting the rest of the supplies prepped. I'm still a bit nervous about this whole birthing at home thing, but Katniss, Rachel, and Katherine have all assured me that it's perfectly safe. I guess I'll have to trust their judgement.

Through the picture window I see Katniss returning from her snare line check, bearing two nice rabbits already cleaned and prepped for cooking. I watch as she sits down on the patio swing, struggling to remove her boots. I'm just about ready to go out and help her when she finally pops them off her feet and pads her way inside, holding her belly up with one hand.

"Here, let me have those," I say, taking the rabbits from her. "Go wash your hands and then sit down. I'll bring you some tea."

"I should take a shower," she says, still panting for breath as she heads for the sink. "But I think I will sit down for a bit first."

She collapses heavily onto the couch, still cupping her belly with one hand while she feels around with the other.

"Are you feeling okay, love?" I ask as I hand her a large mug of lemon tea and a fresh cheese bun. "Maybe you should stop with the snares until after the baby arrives-"

"Peeta," she says breathlessly. "It's gonna be today."

"What?!" I yelp, my eyes widening in shock. I rake my hand though my hair. "How do you know?"

Closing her eyes, she leans her head back against the cushions, smiling. "I saw a dandelion this morning. In the woods, right next to the first snare."

Oh dear God, I don't think I'm ready yet!

"You saw a dandelion… Well, then we should stay home from church!" I stammer, looking around the house frantically. "I'll text Joseph and tell-"

"No!" Katniss exclaims, sitting up and nearly spilling her tea. "I want to go to church today! It's Easter!"

"Katniss, please! It's a family service today, they don't really need me there-"

"I want to go!" she states, scowling. "I didn't say it would be now. Just sometime today. And I want to go to church first!"

I raise my hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay, we'll go. But you're gonna tell me the instant you don't feel right. Got it?"

She takes a sip of her tea as her shoulders relax. "Got it."

The Easter service is as beautiful as ever, with the atrium decorated in the colors of spring and Pastor Joseph preaching an incredible message on how the resurrection of Christ was foretold throughout the Old Testament. Only a few minutes into the message, I have to admit Katniss was right to insist that we attend church this morning. Joseph's soothing voice and words, combined with Katniss's thumb rubbing circles over my knuckles, draws nearly all the tension from my body, leaving me feeling more at ease than I have in days. Remembering what Rachel said at Katniss's first prenatal appointment, that the best thing I can do for Katniss while she's in labor is be a relaxed and supportive birthing partner, coming to church this morning was the perfect way to get me into the mindset to do just that.

Once the service is over we head out to the atrium, where a couple of my teens introduce me to their parents, coming to church for the first time at the behest of their son or daughter. This, so far, has been the best part of my ministry. Teenagers who come to church at the invitation of a friend, then go home and talk about how much fun it was to their parents, who then decide to check it out for themselves, and soon enough the entire family is attending weekend services.

God is truly doing good work up here in Minnesota. And I'm honored to be a part of it.

I'm engrossed in conversation with one father about hockey when Katniss tugs on my sleeve, her grey eyes a mix of pain and determination. "It's time to go home now," she says firmly. "I've already texted Rachel to meet us there."

Our baby girl, Willow Grace, arrives only five hours later, born peacefully in the water as I support Katniss from outside the birthing pool. Brushing my wife's matted hair off her forehead, I stare in awe at the perfect baby cradled in her arms, her screeches of protest at joining the outside world fading into whimpers as Katniss latches her onto her breast. While Willow enjoys her first meal, Rachel hands me a pair of medical scissors, showing me where to cut the umbilical cord. Then I count her fingers and toes and run my fingers carefully through her full head of hair, dark like her mother's.

This is truly love at first sight.

"She's gorgeous," I whisper in Katniss's ear. "Almost as beautiful as you."

Katniss looks up at me, her tired grey eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "Oh Peeta," she whispers. "Look at this gift God gave us!"

"Alright, let's see what she weighs now," Rachel says once Willow's finished nursing, expertly taking the baby and placing her in the hanging scale. After announcing her weight of seven pounds, one ounce, Rachel wraps the baby in a brand new blanket, handing her to me so she can examine Katniss and get her cleaned up.

"You are a gift from God," I murmur to my daughter as her eyelids flutter open, revealing the cornflower blue irises that run so prevalently in the Mellark family. "You're the most perfect kind of gift." As her tiny hand wraps around my thick index finger, the tears I've managed to hold back thus far finally begin to flow.

I'm a daddy.

I'm a husband, a pastor, and now, a daddy.

Willow turns her head, burrowing further into my chest. As her little hand holds fast to my finger, I think back to where I was seven years ago. How God took me, broken and bitter, and decided to use me to further his kingdom. Guiding me along the oftentimes bumpy road, never abandoning me when I thought I knew better, giving me the best wife I could ask for in the process and now, this incredible gift of my daughter, born in a place I'd never dreamed of living, but where God knew we belonged the whole time.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future."

I am now, in this moment, truly prospered.

Thank you, Jesus.

Biblical reference:

Jeremiah 29:11

Whew! I want to thank everyone who has followed/favorited this story. This has been a labor of love for me for over six months, and I've been humbled with how well it was received. Thank you especially to GoPinkLion, LACR, and Pumkinking5 for reviewing every chapter. Your kind words and thoughtful comments meant more to me than you can know.

If anyone is interested in reading more from me, I am submitting a one-shot set in my BYS/WWCBS universe for the charity anthology A Candle for the Caribbean being sponsored by Love In Panem on tumblr. Please message me if you're interested in hearing more about this anthology, which will benefit the islands devastated by Hurricane Maria.

I also have a new story in the works. This will be an in-Panem AU (no Games) and I'm pretty excited about it. I most likely won't get to posting until I have at least half of it finished, but I am actively working on it, so hopefully not too long. :)

Once again, thank you! And don't hesitate to say hi to me over on tumblr, I'm geekymoviemom there too! :)