I manage to get Kilee out of her room to go and pick up Peeta. She still doesn't speak or eat or anything. She's already way too skinny.
We're here twenty minutes early.
"Kilee, will you please play dolls with me and Bailee later?" Hallie begs her for the umpteenth time.
"She said no Hallie! Stop asking! It's annoying!" Brennan snaps.
"Bully! Mama, Brennan hit me!" Hallie whines.
"Did not!" Brennan says. "I didn't Mama!"
"Did too!" Hallie snaps. They start arguing and Tristen starts crying.
"Stop it!" I exclaim. People are starting to look at me with a disgusted look.
"Mama, tell Brennan to stop it! He's bullying me!" Hallie whines.
"I am not!" Brennan exclaims. They continue to argue and I swear to god, I'm about to sew their mouths shut.
"You guys are going in your room for the rest of the night. Stop arguing and sit quietly." I say.
"Mama! I didn't do anything!" Bailee complains.
"You're not going in your room." I say.
Your picking favorites!" Brennan whines.
"You know what, I'm going to let your father deal with you when he gets here." I say. "I'm not picking favorites."
They sit silently now. Kilee just looks annoyed. I look at the thing that says when the plane is going to be here and it has been bumped up to eight.
It's been delayed two hours? Seriously?
The kids are beginning to complain by six thirty. I get out a coloring book I keep in the diaper bag and rip out three pages and put them on the floor. I get out the box of the crayons and they move down to the floor and start to color. Kilee leans against me and Tristen climbs onto my lap.
Seven thirty they're complaining about how they're 'starving'. "You know there is people in this world that are realy little and starving for real and they don't even have shoes? You're not starving."
Hallie sighs loudly. "Please Mama? I'm hungry."
I look at the time and see it's been bumped down to seven thirty. I look at the time. Seven thirty five. Thank god. My phone vibrates and I pull it out.
Peeta: I just landed…you're here, right?
Me: yeah.
Peeta: okay, good. Do you want to go out to dinner?"
Me: I guess…the kids are…nevermind
Peeta: what?
Me: oh, you'll see when you get here.
They keep bickering.
"Can you control your children?" a lady snaps behind me. I whip around.
"Can you stop being so nosy?" I snap. Her eyes show anger.
Thankfully, Peeta stands before me. Kilee seems him first, and she hugs him. The kids don't even notice.
"No! Stop it Brennan! That was my crayon!" Hallie shouts at Brennan.
"Mama tell Hallie to stop screaming at me!" Brennan whines.
Peeta squats down in front of them. "How about both of you stop whining like toddlers and be big kids." Peeta says.
I'm about to fucking scream because no matter what I do they don't stop.
"Daddy!" Hallie hugs him and then so do Brennan and Bailee. Tristen climbs off my lap and toddles over to Peeta, who picks him up.
"Hey Tristen buddy." Peeta smiles. He sets him back down and raises his eyebrows at me, as if asking 'what, no hug and kiss?'
Damn, that smile. I beam and stand up. He envelops me in his arms and kisses me right on the lips. It's just a peck, but it means much more than it shows.
"Are you the father of these children?" The lady asks behind me.
"Yes." Peeta says.
"Well-"
"Oh be quiet and run a brush through your wig." Kilee snaps. The lady's jaw drops. "We haven't seen Daddy in ten months, minus two weeks. Stop complaining because my siblings were whining. If you have a problem, you can go and sit somewhere else. Your annoying and I don't like you."
Then she turns around and stops out of the airport.

…a…

It's ten when we get home. We put the kids right to bed, and with a lot of coaxing, we managed to get Kilee to eat her entire meal. When the four young ones are completely asleep, she comes downstairs. Peeta and I are watching whale wars. I'm lying down and he's laying down and my legs are on his stomach and his legs are on my left. She walks into the kitchen for a few minutes. I hear the microwave beep and she comes back into the living room with a kids cuisine and a lunchable.
"Mom, you know I've been coming out here after you go to bed and take food, right?" she asks as she sits down on the chair.
"No, I didn't." I admit.
"I can't stay here anymore." She whispers. Peeta looks at her and then presses the record button on the remote and shuts the television off.
"Why not?" he asks.
"Because…I sit in my room and I see them with the gun in the corner, or I see them at the front door when I'm down here. School is torture. It's like I can feel their eyes on me. When I'm in the car I feel as if you're driving me to their house. I can't do it! I'm losing my mind! Why do you think you always wake up with me in your bed each morning, Mama? Because I can't go anywhere in this house. I only feel safe around you guys! I want to move out of this state. I need to move out of this state." She falls silent.
Peeta sighs and looks at me, and I sigh and look back. "How about you sleep and me and Mama's bed tonight and we'll sleep downstairs in the basement? Let us talk honey." Peeta says.
"Okay…can I come down? If I have a nightmare?" she whispers.
"Of course you can." I say in sync with Peeta.
"Okay…goodnight. I love you guys." She whispers.
"I love you too," I say.
"I love you too." Peeta smiles. She smiles back and goes upstairs.
"Let's go downstairs and go to bed…tomorrow, we'll invite the family over for dinner and tell them and see what they say. Let's just homeschool her until she's ready for public school again." he says.
"Okay," I agree.

…..s…..

She didn't come down last night. It's three in the afternoon and I've just woken. Peeta is still in bed with me.
"Guess I missed you so much that I couldn't bring myself to leave the bed." Peeta whispers, his lips literally right next to my ear.
"Did you check on the kids?" I mumble, still half awake.
"Kilee came down." He says. "Last night. She was crying. You slept right through it, but she slept with us. The kids are fine." He says.
"Is she okay?" I crack open an eye. The light from outside is literally so bright that I pull the covers over my head.
"She's fine. Listen, I may have promised the kids we would go to the lake today…" he whispers.
"When did you wake up?" I ask sitting up, tears pouring down my cheeks until my eyes are adjusted to the light.
"Um…nine…" he admits.
"And you haven't moved?" I ask. He just smiles and wipes a stray tear away.
"I like watching you sleep." He admits.
"You've been watching me sleep for six hours?" I ask him, surprised. He grins.
"Maybe…now go get ready for the lake before the kids murder me." he says. I laugh and give him a kiss.
"Yes sir," I grin. He laughs and follows me upstairs.
"Mama! Can we please go to the lake? Daddy promised and he's not keeping it!" Kilee begs.
The fact that even she wants to go makes me smile. All of them are in their swimming clothing. I smile. "Yeah, just give me a few minutes to get dressed." I jog upstairs and get out my white suit. It's still a two piece. I don't know if I will ever wear a one piece.
Then I soon realize that I can't get this suit on because it needs tied. I sigh, my back to the door.
Someone puts their hands on my stomach and pulls me to their chest.
It's obviously Peeta. My kids wouldn't do this and if someone got in the house the kids would be screaming.
He spins me around and lifts me up so my legs are around his waist. I look over his shoulder to see the door is shut and locked.
"Peeta," I warn. He smirks.
"Yes baby?" He let's go of me but I say locked around him. Then he takes my suit from my hand and puts it on me for me.
Then he just stares at me like I'm going to die when he puts me down. I stare back, searching his eyes, trying to find out exactly what is going on inside his head.
He sighs. "What?" I finally demand.
"Nothing. Your just so breathtaking. I've missed you so much." He murmurs. He wraps his arms around my back and pulls me against him. "Promise you won't let me leave again?" He whispers. I sigh.
"I promise," I mumble into his neck.