"Hey Catnip," Gale says with a small smile.
"What are you doing here?" I ask.
"Can we talk?" he asks looking worried I might say no.
"Outside," I answer lightly pushing him out the door.
Why would he come here? After 9 years at that! He probably doesn't know I'm married let alone to Peeta, and what will he think of the children? I told him I never wanted children.
"Katniss who is it?" Peeta asks as I'm shutting the door.
"Oh no one, I just uh…I have to go outside for a second," I say not waiting for a response before I shut the door. Peeta would flip if he saw Gale here. I sit down on the front porch and Gale sits down next to me.
"So how have you been?" he asks
"Fine"
"Just fine?"
"Yes"
"Ok, you know if you don't want to talk to me I can leave"
"No it's fine I just…I'm kind of surprised to see you"
"Oh, well I just thought it's been so long and I was in town"
"Nine years"
"What?"
"It's been nine years since the last time I saw you"
"Yeah, like I said so long" he says looking a little guilty.
"Look things have changed" I begin. More then your going to want to believe.
"I'm married" I continue.
"Oh, to who?" he asks probably hoping it's not Peeta.
"Who do you think?" I ask rolling my eyes.
"I don't know you could have met someone" he responds defensively.
"Well I did but not recently"
"Oh, so I guess you went for bread boy"
"He has a name!" I snap.
"Sheese sorry chill out"
"And yes I did and we are very happy together"
"Well good for you and him" he says bitterly
"Look if you came here just to make life hard for me you can leave!" I'm yelling now.
"No that's not why I came here. I just wanted to say hi!" he's yelling too.
"Mommy?" I hear Cara's small voice. Oh crap I hate it when the kids hear me yelling, and I didn't tell Gale about them yet this is not going to be good.
"Yeah?" I say getting up and spinning around to face her.
Relief pours over me when I see that Peeta isn't with her. I'm not ready to deal with him knowing Gale is here.
"I was getting worried about you. You have been out here for a while" she says sheepishly
"I know hun just go inside I'll be in, in a couple minutes"
"Ok, but who's that?" she asks pointing towards Gale.
"Oh, uh…just an old friend" I say herding her toward the front door.
"Ok, but daddy was thinking of having a picnic for lunch in the meadow! Doesn't that sound great?" she asks enthusiastically.
"Yeah that will be fun" I say trying to sound happy.
She goes inside and shuts the door. I turn and see Gale standing and facing me.
"You didn't tell me you have a kid" he says sounding a little hurt.
"Two" I say as I sigh.
"Oh, well I better go…I need to find a place to stay while I'm here" he says turning to leave.
"You don't have a place to stay?"
"No"
"Well if you want you can stay here" I say regretting the words as they come out of my mouth.
"Really?" he asks with an ear to ear smile.
"Yeah" I say walking to my front door.
"Just give me a couple minutes to tell Peeta" more like prepare.
"Sure" he says as he sits down again.
I go in ready for any reaction Peeta could possibly give me.