Chapter Twenty
The Next Day
Peeta and I make our way to Hazelle's old home in the Seam, the house in which her family lived before Gale's victory in the 74th Hunger Games. They have since moved into a large house in Victors' Village, though their Seam home still belongs to them until they have moved their belongings.
I feel slightly nervous as I walk alongside Peeta, worrying that Gale may also be there with his mother. He has yet to apologise to Peeta and, until then, I am weary of the two being around each other.
"You seem overly quiet today," Peeta says, breaking the silence that had been looming over us. I glance up at him to find a worried look on his face.
"I'm fine. I was just thinking about Gale. If he is there, I don't want him to cause another fight with you," I explain.
"If he starts anything, I will leave, okay?" he replies. I nod and he smiles down at me and squeezes my hand.
It takes us only a few more minutes to arrive at our destination. Peeta knocks on the wooden door and we wait patiently for it to swing open. No one comes to the door and I find myself frowning.
"Maybe Hazelle forgot?" Peeta suggests.
"I don't think so. Mother told me that Hazelle said to come over today. Maybe she's on her way. Victors' Village is a while away," I remind him.
"Let's just sit and wait for a while," Peeta says, and we sit on the little step by the door.
Peeta and I talk while we wait, and just decide to come back another day when Gale walks up the path. He stops when he is before us, and his eyes instantly fall on mine and Peeta's joined hands.
"Where's Hazelle?" I ask, standing up at the same time Peeta does.
"Posy has the measles. At first we thought it was just a cold because she had a cough and a runny nose, but mother woke up to find her covered in a rash. Mother told me to come meet you and to stop in at your mother's on the way to get her to see to Posy," Gale explains.
"I don't know if my mother will have the medicine to help her, Gale."
"Your mother said that too, but I have phoned Effie and she has the medicine we need coming on the next train. Your mother said she'll see to her anyway and see if she can do anything to help."
"I'm sure she will be better in no time, Gale," I reassure him, and he just shrugs and walks the rest of the way up the path towards us. "We don't have to do this today. We can come back another time if you want to be with Posy."
"No. Let's just get this over with," Gale says. We step out of his way so he can put the rusty key in the lock. Once the door is open, he leads us into the house. I glance at his face and see the exhaustion in his eyes. He hasn't been sleeping, that much is obvious.
Gale clears his throat. "The cot is in the living room but there are also a couple of boxes of clothing upstairs if you want to check them out," Gale says.
"How about you go up and have a look while I get the cot?" Peeta suggests.
I nod and eye the two men closely before I start up the stairs. I listen hard to hear if they start to argue, but I hear nothing at all, so I continue into the bedroom and find the two boxes Gale had mentioned.
I dig into the boxes and pick out tiny clothing items. I smile slightly at how small each item is. Most of the outfits are yellow or a cream color as there is no way to determine if you are having a boy or a girl in District 12. However, there are a few pink dresses and a pair of what I assume were once white booties but are now nearly grey.
At the bottom of the second box is a few blue outfits that must have once belonged to one of the boys when they were small. Not only do I find baby outfits, but also clothing that will fit a toddler. There is enough clothing to last a good few years. I decide to take both boxes and remind myself to thank Hazelle when I next see her. I am so grateful. It would have cost a fortune to buy so many clothes.
I place one box on top of the other before lifting them into my arms and heading towards the stairs. I can now hear Gale and Peeta talking, but I'm too far away to make out what they are saying.
As I descend the stairs on my quiet hunter feet, I start to make out what they are saying. "I accept your apology, Gale. I know it means a lot to Katniss that we get on. She loves you, you know?" Peeta says.
"Not in the way I want her to love me. It's too late, anyway. She looks happy. Just make sure you take care of her or you'll have me to deal with," Gale replies, though his tone is not threatening. He just sounds tired.
"Don't worry. I would never purposely hurt her."
Gale chuckles and, as I reach the bottom of the staircase, I peak my head around the living room door and find them shaking hands. I smile at the sight before Gale's eyes lock with mine over Peeta's shoulder.
"Did you find anything useful?" Gale asks me, and Peeta turns around to face me. His blue eyes are shining with happiness and I'm relieved that I didn't discover the two of them at each other's throats.
I step into the room with the boxes in my arms. "I'd like to take it all. Thank your mother so much for me. All of this will be a great use," I reply.
"You should've called me to come get the boxes," Peeta says.
"They are not heavy," I say.
"They block your view, you could have miss-judged the steps on the stairs - You could have fallen."
"But I didn't."
He opens his mouth to say more but decides against it and just shakes his head. Gale stands with an amused expression on his face and I narrow my eyes at him.
"What?"
"Nothing. You're just so stubborn."
"Fine. If I am so incapable of carrying two boxes," I drop the boxes into Gale's arms, "then you can carry them."
I then turn on my heel, and leave.
"I'm going to start decorating soon," Peeta says, as we stand in what will soon be our baby's bedroom.
"That's a great idea. I want to make this place feel more homely. I'll do some extra hunting and trade for furniture or I can buy some cloth to make some pillows or blankets and maybe a few curtains," I reply.
"I could do some paintings and we can hang them up all around the house," Peeta suggests, his eyes wide and excited at the thought.
"I'd like that," I say as I rest my head on his shoulder. My eyes move around the room, taking in the cot that is set up by the far wall, the two boxes stacked in a corner, and a small set of empty drawers.
"I know just how I want this room to be," Peeta says. "I want to paint an orange sunset on the wall by the cot and on the opposite wall I want to paint the woods and the meadow."
"Each of our favorite things," I mutter quietly, my eyes fluttering shut.
"Let's get you to bed. It's been a long and tiring day and we have to get up early for school," Peeta says, leading me from the room and into our bedroom.
We both change into our bed clothes and use the bathroom to brush our teeth before we meet back up under the covers. We immediately move to get into our usual, comfortable position, and we end up the same way we have for a while now; Peeta's chest pressed against my back, one of his arms resting over my side and his hand pressed against my bump.
We both wish each other goodnight and then lay in a peaceful silence. I concentrate on the feeling in my stomach, like butterflies fluttering around inside me. Then, just like a poke in the side, I feel the baby kick. I know for sure what it is. I haven't felt it move like that before, but I now feel certain that it was a kick.
My hand moves to cover Peeta's and I push our hands a little more to the right, around about where I'm sure the baby kicked. "Peeta," I whisper, making sure he is awake.
"Hmm?" he replies.
"Can you feel it?" I ask.
"Feel what?" he questions, his voice sounding like he is seconds away from sleep. I know he will hate to miss feeling our child kick, and so I dig my elbow into his stomach.
He groans.
"Hey! What was that f-" he stops speaking abruptly as the baby kicks once again and I press his hand firmly against my stomach so he can feel the movement. "Is that?"
"That's our baby, Peeta," I whisper, and turn over so we are chest to chest.
He moves both of his hands to rest against my stomach and I hear him sniff quietly as our baby kicks against his hands. "Wow," he gulps. He glances up into my eyes and I find his eyes shining with tears.
"Why are you crying?" I ask him.
"Because I have never felt something so beautiful, Katniss. I have never felt so happy and all of this is because of you. I love you," he replies, leaving me speechless.
My heart starts beating faster and faster, and my throat feels like it is closing up. I look away from him, his revelation changing the atmosphere in the room. Fear hits me when I realise that all along I haven't noticed my feelings change. I haven't noticed the way he has crept up on me. But now I have noticed, and I am truly terrified.
This is the one thing I didn't want to happen. This is the one feeling I didn't want to feel. But it's too late now. I'm too far gone, and I know it.
I love him.
I am in love with Peeta Mellark.