Peeta sat alone in a wheelchair, all naked except for the ugly hospital gown and the bandages in his head. He knew he looked as ridiculous as he felt. His body was heavy with both physical and emotional pain, and he couldn't stop repeating Katniss' words in his mind - each syllable stabbing him like a dagger.

At least she had been there; no one else had, and for that he felt more abandoned and worthless than ever. Not even Prim had come back, and Prim worked at that hospital. He tried to move - he needed to pace - but his limbs refused to cooperate.

He stared at the empty doorway where she had left him. Suddenly, a mix of resentment and sorrow consumed him. How could someone who had once loved him so much turn now their back on him so easily? He closed his fists in anger.

It was then that Katniss casually entered the room as if nothing had happened the day before. She was wearing a sweatshirt, leggings and a ponytail, a much more casual attire than she had then. She didn't appear remorseful at all for having left him. Instead, she was smiling confidently.

"How do you feel today?" she asked in an upbeat tone.

Despite his hurt, Peeta couldn't deny the warmth that flooded within him at the sight of her. He felt hopeful for once, but he still couldn't shake the hurt of her leaving him alone when he needed her most.

"Amazing," he stated sarcastically.

If she understood his sarcasm, she chose to ignore it. "How is it going with the wheelchair?"

Peeta didn't respond.

A faint squeak of wheels echoed softly in the quiet hallway, accompanied by the clinking of utensils against porcelain, and a nurse wheeled a tray of food into the room. Peeta watched in disbelief as the unpleasant scent of hospital food wafted through the air.

No, not now. Not this humiliation in front of Katniss. Due to his medical procedure he had lost part of his hands' coordination and, as a consequence, he was having trouble feeding himself. This past day he had been fed by nurses; it was the only time he was thankful for his lack of visitors.

With practiced ease, the nurse assisted him in shifting to a good position in front of the tray, ensuring he was stable and secure, her movements quick and efficient as he sat mortified in front of his ex-wife, debating on what to do next. Then, with a reassuring smile, the nurse asked if there was anything else the patient needed before quietly exiting the room.

Peeta's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Now Katniss would know how incapable he really was. She was going to find out it was much worse than she might have imagined. She may not like him anymore, but he still wanted her to see him as a desirable mate. How could she ever be attracted to a man like that again?

"Let me help you," Katniss offered gently, extending her hand towards the fork.

Peeta's pride bristled at the suggestion. His jaw tensed and he shook his head stubbornly. "I can manage."

With a nod, Katniss stepped back and gave him a reassuring smile. "Okay."

He felt frustration welling up inside him as he struggled to grip the fork in his trembling hand. He didn't want to be further humiliated in front of the person who claimed not to want him.

But as he attempted to lift the fork to his mouth, his hand trembled uncontrollably, causing the food to slip from his grasp and fall into his lap. Tears of frustration welled in his eyes as he watched the food spill onto the hospital gown.

Katniss was now at the window, staring at the clouds. If she witnessed his ordeal, she pretended she didn't.

Peeta kept trying to put some food in his mouth. Finally, he managed to do it and beamed at this small victory.

The victory was, however, short lived. His hands betrayed him, the fork slipping from his grasp and clattering onto the tray. Food tumbled onto his lap and Katniss rushed to his side. A mixture of frustration and embarrassment flooded through his body.

"You know, I'm here if you need help," she reminded him. "You'd do the same for me."

"I'm sorry," he muttered, his pride crumbling in the face of his limitations. "Maybe... maybe just this once."

"Of course," Katniss agreed.

She took his side and gently guided the utensil to his lips as he swallowed his pride along with each bite. When he was finished, she wiped his mouth and gown with a napkin and brushed his cheek with her fingers.

"Thanks for letting me take care of you," she said matter-of-factly, and it was the first glimpse he had of the old Katniss, his Kat, since he woke up from surgery. "I know it's not easy in our situation."

It wasn't a romantic thing for her to say; he knew she thrived in taking care of people. Katniss was a caretaker by nature. He knew she would make an excellent mother one day.

"I didn't have a choice, did I?" he scoffed.

"Of course you had a choice. But you did choose well. In fact, I have a reward for you."

Peeta blinked. What could she possibly have in store for him?

"Are you still hungry?" she asked.

"I can't take more of this hospital food," he shook his head with a disparaging smile.

"Didn't want you to."

Katniss rummaged through her purse with a mysterious smile, her brow furrowed in concentration, and Peeta observed her with a mix of curiosity and apprehension. His breath caught as she retrieved a small paper bag with Mellark's written in it, and his eyes widened in surprise as she unfolded it to reveal his favorite croissant nestled inside.

Peeta stared at the croissant for a little too long before she started feeding him. A rush of nostalgia swept over him as memories of lazy Sunday mornings spent indulging in bed with Katniss flooded his mind. It made his stomach hurt in sorrow.

Katniss was being so nice to him. Was she interested in a possible reconciliation? She most definitely was. He stared at her bare hand with sadness, and vowed to put a ring on her finger again.

"What happened to your wedding band?" he heard himself asking.

With that, he saw her face change. "I pawned it," she shrugged.

"Did you need the money? I could have helped you -"

She scoffed. "It doesn't matter anyway. You probably put yours in the trash."

He stared at her, wondering if she was serious or not. He couldn't find an answer, because she wouldn't look at him. The only thing he knew was that, in seconds, she had put up an emotional wall between them again.

Katniss sighed. "I know you must find it odd that no one came to see you so far," she said. "But that decision was mine. I still haven't told your family you're here, and I asked the guys at the bakery not to come."

Peeta flashed a hurt glance at her. Why would she want to abandon and isolate him at the same time?

Katniss shook her head. "I'm sure you'll understand that there are things we need to talk about... Before people start coming."

"I wasn't even expecting to see you today," he said bitterly. "Seeing as you left yesterday and never came back."

She sighed again. "That's one of the things I wanted to tell you. I had to pick the kids at school."

Peeta's heart sank at her words. "You have kids?"

She nodded, studying his face intently, and he felt a sense of intense loss. He hoped she didn't see the disappointment in his eyes, not only because he didn't want to give her that much of a reaction, but because Peeta had always wanted to be a father. Her children should have been his children, anything else was unthinkable.

He cleared his throat. "So you're a mom. Congratulations."

Katniss nodded and, for the first time since Peeta woke up from surgery, he saw her grinning with pride. "Thank you. I'll show you photos of them."

Peeta considered refusing. He didn't want to see Katniss' children, but she was already scrolling through the gallery in her phone. He was ready to dislike the kids. He knew he was being petty, but he couldn't avoid it. He knew he would find them as ugly as their father.

"Look."

Katniss flashed him a photo of a girl and a toddler. Both were hugging happily, and Peeta felt warmth in his chest.

The girl was lovely. She looked like Katniss, the same hair, mouth and nose. But she had milky skin, pink cheeks and blue eyes. Peeta felt his heart racing at the familiarity. He tried to zoom the image - to no avail, his fingers were highly incompetent - but Katniss understood what he wanted and did it for him.

And he got to see that the little girl had his exact eyes.

The boy was even more obvious in his looks, a carbon copy of Peeta himself, the same blonde curls and face. Definitely the toddler version of him. Very cute. He couldn't believe it.

"They are mine," he stated.

Katniss looked at him, almost annoyed. "What did you expect?!" she asked. Peeta knew he had hit a nerve, but he didn't know why.

She shook her head. "Well, the other thing I wanted to tell you is that I decided to take a leave and go back to work at the bakery until you're able to resume your duties. Is that okay with you?"

What? Wasn't Katniss working at the bakery anymore? He hadn't even considered the idea. What else was she doing these days then?

He shrugged, confused. "Well, it's alright, I guess."

"You know I'm the only person besides you who knows how to make the secret recipes…" she mumbled.

Although the bakery had plenty of employees now, and they were very good at what they did, their job was to bake the generic breads and cakes. Katniss was the only person besides Peeta who knew exactly how to recreate all of Mr. Mellark's recipes. His mother had never cared to learn, and his brothers had other interests. Now, even if it meant he had to work harder and for longer, Peeta took pride in maintaining the family recipes in the Mellark family.

"Yeah, of course."

His heart was filled with warmth at what he was learning. It didn't matter what she had said or done the day before, she still cared. She was taking care of him and had left her current job to take care of his business. Their business.

That or she was just trying to preserve their children's legacy, he pondered.

Their children! He looked at her with a renewed appreciation. She had given him not one, but two children. They had built a family together and she deserved everything he could give her. Things between them had to get better, he knew they had, they had a family to fight for.

"How old are they?" he asked softly, pointing his chin to her phone.

Katniss smiled. "Daniel is three, Willow is almost five."

"But you said we haven't been together for four years," Peeta stated.

She understood the question. "Well, I said almost four," she replied, and then smirked. "Daniel's conception was the last activity we did together as a couple. And thank God we did it, don't you think?"

Peeta grinned, looking at the little boy's face on her screen. He wanted to ask so much, but he didn't know where to start, so he added something he was certain of. "We make beautiful kids."

"We do."

He smiled as she scrolled through more photos of herself and the children. He noticed bittersweetly that he was in no one of them. Was he in the picture? He hoped he was, he had to be.

"Am I a good father, Kat?"

Katniss grinned. "That you are. Your children adore their daddy."

He took a sigh of relief. "I wish I could remember them. I feel like a lousy father for forgetting."

She shook her head. "This doesn't make you a lousy father. We'll explain what happened. They are smart, they'll understand."

Peeta nodded. "Where do they think I am now?"

"I told them you were out of town visiting their grandmother," Katniss said sheepishly. "I hope you don't mind."

Peeta shook his head. "No, it was a good idea."

"Okay. Good."

"Where do I live now?"

"We sold our house," Katniss replied with a tinge of sadness. "You've rented a flat above the bakery, and I've rented a place in the suburbs."

Peeta's chest tightened as the news settled in. A bunch of joyful memories flashed through his mind. The house of his dreams was gone. They had been so happy within those walls; he wondered who lived there now, and if the house was still filled with that much love and laughter.

"Am I present in our kids' lives?" Peeta was dismayed. One thing he had always been sure of was that he and Katniss would raise their future children together, in that house, as a family.

"You are. You pick them up at school every day and take them to the bakery, then you bring them to my house when you close. I don't see why you shouldn't resume your usual routine once you recover."

He nodded dejectedly.

"Willow and Daniel are beautiful names," he commented. "Who chose them?"

Katniss smiled sadly. "You chose Willow's, I chose Daniel's."

She didn't say anything else.

A minute of silence followed. Katniss seemed to be absorbed in her own thoughts, but he had to ask. "When can I see them?"

Katniss didn't seem to mind his questions. In fact, she seemed very happy to talk about her children.

"When you get out of here. Children are not allowed in this part of the hospital. That's why you'll need to work a lot for your recovery." She looked him in the eye. "I can't do it alone."

He felt tears coming to his eyes. She couldn't do it alone. She needed him. She was brushing her hand on his shoulders and smiling at him. They would be a couple again.

"Was I a good husband?" he asked softly. "I know I tried to be."

Katniss looked annoyed all of a sudden. It was clear she was trying to maintain the conversation neutral and safe, and that in her point of view he had to do the same.

"It doesn't matter, Peeta. There's nothing we can do now."

"Well, it matters to me. I don't know anything about my life and I'm sure you're the best person to answer my question."

She looked at him as if the answer was blatantly obvious. "Had you been a good husband, Peeta, don't you think we'd still be together?"

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, but he still wanted to know what had gone wrong. "What did I do?"

Katniss took a step back and paced. "Look, I didn't come here for this," she said. "I'm not here to open old wounds. I'm here to help you, it's as simple as that."

He was flabbergasted. "Yes, but –"

"So don't force me to remember. I won't be able to look you in the eye if you do."

Peeta asked himself for the thousandth time what he had done to deserve this. His Kat had never asked for much, she was perfectly happy with anything. She didn't get angry, she didn't give up on people. She had been broken and frail when they met, and had only begun to thrive under his care. Something serious must have happened for her to talk to him like that. Peeta felt suddenly very guilty and very ashamed of himself.

"I just want to know how to fix it," he mumbled again. "I'm sure we would find a way. We have a family together. Our kids deserve a home."

"Our kids have a home. They're happy this way." Her shaky hand held his. "I know this situation isn't your fault, Peeta, but it's not my fault either. I'm trying my best, and I really think I deserve peace."

"I want you to have peace, but I need an explanation too. I don't know anything -"

She scowled and let his hand go. "Give me time. I'm not ready to relive those times yet."

"Katniss, I'll go crazy. I need to know things now. Just give me something. I'm so confused."

Katniss frowned. "I'm the one who's going to go crazy if you don't drop the subject. I'm – I'm confused too. Your mind is back to a time when I loved you, but time has still passed for me, and now I don't love you anymore –"

Peeta's heart pounded painfully in his chest as he struggled to comprehend the magnitude of Katniss' words. She didn't love him anymore. He had let everything slip through his fingers like grains of sand.

It was over. He felt hot tears welling up in his eyes and mustered the strength to utter, "Just leave me alone."

He hated how pathetically broken and dejected his voice sounded.

Katniss' face registered shock, her eyes widening in disbelief at his request, as if she hadn't even considered the gravity of her own words. In that moment, Peeta felt a surge of anger and bitterness rise within him. She didn't care about his feelings. How could his reaction surprise her otherwise?

"Maybe it's for the best," she murmured softly, her tone filled with resignation. "But I'll call your mother and brothers to come and visit you," she added, her voice shaky and uncertain.

"Thank you," Peeta whispered, his voice barely audible.

"I'll come back tomorrow," Katniss added. She hesitantly brushed her hand on his shoulder, and he felt her shake as he retracted from her touch.

"Will tomorrow be any different from today?" he asked.

Katniss stood and stared at him, mouth agape. She opened her lips to speak, but nothing came of it. Silence hung heavy in the air, her hesitation speaking volumes.

"Perhaps it's best if you don't come," Peeta finally said, bitterness and resignation permeating his tone.

She looked at him with sadness, searching his eyes for something. "Is that what you want?" she asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Peeta hesitated for a moment before nodding slowly.""Yes," he replied. "Just save yourself the trouble."

She reached for her purse to depart and his anger flared up. Why was she leaving so eagerly? His Kat would stay if she wanted to, no matter what he said. She knew he didn't possibly mean that - she knew him.

"You were just looking for an excuse to leave," he accused. She scowled at him and shook her head in disbelief. "You only keep coming here to watch me suffer, don't you?" he asked. "Does it bring you pleasure?"

Tears welled up in her eyes as she shook her head. "You know it doesn't!" she snapped.

"Do I know that?" he spat back. "Ever since I woke up you've been acting like a heartless brat. You say the most hurtful things with no care for my current state. I don't know how I could love you. I don't see anything that's there to love."

Katniss was in tears now. "I have absolutely no obligation to be here. You're just trying to hurt me, like you have for the past four years." She wiped her eyes. "Maybe you were always like this," she added with a finality that terrified Peeta.

With that said, she was gone.