The Everlark Family: Book 1

21 - Another One

Peeta and I had kept our hands tied with Willow. There never really seemed to be a break, and we both knew there never would be again. And the thought of Willow brought up another thought in Peeta.
Peeta always seemed to switch the subject onto the thought of another child. 
"It's just an idea, Honey." Peeta would say--though he was more like springing the idea on me in an unintentionally forced way.
I knew that Peeta's love for children and family was a difficult concept to turn down. After all I had originally despised the thought of having kids until I inevitably gave into Peeta. I was afraid the same thing would happen; our fears and worries about our children would only double with another child, but like what happened with Willow, it was all worth it in the end.  

Peeta had taken Willow to the bakery with him. I stayed at home after I woke up with a sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach. It was a familiar feeling.
Peeta left some breakfast for me, and even though I was sleepless and exhausted, I managed to show as much interest in it that I could. I practically drowned the french toast in maple syrup. 
The first couple bites sent pain jabbing throughout my abdomen. I tensed up, letting the fork drop onto the plate.
Everything began to spin. It was as if I had been poisoned. I pushed away the plate and held my head in my palms. The odd nausea still raged in my stomach.

I picked up the phone and called Peeta. 
"Hello?" Peeta asked, I could hear the customers ordering in the background.
"It's me, Katniss. Hey, by any chance, what did you put in those pancakes?" I asked while I held my stomach in pain as more cramps jabbed at me. 
Peeta chuckled. "What I usually put in them, why?"
"Maybe the maple syrup is expired."
"No, it shouldn't be. Why, what's wrong?"
"I'm not feeling so well," I replied, "I'm just going to go to the doctors." 
"Oh, should I come with you?" Peeta asked concernedly.
"No, no it's fine. Just stay with Willow." I replied. 

I walked to my room and rummaged through my unorganized closet until I found my boots.
A gripping fear of anxiety entered me as soon as I stepped out of that house and made my way to the train station west of our house. Of course the paparazzi never skip a beat. They're all there. Snapping pictures of me from behind trees and even bushes. If only they knew how pathetic they looked. . . 
When I finally I reached the hospital, I walked straight up to the front desk. The one perk of fame is that people are willing to put your wants in front of others, so the receptionist called in a doctor for me immediately.  
"Katniss Mellark." An older doctor walked out and nodded at me. He had a familiar smile.
"Doctor Miller." I remembered him somehow.

"So what's been bothering you?" He asked me once I sat on the hard hospital bed.
"I'm having these awful cramps. This morning I couldn't sleep, but I was really tired, and dizzy."
He scribbled notes onto his notebook. "Mhm. And have you gotten your period recently?"
I bit my lip. "No. . ." 
I never considered that.
Miller nodded to himself and then looked up at me. "Well, if I'm not mistaken, you're having fatigue, nausea, insomnia. I think it all links to one thing."
He then stood up from his chair and opened the door, expecting me to get up and walk out with him. "May I run another test on you?"
"Yeah, alright."
He then preformed the same saliva swap he had done before. 

I was sent to the waiting area after that. I dwindled my thumbs out of boredom, trying to deflect all the stares I got. There was no doubt I was already on the Capitol News.
Within another ten minutes, Doctor Miller walked out. A happy look on his wrinkled face.
"Nothing's wrong Katniss." He slipped me a paper filled out with information. It read,
                         Your doctor will prescribe medications for your pregnancy.
I reread that sentence in disbelief. "Congratulations, Katniss." Miller handed me the bottle of pills. "Here you are."
A frozen feeling of shock came over me, scaring me but exciting me all the same.
I stood up to meet Doctor Miller. "T-thank you."

As I walked to the train station, I was still trapped in a normal amount of disbelief at the realization that I was pregnant. The memory of Peeta and I in the night came flooding back into my mind. It all made sense.
When the train dropped me off in Twelve, I quickly walked to Peeta's bakery.
I opened the door and crowds of people turned to face me. Some gasped, some called my name. Others just stared.
I walked up to the counter. "Where's Peeta?" I asked Dane, Peeta's good friend.
"In his office with Willow." Dane answered.

I made my way to his office and lightly knocked on the door. His expression would be so priceless.
Peeta's face lit up when he opened the door. "Hey, beautiful!"
Willow jumped off the office chair and waddled towards me. "Mommy!" she yelled, reaching her little arms towards me.
"Look at you," Peeta said as he studied my face, "you're glowing. What did the doctors say?" "Read it." I handed him the paper. 
His curiosity snatched up the paper and he began to read it when he furrowed his eyebrows. The paper fell to the ground.
"Katniss? I-is this real!" 
I nodded excitedly. "Yes, it's real!"

"Katniss, what if we have a son!" Peeta's blue eyes were full of blissful joy.
Before I could reply, Willow looked up at us in confusion. "Mommy? Daddy? What's wrong?"
Peeta picked her up and kissed her cheek. "Mommy is having another baby. You're gonna have a brother or a sister!"
Willow's face was priceless. Her bright eyes lit up even brighter, radiating with joy. "Really Mommy?!"
I nodded. "Yes. Do you want a brother or sister?"
"A brother!"
"Well, you might just get a brother." Peeta replied.