• Forever •

Chapter 43

Chapter 43:

"Peeta!!" I yell really loud.

He comes running up the stairs in a panic. "Katniss, what's wrong baby?"

"Nothing! Look I'm showing!" I say excited. Last time I had only a little mound, only enough for me to know but now there's a pretty apparent bump, finally at 4 and a half months.

"Damn you Katniss, you scared the hell out of me. I thought something was wrong!" He says embracing me.

"I'm sorry, but I'm just so excited!" I say.

"I know baby, I know you are." He says. "Lunch is ready, it's on the table. I'll see you down there." He says kissing my temple and leaving the room.

I put on a pair of socks and throw my hair into a quick messy bun and head downstairs. Peeta's watching something on the tv looking horrified.

"Peeta honey, what's wrong?" I ask.

"Katniss I don't think-" he starts to say but I already see the tv before he can finish. On the top of the screen is a headline that reads "KATNISS AND PEETA MELLARK, PREGNANT?" And a picture of us leaving the maternity ward a few weeks ago, with a red circle around my small bump that is visible through my shirt. The reporter
Is commenting on the picture and I just drown her out.

"I guess this is a good thing then." I state simply.

"What? Why?" Says Peeta confused.

"I mean they're gonna find out about it sometime. Wouldn't it be better sooner than later?" I say walking into the kitchen to start lunch.

"You're acting strangely calm about this." Peeta says warily.

"Yeah I know but I just keep thinking that it would be so much more dangerous to hide this baby from the everyone, ya know?" I say. "I mean when they find out the amount of paparazzi will double when they see the baby without having any knowledge of it."

"Yeah I guess your right. Maybe when we call and tell Effie, we could tell her to send in a statement to Caesar's show." He suggests.

"Yeah that's a good idea." I say.

We continue eating in silence. Peeta stares at me for a while. "What are you thinking about?" He asks.

"Well I was actually thinking about going shopping today. We could get a bunch of stuff for the baby." I say.

"That actually sounds pretty good, after We clean up we should go." He says.

"Well let's hurry up and clean! I wanna go shopping!" I say excitedly.

Once we're in the local baby store, I go absolutely crazy. I start grabbing everything, Peeta following behind laughing. I have the cart full in about 15 minutes when he finally stops me.

"Katniss," he says chuckling, "you need to slow down and process what you're putting in the cart."

"But I want everything!" I say.

"Okay but do you really need 3 bottle warmers? And 7 different pacifier cases?" He says.

"I mean I guess not." I say kind of disappointed.

"Okay let's be more realistic here then." He says putting back most of what's in the cart.

We get so many clothes, all pink and girly. We order a crib, bassinet, changing table, dresser, and rocking chair. It's a matching set and should be delivered in about a week. We bought a rocking swing, tons of toys, pacifiers, bottles, bibs and 3 different formulas because although I'll be breastfeeding, when we're out or if she's with my mom, we want to know which formula she likes best.

Our next stop is the hardware store to buy paint. Peeta insisted we do the room totally girly, but the pink he picked out was so bright it almost hurt my eyes. So I suggested a soft pink, and he's going to paint flowers coming up from the floor, as if they're growing. We buy everything and head home. As soon as we get home I insist on starting the room. Peeta reluctantly agrees and we start to clear out the room directly across from us.

He moves most of the stuff in the basement and the rest in other bedrooms. I polish the floors and when I finish he puts down a cloth and begins to paint.

------------------------------------------------------

A week and a half later:

There's a pounding on the front door and and I get up to see who it is. At my door step is 3 burly men, and a big truck in the driveway.

"Are you Katniss Mellark?" One asks.

"Um yes." I say.

"We have your furniture." He says.

My expression changes from confusion to excited pretty fast.

"Oh okay one second, let me get my husband." I say. "Peeta! The furniture is here!"

He comes down from upstairs and into the foyer to meet the men.

They all get the crib out first and bring it up stairs. I position it where I want it while they bring up the other pieces. After it's all upstairs in the nursery, Peeta and I tip them and they leave. Finally the room is complete.

I start putting all the clothes in the dresser and the diapers in the changing table. I put the toys all around the room and hang some last minute findings on the walls. I can't believe that in just 4 short months, Peeta and I will be parents. It still hasn't hit me. Everyday I wake up with a new fear, a different worry or "what if", but I feel that this time, everything will be fine and Peeta and I don't have anything to worry about.