It Started With a Cake

Ch28. Bliss

A feeling I've never felt before washes over me as I hear the screams, everything else in the room disappears and it's just me and the baby between my legs.

"What is it dad?" Dr Jenkins asks.

I finally look over at Peeta who seems to be in a similar trance to my own, "a- a girl" his words fill my ears as the baby is placed on my chest, the feeling of needing to hold her grows stronger.

Her.

I have a daughter.

Tears leak from my eyes as my hands fumble to comfort her.

"Hi" I whisper, "you're okay, I've got you, I'll never let anything hurt you"

I feel Peeta's hand on my shoulder, I barely look up at him long enough to catch his own tears before my eyes are back onto my creation, correction our creation.

"She's so tiny" I whisper to Peeta this time, a sob getting caught in my throat.

I can hear the smile in his voice, "you did it" he tells me proudly.

"We did it" I correct him.

I'm allowed a few minutes of skin to skin, the little girl in my arms fitting seemingly perfect to the curve of my chest.

She's stopped crying but she's still letting out little noises, tiny whimpers or coos escaping her lips as she gets used to the feeling of being out.

The nurses give me an apologetic look as they take her from my chest, my little girl screaming as she's taken away from her comforter.

Peeta wraps his arms around me as soon as he can, and I don't complain, holding onto him just as tight as he holds me.

"I'm so proud of you" he whispers into my hair, I simply let my tears fall in response, dampening his already wet top.

It isn't long before she is placed back into my arms, this time silent and calm, swaddled up snuggly in a blanket.

"Hi cutie" I whisper to her as she settles into my hold once again.

"Hi" Peeta cheekily replies back.

I glance up at him to catch his smile, "I wasn't talking to you"

With that I turn back to my baby, "that's your daddy" I tell her simply, "he's a bit silly but we love him"

The thing that happens next shocks me, she opens her eyes and it suddenly feels as if I'm looking at someone else.

"She has your eyes!" I gasp and suddenly I understand it, the thing people call motherly love.

I'm unable to tear my eyes from them even as I feel Peeta's tears drip down onto my shoulder.

After a few moments she closes them again nuzzling her head down into her swaddle, clearly tired from the big journey she just went on.

"Do you want to hold her?" I finally ask Peeta, turning just in time to see his eager nod.

We both carefully transfer and as if it were natural she doesn't complain at all, instead she nuzzles herself into his arms.

When I'm finally able to take in the full sight of her in his arms more tears spring to my eyes, she's so tiny compared to his muscly toned arms yet she seems to fit just as perfectly as she did with me as if Peeta were made to hold this baby, and perhaps he was.

It makes me further sure of my decision, I am so glad Peeta talked me into this.

Peeta holds her for quite some time, and no one disturbs him, not even me though I long to hold her in my arms again. The look in his eyes is what stops me, his look of joy as he smiles down at the tiny baby, whispering things to her that no one but them can hear.