Kindred

Chapter Five

I'm sorry for missing out on updating last week. I've been super busy. And this update is so late in the day because Wattpad wouldn't let me add on until now. Apologies :)

Chapter Five

"Katniss!"

The sound of Peeta's voice made Katniss' heart lurch. She immediately panicked. Was something wrong? Was he having an attack? Was he hurting Willow and unable to stop himself? She threw her bedcovers back and jumped out of bed, out the door like a shot. The journey from the bed to the next room was a blur of movement before she threw the door open and ran in.

Peeta wasn't in distress. He was sitting at the end of the bed with Willow cradled against his chest. Katniss deflated. Now that she thought about it, the way he called her name wasn't particularly anxious or afraid. She'd just conjured it up in her head. Katniss felt like an idiot. She folded her arms and quickly rebuilt herself before Peeta noticed that there was something wrong with her.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"I know you don't like it but could you look after Willow for ten minutes while I return home and have a shower?" Peeta asked. "I will be as fast as I can. You don't even have to hold her, she can lie on her back on the bed. You'd just have to keep an eye on her"-

"Why at your house?" Katniss randomly asked.

Peeta frowned. "Why at my house?" he repeated in confusion.

"Why go home to shower?"

"Well, I just thought"-

"Wouldn't showering here be faster?" The idea of having Peeta shower in her house unseated her but the idea of him doing it at her house was more convenient and easier. Especially since it would lessen the time she'd have to spend with Willow. Katniss wasn't keen on being alone with Willow but she wasn't going to tell Peeta no. Just because she still didn't have the strength to shower regularly it didn't mean that Peeta didn't.

"I didn't think you'd be . . . I just thought . . ."

Katniss knew what Peeta thought. He was trying to be respectful. He didn't want to overstep any boundaries. "The towels are in the linen closet at the end of the hall."

"Are you sure?" Peeta asked.

Katniss nodded. "I should be fine." She wanted to tell him to please be as fast as he could be but she didn't want to rush him. She wanted him to feel comfortable in her house again.

"She just had her diaper changed so she should be pretty settled," Peeta explained as he laid Willow down on her back on the bed. "She isn't due to be fed yet or anything but if she starts crying just come get me and I'll sort it out."

Katniss watched Peeta walk down the hall, half way in half way out of the room in which Willow was in. She hoped Peeta wouldn't feel compelled to ask to use her facilities anymore. Even if he wasn't going to be there for very long, Katniss really wanted him to be comfortable in her house again. It was an odd thing to really want but it didn't feel right having Peeta in her house and him being uncomfortable. They used to be so content and relaxed around each other. It shouldn't be this way.

Willow gurgled and giggled. Katniss reluctantly went into the room and stood over the bed. She watched Willow wearily as she tried to eat her own foot. Katniss couldn't tell how old Willow was. She didn't even know when her birthday was. She supposed they were just going to have to guess and give her a birthday. Maybe the day she was left on her doorstep?

Katniss noticed tufts of blonde hair on top of Willow's head. It made her stomach churn as she remembered when Primrose had been that size. Katniss hadn't been that old herself but she had memories of when her sister was a baby. Small, vague recollections such as her mother hovering over her and allowing her to hold Prim but only for a minute just in case she dropped her. There was one memory Katniss had-one of the most vivid memories from her childhood-of seeing her dad standing in the kitchen doorway, holding Prim against his chest. He was singing to her, trying to cradle her to sleep while her mother worked with a patient.