• Forever •

Chapter 48

Chapter 48:

Adeline grows more and more everyday. The time seems to fly by. The older she gets the more I start to appreciate all I have in life. Even on my darkest days, I still find hope through Peeta and Adeline. As I look at Adeline now, I recall memories that I will never forget.

I will never forget when she spoke her first word. I had just got back with groceries from town and Peeta was cleaning the kitchen from what looked like cookies that he had just made. Little Addy was sitting in her high chair playfully babbling.

"Hey baby." I said as I leaned down to kiss her forehead.

I went over to the fridge to start putting things away when she started crying. I turned to see what was wrong, but Peeta held up his hand and went to see what it was. I noticed she had dropped her toy. He picked it up and gave it back to her. He tickled her tummy and she giggled, with a wet and drooly mouth. She loved Peeta. I was used to it though, him being the favored parent, and I didn't mind. As he turned to walk away she started to whimper again.

"Dada." She said and then started crying.

Peeta looked at me in disbelief. "Did she just say..." He stopped. I nodded yes.

He turned around and we both stared at her in amazement. Her arms were reaching up, indicated someone to grab her. "Dada." She said again. She was full on crying now. But we didn't care. She kept saying it until finally, Peeta picked her up and cradled her, silent tears streaming down his face. He kept placing wet kisses atop her head and she was clueless, her 7 month old brain didn't quite understand.

I swear he didn't leave her side for 2 weeks after that. I barely held her, but I had never seen so much love in Peeta's eyes, it felt like a sin to take that away from him. I always knew that Peeta would be a great father and moments like these proved my instincts right.

When she walked for the first time I had never felt prouder.  We were all sitting by the fire one night.  Addy was playing on her blanket, Peeta was sketching (probably me or Addy, maybe both), and I was reading.  For the past few weeks Addy had been finding things to cling to and stand. Peeta and I had to always keep a close eye on her. So when I noticed her standing on the corner of the coffee table, I quickly put my book down to be ready to catch her if she falls. She looked and me and started to walk.  She took three steps before she fell.

"Oh my god. Look at you! Peeta did you see that?" I asked.

"No what?"

"She just walked! She took her first steps!" I say. "Come on baby, do it again." I lifted her up on her feet. She smiled a goofy, few toothed grin, and walked toward me. She took a couple steps and fell again laughing.

I looked at Peeta, he had the same disbelieving look on his face as he did a few months ago when she said her first word. Now, a 10 month old Addy was walking.

She thought it was some sort of game, standing, taking a few steps, then falling. She did this for a week, taking a few more steps every time, until finally, by her first birthday, she was a full-fledged walker. Of course with this new milestone in Addy's life, came baby proofing the house on a new level. Making sure there are gates by the stairs and around the kitchen island, putting locks on all the cabinets (not just a few) and of course making sure the floor is always spotless so she's not tripping over things.

She was such a happy and bubbly baby. I see that in her now as a young child. She is Peeta. She has his nose, his mouth, his eyes, and his personality. The only thing she got from me was my hair and facial structure. I don't resent Peeta for it. I love seeing her with him. He's so patient and loving. My favorite thing to do is watch them paint together. He lets her scribble random lines all over the paper until it turns into a big brown mess, and then compliments her on her creativity and then hangs it on what he calls "Addy's wall" in his studio for all her paintings.

I lay with her in bed, my now 4, almost 5 year old daughter, playing with her hair while she sleeps. She is truly the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. Never in a million years would I think that I would be married with a daughter before I was 25. Hell, less than 10 years ago, I was sure I was going to die.

As I slowly peel her off of me and make my way out of her room, I hear her rustle around.

"Mommy," she says, "Can you stay with me?"

I almost faint at these words. I guess me and her are more alike than I thought. I asked Peeta the exact same question the night before the quell.

"I have a better idea. How about you come sleep with me and Daddy tonight?" I say.

"Yeah, I wanna do that." She says.

I walk over to her and grab her and her blanket. She presses herself to my chest and we make our way across the hall to mine and Peeta's bedroom. When I walk in Peeta is laying in bed watching tv. He turns it off when he sees us.

"I brought a guest with me tonight. She says she wants to sleep with us." I say laying in bed.

"Well I guess we can make room for one more." He says snuggling closer to us.

He protectively wraps his arm around me and Addy.

"Goodnight you two. I love you." He says.

Before I can even answer Addy says, "We love you too Daddy."

I hope you don't hate me but I skipped ahead only because I didn't want to go through 5 years of baby Addy because it would be so redundant and I would probably get bored, and so would you. I highlighted the main milestones in her life and then tied it back to present day. Again I'm sorry if you don't like it but the story needed to go in this direction.
Hope you enjoy!
-Mel 😘