Begin Again [Wattys 2013 Finalist]

Chapter 54

A January snow storm rages outside as Peeta and I sit on the couch eating dinner while watching TV. I'm eight months pregnant and the baby is due in less than a month. My stomach is huge now. It's so big that Peeta can't even get his arms all the way around my waist at night anymore. I take my plate and place it on top of my belly where it balances as I eat. Peeta laughs at me and I playfully slap his arm. He laughs harder.

"Stop!" I say, now laughing at myself with him. "It's functional being this fat!"

"I can see," he says.

"Can you believe that the baby will be here any week now?"

He shakes his head no.

"We don't even have a name." He says.

"We still have time to pick," I tell him.

"I know."

After we eat and watch television, we walk upstairs with Peeta's arm around my back. We change into pajamas and I sit on the bench at the foot of our bed, brushing my hair. Peeta comes over and kneels down in front of me, putting his hands on either side of my incredibly pregnant stomach and kissing it.

"I love you baby girl. I hope you come into the world healthy like the doctor tells us you will. Come out soon, I want to meet you and I want you to stop kicking mommy. She goes through a lot for you. Be nice to her."

I laugh at his nightly conversation with our child as he stands up and kisses my head.

"I love you too Katniss," he tells me.

"And I love you Peeta."

We get in bed and fall asleep. The next morning, I wake up feeling fine. Bloated, but fine. Peeta leaves to go to the bakery after breakfast and I'm left to myself in the house. I make the bed and vacuum the floors before I sit down with a cup of tea and a book. I put the cup and book down on the table and put my hands on my stomach. All of a sudden a shooting pain cuts through me, making me scream loudly. I try to get up to reach the phone, but I fail and fall to the floor. I've felt my share of pain, but nothing like this. I try to fight the pain again to stand, but I can't. I grab my stomach in agony, trying to think of something to do. Luckily, Effie was out in the garden and heard me scream. She runs in my front door and comes over to where I am on my knees in the middle of the floor.

"What's wrong?" She asks, surprisingly calm.

"I don't know," I manage to say as tears pour out of my eyes.

"Okay, hang on," she says as she runs out again.

In less than a minute, she's back with Haymitch. They both help me up and as I take a step with my arms around each of them, I feel my water break.

Haymitch says, "Well at least we know what it is now. Katniss, I know it's early, but you're going into labor."

All I can get out is a whimper through the pain. They help me outside and into Effie's car. I never saw the need for one, but I'm thankful that Effie did. Haymitch drives and Effie sits in the back seat with me, squeezing my hand and comforting me in a way that's almost motherly.

"We're almost to the hospital. How you doing sweetheart?" Haymitch asks, definitely taking the role of the father figure. I want to thank them both for helping me, for always helping me, for being like parents to me and Peeta, but all I end up saying is,

"Peeta. Call Peeta."

"Right!" Says Effie, pulling out her cell phone as I recite the number of the bakery to her.