Stay With Me...

Chapter 9

"Are you ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be I guess." I say with a unsure laugh.

"Ok then. Turn around." I slowly turn around and look up.

My mouth drops. My eyes begin to water, and I am speechless. I can't take my eyes off of it. I don't know how to describe it. I have mixed emotions about it. I'm happy, excited, confused, mad, and sad all at the same time. I turn to see Peeta with the biggest smile on his face.

"It's, beautiful." I stutter. I feel the tears come falling down my face. He steps forward and wraps his arms around me. I just lay my head against his chest and cry. I cry with happiness, and hatred. But mostly love.

"You know... you weren't suppose to cry. I built it as a good thing." He says. I laugh a little.

"I know Peeta. It gorgeous. I just don't know if I'm entirely ready to except the fact that they are all gone."

"Katniss. This is a way to remember that, ok yes they may be gone but, they are still here. if that makes sense." I take my head away from his chest and look up at him. I smile and nod.

"It's good enough." I turn around to look at it again but still in his arms.

It's the stone house that my dad used to take me to when I was little. The house by the creek that Gale and I would come and talk in. The house that shares so many memories of my past. Peeta decorated it. He strung primroses elegantly along the top of the windows, underneath the windowsills, and the very edge of the rooftop. He has planted rue all along side of the house and put them in little plant boxes in the window. It looks gorgeous.
He moves his hand into mine and leads me through the door.
It has two rocking chairs. One of them was the one my mom sat in all day and night grieving over my father, and the other one is the one my father would take naps in every Sunday afternoon. There was a table between the two chairs and on that table was my little picture of my father, the pearl Peeta gave me during the quarter quell, and the necklace Effie gave Peeta of my mother, Prim, and Gale. But instead of Gale it was a picture of my father. I turn around and see a real fireplace that is flickering with light and shooting out little ashes here and there. Something is sitting I front of the fireplace that I can't make out right away. I step in closer just to find out that it is that thing. Buttercup. Prim's little, grumpy, cat. Shockingly he is asleep. I decide to leave him be for now. There are beautiful paintings everywhere.
I have no way of telling Peeta how thankful I really am for all of this. I turn to him and smile.
"Do you like it?" He asks with a worried look.
"I love it Peeta." I say lying my head on his chest. I feel him let out a big breath. I laugh. I lift my head his chest and look deeply into his beautiful blue eyes.
"I love you." I whisper to him.
"You have no idea how much I wanted to hear that." He says bringing a smile to his face. "I love you too Katniss." I lay my head back in his chest and he gently rubs his hand in a circular motion on my back.

I don't think he will ever understand how much love I have towards him.