Katniss and Peeta Mellark:There are Far Worse Games to Play

Chapter 10

"Peeta!", I hiss at my husband, laying next to me. "What?", he replies, groggily. "The baby's coming", I say even more urgently as a sharp pain shoots through me. "Come on. We've got to get to your mother's house. She'll deliver the baby there", Peeta says. This was already arranged because I didn't trust anybody else except for my mother to deliver our child.

When we get to my mother's house I nearly pass out from pain. "Peeta!", I whine. "It's ok. It'll be over soon", Peeta tries reassuring me. "It's going to be ok Katniss", My Mother reassures me as well. I breathe in deeply and breathe out continuously until the pain gets extreme and I end up squeezing Peeta's hand while I give birth. By the end of it, I let go of Peeta's hand, sure that I've cut off the circulation.

***

After all that I've been through I finally feel like I've achieved something when I hold her in my arms. Peeta kisses my forehead while I cuddle her then he holds her. "She looks like you Katniss", Peeta says, adoringly. "Except for the eyes. There yours", I say. "What are we going to name her?", Peeta asks me. I honestly haven't picked out a name for her yet. I think of Prim and I know that if I name her Prim I will seriously break down because even though my sister has been gone for years, I still miss her too much. "Willow?", I suggest. I got this name from the lullaby that I used to sing to Prim and it's the same lullaby that I sang to Rue, while she died. "Perfect. What about Willow Primrose?", Peeta suggests. "I like it", I answer. So that's her name. Willow Primrose Mellark.

After the initial happiness has worn off, Peeta and I go back to our house and I go upstairs to rest. It's early morning so I wait for Peeta to put Willow in her crib before I go to sleep, just to make sure she's ok.