Our Love Will Remain - The story after Mockingjay

Chapter 23

After I got dressed, I walked downstairs with Ivy to see if the breakfast's ready yet. When I reach the kitchen, a wonderful smell hits my nose.

"Uhh, it smells so GOOD!" I exclaim, and soon figure out that Peeta is making crepes. He turns around and gives me a kiss.

"Haymitch called and said that he would be coming over later." he says and smiles. "He maid it sound like he just wanted to see us but I bet he can't wait to see her." he continues and kisses Ivy on the forehead.

"Hey, honey. Did you have a good time with Mommy." he says with that sweet voice. I smile at the thought of me being 'Mommy' now.

"I bet you'd love to be with Daddy for a while now." I say, handing her to Peeta. He smiles. I love the thought of him being Daddy as much as I love the thought of me being Mommy. I kiss him on the lips, but he soon breaks away to return to our daughter.

"The crepes are ready, would you mind turning off the stove, darling?" he says, putting extra weight on the word 'darling'. I smile teasingly at him.

"Of course, my love." I say as normally as possible, not adding any weight on the last part to make it sound like a joke. Because it isn't. He really is my love, so why don't make it clear for him? I turn off the stove and pick up the plate on which Peeta has laid the crepes. I also take a plate full of strawberries and put it on the kitchen table. Peeta has already laid the table, while laying Ivy in a baby rocker we have in the living room right next to the kitchen. He then goes to collect her and we sit down by the table, one eating while the other holds Ivy. After we have finished Ivy gets a little whiny and I feed her. Peeta looks at us with fascination, like he's never seen anything like it. I smile and laugh a little.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I ask. He smiles and locks his eyes with mine.

"I don't know. It has a calming effect, even if you're just watching it." he says, leaning in to kiss me. I kiss him eagerly and we stop when the door opens. It can't be anyone else than Haymitch. He is the only one who walks in like he was owning the place. I don't mind, he feels almost like family now, after all we've been through. Of all the people I've been away from and lost through these years, Haymitch has always been in the same place that I have. If you count out the Games, and somehow I don't, because it almost felt like he was there, sending the parachutes and secret messages to me. He almost feels like the Father I lost so long ago. We get up and greet him. For once, he isn't drunk.

"Well hello, been breeding lately, huh?" he says. I snort.

"No. Just this one." I say, starting to rock Ivy. Haymitch steps forward.

"Well, hello, little Katniss. I hope you don't inherit your mother's personality, the town might burn down again." he says, stroking her cheek with a finger. I snort.

"That wasn't her fault." Peeta defends. "Besides, I'd love if she'd inherit Katniss' personality, triple happiness for me." he says, kissing my cheek.

"Peeta, that makes double. Two makes double." I correct him. But he just smiles at me lovingly.

"It makes triple in my case." he says, grabbing my waist and kissing Ivy on the cheek.

"Ivy, isn't it? You've done a pretty good job with her so far." Haymitch says. When Haymitch says something positive, he means it times ten. That means he could as well just have said 'I love you'. This thought makes me laugh.

"What's so funny?" Haymitch says, and then walks out the door. First, I think he went home, but soon he comes back in with a huge box in his hands. He puts it down on the table.

"Would you mind taking care of this? I figured that I have far more than I need back home." he says, opening the box, which is full of spirit bottles. But I understand the true meaning behind these words. Haymitch will try to stop drinking. Ok, he probably won't stay away from spirit full time, but he won't be drunk all the time as he usually is. I feel grateful for this. He must want to show a good example for Ivy, or at least not show a bad example. Peeta nods and takes the box from the table. He walks to the sink and starts to empty the bottles, one by one. I wonder why Haymitch didn't do this himself, but then I figure that the temptation would probably have been too great. I can feel the smell of alcohol in the air, so I walk to the living room with Ivy. Haymitch sits down on the couch opposite to me.