Finding the Missing Piece: Book 4

Chapter Sixty-Five

Peeta POV-

"What?" I ask frantically.

Katniss looks like she's going to puke, it could be the glucose test but I'm thinking it's more because of nerves.

"I was definitely right. You're having a girl." Dr. Coles says with a chuckle.

My heart skips a beat as Katniss let's out a held breath, pulling me into a side hug.

"I love you, Peeta." Katniss cries.

I feel tears streaming down my cheeks, "I love you too."

"I think this reaction was almost better than the first one." Dr. Coles laughs.

I pull away from Katniss and look Dr. Coles right in the eyes, "Well, that was a little disheartening." I say kind of rudely.

That move changed my whole image of her.

I'm just so glad she was right.

I'm happy either way but the bond I have with her already is astounding.

"Well, I'm sorry about that and the worry but I still had to check." She says, tossing me a the tube of gel again, "Redo it if you want a few more snapshots. You got it all over you." She says, gesturing my messy shirt.

I glance down and see she is right.

Katniss lifts her shirt up higher and I reapply the gel and Dr. Coles hands me the probe, "Play around a few minutes." She says, leaving the room.

I've never had a doctor that allowed their devices to be messed with by patients but I don't say anything, she is a mom-pop obstetrician so that's probably why.

As soon as the door shuts, Katniss turns to me.

"You do it." Katniss says, a little nervously.

I look at her and a smile involuntarily crosses my face. I lean forward and peck her warm lips, it leaves tingles.

"Find her face and then let's talk to her." She tells me, so ready and excited.

It makes me even happier on days like this, seeing how excited she is.

I nod my head and move it across her firm belly, finding Willow's perfect little face, even though she has her arms and hands trying to hide.

She looks a lot fuller than she was just a few months ago but she is still so beautiful and perfect.

I can't believe that I helped make her.

I think it's so cool that Katniss is making a person with her body, that's so fascinating to me.

"Look, it's like she's shying away." Katniss giggles.

I look up at the screen then back at Katniss.

"Talk to her." I say.

She gets red in the face, "No, I don't like doing that in public. It's embarrassing."

"How is it embarrassing? It is just us too and it's your baby. Look, hold this and I'll talk to her." I say as Katniss holds the probe where I left it.

I bend down, "Willow?" I say softly.

She starts moving some and you can see it on Katniss's tummy and the monitor.

It's as if she turns her head to listen.

"It's Mommy and Daddy." I say to her in a baby voice.

She moves a little bit more and I smile widely, "Baby Mellark." Katniss calls.

I laugh a little when she says this.

"You're baby Mellark and she is too, for now." Katniss tells me and the fact that she says 'for now' makes me really happy.

I give her a big grin, partly because I can't help it and partly because I feel really ecstatic.

Every time we have moments like this, it's as if nothing else matters but us and how happy we are. All my sadness just disappears and I finally feel complete.

"Willow, Mommy and Daddy love you." Katniss says and I feel all warm inside, just seconds before she was embarrassed to talk to Willow in public and now she doesn't seem to care.

I poke the side of her tummy, where her feet seem to be and I press down a few times, tapping her feet. That's when she kicks back extremely hard, making Katniss jump, you can see her little feet pressed to her belly nearly making an imprint of her tiny foot.

"Look." I say, poking her tiny feet as she kicks back again and again.

Katniss gasps, "It's what you wanted to see her do, look Peeta. Look." She cries happily.

I smile and look at the monitor that Katniss still has on Willow's upper body, she waves her little arms up.

She must be awake now.

About the time we start having a lot of fun, Dr. Coles walks in.

"Having fun?" She asks.

I laugh, "Yes. We are." I tell her and Katniss nods her head and wipes tears and her nose with her sleeve.

"Good. I figured you guys would." She says.

"I am going to do a few more things concerning the baby's development and then will be taking your blood now and results should be in within a couple of days." She says.

She measures her all around and gets rough estimates of the baby's weight and height.

It's kind of neat to watch.

Then, Dr. Coles gets a needle out.

Katniss's smile drops and she nods her head nervously.

The nurse comes in and together they prick her index finger and take whatever they need.

When we finally get to leave, Katniss requests a meal, which I am not opposed to since I fasted with her.

We haven't eaten since last night at about 8 pm and it's now noon.

"That was pretty fun." Katniss says as we pull into a restaurant.

"It was very fun." I smile, squeezing her knee gently.

"I love you, Peeta. And I love Willow." She says softly.

I chuckle, "I love you both too."

"And Willow loves you too." Katniss laughs.

I smile, "And she loves you."

"We all love each other." She giggles.

I poke her nose, "You're sweet."

"No way. That's you and our baby."

"It's all three of us."

Katniss smiles, "I think she's gonna be like you."

"What if she's like you?" I ask.

"Poor kid. Maybe she will look like me and act like you?" Katniss suggests.

"Or the opposite." I say.

"Maybe she will look like us both and have the good parts of us?"

I chuckle, "I sure hope so." I tell her truthfully.

"Me too." She says, leaning over and leaning her head on my shoulder.

I turn my head and kiss the top of hers.

"Let's go get some food into you two."