Finding the Missing Piece: Book 4

Chapter Seventy-Two

Peeta POV-

There seems to be no recollection of what happened last night between Katniss, Carter, and I, except in Katniss and I's eyes.

She turns to her mother and starts babbling off random, inaudible things and bouncing up and down.

Everyone watches her except Katniss and I, whose eyes are on each other and that's when Carter turns towards me, reaching out and pointing her tiny fingers at me, then says it again and again.

Everyone freezes.

Katniss glares at me and Bristol looks at Carter in shock.

"Annie. Finnick. Can you two leave us alone for a few minutes?" Katniss asks with gritted teeth.

I that's when I know that hell is about to break lose, yet again.

Quickly, Finnick and Annie exit the room without words.

Katniss's eyes don't leave mine.

She's about to lose it, her and Willow's heart monitors beep a little faster.

"What did she just call him?" Katniss asks, like she didn't hear it even though we ALL know that she did.

"She called Peeta 'dad.'" Bristol says, confused.

Katniss bites her lip, taking a deep breath.

I stand up, trying to figure out what to do.

"What the hell?" Katniss says.

"Are you teaching her to call you guys that?" Bristol asks, glancing at both Katniss and I.

Oh no.

"Does the face I'm making really say that, Bristol?" Katniss shoots angrily, with gritted teeth and a death glare that I haven't seen in a long while.

She looks up at Katniss and gives her a hurt look.

"She already thinks you're her parents or something. She's had a better relationship with y'all than she's ever had with Brandon and I."

Nobody says a word.

"Why don't you guys just adopt her? Katniss, Peeta, Carter, and Willow. A perfect family." Bristol says, infuriated.

"Um, actually she said that last night but we didn't teach her to say it." I butt in.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Bristol asks.

I shrug and stand up, "Because I knew I would get this reaction from you and Katniss was already extremely upset about it."

"If you're not teaching her, then why does she keep saying it when you're around? Because she's never said it around me and she doesn't even say 'mom.'"

"I don't know. It's not us though." I tell her truthfully.

Why the hell would we want Carter to call Katniss and I that?

"Why would we teach her that?" Katniss says.

"Maybe she heard Katniss and you talking to Willow?" Bristol shrugs.

"Neither of us have talked to Willow when she's around." Katniss tells her.

"If so, I always talk to her about Katniss, not myself." I say, I know that much is true.

"Then where is she getting it?"

"I don't know, but if you think it's us, you must be insane." Katniss shoots at her with raised eyebrows.

I know she's absolutely pissed and I can't really blame her now, not after Bristol's reaction.

I still think Katniss overreacted last night but for her to say it again and again today, when everyone was here just set it off and for Bristol to accuse us of teaching her crossed a line.

"Maybe it's just her first word? It's lots of kids first words." I suggest.