Finding the Missing Piece: Book 5

Chapter Thirty-Four

Katniss POV- (September, Willow is 19 months old)

"Peeta, I know that you are having a rough week with this all still and I get that but you don't have to ignore me." I blurt out to him.

"I'm not ignoring you, Katniss." Peeta says softly.

"If you would actually talk to me about what you feel I could try to help you." I remind him.

That's apart of being married I'm pretty sure, is talking to the other when you're upset and the other person trying to help you the best that they can, even if they can't.

He sighs, "It's not my stupid family Katniss. They aren't even important anymore. Just leave it alone."

"You have a family of your own now, Peeta. Just because your real family is dead and isn't important to you doesn't mean Willow and I should be too."

"I didn't say that. Just leave me alone, please?" Peeta's eyes turn cloudy looking as he softly asks me.

I sigh deeply, I know I should just leave him alone because obviously something is hitting him pretty hard right now.

"And you treat me like a princess and always have but could you please start helping me just a little bit more? Just with Willow." I start, "Since you opened the bakery it's like you come home and then go to bed and we never get to see each other anymore." I state, on the verge of tears.

He looks up from his food again, his neck stiff.

"It's like you're exhausting yourself again and I'm not trying to make you more tired but ugh, I just am really stressed out right now and you ignoring me is not helping a thing." I say wanting to pull my hair out.

Every since he opened that stupid bakery, I feel like he doesn't even remotely like me anymore. He pays very little attention to Willow and little to no attention to me. He's just sleeping in our bed, that's it. We haven't kissed in weeks and he never says he loves me either, unless I say it first and then he usually just nods his head and goes on. I'm not sure what's gotten into him but I don't like it.

He swallows his food, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not in front of Willow, I don't." I mumble.

I don't want her to ever see us fight. We are horrible to each other when we are mad and I don't want her to see it or hear it, especially since she's older.

"I can call Finnick to pick her up and we can do all the discussing we want." Peeta says kind of irritated.

I roll my eyes, "No, it's too late, we can just talk about it later, or never. Whatever. I just really don't care." I lie. And stand up, pushing my chair in and put my plate in the sink.

Willow, who has no clue what is going on just happily finishes her food. A minute later I start cleaning her up and I take her upstairs with me and give her a bath.

"What you doin'?" She asks me, knowing something is up.

I sigh and try to give a real smile, "I'm giving you a bath, silly." I say poking her belly.

She giggles and lets out a big yawn, rubbing her eyes.

"Are you sleepy, baby girl?" I ask her, rubbing her back gently.

Willow bobs her brown head.

"You want to go to bed after your bath?"

She shakes her head, 'No.'

"We can read your books." I suggest to her.

"Yep." Willow mumbles.

"Okay, you're all done." I say a few minutes later and drain the tub. I get her out and wrap her up in a towel. I snuggle her for a little bit before I get her dressed when we head into her bedroom. She sits in my lap in the chair and I read to her for awhile, snuggled up to me and her lamb. She falls asleep not that soon after and I put her in her crib and go to my bedroom where Peeta is and where I was hoping he was not.