Chapter Text
I’m staring at Laurel for the hundredth time, counting her eyelashes, when Peeta comes into the room and kisses my neck. “Come on, sweetheart. I love you, but we need to get some rest before the baby wakes up again.” I nod, and I walk with Peeta to our room, our hands intertwined up to the elbow.
Deep in the meadow, under the willow
A bed of grass, a soft green pillow
Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes
And when you awake, the sun will rise.
Madge was wrong. It’s not easy to love someone. But that doesn’t make it any less important. Peeta has his bad days still, but I’ve learned not to give in. And I have mine, when I won’t talk to him, and he has to draw me out to find the problem. We try to talk as much as possible, but that’s hard with a newborn in the house. Of course, we also try to do this as often as possible, too.
Sex is no longer about power or control or schedules. We have less of it these days, but the quality is so much better. As we slip off each other’s robes, we can take a moment to stop and appreciate the simple fact that we have each other. We can slide into bed and simply enjoy the moment. We’re not looking to express ourselves through the physical anymore. Rather, it’s just the culmination of everything we’ve been saying all day.
Here it's safe, here it's warm
Here the daisies guard you from harm
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true
Here is the place where I love you.
The baby cries sometime after we’re done, but Peeta goes to grab her. He holds Laurel in his arms, and I sing to them both. It’s easy to love her, but that doesn’t make it any less important. He takes the braids out of my hair as I sing, and we feel whole.
Deep in the meadow, hidden far away
A cloak of leaves, A moonbeam ray, Forget your woes and let your troubles lay
And when again it's morning, they'll wash away.
Here it's safe, here it's warm
Here the daisies guard you from every harm
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true
Here is the place where I love you.