Chapter Text
“I can’t get over how precious she is.” Prim gushes as she holds Adeline the next day. She was finally free from work and finally able to see her. “How was the first night?” She asks as we sit on the couch together. Peeta was somewhere in the house making himself busy while Prim visited. He was all for giving me my space.
“She slept the whole way through.” I tell her.
“That’s my good girl.”
“I’m going to need to invest in a breast pump or something.” I tell her. “If she’s going to keep sleeping long stretches, I’m going to need to pump to relieve some pressure.”
“Expressing isn’t a bad idea. At least that gives Peeta the opportunity to feed her and give you a break.”
“That’s what I was thinking.”
“Besides they’ve never been this huge before.” Prim grins looking at my chest. “You sure they’re yours?”
“Of course they are.” I tell her, looking down at my larger sized chest. “They feel like they’ve ballooned overnight.”
“I bet someone likes looking at them though.” Prim smirks.
I hit her, quietening her because Peeta was just down the hallway.
“He can hear you.”
“Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it.” She says keeping her eyes on her niece.
“I’ve just had your niece, my vagina went through a lot of trauma, I’m nowhere in interested in going down that path again.”
“The same path that got you Adeline.”
“Yes.”
She snickers and rocks Adeline gently. “You’re mother is crazy but you’ll love her.”
I bite my lip. “Speaking of crazy, I met the ex-wife yesterday.”
“Really?”
“Camille was supposed to tell her but I think she caught on from someone else and coincidently dropped in to see her son to scope me out.”
“Don’t let her get to you, she left this life for whatever else.” Prim reminds me. “She walked out on Peeta and she has no reason to make your life hell. It’s all about Adeline now and she can’t be jealous.”
“You know what exes are like though.”
“Of course I do but she has no reason to tear you’re little family apart.”
“Katniss?” Peeta whispers.
“Hmm?”
“You’re mom’s here.” He tells me with a smile. He has Adeline in his arms sleeping soundly. “She’s just in the kitchen but take your time. Nolan is in their charming her.”
“What has he said?” I groan.
He grins. “Nothing that’ll make her run for the hills.” He laughs. “Come on.”
I sit up slowly and he helps pull me up onto my feet. He kisses my temple and holds Adeline at a height for me to kiss her.
“I can’t get over how perfect she is.” He says smiling. “I’ve forgotten how wonderful this first part is and how much I am filled with happiness and love. It’s a good feeling.”
He keeps Adeline in his arms and I trail behind him to the kitchen where Nolan and my mother sit talking. My mother laughs at Nolan and I shake my head. Like father, like son. They had that silver tongue and smile that could win anyone over.
My mother smiles at me and I greet her with an embrace. Peeta holds Adeline out for her and she happily takes her granddaughter.
My mother is smiling from ear to ear as she hears Peeta and Nolan tell stories. I wondered what she thought of me having a baby with a guy 16 years older than me, closer to her age then my own. I wondered what she thought about the whole situation.
But she seems to not mind. She seems chuffed really and as she bonds with Peeta more and more I think she feels at ease over how honorable her granddaughter’s father was. How wonderful he was and how he’ll take care of Adeline and I.
“Katniss’ father does a lot of international work at the moment, he’s head of the biggest mining company in the country and with the overseas ties he has to keep up with appearances.” Mom tells the men. “He’ll be coming home to a surprise though.”
“Shit, I forgot to tell him.” I say. “Mom, what am I going to do?” I ask her.
“Leave it to me.” She tells me with a smile. “You’re father adores you.”
“But I don’t think he expected this from me.” I reply. “No offence Peeta.”
“None taken.” He laughs. “It’s a bit of an odd situation all-round.”
“That it is.” My mother agrees. “But there’s a new baby in our lives and I don’t think we can’t accept her.”
I smile and Peeta reaches out for my leg underneath the table, squeezing it gently.
“Should I be worried though?” Peeta asks almost nervous. “Should I start running now?”
“No, he’s not like that.” I assure Peeta.
“Be worried if you break his daughter’s heart though.” Mom adds. “Or walk out on his first grandchild.”
I watch Peeta gulp and I reach across the table for his hand. “He’ll love you. He’ll love you for doing this.” I motion to around us. “And for her.”
“When does he get home?”
“Tuesday.”
“Should we have a dinner then?” Peeta suggests. “I can cook.”
“No, you two have enough on your plate with Adeline. We’ll do a quick afternoon tea or something. Vance will probably be tired after the long flight anyway.”
“Where and what time?” Nolan asks.
“Nolan, this is just between Katniss, her family and I. I don’t think Mr Everdeen will want to be bombarded with you three, especially as he’s about to find out he has a granddaughter.” Peeta says.
“We’ll do a family thing later on.” I tell Nolan with a smile. “Introduce you all to each other.”
“When are you going to tell Nan she has another grandkid?” Nolan asks. “You’ll want to tell her before Mom does.”
“Fuck.” He mutters. “Sorry. I shouldn’t swear.”
“You haven’t told your mother?” I say.
“The last few days have been a blur.” He says. “I-“
“Peeta…”
“I will. I promise.”
“You should probably prepare her dad.”
“For what?”
“She’s a witch.” Nolan says. “And that’s putting it nicely.”
My mother chuckles from beside me. “Told you Katniss, family’s can be messy.”
Janice Mellark arrives. She opts to knock instead of using the doorbell. A knock that sends shivers down my spine. Peeta opens the door slowly, leaving my side as I nurse Adeline. I can just imagine the look on her face. A disappointed look. Her lips pressed in a thin line.
“Peeta.”
“Mother, what do I owe this occasion to?”
“Hmm, let me just say I’ve heard a bit of talk.” I hear her say and I scowl.
“You told us to never believe in rumors.”
“Well this one came straight from a reliable source.”
“Cashmere?” He asks.
“Mh-hm.” She nods. “When were you going to tell me you got another girl pregnant who I might add is close in age to my three grown grandchildren.”
I hear him invite her in. I sit nursing Adeline in the living room and wish I wasn’t as exposed to her like this on first contact.
A woman in her late sixties enters the room, her hair a shade of honey blonde after numerous hair dye treatments. She has her nose turned up as she looks around and her eyes finally land on me sitting in the armchair with her granddaughter nursing.
“Mom this is Katniss.” Peeta introduces. “Katniss this is my mother Janice.”
“Nice to meet you Mrs Mellark. Sorry, I’d get up but I’m a little occupied.” I apologise.
“Does she have a name?” Janice asks. “It’s probably some way out there name you young women like to call your children these days.”
“It’s Adeline Rose.” I tell her, trying my best to not let her offend me.
She narrows her eyes at me and then Adeline. “Peeta, don’t you think it’s inappropriate for her to be nursing so exposed?”
Peeta stiffens beside his mother. “Adeline is feeding. It’s a natural thing. I don’t have a problem with my daughter eating. And I don’t want Katniss to feel ashamed or uncomfortable as she nurses. She’s a new mother and she needs that confidence and support if she wants to continue.” He tells his mother and I smile to myself. “Besides, all I can see is my daughter’s head.”
She huffs. “What about your other children? It’s a little inappropriate for them don’t you think?”
“Mom, they are fine with it.” Peeta tells her. “They are grown adults.” He reminds her. “They’re quite supportive of it though.”
She rolls her eyes. “I’ll be in the kitchen.”
She skulks off and Peeta squeezes his fists together. He moves towards us both and kneels in front of us.
“I’m so sorry. I’ll try and make this as quick and painful as possible. Are you alright?” He asks.
I shrug my shoulders. “She’s fine. As long as I have you there, than I’ll be fine.”
He smiles up at me. “You’re amazing.” He tells me, taking my free hand and kissing the back of it. “You’re getting a foot rub and whatever you want for dinner.” He squeezes my hand and then kisses my forehead. “I think the girls are coming over so they might help shut it down.” He tells me. “But take your time. Seriously, take your time.” He smirks.
He’s gone quickly and I look down at Adeline, tracing her round cheek with my finger. “We’ve gotten ourselves into a crazy family little girl.”
I take my time. I slowly burp Adeline and settle her to sleep and get lost in just holding her in my arms. Studying her face and little features, imagining what she’ll turn out to look like. If she’ll be like her father or me. If she’ll take after any of her aunts or uncles. It’s a silly little game I used to play when my bump slowly started to form and I wondered what she’d look like.
Camille and Madge arrive and I wish them luck as they enter the dining room to be with their grandmother.
I move when I’m sure Adeline is sound asleep and slowly head into the dining room. The matriarch looks perfectly together in her Sunday best. Her son, looks good despite the fact that he is walking around the house with a shirt covered in spit up, possibly poo and he hasn’t showered in almost two days. Her two granddaughters look perfect, with perfectly done hair and neat clothes.
I then look down at myself in sweatpants and an oversized sweater that is covered in baby. My hair is a knotted mess on top of my head and I’m in desperate need of a long shower.
Mrs Mellark side eyes me when I finally enter the room and I take a seat beside Peeta.
“So, Katniss what did you do before you became a mother?”
“I was a teacher with Madge…”
“You knew Madge? Did you intentionally sleep with your colleagues father?”
“Mom to be honest, we didn’t know who each other was.” Peeta tells her. “We met in Fiji earlier this year?”
“Right, so you had a fling and it resulted in an unplanned child? That doesn’t sound like you at all Peeta.”
Peeta looks down at his cup and I reach underneath to touch his leg, consoling him and hoping for him to stand up to her.
“Gran, even if it was unplanned, Dad loves Adeline so much.” Madge tells her grandmother.
“He didn’t even know she existed until a few days ago.”
“What, you didn’t know you were a new father until she was born?” She asks. “How can you be sure it’s even your own biological daughter and she’s not in this for the money?”
“Mother, Katniss isn’t like that.” Peeta tells her, lowering his voice.
“People can sleep with more than one person at a time Peeta, it’s not uncommon.” She says. “Have you asked for a DNA test to ensure she’s yours?”
“I believe Katniss. She’s not like that. Adeline is mine, just look at her.” He tells his mother.
His mother frowns and Camille quickly jumps in, “Even if we didn’t know about Adeline until she was born, we’ve fallen very much in love with Addie. She’s our sister.”
“Don’t call her Addie, her name is Adeline.” Janice sneers at Camille.
I catch Camille roll her eyes and scowl. “And stop scowling, no boy will ever want to marry you looking like that.” She scolds her granddaughter.
Peeta touches my hand and squeezes it. “Mom, I wanted this to be a casual affair of meeting Katniss and Adeline but if you’re going to behave like this than I’ll have to ask you to leave.”
“Kicking your own mother out?” She challenges with the rise of a brow.
“Yes.”
She looks shocked. Obviously Peeta hasn’t stood up to his mother before and I feel pained that he hasn’t. He’s been reduced to pleasing her, not pissing her off. Now he was showing her she could no longer walk all over him.
“Just tell me one thing, you’ve had a child out of wedlock…”
“I haven’t been to church since I was 14.”
“A good Christian boy would have continued and he wouldn’t have found himself in this predicament. Twice.” She says. “Do you plan on marrying her?”
“I’m not going to marry Katniss to make you happy. I don’t want to be legally tied to Katniss in a union that she doesn’t want.”
“Have you even thought about it?”
“Mom, I’ve just welcomed a new child into my life. Katniss is a first time mother herself. We’re not rushing into anything.”
“You two are living under the same roof, it might be responsible to have a little chat or you might end up with another midlife crisis.”
Peeta’s out of his chair like a flash, the chair falling to the ground.
“Leave!” He demands.
She seems pleased with herself and slowly stands up. Madge offers to walk her out and Camille gives the two of us some privacy, taking Adeline from me.
“Peeta?”
He grips the table, his knuckles turning white and he tries to steady he’s breathing.
I touch his shoulder and feel him tense slightly before he relaxes into me.
“It’s ok.” I tell him.
He lets go of the table and turns to me, embracing me.
“I’m sorry.”
“You got it over with, I think that’s what you needed.”
“I think Cashmere got in her ear.” He says. “She seems to do that.”
“Cashmere is doing it to be petty. It’s your mother’s choice if she wants to be in Adeline’s life or not. And it’s also your choice.”
“I hate her missing out on her grandchildren but her behavior, it’s astonishing.”
He let’s me go, after he presses his lips to my forehead.
“We’ll be ok.” I tell him. “Peeta, if you want the proof, we can get a DNA test done-.”
“No, I believe you Katniss. I believe you.” He smiles against my forehead and I exhale a breath. “We’re going to be fine.”
“You look like shit.”
“Good morning to you too Nolan.” I greet him.
“Morning. You look like shit.” He tells me sympathetically. He looks around for Adeline but notices her missing. “Where’s Addie?”
“Peeta’s got her.”
“She up half the night?” Nolan asks.
“She was and in between feedings and diaper changes, I had her test her vomiting reflexes. She’s a good shot.”
“Must take after her brother.” He beams.
“Just be thankful I built up a tolerance to vomit being a teacher, if not it would have not just been her vomit.”
“Thanks for that visual.” He grimaces.
I pour some milk into my cereal and take a seat beside Nolan.
“She’s not even a week old yet.” Nolan reminds me. “She’s learning just like you are. And dad as well. He hasn’t done the baby thing for twenty years.”
“He has mentioned that.”
“How long has dad had her for?”
“An hour. He got her settled and they’re both sleeping. It gave me a chance to shower and breathe. A baby crying for thirty minutes straight is enough to make you lose you mind.” I say. “Your father is a saint.”
“He’s a good father. Devoted. A very devoted one.” Nolan tells me. “I hope I’ll be like him when I become a father.”
“You will be.” I tell him. “Did you hear her?”
“Nope. These walls are pretty soundproof.” He tells me shrugging his shoulders.
I finish my cereal, Nolan finishing another bowl and a half in the space it takes me.
“You know, if Dad and you ever need a break, I can watch her. She’s quite a good baby and I want to help out as much as I can.” He tells me. “And Madge and Camille will also lend a hand.” I smile at him. “We stick together us Mellark’s.”
I pinch his chin and smile at him. “Thank you Nolan.”
I make two cups of tea and wander on upstairs, knocking on Peeta’s door lightly before stepping inside.
Peeta lays sprawled on the bed, a protective arm around the baby. I step quietly, placing the cups of tea onto the bedside table and crawl onto the bed, facing Peeta and Adeline. He stirs as the mattress shifts and I inch closer to Adeline and Peeta.
“Morning.” He mumbles. “What you doing?”
“Joining you two.” I whisper back. “I did bring tea but a sleep does sound nice.”
He smiles and draws me even closer, placing his hand on my hip and using my body to form a cocoon around our newborn, our heads sharing the same pillow. I kiss her head and inhale the baby smell before closing my eyes. I exhale a sigh of relief and feel him touch my forehead with his lips. His warm breath tickles my forehead and I’ve never felt more at ease in my entire life.
“Little brother, who’s this beauty you’ve kept a secret from us?” His brother Grant asks, pushing his way into the house and into the living room. Adeline lays in her bouncer, half asleep. The commotion causes her to startle awake. She squeezes her fists together and drops her bottom lip as she starts crying.
“Sorry.” Grant apologises as the other Mellark enters the room. “Grant Mellark. You must be Peeta’s misses.”
“Katniss Everdeen and no just the mother of his daughter.” I greet him.
“Well, I didn’t think Peety had it in him.” Tim adds with a grin. “And this must be our niece?”
I nod and let the two men greet their niece. They manage to stop her from crying. Smiles stretch from ear to ear on their faces and I smile up at Peeta.
“Yes, Adeline Rose.”
“Addie Mellark, that’s got a good ring to it.” Grant says. “Hello Miss Addie.”
“Why can’t anyone say her full name?” Peeta asks, dropping down beside me like a temperamental toddler. “It’s Adeline. Nolan, Madge and Camilla call her Addie.”
“Well for starts, Madge’s name is Madison.” Tim reminds him.
“And who started calling her Madge?” Peeta asks.
“I did but it was a long name. It’s stuck though.” Tim adds with a shrug. “You call her Madge as well.”
“Do you mind Addie for short?” Grant asks me. “Are you called Kat?”
“No, no one calls me Kat.” I tell them. “And as for Addie, I think it’s cute. I’m still getting used to the fact that I have a newborn though, so it might take a while for me to start calling her Addie.”
“Well Adeline Rose, welcome to the crazy family.” Tim says with a grin. “Can I hold her?”
Peeta and I both nod in unison and Tim gently takes Adeline out. He’s a natural, just like his brother, and holds his niece carefully.
“I will admit Peet, the next baby I held I expected it to be a grandchild or a great niece or nephew.” Tim tells his baby brother. “But this is a nice surprise.”
Adeline is handed to Grant next and Grant remains silent for five whole minutes as he takes her in. Adeline’s baby blues peak open barely but before long she’s asleep in his arms.
“Welcome to the family sweet Adeline.” He whispers to her and cradles her in his arms silently for a long while after.
It’s Tim who asks the questions.
“So, if she was full term, I’m detecting a February conception date. Where were you in February, 9 months ago?”
Peeta coughs and shifts beside me. “Remember that conference in Fiji over Valentine’s Day?”
“No way.” Tim chuckles. “She’s a product of conference one-night stand?”
Peeta bites his lip and winces. “It was a week long fling.” He admits to his brother and looks at me to apologise. “I don’t know when the actual conception date was. Katniss?”
“The doctor guessed the 16th of February.” I tell them. “She was two weeks early though.”
“Oh Peety.” Grant laughs.
“So Katniss, I hear you worked with Madge?” Tim asks.
“I did for a little while. I haven’t been there for two years.”
“Why?”
“Grant.” Peeta warns.
“No it’s fine.” I assure him. “I was with a guy who I thought I would spend the rest of my life with. Turns out he had a family on the east coast and was using me as a brief affair while he was setting up some business thing here in Panem.”
“Asshole.”
“I was embarrassed, that’s why I left but it turned out Ok I supposed.” I say smiling. “I ended up with a pretty good gift.”
“That you did.” Grant agrees. “No asshole from the east coast, just a lonely single father from the west coast with three grown kids.”
“Grant.” Peeta groans.
Grant chuckles and I smile at Peeta, realising that ending up having a child to him was a thousand times better than ending up with a child from the jackass from the east coast.
It’s a quiet night that night. Nolan working at the bar downtown, leaving Peeta and I alone to have dinner. Adeline sleeps in her rocker by our feet as we sit in front of the TV watching a series we both enjoy.
Peeta’s pasta is wonderful and I greedily help myself to seconds. He smiles as I settle back down beside him and spoon more mouthfuls of the creamy pasta into my mouth.
At the conclusion of the episode, he switches over the channel and lowers the volume of the sitcom comedy.
“Katniss?”
“Hmm.”
“I think we should maybe talk.”
“About?”
“Us.”
I nod. I knew this talk was due to come sometime soon. Prim and my mother urged me to raise the topic of us and where we stood but I didn’t want to disrupt the unconditional love we’re bathing in at the moment. I even knew Peeta’s brothers and his own children had mentioned it to him and he brushed it off just like I did.
“So, I don’t want to come off too strongly.” He says. “But I do have feelings for you. Strong feelings. I have since we met in Fiji and I couldn’t explain what those feelings were when we were together but I know they were romantic not just lust. I didn’t realise until it was too late.” He admits to me. “And I know we’ve just had a baby together and I don’t want to rush into something because we think we should for the sake of Adeline but I want you to know how I feel for you.”
He ponders for a moment. “And if we pursue nothing I want you to know how deeply I care for you as well as Adeline.” He tells me. “I’m sorry if I’ve scared you off but I want to be honest with you, especially as we have a daughter together.”
I nod and a small smile forms on my lips. “I feel it.” I tell him. “I was gutted when we parted that morning and I wish it was more than just a fling. I yearned to wake up beside you for weeks after and feel you beside me.” I smile. “I think we should be there for our daughter first and see where this goes.”
He agrees with a shy smile.
I go to bed with a small smile and can feel the warmth of his lips still linger on the corner of my mouth where he kissed me goodnight.
“We’ve got to get going soon.” I tell Peeta. Dad was home from China and our afternoon tea was creeping up slowly.
Peeta was nervous, I knew he was. He had been since my mother suggested afternoon tea.
But he really had nothing to be worried about. Dad would love him.
“Sorry, just had an issue with the pays.” He tells me with a smile. “You look nice.”
I look down at my thrown together outfit. I had struggled to find clothes that were comfortable and being only 5 days postpartum, I was still so sore and tender and experiencing leaking boobs. Adeline had found her appetite and my milk had finally arrived.
“Thanks.” I say. “It’s hard to part away from the sweatpants and oversized sweater.” I tell him.
“You could be wearing a sack and you’d still look like the most beautiful woman in the entire world.”
I blush slightly and smile. He smiles up at me. “I’ll be 5.”
I nod and walk off to finish packing the diaper bag. This was our first outing and it wasn’t as if we were going to the mall or out for lunch, just to Mom and Dad’s for an hour tops.
But I wasn’t taking any chances in forgetting something for the hour we’d be out.
“What’s in this?” Peeta asks as he carries the diaper bag to the car.
“Supplies.”
“Did you pack her whole wardrobe?” He asks me with a smirk.
“Just a few spares. It could get cold or she could vomit or poo.”
He shakes his head with a grin and opens the passenger door for me. He sets the diaper bag in and then takes the car seat from me, locking it into the base and tickling Adeline’s cheek before he shuts the door.
I climb into my seat in the front and he drives us downtown. He stops outside the bakery to pick up some treats and drives towards my parent’s home. My childhood home.
“This is a beautiful neighbourhood.” Peeta says as he drives along. “I wanted to raise my kids here but I couldn’t afford it.” He tells me. “Just the thing that got me was the lemonade stands and the parks filled with kids. It just seemed like such a wonderful place and there was this feeling of community which I wanted to raise my kids in.”
I smile and watch as a dad helps his daughter ride her bike. Letting go of her to ride unassisted for the first time.
I could imagine Peeta doing this with his kids. The devotion and love he’d have to spend time with them once he finished work. Teach them how to ride their bikes, play baseball and soccer in the front yard as it got dark. I knew he’d never want to pass up the opportunity to spend time with his children, even if he had been at work since 4am and had a shit day.
“Did you find a nice neighborhood?” I ask him.
“It was alright. Everyone was friendly and kind but I didn’t feel that sense of community. The kids loved it when we were there.”
“How long did you live there for?”
“At least ten years. Madge had just gone into junior year and the business was booming by then. We moved into the house I’m in now and haven’t left.”
“How is it that we’ve lived in this town all our lives and never crossed paths?” I ask him.
“Life has a funny way of doing things.” He reminds me.
“It sure does.”
He pulls into the driveway behind Mom’s sedan and we take a moment.
“Everything will be OK.” I tell him.
I take Adeline out of the car seat and Peeta carries the car seat and the diaper bag. Mom greets us at the front door with a wide smile.
“He’s just having a quick shower.” She tells us as we settle in the living room. She fusses over Adeline, tickling her cheek and nose before she takes the pastries from Peeta to dish up.
Peeta looks around the living room, walking around and looking at all the photos and mementos of the Everdeen’s. Baby pictures, school photos, vacation snaps and special occasions. Graduation portraits, holiday photos and family photos.
“You were such a cute kid.” He tells me.
“Was not.” I reply.
“You were.” He smiles. “I can see where Adeline got her looks from.”
I blush again and am thankful he turns back to looking at the photos.
Mom tells Peeta to follow her to the kitchen with Adeline. She wanted to surprise Dad with me first and then Adeline. Peeta follows her through to the kitchen and Mom goes to meet Dad.
“Vance, our visitor has arrived.” I hear Mom tell him. He’s made his way downstairs. He was quiet on his feet and his quietness surprised me quite a few times as a kid.
“Who is it?”
“I told you it’s a surprise.” I hear Mom tell him. “Go and see.”
I bite my lip to hide my smile and listen to him walk into the living room.
“Katniss?”
“Hi Dad.” I greet him.
“You look wonderful.” He tells me and wraps me in his arms. “So very wonderful.”
We embrace for a few minutes before he lets me go. “When did you get back?”
“Thursday. I finished up in LA and thought I’d come home.”
“It’s good to have you home.”
I watch Peeta enter the living room with Mom and Adeline and smile.
“Dad, there’s two people I’d like you to meet.” I tell him and he turns around, seeing Peeta and Adeline. I place my hand on his back and smile. “Dad, this is Adeline Rose. You’re granddaughter.”
I look at my father as Peeta walks closer to us and smile. The look of pure joy washes over his face and I recall it being the happiest I’ve seen him in my entire life. He presses a kiss to my forehead and then carefully takes his granddaughter into his arms, cradling her like she’s a fragile piece of glass and stares down at her.
“Welcome sweet girl. Welcome.” He greets her, kissing her cheeks numerous times, over and over again.
Peeta stands with my mother, discussing the pastries he brought over. He briefly looks over at us and smiles before turning back to my mother. Dad and myself have settled on the couch side by side and he holds Adeline in his arms.
“Oh sweet Adeline. Your parents really did capture your sweetness with your name.”
I smile, “Peeta and I danced to that song on our last night together when we were in Fiji. I think I said sweet baby and it brought him back to that night as we danced.”
“You dancing?” My father asks.
I laugh. “Peeta’s in the same boat. We’re hopeless dancers. Two left feet.”
I hear Peeta chuckle as he comes and joins us. “I’m sorry Adeline, you’ve got no hope at being a good dancer.” Peeta coos to his.
“Unless she inherited my mother’s side and their grace. They were all dancers.” My father says.
“You got your father’s agile feet.” My mother announces. “You’re quiet and graceful in your own way.”
“Just not when it comes to dancing.” My father adds with a deep belly laugh.
“My three are just as bad.” Peeta adds. “I think Camille is the most graceful out of the three but she’s still nowhere near graceful. I’m loud and clumsy.”
“Our daughter has no hope.” I laugh and Peeta laughs with me, wrapping his arm around my waist and kissing my temple quickly.
“She’ll be unique in her own way.” Peeta says and my mother and father agree.
Peeta and I sit down on the two seater, while my mother and father sit on the three seater. Adeline lies in my mother’s arms and I watch both her and dad gush over her. They’re in absolute bliss and I feel sad that Peeta’s mother wasn’t the same. I squeeze his hand quickly and silently assure him we’ll be fine.
My father falls in love with Peeta quite quickly. Turns out the two of them have had previous dealings as my father frequented his bakery. The two had formed an employee-customer relationship that they tell me was quite friendly and had turned to first name basis and jokes.
When Peeta walked in, fear setting inside of my stomach at the thought of my father going off his head, pure happiness filled my insides as they shook hands and greeted each other with smiles. There were no hard feelings and Dad just accepted Peeta without question or ask.
But I knew there’d be private words shared between them. Dad threatening Peeta if he ever did hurt Adeline or I.
He drives us home in a silence. Adeline sleeps in her car seat, her Pop getting her back to sleep after a feed.
“I didn’t realise you two knew each other.”
“I didn’t realise he was your father.” He laughs. “But I see it now.”
I smile and look out the window before turning back to him. “My father always wished I marry the baker.” I tell him.
“Really?”
“Yes. He knew the baker would treat me well and love me endlessly.” I say. “And he’s right.” He smiles at me. “I bet he was glad you knocked me up.”
Peeta laughs and turns the corner. “Well, I bet he’s the only father who’ll admit to that.”
“When my ex left, my father wanted to track him down and seriously injure him. Ever since then, he’s been worried for me; worried I’d meet another jerk that’d screw me over. I saw the utter relief in his eyes when you walked in. I could see the proudness as well.”
“That you found the baker?”
“That I found the baker.”
He reaches for my hand and holds it the rest of the trip home.
The doorbell sounds mid-morning the next day and I go and answer the door. Gale stands in his work clothes with a nervous look on his face.
“Hi.” I greet him.
“Hey, Peeta in?”
I nod and allow him inside. “He’s just changing Adeline upstairs.” I tell him. “Would you like a drink?”
“No I’m fine.” He says and I go back to my seat on the couch where I was folding laundry. Gale remains standing.
“Gale, hi.” Peeta greets him, shifting Adeline to his shoulder to rub her back, trying to rid of her hiccups. “What are you up to?”
“I wanted to have a chat with you, if that’s ok?”
“Sure. Here or somewhere else?”
Gale turns to me and smiles shyly, “Can you keep a secret?” He asks.
“Of course I can.”
Peeta sits down beside me and Gale stands in front of us.
“I want to ask for your permission to-”
“Yes.” Peeta tells him, cutting him off.
“What?”
“Yes, I give you permission to marry my daughter.”
“Really?” Gale asks.
“Do you really think I’d say no?” Peeta asks his future son-in-law. “I’ve been waiting for you to propose to her for a couple of years now.”
Gale smiles from ear to ear at Peeta. “Thank you.”
“As long as you treat my daughter right, I’ll forever be supportive of you two.” Peeta reminds him. “I told you that the minute I met you and it’ll stand if you treat her right.”
“I will. I love her so much.”
Peeta smiles at Gale. “I know you do.” He says. “Thank you.”
Gale leaves shortly after with a beaming smile and Peeta turns to me on the couch, a tear in his eye.
I lean in, cupping his cheeks and kiss him gently. “Congratulations Daddy, you’re kids are growing up.”
We turn our attention down to Adeline and smile at her. “She’s still got a while yet before she’s dating and marrying.” He grins. “She’ll be our baby for a long while.”