It Started With a Cake

Ch24. Visitor

Thirty six weeks, officially two more weeks until we are in the look out for labour and then another two till I'll be at my due date. The thought is rather scary, in a months time we will most likely be parents, wholly responsible for a whole human being.

Sleep continues to be difficult to come by these days, every bone in my body aching like I've never felt before, making it difficult to get comfortable.

Little bug isn't helping much, their kicks have been getting increasingly painful, the kicks getting so powerful that we can even see the outline of a tiny foot or hand press up against my skin.

Walking is becoming more difficult by the day, in fact at this point I doubt you could even call it walking, it's more like a waddle. Ultimately I look like and feel like a beached whale.

Peeta comes up behind me, pressing a hand to my lower back comfortingly.

"How's little bug today?" He asks me gently.

I smile at his use of my nickname for the baby, I guess I let it slip one day and we both just started using it since, but it's cute and I needed something to call the baby instead of 'the baby' all the time.

"They're good, giving me hell though" I laugh lightheartedly but Peeta gives me a sad look.

"I'm sorry"

I shrug, "it's not your fault" he gives me a look, "well not entirely"

"What can I do?"

"If you could take some of the weight off that'd be great"

I meant it as a joke, but after a moment of thought, Peeta adjusts his position behind me, wrapping his arms around my pelvis and lifts up the drooping part of my protruding stomach. Suddenly it feels as if I can breath again, what feels like a few pounds being lifted off my load.

I sigh in relief leaning my whole body into Peeta in hopes it can relieve more of the pain.

"Holy shit Katniss how do you do this?" I only sigh in response taking in every moment of relief I can get.

"This is so heavy" I am struck at the irony of this statement, Peeta the baker who is well known for his great strength, able to carry massive sacks of flour and wrestle another person with ease finds the weight I've been carrying around 24/7 heavy.

"How do you do this every day?"

Slowly Peeta eases the weight back down, the pain coming back to my pelvis almost instantly.

I groan out in pain.

"Sorry" Peeta gives me a guilty look, "I'll do it again later if you like"

I nod eagerly. "Okay, I'm going to go take a shower while I still can"

Peeta smiles, continuing to make us breakfast.

I waddle my way up the stairs slowly, carefully taking each step at a time as I hold the stair railing with a death grip.

When I finally make it to our room I pick out one of Peeta's bigger t shirts and some soft stretchy shorts that in all honesty could be pyjamas.

I pad my way into the bathroom stripping out of my clothes, careful not to lose my balance as I shift the heavy weight of my middle.

As the warm water hits my shoulders I can't help but let out a sigh of relief, my body embraces the water as it soothes my aching bones with its warmth.

I mostly spend the next couple of minutes soaking in all the relief the shower brings me, taking only a couple minutes to wash my hair and what parts of my exposed body I can before deciding I need to take a rest.