Real or not real? (everlark)

26

Jennifer Lilly Mellark was born November 6th, 2441.
The smell of the hospital made me gag when we first got there. Hospitals have never been my favorite place, and never will be. I don't like them at all, they bring back the memories of my mom, Prim, and all of my dead friends and family.
But I could hardly focus on that as I was wheeled into the hospital room, screaming my head off at the pain that I felt in my stomach. I know, I know, I'm probably one of the few women who have been taken into the hospital to have a baby and was literally screaming. Not my fault. I've never been good at dealing with pain, and giving birth? I felt like I was going to die.
They didn't let Peeta in, which made me very anxious at first. But the didn't let him in because I was causing such a scene and they were concerned for his safety.
Like I was going to kill my fiance.
The whole experience was horrible and painful, and I can only vaguely remember the details. It was all in a blur, things were happening to fast for me to collect and store into my head for my recap later. I remember crying, and yelling.
I'm such a wimp. Crying? I was in the Hunger Games, I should be able to handle some more pain. But this was eternal pain, and I 'm sorry, I just couldn't handle it.

"Mr. Mellark? She's calm, you can come in now," the doctor says to a figure in the hallway. I look up to see Peeta roll his eyes before sitting down.
"Did they honestly think you were going to hurt me?" I roll my eyes as well.
"I know right?" I look down at our little baby in my arms.
"She's beautiful," Peeta says letting her wrap her hands around his index finger.
"Yeah," I smile, looking at her. "Except..."
"Except what?"
"You know how we picked her name to be Rose?" I look down at my baby, studying her face one last time before making my decision.
"Yeah,"
"I- I just don't think that it fits her anymore. You know?"
He nods. "Yeah. I was thinking the same thing. What should we do instead?"
I study her face and head. Everything about her. As if sensing my gaze, she opens her eyes, and I smile when I see that her eyes are soft, baby blue, just like Peeta's. He smiles too when he sees them. Her hair is thin but I can tell that it will be just like mine when she's older. Long,dark brown, and thick with a slight curl to it.
"Let's name her...um... how about Jen?"
"Like, short for Jennifer?"
"Yes. Jen for short."
"Okay. Her middle name should be Lynn," Peeta says and I nod in agreement.
"Okay. Jennifer Lynn Mellark," I smile down at our little baby again, Jennifer, and I feel a surge of happiness. She was worth all of the pain that I felt in the emergency room.

"Peeta I can handle my bags by myself. I'm perfectly fine,"
"Alright, alright, just trying to help," He grins at me and makes claws. I roll my eyes at him, smiling, and throw my bag over my shoulder. Then I pick Jennifer up, wobbling only slightly. The doctors had marveled at how quickly I'd recovered. And the fact that I had denied their help, wheelchairs, everything. Peeta had just shrugged at their shocked faces.
"It's just how she is," he told them. I look back at that memory fondly, because it makes me proud to think that I can take care of myself.
The smell of the hospital still makes me slightly nauseous. And as soon as we get outside, I take a deep breath of fresh air.
"Ah, there's nothing like March air!" I say, strapping a giggling Jennifer into her seat. I tickle her stomach. "Right? Or how about May air?" Jennifer giggles harder. "You're right. May air is much better than March."
"Will you quit socializing with our kid and get in the car?" Peeta laughs from the driver's seat. I sigh in exaggerated exasperation and shut the backseat door, climbing into the front grudgingly.
Home in no time, is what i would like to say, but that's certainly not what it felt like. It felt like a million years, cause all I wanted to do was get home and eat food. I glance to the backseat and see the Jen is asleep. Now I'm going to have to lie her down too.
I sigh again.
"Being a parent is hard," I tell Peeta, and he laughs at me.
"You've been a parent for only three days,"
"I know! It's energy draining!" I flop backwards onto the seat. He smiles.
"Well, when we get home we can put Jen down for a nap and then the two of us can watch a movie," He says, taking my hand.
"Depends on the movie."
"Your choice. But we are not watching Magical Mermaids of Mt. Everest again. I can't take it, it's so stupid!" He exclaims. I laugh.
"Fine. I guess we will just have to watch Claudia the Blue Mermaid blast the sparkle snowman into oblivion another time," I retort to him, and he grins at me.
"You're pretty funny Katniss. Almost more than Finnick,"
"Thank you. And no one beats Finnick,"