The Queen of New Orleans

Chapter 12

It was a beautiful morning. Hope woke to the bright sun warming her face through the window. She turned to Landon who was still sleeping next to her in the bed. He was so peaceful, beautiful even. She was staring at his curls spilling over his closed eyes and his full kissable lips. She couldn't contain herself and dug her hand through his hair and pressed a gentle peck on his soft lips. Landon shivered then his eyes flew open at her touch.

"Sorry I woke you." She said in a gentle voice running her fingers through his hair.

"I'm not. It's the best possible way to be awakened." He said then grabbed Hope and pulled her close to his own body to kiss her right. She broke the kiss looking into his beautiful green eyes.

"You ok?" She asked after everything she told him the night before about his mother.

"Yeah. I honestly don't know how I feel about this. I'm not mourning her, I didn't even know her." He shrugged. ". I just thought maybe one day I would see the women who gave birth and abandoned me on the same day. I just wanted to see where I came from and face her once and ask why she did it. But apparently, I already did."

"I'm really sorry. If Lizzie and I found a viable memory spell, I will try to get your memories back about her, I promise." She said and captured his lips once more kissing it tenderly. He kissed her back gently. They laid in each other's embrace for a little while. Landon didn't have classes in the early morning so they had a little more time to spend with one another.

She felt so peaceful in his arms. It was perfect. Really a perfect start of the day. Then she remembered what day it was. It was Scarlett's birthday. Fifteen years ago, she was born right there in that very room where she cuddled Landon peacefully. Hope was the opposite of peaceful back then. It was a painful day for her. She would do so many things differently now but back then it seemed impossible to do anything at all. She was depressed and alone. She remembered the agony and pain overwhelmed her every time she had a single thought of Landon or the idea of a possible motherhood. She was terrified of the thought of seeing Landon without the recognition in his eyes. She was terrified of rejection. She was terrified of being a mother and ruining an innocent life. It was the hardest day of her life.

"What's going on in that beautiful head of yours?" Landon asked as he caressed her face gently.

"I was just thinking how peaceful this moment is with you. I could've avoided so much heartache if I just came forward that night in Mystic Falls and told you everything. Sometimes life was really painful alone, without you." Hope said locking her arms so tightly around him, he could barely breathe.

"Yeah, I'm sorry you didn't tell us everything and I'm really sorry you had to be alone. But I'm here now and even if I'll never remember our past I will love you Hope, forever." He said as he pressed a kiss on her forehead.

"I love you too Landon Kirby. Always and forever." She said it as she looked up into his eyes. They kissed, then made love that morning before Landon had to leave for his classes.

Later that day Hope finished the painting she was working on lately. It was a smaller painting picturing two white wolves running in the forest under the moonlight and a bird with fiery wings flying over the trees watching over the wolves. When she was done she spelled the painting that the moon would always change to its real life current state. She made the painting for Scarlett. Hope dried the painting with magic then she wrapped it in paper. After she got ready for the evening, she grabbed the little box from her nightstand where she left it, and put it in her purse. She grabbed the painting as well, got in her car and left for the dinner with Scarlett and Abigail.

She was quite nervous, she didn't speak with Scarlett in almost a week. Hope talked to her a couple of days ago but she never responded. She just really hoped that she was ok after everything and hoped that they could have a nice peaceful dinner.