Splitting Our Odds Into Evens

Nala

By nine that morning, Bonnie had already been awake for what felt like an entire day.

She sat at the kitchen table with her phone propped against a glass of water. Elena, Caroline and Matt stared back at her from the screen.

For a few seconds after Bonnie finished explaining everything, nobody said anything.

Caroline was the first to speak. "Wait. So your mom had Nala this entire time?"

"Apparently."

"Since Alexis died?"

"That's what I'm assuming. The letter didn't specify anything. All I know is, Alexis died after she gave birth," Bonnie said. 

Elena still looked stunned. "And she just left her on your porch?"

"At two in the morning. With a diaper bag," Bonnie added. "Rang the bell and disappeared before Kol even opened the door."

Matt leaned closer to his camera. "That's insane."

"Yeah."

Bonnie looked toward the living room.

Nala was awake in the portable bassinet, staring up at the mobile Bonnie had moved over from the twins' things. Blossom was asleep nearby. Kol had taken Brixton upstairs after his bottle.

It was strange how normal the house could look while absolutely nothing felt normal.

Elena shook her head. "Bonnie, I'm so sorry about Alexis."

Bonnie looked back at the screen. "Thanks."

She wasn't ready to talk about that part yet. Every time she let herself think about Alexis being dead, her mind seemed to hit a wall. She'd found out less than twelve hours ago. Bonnie wasn't even sure she'd accepted that the words in Abby's letter were real.

She rubbed her forehead. "Have any of you seen my mom?"

Matt shook his head immediately. "No."

"Not recently?" Bonnie asked. "Nothing?"

"I haven't seen Abby in months," Matt said. 

"Me either," Elena said.

Caroline shook her head. "Bonnie, I barely saw her before all of this."

Bonnie leaned back in her chair. "I don't even know why I'm asking. You guys didn't see her when I knew where she was."

She'd called Abby several times that morning. At first the phone had gone straight to voicemail. Now Bonnie wasn't sure whether Abby had turned it off or gotten rid of it completely.

Either way, she didn't want to be found.

Caroline was quiet for a moment. "What are you going to do?"

Bonnie looked at her. "With Abby?"

"With Nala."

That answer didn't come as quickly.

Bonnie glanced toward the living room again. "I don't know."

Caroline's expression softened. "Okay."

"I really don't." Bonnie looked down at her hands. "I found out I had a sister in January. Now it's November, she's dead, and her baby is downstairs in my house. I had twins three weeks ago. I haven't even processed one thing before something else happens."

Saying all of that together made the past year sound ridiculous.

Elena rested her chin against her hand. "You don't have to know today."