Old Flames ✖️ Stelena

3

Elena parked her car outside of Amara's babysitter's house. This was the normal routine for Elena. Get up, make breakfast, get Amara up, eat, get Amara ready for school, drop Amara off at preschool, go to her school, pick Amara up during lunch and recess time, drop Amara off at her babysitter's house, finish the school day, pick Amara up from her babysitter's house, go home, make Amara a healthy snack, grade papers, spend time with Amara, make dinner, eat, help Amara with homework, relax for five minutes, get Amara ready for bed, put Amara in bed, read Amara a bedtime story, work on more schoolwork, and finally go to bed herself around midnight. It was a hard lifestyle.

Exiting her car, Elena made her way up the pathway. Ringing the doorbell, she heard footsteps making their way to the door. "Hey, Lena. She's having a snack; want to come in and wait?"

"Sure, Jeremy." Elena stepped in and Jeremy shut the door.

Elena smiled as she saw her daughter munching on animal crackers and sipping an apple juice box. "Hey, Mara. Did you have fun today?"

"Yes, Mommy. Uncle Jeremy showed me how to picture." Amara giggled as she nibbled on the head of an elephant.

Elena patted Amara's curls as Amara finished her snack. She gave Jeremy a hug. "Thank you."

"You don't need to be thanking me, Elena. She is my niece." Jeremy pulled out of the hug.

"I know, I know. But, I owe you big time."

"Well, you could still move back to Mystic Falls."

Elena's blood ran cold. Mystic Falls. The only reason she came back to this town was because Jeremy had offered to babysit Amara while Elena was working. But, she still had to be careful that no one saw her even though her aunt and Alaric lived next door. Elena still wasn't comfortable with people knowing she had a four-year-old child when she was only twenty-three. It wasn't something a girl as smart as Elena should be going through. But, it was something Elena had to deal with.

Little Amara piped up, ganging up on Elena, too. Her big blue eyes stared into Elena's brown ones. The puppy dog faced popped out before Elena could defend herself. "Yeah, Mommy, why can't we live hewre?"

Elena bent down to her daughter's height. "Do you want to live here?"

"Yes!"

"Well," Elena rose to her full height, looking at Jeremy. I guess if that's what Amara wants, that's what Amara gets."

Amara jumped up and down in circles, clapping her hands loudly. "Yeah! We're moving to Mywstic Fwalls!"

After cheering and Amara hugging Jeremy goodbye, Jeremy showed them the door. "Come on, sweetheart. We have to stop home to get you in your pretty little uniform. Those cookies aren't going to sell themselves."

Amara took Elena's hand and started walking down the path when Jeremy's voice stopped them. "Why don't you sell your cookies here? Find a house for sale?"

"Good idea. Is that okay with you, Mara?" Elena looked down at her daughter, who was playing with Jeremy's flower, with a questioning look.

Amara's blue eyes told Elena yes, so they bid their final goodbye to Jeremy and left for their home.

"This is the last house we'll visit, okay, Mara?" Elena sighed out, rolling her aching shoulders back.

They had been all over a neighborhood on the edge of Mystic Falls. Elena wanted to make sure they didn't run into anyone they knew. Maybe when they moved here, Elena would finally tell her family and friends that she ditched a long time ago to make sure Amara stayed a secret. But, right now, Elena still wanted to keep Amara in the shadow lands of secret land.

Up the fancy walkway of the last house they were visiting, they walked up to the very beautifully crafted porch that was connected to an equally beautiful home. Too bad this house wasn't for sale. They must have hired a very, very professional architect. Ding dong, ding dong sounded off as Amara reached up and rang the doorbell that was just low enough for her tiny arm to reach.

Elena and Amara stood there on the porch for a few minutes, waiting. Finally, the grand white door opened. A tall man with lush brown hair and clear green eyes stood there leaning against the door frame. Elena looked up to see the face of her ex-boyfriend, Stefan Salvatore.

"Elena."

Elena was frozen solid in her place like a Popsicle. Amara didn't seem to notice her mommy's fear. "Wood you like to buy some Girl Scout cookies? They rweally, rweally good."

Stefan was too busy staring at Elena in disbelief. So, Amara being stubborn like Elena, she went up and pulled on Stefan's jean leg. "Amara Elizabeth Gilbert! You do not do that to strangers!"

"Sawrey, Mommy!" The little girl jumped back in fear at her mommy's loud voice that she was not use to. "Me sowwy sirw."

"Quite alright. Now, about the cookies..." Stefan looked at the smiling girl standing below him.

An extra bright smile lit up Amara's big blue eyes. "Hewre's the cat...ol..."

"Catalog, honey." Elena helped out with the pronouncing.

Stefan took the catalog and looked through it. After a few minutes, he gave the catalog back to Amara. "I marked down two boxes of Thin Mints."

"Thank you, sirw!" Amara headed off the porch, heading back to the car that was waiting at the end of the driveway.

Elena tried to follow after her daughter, but Stefan caught her arm. "We should catch up some time. Coffee?"

Elena muttered a quiet sure and left the porch, following in her daughter's footsteps. This was something Elena didn't want to happen today. This was someone she didn't want to see Amara. Particularly since that someone was the baby girl's father.