AFTERMATH [ 2 ] | LEGACIES

𝔞 𝔰𝔞𝔩𝔳𝔞𝔱𝔬𝔯𝔢 𝔱𝔥𝔞𝔫𝔨𝔰𝔤𝔦𝔳𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔭𝔱. 2

this one hurt.

———

"It's that time of the year," Hope said, walking into her newly-moved-into dorm room with Lilah.

Both girls had been nothing but doom and gloom since the fatal incidents that lead to the deaths of both of Hope's parents, and the death of Lilah's remaining parent. How where they supposed to survive in a world without Hayley Marshall, Niklaus Mikaelson, or Elijah Mikaelson?

Lilah had Roman, but that didn't make anything better. She still had to grieve by herself, there was no way for Roman to shoulder that kind of pain for her. She had to watch her cousin and best friend grieve as well. Hope always found it hard to make friends at the Salvatore School, but her increasing isolated persona was making it hard for Lilah as well.

Alaric Saltzman, the Headmaster of the Salvatore School, was trying his best to compensate for the girls' lack of family. He invited the two girls to his time slot in the communal kitchens where he would be making a Thanksgiving Brunch with his two daughters, just in case they wanted to join.

They didn't.

Well, Hope didn't.

But Lilah was forcing her to go anyways.

It was their first Thanksgiving without Hayley. Even when they couldn't have the rest of the Mikaelsons there, they always had Hayley and Freya.

It was their first year having Rebekah, Kol, Davina, and Marcel there with them, too, but their first year without Hayley. It was their first year where they weren't going to wonder where Elijah and Klaus were at that very moment, because they already knew.

But they would have Rebekah, Kol, Davina, Marcel, Freya, Keelin, Vincent, and Josh. That was what had to matter to them.

They were coming for dinner, leaving time for Lilah to force her cousin to go make a Thanksgiving Brunch with the Saltzman's. Was Lilah aware of the fact that Lizzie and Hope couldn't stand each other? Yes. But she had some faith in both girls that they wouldn't ruin a day like Thanksgiving for it.

Hope got up when Lilah told her to, sighing in dismay as she got ready. Lilah's lips formed a straight line as she hoped that her cousin would get herself together just for one day.

Heading to the kitchen to cook brunch w/ the Saltz & Hope. Wish me luck!

Lilah sent a quick text to Roman, who had flown out to France to spend Thanksgiving with Antoinette, despite it being an American holiday. Any excuse to see his sister was a good one.

You got this, babe!

She smiled at the text, and looked up from her phone to see that her cousin was ready to head out. In silence, they walked to the kitchen together. There was laughter from the inside, the Saltzman twins yelling something at their father. Lilah smiled, thinking maybe Hope can smile, too.

When they walked in, however, the only person smiling at them was Alaric. Josie's smile vanished, and she looked at her twin, who was glaring daggers in Hope's direction.

"Hope," she said bitterly, and then with a softer tone, "Good morning, Lilah."

Hope scoffed, turning to leave as she rolled her eyes, but Lilah grabbed her arm. Hope turned around to give her a challenging stare, but the one on Lilah's face won the battle.

"Fine," Hope mumbled, walking inside.

Lilah smiled, clapping her hands together.

"Alright, so, what are we making?" she asked, going inside, too.