Her tears have stopped staining her pillow case. Doesn't mean she's stopped crying, just means she's stopped crying in her sleep. It's been a month and it feels like everyone has continued on like there isn't something terribly wrong. Stefan is gone. He's not lying next to her, he's not teasing her about her clumsiness in the morning or laughing at the pout on her lips. He's gone and has been gone and might stay gone. No phone calls, no emails, no texts, no letters. There's nothing.
And everyone is going on. Caroline spends most of her time glued to Tyler's side and if she's not with him then she's constantly hovering around her. Caroline makes plans and she forces her to go out. Elena tries her hardest to smile for her and mean it. She tries so damn hard but she knows that her friend can see through it and so she tries harder and Caroline tries harder. They both try harder and harder and harder and still it makes no difference.
Damon spends most of his time with Alaric or attached to Andie in some way. Sometimes Elena just wants to be with him, at least for a little while. He's Stefan's brother and being close to him makes her feel that in some way she's close to Stefan. But then she'll look in Damon's eyes and just for a moment she'll forget about Stefan and that makes her stomach twist and her heart skip a beat. She hates that feeling so she runs from it, choosing instead to deal with Damon in small bursts. Just enough time to talk to him about a possible clue that could lead them to Klaus. Stefan's with Klaus. He has to be because if he isn't then….Elena doesn't let her mind wander down that track.
The rest of her friends go on because Stefan doesn't mean as much to them. Bonnie tries everything she can think of but she's given up too. All she says is that he'll come home and Elena clings to that because Bonnie knows these things. When Bonnie says something is going to happen that thing usually does so at night Elena whispers those words to herself.
Stefan will come home.
Stefan will come home.
Stefan will come home to me.
He will.
Her brother is the best at making her feel better. He lets her hang out in the corner on his ratty black bean bag chair and he doesn't say a word. He doesn't ask her any questions just let's her sit and watch him draw. And sometimes, when it's been a bad night, he'll come into her room and hold her until she stops crying.
And so the days pass.
And they pass.
And they pass.
And then it's her birthday.
She thinks maybe today.