Chapter One : Yesterday seems so far away

Elena groaned lazily as the alarm went off, as usual every morning. And as usual, she would find his place in the bed empty. Damon had once again work late night at office and was already up and ready to go.

Elena stared at the ceiling trying to remember when was the last time her husband had held her in his warm embrace.

Flashback (10 years earlier)

"I can't believe I am now Mrs Damon Salvatore." Elena said all smiling in her husband's arms. They just had the most amazing wedding night where Damon had made love to her over and over again, worshipping her like she was the world's most beautiful Goddess.

"You are mine now kitten. And I promise you, I will love you every single moment of forever", whispered Damon, his eyes boring into hers, full of promises of happiness.

Back to present

"Mommy! Mommy! Come down! Daddy is making us pancakes for breakfast!"

Elena signed and smile at her 5 years old daughter Sophia antics. She was a little bubble of joy who could brightened the most dark day. She was so innocent and naïve unlike her older brother William.
William was Elena's and Damon's oldest son of 9. He was quite mature for his age and he clearly was a spitting replica of young Damon's attitude : rebellious and hot-headed and impulsive. The only person who actually had some authority on him was Damon himself.

Elena put on her robe and went down to find her two kids enjoying their breakfast steadily while Damon was comfortably sipping on his coffee reading his newspaper. Elena mumbled a "Good morning" to her little family and went for her morning coffee.

She looked at the 3 persons in her kitchen and wondered how did they get to that? How did they shift from being the closed and lovely family they used to be to the cold and formal one? How did she lose her husband to a business? But worst, when did she stopped caring?

"Time to go kiddos", she heard Damon say, which brought her out of her reveries. She pecked each kid on their forehead and like every morning, she looked up and send her robotic smile towards her husband who kiss her quickly on her lips… A kiss that she used to revel in that had become simply part of the routine… She knew deep down that Damon too felt what she was feeling. Both of them were lonely and empty and unhappy, yet, both preferred pretending that all was fine and perfect and that their routine was what they had always dreamt of… But lies always catch us up and both knew that it was simply a matter of time before it all fall apart. Were they ready to let go of what they had built? Was their love really dead? Would they just become one of those couples who simply "did not work out"?

Yes, Damon and Elena had both lost their way from each other but, was it really the end? Or was it simply the longest way back home?