"Honey, I'm home," he calls from the front door.

Damon's voice seems to snap her out of wherever she'd been before, and she takes little Calliope out of her high chair. She walks over to where he's standing as he takes off his coat and hangs it on the rack.

"Welcome back," Caroline greets him with a broad smile, kissing him briefly. "How was the trip?"

"Not near as fun as staying home with my two girls," he answers, taking Calliope from her arms. The blonde haired blue eyed little girl laughs while her father makes funny faces at her. "I've missed you two," he says after a few minuets of playing with his daughter.

"We've missed you as well," she replies, wrapping her arms around him, their daughter in the middle.

"I'm never leaving you again, Caroline," he whispers in her ear. "I can't bear to be away from you two like that. I don't care if the business suffers because someone else has to take the out of town trips; I'm staying with my family."

-x-

Caroline wakes up then and her heart aches when she remembers her little baby girl—the child she'll never have. Her eyes fill with tears and her lower lip trembles as she hugs her pillow close to her.

She feels Damon's arms around her and snuggles closer to him, seeking comfort.

It's not his fault, she reminds herself as she closes her eyes.