I was going to make this a one-shot, but I got inspired by your reviews, follows, and favorites, so here is another chapter.
With Bethany on my hip, I twist on the lid of her sippy cup. She grabs the cup from me and takes one sip before spitting it back out.
"Come on, it's apple juice. You like apple juice," I say, looking into those deep brown eyes. She shoots me her sassy little smirk as she does that eyebrow thing that I have always been known for.
"I guess we don't need a paternity test to know that you are indeed my daughter," I kiss her on the cheek and grab a blood bag from the fridge. Bethany snatches the bag from me and rips it open with her teeth.
"You're going to need to learn how to accept the juice box because it probably won't go over well if I sent you to school with some O-Positive in your Hello Kitty lunch box." I tickle her petite frame, making her wiggle in my arms and laugh out loud.
"Daaaaaddd!" Bethany giggles.
"Wait, what is that?" I stop and glance around us dramatically, "I sense an evil presence lurking." Elena saunters into the room immediately after, wearing her pajamas and a smile that makes me weak in the knees.
"Never mind, it's just your mom," I say, setting Bethany down to kiss my wife, "good morning."
"Good morning," she whispers, kissing me again before pulling Bethany into her arms.
"Did you sleep ok?" Elena says, placing gentle kisses on our little girl's head.
"Yeah, we sent those monsters packing," Bethany says, with her usual sass.
"Does that sass come from me or you?" Elena asks me with a huge smile on her face.
"I would be lying if I said I was the source of all of that charisma, so let's just say that she got it from both of us."
Elena puts Bethany down to pour herself a cup of coffee.
"Hey, Beth, why don't you go get dressed so we can go to the park, ok?" Elena says as Bethany prances off to her room.
Elena slowly turns toward me, gently biting her lip; a maneuver that makes me even crazier for her, if that's even possible.
"Last night," she breathes, "was incredible."
"What can I say? I'm a natural," I shrug, teasingly.
"I doubt that," she says, draping her arms over my shoulders, "you've just had a lot of practice."
"You're not so bad, yourself."
"I'm fucking incredible," she announces.
"I will have to agree with that. Your fucking IS incredible," I kiss her on the lips to be interrupted by a little four-year old hot mess.
"Ta Daaaa" Bethany announces in a sing-songy voice. She stands with the biggest grin on her face with her dark brunette curls sticking out in every direction, mismatched socks, a sparkly pink tank top, and a tutu from the dress-up tub, along with every piece of Elena's jewelry that she could get her little hands on.
"Sweetheart, I think you look like a rockstar, but by going out in public like that, you run the risk of getting mobbed by horny little boys, who have cooties and diseases and fleas," I say, understanding the protective instincts that fathers have for their girls.
"Damon!" Elena hisses.
"What?" I ask innocently, "I'm not letting any kid of the opposite sex get within a mile of my baby."
"Come on, honey. Let's go pick something a little more conservative," Elena says, leading the way back upstairs.
"Just wait a century and then you can wear it out in public," I holler up to the giggling girls ascending the staircase.
I mosey around the room, looking at all of the pictures that adorn the Salvatore Boarding House. When Elena got pregnant, we both decided that it would be best to maybe take down some of the knives and swords hanging on the walls and just add a few more "family oriented" decorations to the house. Although we both agreed that we liked the character and feel that the house already had, we've grown to love the new look even better. Our wedding and family photos crowd the walls and tables, the Barbie dolls are strewn across the floor, Playdough crumbs are stuck in the cracks of the kitchen table, while the coat rack that used to be inactive now has the company of three different coats; my black leather jacket, Elena's Northface sweatshirt, and Bethany's fluffy pink one.
Before, it was just a house of a vampire who had no aspirations except to wreak havoc and seek revenge on anybody who ever did him wrong. I had no purpose in life because I didn't think I deserved it.
Elena comes down, dressed in a pair of jeans and a plain grey v- neck shirt, while Bethany wears a purple floral dress and a cream colored sweater with little brown boots.
"I've got to put her hair up and then we'll be ready to go."
"Ok," I smile, realizing how unbelievably happy I was.
"What?" Elena asks while braiding our daughter's hair.
I place a gentle kiss on Elena's lips before answering with a simple truth, "I'm one of the lucky ones."
"I think it is safe to say we all are lucky ones."
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