xXx
Consider this.
Consider this, the hint of the century
Consider this, the slip.
The lengths that I will go to.

xXx

Danger. We live in an era of conflict, in a changing society. Don't act like you don't know that there's a severe issue, because every year there's more and more of them; and at this point there's still no universal plan of action. People are suffering because of it, children are suffering because of it.

Ever since the seventies, their number is steadily growing. They are insidiously toxic, trying to force their crazy values and different traditions upon us. We were first. But they don't care. Out of some misplaced feeling of superiority, they think they know better.

Would you believe that they think they have the right to tell us how we should dress, what we should eat, who we can befriend and what time we should go to sleep. They are manipulative and indoctrinating, turning our own brothers against us. Don't believe them when they say that they respect mothers, the only Mom they respect is their own.

If you have to deal with them on a daily basis, patience and goodwill are of the essence. It's not always enough, but it can save some of your tears… And if it gets impossible at one point, know you are not alone. Plus, don't forget that they are not all monsters, some stepmothers are wonderful women.

xXx

Oh no, I've said too much
Yet I haven't said enough.

xXx

"And, did it take?" Damon questioned anxiously when Elena re-entered the office.

"Of course it did, Mister Salvatore," Elena replied playfully, making a small reverence with her plaid skirt. She had a huge smirk lighting up her features, rightfully so, she had done the company a solid. Saltzman & Partners was specialized in real estate projects, yet with the twenty first century bureaucrats and a society growing increasingly fond of lawsuits, it was becoming a difficult profession.

If a neighbour objected to one of their projects, that meant a significant delay for the company, not to mention the financial prices connected to trials. In that aspect, one of Damon's and Elena's tasks was to talk to neighbours and work out deals and compromises so the company faced as little interruptions as possible.

"Wow, consider me impressed," Damon commented, drinking in her appearance.

"Well, it was just a grumpy old man. He didn't have any true objections to the project, I believe it only interested him as a means to occupy his time. It doesn't matter now anyway, he signed the papers," Elena replied.

"What did you promise him in turn?" Damon inquired suspiciously, knowing neighbours never simply surrendered.

"That the gardener of the apartment building will mow his lawn too," Elena replied swiftly. "I have it right here on paper, third paragraph. Ric signed."

Damon grinned and shook his head.

"Hey, don't mock him. Just because it's not important to you, doesn't mean it wasn't important to him," Elena chided.

"Fine," Damon surrendered, shuffling through papers and opening a new folder. They worked in silence for a minute or two. Important to you… there was something important he had to remember. Right. "Elena?" Damon called when she saw she was about to head home.

"Yeah?" she replied, looking up from her phone.

"I-, Sophie was asking if you'd be up for dinner on Friday. We always watch a movie together to celebrate the start of the weekend and she feels the night isn't 'special enough' when it's just the two of us. Usually Ric comes by, but apparently he's already made other plans," Damon explained, wiggling his eyebrows at the 'other plans' part[CVD1] .

"Sure," Elena replied. It had been over a week since their heart to heart at midnight. If she was honest with herself, she did look forward to spending more time with Damon, and the idea of getting to know Sophie better didn't bother her in the least either. "What time does the movie start?" she questioned with a smile.

"Seven," Damon replied swiftly, "And dinner will be served at six, otherwise Sophie's late for bed and she needs her sleep these days," Damon commented.

"Are her nightmares any better yet?" Elena inquired concerned.

Damon shook his head ruefully, packing up for the day. Elena opened her mouth to say something but closed it again on second thought. She felt it might not be the worst idea for Damon to contact Katherine again, if not for his own peace of mind, then for his daughter's. Yet something stopped her from voicing those thoughts out loud. Elena couldn't decide though whether it was the fear that he'd bitterly disagree with her, or the fear that he would not…

xXx

that's me in the corner
That's me in the spotlight, losing my religion.
Trying to keep up with you
And I don't know if I can do it.
xXx

Three days later

"What did you do then?" Sophie questioned curiously as Elena was telling her about the time when she and Caroline had been best friends.

"We used to do lots of things," Elena told her, "We would spy on the boys and read girly magazines, we would collect posters, we would jog together," Elena mused, when Damon walked into her line of sight.

Damon snorted, remembering her fainting, then he continued to chop carrots. They shared a quick glance.

"One time I fainted," Elena spoke. "I just fell, in the middle of the lawn and I didn't stand up again. And then your father carried me inside and made it better, like a real hero," she informed Sophie, who was smiling broadly now.

"Aunt Caroline wants a hero," Sophie remembered, "Maybe this is why," she concluded thoughtfully.

Both Damon and Elena laughed at that, Caroline had always been vocal about her specific preferences when it came to relationships. On the other hand, she usually settled for a 'random fling' in the end, defending her actions by stating that if she had to wait for 'the one', she would be old and wrinkly before she had her first kiss.

xXx

Eleven years earlier

"This one is absolutely gorgeous. What do you think, Elena?" Caroline questioned, holding up the magazine she was flipping through.

"I think we have a history assignment and it's not going to write itself," Elena commented dryly.

"Oh come one, don't be so boring!" Caroline complained. "Besides, I need this, as in: I really really really need this!" she argued.

Elena looked up from behind their textbook with a deep sigh. "We should go to the doctor's, see if they have some kind of medication for your insanity," she mocked.

"They have," Caroline replied, "The pharmacist's son will do, do you think Mister Richard would prescribe him to me?" she wondered mused. Elena rolled her eyes.

"I just want a boooooyfriend, it's been two months," Caroline whined.

"And I want you to open your textbook, I'm sure that's been over two months," Elena retorted.

Caroline tossed the magazine aside and moved to the desk, where she went to sit on the spare chair in the wrong direction, her arms draped over on the backrest. "It's just that I crave affection…" Caroline spoke dramatically, "You know, the most exciting thing that happened in the past eight weeks was that one evening when a guy in the bus accidentally placed part of his hand over mine for a second, trying to steady himself," she added ruefully.

"On purpose?" Elena questioned.

"No, he apologized a million times," Caroline replied with a pout.

Elena felt a smile tug at the corners of her lips, it was impossible not to smile when her best friend was being dramatic. Caroline's pout instantly disappeared and she laughed along, trying for a fake "Don't mock me," but she couldn't keep her face straight.

xXx

There was no denying that Elena missed Caroline, no one could make her smile the way her best friend could. They were polar opposites in many ways nonetheless. At the end of the year, Elena was usually able to say she passed every single test, while Caroline could always state that she 'had a life'. Elena still wasn't sure which one of them had chosen the best approach.

The two girls had always balanced each other out very well, perfectly apt in helping one another with their issues, while incapable of dealing with their own. They always supported each other and they could talk for hours.

"Will you and aunt Caroline be friends again soon?" Sophie suddenly inquired, pulling Elena out of her reverie.

"I hope we will," Elena replied honestly.

"I can talk to her for you," Sophie suggested genuinely.

"That's a kind offer, sweetheart, but I believe Elena and Caroline have to talk about this on their own terms," Damon interrupted, putting the food on the table and taking the seat across from Elena. He shot her a quick glance and changed the subject, not wanting her to feel uncomfortable.

xXx

The evening progressed quicker than any of them had thought it would. If felt like only a few minutes had gone by when the credits rolled onto the screen, signalling the end of the movie. Sophie giggled loudly as the bloopers popped up, she was sitting on Elena's lap under her favourite blanket.

Damon shot a glance at the clock, it was a quarter to nine, bedtime for his daughter, yet even he had a hard time enacting his own rules, seeing his little girl carelessly enjoy herself. Five minutes later however, the bloopers were over and he couldn't keep stalling so he announced that it was time for Sophie to go to sleep.

"Can Elena come tuck me in tonight?" Sophie inquired out of the blue, looking at her father with big doe eyes.

Damon locked eyes with Elena, who appeared to be surprised at first, but didn't object.

"She can, but are you sure?" Damon questioned, his tone serious. Sophie usually didn't allow for anyone but himself to put her to bed. Driving home in Ric's car and sitting on Caroline's or Jo's lap, were all things Sophie enjoyed. She especially liked it when one of the women gave her a bath. Everything that differed from her usual routine with Damon was an exciting adventure to her. Bedtime however, had always the one exception to that rule. It surprised him that Sophie asked for Elena, she hadn't even known her for that long.

His five-year-old nodded.

"Or your father can come too, and we can put you to sleep together," Elena suggested first, for one because she didn't know about the rituals Sophie preferred and secondly because she didn't want to exclude Damon.

Sophie shook her head. "No, only girls," she stated determined.

"Soph, you know we only tuck you in once, right. So if you don't want me to come along, then I won't be there. Are you sure you don't want us both upstairs?" Damon inquired a final time.

"Nope," Sophie replied, throwing her arms around her father and giving him a big kiss on his cheek. "I love you, daddy," she told him. "Love you too, sweetheart. Goodnight," Damon replied, watching his daughter run upstairs in a hurry. He tilted his head in wonder.

Elena stood up from the sofa, slightly confused. "Do you want to do this?" Damon questioned softly, standing up too.

"Yes, of course," Elena replied, "but I guess I'm not following here," she added, "Didn't Ric say last week that she cried for over half an hour when he and Jo tried [CVD2] putting her to sleep?"

"Yes. I don't know what this is about," Damon spoke, "I think she misses her mother, maybe you remind her of Katherine or something, whatever it is, she looks very at ease with you," Damon noted.

"But I don't know her evening ritual. Is there a song you sing at night? Do you read to her?" Elena inquired.

"She's already in her PJs and she brushed her teeth after dinner," Damon told her, "Just read her a chapter from the book on the nightstand and leave the door open just a crack," Damon explained. "Besides, I don't think she'll fall asleep right away, I suspect her to call for me after you've tucked her in. This could just be a way to procrastinate bedtime, but I believe she wants a moment alone with you before she goes to sleep. There's nothing wrong with that, it gives me time to clean up the kitchen in the meantime ," Damon spoke.

Elena nodded hesitantly. "Ok, I'll see you in a couple of minutes then," she voiced, before making her way upstairs.

xXx

I think
I thought
I saw you just try.

xXx

When Elena arrived in the little girl's bedroom, Sophie was sitting on top of her covers, impatiently swinging her legs back and forth. She smiled slightly nervously when she saw Elena entering and then seemingly randomly inquired: "Can I have your phone for a bit?"

Elena blinked only once, taken aback. She had not seen this coming.
She watched the little girl with her wide and innocent eyes and silently cursing herself. This was the child she had comforted weeks ago at work, the child she'd prepared hot chocolate for, the child she'd held on her lap and bonded with. An ever growing part of her had hoped she was beginning to mean something to the little girl. It had nothing to do with her past with Damon, she had simply grown fond of the enchanting child the second Sophie had wrapped her arms around her in the company kitchen.

Now they were weeks later and had shared more conversations, more moments close together. A part of Elena had hoped that Sophie thought of her as a true friend, that hope had bloomed in her chest. Yet now it appeared that she'd only asked for Elena's company because she needed something of hers. Elena swallowed and tried to force a smile upon her face, hiding the sting of disappointment. It wasn't easy.

"I'm not sure your father would like that, Sophie," Elena spoke softly, trying to compose herself and reinsert some emotional distance on her side. "Maybe you can go downstairs and ask him," she suggested.

Sophie's face fell and she shook her head slightly. "And when it's secret," she tried next. "Can I have it for a bit if I don't tell daddy? If I promise?" Sophie questioned, her tone serious and heavy.

Was the sweet brown-eyed girl trying to manipulate her? Elena shrugged the thought off. Sophie wasn't the kind of child that would try to use her, she had to have a reason, Elena told herself.

"Why do you need a phone?" Elena asked her confused.

"To call someone," Sophie told her, with big innocent eyes. "It's really, really important," Sophie insisted, her tone sincere, her expression innocent. It had Elena thinking. "Come," she replied warmly, holding out her hand now, "We'll ask daddy, I'm sure he'll let you," she added. He would, Elena was most certain, especially when he saw how important it was to his daughter.

"No!" Sophie spoke quickly, pulling Elena back to the bed. "Daddy doesn't understand," Sophie stated firmly. "And daddy won't like it, but I have to, have to call," she stressed.

"Who do you have to call," Elena inquired.

Sophie squirmed under her Elena's for just a moment, before she fathomed that she had to confide in Elena if she wanted her help. "Mommy…" she spoke. Her voice half a whisper, half a sob.

Then it dawned on Elena, the desperation in the little girl's eyes, her anxiousness. Damon might know that his daughter wasn't sleeping well, but he did not suspect how much Katherine's absence was truly affecting his daughter.

Her heart sank in her chest. "I can't let you call if your dad is not ok with that," Elena whispered to Sophie, lightly stroking the child's hair now.

"Yeah," Sophie snorted softly, leaning her head against Elena's shoulder in disappointment. She wasn't even angry. She'd expected as much. "That's what uncle Ric says, and Caroline, and everyone," Sophie spoke ruefully. She felt Elena's hands slide down from her hair now and gently lift her, onto her lap. Neither of them said a word. When Elena's arms settled around the little girl, the child was cradled against her chest.

Sophie allowed the material at the bottom of Elena's top to slip between her fingers, it felt so soft, softer than anything her father would wear. And Elena smelled different, more like flowers, more feminine… And right that second, in Sophie's mind, Elena smelled like her Mom. Tears prickled in her eyes and the moment became too much. "I c-, can't w-, w-, w-ait until I'm g-, g-rown up. It-, it, it's too l-, long," Sophie uttered between sobs, she had lost the fight against her tears and they were flowing freely down her cheeks now. Elena thought she could hear her heart shatter, she instinctively pulled the child closer, settling them both against the headboard of the bed.

"Shhhhh," she shushed the little girl, rocking her gently. A part of her thought about looking for something to tell the small child, but the more Sophie cried, the more she rendered Elena short on words.

"I m-, miss m-, mommy now," Sophie stressed. "I-, I-, I st- stole daddy's ph-, phone," she confessed, "but I c-, can't r-, read it," she explained. Elena nodded, imagining the little girl sifting through Damon's contacts in search for her mother. She held onto the little girl even more tightly now, desperately trying to contain her own emotions. She felt like crying. She couldn't.

In the blink of an eye she'd forgotten all about her earlier thoughts, in that moment she simply wanted for Katherine to be there and sooth the little girl. Playing house with Damon one day was a wonderful fantasy in the distant future, but it was no more than that: a fantasy. Sophie needed her mother, and Elena knew that feeling. She had no desire to become the little girl's despised stepmother.

In the years after her parents had broken up, her father had dated many women. Luckily none of them had been the one he'd cheated on her mother with. Still, Elena had never gotten along with any of them. Those women always loved her father, but none of them had ever cared about her. Sure, they expected to have a say in what chores she did in the house and where she could or could not leave her things wandering around, but she hadn't truly mattered to a single one of them. She only mattered to her mother.

Elena was the last person on the planet to ever treat a childlike she'd been treated herself. She knew better than to criticize the little girl's mother in her present, or try to claim the role of 'parent' for herself. Things didn't work that way.

Instead, she felt a new kind of connection to Sophie, some sort of kinship leading her very inclined to pull her phone out and hand it over. Contrary to Damon, she understood.

"I don't have you mother's number," Elena whispered after a while. She'd taken a pillow to put between her back and the headboard, Sophie's head was resting against her chest.

"There's a big book with all the phone-numbers," Sophie uttered with some difficulty, "Mommy's name is Ka-, Katherine," she informed Elena. Her chest was still rising and falling at an irregular rhythm. Elena wiped a lone strand of her away from the child's cheek, the tears had left it moist.

"I know," Elena spoke softly, "But that's not specific enough… And if I hand you my phone behind daddy's back, then he might be angry, and we can't be friends anymore," Elena mused.

For an instant she thought Sophie would voice that she was willing to risk that, on second thought that wouldn't even be strange, but Sophie kept quiet and hid her face in the smooth fabric of Elena's top.

"I used to miss my mom too," Elena spoke up, "My mom and dad separated when I was 15, and when I had to spend time with my father, I would miss my mom too," Elena explained.

The statement caught Sophie's attention and she perked up her ears. "What would you do then?" Sophie inquired. "I would close my eyes at night and imagine my mother's smell, her voice, the way it felt when she hugged me… and I would act like she was there with me," Elena replied truthfully.

The small child wiggled a bit on Elena's lap and then arranged Elena's arms around her in a different way, closing her eyes. She nested her head underneath Elena's chin and stayed very still for a long moment. Seconds turned into minutes and neither of them spoke.

When Elena moved slightly, Sophie clutched the fabric of her top. "Don't go," Sophie blurted out panicked.

A soft hand raked through her brown curls, calming her down, "Not yet," Elena whispered. "But let's tuck you in first, then I can read you a story," Elena suggested.

"And then?" Sophie questioned anxiously.

"Then I'll be downstairs with you father, but you can call me if you need me," Elena explained.

"No!" Sophie protested with wide eyes, "You can't go," she managed pained, a new frown appeared on her face and her lower lip trembled softly.

"I can't stay here forever either…" Elena mused ruefully, still holding onto Sophie tightly, who completely missed the double edged nature of those words.

"Not forever," Sophie promised, "just until my mommy comes back." Elena swallowed audibly and composed herself, before she tucked Sophie in. She stoked the little girl's hair until Sophie dozed off with a content smile on her lips.

One finger at a time, Elena gingerly loosed Sophie's hold on her top. The little girl was barely gripping it now, her muscles were relaxing as she drifted deeper into a dream state. Elena kissed the enchanting child's forehead, before she tentatively rose from the bed and made her way downstairs, leaving the door open just a crack.

xXx

Trying to keep an eye on you
Like a hurt, lost and blinded fool, fool
Oh no, I've said too much
I've said enough.

xXx

The lowest staircase squeaked slightly, causing Damon to look up from his magazine. He was curiously what had taken Elena so long, but he hadn't interfered. He wasn't controlling, if the girls were fine then so was he. Elena was breathing hard and attempting to get a grip on the wild array of emotions spreading through her like wildfire. Just until my mommy comes back, she couldn't forget about the words, they were on loop inside of her mind and all of a sudden she just wanted to leave.

She didn't need to face Damon, didn't need to sit on the sofa where's she'd cradled the little girl on her lap. She was jealous, jealous of Katherine. And she couldn't be, she wouldn't be that woman, the one stealing another woman's life. She was feeling selfish and lonely, needing to drive home and wallow in self-pity. Except it wasn't mature to leave. And immaturity had caused all the trouble in the first place, so she took a deep breath and collected herself. Last week she'd had no intention of playing house with Damon, she could suck it up and stay for thirty more minutes. After half an hour she would politely dismiss herself. Yes, that sounded like a plan.

"Are you ok?" Damon questioned softly when Elena settled down in the sofa. She looked pale and slightly unbalanced to him.

"Yes," Elena replied. "Sophie's asleep," she added politely.

"Wow," Damon voiced, it was clear from his tone that he was impressed, contentment lit up his features. "That's fantastic!" he uttered. "You do know that you're the only one who's managed that apart from me, don't you?" he questioned excitedly.

Elena nodded, a small smile tugging up her lips.

"Come on, show some enthusiasm," he encouraged her. Damon was beaming, he felt like his heart has grown two sizes upon hearing Elena's statement. Elena was the only one he'd ever loved, the only one he ever dreamed of 'coming home to', and the fact that his daughter had obviously taken a special liking in her felt incredible. He didn't understand why Elena's expression didn't match his own. Wasn't this what she wanted.

Twinkling blue eyes found Elena's, willing her to understand how much this step meant to him. Yet all it did was allow the first cracks in Elena's façade to show. Her breathing faltered and her face fell.

"Elena?" Damon inquired concerned, he could see her struggling, but even with the best intentions he couldn't figure out what was wrong. All the while his eyes kept in contact with hers, willing her to see him for who he was: the warm and caring man who had never truly stopped loving her.

It was all Elena had ever wanted and suddenly it was too much. She averted her gaze and fought the tears that were brimming in her eyes. This was it. This was Damon, the guy who would wrap his arms around her and whisper in her ear. Damon, who was the only one who could always calm her with one look. Never had Elena met someone else who understood her like he had. Damon didn't need five million explanations. He had never awkwardly fumbled and messed up in attempts to ease her mind. No, Damon knew how to handle her, how to stop her crazy mind whenever it threatened to consume her. She'd never even been able to date anyone when she was a teenager, not anyone but Damon.

It sounded so trivial as Elena thought it over, 'Damon, the only one'. What a cliché. Except it wasn't, this was real, because there was not a single other guy Elena had ever felt comfortable undressing for. It was a simply example of one of those insecurities that had a tendency of swallowing her whole, with the lights on and her lingerie gone, she had never felt truly confident.

Men often don't understand, how women can still be insecure about all of those things, to most men their girlfriend or wife is hot. Period. What would they worry about? But women with the perfect figure, often feel anxious about their cup size, and the women who couldn't possible worry about their cup, are concerned about their weight. Then when neither of those are an issue, it's about how skin isn't flawless or not everywhere as tight, and that's just the tips of the iceberg in terms of insecurities. Of course it doesn't help that many man regularly flip through magazines, jerking off to photo-shopped 'perfection'. How is one supposed to feel confident, again?

Damon had always been able to calm that annoying little voice in the back of Elena's mind. Contrary to any other guy she'd met, he had that talent of making her feel confident and beautiful. That feeling was something money couldn't buy. Not unlike the way he could calm her down after a stressful day, or the way he could sense her mood.

Apart from the connection she'd always felt with Damon, she knew that he'd always shared that same connection with her. Damon was one of those rare guys unafraid to talk about the things that bothered him. Emotions might have unhinged him from time to time, but he had learned not to hide from her, to come home in her arms.

The feeling of being there for the man you love, or caressing his cheek and running your fingers through his hair, that too was a feeling Elena had missed immensely in Damon's absence. It made being near him and drowning in his eyes all the more confronting.

"Elena?" Damon insisted softly. He'd given her some time to form the words to reply, but since she hadn't said a word he shifted a little closer.

"Elena?" he called again, an anxious undertone in his voice upon taking in her pained expression.

"Hey," he whispered soothingly, placing his hand onto her lower arm. "Are you ok?" he questioned warmly, his voice thick as he stroked his thumb up and down her skin.

The first tears fell from her eyes and Elena turned her gaze down, but Damon lifted her chin with his finger, leading her eyes back to his. "What's happening," he inquired, eyes wide and concerned.

"I-, I-, I can't think the things I think and-, and I can't feel the way I feel," Elena managed vaguely, trying to repress a sob. She felt selfish for still sitting in his sofa, but Damon was like a magnet, at this point she had no change of leaving his orbit.

"What are you talking about," Damon wondered out loud, his tone still warm and soothing.

"I'm being selfish," Elena uttered pained.

"You just gave my daughter the best evening she's had since her birthday, you are not selfish," Damon insisted.

"But I'm not Katherine and I can't-, I can't steal-" her chest heaved with her increased effort to get her breathing back under control, then she saw Damon's eyes widen and she panicked. Who was she to insinuate she'd ever be anything more than his friends again. They were not a couple so there wasn't even a problem yet. She was such a fool to allow her own head to start spinning…

"I'm sorry," Elena immediately interjected. "I didn't mean to assume-, I mean it's just me being tired, it's not like we ever kissed-, euhm I mean-"

Suddenly she saw how Damon leaned in, his lips nearing hers in slow motion. It was one of those moments in which she couldn't move. She knew she had to do something and get away, but she couldn't. She remained frozen.

Tenderly, Damon's lips met hers, conveying the exact same thing his eyes had been telling her all evening long. He cradled her cheek in his left hand and stroked her hair with his right one, willing her to surrender, to stop the thoughts wreaking havoc on her peace of mind.

It felt heavenly, to feel Damon's tongue slide across her lower lip, requesting entrance and relishing in the fact that it was granted. He kissed her passionately, then tenderly, refusing to relent before he'd felt he'd made up for at least some of the lost time. His breathing picked up audible when he felt Elena's fingers find the nape of his neck. As she tenderly traced her cheekbone with his finger, he rested his forehead against hers to calm down.

"It's been ages since you did that," Damon whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

"Did what?" Elena questioned softly, her fingers still on his skin.

"Made me-, feel that," Damon managed, the sincerity in his eyes was unmistakable. The words were so simple, yet they carried so much meaning and Elena watched stunned. She hadn't expected Damon to be that overcome. Falling back into their old routine, she shifted to his lap and wrapped her arms securely around him. It felt so familiar when Damon uttered the one word she'd been missing for over eleven years 'home'. Home. That had always been Damon's line. When she insisted that he was a fool for putting up with all her complications and insecurities, Damon would wave that away by stating that without her, he had no home. She was the only one around whom it felt ok for him to be himself.

"You can't ever leave again," Damon whispered against her skin.

"I-" Elena didn't finish her sentence, she just held him closely.

I can't stay here forever either…she mused ruefully in the back of her mind.
Not forever… just until her mommy comes back.

No. She could not turn into the kind of person she'd despised all her life.

xXx
But that was just a dream
Try. Cry. Why. Try.
That was just a dream.
Just a dream, just a dream.
Dream.

xXx

There is no single group in society we can label as evil, if only for the mere fact that there is variety among every group. One would have to admit however, that our perception of some groups is riddled with stereotypes and prejudices. Not everyone we meet gets the same clean start. It is unjust and irrational, but above all a common flaw among humans. And not one we can change overnight.

Stepmothers are a group of people who often start with a great disadvantage, especially if their new partner has teenage children. If those children are struggling with accepting their new reality and want nothing more than for life to go back to the way it used to be, that makes for an irreconcilable conflict of interest between the stepmom and them.

Often enough, animosity is a mere reflection of the fear of the unknown though, and we can make a difference by explaining that is not our goal to spin someone's world upside down and change everything they know and trust in their lives. Learning more about each other is the key to mutual understanding and the fastest way to diffuse fears. And sometimes, we may even be lucky enough to find an unexpected friend.

xXx

And every whisper
of every waking hour
I'm choosing my confessions.