The sound of children was the first thing Elena heard upon the opening of the door. She forgot how loud young children can be. It had been a while.
"Elena, I assume" Mrs Saltzman said, as she peered around the door. "It's so nice to finally meet you," a loose smile appearing on her face. "I'm Joe, please come on in"
Elena glanced at Damon before stepping inside. This was it. This was the moment.
"I hope you don't mind but I bought my friend along." Elena said, referring to Damon. "He's to blame for the stack load of presents" She smiled, her gaze lingering on the presents in Damon's arm. She thought it was polite to introduce Damon as a friend. It seemed less complicated that way.
Mrs Saltzman laughed. "I'm sure Daisy will appreciate them! And of course not, the more the merrier"
It was weird hearing her daughter being referred to as 'Daisy'. As much as Elena had read and re read the letters from Jo and the adoption agency, it was still difficult to hear her own daughter being refereed to as someone else. Someone she had bought into this world and cared for, yet someone she still had yet to meet.
They all stood there for a few minutes, taking in the situation. A woman who Elena had never met, but who was raising her child, a man whose, brother, abused her and neglected their baby girl; and a woman who was so nervous, she could barely speak.
"So" Damon jested. "Is there anywhere I can put these presents?"
"Oh of course. Sorry." Jo exclaimed. "Just put them in there" She said, pointing to a table across from the hallway.
The table was piled high with gift after gift. She definitely was a very popular girl.
"The kitchens just down here" She added, gesturing to the kitchen, which was a few feet away from where they were stood. "The kids are all out in the garden terrorising Ric. I think he's the donkey for the afternoon, while we wait on the clown"
Jo looked at her watch. He was supposed to be here by now.
Elena smiled. She assumed that Ric was 'Alaric' who she had seen in the photos; He seemed like a family man and what Elena could make out from seeing a bunch of small outlines, crowding around a man on all fours, she guessed she was right.
"Excuse the mess" Jo said entering the kitchen. "It's been a hectic morning"
The kitchen was beautiful; a large room filled with the latest kitchen must haves. Elena wasn't an interior designer but this was something else.
Two patio doors were in the centre of the room, displaying an exceptional large garden, kitting out with a swing set and a tree house a few feet down. In the middle were the large group of toddlers, waiting in line for their turn on the very manly Donkey.
" So can I get you both anything?" Jo said, sitting down on a stool in the corner of the kitchen. "Tea." "Coffee?"
Elena was too absorbed in the going on's outside to respond, so Damon responded for the both of them.
"Two coffee's please" He smiled. "Thank you"
Jo smiled back. She knew this was going to be hard. It seemed like only yesterday that Katherine had made her way into their lives. They had been trying to conceive for years, even with the help of IVF, but to no avail. Daisy was their lifesaver. They wouldn't know what they would do without her now.
A couple of minutes later, two coffees were placed in the hands of both Damon and Elena.
"You have a lovely home Jo" Elena said, standing next to Damon.
"Thank you Elena. But let me tell you, it's a pain in the arse to clean"
Elena smiled. It sure beat her cleaning abilities. She was one of those people that if it was out of sight, it was out of mind. Damon had found that out the hard way.
"So Elena" Jo said, interrupting Elena's thoughts. "What do you do for a living?'
'I've just started working at a local grill" she coughed "as a waitress", taking a sip of her coffee. "I mean it's not something I want to do long-term but it pays the bills" Elena laughed nervously. She felt like she had to earn Joe's approval. That she wasn't simply the woman who had abandoned her child.
Joe sat down a few feet away from her. "I was a waitress!" she said 'before I went into financing that is" Elena looked at her shocked. She couldn't imagine Joe cleaning tables or mopping floors, she seemed too sophisticated to have such a job.
"It was actually how I met Ric'
Elena looked at her surprised.
Joe laughed at Elena's expression. "Yeah. Believe it or not Ric used to be a professional when it came to daytime drinking.
Damon scoffed. He had been there.
"Really?' Elena said.
"Yep, but he did mention it too me once that, that was a ploy just to get my number'
Elena smiled. She had seen a few too many day drinkers to believe that. Many couldn't put a sentence together most of the time.
"But I didn't believe that, not for one second" Joe continued. "He was far too convincing for me to believe that he day drank that often, just to get my number"
"So how did he get your number" Damon perked up from behind his coffee cup.
Joe looked at him softly.
"I don't know, I guess felt sorry for him"
Damon smiled. Yep there it was. The female sentiment.
"So I agreed for him to take me out on a date, and we're been together ever since."
Elena couldn't help but 'AWW". It was nice getting to know something about the parents that were raising her daughter, even if the father figure was once an alcoholic.
"Sorry, I'm babbling away' Joe said, waving her hands. "Would you like another coffee Elena? Noticing Elena's empty cup. "No, I'm fine thank you. She replied softly, "but could I use your loo?"
"Oh of course!" Joe retorted, "it's just upstairs on the right"
"Thank you' Elena replied, before rushing out of the kitchen and making her way up the stairs. She had wanted to use the loo before she got here, but thought it was rude to ask the first minute of meeting someone; someone that she was so eager to impress.
Once she had found the bathroom, she let out a deep sigh of relief.
Not just because empting her bladder had made her feel ten times better but also because she felt like this huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Joe seemed lovely, a mother that she knew Katherine well deserved! Of course she still had yet to meet Ric but she assumed that he would be just as nice.
It was just meeting her daughter now that left a knot in her stomach.
Just then there was a quiet knock at the bathroom door.
She opened it to find a little girl holding her dress. She had curly brown hair, and olive brown skin, that complimented the blue of her dress. Her doe brown eyes catching Elena's.
Suddenly that knot in her stomach that Elena had been holding onto all day, suddenly unravelled. It was like she was looking at herself, and in that moment she knew. This gorgeous little girl was hers.
"I'm sorry"
Elena heard a voice from behind Daisy. She had been so focused on this little girl that she didn't notice a man standing behind her.
"She was so eager to use the "big girl' toilet. I didn't have a say" the man laughed "She didn't intrude on you did she?"
Elena looked at him. He was very handsome, with dirty blonde hair and stubble. He looked different from the photos, much more weathered. But maybe that was due to the donkey rides that he had just given, or maybe too much past alcohol.
"No" was all Elena could manage.
"Sorry, have we met?" the man asked.
Men! Was all Elena thought? She took it Jo was the one who had sent all the photos and kept her up to date with Daisy's achievements.
"I'm Elena," she muttered, noticing his eyes widening slightly.
"Elena!" she said with slight enthusiasm, looking down at 'his' daughter. "It's good to meet you finally!"
Elena smiled. "And you"
"Daddy, I want to use big girl potty," Daisy groaned suddenly.
Alaric looked down at her before looking back up at Elena.
"Duty calls" he laughed.
Elena smiled as she watched daisy rush to the bathroom. Alaric waited outside until she was finished.
Ten minutes later, Elena was downstairs sat with Joe and Alaric, while Damon played parcel, parcel with the kids.
Elena thought he quite enjoyed joining in on the party games; after all he was one big kid. The children had taken a shine to him as well, which helped.
"MOMMY" daisy suddenly screamed, "open presents' she said, pointing towards the stack of gifts in the hallway. "Presents"
"What did I say, sweetheart" Joe replied, lifting her up onto her lap. "not until the after the clown"
Alaric looked down at his watch. He was already an hour late, what hope was there waiting any longer. "Joe Honey, you might as well allow her to open her presents, the clowns already an hour late.
Joe smiled at the little girl on her lap, before glancing at Elena. They really were alike. As much as she appreciated everything Elena had done for them, it was still hard to know that this little girl was not hers. She may have the legal documents and the adoption papers to say that Daisy belonged to them, but they meant nothing. Not really. She had always been happy every time Elena had declined her offer of coming over. She knew that the envy she felt and the previous desperation she felt of all the failed pregnancy attempts would come flooding back. Seeing Elena now though, she didn't feel any of this.
She felt calm.
"mommy!" Daisy screamed, alerting Joe back into reality.
"Okay Honey, you can open one." She said back, lifting her back down onto the floor.
Daisy ran off, her princess dress flowing behind her. She needed help from Alaric to grab a present of the table, but she was adamant in telling him which one she wanted.
A few minutes later, wrapping paper was a mess on the floor. It was the present Elena had chosen for her. She had placed it on the mound before she had rushed to the toilet. As much as she had appreciated Damon buying her gifts, she wanted Katherine to have something from her, and only her.
It was an art set, which included a colouring book and a pen and paper. She thought it was appropriate rather than a plain diary. It suited a two year old. It was anything special and she wished she could afford everything that her little girl deserved but she was adamant about getting her something that allow her to express herself; even if it was only a measly art set.
Fortunately Daisy took a shine to it, and before she knew it, paint was everywhere. Unfortunately Joe didn't like it quite as much.
"Daisy, can you come here for a second" Joe asked, trying to get her away from splattering paint everywhere. "I want you to say thank you to someone.
Daisy lifted her head, before dragging herself up from her floor. Paint was in splats on her dress but she didn't seem to care. She stumbled over to the four adults, which were now sat at the kitchen table while the kids played.
"Daisy, this is mommy and daddy's friend, Elena" Joe said, lifting Daisy up.
"She's the nice lady who bought you that present" Joe looked at Elena, then back at daisy. "Can you say thank you?"
Daisy looked at Elena, who was now slightly welling up. "than' you" Daisy replied, before burrowing her head into Joe. "Your welcome, Kat.." Elena stopped herself, "Your welcome Daisy"
A/N: Finally! A new chapter only took me a few months ahaha! I'm sorry this is a shit ending but there is more coming, I promise. I didn't want it to be too long. Please review and feel free to tell me what you want to happen or read or whatever. I'm struggling.