April 8, 1994

Caro diary,

After Andria spoke, none of us knew what to say. Then, Dante got up off the couch, and the two of them began to converse. From the looks on their faces, it seemed like they were talking about something familiar. They were talking about Damon and me. Finally, they stopped talking and Dante held his hand out toward us, like he was presenting us to Andria. She looked at him uncertainly.

"Are you sure that's them Fratello? Onkel Johann and Tante Caroline always told me they died. Dead people never come back. Besides, I've seen how you and she talk." Andria gestured at me. "If that really is Mama, I doubt she would be so cordial to you after what you did."

Dante, (or should I say Gianni), sighed. "Si, I got what was coming to me from that standpoint. But maybe you should tell them more about your life Sorella."

Then, Andria motioned to Dante to follow her over to where Damon and I were standing by the door. Dante stood by Damon and Andria took my hands in hers. I was noticing a real difference in the personalities of the modern-day and renaissance versions of my children. Andria, as Mia, looked in my eyes.

"I will tell you about my life, Mama. But first, tell me the one thing I don't understand. Why did you leave us?"

I heard Dante breathe in sharply, and there was an unmistakable air of anticipation in them as they looked at me. But, I didn't really think that I was the one to tell them why they had grown up without parents. I thought that was Damon's job, because after all, it had been his doing. So, much like the women that I'd seen so much on TV, I turned my face away from Mia's pleading eyes, and cast Damon a wicked glance.

"Why don't you ask your Papa? He can tell the story so much better then I can."

Damon cast me a look of panic. He had been giving me shushing motions behind Mia's back, but I really thought it was now his turn to talk.

And now, with both of our children's eyes on him, he had no choice but to continue where I had left off.

"A few weeks after Mia was born, your Mama's Grossmutter, who was nuts, kidnapped your mother because she wanted your mother to marry another man. She didn't like me very much. Your mother wasn't on her best guard because she was so happy about Mia being around, and apparently her grandmother thought it was the perfect opportunity. So, she took her in the middle of the night, and when they arrived in Germany, your mother was locked in a room with no food, no weaponry, and three very large men with whips. Over time, she became malnourished and weak, and the beatings they gave her every day weren't helping her condition either.

"Then, one day, they made her write a note to all of us saying that she would be much happier in Germany with the man her grandmother wanted for her and that she never wanted to see any of us again. The second we got the note, your Zio Johann knew something was wrong. Your mother never liked Germany much, and she certainly didn't like the man her grandmother had picked out for her."

"He treated me like I was five." I confirmed. Damon nodded.

"Anyway, to continue, the day after we got the note, your Zio went to rescue your mother and I dropped out of the University because I was so worried, and someone had to be with you at home. I never told anyone why I really dropped out. I let them think what they wanted, which led to some very angry exchanges between me and my father. Then, Katherine came, and I wanted to be with her just in case Selina never came back. But she turned me and your Zio Stefan into vampires before Johann came back. By the time they did, I was long gone. But one night, I came back and watched your mother from outside her bedroom window. She looked terrible, and I heard the doctors say that she was near death. I felt horrible. I had already lost my children, but the thought of losing her as well was more then I could bear. So that's when I decided to change her. When I did it, I was thinking of no one but myself and that is why you grew up the way you did."

After he finished, the four of us looked up to see the therapist staring at us. Then, she whipped her cell phone out of her pants pocket and dialed a number and talked. Damon and I knew the man she was talking to. Alaric. He had been in Fell's Church during Katherine's rampage, and knew a thing or two about vampires.

Finally, he came into the room and grinned at Damon and I, and gestured for me to lie on the couch. I was confused, but did as I was told. Then, he began to talk to me.

"You and Damon have been having marital troubles for a long time, haven't you Selina?"

I nodded. "Oh, so are you a marriage counselor now?"

He shook his head.

"Well then I fail to see why Damon's and my marital issues are any of your damn business."

He sighed. "From what I've heard from everyone, it seems like the issues that you have personally are connected to guilt about abandoning your children. Maybe if you talk to them, it will help ease the guilt a bit."

I sighed. Great, now we're in family therapy.

"Do we start now?"

He shook his head. "No, how about tomorrow?"

We all nodded. Okay. tomorrow, Salvatore family therapy begins.

Fino a che non veniamo a contatto di ancora,

Selina