Elena sits on the tire swing under the old oak tree, looking out over the lake.
The water is tranquil. The air is silent.
Everything is calm.
Nothing like her childhood: full of noise and chaos. Laughing, and running, and playing.
Swinging and jumping off into the water, then swimming back to shore, just to jump again.
Surrounded by friends and family.
Suddenly, strong arms embrace her from behind. "Why so melancholy, my lovely Elena?" Elijah murmurs, as he caresses her baby bump.
"Just… memories," Elena tells him, before turning to kiss him.
They'll just have to make new ones.
