Chapter 11 – You can't break a broken heart
Damon kept re-reading Elena's message over and over again. It had been like that for the past three days, ever since he received that. There was not a minute that had passed by since her phone call where he did not hear her muffled cries on the phone while he unleashed his anger onto her. He did not regret saying those things because they were the reflection of feelings he had kept locked in the depth of his heart. Yet, the sound of her cries haunted him and every day, he was tempted to just let her see Sophia and William and let her in again. But every moment of that thought was always followed by the images of the distraught anguish of the two kids that meant the world to him. He would remember how broken they were when they went to bed crying for a mother who never came. He remembered his own pain during his childhood when he and Stefan had lost their mother so young. He remembered how his heart had broken more and more every day since that night he lost the one person who had loved him unconditionally. And it broke his heart to know his kids had felt that when his wife decided she needed to leave it all behind.
"Are you sure you don't want to meet her Damon or at least let the kids spend some time with her? They miss their mother; you know that even if they barely speak of her these days." Stefan asked, bringing Damon out of his thoughts. Damon had called his brother right away after the phone call episode. Though Rick was his best friend, he was Elena's aunt – Jenna – husband and he knew Rick would be conflicted. Stefan was his brother and he had been there for him ever since Elena had left. He could even dare say that Stefan helped him into not breaking apart all these weeks.
"I don't know Stefan. I just… I don't know if I can trust her. I don't know if I want to see her ever again. And as for the kids, absolutely not! Not before she knows what she really wants! Her leaving? It broke me! But I am strong enough to keep it together and not let it end me! But the kids? No. They barely recovered from her decision to leave and the silence that followed for weeks! I know they miss their mother! Hell, I miss her too. You know I love her and if I listened to my heart right now, she would already be home with all of us! But I can't allow that to happen, not yet. What if in some months, when things get rough, she decides to leave again? What then Stefan? I will not watch my children suffer like that ever again. If Elena wants to see our children, she will have earned it. That's it", Damon said, with a finality tone, which Stefan knew was useless to argue with.
Caroline had reached her home nearly after midnight, dead tired. She had received a late call from Damon, asking her to babysit William and Sophia. He had been delayed in an important meeting. Though Stefan had showed up in the afternoon, he clearly could not handle two kids 'with Damon's evil genes' as he put it himself. Caroline had laughed at his defeated face when he clearly realized that he could not follow the hyperactivity of his nephews.
She was about to call it a night when there was a loud knock at her door. Glancing at the clock, she read '2 A.M'. That left her wondering who it could possibly be at such an odd hour. Going downstairs quickly, she peeped through her window and her eyes went open wide. Without wasting time, she unlocked her front door, staring at the person standing on her porch.
"I thought I would never see you again…Elena" Caroline said coldly to her estranged friend.
A/N Thanks a lot guys for the reviews, the 'story alerts', the 'favourite' Really, it feels good to know you are enjoying so far. I hope this chapter has not disappointed you much. I wanted to explore a little bit of Damon's inner feelings because till now, we've focused much about the kids and him as their father. What about him as a husband? ;) And I also thought, why not explore the friendship ties that link Caroline and Elena? Anyway, I stop boring you now ^^. Please review, advice, and all. Thank you