"So, what's up?" Damon asks bluntly, fiddling with his place setting. "Is something wrong? Because somehow I don't think you wanted to have lunch just to discuss the disappointment of not winning Bonnie a stuffed animal at the festival or what unseasonably warm weather we've been having lately."
Enzo smiles, looking amused. "Damon, you are suspicious. Can't a friend just want to have a meal with his best bud without there being ulterior motives? I mean, don't you– "
"Oh God," Damon groans, tipping his head back wearily. "Please don't tell me something's up with you and Bonnie. Things are crazy enough around here lately without adding more drama to the mix."
Enzo shakes his head, a wry grin curving his mouth. "Bonnie would be the first to tell you so no, we're great." He shrugs, looking rather innocent. "It's just…it's been a while since we caught up so I thought it might be nice to grab lunch. I know you're busy a lot, with Nadia and work, so it's hard to always find the time."
Damon nods slowly, feeling slightly chastised.
"So," Enzo continues. "How is Nadia doing? Bonnie said she started to talk."
Immediately, Damon grins. "Fantastic," he declares. "Is it possible for any little girl to be more perfect?"
Shaking his head, Enzo laughs. "Spoken like a true doting uncle slash dad. She's got you wrapped around her little finger, doesn't she?" He smiles as Damon shrugs noncommittally. "You're going to be in big trouble when she's old enough to drive."
"Let's not rush things," Damon counters.
Enzo chuckles, nodding his head in agreement as the waitress refills their coffee cups. "What else is new?" he asks. "How's Andie?"
"Things are chill between me and Stefan. Nadia has him wrapped around her little finger, too," Damon responds, after taking a drink. "Andie..." he sighs. "I'm going to Virginia Beach this weekend to see her for some adult time..."
Enzo smiles. "That's great. You deserve a time-out."
Damon looks away, swirling his water glass so it catches the light and makes rainbows on the tablecloth.
"Trouble in paradise?" Enzo asks, nodding when the waitress returns with their food.
Damon reaches for a slice of bread from the basket in the center of the table and shrugs. "Why do you ask?" he says as indifferently as he can manage.
"You clammed up as soon as I mentioned her name," Enzo comments as he sticks a fry into his mouth.
Damon sighs, dropping the bread to his plate in frustration. "I'm going through some stuff and I don't quite know what to do about it yet."
"You were very interested in her not long ago," Enzo points out. "What's changed?"
The million-dollar question, Damon thinks. He runs a tired hand across his forehead, massaging his temples briefly. He doesn't know how to explain it.
"Everything," he tells his friend. "Everything's changed."
Across the table, Enzo lets out a breath. His dark eyes look sympathetic and concerned, and Damon can't stand it. He lowers his gaze, studying the weave of the tablecloth.
"Look, Damon," Enzo says softly. "Your whole world was turned on its head when Katherine died. It's not just you anymore. You have Nadia to consider and she has to be your primary focus. So if Andie can't handle that, maybe you need to pull the ripcord."
Damon shrugs thoughtfully. He knows Enzo is right but he doesn't want to hurt Andie; he also knows it's inevitable.
"Only a couple of minutes," Damon tells Nadia as he pulls open the Tale Spinners door and follows her inside. "I have work stuff and you have homework."
Nadia scans the place until she sees Elena and bolts toward her.
"Hi, Miss Elena. Can I see Katherine?"
"You can try." Elena leads her over to the Fairyhouse and opens the door to let her peek inside. "You didn't run away from your Uncle again did you?"
"Uh uh," she says, shaking her head.
"There you are," Elena remarks to Damon when he approaches.
"She is completely fascinated with fairies now. Is it for sale?"
"No. It's for the store but, Damon, it wouldn't be hard for you to build her one."
Damon shrugs and looks inside for the first time. He's certain he can buy furniture minis on Amazon along with some moss. He can pick up twigs in the yard. And he's certain Stefan would help.
"Thanks for the suggestion," Damon lowers his voice. "She has a birthday coming up."
"I'll keep it to myself," Elena returns, smiling at him.
"Okay, Nadia, time to go," Damon reminds her.
"Do we have to?"
"Yes." Damon nods.
"Can Miss Elena watch the eclipse with us tonight?" Nadia asks with her big brown eyes boring into his. "Please?"
"You're more than welcome to join us," Damon looks at Elena.
"Caroline has plans with Tyler. He's going to drive Caroline home. So, yes, I would love to watch the eclipse with you, Nadia."
"Do you know where we live?"
"Yes, I do."
"We'll see you this evening then."
"Sure."
"Come, Nadia, let's go." Damon urges her toward the door. He pauses and turns around to look at Elena.
He shoots her a panty-dropping smirk and steps out of the door.
"Uncle Damon! Hurry up! You're gonna miss it!"
Nadia pokes her head through the back door, pouting at Damon as he stands at the sink.
"I'm coming," he laughs. "I want to finish washing the dishes from dinner…"
"You can do them later," Nadia insists. She bounces up and down on her toes. "They'll still be there…"
Damon laughs as he reaches for a paper towel. "I'll be right out."
Nadia makes a giddy yipping sound and bounds back into the backyard, her ponytail flying behind her.
Damon laughs as he grabs his jacket and follows her outside. Nadia has laid a blanket on the grass between the trees. She's sitting right in the middle, her head already tilting up to study the sky.
Damon smiles sadly. He wishes Katherine was here to enjoy this with her daughter.
"Are you warm enough?" Damon asks as she settles himself on the blanket. "Do you…"
"Yes, I'm warm," Nadia declares impatiently. "Where, Miss Elena?"
"She said she'd be here. What are we going to watch tonight?" Damon asks and tilts his head back to look up at the coal-black sky, mimicking Nadia.
"The moon's going to turn red," she tells him excitedly.
"I think there's more to it than that."
"No. That's what happens. The teacher showed us a picture."
"But why does the moon turn red?" Damon asks.
"We can ask Miss Elena. She'll know…" Nadia is cut off by the backyard gate suddenly creaking open at the far corner of the yard and then she sees Elena emerging from the shadows, almost like a ghost.
The leaves crackle beneath her feet, and the wind picks up around her, and his heart is pounding but for an entirely different reason.
"Miss Elena!" Nadia cries happily. "Hurry! You can't miss it. The bottom's already sort of pink!"
Elena smiles as she sits down beside her. She eyes Damon apologetically. "Sorry for sneaking up. I rang the bell. Your brother said you were out here…"
"It's fine," Damon assures her. "I'm glad you could make it."
"Thank you for inviting me." Elena scoots closer to Nadia on the blanket, wedging her between her and Damon snugly.
"Miss Elena, can you tell Uncle Damon what's going to happen," Nadia asks, tapping Damon's knee. "He doesn't know at all."
Elena smirks. "Really?" she asks, feigning shock. She looks at Damon playfully over Nadia's head.
"It's when the moon passes into the shadow that the earth makes." She smiles and Damon smiles back, both noticing that Nadia is hanging on her words. "That can only happen when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are all lined up just right."
"Why does it turn red?" Nadia asks.
"I think that's because of the way the sunlight hits it after it passes over the Earth."
Nadia giggles, shaking her head. "It's nighttime."
"The sun's still there," Damon tells her, "We just can't see it at night."
Nadia stares at him for a moment, her face scrunching in concentration, before finally nodding. "It is too big to go away," she decides.
Elena and Damon both chuckle, catching one another's eye.
Damon hunches over, leaning in close to Nadia, and points up at the sky. The moon has deepened, the edges of it appearing almost rust-colored, and they all gaze up at it.
"It's getting darker," Damon points out to Nadia. "See?"
She nods excitedly. "Yes! Yes!" She beams up at Elena. "See, it's red!"
"I do, Nadia, it's beautiful."
Damon gazes down at Nadia adoringly, as if she'd hung the now red moon up in the sky herself.
Without warning, she flops down on her back, staring up at the sky from her prone position. She taps on Damon and Elena's knees and smiles. "Lay down," she tells them. "You can see better like this."
Elena looks at Damon, who shrugs casually. Once he's stretched out beside Nadia, Elena does the same. The view is better like this, she realizes, the sky one giant blanket of light.
"You see those stars over there?" she asks Nadia, pointing. "The ones that sort of look like a square?"
"Ah ha," she murmurs.
"A group of stars like that is called a constellation," Elena explains. "That one's the Big Dipper."
Nadia smiles, kicking her feet against the grass, and turns to Damon. "Do you see it?" she asks, pointing up at it.
"I do." Damon winks at his precious niece.
As if drawn by magnets, Elena and Damon look over at one another. Time could stand still, she thinks suddenly. It could stop, freeze on the spot, and a single moment could stretch between people like a lifeline.
"Look!" Nadia shouts then, her voice pitched high with excitement. "Look! The moon's all red now!"
Elena knows that she should look up, that a full eclipse of the moon is a rare occurrence, but she can't look away from Damon, from the way his eyes shine under the strange pastel-colored light from above.
Half an hour later, they go inside. "Time for bed, Nadia. I'll be up in a few minutes. I'm going to walk Miss Elena to her car," he tells her, watching as she slowly pads up the stairs.
"Goodnight, Nadia," Elena calls out and the little girl turns around and waves before disappearing at the top of the staircase.
"Night, night," Nadia waves at her from the landing.
Damon opens the door and follows Elena outside. The moon is casting a soft glow, and the air is crisp, the scent of pine lingers from nearby trees. He enjoyed the evening immensely. Now, as they reach her car, he feels a mix of reluctance and anticipation.
Elena turns to face him, her eyes reflecting the moonlight. "Thanks for tonight," she says, her voice gentle. "I had a great time."
Damon nods, his heart doing a little dance. "Me too," he replies.
They stand there, the silence stretching between them. Damon wants to kiss her but he can't, not yet. Instead, he gestures toward her car. "Be safe driving home," he says.
Elena smiles, her cheeks flushed. "Thanks for walking me out."
He watches as she unlocks the car door, her fingers deftly handling the keys. The night seemed to hold its breath, waiting for something more. Damon takes a step closer, his heart pounding. "We'll have to do this again when the next eclipse comes around. Nadia had the time of her life."
She pauses, her gaze meeting his. "I'd like that, she said softly. "I had a good time, too. Nadia's a great kid."
"Goodnight," Damon whispers, his fingers brushing against hers.
Elena's smile lingers as she slides into the driver's seat. The engine roars to life, and she rolls down the window. "Goodnight."
Damon watches as she drives away, the taillights disappearing into the night before going back inside to tuck Nadia in.
Nadia is dressed in her nightgown, waiting in bed for him to tuck her in. The bedside lamp is on, warm light glowing through the pink lampshade. Nadia's gaze is fixed on a framed photo of herself and her mother. Damon's heart is wrenched with concern when he sees that her eyes are wet.
Sitting on the edge of the mattress, he pulls her up against him. "What's wrong?" he whispers.
"I wish my mommy was here."
Damon kisses her hair. And for a long time, he holds her. "I miss her, too," he finally says. "I think she's watching over you, even though you can't see or hear her."
"Like an angel?"
"Yes."
"Do you believe in angels?"
"Yes," Damon answers without hesitation. He smooths her hair. "No one can replace your mom. But I love you as much as she did, and I'll always take care of you."
"And Uncle Stefan."
"And Uncle Stefan." Damon smiles into her small, earnest face, and tucks her in. "Goodnight," he tells her and clicks out the light.
"Call me if anything comes up," Damon tells Stefan as he slides into his car.
"I know, Damon. Nadia will be fine but you won't be if you don't get going. Andie's expecting you."
"Thanks, brother," Damon nods as he closes the door and drives away.
As soon as Damon parks at her house, Andie drags him inside to get ready for their evening out.
She is a beautiful, classy woman with a great job and champagne tastes. Any guy would be lucky to have Andie. He likes her and they have had fun together but he can't deny there is a lack of passion and intensity between them now.
"We're meeting Frederick and Bethanne at the restaurant," Andie informs him as she spritzes some perfume on her skin.
Pulling out his phone, Damon sighs with relief that there's nothing from Stefan.
"How's Nadia?"
"Okay, I guess. This is the first time I've left her since...you know...Katherine died."
"She'll be fine." A smile curves Andie's lips. "You're sweet to be so concerned about her."
"She's my responsibility, Andie. I love her."
Turning around to reach for her jacket, Andie can't help the eye roll. Nadia's a handful and the first thing she's going to do is send the kid to boarding school.
The sky is a gloomy gray, with dark clouds looming overhead. The air is heavy with the scent of moist earth and petrichor. The pitter-patter of raindrops is gradually getting louder and more insistent. Soon, the heavens open up, and the rain comes down in sheets. The wind picks up, and the trees sway and rustle in the storm. The rain is relentless, and the sky is overcast with thick clouds that obscure the sun. The lightning flashes, illuminating the sky with a brilliant white light, followed by the rumble of thunder.
The weather is matching Damon's mood. As he watches the rivulets sliding along building exteriors of stone and glass, he can't help thinking of the night that had changed everything. The night Katherine died.
"Damon," Andie pinches his leg in irritation. "You're being rude with the constant phone checking. If Stefan hasn't called, it means everything is okay."
"It's hardest with the first one," Bethanne interrupts. "You're scared every time they get a fever or scrape their knees…by the time you have the second or third, you stop worrying so much."
"Relax, man. Kids are pretty resilient," Frederick adds, lifting his wine glass to his mouth.
"He'll be a good father someday," Andie tells Bethanne in a smiling aside.
Damon feels a stab of irritation. Someday? He's a father to Nadia in every way except being a sperm contributor.
"Can we please try to enjoy the rest of our evening," Andie rebukes him as the sound of his cell phone interrupts the conversation.
"Please excuse me one second." Damon rises from the table and walks toward the entrance.
"Hey, Stefan. Is everything okay?"
"I'm sorry, Damon, but her fever is high, almost 104. I'm going to take her to the ER."
"Don't apologize. You did the right thing calling." He looks up to see Andie approaching him.
"I'll call you right back, Stefan." Damon ends the call.
"What's wrong?"
"Nadia has a high fever. He's taking her to the emergency room."
"Don't worry so much, Damon. This is good, it gives Stefan some experience with her."
"Andie—" Damon begins. "I'm sorry. I have to go."
"Listen, Damon. I'm not trying to frame this as a choose-between-Nadia-or-me thing…but she'll be fine with Stefan. There's nothing you can do that your brother's not already doing. I want you to come and sit back down and enjoy the evening with me and later..." she cups his crouch discreetly.
By the time she finishes, Damon's feelings of warmth and connection have vanished. Despite her denial, she is asking him to choose.
"I know Stefan loves her and is capable, but I need to be there. And there's no way I can stay here with my kid sitting in the emergency room."
"But Nadia's not yours," Andie grits out angrily.
Damon looks at her as if he's never seen her before.
Significant things are sometimes revealed in small moments such as this. In the space of a few words, his and Andie's relationship undergoes a sea change.
When Andie finally notices Damon's expression, she lifts her impatient gaze. "I didn't mean it to sound like that."
"Yes, you did." Damon pauses, feeling the supportive trusses of their relationship being ripped apart, every word another hatchet strike.
"So, I'm not going to be your priority. Not ever. That's what you're saying."
"And you deserve to be number one, Andie. It just won't be with me. I'm sorry."
"You should go," she tells him firmly.
"Yeah. I guess I should," Damon holds her stare for a few seconds before walking out of the restaurant with Andie in the proverbial rearview mirror.
Massive thanks to everyone.
Chapter title: Million Dollar Question by Radiohead.
A Paler Shade of Death continues, too. Watch for my spring break story to post since it's that time of year.
Have a wonderful day. Take care.