The Salvatore Saga, Part Four: My new Life

Two days later, we had put up wallpaper and set up my care station. Wulfe had to go make potions, and I had given floor plans to Adam and Charles, who discovered a few more rooms. Magnum went to renovate them. I planned to start laying my floor and placing moldings since we hadn't done that yet. First, we would do the flooring and then add the molding on top.

The pieces were small, made with a computer pattern resembling pixels, featuring simple flower designs. The flooring was not the usual square pattern but more whimsical. I had planned for 35 different colors, making it a time-consuming but enjoyable task.

I had all the colors ready and was unloading them when Elena's faint voice from the door asked, "Is there anything I can help with?" Elena asked cautiously.

I smiled and replied, "Sure, come in. I'm about to work on my flooring. These are tiny pieces, and I have a pattern ready. It's like diamond painting, and I was thinking of starting with the sides before adding the rest of the moldings."

Elena walked around for over 30 minutes, admiring the wallpaper and tactile textures. I invited her to sit down. Men had installed a new curtain rod and curtains, and the room was warmly lit in the late afternoon.

I asked Elena, "Wanna see something cool?"

She responded, "I've seen a lot of cool things. This setup almost makes me want to have babies of my own, almost."

Her voice carried a mix of wistfulness and regret, hinting at memories of a different time. According to Wulfe and Mariella, it was part of Reddington's plan for these versions to learn and strive to be better.

I could empathize with Elena. It would take a lot for her to consider having babies with Damons or anyone else. All in good time.

At first, we started by putting little pieces on the edges. Well, they had tape under them. Hence, we had to peel the cover away and then place it in one go, as the glue was strong. I had copied my plan so Elena could see what was needed. She had a pen, and she crossed over what she had already put in place. I put two rows next to the wall. Then, I could put molding on and continue to place more flooring. I had time, and this was wicked fun. 

After a few hours, we had finished the whole room's sides, and I was putting on the moldings as Elena sneezed. I blessed her without thinking much about it. I was just happy that the moldings were in place, and I got started on my corner so we could do the flooring at the same pace to make it perfect. This was such a fun thing to do, and moreover, we chatted about various topics. I told Elena about my PR gigs in different bakeries and how it had been difficult for Damon to see me working with other men.

She glanced at me and asked, "What would you say has been the hardest part of your life so far? I mean, you've been through some serious stuff, but what was the worst?"

I swallowed and responded, looking at her, a little surprised, "I must admit to both myself and you that losing Damon to Mariella was the hardest thing ever. Sure, there were a million other things—Damien, Charles, the shed sessions—but the knowledge that I wasn't the one for him, that he had found his true soulmate, broke something in me, and what followed in the years to come broke me even more."

Elena was quiet, her face contorting slightly as she said, "I get it. When Damon loves, you really feel it. I was a fool; I was childish and impatient. I wanted everything, and I wanted him to be someone else. I just didn't realize what I had before it was too late—I made a mess of things."

I nodded and said, "The past is the past. I've learned from mine, or at least I hope I have. But then again, I do make mistakes from time to time, and I'm not perfect. I'm, in a way, searching for myself."

Elena asked, "What do you mean?"

I said, "Well, Mariella, Damon, even Charles, and Adam see me as much more whole than I am. It's partly because I'm a pretender, and it allows me to project a certain kind of role. I haven't really been myself around any of them until these last few years."

Damon and Mariella were taking a walk, reminiscing about their passionate time together. Mariella was curious to see what progress Mimi had made on the nursery, especially since they had just had breakfast. As they approached the room, they overheard Mimi and Elena engaged in conversation.

Damon stopped Mariella and silently urged her to listen in. He was intrigued by the conversation and wanted to hear more. When Mimi admitted that losing Damon had been tough, Mariella glanced at her husband, expecting a reaction. However, Damon remained stoic, surprising Mariella with his changed behavior.

He was no longer the man who would retreat upon hearing such confessions; he wanted to delve deeper into the conversation. This insight into Mimi's thoughts could potentially give him an advantage. The couple stood in the corridor, eavesdropping attentively.

I explained more to Elena, "You see, I have hidden behind my role for all my supernatural life. It's easier like that. Sometimes I want to do it again, but I resist the temptation, at least for now."

She said, "It is understandable to hide, to put on a brave face, to be strong. I wish I could do it sometimes," she sneezed again.

I smiled and said, "It was easier to be a leader, to be a hard, cold person than the nervous wreck I was – tired, jaded, and broken. I let Jake or Rob glimpse the true me sometimes, but not too much because they were such caretakers and had lives of their own. I learned from Harrison's case that I had to remember to give my people their own life, a chance to live an actual life, even though I was not always living one."

Elena said, "At least your life has been interesting. Mine seems so mundane from time to time, but I guess I should be happy."

I smiled and said, "Oh yeah, be freaking happy that your life is not like mine. I have lived through times that would break many others, but I still keep on going. Maybe it's the power of my good times, or maybe I'm just so stubborn that I don't give in. It's just my life."

Elena sneezed again and said, "Damn, something is itching my nose."

I nodded and said, "It happens from time to time."

I blinked a little more as my eyes were a bit stingy, but it wasn't too bad yet. I continued putting the pieces of flooring in place, which was fun. Despite our conversation, it was new for me to confess things out loud, but it felt right. It somehow helped a part of me. I just smiled ruefully and thought that when everyone got fed up with my confessions, they would start telling me I had overshared. 

Damon grunted as an alarm flashed on his radar. It was time to act. He gestured to Mariella as he walked into the doorway of the room. His brows shot upward as he saw colorful walls decorated with various Disney characters. This color combo was usually in Mimosa's room, not Mimi's, as she used muted soft shades. Damon noticed that the lower part of the wall was lined with different wallpaper, textured and adorned with hanging items. He frowned, not understanding what it was, and then he smelled glue.

Mimi took a small piece of carpet, peeled off the cover, and carefully placed it next to another piece. Elena, on the other side of the room, did the same and sneezed.

Damon spoke softly, "Baby, have I approved those? Your eyes seem irritated, and Elena is sneezing. Inhaling that glue eagerly is not good for you. Let me know where we are in our nursery so I can help out too."

Mimi looked irritated but removed the pieces and began to stand up. Elena walked up to her, offered her hand, and helped her up.

Mimi's bump had grown, as had Mariella's. Damon had gotten used to it, but it seemed that Mimi's babies were growing as big as possible, not ideal in the first place. Damon had already decided on a cesarean for all females when the time was right. He peeled off the cover of a piece and frowned. It wasn't too bad with air around, but with the two hunched over and inhaling the fumes, it was not good.

Next, he went to Mimi, sank his fangs into her throat, and drank a few liters of her blood. He did the same to Elena, thankfully finding no issues in their blood that would require dental treatment.

Damon took a breath and said, "If you excuse us, I need to discuss a few things with my wife."

Elena and Mariella walked out, and Damon shut the door, looking at Mimi with a stern expression. 

As Damon glared at me, I sensed his disapproval once again.

Feeling defensive, I couldn't help but react instantly. "What's bothering you?" I asked.

He gestured around us, expressing his frustration. "This, all of this, is driving me crazy. These are our babies too, and yet you keep doing this!" he shouted, his eyes filled with anger.

I responded calmly, "Excuse me, you were occupied with Mariella. It hardly seems appropriate for me to bother you with decorations. Yes, they are your babies. How could I forget when you keep reminding me!"

Damon hissed. "I have to remind you, or else Wulfe or Magnum will soon be their father, right? Don't you dare try to turn this around on me? You had this planned all along!" His voice boomed as he slammed his palm against the wall.

I retorted with a bitter tone, "So now it bothers you that I'm preparing the nursery for my pregnancy? Remember, it wasn't certain if I even had anyone after the holidays. Do you expect me to have my babies in a colorless room or somewhere that Saint Mariella would approve of? You don't care if I decorate the nursery, but you're quick to get jealous when someone else does!"

Damon approached me menacingly, his voice dark and threatening. "Think carefully about your next words, Mimi, unless you want to see my anger. You're conniving and manipulative, showing no respect for me as the father of our children. Blame Mariella all you want, but the truth is, Mimi, you don't want this with me. It's always Wulfe or Magnum or someone else, never me. You expect me to choose you, but you never choose me."

As he advanced very menacingly towards me, his eyes flashing, his hands fisted, his fangs peeking, memories flooded my mind, and I took a deep breath. Without saying a word, I walked away. I found solace on a swing outside, trying to calm my panic.

My hands trembled, and the scent of fear lingered in the air. This was going to take some time. I was living in the damn year over 100 years ago, when Damien, Damon's evil twin, linked his life force to me after I had killed him once.

Damon ran his hand through his hair, feeling frustrated that he had messed up. The bitter scent of Mimi's genuine fear lingered in the air like a heavy blanket, but he barely noticed as Mariella walked in, wrapped her arms around him, and hugged him without asking any questions. He knew she understood. Images flashed through his mind, and his soul felt like it was about to crumble into a small black ball.

Taking a few deep breaths, he silently asked Wulfe, "Wulfe, are you available? I lost my temper with Mimi, and I truly scared her. Painful memories from that awful year with Damien resurfaced. I messed up."

Wulfe's voice remained calm as he responded, "I'm here. I'll enter her mind to try to find those memories. It would be best if she could rest, but her panic is strong, very intense."

Damon shook his head, feeling like things had spiraled out of control. He had reacted too quickly and aggressively, and now his pregnant wife was terrified of him.

"Damn it," he muttered bitterly to Wulfe, "Send Charles or Adam. They have the best chance of calming her down, even just a little."

Wulfe acknowledged and said, "Charles is on his way. If we get through this, I am sorry. I should have told you about her plans. I guess I got carried away, as it was a fun project."

Damon said dully, "Never mind that. Let's see if this damn time, what was supposed to be perfect, comes anymore."

He felt hopeless once again.

Mariella whispered, "Come on, let's go to the kitchen, cook, and bake a bit. Let's go."

She gently took him to the kitchen to cook and bake, hoping he would get over this, and Wulfe and others would help Mimi. Mariella couldn't deny that she had been jealous of Mimi's room and those special wallpapers. Wulfe had explained them to Damon, and he had shared them with Mariella.

Only time would tell what the future would bring to them and what would become of Damon and Mimi. One part of Mariella was almost elated, as she would have him more to herself, but then again, she felt his true pain and anguish over his explosion. He was a complicated creature.

I sat on the swing with Charles beside me, holding me in his arms in silence, trying to calm me down. Memories kept resurfacing, making me despise myself. I felt like a loser and a terrible wife. I understood why Damon was so upset; I had given him a proper reason to be angry.

I realized I had neglected him and disrespected him by keeping my plans a secret despite having plenty of opportunities to share them. I didn't deserve his love, devotion, and unwavering focus on me and our children. He was right; he had matured while I remained selfish and manipulative.

I felt exhausted, and as I listened to Charles's heartbeat, I closed my eyes, hoping to avoid any dreams - and if I did dream, I hoped they would be pleasant. But did I truly deserve such good dreams after everything?