Against Reason

Verena

~ "everybody falls in love somehow" ~

Vera's POV

I return home to find Elody and Haven right where I left them, watching Ice Age in the living room. Thankfully, Sean is gone on business again, so having Aria over doesn't stress me out. Plus the girls have been relentlessly asking about her.

I head to the kitchen and begin making an easy meal because today has been an exhausting roller coaster of emotions. I'm very aware that a good amount of the cause behind Aria's depressive episode is me, and I feel horribly guilty about it. But she doesn't know that the only reason I acted off that day was because Sean called me on my lunch break to go off on me about how his Mom isn't a goddamn babysitter and I need to step up and be a better parent. God forbid I have one evening to myself. Anyways, that one phone call really put me in a terrible mood the rest of the day, and I just shut down to cope, resulting in Aria feeling discarded. The plain fact that my shitty coping mechanisms are causing Aria actual pain just puts a knife through my heart. This is what my brain has been saying, I'm too fragile right now to maintain any kind of relationship, but my heart said otherwise.

Before I can overthink any more, the front door opens and I hear Aria kick off her shoes. She walks into the kitchen fresh-faced and smelling heavenly, her hair damp and curlier than ever. She has a pastel blue sweater on over some sweatpants. My heart skips a beat just looking at the girl.

"I was worried you passed out hit your head and died in the shower" I say, getting back to my cooking.

"You're not that lucky." Suddenly I hear little feet padding into the kitchen.

"Aria!!" Elody all but screams. A wide grin spreads across Aria's face as she kneels to the girls' level. Elody rushes over to her and gives her a tight hug that Aria returns. "I MISSED YOU!"

"Aw Elody I missed you too!" My heart is so full just watching how good Aria is with my girls. She even gets little Haven to embrace her, and Haven is the shyest person ever.

"You have to come see my new doll! She comes with a dog too!" And just like that, Aria is dragged off by my girls, leaving me smiling to myself as I cook.

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A couple hours pass, and after everyone eats dinner we all sit and watch some Disney movie. Well, Aria and I watch. Haven has fallen asleep on top of Aria and Elody is sprawled out on the floor, dozed off.

"I think someone wore them out" I say.

"They were very energetic, I think we played for at least two hours."

"They really did miss you. And they don't like a lot of people so you should feel special." Aria smiles and looks at the sleeping Elody. "I think I'm going to put them to bed. I have gifts to wrap and I can't do that with them in here."

"Oh can I do it?"

"Knock yourself out."

Aria carefully gets off the couch, Haven still in her grasp, and moves up the staircase to Haven's room. I sip my wine and try not to smile too much at the sight of the woman I'm basically in love with put my daughter to bed. She comes back down and gently picks up Elody, before bringing her upstairs too.

When she returns, there is a huge smile on her face, which is a rare sight. I get off the couch and finish the rest of my wine, trying desperately to ignore how fast my heart is beating.

"You're good with them" I point out. She runs a hand through her messy hair before saying,

"They're great kids. Almost makes me hate Sean a little less for helping create 'em." I can't help but laugh, even though she's dissing my soon to be ex husband. "Can I help with wrapping? I don't want to go back to my quiet house."