Cold Hearted | Damon Salvatore

fifteen

"Why are you awake so early?" Damon asked, knowing both Aria and Caroline had slept very late, both the girls spent most of the night crying.

"Um, it's nearly time for the triplets to wake up so I thought to make their bottles before they start crying and wake Jayden and Hope up" Aria replied.

"I'll make their bottles" Damon said, standing up, "You should go back to sleep".

"No need, I'll make the bottles" Aria assured, "You should go back to whatever you're doing".

"Liz's eulogy" Damon clarified, "Would you believe your mother entrusted me to eulogize her?".

"She believed you had it in you to give her a good eulogy" Aria replied.

"I think she was trying to teach me a lesson about my own mom" Damon said, "I was supposed to do the eulogy at her funeral, and I just couldn't do it".

Aria sighed, "Well you're gonna do it this time" she said.

"How are you so sure?" Damon asked.

"Because I believe in you" Aria replied, causing a small smile to form on Damon's face, "Just like mom did, now excuse me, I have to prepare for probably what's going to be the worst day of my life".

"Today isn't the worst day of your life, Ria" Damon assured, confusing Aria, "Today and tomorrow, it's a cake walk, there'll be people around you day in and day out, like they're afraid to leave you alone, the worst day? That's next week, when there's nothing but quiet, just a heads-up".

Aria looked away from Damon, not wanting him to see her teary eyes, "I'm going to go to the triplets before they create a havoc".

"I'll come as well" Damon said.

"No" Aria said, "You need to write my mom a good eulogy, I've got our kids".

Damon watched as Aria walked out of the kitchen, even if Aria tried to hide her tears, Damon had seen it, and he knew no matter what she said, Aria was hurting, a lot, and Damon wondered how much more hurt could she take before she decided it was enough.

***

"You've all asked what you can do to help" Caroline said, addressing everyone, a notepad in her hand, "There are five days worth of projects on here, we are going to do them in one, we can break the rules and cut through the red tape, yeah, me and Aria expect our mom to be properly celebrated and buried by the end of the day".

"Sure, whatever you two need" Rebekah said, giving her two best friends a smile.

"Okay, so me and Aria are on casket shopping" Caroline said.

"Rebekah you going to be okay with the kids?" Aria asked.

"I've got them" Rebekah replied.

"We are also here to help her out" Finn assured.

"Great, then let's move" Caroline ordered.

***

"Your mother was such a vibrant women" A lady at the funeral home told both Aria and Caroline, "Even after her husband ran off with that man".