Steroline: Even Now

Life Without Him

Caroline's POV~

It was a beautiful winters morning, snow sitting on the trees surrounding my house, slowly dropping to the ground. Looking out the window is like seeing the landscape wrapped in a fluffy white blanket of safety and serenity. It is a strangely calming sight to behold. It is even stranger that I can practically hear Christmas carols being chanted from the nearby town. 

I slowly rolled over onto my left shoulder, allowing myself to once again be consumed by my fuzzy white blankets. Closing my eyes, beginning to shut down, relaxing back into a peaceful sleep. 

'Oh crap,' I think as I realise it's the first of December. I quickly get up, changing into my red set of Christmas pyjamas, running right out the door of my room. As I'm running out the door, I remember something important, turning straight around and walking directly back into my room. I slowly approach my luxurious walk-in closet, opening the door and walking towards one of my built-in shelves. I stand on the tips of my toes, just being able to reach high enough up to pick up a box that happened to be Stefan's favourite colour. It was Carolina Blue; Stefan had mentioned that it had become his favourite colour when we had gotten back together after the whole Rayna, Stefan being marked, Valerie fiasco.

I held the big box in my hands, walking back into my room, and placing it on the bed. I carefully pull the lid off the box, seeing an assortment of things in neat piles, arranged delicately by yours truly. At the very top and center of the box lays a beautiful picture frame, with mesmerising vines of gold twirling and intertwining here and there. Though, it wasn't even near as mesmerising as the person who stood in the photo.

It was my late husband, Stefan Salvatore. The wonderful man I got to call my husband for less than 24 hours. He was selfless, brave, handsome, and a little dumb sometimes, but the thing that I loved most about him was his never-ending love for me, for his family, and for his friends. Not that those categories are very different, he loved all his friends as family, and thought of them as just that. He was my everything, and still is, though I have a few other people that fit that role now to. I miss him, with every part of who I am, but I have to move on with my days, for him, for myself and for my beautiful children.

I sit there admiring him for a moment longer before putting the lid of the box back on and walking out the door. I look inside that box when I feel sad, happy, or just when I need to see him and reminisce on our time together. It's like my own safety net, when I used to fall, Stefan would be there to catch me, and I like to think that he still is. 

Walking out the door, and over to the room directly at the end of the hall, opening the delicately decorated door as carefully as possible. Tiptoeing into the room, sneaking up to the bed, I jump at the small person sized lump laying under the fluffy pink blankets. After jumping onto the bed, I immediately hear the shrill scream of my beautiful little girl. "Moooooooooom," she complains loudly. "Sorry," I reply laughing, not feeling sorry at all. "I couldn't help myself." She huffs, annoyed with me, but I can see her mouth lift up into an amused smile. "Now, get into your Christmas pyjamas because we're decorating today!" "Ok Mommy," she replies with her sweet little voice. "See you downstairs," I say making my brisk escape out the door, before she can make a sassy comment about my unruly hair.

I walk into the door on the left to her room, into my eldest son's room. I skip over to his bed and sit on the bed to watch him sleep for a moment. I know that may seem creepy, but he looks so peaceful in his sleep, compared to his usual pout he wears when his brother harasses him to compete against him or his sister makes a comment about him to his face that, let's just say, isn't appreciated. 

"Hey, wakey-wakey, it's December first, we're decorating," I whispered in his ear, trying not to be too loud. He groaned loudly, not wanting to get up. "Come on, don't you want your pancakes?" I whisper sneakily, running out of the room as fast as I can. While running away I hear a bunch of thudding, and I yell "PLEASE WAKE UP YOUR BROTHER FOR ME!"