Always and Forever: a new life.

Honest to god truth.

When the morning rose once again, the soft glow of dawn filtered through the curtains, across the room where Elena, Caroline, and Bonnie lay in various states of sleep. As the first rays of morning sun hit their faces, Elena’s cell phone abruptly shattered the tranquil silence, its insistent ringing slicing through the silence with a loud ringing
With a groan, Caroline promptly shoved Elena out of bed, her own frustration evident. Elena landed on the floor with an indignant huff, shooting Caroline an irritated look before crawling across the floor to retrieve her phone from the dresser.

“Hello?” Elena muttered into the phone, her voice thick with sleep as she answered the call.
“Shhh,” Bonnie whispered, her eyes narrowing as she tried to block out the disturbance. “Elena!” Caroline called out, her irritation bubbling to the surface, Hope laughed as she watched Elena  crawl outside the bedroom door to continue her conversation in the hallway, shooting the redhead a grin. Despite the chaos unfolding around them, Hope sat calmly nearby, a cup of coffee in hand, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips as she observed the scene with amusement. She had already woken up about an hour ago, albeit it was 8 am right now.

They could all hear Elena flirting with her boyfriend just outside the room, one annoyed Bennett witch threw her pillow at the brunette the second call cut. “Ouch bonnie!” Elena laughed, softly plopping down on the bed again. ”Ugh, I feel dead.” Said Caroline, throwing the sheets off she stared at the ceiling. Now everyone was awake. “Well, you kinda are Care,” Hope joked only to receive Caroline’s pillow to the face. Bonnie laughed, “Okay, okay.. I think it’s time we get out of bed, it’s late.” “Ughh I don’t want tooo, it’s too cosy in here.” Caroline complained childishly. “I made breakfast by the way, pancakes and waffles, with toast. Fruits are already in the kitchen if anyone wants.” Said Hope, sipping her coffee “You’re an angel.” Caroline got out of bed immediately. Elena stretched her arms, “All about the cereal for me, thanks.” Downstairs at the table, the girls joked and laughed before Elena took her leave, “Stefan and I are going to the lake house for the weekend, just to get away from everything you know.” She announced to the group, smiling hugely. “Hey, can you drop me off on the way home?” “Sure Bonnie.” “I’ll also head out now.” Hope said, hugging Caroline, “Take care, call me if you need anything alright?” Caroline smiled waving the girls off from the front door as everyone got into their respective cars.

Hope didn’t have any plans for that day, but she found herself helping out in the preparations for the Lockwood high tea. It seemed that every time she turned around, there was another fundraiser, charity gala, or community event that required her expertise in organization and decoration. No matter how many excuses she tried to come up with, Mrs. Lockwood always had a way of convincing her to lend a hand, leaving Hope wondering if she’d ever escape the clutches of Mystic Falls’ most enthusiastic event planner.

“Oh, just over there honey.” Carol told her, pointing at the correct table for the briskets to go. “Yes, thank you.” “No problem, Carol.” She brushed her hands.

“The event starts in only a few minutes, please stay for a while at least? It’s nice to have you around.” And that’s how Hope found herself staying longer. The people buzzed around, conversion with one another. Tables adorned with delicate china teacups and tiered trays of delectable treats dotted the room, creating a picturesque scene straight out of a Victorian novel. As the soft strains of classical music filled the air, the guests moved gracefully about the room, savouring the exquisite flavours of the tea and indulging in lively conversation with their fellow attendees. Hope popped a delicious piece of chocolate into her mouth, observing the crowd. Elijah, Alaric and Jenna were here, so was Damon and Elena’s dad John. She was just surveying the place casually, when someone called her name.
“Hope!”
“Yeah, Mrs. Lockwood?”
“Have you had the chance to meet our wonderful guest of honour yet? This is Elijah Smith, he’s writing about small towns in Virginia.”
“Thrilling subject,” she commented, a playful glint in her eye as she grinned at Mrs. Lockwood. Carol obviously wanted to escape the conversation and enjoy something more to her taste, like delightful complements on the classic painting she had hung up just for the day’s event. “We’ve met actually, but it’s a pleasure regardless,” Hope said, extending her hand to Elijah.