Must Love Dogs

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Katherine nodded. "Yes, baby. We're going to have another baby girl or a baby boy. It's still too early to really know the gender of the baby. But, Izzie's going to be an older sister either way." Katherine rambled on through her tears at the thought of her little girl taking on the role of being a big sister.

Damon sat beside her for a long time, stunned by her words as he pulled Katherine into him and kissed the side of her face. "I love you and no matter what the baby is. I just want us all to be a happy and healthy family." He smiled as she too agreed with him.

"I can't wait for you to be a father again and this time you don't need to worry about missing out on things because you won't be working so much." She added in, feeling Damon's hand make small circles against her arm as they sat on the couch and Katherine rested her head against his shoulder while he smiled at the thought. "Yeah, and I can't wait for it either." Damon confirmed, pulling her even closer to him and resting his hand gently on her flat stomach as he smiled with watery eyes at his wife when he stated. "Katherine Salvatore, I love you and our children are the luckiest kids alive with a mother as amazing as you."

Elena's bottom lip shook as she looked at Stefan through watery eyes. Closing her mouth quickly because she wasn't even really sure of what she wanted to say. Stefan was standing in their bedroom holding Ben in his arms, rocking him back and forth. He had been encouraging Elena to engage with their son. After being born two months early, Ben hadn't suffered that many health problems and they were both thankful for him being a fairly health and thriving baby boy. However, ever since they had brought him home, Elena began withdrawing herself from him and Stefan was taken back by it. She seemed completely detached. It broke his heart to see her this way, he hated that she seemed so different than what she had been like just months before. She was happy, excited and could barely wait for them to start their lives together as family and to fill her new role of being a first time mother.

"I was going to go call my brother and see how the house hunting was going, maybe call your mom to help out with Ben today." Stefan suggested as he cradled their son in his arms and stared down at the sleeping baby. Ben was beautiful, his son was warm and smelled amazing because of his baby shampoo. He was a bit smaller than most of the babies that had been at the ward. Although, the doctor and nurses had reassured Stefan and Elena that he'd grow into a being a strong baby within time. It didn't matter that Ben woke Stefan up at multiple times during the night. He didn't care when he got up with the fussy baby and rocked him gently in the nursery until he fell asleep again. It didn't bother Stefan either, that he had bags underneath his eyes because all he wanted to do, was be with his son every chance he got and lately with Elena being in the state she was. Stefan had taken on the responsibility of care taker.

"Elena, babe. I know that you need time. I know that getting used to the baby and our new place is an adjustment. But, you haven't held him since we brought him home from the hospital, you haven't breast fed him and they say that-." Elena's sharp voice broke the sudden tension between them as she glared up at Stefan as if he had cursed her mother's name in vain.

"They say what? Huh? Since when have you become an expert in all things that a mother should know?" She hissed at him as Stefan took a step back and began turning away from their bed.

"It's been two months. Two months since our son came home from the hospital with a clear bill of health and you haven't even acknowledged his existence. Elena, it's like he's done something wrong to you."Stefan commented in a hopeless tone, his eyes narrowing down to the baby in his arms as he thought about all the things they had been through since Ben had been born.

Stefan had thought they were fine, he thought that they'd make it and for a while. They were happy, deep down he knew that they were because he could see it on Elena's happy face and in her loving brown eyes. That was until Elena started experiencing migraines all the time and began having mood swings and then the lively spark she once had, the smile she once wore around everyone began to disappear just like a fading star in the night. Although, the final blow had come just a few weeks ago when she began distancing herself from him and from the baby. Elena didn't even dare look at Ben at all anymore and she didn't even want to hold him or engage with her son like she once had done. It broke Stefan's heart because he had tried so hard to help her cope with her feelings and get to the root of her problems. However, when she said that the thought of her being a mother repulsed her and that she wasn't good enough to take all of the pressure in which the title carried on. Stefan was finally beginning to lose all hope and that's when he knew he couldn't help her fight it whatever dark demons she had within herself anymore. This disease that had began taking over her life, this sadness within her was something that she had to learn to fight off alone and as much as it broke his heart, Stefan knew that she was the only one who could cure herself. Even if it took years though, he still wanted to try and help her pull through.