❤️:162,478
💬:94,367
👥: @Isabella
📷: @Me
@IanSomerhalder: Happy Mothers Day to the best mummy our daughter could ask for! You've done an amazing job at showing our daughter unconditional love, teaching her and helping her grow and explore the world. Thank you for being my partner in crime when it comes to raising her and thank you for everything you have sacrificed for our family to flourish. Thank you for keeping our girl smiling always. Love you, Indie and Ian
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@Username1: Oh my gosh he posted about Isa! @Isabella best mum ever!
@Username2: Happy mothers day!
@KatGraham: Happy Mothers day! Can't wait for dinner later!
@LoganHill: Happy mother's day sissy! Indie has the best Muma!
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"Miss Indiana?" I called into the house. I had just finished doing my hair. "Indiana?" I called again when I got no response. "Baby girl?" I went into her bedroom and she was playing with her dolls. "Hey, I was calling you," I tell her and she smiled at me in response. "We need to get dressed, baby." "Dress." I nodded she had been dying to put on her dress all day. But it was white so I didn't want her to get her breakfast and lunch down it. Or the ice cream we ate. Plus they were gifts from Kalani, she has just realised her mummy and my line. And I wanted to wear them today for photos on the beach.
"Come on then." I held out my hand and she grabbed it and we went to get changed. The house was covered in flowers from people, my family friends, Ian and Indie. For Mothers Day. Candice and Joey her husband has planned a dinner on the beach. We're going to play a few games go in the see eat, sing campfire songs and then back home for the kid's bedtime. It was really sweet of them to do this for us all.
"I'm letting myself in!" Ian called up. I and Indie were dancing in the bathroom. "You're so cute," I tell her and she gives me an Eskimo kiss. "Love you, mummy." "Love you, baby." "You two look amazing." "Say thank you, daddy," I tell Indie and she repeats after me. "You ready?" I nodded. "Just need to grab our bags," I tell him. "They in your room?" "Yeah." He went back into the room and got them whilst I put on Indie's shoes.
The bags had towels, a swimsuit for Indie and spear clothes. And anything else she may need. "Who's car are we taking?" I asked him as we went downstairs. "Mine? I've got the truck. with the Volleyball net." "Okay... Is her seat in it?" I asked concerned about the pickup truck as it was a three-seater with space in the back for surfboards and other things. "No going to take yours out of the car." "Okay."
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"Go to my photos on my phone." He tells me as he drove to the beach. "What?" "Go to my photos." I look at him unsure. "Password is your birthday." I punched in the code and looked at him. "Go on." He chuckled. I never went in his phone when we were together, together never mind going on it now were in this weird place. "It's fine Elle." He assures so I clicked the photo icon and waited for further instruction. I noticed all his photos were of his daughters, it was sweet of him. "Click the lastest one." So I did. It was the cutest photo of Indie and me. She looks so grown up. I can't believe she's three in a couple of months.
"Cute," I say sending it to myself. "You want some animal crackers?" I asked Indie. "Yeah. Please." She said so I went in the bag and grabbed them for her. "Here you go." She took them from me. I sat on my phone for some of the drives Ian had his choice in music on so he was vibing on his self.
I post the photo Ian took of us on Insta. I haven't posted in a long while I've not really felt like sharing my life. It's been a messy couple of years and I just rather not lie and pretend I had everything together to my followers. But I feel like I've pulled it together. Indie's healthy, Ian and I are in a good place, I'm healthy and happy, I've got a new work thing. It was falling into place.
I double-checked the photo to make sure Indie's face was covered by her hair, Ian and I decided we weren't going to post photos of Indie until she is old enough to say she wanted to. This way she could go to school with no problem of being judged for who she is, she could make sure friends.
❤️:162,478
💬:94,367
👥:
📷: @IanSomerhalder
@Isabella: Being Your Muma is the best job in the world!
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We eventually arrived at the beach, others were pulling up too. "You ready?" I asked Ian as he was texting on his phone. "Yeah give me a second." "What's up?" "Bodhi's playing up for Nikki." I frowned. "What is she doing?" "Literally nothing." "Huh?" "She's sat on the floor in the store refusing to move." He showed me a picture. "Indie went through that stage, tell her to walk away from her, she'll soon get up," I say as I get Indie out of her seat. He kept texting as we got out and then I put the bags on my shoulder as I held Indie's hand. "You need to listen to Muma okay," I tell her. She nodded. I walked across the car park and when we were on the beach Indie spotted her cousins and was itching to run ahead. "Go on! Stay away from the water!" She ran to Darcy who picked her up.
The beach was set up beautifully.
I dumped our bags down on the floor under the umbrellas and went over to my daughter to try and get her to put her sun hat on. When I finished putting it on her brown curls she smiled widely at me. "You're so cute." I squeeze her cheeks in my hand and she pouts her lips which I peck. "Stay away from the water pleased," I tell her. "No, water." She repeats I nod. As I was speaking to my daughter I got picked up from behind.
I looked down at the arms and I didn't recognise the tattoos on the arms. My daughter was shouting at me. I crawl at the arms. "Get off me." And the arms just got tighter. I could hear others screaming and I could see the fear in my baby girls eyes. Other people were yelling and screaming too. I see Nina pick up Indie and turn her away. I turned to look at the owner of the wrinkly arms and fading tattoo's.
I felt my heart begin to flatline. "No. No!" I say shaking my head fighting harder against the grip. I kicked before throwing my head back and headbutting the guy. I'd never forgotten those evil, venomous green eyes. I managed to get free of his grip. "Bella!" Ian? I looked around before spotting him running down the beach. I looked back at the man.
"I missed last time. But now I'm free I won't make the same mistake." The gun was pulled from his jacket pocket. My breath ran away from me. "I see you had a mini-you." He smiled to the side of me. My daughter was crying. "Please don't hurt her," I begged. "You shouldn't have run last time." "What do you want from me?" "Your mother rejected me and I wanted to make her suffer." "My mothers dead. You don't have to do this. We can talk. I'll write a check. I'll give you keys to the house take what you want. I just. Please don't hurt her." "Jenifer is dead?" His face softened, the gun lowered. I took the chance to grab Indie and run. Running on the sand was hard but I didn't stop until I knew Indie was safe.
"It's okay, I've got you it's okay." Ian's arms wrapped around the two of us. "Shh, daddy's got you." He told Indie who was in distress. "It's okay. you're okay." He kept telling us. There was more commotion down the beach where I had been but I didn't want to see what was happening. "The police are here, it's okay," Ian told me, I guess noticing my body stiffen at the noises. "I got you."
"Muma." "Muma's here," I tell my two years old. "Muma's here." I tried to keep my voice strong for her. I needed her to feel safe the way my dad made me feel. "It's okay," I tell her and pull away from the embrace a little to look at her brightly sparkling eyes. "It's okay." I smiled at her. I wiped her tears from her eyes. "We're okay, he was just playing pretend," Ian tells her. "Not nice playing." He added so she didn't mimic it.
"Excuse me, Mrs Somerhalder." An officer said. "Can we talk to you?" I looked down at the little angel in my arms. "Go to daddy," I tell him. She reached for Ian. I went to the officer and gave my informal statement. And that was it. "Happy Mothers Day Mrs Somerhalder." "Thank you."
Others arrived at the beach completely clueless about what had happened moments ago. I went over to the picnic area we had set up. "Are you okay?" Nina asked me straight away hugging me. Indie was looking up at me from where she was playing in the sand. "He was just playing pretend," I say with a smile Nina frowned and then looked down to the young ones who were looking up at us. "Right, yeah." She hugged me again. "Security is coming." She whispered and I nodded.
"Indie do you want to change to go in the sea?" I asked her. She looked excited. I got her changed into her swimming costume and then slipped my dress off I had my costume on underneath. "Babe?" Ian said grabbing my arm lightly so I didn't walk off. "I'm gonna stay over tonight." I nodded, I would have asked him to either way. "You okay?" "Yeah." I looked over and indie was running to the water. "Shit." I ran quickly and caught up with the toddler. "I told you no water without mummy." I scooped her up and walked with her on my hip into the water. Darcy held my other hand.
"What was that man doing?" She asked. "Being silly," I tell her. "Was he going to hurt you?" "No. He was just playing." "He was old." "He was." I agreed. She let go of my hand to swim. "Don't go too far out okay," I tell her. The water was to my hip and I held Indie up and she was splashing about smiling the man with the gun long forgotten about.
Whilst we were in the water I saw security arrive and I felt calmer now I knew we were protected. It was the reassurance that someone was here that could do something. Though I felt safe enough when I got to Ian, if the guy pulled out a gun on the three of us I don't know what Ian could have done to stop him from hurting one of us.
IAN'S POV
I watched them closely as they players in the water together. Isabella was the only adult in the sea with a few of the older kids and Indie so I doubt she was enjoying it all too much as she had to keep telling Noah to stop going out as far and Elle and James were play fighting each other. Darcy was close to her with Holly and Lilly.
"She okay?" Nina asked. "Don't think so. She was still shaking." I tell her honestly. She looked back out to the sea. "Who was that?" Candice asked setting the table by us. "The guy who killed her dad," Nina says. "Oh my. And she's still out there smiling." She looked over her shoulder. Bella was throwing Indie up laughing and smiling. "She's doing it for Indie," I say watching them. "Are you okay?" "My daughter and my wife were at gunpoint. No, I'm not okay." I respond to Pauls stupid question. "I tried to keep Indie from going to Bella... She bit me." Nina said. "You can't keep her away from her mum," I tell her. "It's always been them..." I say.
Paul and I set the volleyball net up as everyone changed out of their dresses to swimwear to go in the water with their children and play beach games. When we finished that Paul went to the sea I watched as Isabella got out and Paul took Indie back in the water as she wasn't happy to be leaving.
"Hey." She says coming to sit with me she leant into my embrace which I missed her doing and she held my hand fiddling with my ring. "Hey," I say back softly trying not to move to make her think twice about what she is doing, but she snuggled further into my side. "I'm getting you wet." "It's fine, I don't mind." She rested her head on my shoulder. "Can we come home?" She asked, we were facing the sea watching our daughter play with her uncle and cousins. "You never have to ask to come home, it's your home." She nodded. "I love you," I whispered kissing the top of her head. She squeezed my hand in response. "Want to play volleyball?" I asked. "In a minute." I nodded and held her a little longer.
Isabella does a good job at putting things in the past and moving on for the sake of others and that's what she did for the rest of the day. She acted as if it never happened and just got on with things, she played with the kids, she played volleyball when Indie was napping, she joined in when we were playing chicken fights in the sea. She put a smile on her face and no one would think anything bad happened.
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We got back home and I carried Indie in from the car as she fell asleep on the drive home. Isabella carried the bags in to save me from going back twice. I came back downstairs and she was going around the house making sure all the doors were locked the windows were secure. "Babe?" She jumped at my voice but calmed down when she turned around and saw me. "The house is all locked up." "I'm just checking." I nodded and I went around the large house with her as she checked. She'd check the windows twice, the door locks three times each. I've seen her like this before but it was when she first moved here and she lived in her apartment on her own.
"Do you think the gates locked?" "The gates locked... I checked it when we pulled in." She nodded. "He's gone, babe." "He was gone before." She was holding back her tears. "I'm not going to let anything happen to the two of you." "He could have hurt her. He knew where we were. He knew she was mine" "Of course he knew she was yours, she is you. She was shouting mummy." "He knew where to find us." "Social media, paps." I try to give her valid reasons for things. "He's crazy, he's going to be out away." She nodded. "Come on, you need rest." I took her hand and lead her upstairs. She set the house alarms and then climbed into bed in one of my t-shirts.
"You want to know something?" She asked laying on her back holding her engagement and wedding rings in her hand. "What?" "I still felt safe in your arms." I smiled to myself, she still felt safe with me. "I just wanted to get us to you and I knew you'd make it all okay." "I only want to keep you safe Elle, that's all I want." She looked at me and then at the rings. She handed them to me. "You didn't give up." "I told you I wouldn't," I said taking her hand and slipping the rings on her finger. "Happy Mothers day." She smiled shyly.
"You still have a lot of work to do Smoulder." She warned and I laughed. "I know." Over the past few months, I've been grafting hard for Bella, bringing her flowers, leaving her cute messages, going on cheesy dates with her, going back to places where we first started falling for each other. Apologizing in every way possible. I knew I had more to do. I knew I had more work to put in to get us back to where we were but I was just glad she was wearing her rings again. I was glad she still felt safe with me and I was glad she was here laid in my arms and wanted to be here.
"You want to go get Indie?" I asked her after a few moments. I knew it was playing on her mind the way she was laying there fiddling with her rings. "No... She should be in her own bed, I'm not projecting my fears on her." "Okay. If that's what you want." She nodded. We snuggled into our sheets together for the first time in a while.
Over the past two years, we have been together, we've been around each other for Indie, for ourselves. We've been acting like a couple for moments and we've been acting like friends for others. And we've slipped up and slept together we've argued, we've been civil but this moment is my favourite. Having her laid comfortable in my arms not reminding me we're friends, just here enjoying each others company, feeling safe, and loved. I pecked the top of her head which caused her to turn and lay on my chest. "I'm not going anywhere," I assured her.
It took a while but she was calm enough to fell asleep, she held my hand just as tight. She was scared, someone who took something so important from her come back into her life. Someone who almost completely ruined her life and sent her into a downward spiral was back and I knew she was scared and I knew nothing I said I could bring her peace of mind so I held her, I assured her I was there. I assured her she was safe that our daughter was safe.
"I love you, Isabella Somerhalder," I whispered to her, though I knew she was asleep. She cuddled closer to me so I tightened my arm around her making her feel secure. I had my family back, I thought to myself as I drifted into a light slumber.