InsaneJournal

Since returning home it seemed like life was constantly moving, barely giving Davina a moment to catch her breath. The weather went bananas but at least she got snow on her birthday. Everything had taken a turn so fast and then the events that followed from the second the ambulance arrived changed moment to moment it seemed. The news of their dad, Jules coming home. Being invited to stay with her brothers and Raven. And to top it all off, she was having some really weird dreams that seemed to involve the Mikaelson family. And magic and isolation.

Keeping busy was how Davina handled things. Or more accurately not handled things. Besides a to do list kept her out of the house and productive. Coffee first.

Davina pushed open the door, digging in her purse for her cash. Panic crippled Davina the moment she saw him. Before she could hastily retreat, he had seen her and now she didn’t know what to do. It had been years since she’d actually seen him and the last conversation they had on the net…well, it wasn’t the best. But it wasn’t the worst. And she said she would give him time. She wasn’t pressuring him or anything. What Davina had done couldn’t just be undone with an apology. She knew that. She had too much time to know that.

“Hey..hi..sorry. Coffee,” she blurted out, feeling more and more like an idiot. Maybe he would have just walked by. Maybe it would have been like they didn’t even know each other.

He had been hurt immensely by her departure. Davina had been his first love in High School. His first serious girlfriend. They had drifted apart after graduation, and when he inadvertently started dating her cousin, Davina had been their biggest supporter. When Mary Alice got pregnant and there were plans to marry, Davina had been thrilled for them. For him. Then Mary Alice died in labor before meeting their baby, before getting married, and when Davina came home for the funeral...he had thought…

Well, it didn’t matter what he thought, She had hurt him, betrayed his trust. He had only been grateful that Mareena was too young to know her cousin before Davina just upped and left. If she had walked out on Mare when she was old enough to understand...he’d never have forgiven her.

“Funny. I haven’t made you this tongue tied since freshman year.”
He wasn't wrong. But Davina didn't know how to react around him right now after the last conversation they had. But that was a joke right? He was joking with her? At least he was talking with her.

"A superpower of yours or something I guess," she joked, regaining some sort of ability to speak.

Unfortunately it didn't make things any less awkward. Davina didn't know where they stood. She knew before she could have her friend back, if ever, he needed time. But right now she kind of wished that the floor opened up and swallowed her whole.

"So, uh, how are you?"

“I’m fine,” he said with a nod. “Elijah and Hayley are watching Mare today so I can run some errands,” he was a little miffed she hadn’t even asked about her, but he’d keep that ire to himself. “How are things with you? Your brothers? Your Aunt and Uncle. They don’t call much or have much interest in Mare. Shame, really. She’s a remarkable little girl.”

Lord, why did it have to be so hard to talk to her?

"That's nice of them. How is she?" Just because Davina hadn't asked about her, didn't mean she wasn't going to. She wasn't even sure he wanted to have a conversation with her. "You could call them too, you know." As far as Davina was concerned, the relationship between each of them was a two way street. All were old enough to make that effort.

"Well…we're all over the place. Our dad passed away this week and Julian came home. Dad kept him away. We’re finally all together for the first time in...I don’t even know when." They never really had a great relationship with him and being in the house would have been hard. Julian didn't care for mom much but Davina was the kind of person to take care of her in spite of all the things she looked the other way for. Besides it was giving John and Julian time to catch up. "I'm just taking care of a list of things for mom. She's not exactly ready to take care of them yet."

“Your dad was always a dick to you all. It is almost as if he and Mikael were in competition on who could be the worst parent,” he said with a frown, “but you have my condolences, of course. How is your mother handling it? John and Julian? Are they alright?” He could only imagine the glee he and his siblings would feel when Mikael left this mortal coil. But he did not want to assume that his ex girlfriend felt the same way about her negligent father.

"It sure did seem like that. It's…hard to deal with? On one hand he was an asshole no doubt about it. On the other hand none of us wished he'd die. Does that make sense?" It barely made sense to her. Even though he had been injured, it still wasn’t an outcome they were expecting. She didn’t know what to feel or how to process it all. Everything just kept moving faster it seemed. "Mom's taking it pretty hard. I'm trying to run errands and take care of things at the house so John and Julian don't have to. Besides I have to be there and pack up my things anyway."

“I suppose it does. I mean, I don’t wish death on Esther and Mikael. I want them to suffer, sure, and death is to swift for them. “Life hasn’t been kind to your family the past few years. Mary Alice...your dad…” he shook his head. “If there is anything you need for the funeral, funds, whatever, let me know? He was an asshole, but he was your dad, and I want to help in any way I can.”

“That’s very kind of you, Kol. Thank you.”

Right now the only thing she knew that was needed a day out of her house with a to do list she could complete. A day away from thinking about things and taking care of her mother.
“I hope I’m not keeping you from something.” She wasn’t quite ready for the conversation to be over. She didn’t want him to feel obligated to stay and listen.

“I wish I could stay,” he told her honestly. “But I need to finish my errands so I can get back to Mare. I don’t like to rely on Elijah too much, it’s not fair to him. But let’s catch up soon. If you’re here to stay and not run away again this time, I’d like for you to be able to meet her.”

His words stung but she couldn’t deny they were the truth. She’d made that choice and there was no undoing it. “Here to stay,” she reaffirmed. She had no intentions of leaving. Not this time. “I’d love that.”