Four years isn't a long time, not to anyone who lives an ordinary life with no loss. Not to anyone who lives in Mystic Falls. It's just another set number of silly traditions, happy holiday's and town events, replaying over and over and over again...
hey! reminder that i update more frequently on ao3 (@/mikaelzman)
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Chapter 5
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SEPTEMBER 10, 2030.
HOPE DIDN'T THINK she could recall the last time she stepped foot into the Mystic Grill, but the instant she steps inside, it comes flooding back like a tide she can't out swim.
Christmas Eve; five years ago. Her, the twins, Caroline and Klaus got a spot in the round corner booth next to the jukebox— their usual. The twins argued over what version of Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) to play. Josie vouched for the original by Darlene Love, of course, while Lizzie was all for Michael Bublé's rendition.
Klaus had held a quarter above their heads. "Enough bickering, girls. Josie, heads or tails?" Klaus grinned.
Hope remembers him kicking her shin under the table, eyeing her as if to say watch this.
"Heads," Josie said, her tone confident. Then, she paused, a look of doubt washing over her face. "No! Tails. Tails never fails."
Lizzie gasped. "That's not fair!"
Caroline sighed, yet a delicate smile twitched onto her lips like an aftertaste. When Hope peered over at her, all she could see in her eyes was love. Undeniable, unfathomable love. She wanted to take a picture.
If only she had.
"It's true, it isn't fair, love," Klaus sighed. "Heads will be your final answer. Lizzie, yours tails."
Josie's lips had turned to a beautiful pout. Hope sipped her milkshake to avoid staring right at them.
Klaus tossed the copper into the air. Hope watched it fly in what felt like slow motion. Despite the silliness of the argument between the sisters, she was rather anticipating the outcome. She knew she wanted Darlene Love. It was her favorite, too. The second Josie played it on Christmas Eve several years before, Hope had fallen in love with it. It had been one a good night for the three girls, they'd all gotten along and decorated Christmas cookies together and all took turns playing their favorite holiday songs.
Klaus once tried teaching Hope how to flip a coin, but it only hit her in the face. He grinned and announced it had landed on tails, his prediction. It annoyed Hope and she stormed away. The second time, it fumbled out of her hands and onto the ground, landing in a concoction of mud and rain water on the sidewalk. She said she'd never learn how to do it. She wanted to give up. Klaus rolled up his jacket sleeves, dug out the coin from the soil and told her to try again. A couple hours later, Hope was flipping coins like she'd been doing it for years.
The coin smacked onto her dad's hand. He eyed the twins.
