Hellfire | Hayley Marshall

Chapter 53

Eisa was in a good mood.

"Morning," she said, pecking Hayley's cheek as the hybrid came down.

"What's all this?" asked the hybrid in surprise, finding her making pancakes. "Where is everyone else?"

"Kol, Elijah, Rebekah, and Marcel are going to prepare what's needed for us to return to New Orleans. Freya went to pick up Keelin so that I can meet her, Nik and Cami got an appointment to see an obstetrician, and Davina and Isela went shopping for some herbs they need."

"Klaus going to an OB appointment," mused Hayley. "What a nice change. I really only ever had that one... really awful OB appointment, but still."

Eisa smirked. "Yesterday, when they made their announcement, I was almost tempted to ask, 'Niklaus, when will you finally realize that you need a vasectomy?'"

Hayley burst out laughing. "Oh, you should have told him that." She came to lean against her. "You're all smiley. I'd missed that."

Eisa nudged her with her hip. "This is an occasion worth smiling for."

"Oh, is it?" asked Hayley playfully. "How come?"

"Let me think," said Eisa, pursing her lips. "We're starting off a relationship that's fresh and pure and new, we're in a safe house and able to relax for a bit before going back to the city we love, and oh, yes, you gave me a total of seven kisses before I passed out in the very fluffy bed you prepared for me."

"Are we counting kisses now?" asked Hayley, tiptoeing to kiss her neck. "That's nine."

"I have a feeling we'll be losing count very quickly. Are you uh, gonna tell your daughter about... us?"

"She already knows."

Eisa raised her brows. "She does?"

"A few months ago, Hope found me looking at some pictures of you while I was supposed to be watching her paint. She asked about you, wondering if you were my best friend. I explained to her that you weren't just a friend. I told her that I really liked you, and she figured out what I meant..."

"You like Aunt Eisa," repeated Hope pensively, staring at her canvas, "like, how my Dad likes Cami? And how Uncle Elijah likes Aunt Isela? And Uncle Kol and Aunt Davina... and Marcel and Aunt Bex..."

"That's right," said Hayley. "You remember when we talked about your Aunt Freya and Keelin?"

"Yeah," said Hope brightly. "You said sometimes girls like girls and sometimes boys like boys."

"Mhm. That's how it is with me and your Aunt Eisa."

"Okay," said Hope, going back to her painting. "I'll change this, then."

"Change it?" Hayley furrowed her brows as Hope started painting over what she'd made.

Hope nodded, and got to blending her colors to change the background. "I was just gonna paint you in my garden. But I'm gonna add my Aunt Eisa, too."

"She was so excited to meet you yesterday," said Hayley, hugging Eisa from behind.

"She's a good kid," said Eisa, closing her eyes momentarily before flipping the pancake. "You and Nik did a wonderful job."

"Your brother has been a lot of help these past five years. I'm pretty shit at math, and I don't think I'd have the same patience he does when he's teaching her. She's not the best at it either, but since he's met famous mathematicians... he knows all sorts of tricks he can teach her, and she's getting better. She's smart and dedicated, and it helps her a lot that her dad is involved with her learning."