All the cards

9

The next morning, Hayley came to pick up Hope. She came into the nursery, holding two cards and a box.
"What is that?" I asked.
"Uh, some vamp delivered it as I was coming in." She said, setting the box down. She held out one of the cards.
"Oh no." I said.
"Oh, yes." She smirked. "Dearest Amity, I sincerely hope you find the time to make it to this little soirée. I've missed you. Yours, Tristan."
"And the other?"
"To Elijah. I do hope you can come, old chum. I think he likes you better." She teased.
"Please don't tell me it's a dress in the box."
"I haven't opened it, but looks like it."
"Take it." I told her.
"Take it?"
"Yeah. Take it home. I'm sure some sort of fancy occasion will arise someday. You can wear it then. Dazzle Jackson. Just take it."
"But you haven't even seen what it looks like."
"Either you take it or I'll burn it."
"Amity, no!" She leaned down and opened the box. The dress was beautiful- a royal purple, with a sash in the middle, and a sweetheart neckline. "Damn, this Tristan guy's got good taste."
"He's an ass."
"Who's obviously into you."
"It's been a thousand years. I've never returned his affections, or led him on. I'm sure he's moved on by now."
"So, take Isaac. Make him see there's nothing between you two."
"I'm also not trying to get Isaac killed."
"So what are you going to do?"
"Ignore him."
"Is that smart?"
"If I so much as respond, he'll take it as an invitation to continue."
"Who is this Tristan anyways?"
"The first vampire Elijah ever sired. There's a lot you should know, and I am not as in the loop as my brothers so get one of them to explain."
"Sure. Where's Elijah?"
"He's at St Anne's."
"Okay."
"Hayley, I'm serious. Take the dress."
"Sure." She smiled. "But I wanna go shopping with you later."
"Uh huh?"
"If I'm going to this party, I'm going to need a dress, and I'm not rolling up in the one he sent to you."
"But that would be a perfect way to shoot him down. You should wear the dress!"
"No, because then I'd look like a charity case who can't afford her own clothes, which I might be, but I don't want to advertise it."
"Fine." I sighed.
"I'm gonna take Hope home, go talk to Elijah, and I'll give you a call. Deal?"
"Deal." I grinned. She walked over to Hope's cot, picking her up, before leaning over to see Izzy. She cooed at him, making a small face before smiling.
"I'll see you soon." She said.
"Don't forget the dress."
"I can't carry it and Hope at the same time."
"Why don't I give you a ride home?"
"You're really determined to get rid of it?"
"I think the purple would really go with your complexion."
"Keep telling yourself that." She laughed. I looked over to Izzy, who disappeared, and smiled. Abraham was still watching over us.

After I dropped Hayley and Hope off, I decided to go for a walk. There seemed to be some kind of festival going on, the streets were almost full. Izzy clapped along to the beat.
"Looks like someone's having fun." Mal suddenly appeared beside me.
"Yeah, he loves loud noises." I laughed. "Total opposite of Benji when he was his age."
"Benji. He was your firstborn?"
"Yes. Benjamin."
"Tell me about him."
"Oh, he was so sweet. I wish you could have met him, Mal. You'd probably have corrupted him, but you'd have loved him."
"If he was anything like you, I'm sure I would have."
"He was better."
"You are the epitome of all that is good and pure. You're hard to beat."
"You're being sweet." I observed. "What do you want?"
"Tell me about this Tristan fellow."
"You spying on me now?"
"I was just checking on you."
"Sure." I replied sarcastically.
"So, who is this Tristan?"
"We're not gonna do this, little brother." I shook my head.
"Tell me about your Isaac, then. Perhaps you'd be more willing to talk about him?"
"Sure. And then we can braid each other's hair, paint each other's nails."
"Funny."
"I thought so."
"I just want to know more about Amity. You haven't been Zia in a thousand years."
"I haven't really changed all that much, Mal. I'm still me."
"You've had different experiences. You might be the same person inside, but experiences shape a person. Just look at me."
"Well, Amity was turned into a vampire. Her father hunted down she and her siblings and she had to leave behind her husband and her son. They kept on the run for a century, before a hunter managed to subdue them all save for Klaus with these daggers. He undaggered most of her siblings and together they agreed she would be better off in the mystical sleep, and so she and her twin brother were never revived, until two years ago. Her brother undaggered her, knowing that there were alternatives to drinking blood from humans."
"Seems like Amity led quite the life."
"To be frank, her life as a human was just as exciting, but even then none of it compares to her life as Zia."
"Well, cleaning up my messes all the time must have been absolutely riveting."
"Of course. Do you remember that time you decided-"
"Let's leave the past in the past." He cut me off.
"It's not gonna be that easy, Mal. I love to reminisce, and it makes you uncomfortable."
"So this is you punishing me?"
"No, it's just me revelling in what makes you uncomfortable."
"I don't think that's a very good example you're setting for your son." He teased. I looked at Izzy who was playing with my hair.
"Next time I'll cover his ears then." I rolled my eyes. My phone began to ring and I stopped to answer. "Hey, Hales."
"Amity, you ready for that shopping trip?"
"Sure. Bringing Hope?"
"Yeah."
"Okay, great. Where are you?"
"Leaving the compound. Hope's at home with Jackson, so I gotta quickly drop by."
"Great. I'll meet you at the apartment."
"Okay, see you." She said.
"Hey, there's a possibility of a plus one. You fine with that?"
"Uh, who?"
"A..." I paused not really knowing how to refer to Mal. "A friend. You don't know him."
"A him, huh?"
"Not that kind of him. Very far from that kind of him." I told her. "Anyways, are you okay with that? I can always just tell him to go away."
"No, I'd like to meet this friend of yours."
"Okay, I guess I'll see you."