Prologue: September 4, 1990
"Olivia, honey, have you seen Jen's blanket?" Olivia's mother, Kimberly, asked slightly out of breath. She had one daughter, Allison, on her hip and another, Jennifer in her arms.
Olivia shook her head as she scooted down from the bar stool at the kitchen island. Her father took her bowl and placed it in the sink and handed her her lunch box. "Here you go Liv, have a wonderful first day of kindergarten. I love you." He kissed her on the cheek and helped her straighten out her new dress.
Olivia's mother walked back into the kitchen and beckoned her daughter towards the front door where the Pope's family friend and her son stood. "Fitz, Liv stand here guys so we can take a traditional first day of school picture." Fitz's mother Alice said as she put down her three year old son, James.
Pictures were taken, goodbyes were said, and Fitz and Olivia hopped into the back of Mrs. Grant's car. "Are you kids excited for your first day of real school?" Alice Grant asked as she drove the few blocks to school.
"I hope they have good snacks, and good toys," Fitz piped up with a smile. Olivia sat there silently, studying her best friend. He took her hand and asked, "Livvie, what do you want them to have?" She thought for a minute, and then quickly blabbed out, "I want them to have songs."
Mrs. Grant smiled back at the kids in the rearview mirror as she watched them converse. Her son had always been fond of Olivia and so had her and her husband; they were only born a few days apart and grew up across the street from each other. Olivia was a regular dinner guest at the Grant's and the two played together whenever possible.
Alice dropped the kids off at school and with a few tears in her eyes and some more pictures in her camera drove home to tend to her other three boys.
"Ok children please put your backpacks in a cubby, have a seat at a table, and begin coloring the number in front of you," Miss Erica told her class.
"Livvie over here!" Fitz yelled as he stood and pointed to the seat he had saved for Olivia.
Olivia walked over to the table and sat down next to Fitz. She looked across from her at a pale boy with a nervous look on his face. "Hi, I'm Olivia. What's your name?" she asked with a bright smile. "Cyrus Rutherford Beene" the boy replied sheepishly. "I'm Fitz, her best friend," Fitz boomed, sticking his hand out to Cyrus. There was no doubt that he was born to be a politician.
After lunch and recess, Miss Erica gathered the kids on the story time carpet. "Ok kids, for story time today we're going to go around and have each of you tell us about yourselves. I'll start. My name is Miss Erica and I've been teaching here for five years. My favorite color is pink and I love strawberry ice cream. I have two older brothers, and I love to sing." "Ok Fitzgerald, it's your turn."
Fitz stood up and began talking as fast as humanly possible. "My name is Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III but everyone calls me Fitz, except her," pointing to Olivia, "she calls me Fitzy." "We're best friends and we're getting married. I have three little brothers, James is three and Adam and Daniel are both one, they're twins. I'm the oldest. I like green and my favorite holiday is Christmas." He let out a big breath and turned to his right, "Your turn Livvie."
She stood up and began twisting her hair around her finger nervously. "I'm Olivia and I like…well, I have two little sisters and my mom is having another one soon. I like to play soccer and go swimming. My birthday is my favorite day because I get a big cake and purple is my favorite color."
They kept going around the circle until they got to Cyrus. He was shy and didn't want to say anything. Miss Erica flashed him a smile and said please, and he finally relented. "My name is Cyrus and I live with my mommy but don't have any brothers and sisters. I like Christmas best because of the presents." Before he could even finish his last word he plopped himself down and the next student stood and began speaking.
In the afternoon they laid down for naptime and then had playtime at the various stations around the classroom. Fitz dressed up as a fireman and played with some other boys as Olivia and Cyrus sat at a table coloring.
Fitz and Olivia were picked up at the end of the day by Mrs. Pope and as soon as they got home they scurried off to their favorite place: the octopus tree in the Grant's backyard. "Come on Livvie climb up here with me." Fitz called down to her from the top branch. The tree literally looked like an octopus with its tendril-like branches.
"I can't. Last time I almost fell. It's too high, and I'm wearing a brand new dress." Olivia had always been highly logical and reasonable, which offset Fitz's impulsiveness perfectly.
"I would never let you fall. I will save you if you start to. Please Livvie?"
"Okaaaay I guess. Only because it's you up there." She smiled and began to climb up.
Halfway up she stepped in a loose branch and went tumbling down. Fitz quickly got down and ran to her. She was crying and he could tell her wrist was hurt. He leaned down and hugged her tight and then ran to get his mom.
Later that night he promised himself that he would never let anything or anyone hurt his Livvie again.
