March 26,Thursday Night 9:53 PM
Noah was particularly fussy that night and Olivia had just gotten him to sleep when there was a faint knock at the door.
"Who would be stopping by right now?" she thought
The knocking became louder.
"Coming." she called out as she walked over to the door and looked through the peephole.
It was Bryan. Bryan Cassidy. What the hell was he doing here? She took a deep breath and proceeded to open the door. She couldn't form any coherent words at the moment so that meant Bryan was going to have to be the one speak up first.
"Umm,Hey Liv. Um, I just uhh. Do you mind if we have this conversation inside."
"Hello Bryan, um ok sure." She contorted her face and unconsciously scratched over her brow. She opened the door wider letting him in.
"Just be careful and watch out for the toys."
He stepped in and began to take in the new scenery. The apartment looked so much different from the last time he was here, from the last he lived here. Toys for a little boy were scattered in ever corner. Blocks, stuffed animals, books, and boxes of unused diapers. A pacifier even laid on the table where a ring stain was left from his wet rimmed beer when he had forgotten to use a coaster. He remembered how Olivia had really tore into him for that.
" Deep breaths, you can do this. It's just Liv." he told himself.
She closed the door and took a seat next to him on the couch,the one that they once shared.
"So Liv, how are you?"
" I'm sorry, and not to be rude but I'm exhausted. Can you just cut to the chase? Why are you here?" She ran her hands over her face and threw her growing hair into a ponytail.
" Wow. Well ok. I just... I uhh, I miss you. I can't stop thinking about you. I still love-" she cut him off.
" Stop." She began to raise her voice. "Please don't finish that sentence. It was mutual Bryan. We wanted different things and we still do. What changed? I don't understand where this is all coming from." She is standing now in utter disbelief.
" I realized that I was wrong, that is what's changed. I love you. I always will." He is now matching her stance and volume level. " I know that love always isn't enough but when I was alone in my new apartment, Watching some sports game with a beer in hand, I just realized that I didn't want that for the rest of my life I wanted you. I want you. I want a life with you. I heard you got custody of Baby boy Doe." he hesitantly looks over at her and she is definitely glaring at him.
"Bryan, you didn't want kids and a marriage or whatever the next step in our relationship was. I wasn't asking for some white picket fenced house, I wasn't asking for the impossible! I was asking for a family, and you didn't want a family, well at least not with me, so I moved on without you. That little boy, Noah, has been through it and his life has barely started, he comes first now. I love him as if he were my own flesh and blood. I'm happy now." A tear threatens to escape from her watering eyes.
" I know you're happy. I'm saying that I'm not, I'm saying that the both of us could be happier...together. If you just give me a chance, give us a second chance." he pleads.
" I don't know about all that Bryan. Are you ready for all the diaper changes? Bath time? Bedtime stories? Putting someone else and their needs before your own? He has medical problems, are you telling me you're ready to handle that?" she quizzically looks at him.
Noah's cries are then heard from the baby monitor due to all the shouting.
"Liv I -" she cuts him off again
"Are you ready to deal with that?" She says referring to the crying.
" I got to check on him. Just uhh ,just let yourself out." she lets out an exasperated sigh.
She gets up from the couch and he watches her as she disappears into the bedroom.
He listens to her lulling the little boy back to sleep. He knows she would be livid if he is still here when she comes out so he lets himself out hoping and praying that she will give him a second chance.