I kept getting ideas for stories but they were so narrow in scope I knew they couldn't be more than a chapter or two so I decided to do a one shot series. Each chapter will be its own story covering different topics and jumping all over in time...some will have to do with the show and other will be totally fiction. If you have any idea you want to read let me know and I will work on it...I have 5 or 6 ideas started but since each chapter is a stand alone it is easy to incorporate different idea. This first chapter plays on last nights episode and Olivia's concerns with Noah's reading/speech.
Read to Me
Everyone else was long gone after court but Olivia found herself back in her office. She couldn't go home right now, she needed time to process what had just happened. Honestly she couldn't believe it…Conner had taken his life. This wasn't supposed to happen…it was a rape case. A case of fraud perpetrated by an underachieving low life praying on desperate women just wanting the best for their children.
It was a stress and a pressure Olivia knew all too well. Her own child was just starting his educational journey and much like any mother, Olivia wanted the best for her son. He had a rough start to life and she was doing everything in her power to make up for that but now she doubted that it was enough. When Lucy had picked Noah up she was given the report and relayed the news to Olivia that his speech wasn't on par with his peers; she was devastated. He was three…what did they want him citing the Magna Carta?
She would never take the path that Laura chose, but she was feeling the pressure. She nearly jumped out of her skin when her phone rang.
"Benson."
"Rough day," came the gruff questioning voice?
"Ed, hi," she said finally coming out of her trance.
"Hey are you ok," he asked not having heard that formal greeting for a long time?
"Yeah, sorry…work just wasn't good," she said not knowing how else to put it.
"What happened?"
"The judge wasn't buying the imposter rape and Barba had to plea him out to a misdemeanor."
"You knew it was a long shot to begin with. The laws don't support this yet but you still pushed to get it into the courtroom…people are going to pay attention to that. You did the right thing."
"That's not the worst of it," she whispered trying to keep her voice study.
He knew that tone and he knew whatever she was about to say was in fact something very serious. He had called her as he was leaving the office but now he wished he was back inside and able to sit down and brace himself.
"Conner…he had been so stressed about school and finding the right college and now all this stuff with his mom…he jumped from his balcony."
Olivia heard the gasp on the other end and words of support for her, but it was all muffled. All she could hear was her heart beat pounding in her ears. This young man…seemingly with all the advantages in life…still fell victim to mental health. He got to a point where it was simply too much and he could no longer take it…and that shook her to her core.
"Liv…OLIVIA."
"Yeah, sorry I just spaced for a minute."
"I'm coming by your office," Ed said not liking the way she sounded.
"No, Ed I'm fine I promise."
"Olivia…this is not your fault. This boy did not jump because of anything you did…this was a culmination of a life of stress and pressures you couldn't know about. Their family is not your family…Connor is not Noah."
"Oh god Noah," Olivia let out before she could stop herself.
"What? What is wrong with Noah," Ed ask concerned?
"…Lucy said his teacher is reporting his speech isn't where it should be."
"His speech? What does she mean?"
"I haven't seen the report yet but he doesn't have the vocabulary and he is not picking up sentence structure and pronouncing words properly."
"Sentence structure…seriously he is three what does she think he should be doing reading the dictionary?"
"Ed this is serious. Noah had a rough start and I have been trying to do anything I can to make up for that…reading, talking, singing…I am letting him down."
"You are not letting him down. Noah is the most happy and lovable little boy I have ever met. He is thriving with you Liv, and any school would be lucky to have him."
"Not according to this report."
"Screw this report…you Liv are an amazing mother and Noah will have a great education wherever that may be."
"If he falls behind now it could affect him throughout his whole educational career. I don't want him to hate school and struggle his whole life."
"He won't and school is only part of the equation. He has a great home life where he gets support and he will get supplemental learning that will help him. Don't jump to DEFCON 1 just yet."
Olivia sighed knowing Ed was right but it was just so hard to do when someone was telling her, her son was behind his peers. That is part of the reason this case was hitting her so hard…how hard had Connors parents pushed him? When was it too much and when was it not enough? They sure as hell didn't tell you this in the parent handbook.
"I should be home around 4…want me to pick up dinner," she asked not wanting to discuss this any longer at the moment.
"Nah I will order something just come home."
She was thankful to have Ed in her life; he really was her sounding board. Here she was sitting in her office trying to process this past case and stressing about her three-year-old getting into preschool. Seriously…pre-school! She knew she was being crazy when she took a step back but it was so easy to fall down this rabbit hole. First it started with oh it's no big deal it is just pre-school…but is quickly changed to Noah is already behind he needs the best or he will fall further behind…and before she knows it his life is over before it even starts.
She finished up some paper work so she wouldn't have anything lingering for the next day and then gathered her things to head home. As awful as her day had been she was able to go home to her son and the man she loved and she was not going to take that for granted.
She actually arrived home a little sooner than she planned but was surprised to find the living room empty. Usually Noah would be surrounded by toys on the living room floor and Ed would be on the couch watching something on tv, but not today. She tossed her keys on the table and dumped her bag on the chair before venturing further into the apartment in search of her guys.
"Ok bud you want to try this page," Ed said sitting in the rocking chair with Noah on his lap and a book in.
Noah nodded his head.
"What do you say?"
"Yes."
"Ok and remember the C makes what sound?"
"Cah."
"And H makes?
"Ha."
"That's right Noah," Ed said giving his head a kiss.
Olivia stood back in the hallway and watch the scene before her trying not to make her presence known.
"The two words we are going to work on are Cat and Hat. Ok when I point to a word you see what letter it starts with and say the word ok buddy?"
"Ok."
"The…" Ed pointed the second word of the title.
"Ca-at," Noah sounded out.
"In the…," Ed follow up filling in the blanks on the title.
"Ha-at," Noah said looking up at Ed.
"That's right big guy…The Cat in the Hat," Ed repeated smoothly so Noah could hear the words again.
Olivia watched as Ed opened the book and started reading to Noah pausing every time the word cat or hat came up allowing Noah to see the word and speak the word. She had to take slow calming breaths to keep the tears from her eyes. There were many time where her heart filled with joy over the past couple years with Noah, but this might be the top of the list. It was only a short while ago she was in her office expressing her fear to Ed about Noah's learning development and now here he was stepping up. Based on their conversions she assumed he wasn't concerned about it and didn't think it was a big deal. Clearly she was wrong.
"You're reading buddy good job. Soon you will be reading this whole book to me."
"It long book," he said looking skeptically at Ed.
"It is a long book but we will keep reading it and learning more words. There are so many great books to read Noah that tell so many amazing stories…I can't wait until you get to explore them all," he said hoping to excite Noah about reading. "Do you like reading buddy?"
"I like bedtime stories."
"Those are the best stories and we will read again tonight."
"We go play now," he asked?
"Yeah buddy we can go play now," Ed said kissing his forehead again before setting him on the ground.
Ed walked over to the little bookcase to put the book back when he heard Noah call out.
"MAMA I READ."
Ed turned and sure enough Liv was standing there now with Noah in her arms.
"I heard sweet boy. You did such a good job I can't wait until bedtime stories so you can read to me."
"We go play now though," Noah said making sure his mom knew it was no longer story time but toy time.
"You go ahead baby we will be right out. Go pick out some cars and trucks for us."
"Ok mama."
Olivia kissed her son's cheek before setting him down and watching him trot off to the living room. She turned back to Ed with a raised eyebrow.
"What," he asked trying to play it off?
"You're teaching Noah to read," she stated the obvious.
"I wouldn't go that far it was just two words."
"Ed, you're teaching Noah to read," she said stepping into his arms and kissing him.
"When I was a kid I didn't really like to read and big reason for that was because it didn't come easy for me. I haaaaated when the teacher would call on us and make us read out loud...I struggled with words and mispronounce things and it made me feel self-conscious. It made me start to hate school. When you said that earlier…that you didn't want Noah to hate school is struck a chord. Noah loves to learn and I don't ever want him to feel what I felt growing up."
Olivia never knew this about Ed, but she could sense there was more coming so she waited for him to gather himself.
"He can be a little shy at first but once he is comfortable he just exudes happiness and joy. Noah doesn't need the fanciest school in the city he needs a school where he is comfortable and can thrive. I don't know how they determined Noah's speech isn't where it should be, but they are wrong. Noah is right where he should be with two people that support his learning and growth…to have some stuffy person tell us our son is not developing enough is just insane."
Olivia froze for a moment and Ed sensed the sudden change in her demeanor. He quickly did a review of what he just said, hoping he didn't over step.
"Oh my god I am sorry," Ed said quickly realizing where he went wrong. "I am sorry Liv; he is your son."
Yes, it was a shock when those words left Ed's lips, but not in a bad way. When the judge placed Noah in her care she went in knowing full well she would be a single mother. She never thought after she became a mother she would find a man that wanted to date her, yet here she was. Not only did this man want to date her, he wanted to be in her son's life in a way she could only dream of. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a passionate kiss.
"You never have to apologize for loving Noah like a son."
"I do Liv…I love him," he said getting choked up. "I never knew I wanted this until you, but I do…and anyone saying Noah is anything but amazing I just…"
"Want to rip their throats outs," she summarized?
"To put it lightly yeah. I don't know what happened, but when you told me someone said Noah wasn't progressing like they deem he should I just wanted to do anything and everything to protect him and help him."
"Welcome to being a parent," she said with a smile.
"I guess I have felt this way for a while now but today it was like I was hit over the head with a 2x4…I would die before I let anything happen to you or Noah."
It was in that moment that Olivia found clarity, Ed was her one. They might not be ready to express it yet but she had no doubt that Ed was going to be the one who helps raise Noah and who she grows old with. He was her strength when she felt insecure, he was her happiness when life got tough, he was her one.
"We are so lucky to have you in our lives. Thank you…for everything…including helping Noah to read," she said kissing him again.
"You never have to thank me for loving you two. Come on let's go play trucks with our little guy and just enjoy being a family for tonight. We can review this report later and set up a meeting with this educator that thinks Noah is behind and we can look at other schools. It is your call but I think there is value in exploring other schools that maybe aren't so…stuffy."
"I think you're right no matter how amazing the school ranked Noah needs to be comfortable…it is easy to forget that."
"I'll remind you," he said kissing her again.
She smiled breaking the kiss and taking his hand leading him back to the living room. Noah was chatting away to himself narrating his race of cars. Olivia paused in the kitchen to get some drinks while Ed went right over to join Noah on the floor. He was right…Noah was a happy child with a great support system around him. She knew she was doing everything she could at home, but would talk to any teacher and other moms she could to ask advice. At the end of the day even with all the doubts and insecurities she knew she would always put Noah first and do right by him…he would be just fine.
