Where Love Grows Wild
By: Liv-x-Lex4Ever & E. Scribbles
Chapter 3: Doubt
A week later, Adam was skipping from foot to foot, once more wearing Olivia's jacket, as he waited impatiently for her to get Sasha ready. "Should I bring the Frisbee? And a ball?"
"A ball? For what?"
"To kick, silly! I might make a friend!"
She nodded. "That's a good idea!"
"Is she ready yet? Are we going in the car?"
Olivia did up the buttons on the jacket, before laying her in the car seat and strapping her in. "Ready."
"Finally!" He hopped in as well, doing up his own buckle. "Will you tell me where we're going yet? Can we call Mama when we get there so I can tell her?"
Olivia smiled. "Oh, I don't think you'll need to. The place we're going is kinda boring."
He bounced in his seat all the way there, looking out the window and trying to guess where they were going.
Olivia finally stopped outside a quiet park. She smiled when she saw someone on a swing. "Hey, Adam, look at who's on the swing," she said, opening his door.
He squinted his eyes as he climbed out, then made a run for it as he saw Casey on the swing, almost knocking her out as he reached her.
Carefully, Olivia took Sasha's car seat from the car, a blanket draped over the top and walked over.
Adam was talking widely to Casey, telling her all the places he'd thought Olivia was going to take him, not letting her get a word in.
Olivia smiled, sitting on the grass not far from them lifting the blanket to see the baby girl was still out from the car ride over.
She held Olivia's old badge tightly between her small fingers, a calm smile on her face as she slept.
Olivia looked toward them, laughing a bit as Adam tried his best to push Casey on the swing, but she barely moved. He just wasn't strong enough.
Eventually they switched, Casey pushing him, and he waved to Olivia, smiling widely. "Adorable baby. Looks just like you." A lady had, at some point, stopped behind Olivia.
She looked behind her. "Yes, she sure is, thank you," she said with a smile.
"How old?" She bent forward, pulling down Sasha's blanket a little. Sasha looked up at her with wide blue eyes.
Olivia turned toward her. "About a year."
As she tickled Sasha's middle, Sasha wrinkled her nose and held out her arms to Olivia.
She smiled unbuckling her. "Okay, okay," she said, lifting her into her arms. "Did you have a nice nap? Did you, huh?"
She heard Casey yell something out, and when she looked up, she saw Adam running in the opposite direction, and Casey looking towards her angrily.
As she approached, Olivia realized it wasn't at her she was looking at, but the woman behind her. "What are you doing here?"
Olivia stood by Casey's side, Sasha on her shoulder. "Who are you?"
"Adam's mother."
Her eyes narrowed, handing Sasha to Casey. "Make-make sure he's okay," she said, her hand resting on her belt. "What do you want?"
Casey hesitated before following Adam who had returned to the car. "I want to talk to him."
"Yeah, funny thing. Last I heard, you wanted nothing to do with him."
"I've changed my mind. I'm allowed. I'm his mother."
Olivia turned around. "Casey!"
Trying to calm Adam down, she heard her name being called and turned her head a little.
Adam's tears started again, and he shook his head. "Don't make me go with her!"
"Shhh. We won't. I promise. You stay here, ok? With your sister. In the car. And I'll be back in just a minute." At his nod, she handed him her phone and returned to Olivia.
"She says she wants to talk to him and, even legally, nothing's against that that I'm aware of," she sighed.
"I don't care about legality. You can't talk to him. You gave up any right to see him. I told you that last time." Casey's face flamed.
"Are...you sure? She gave up all rights?"
"I'm positive. Now leave him the hell alone, and if you don't, I will make your life hell!" Casey grabbed Olivia's hand, pulling her away.
Olivia stopped her a few feet from the car. "Case, I know you're upset, but what else has you?"
"...What if she can? What if she can take him away?"
"Why was he in foster care in the first place? She didn't look like a junkie to me."
"I gave you the file, Olivia." Casey went to step towards the car again.
She tried to think. "He has...abandonment issues. Fear of never being loved. I...need to take a look at the file and what we signed."
Casey returned to the car, slipping into the back where Adam slid his arms around her.
Olivia grabbed the car seat and blanket walking back over and opening the back door. "You've got her? There's not much room to fit the car seat again." She set it on the floor.
Adam moved to hug Olivia instead. "Was she mean to you?"
Olivia hugged him. "No."
"Good." He dropped a gentle kiss to her cheek, his eyes red rimmed once more. "Maybe...we can go to a different park instead?"
"Mmm, how about some ice cream?"
"In a sundae? With sprinkles?"
"Sure."
At the ice cream parlor, Casey barely spoke, her face an array of emotions as she thought.
Adam was a little subdued, but still more animated than Olivia was used to seeing him. In the last week, she could tell he'd enjoyed having her around and had taken on even more of her mannerisms, and had taken to wearing one of her leather jackets every day until she'd given in and brought him one of his own.
Sasha seemed her usual happy self, smiling at everyone as she rubbed ice cream all over her face.
Olivia moved to sit next to Casey, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "We'll fight to Hell and back. Do you have the file and papers somewhere? Are they at home? Where? We need to read them. I promise it's gonna be okay."
"But what if she can...what if she can just...change her mind and I can't stop her?"
"That's why we need those papers. He-he was placed for a reason, Case. We'll figure it out," she said, hugging her tightly. "Together."
Adam approached, flopping himself on Olivia's knees. "Why are we hugging?"
"Oh, we're just...thinking about something. Hey, come sit with me. I have a question to ask you."
He climbed onto her lap. Casey remained with her head on Olivia's shoulder and he reached out to stroke her hair with a sticky hand.
"Why did you say your other mommy didn't love you? What happened? If we know, maybe we can use it if we ever need to. And it's okay. No one else's really here right now except us."
He looked unsure, but then said quietly. "She told me. Lots. I had to go and sit in cupboards and stuff coz she hated me."
Olivia kissed his head. "Why did she say that?"
"..I was naughty all the time. I didn't do what she told me. I burnt her food and I didn't clean up properly."
Casey wrapped her arms around them. "Honey, you're only four. She should take care of you, not the other way around."
Olivia nodded. "That's right. That-that's just...unacceptable."
"I want to stay with you. I don't want to go back to her. I won't have to, will I?"
Olivia looked at Casey. "We'll do whatever we can, but we sure don't want you to go. We may need to stop by work for a few minutes after this. Right?"
He immediately sat up, a smile on his face. "Your work? I brought my badge!"
Olivia looked at Casey. "Mine or yours? Where is it easier to get a hold of them?"
"Well, he has been wanting to go to your work FOREVER!"
Adam nodded his head continuously, then tugged on Olivia's top. "Please, please, please!"
"You'll listen? Do exactly as I say? It really isn't a place for kids."
"I promise!"
She nodded, turning around, looking at Sasha who was covered in ice cream. She laughed, grabbing her from the highchair and walking to the bathroom to clean her up.
By the time she returned, Adam had his leather jacket on, his badge and his toy mobile clipped to his belt, and was cross questioning Casey about what Olivia's desk looked like, and whether Olivia would let him sit there.
Olivia put Sasha's coat back on her, sitting next to Casey. "So, should we go?"
"Please. Before my ears start to bleed."
She smiled. "Okay, let's go. Oh, just a sec. Here, go to Mama," Olivia said, handing Sasha to Casey as she went up and paid.
Author's Note: What do you think?
Okay, we know you guys are waiting on Cabin Fever. We hope to get back to it tonight. The idea for this story just kinda formed and took off running. I promise we haven't forgotten about it.
Review thanks to: playground, LOCISVU, Elliotandoliviababies & MariskaHargitaylove
Please read & review!
Liv-x-Lex4Ever & E. Scribbles
