April 17, 2011
Olivia navigated the halls of Columbia University. Though this wasn't her alma mater, she knew these halls as well as she knew the halls of Siena. Too many times she had been here with her mother, either waiting for her to finish grading some tests or running up and down the halls on a Saturday when she was younger while her mother grabbed some papers she forgot. She brushed past some students who had chosen to stand in the middle of the hallway. Oh, to be young and stupid again. On second thought, she liked where she was in her life. Knowing she had only herself to depend on and take care of was oddly liberating.
She peered into the lecture hall her mother held all of her classes in. Serena was at the chalkboard, her back turned away from the door. Olivia saw her chance and quickly slid into the classroom. She didn't want her mother to know she was there. She and Serena had been on good terms lately so she thought she'd surprise her mother with lunch.
"Now since I know all of you have finished the book, who can tell me some of the major themes of Jane Eyre?" Serena questioned her class. She glanced up over the rim of her glasses and called on the first hand she saw. "Yes, Ms. Thomas?"
"The one that stuck with me the most was the social class," the girl said.
"Would you care to elaborate?"
"Well, she was an educated woman who was sophisticated but she still had a lowly job as a governess. It seemed that just because she had been adopted, she couldn't rise to a higher class."
Serena nodded. "Well put, Ms. Thomas. What other themes were noticed?"
Olivia looked around the classroom as a few hands were raised. She listened as they spoke about the book, letting their professor know that they had indeed read the book. Olivia remembered being back in college. Having an English teacher for a mother meant she had already read all of the classics by the time she was done with high school. In her English literature class her sophomore year, she hadn't even had to crack open the books to brush up on the in class discussion. She had had an advantage over the rest of her classmates but she often wondered what they must have felt like. After all, they had all been cramming for tests and completing assignments for other classes and then they had to read at least four chapters in one day and a half for the English lit class. Hardly anyone seemed to know the answers her professor had been asking of them. Only a select few ever really seemed to read the books.
"Now, this piece is said to be ahead of time," Serena's voice brought her back to the present. "Can anyone tell me why?"
This time, the hands remained on their desks. Olivia smothered a smile as she saw her mother's distaste for this.
"Surely someone must have noticed."
Glancing around at the desks full of students flipping through the book's pages rapidly, Olivia took a deep breath and raised her hand.
She saw her mother's gaze travel up to the top row, ready to call on the first person who thought they knew. She saw her mother falter a little and remove her glasses as she spoke, "Yes, Ms. Benson?"
Olivia felt the eyes of the entire class.
"This novel is ahead of its time because of the feminist aspects. Considering that feminism wasn't even spoken of aloud for some time yet, Jane Eyre was somehow a pioneer for women's rights."
Serena moved around to the front of the table and leaned back against it. "Would you care to elaborate upon that and inform my class of what they missed?"
"In this era, women had every decision made for them and they were expected to be at the beck of call of every man. While Mr. Rochester assumes the role of master, Jane realizes the need to be her own person. She realizes that to be independent she needs to earn her own share. Jane will not let the men in the novel dominate her as she searches for her own independence in this world." She released a breath as she finished. While she wasn't afraid of speaking in front of others, it was nerve wracking to do so in her mother's class. There was a reason she had chosen not to go to Columbia.
"Well said, Olivia," Serena smiled proudly at her daughter. She refocused her attention on her students. "Class, I would like you to meet my daughter. And make sure you remember what she said. It'll be on the test next week. You're free to go."
Students packed up quickly, all anxiously awaiting to get out of there. She saw several students glance more than once at her on their way out. She knew what they were all thinking. Mother and daughter looked virtually like complete strangers. Ever since finding out that her father had raped her mother, she had looked for similarities between her and her mother. The movement and shape of their hands, similar bone structure, a habit. But over the years she had found they didn't really have that many. She had her mother's cheekbones and nose, but everything else about them was a foreign as could be. Although, looking through some of the old pictures of her mother, she knew they had the same dark hair color but time had lightened Serena's brown locks.
Even their mannerisms and personalities were complete opposites. While Serena was reserved and introverted, Olivia was a friendly soul who enjoyed adventure and adrenaline. Serena thought out what she was going to say while most of the time Olivia just blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. Olivia was even taller than her mother. Not by much but enough that it was noticeable in pictures. They had different viewpoints on practically everything. But despite these differences, Olivia loved her mother. And she was sure that Serena loved her as well, despite her feelings of loneliness and doubt when she was growing up.
Slowly, she made her way down the steps of the lecture hall until she stood in front of her mother.
"And what are you doing here today?" Serena said as her greeting. Olivia folded her into a hug before answering.
"I have the day off today," she explained. "And it's such a beautiful day today that I thought I'd take my mom out to lunch."
"What if I had been busy after this class?"
"I already checked your schedule," Olivia grinned. "You are free for the rest of the day."
"Well, aren't you thinking ahead," Serena teased. She gathered the papers and books she had spread out on the table. "So what did I do to deserve my daughter wanting to take me out to lunch?"
Olivia shrugged. "I realized we hadn't seen each other lately so I thought we could catch up over lunch."
EO
Olivia thanked the waiter as he placed the diet soda in front of her.
"So what's new in your life?" her mother asked her, taking a sip of her iced tea.
"Nothing much. Still at the same precinct. Still arresting people."
"Have you heard any word on the detective's exam?"
She shook her head. "Not yet. I've heard rumors that it won't be until sometime this summer. I'm anxious with all this waiting. I just want to get it over with."
"Are you positive that is what you want to do?" Serena asked. She wasn't afraid to let Olivia know what she thought of her occupation. If it was her decision, her daughter would be a school teacher or a business woman, certainly not a police officer. Ever since Olivia had come to her to tell her of her dreams, Serena's stomach had been turned inside out. She didn't want her baby girl out there patrolling the streets, putting herself in danger day after day.
Olivia met her mother's eyes. She knew her mother hated her job but she loved it with all her heart.
"I want to do this, mom. This is all I have dreamed about since I was sixteen. I'm not going to change my mind." She said her sentences clearly and slowly so her mother would understand. Not that anything would ever make her stop trying to get her daughter to change her mind about her job.
Defeated for the day, Serena nodded. "I know but that doesn't stop me from wishing."
Olivia nodded in return. She knew Serena would never really be able to come to terms with her job but at least she kept her opinion to herself.
Most of the time.
"How's your partner?" Serena continued on with her questions.
"His name is Frank and he's fine," she responded, a small grin on her face. "He's been my partner for two years. You'd think you could remember his name."
Serena only shrugged. "How's your love life?"
Olivia almost choked on her soda. Setting it down before she spilled it all over herself, she dabbed at her mouth with her napkin. Sometimes her mother never failed to shock and amaze her.
"Since when do you care about my love life?" she blurted out. She met her mother's eyes across the table.
"I care about my daughter," Serena defended herself. "I thought you were seeing someone."
Olivia's surprise showed on her face. "Yeah, Jason. But we broke up two months ago."
"You never told me."
"I didn't think you'd care," Olivia said frankly.
"Of course I care. Now what was wrong with this man?"
Olivia stifled a laugh. "He didn't like my hours. Said he couldn't get used to them. So I said it was nice knowing you."
"He couldn't even try?"
"Apparently not," she shook her head. "But it's all right. He was nice but I don't know." She shrugged and played with her straw. "He's not what I'm looking for."
They were interrupted by the waiter bringing their food to them. After assuring him they needed nothing else, they were once again left to themselves.
"And what are you looking for?" Serena asked her daughter.
Olivia shrugged for the millionth time.
"Someone who…doesn't really mind my hours all that much. Someone who isn't afraid of what I do. Someone who can make me laugh. Someone I can have a good time with. Someone who…someone who loves me for me."
EO
May 5, 2011
"How'd you manage to find this spot?" Olivia said, throwing the squad door wide open. She handed Frank's coffee over to him before snatching hers off the roof of the car and climbing in.
"Luck was on my side for a change. I even managed get a paper today." He tapped his fingers against the paper happily, smiling over at her. She shook her head while she cleared room in the cup holders for their coffee. Frank was always on a mission to get the ever elusive newspaper. Most of the time, he never had time to actually read it by the time he got around to buying one. "They're coming out with the final news on the draft this week. It's the full comprehensive list."
"And that would the…football draft?" she tried to remember.
Frank nodded. "You know, being my partner, I would think you would have picked up more about sports in the last three years."
"Yeah, but I tune you out when you talk about non-work related topics," she teased.
"That hurts, Benson." He clutched his heart to show his pain but she was ignoring him.
She took a sip of her coffee, looking around through the front windshield. It was still early so there weren't a ton of people out. She recognized a few of them from their time on this beat. Shop owners knew her and were friendly with her. She had been told by the owner of the Italian restaurant down the street that she had a table waiting for her whenever she wanted one. The employees of Café Lalo knew their orders by heart. The owner of the flower shop one street over had a crush on Frank and tried to get a date whenever they passed. She always teased Frank about it but he always got her back whenever the construction workers working on the new hotel going in just down the way from the Italian restaurant started hitting on her.
She glanced over at Frank. He was engrossed in whatever he was reading.
"So tell me about the draft."
He peered over at her, his eyebrows raised in shock. "What's this? You actually want me to teach you about the world of sports?"
"Shut up and read."
"Well, let's see." He opened the sports section. "The Giants decided to keep Victor Cruz on after he's proven to be extremely valuable. The team is ready for training camp this summer. They feel they'll have a good shot at going to the Super Bowl. Oh, and my favorite player just signed a three year contract with the Giants."
He flipped the paper back over to the front page and pointed to the story below the fold. Olivia glanced over and nearly spit out her coffee all over the paper.
"That's your favorite player?" she asked incredulous. "I met him in the park about a couple of months ago."
Frank looked at her like she had told him she was pregnant with his child.
"Are you telling me…" he spoke slowly, his shock evident, "that you met…Elliot Stabler, quarterback for the New York Giants?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "I ran into him outside the bodega on 87th about a month ago, too."
Frank put a hand over his heart. She would have thought he was having a heart attack if she didn't know how he acted when he received news he really liked. She watched him gasp for air for a few moments before he found his words.
"You met Elliot Stabler, quarterback for the New York Giants, and you didn't tell me?"
"How was I supposed to know who the guy was?" she shrugged, her voice raising a little. "I don't really watch football, Frank."
"Ugh, I can't believe this. My partner doesn't even know who he is and she meets him," Frank muttered to himself. "Meanwhile, I would give my right arm for an autograph."
She rolled her eyes at his melodramatic behavior. "Relax. Next time I run into him, I'll get you an autograph," she joked.
"Don't mess with me like that. It's not a joke."
"I'm sorry, Frank," she apologized dryly. She sipped at her coffee. "Please forgive me."
"Ha ha ha, Benson. How would you like it if I met someone you always wanted to meet?"
She appeared to think about his question. Truth was, there was no one she wanted to meet. No celebrity at least. She didn't have time to watch a lot of movies or TV. She didn't know who was popular these days. Sure, she had always been current on her stars when she was in college. But she hadn't really idolized anybody enough to want to meet them or be like them. Frank on the other hand treated damn near every celebrity like they were God.
"Well, I'll tell you what," she finally said. She turned to look at him. "When you meet someone that I've been dying to meet, I…will let you see me naked."
Frank sat there with his mouth hanging wide open. The car filled with Olivia's laughter.