Later That Night
After Fitz hugged Aubrey, he went to the twins' room and gave them a kiss while they took a nap. It took everything in him to walk away, but he had to regain his composure. HE wasn't sure what to think anymore. Of course, he would always love Olivia and he knew he was going to come back, but for some reason he couldn't shake the feeling of not knowing the woman who had laid by his side every night.
Fitz got downstairs and to the front door still questioning everything inside him telling him not to leave. But for once he couldn't trust what his heart was telling him anymore, he had to think logically before someone else got hurt in the cross fire. He walked outside and told his security to take him the Governor's mansion and they drove off.
Back upstairs, Olivia had never felt this type of pain before. She knew she messed up, but what was she supposed to do? It was either her or he baby and she would never intentionally put Aubrey in harm's way, however she did without even realizing it.
Olivia went into her bathroom and sat on the floor crying. She knew where everything went wrong but she didn't know the first way in how to fix it. She figured while the kids were taking a nap, she might as well do it. She had been feeling off more than ever, and with Aubrey here now her world has completely turned upside down. She couldn't wait any longer so she pulled out a box underneath her sink and took out a pregnancy test. In another world before Aubrey arrived she would've felt excited about the prospect of a new baby but she didn't feel that. She was worried about how Aubrey would feel if she found out she was pregnant. Her life was no longer her own.
She sat on the side of the tub waiting for the results, she finally got up and her worst fear was confirmed. She had just gotten her daughter back and now she was about to have another child. Granted she would love to become a mom again, but Aubrey needed her now more than ever. She didn't want to neglect the relationship they were trying to mend if she was now pregnant.
She didn't know who to tell first, she felt an obligation to Aubrey because she had missed out on so much already, but then she knew Fitz has been asking about having another child. For the first time in her life she wanted the results to be negative so she could have a clear mind and think. But that was going on the backburner considering that she now had 9 months to prepare for this new baby.
She'd be lying if she said she wasn't at least a little bit happy, but it just didn't feel right. Once she finally got herself together she made an appointment with her OB/GYN to confirm the pregnancy and get started on the medications. She knew that this was news she couldn't tell her husband over the phone. This was a face to face conversation they had to have amongst others.
As she was exiting the bathroom, she went into the twins' room and saw them watching TV and coloring. They looked so happy ad yet they didn't even know they now had a sister. She stood in the doorway just a little bit longer to just admire them.
"Ok you two, time for dinner." Olivia said
They both hopped up and went into their bathroom and washed their hands and raced each other down the stairs. Olivia walked passed Aubrey's room and saw that she was taking a nap. She figured that her day was emotionally draining and wanted to rest. Besides they had all the time in the world now to make up for what they had lost. She went downstairs and fixed the kids their dinner.
As they were eating they had their own little conversation as always and began talking about what only 4-year-olds think is world news. Olivia just laughed and after they finished their food, they washed their hands and went to go pick out a movie to watch for the night. When they finally agreed on what they wanted, Olivia popped the movie in and got their blankets as Avery sat on her right and Ariah on her left s always. Before the movie started, Avery looked up at his mom and asked,
"Momma. Where's Daddy?"
"He had to go do some work at the office so he's going to be gone for a little while, but he'll be back. Ok?" Olivia answered
"Ok" Avery accepted and began to watch the movie
While the kids seemed content, Olivia was still taken aback from all that had happened in the last few hours. Truth is, she knew Fitz would be back she just didn't know when and that scared her more than anything.
About an hour into the movie, the kids were beginning to doze off, so Olivia gently woke them up so they could take their baths and go to bed. Once they had on their pajamas they climbed into bed and waited as Olivia picked out a book and read to them. Once she was done they were both sound asleep. Olivia got up and gave them both a kiss, turned off the light and left the room. She walked down to see Aubrey still asleep and figured she would talk to her in the morning after her appointment.
She got back to her room and ran a bath. She got in and let all her problems soak into the water. For that rare moment, she felt peace and trusted that everything would be ok. Once she got out and put on some pajamas, she got into bed with her phone and texted Abby.
Hey, do you mind keeping the kids tomorrow?
You know I don't mind, I love my godbabies. I'll pick them up at 10?
Yea that's perfect. Thank you.
She then called Fitz and hoped that he would answer, and when he picked up on the first ring she knew they were making progress.
"Hi." Olivia said
"Hi."
"I'm sorry Fitz, really I am. It's…there was a lot going on at the time and I didn't want you to look at me differently because I had a child when I was 17. I love you and would never do anything to hurt you, you have to know that. I trust you Fitz, I just...I didn't trust myself and that's why I didn't tell you. Please forgive me." Olivia cried over the phone
"I do. I love you too Olivia, it's just, I thought that we had an understanding that no matter how bad things were we were always going to communicate with each other. You didn't communicate with me and I was let by myself trying to figure out where and when all the pieces went missing." Fitz explained
"For that, I'm sorry. Umm, tomorrow I have a doctor's appointment and I wanted to know if you'd come with me?" Olivia asked shyly
"Of course, I'll be there. What time?"
"At 11:00 am. Do you mind if Aubrey came with?" she was hesitant about his response
"Olivia, we are married. She is a part of you therefore she is a part of me. She's our daughter and if she wants to come, then bring her. I don't want her feeling as if she had been left out, she's a part of this family now too. Ok?"
"Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow"
"Ok. Good night Livvie. I love you."
"I love you too Mr. Grant. Good night."
Olivia didn't know how she deserved a man like Fitz, but she's glad that the stars aligned when they did to allow her happiness. From all that had happened she was finally able to go to sleep with peace in her heart, hopeful about what tomorrow would bring.
The Next Morning
Aubrey woke up to the feeling that someone was staring at her. She rolled over to see two 4-year-olds looking at her confused. She gasped when she saw them and they moved back in return. The three were in a stand-off with their eyes. Finally, Ariah took a step forward and got on the bed.
"Who are you?" Ariah asked
"Ummm…" Aubrey looked around hoping that Olivia as coming soon to save her but it didn't look like that would be happening.
"I'm Aubrey. I'm your sister." She said hesitantly
"You're our sister? How?" Ariah asked
"I…umm…I lived in Washington D.C. for a while but now I'm here." Aubrey tried to come up with the quickest story
Ariah hopped off the bed and went and stood next to Avery and began to attempt to whisper.
"Avery we have a sister!" she said excitedly. Aubrey chuckled at how bad her whispering was.
"So what are your names?" Aubrey asked
"I'm Ariah, but mommy and daddy call me goosey, because my favorite animal is a goose." Ariah explained proudly
"I like it. And you must be Avery?" Aubrey inquired
Avery just nodded his head and smiled. Ariah was thrilled that she had a big sister. She finally had someone she could have play dates with and play dress up with her. She always wondered what it would be like if she had a sister and now she finally got to find out. Avery on the other hand was very quiet and observant. He wondered exactly how they had a sister older than them they were just now meeting. He was happy he had another sister because Ariah could be a handful at times.
"What' your favorite color?" Ariah asked
"You sure do ask a lot of questions huh?" Aubrey chuckled at Ariah's curious nature
"Yea, mommy said I'm going to make a great lawyer one day. So…." Ariah left off waiting for Aubrey to answer her original question.
"Oh my favorite color is blue. What's yours?"
"Green. Because Princess Tiana wore a green dress when she got married to Prince Navine and she looked so pretty. I want to look that pretty someday, so my favorite color is green."
"So how old are you guys?" Aubrey asked
"We're four, but July 8 we will be five." Ariah said holding up all five fingers
"Well you two are gonna be big kids huh?"
"We're already big kids, we're going to be even bigger kids." Ariah said matter of factly
Aubrey couldn't believe the words coming out of her little sister's mouth, she knew she was going to be trouble when she got older. They were so wise for their age and yet still kids. Aubrey would be lying if she said it didn't hurt just a little bit to know that her mom had two more kids. And it hurt even more to know that they could've possibly gone their entire lives without knowing that each other existed if she hadn't showed up. So she was glad that she did.
"So what do you guys usually do in the morning?" Aubrey wondered
"We usually go wake mommy and daddy up, then go downstairs to eat breakfast."
"Well, why don't we all go down and fix breakfast for your mom ok? You want to help me?"
The both of four-year-olds lit up at the chance to cook breakfast for their parents. Aubrey figures since it was Saturday that Olivia would like to sleep in. She knew that after Fitz hugged her last night that he left and didn't come back. So she figured she'd let Olivia get some rest and make up for lost time with her siblings.
As the kids rushed down the stairs, Aubrey asked them what they wanted to make and simultaneously said waffles, so waffle it was. Aubrey knew how to cook very well and was the best cook back home if truth be told. So waffles, eggs and turkey bacon for breakfast were easy. She guided the kids in cracking the eggs and whisking the mix together. She poured the batter onto the iron and gave them turns in flipping the iron over.
She enjoyed watching her siblings interact. But she still wondered if she would have never come to Vermont, would Olivia ever face her again. She couldn't worry about the mistakes instead she vowed to herself to make an honest effort in being the best big sister to the twins.
Once they finished breakfast she plated their food and let them eat while she started cleaning the dishes and making a fresh batch of eggs, turkey bacon and pancakes for Olivia. Once the twins were done eating she washed their plates and helped them carry Olivia's food back upstairs for her. Once they got to her door, they knocked and got no response. Ariah opened the door to find Olivia still sleeping in bed. Avery and Ariah hopped on bed in an effort to wake their mom. When Olivia started feeling the bed shift constantly she knew it could only be her twins waking her up like that. One they saw that she was awake, they sat down on the bed and gave her a hug. Aubrey stood at the door admiring the scene while holding the tray of food in her hands.
"Good morning my babies. What do you two want for breakfast?"
"We already ate mommy. Aubrey made breakfast." Ariah explained
Olivia looked up to see Aubrey holding the tray of food she made and did her best to keep her tears at bay. That was her baby. Her first child and she never thought she'd see the day in which she would see her again. Aubrey looked up and locked eyes with Olivia and then smiled at Ariah. Olivia realized that she wasn't sure if it was ok to come in so she finally nodded her head in her direction to come join them on the bed. Aubrey brought the tray of food on the bed and sat it in front of Olivia.
"The two big kids came and woke me up and we decided to make breakfast for you. Everything has been cleaned up and they have already eaten and brushed their teeth." Aubrey said smiling
"Thank you. I really appreciate it." Olivia realized in that moment that even though she was gone Aubrey was an amazing daughter. She was just disappointed in herself that she had missed out.
"Mommy, Aubrey said she's our sister." Ariah beamed with joy
"She is baby. She's your older sister. Mommy had…"
"I'm pretty sure your mom's hungry ok? So let's let her eat before her food gets cold."
As Olivia ate she looked at Aubrey and couldn't be more grateful for the beautiful and intelligent young lady she had become. The kids decided to turn on the television and watch their morning cartoons while sitting by their mom and sister. Ariah had instantly drawn a connection to Aubrey and was sitting in her lap, while Avery was the undeniable momma's boy and stayed cuddled up right next to her.
When Olivia finished eating she told the kids that they would be spending the day with their god mom and that she had a doctor's appointment. The kids rushed to go get ready because they knew that when they were with their god mom, there was ice cream involved.
As the kids went to go change Aubrey began to get up and take the tray from her mom when Olivia stopped her and told her to sit.
"I want you to come to my doctor's appointment with me." Olivia said hesitantly
Aubrey didn't know what to think. Was her mother suffering from an illness? Was she going to have to be on treatments? She didn't know but she knew she wasn't going to waste another second not being by her side.
"Of course. Let me go change and I'll be ready." Aubrey said while taking the tray from Olivia and leaving her bedroom. She went downstairs, washed the remaining dishes and went back upstairs to change.
When Abby rang the doorbell the kids ran down the stairs and greeted her with huge hugs. As she got them ready for the day Aubrey came down the stairs and met eyes with Abby. Abby was confused as to how much she looked like Olivia. And then it clicked. This Olivia's first born. The kids saw that their god mother was no longer fully focused on them and looked in the direction of Aubrey. They ran over to Aubrey dragging her by the hand and bringing her to meet Abby.
"God mommy, this is Aubrey. She's our sister." Ariah said forcing Aubrey to move closer to Abby
"Wow. Hi. I'm their god mother Abby. Your mom's best friend." Abby said looking at Aubrey
"Hi. I'm the oldest." Even though that was evident. Aubrey wasn't sure how much Abby knew or if she even knew at all so she decided to keep it concise and to the point.
As Olivia came down the stairs she brought the kids back pack with extra clothes and possible swimwear. Abby has been known to take them to amusement and water parks so she had to be prepared. When she met eyes with Abby she realized that it all made sense now. She went and gave Abby a hug and gave the kids their backpacks. She didn't say anything to Abby because they already knew. What's understood doesn't have to be explained.
As Abby walked the kids out to the car, Olivia grabbed her purse and asked Aubrey if she was ready and walked her to the car. Once they got in Olivia turned on the radio and looked over Aubrey and pulled out of the driveway. For a while silence became the conversation.
"If you don't mind me asking, who is Abby?" Aubrey asked
"She's been my best friend since I was in high school. She never really came around because she was sort of the rebellious one growing up." Olivia chuckled at their memories
"Ok, but does she know? I mean…about me." Aubrey wondered
"Yes, she's known about you since the moment I was pregnant with you. She's been by my side through it all. Before I left, I was going to leave you with Abby, but Aunt Andrea wouldn't let me. But she would check on you from time to time. She knew where you went to school and the friends you hung out with. But she stopped when she realized that you might have moved on…when you were no longer…when you weren't looking for me anymore." Olivia tried to explain without crying
"So she's been following me and I didn't even know it? Why didn't she come up to me and say something? Why didn't you communicate through her to me?" Aubrey asked frantically
"I didn't want Andrea moving you further away from me. She made it very clear that when I didn't come back that I was never going to see you again. I didn't want to risk completely losing you for good."
Aubrey looked over at Olivia and grabbed her hand that was on the console.
"I'm the daughter of Olivia Pope, I was always looking for you." She explained
She wanted more than ever, for their relationship to blossom but she knew it was going to take time. She had to find out all the facts before she jumped to conclusions because she didn't want to risk getting hurt again.
As Olivia pulled up to the doctor's office 45 minutes later she parked the car. Before she got out she looked Aubrey.
"I want you to know that everything, I ever did and am doing is for you. I can't let you walk into this appointment with me and not know that." Olivia said earnestly
"Ok." Aubrey said
They walked in and saw Fitz standing in the check in area waiting for them. He gave them both hugs and Olivia a kiss on the forehead. For the past year, they had been trying to have a baby and when she told him which doctor she had an appointment with he couldn't help but to get excited.
After about 10 minutes, a nurse came out and called Olivia's name. All three of them got up and followed the nurse inside the room. She ran through the basic questions with Olivia and asked her everything leading up to the big question of "Do you think or are you pregnant?" When she finished her question and Olivia answered, "I think I am", Aubrey's mouth dropped. Her mother was about to have another baby.
It was only 24 hours ago that she and her mother were reconnected and now, she was about to have another baby on the way. She felt conflicted with her heart and her mind. Her mind told her to think logically about what was happening and accept it for what it was and try to move forward with Olivia. Yet her heart told her to feel betrayed and confused. She starts a new life without looking back. She didn't come back and yet she still wondered if she had never got on that plane would Olivia ever be able to face her again?
But she couldn't be angry with her mother because even though she left and it may have been the hardest decision at the time, she saw how happy her mom looked with her siblings. She saw the comfort Fitz brought her when he kissed her forehead. She even saw the glimpse of hope in her eyes when she said thinks she might be pregnant. But what Aubrey didn't see and what she wanted to see the most was home when Olivia looked at her and she didn't. Aubrey didn't see home in her mother's eyes or hope or happiness. She saw her mistake. Where she went wrong in her life. And Aubrey couldn't even get mad because in some odd, sick and twisted way, she knew that if Olivia hadn't left her, she doesn't know if her mother would ever be truly happy and that's what tore Aubrey up inside. To know that she was Olivia's most regretted decision yet the one that led her to happiness. Aubrey's happiness had been put on the back burner while her mother's was flourishing and she hated that feeling.
She wanted nothing more than to become that six year old girl again who had her mom by her side every night and sing lullabies to her. But she couldn't rewind time, she couldn't even pause it if she wanted to. She has to let it all play out and hope that someday she can truly forgive her mother, because even though she says she does, her emotions conflict with what her mouth says every time.
Finally, the doctor came in and confirmed Olivia and Fitz's prayers. They were indeed pregnant. They were elated and there wasn't one dry eye in the room when the doctor left. Olivia and Fitz shared a moment and when Olivia reached out for Aubrey to hug her she was met with nothing but distance. Olivia's smile quickly left her face. Her worst nightmare was coming to life. She knew this would happen but she couldn't even get mad at Aubrey because if the roles were reversed she'd feel the same way too.
"Congratulations, truly I'm happy for you guys. But this child gets to have everything I wanted growing up and me…I'm stuck trying to figure out if I even want that anymore. Most of my life I've been confused and wondering who I was and I finally found out and I…I just don't know if that is what I want. I've practically gone my whole life without knowing you and now I get a glimpse into your world and I still don't see me in any part of it. I want this to work, God knows I do but you HAVE to make room for ME. You said you wanted to be here for me now because you weren't then, but I don't think you fully understand that commitment. Or if you even want it. Do you?" Aubrey cried. She was met with Olivia's silence. Something that had broken her in the past but now, ruined her soul.
"I'm sorry." Aubrey said and walked out of the room in tears.
I know. Pretty intense, but I felt that Aubrey had years of pain that you can't just let go in a day. It's going to take some true efforts on Olivia and Aubrey's behalf if they want this to work. So answer these questions for me, I want to see what you're thinking.
How do you think Olivia will try and build their relationship? Do you think Aubrey will leave and give up? Do you think Fitz will come back to the house now that they know they have a baby on the way? Will Abby tell Aubrey who she is or just play it off even though Aubrey already knows? What do you think Aubrey will do to Jake in revenge?
Thank you all so much for being patient with me, I'm trying to make sure dates and times add up so that it makes perfect since. Thank you for reading and commenting and be on the lookout for another chapter and another story coming to my account very soon. Leave stars (comments) behind, I promise I read them all.
YoursTrulyJLove
