A/N:

THIS CHAPTER WAS EDITED ON MARCH 21, 2017

In this chapter: it's still Saturday, Karen is not back yet from her play-date. Fitz and Olivia have this block of time just the two of them and Teddy.


We at the Son-Rise program agree that academic skills are important. However, if choosing to help a child to be great at math, we choose the latter every time. Socialization should come first. If our children can learn to enjoy people, make friends, laugh at a funny joke and socialize (which many of our children do), then they have achieved what for most of us, makes life most meaningful.

Raun K. Kaufman, Autism Breakthrough.


Today's two hour session had been quite remarkable. Seeing Teddy burst into spontaneous burst of laughter as Olivia rolled him across the room atop the therapy ball, reminded Fitz of what most people take for granted and what matters the most.

His old self, the one that had surfed through life prior to Teddy's birth, had not really understood what unconditional love was until he found himself alone as a single parent of a child with special needs. It was as if he had lived his entire life like a horse with blinders, moving from one stage of life to another striving to make it to the finish line. Achieving, succeeding, commuting and loving with a guarded heart.

But now that the blinders had been removed, he realized that the sound of his child's laughter is what made it all worthwhile, and that loving with a full and accepting heart was the greatest joy of all.

"That was amazing; I've never heard him laugh so much…" Fitz exclaimed sitting across from Olivia in the great room.

"And he made eye contact with me on two separate occasions." With a smile, Olivia reached for her glass of water, took a sip and then set it down on the coffee table.

Olivia certainly considered this session their best yet. Indeed, she was now convinced that Teddy had begun to trust her (at least to one degree or another) and that they were well on their way to developing strong rapport. She had not expected for a bond between her and the young toddler to develop this early, and if she could make such a difference in the life of a child, then all was well with the world.

Fitz excused himself for a moment and walked over to the fridge to retrieve Teddy's sippy cup. He now lay on his back on the couch across from her staring at the ceiling fan as if it was more entertaining than a TV show.

"Here you go," Fitz handed Teddy the sippy cup. "He's tired," he murmured, coming back to sit beside Olivia, "he missed his nap today."

They watched him for a few moments sipping his drink in peaceful contentment. Then, they exchanged a long look.

Olivia cleared her throat and retrieved from her bag her laptop where she kept a record of her observations and points to discuss following therapy.

"He did wonderful today. How's is he doing at mealtimes?" she asked knowing that eating habits were an issue. Mostly, she was hoping that once Teddy started feeding himself on a regular basis, he would develop feelings of competence which in turn would make it less likely to engage in undesirable behaviors such as throwing food and/or silverware on the floor. As to making dietary changes, she wasn't particularly concerned. Teddy was still quite young and besides, right now it was important for her and Fitz to choose and pick their battles. Nonetheless, she was pleasantly surprised to hear Fitz telling her that some small changes were already starting to take place.

"You won't believe this, Fitz started with a smile, "but earlier today he ate a whole banana…first time ever …" he paused, feeling like things were definitely looking up. "He saw me eating one and then he tried to reach for it so I cut it up for him and put it in a bowl. He ate it all! At first, he became frustrated because he couldn't get the pieces into the spoon…so he used his fingers. It was messy alright," His smile widened. "But you know, this is the first time he's been open to eating solid food other than his standard baby food."

Olivia smiled back, "That's wonderful," she was certainly impressed with both father and son. What a great breakthrough in less than a week since the start of therapy.

"I've been thinking… what about a gluten free diet? I've been reading about it. He might be sensitive to cytokines."

Olivia nodded. "Yes, gluten sensitivity might be associated with digestive issues and high levels of cytokines may be associated with brain impairments. It certainly doesn't hurt to try a gluten free diet," she agreed, taking another sip of her water. "Hmm, well, actually it's a good idea to try to steer him away from processed foods especially those that are mixed with grains containing gluten. I would take it slow though…it will be a big change… for now, I suggest you stick with bananas and introduce a different fruit each week until he adjusts…Teddy's particularly sensitive to changes so let's not take away his baby food completely."

"He's definitely happier when things go according to his regular routine. Any big changes throw him off and he's a hundred times more likely to have a fit. Unfortunately, we've had many changes in the last few months," he paused, making sure he had her complete attention. Indeed, Olivia seemed to be hanging on his every word. "We've had so many nannies, sitters and caregivers come and go in the last few months. Most don't stay longer than a few weeks. At one point, I had an Au-pair from Germany. It was not the ideal situation because of the language barrier, but I was desperate. Long story short, the last sitter before Jenny quit without notice," he paused, thinking that so much had happened in the last 8 months since the initial diagnosis that it had certainly seemed like years instead of months.

She gave him a sympathetic look. She couldn't help but wonder about Mellie… would her return be temporary or permanent? And how would her return affect Teddy's treatment? At this point, she was thinking that it would be the best for Teddy, he could certainly benefit from the stability of having a consistent caregiver during the day. "How about Teddy's mother?" she heard herself ask. She was curious about Fitz's ex-wife, more curious than she would care to admit even to herself. "When can we expect her back?"

Fitz reacted as though he'd been physically slapped; he turned away from her and retreated to the far end of the couch. She's not coming back," he spat rather defensively, although there was no anger in his gaze, he merely regarded her gravely.

"I'm sorry…" Olivia stammered, feeling her cheeks warm under his intense gaze. She deserved that, she supposed, she'd brought up a touchy subject.

"She's not coming back," he reiterated, decidedly. "And if she does come back, it would be only for a visit. "

"I was thinking more in terms of her involvement in Teddy's life," Olivia was quick to add, casting a glance at Teddy who by now had finished his drink and was still quietly staring at the fan. She noted that he was starting to look drowsy.

Fitz followed Olivia's gaze and a feeling of tenderness brought a faint smile to his lips. He rose to lift Teddy into his arms. The boy rested his sleepy head on his father's chest.

Olivia watched them in awe. The bond between father and son was never more palpable than in this moment.

When Fitz came back to sit beside Olivia, his demeanor had changed. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you," he began in a remorseful tone.

"It's okay…" she murmured.

"It's just that...you don't know the whole story. The bottom line is that we cannot count on Mellie taking an active part in Teddy's therapy." Fitz paused, adopting a pensive look in his eyes.

Olivia took another sip of water, set it on the coffee table and turned her body towards him. She leaned in just a little, as if she unconsciously knew he was about to reveal something personal. Her body language was open and inviting, giving him all the encouragement he needed to confide in her.

After a moment, he continued, "Mellie gave up on Teddy a long time ago. Not only that… she willingly gave me full physical and legal custody of both kids during the divorce."

As it turned out, Mellie's new lover did not want to deal with the children. Prior to the divorce being final, Mellie had taken Karen to live with her but it had not worked out. Apparently, Andrew had been less than thrilled and he suspected that had been one of the reasons that Mellie had agreed to give him full custody along with an 'open visitation' clause. That meant that she was entitled to take the children (including overnights) whenever she was in town as long as she gave Fitz a 24 hour notice.

Fitz decided that Olivia didn't need to know all the ugly details regarding his divorce. In fact, he did not normally disclose such details to anyone. So when asked about the children's mother, his normal response was to say that she had left for New York to try to make it as an actress and land a role on a Broadway play.

Olivia's gaze shifted to Teddy who had just fallen asleep in his daddy's arms.

Fitz kissed the top of his son's forehead. After a moment, he turned to face her. "If it sounds like I'm angry…it's because of this…because my children don't have a mother who's there for them…and not because I have any feelings for her," he searched her eyes, so as that there would be no doubt in her mind that he meant what he said one hundred percent.

The truth was that his marriage to Mellie had been on the rocks long before Teddy was born. The only reason he had stayed in the marriage was for the sake of children.

She nodded in tacit understanding. His gaze rested on her face like a caress, bringing warmth and color high in her cheeks. Not wanting to give away even and inkling of her feelings, she looked away.

He then murmured something about taking Teddy to his crib.

"Okay," she murmured, turning her attention back to the session notes on her lap to make sure she'd covered everything she needed to discuss with Fitz regarding therapy, While Fitz was gone, she took out her laptop and jotted down some of the things that they had discussed regarding Teddy's diet.

In the recommendations section, she made a quick note about adding the services of an occupational therapist as there were definitely a few sensory issues that needed to be addressed. She wrote down a couple of names of two of the best private occupational therapists in town.

When Fitz came back into the great living room, he resumed his place beside Olivia just as she was typing her last sentence. She was a fast typist; that's why she preferred a laptop than typing on a tablet or I-pad which did not offer the convenience of a full size keyboard unless she purchased one of those detachable keyboards. For now she was happy with her laptop and saw no need for a change.

"I will e-mail you a copy of my notes. I'll try to summarize the most important points. It's good to have a record of every milestone, failures and successes. Hopefully in another six months or so and we review these notes, we will say to ourselves…wow, can't believe how far we've come," she added this last sentence with a little cheer, shutting down her laptop and setting it on the coffee table.

"Olivia…" he said her name softly yet intensely in the same manner she would imagine him saying 'I love you'. Her ears paid divine attention. " I have a confession to make…"

She stared at him momentarily confused until she realized their conversation had turned personal and had little to do with Teddy.

She felt the intensity of his gaze like a magnetic pull; she latched on hard to its power and moved closer to him without thinking.

"Olivia," he said her name softly again, this time stroking her cheek with the feather light touch of his fingertips. He studied her like he was an artist seeking to immortalize her on canvas.

"A confession? She prompted him breathlessly.

He shifted so that now his body was turned sideways, one leg bent up on a cushion almost touching hers. He looked so divinely relaxed like a Greek god. "Yes, I've been wondering what it would be like to kiss you again," he murmured softly.

She drew in her breath, her ears could hardly believe it. As it was, her senses were full of him and she had no awareness of anything but him.

Their faces were nearly touching now.

"I want to kiss you like you've never been kissed before. A long nice kiss. Not short and hurried…but deep and emotional, like this is the end of the world and we're the only ones left."

This feeling of connection between them was like nothing she had ever experienced. It was so intense, so real, she could hear her own heartbeat keeping time with his and every breath matching his.

Olivia licked her lips slowly and then bit his lower lip lightly. Their eyes focused on each other; their lips then became entangled with a gentle nibble on the other's lower lip.

She threw her head back and he deepened the kiss. And she kissed him back, her kiss told of honesty and openness, of her willingness to bare her soul and to give it all.

His mouth didn't stop. When he wasn't kissing her mouth, he was kissing her jaw, her neck, her eyelids.

Without thinking, ( her resolutions concerning intimate relationships with clients long forgotten), she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her fingers into his hair, fully allowing herself this divine moment of pleasure. Her breath hitched as he lowered her to the couch, catching sight of the muscles flexing on his stomach through his fitted t-shirt.

After sliding off her sandals in one motion, he slid away her silk cami and laid feather light kisses along her belly button.

"Fitz…" she breathed, her body quivering and heating beneath him, pulsating with need.

He pulled back a little, searching her eyes, silently asking permission to move forward. What he saw nearly took his breath away. Yes, he recognized the longing in her gaze as his own. And yes, he had never seen such openness in a woman's eyes before, a desire to give and not just to take.

They kissed again, this time it was a much longer, hungrier kiss.

She moaned long and hard, already feeling a river of wetness down in her core. Oh, yes! Deep down, her inner child (open and censor free) did a happy dance. This was happening now!

Olivia," he said her name in a frustrated moan, fumbling with the button of her jeans. He wanted her more than anything and there were too many layers of clothing keeping them apart.

Right then, her mobile phone ran four or five times in the front pocket of her jeans to the tune of Habits by Tove Lo.

They exchanged a look of uncertainty, as she fumbled to shut the darn thing down, already regretting choosing that stupid song for her ring tone. Sure it was catchy and all, but the lyrics were all about staying high all the time numbing the pain and spending your days in a haze…blah, blah blah…

And then, she saw the caller ID. She had to answer.

She bit her lower lip and gave Fitz an 'I'm- sorry- look'.

Fitz internally sighed and made himself comfortable on the other side of the couch.

"Hello, Olivia?" a masculine voice spoke loud enough for Fitz to hear. He tensed, immediately sensing Olivia's hesitation.

"Edison, what do you want?" She answered a moment later, peering at Fitz, mourning the fact that the magic between them was now broken. She sat up, tucking her legs off to one side and with her elbow propped on the back of the sofa, holding the phone to her ear. Wait a minute, something was not right; this was a new low for him to call from his mother's cell phone. "Why are you using Mary Ann's phone?"

Fitz watched her expression turn from outrage to confusion and then grief in a matter of seconds.

"Whaat?" Long silence. "She was fine last time I visited…" she furrowed her brow and shook her head in shock. "NO! NO! this can't be! She was in remission! "

Fitz sprung to his feet and headed for the kitchen to give her some privacy. He then opened the wine cooler and checked on their wine choices wondering if she preferred red wine. He was really looking forward to having dinner with Olivia and was now wondering if this phone call would put a damper on their plans.

When he came back into the family room, he found Olivia in the same position, clutching the phone in her hand. She looked visibly stricken.

"What happened?" he asked bridging the distance between them.

"Ah…no, I'm… someone dear to me has just passed away."

"I'm so sorry," he sat beside her. "Anything I can do?"

Olivia let go of the phone and laid her head back against the back of the couch, staring off into space. "She was a wonderful person. Her name is Mary Ann... was Mary Ann... she was only sixty five…she was like a mother to me." She cried. "In fact, she was friends with my mom…I've known her all my life, we were neighbors when I was growing up," she went on still staring into the distance, lost in the memories.

"It sounds like it was so sudden," he cupped her face and wiped away her tears only to find more tears pooling in her eyes. "Again, words seem inadequate." He then started stroking her long wavy hair, gently separating the strands.

"Did Mary Ann have any children?" He asked, hoping to distract her from her pain, still stroking her hair.

Olivia sniffled. "Yes, she had a son and a daughter. Her son Edison…he was the one who called me," she added turning to face Fitz, unsure about how much to say about that. Perhaps this was not the time and place to reveal the personal details of her stormy relationship with Edison.

Olivia shook her head; she'd only answered the call because Edison had placed the call using his mother's cell phone. She furrowed her brow. In this way, he had finally succeeded in getting her to finally answer one of his numerous calls.

I'll have to do something, get a restraining order, she reminded herself. The only reason she had put it off was because of Mary Ann. And now she was gone. She shook her head once again in disbelief. Life was like that, one day you're here, going about your business, unsuspecting… and then, the next day you could be forever gone.

"Her funeral is tomorrow…" she said out loud, wondering if she should go. The last thing she wanted was to see Edison who would certainly interpret any gesture on her part as invitation to weave his way back in her life.