Desperation

(Chapter Ten: A New Beginning)

The next few weeks passed quickly. Elliot and Olivia spent as much time as they could with all of the children together, taking trips to the park and museums and the zoo. The kids all seemed to get along wonderfully.

Today Olivia was taking McKenna to enroll her in school. Her baby was about to enter Kindergarten.

"Hurry baby, you still have to brush your teeth," Olivia said as McKenna sat in pigtails eating her 'Lucky Charms' at the bar in the kitchen.

"Mommy, will Eli go to my school?"

"No, sweetheart. Eli goes to school in Queens, where his mommy lives."

McKenna looked disappointed. "But who will I play with?"

Olivia smiled. "You, McKenna Brianne, are going to make lots of new friends at your school."

"Are you gonna go to school too, mommy?" She asked watching as Olivia fixed her hair perfectly and re-checked her makeup.

"No honey, mommy has to get a job. And today after we go to your school you are going to stay with Maureen for a couple of hours so I can try to find one."

"You can come work at my school mom. Then is won't be scary anymore," she whispered.

"Hey kid," she said sitting in the chair beside her daughter, "there is no reason to be scared. "I bet your teacher is going to be fun and you are going to make a lot of friends and before long you will love kindergarten. You have always loved school."

"But my friends go to my old school. I don't have friends at my new school."

"It is going to be okay, sweetheart. I promise. By this time next week you will love school." Olivia kissed McKenna gently on her forehead. "Are you finished with breakfast?"

"Yes, mama."

Olivia smiled. "Run brush your teeth." She watched as McKenna climbed down and ran toward the back of the apartment. She carried McKenna's cereal bowl around the counter and washed it placing it in the dish drainer to dry.

She sat on the edge of the sofa and slipped her heels on as McKenna came walking back into the living room.

"You know what I was thinking?" Olivia asked her daughter.

"What mommy?"

"I was thinking maybe after we visit your school we should go buy you a new back pack. I think you need a new back pack for a new school. What do you think?"

"Yeah," McKenna smiled. "Can I get a pink one?"

"Sure. Whatever color you want."

"Pink mom, pink is my favorite!"

"Okay, we will go buy a pink back pack. And maybe go by the library so you can borrow a few books."

McKenna smiled.

"Maybe Maureen will read you one, while you are with her. Then later we will go pick daddy up at work and take him to lunch. How does that sound?"

"Daddy will be surprised to see us."

"Do you think it will be a good surprise?"

"Yes."

"Good. And you can tell daddy about your teacher and your school."

McKenna smiled again.

"Grab Maggie, sweetheart we have to get going."

A few hours later Olivia and McKenna arrived at the precinct to meet Elliot for lunch.

"Daddy!" She squealed as they stepped off the elevator and she ran to him.

Elliot picked her up. "Hi, princess!"

"We came to take you to lunch."

"Well, why don't you go inside and say hello to everybody. Then we'll go get some food."

"Okay daddy."

Elliot watched as McKenna made her was across the room to talk to her uncle Munch.

"How'd it go?" Elliot asked looking at Olivia.

"Good. She starts school on Monday and we met her teacher. She seems excited. I talked to a guy with a job placement service."

"Olivia, I told you there is no rush for you to go back to work."

"I had an interview."

"You did?"

"Yes. A receptionist/assistant position for an attorney. The place is only a few blocks from McKenna's school and the apartment. I can drop her off at school then head to work. I get off work just in time to pick her up from school and get back to the apartment and have dinner ready by the time you get home."

"Sounds perfect. Congratulations."

"Slow down, El. It was an interview. I don't have the job yet."

"What do you say I buy you guys some lunch? We start the celebration a little early."

"Okay," Olivia said with a smile as they walked back into the bullpen to collect their daughter.

McKenna was sitting on Olivia's desk drinking the orange soda her uncle Munch bought her. She was watching as he did magic tricks with a quarter and telling her uncle Fin all about her day.

"…and my mom got me new shoes and a purple back pack with the princesses on it. Purple is my favorite!" She kicked her feet causing her princess shoes to light up.

"Those are pretty cool shoes," Fin said. "Do you think they make those in my size?"

McKenna laughed. "Princess shoes are for girl's, uncle Fin."

"I think I need a pair with those lights in them. Do they have those for boys?"

"For little boys, they do. But I don't know about big boys. My mom can ask," she said nodding her head as Fin grinned.

"McKenna, stop bugging uncle Fin so he can do his work," Olivia said reaching for her daughter's hand.

"Oh, she's not bothering me. She's my buddy. Besides," he said as Olivia helped McKenna off the desk, "she is about the cutest thing I have ever seen."

"Kenna," Elliot said from across the room, "what do you say we go get some lunch and you can tell daddy all about your new school and your teacher."

"Okay daddy."

"I'll be back in an hour or so," Elliot said looking over at Fin.

"What are you hungry for?" Elliot asked McKenna as they sat down at their table.

"Umm, I don't know," she said holding up the menu studying it.

Elliot smiled knowing very well she didn't yet know how to read.

"What are you going to get mommy?"

"Probably a salad. Would you like a salad?"

"Eww! No!"

Olivia looked at Elliot and they both laughed.

"Can I have that," she said pointing to a picture from the kids menu.

"Grilled cheese and French fries?" Elliot asked.

"Yeah. No salad," she said scrunching up her nose and looking exactly like her mother.

"Okay," Elliot said flagging the waitress.

"McKenna did you tell daddy about your new school?"

"It's big. And has a lot of cool stuff on the playground. And it is by our house."

"You think you're gonna like it?"

"Yes. And my teacher is Miss Grace, she is real nice."

"Good honey, I'm glad you like your school and your teacher."

"And mommy got me princess shoes and a new back pack. It's purple, my favorite!"

"I thought pink was your favorite?"

"Pink was my other favorite," she whispered, "now I like purple."

Olivia's cell phone rang just as the waitress was sitting their food onto the table. She walked away from the table for a moment as she answered the call. Elliot helped McKenna cut her grilled cheese into smaller pieces and put catsup on her plate for her fries as Olivia walked back over and sat down.

"Everything alright?" He asked as Olivia tucked a napkin into McKenna's shirt.

"Yeah," she said looking up at him with a smile. "That was my new boss asking me if I can start work on Monday."

"You got the job?"

"Yes."

"Congratulations."

"Thank you," she said with a smile.