In the months following the Thanksgiving drama, Olivia found herself in a welcome routine. She slept, she studied and she spent time with Fitz. Though it didn't leave a lot of room for hanging out with Emily and Jo, part of Olivia was happy for the break. She and Emily were barely on speaking terms, and Olivia wasn't particularly good at navigating tricky social situations. She and Jo texted every day, and spoke whenever they could in the kitchen or when they both happened to be watching the same show on television. Really, though, Olivia was focused on spending as much time with Fitz as possible, given that he was inching closer toward graduation with every passing day.

As excited as Fitz was about being accepted to Vanderbilt for graduate school, because it was a great school and Nashville seemed like a great town, the news and preparation was tainted with sadness. It would mean leaving Chicago, a place he had grown to love, Lake Michigan, which had been a saving grace for him when he needed clarity, and Olivia, the love of his life.

She understood better than anyone why he was pursuing his dreams. She knew how important they were to him, and what he had gone through to keep them within reach. That was the paradox: she understood him the most, and for that, he had to leave her. He shook his head as he walked out of Northwestern's athletic facility on a Thursday afternoon in April, just before the school's spring break.

"What's wrong?" he heard her voice from behind him. Her hair was wet. They had planned to meet after their workouts at the dock, but her she was.

"Just thinking," he said, pulling her into an embrace.

"As usual," she said, kissing him softly. "Ready?"

She took his hand and they walked to their spot. They would see each other in five days. Olivia was going home to see her family for the first half of vacation, and then flying to Oklahoma to meet Fitz's family for the second half. But they both knew that it would be good to spend some time alone, in the quiet, near the water and the view they loved so much.


As Olivia walked toward the airport door with her rolling duffle, she took a deep breath. She had enjoyed her time at home. Her mom was doing well. Her dad seemed to have leveled off on the intensity scale. And now she was meeting Fitz's parents for the first time. His sister was in Florida with her sorority sisters. Fitz had sent her a text, which she had received when she turned her phone on after her flight, that his mom would be accompanying him to the airport.

This was a new experience for her. Her first boyfriend, so her first set of parents. And though she was generally confident about herself, this situation scared her. She was happy to see Fitz standing outside of a hunter green sport utility vehicle, looking as handsome as ever, arms crossed and smiling, as soon as she exited the airport.

She picked up the pace and made her way over to him. His arms were around her immediately and he lifted her off the ground and slyly kissed her neck.

"No funny business," he said with a whisper in her ear. "Mom's watching."

As he set her down, she said, "Then stop whispering in my ear. You know what that does to me. And hello, by the way."

They both laughed. Fitz took her suitcase to the trunk as the passenger door of the vehicle opened and a woman who Olivia would have recognized as Fitz's mother even if he weren't right there stepped out.

"Mrs. Grant, hi, it's wonderful to finally meet you," Olivia said.

"Helen," she said, smiling warmly. "Please call me Helen. And I agree, I'm so happy to finally meet the famous Olivia in person."

Olivia blushed a little as they briefly hugged.

"Fitz doesn't share much, so when I hear about someone more than once, I know he or she is important. He neglected to mention that you are simply gorgeous," she said with the hint of a Southern drawl.

"Not exactly the kind of thing you share with your mom, Mom," he said, rolling his eyes. "Shall we?" he said, motioning toward the car.

The drive to the ranch was almost an hour, and Olivia marveled at the landscape that was unlike anything she had seen in her life. She talked to Fitz's mom about school, her family and the usual things you talk about when you are trying to get to know someone. When the finally turned off of a two lane road onto a gravel one, she could sense they were nearing the Grant family home. She was not prepared for what she saw.

Acres upon acres of land, as far as her eyes could see, and all of it presumably belonged to the family. The main house was one story but surrounded by a lovely porch and garden. She could see, in the distance, other smaller houses or buildings she assumed were used for family members, workers or animals. It astonished her. She had to focus on keeping her chin from dropping. She glanced in the rearview mirrors, as she had allowed Fitz's mother to sit in the front seat, and raised her eyebrows at Fitz. He smiled at her as he turned the SUV into the five-car garage that house a smaller vehicle sedan, a convertible and some all-terrain vehicles.

As she stepped out of the car, she looked at Helen.

"It's beautiful. I can understand why it is so cherished."

Helen smiled. "Thank you. That is very nice of you to say. I'm so thrilled we were able to find terms that were suitable for everyone," she said, looking at Fitz as he came from the trunk with Olivia's bag, "you included."

"Thanks, Mom."

They made their way inside and, even though she probably shouldn't have been surprised, it was gorgeous. A stunning mixture of old and new furnishings. A remodeled country kitchen. Gigantic stone fireplace. Rugs that looked to be antique but were soft under her feet. She was about to compliment Helen again when Fitz's dad entered the kitchen.

"Hello there, young lady, how was your flight?" he asked.

"Dad, " Fitz said, slightly rolling her eyes. "This is Olivia, Olivia, this is my dad, Thomas, or Tom."

"Tom, please. It's a pleasure to meet you," he said, shaking Olivia's hand.

"You as well. And my flight was fine, no problems. You have a beautiful home. Everything is so lovely, inside and out. Thank you for having me."

"You are most welcome. I'm sure Helen told you we haven't heard more about anyone in Fitz's life since his pet turtle. Because he had a turtle when he could have had just about any animal out there. I should have known then how complicated," he started.

"Yeah yeah, Dad. We get it. I'm a trailblazer. May I show Olivia her room before dinner?"

His parents nodded. Fitz took her suitcase in one hand, and her hand in the other, and led her down the long hallway. He pointed out the varying rooms and finally stopped at one of the guest suites.

"There are two, but I thought this one suited you better. Better view," he said, pointing to the large window that looked out over the pond. The very large pond.

"Fitz, my lord, this place is amazing. You did not do it justice in your descriptions. I'm just, wow," she said, setting her purse on the bed.

"Me too," he said, walking over to her and putting his arms around her waist. "Hi, Liv. I missed you like crazy."

She smiled, and before she could say anything his lips were on hers. She had missed him, too, of course, and her hands immediately went to the back of her hair, where she gripped his curls and pulled him toward her. They could have kissed forever, but Olivia reluctantly stepped back, straightening her blouse and breathing heavily.

"Seriously, this place," she said, looking around.

"It's really nice, and I know that. But you know it's not really in my nature to go around telling people I grew up on the ultimate playground.

"I liked to picture you as a kid before, but now, it's even more of a cowboy fantasy."

He walked toward her. "Oh yeah?"

"A little bit," she said, smiling and putting her hand on his chest. "We should go back to your parents. I want to make a good impression."

"You are, and you will."

"I'm not sure you're the most objective of judges, sir," she said, kissing him on the cheek.

"Why do you want to make a good impression? You love me or something?" Fitz asked, smiling broadly. He was just so happy to see her.

"A little bit," she said again.

He feigned surprise. "Only a little?"

"I love you more every time I see you," she said seriously.

"I feel the same," he said, pushing one side of her hair behind her ear. "Let's go have dinner. Then we'll probably have to watch a police drama from their DVR, and then we can go to bed. Tomorrow you'll get the grand tour."

"Sounds perfect," Olivia said, taking his hand and heading toward the main part of the house for exactly what Fitz described.

Three hours later, he was standing at the door to her guest room.

"My room is two down on this side of the hall. Facing the pond, as well," he said.

"Yes, I remember," she said, rolling her eyes. "I just don't want one of us ending up in the closet."

They both laughed, remembering his visit to her room.

"I understand. I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

"See you in the morning. I love you, Fitz. Thanks for bringing me here."

"Thanks for being here. I love you too."

He winked and closed her door softly as he left the room.


Two hours later, Olivia was awoken by the sound of tapping at her window. She smiled. She should have been expecting this. She walked to the window in her tank top and pajama pants and pushed the curtain aside. There was Fitz, in mesh exercise shorts and a ripped t-shirt, looking like he himself had just woken up.

The window was open a little, but she opened it more.

"Good morning," he said.

She glanced back at the clock. "Technically, yes, it is the morning. 1:30, though, is not generally a time I get up for the day."

"I was sleeping, and then I woke up and wished I was with you. Can we snuggle, just for a little bit?"

She smiled. "Are you going to climb in the window? The door might have been easier."

"This is much more romantic, don't you think?" he asked as he undid the screen with ease and, with her help, climbed through the large window into her room.

He put the screen back on and closed the curtains.

"I'll go back the other way. I was going to suggest we go to the pond, but without bug spray we might regret it. We can do that tomorrow."

She laughed quietly. "We have a lot to do tomorrow."

"I want to show you everything," he said sincerely.

"I know. I love you," she said, putting her arms around his neck.

"I love you too," he said, kissing her softly.

Olivia wasn't satisfied with just one kiss and immediately pulled him toward the bed. No sooner were they standing then he was on top of her, holding one of her wrists above her head and slowly leaving a trail of kisses on her arms. She squirmed with delight at how delicate he was, and yet how forceful.

"I know I said just snuggles, but you started it," he said with a smile.

"So finish it," she said, and that was all Fitz needed.

An hour later, pajamas discarded on the floor, they were breathless in each other's arms.

"I will never, ever get tired of that," he said, shaking his head with his eyes closed.

"I would hope not," Olivia responded, rolling her hair around her finger to keep it off of her now-sweaty face.

He propped himself up on his elbow and regarded her. She was just so beautiful. Any time, day or night.

"Liv, of course not. You're the most beautiful creature on the planet. I kind of meant it in a bigger way. Like, I don't ever want to do that with anyone else. Ever."

She was still laying on her back, but she used her right hand to brush some hair out of her face and left her hand on his cheek.

"Fitz," she began.

"I'm sorry if that freaks you out. You have two years of school left, at least, and I know I'm just in this place of transition and thinking of the future. But it's how I'm feeling right now, in this moment, and I wanted you to know."

"Well," she said, giving him a playful tap on shoulder, "if you had let me finish, I was going to concur."

"Concur?"

"I'm twenty years old. I know what I want. I know who I want. And it's you." She shrugged, as if this were the most simple and obvious decision she had made.

He lowered himself onto the spot between her arm and her body and found the place where he was most comfortable.

"Shit," he said.

She laughed, much louder than she would have liked given that it was the middle of the night.

"Sorry. I just, you know, love you."

"So poetic, Mr. Professor."

He didn't move, but she could feel his lips turn into a smile on her skin.

"And just so you know," she said, tipping her head to whisper in his year, "I just, you know, love you too."

They fell asleep until 5:00 when Fitz kissed her lightly and snuck back to his room the old-fashioned way.


It occurred to Olivia as she looked at her outfit for the day – skinny brown jeans, an ivory and peach flowered shirt, flat shoes – that the short conversation she had shared with Fitz in the early morning hours was actually fairly significant. She smiled, thinking about how she'd look back on the conversation when they both admitted this might be a forever thing and remember it being in the guest room in his parents' home after they had tried to make love as silently as possible.

She joined Fitz, who was already in the kitchen with his parents.

"Morning," he said, pulling her into a side hug. "How'd you sleep?"

"Well, thanks. Morning everyone."

"Olivia, darlin', you look lovely. Though I don't think you are grand tour ready," Tom said.

"Oh, well, I wasn't sure exactly what that entailed."

"It takes place on a four-wheeler, sweetie," Helen said, smiling and trying to help her.

Fitz laughed. "There are places we can get to much easier if we're on an ATV. If you're up for it, that is."

Olivia saw Fitz was wearing shorts and an already stained t-shirt, along with sneakers. His aviator sunglasses were folded over the neck of his shirt. He was handsome, any way he dressed.

"Let me change, and yes, I'm up for it," she said, causing his parents to laugh.


In shorts, sneakers and a Northwestern t-shirt, she climbed onto the back of the vehicle and wrapped her arms around Fitz's waist.

"Do we need helmets?" she asked.

"We won't be going that fast. But I can absolutely give you one if you'd be more comfortable."

"I trust you," she said, giving him a squeeze.

He nodded and placed his sunglasses on, and she did the same. They slowly made their way out of the garage and the first stop was the pond that could be seen from her guest room. He stopped to tell her about how he had helped dig it as a kid and the kinds of animals you could find nearby.

Their next stop, after a seemingly endless ride across plains and the landscape, was where the cattle were housed. Olivia learned a little, met two of Fitz's cousins and then they headed out to a pasture.

Wild mustangs were grazing, and the sight stunned Olivia into silence.

"Your favorite part so far?" Fitz said, turning to look at her.

"Yes, definitely," she said.

They continued on to a small house that was almost invisible as it was shaded by two trees that looked similar to weeping willows. Fitz turned off the vehicle and helped Olivia slide off.

"Where are we now?" she asked.

"My tree house," he answered, opening the door.

She stepped inside and it was truly a little boy's paradise. An old couch, some comfortable chairs, a television with a video game system. A mini fridge that was empty. He saw her eyes on it.

"It held juice boxes, Gatorade, that kind of thing."

She nodded and turned to her right and saw and old wooden desk ("Built by my granddad,") with an old typewriter and stacks of books. It looked out over the ranch and, she imagined, was the perfect spot for a young Fitz to write.

"This was yours? Did you sister also use it?"

"She had her own spot, actually it's not far from here. But we spent a lot of time here watching television, or laying on the grass outside taking a break from work."

"This is incredible. It's so you. I can just picture you here," she said, gesturing to the desk, "making plans. Being you."

"That's about right," he said, putting his arms around her waist from behind and his chin on her shoulder.

"Thank you for the tour. I felt like I knew you before, but now," she said, trailing off.

"Please don't say you want to be a ranch wife."

She laughed and turned to face him.

"I do not. But I can see the allure. And I'm happy to know where you're from, and why you're you."

He nodded.

"What if I did?"

"Did what?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Want to be a ranch wife?"

He laughed. "I'd take you back down to my cousin and set it up."

She hit him.

"I mean I want you to be my wife, but not my ranch wife."

She stopped breathing.

"There I go again," he said. "Just scratch that from the record."

"No, it's okay, it's just the second time in 12 hours we've had a conversation about this."

"Is it too much?" he asked sincerely.

"No. It's just big. Important. Life."

"I agree," he said, kissing her neck. "Just to be clear, the ranch wife thing was a joke, right?"

"Yes, Fitz. I do not want to be your ranch wife."

"Phew," he said, pretending to wipe his brow with relief.

"Let's head back. I want to sit by the pond with you like you promised," she said, taking his hand.

"Yes ma'am," he said, sounding a little like his dad. They made their way outside and then rode slowly back toward the main house. Fitz noticed she was holding him tighter than before and he smiled. She rested her face on his back and hung on as they made their way toward home.


Author's Note: There's one more important stop on the tour, and then it will be time for graduation. I wanted to get this section posted as soon as possible.