There Will Always Be An Us

Summary: Set after Natalia runs from the wedding and they are in the gazebo as Frank walks away.
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters and I do not make any profit from this.

Chapter 12

When the elevator door opened they were greeted with the sound of power tools, hammering and music. Olivia called out for Josh and he stuck his head out of the room he was in. "Hey you guys. Come to see the progress?"

Olivia smiled, "Yes, we wanted to see how things were going and if we are on schedule."

Josh nodded. "Ok, just a sec." He ducked back in the room and came back out with three hard hats. "I know they are not stylish but safety first."

They smiled taking the hats, putting them on and following him down the hall. "These rooms down here are finished. We have only four left to complete then the hall will be last. We are actually ahead of schedule right now."

The walked in to a finished room and just gaped. Natalia recovered first. "Oh Josh, it looks better then I imagined."

Olivia nodded, "Yes it does. This is amazing. Once this is finished will you be able to start on the third floor soon. I want to get all ten floors done as soon as possible."

Josh thought for a second, "We will be starting right away. I will give the crew two days off then get back to it. If all goes as planned and we don't run into any unforeseen problems on the other floors I would say it should be done by the end of May."

Olivia smiled, "Excellent, just in time for the busy summer season." She looked to Natalia, "Honey, we need to get a photographer in her as soon as this floor is done for new brochures and the website photos. The remodel to the lobby and Restaurant were finished in December so we should be able to get all the pictures we need."

Natalia thought for a moment. "The landscapers will be here next week so if we aim for three weeks we should be able to get new outside pictures too and have the brochure and website updated in a month. Plenty of time before the busy season."

Rafe had been looking around and came up to them. "Hey mom, you should talk to Ashley Wolfe. She took some photography classes and is really good at pamphlets and stuff. She may give you a better price, and she is also a wiz with computers and webpage setup."

Olivia looked thoughtful. "I'll think about that and give her a call for some samples. I didn't know you two were that close."

Rafe shrugged, "She sent me a letter every week and visited me once a month. She's a good friend and was always sending me copies of things she worked on. She's really good."

Olivia nods, "Ok, I'll give her a call."

Natalia walked up still looking around. "I think you should look into new bed spreads. The ones we have now will look ok in here but we could do better."

Olivia looked at the bed then the rest of the room. "You're right. Get me some samples on what you think will work and we will look at it."

Natalia nodded making a note of it and to call Ashley. "Ok, I have a staff meeting with the maids in twenty minutes so I am going to head back to my office then to the conference room. I'll let you know when I am done. Emma will be here in an hour and a half." She said her goodbyes to Josh and Rafe and headed off.

Josh smiled after her. "I think that was the best move you ever made hiring her. She's great."

Olivia smiled wistfully, "Yes she is. Ok, is there anything else you need or are you guys set?"

Josh shook his head. "We're all set, and thank you for sending up lunch every day. They guys like it a lot."

Rafe was looking at a wall then turned to them. "This wallpaper is loose from the wall, and that crown molding is crooked." He said pointing up.

Josh smiled, "Good eye, I have it in my work order to get to it. I noticed it this morning when I inspected the room."

Rafe nodded and went back to looking around. Olivia just smiled proudly at him then turned back to Josh. "Well I may have my inspector over there go through the rooms when you are done. I didn't see either of those things."

Josh chuckled, "Whatever makes you happy. He has a good eye so I wouldn't mind."

They went to another room but this one was unfinished and one of the workers was fitting the crown molding in there. Rafe walked over and started talking to the worker asking questions while Olivia and Josh talked. Josh was listening to Rafe talk him for a moment then they moved on. They went through every room talking while Rafe asked questions to the workers. Once Olivia was satisfied they walked to the elevators.

Josh pressed the button for them. "I will let you know when it's done and ready to be dressed up with linens and whatever else you dress a room with."

Olivia nodded and stepped on to the elevator but Josh stopped Rafe. "Hey Rafe, you got a minute?"

Rafe looked to Olivia who shrugged then back to Josh, "Sure." He turned back to Olivia, "I'll meet you down there and finish those downloads to the phones when I'm done here."

Olivia smiled. "No problem. I'll be in my office, no rush. If I have stepped out go ahead and go in and get started."

Rafe nodded and turned back to Josh as the doors closed. "What can I do for you?"

Josh took him into an empty room. "I noticed you asking a lot of questions to my guys. I was wondering if you were just curious or if you were interested in this kind of work?"

Rafe shrugged, "I took some wood shop classes in high school and they had some training programs at the prison I took. I was in the shop there anytime I wasn't in the library studying for my GED. I like to work with my hands and I was just interested in the process of the remodel."

Josh smiled "Is this something you want to do for a living or is it more of a hobby thing?"

"I would love to do something like this for a living. I was thinking about taking some more classes after I get out of the halfway house. I have to find work while I am in there before they will let me out so I have to wait until after for more schooling but it is definitely something I've been considering." He said still looking around at all the tools.

Josh pulled a dust cloth off a chair and motioned for him to sit. "How would you like to take an apprenticeship with me to learn how to do all of this first hand? On the job training. They job pays $12 per hour during training and we will discuss your rate after you finish depending on your skill. You can start next week after you go to the halfway house. I will work around the hours you need."

Rafe just looked at him shocked. "No offence but why would you do that? Hire someone with no training?"

Josh chuckled. "Most of my workers started out that way. I prefer to train them myself or have my son train them so I know they are up to my standards and I am not getting a bunch of bad habits. This is not a hand out and it is not because of Olivia and Natalia being my friends. You have a good eye and the questions you were asking impressed me. So, what do you think?"

Rafe just stood there still in shook then shook it off. "I would like that very much. What would I need to get started, tool and clothing wise?"

Josh thought for a moment. "Well, your clothes will be provided. Lewis construction shirts and carpenters jeans. You will need work boots, preferably steel toed, and I will give you a list of tools you need. Anything you can't afford right away I can get for you and we can make a payment plan and take the cost out of your paycheck. Otherwise you just need your own transportation."

Rafe considered it for a moment. "Ok, I would really like to take the job but I need to talk to my parents about transportation. My ma may be able to let me use her car since she usually just rides in with Liv. Can I talk to them and come back before you leave for the day?"

Josh nodded. "Absolutely, I'll be here until six."

Rafe shook his hand and went to the elevator. His head was spinning. He may have just got a really good job before he even tried. He just needed a reliable way to get to work.

When he walked into Olivia's office she and Natalia were bent over some papers talking. He didn't even notice them, he just sat on the couch in a daze. Olivia and Natalia shared a look and went to him.

They sat on either side of him and Olivia rubbed his back. "What's wrong son?"

He looked up still a little shocked. "I think I might have just got a job."

They looked at each other stunned. Natalia recovered first, "Where mijo?"

Rafe turned to her. "Josh offered me an apprenticeship with him to learn the construction business."

Olivia smiled proudly. "I thought he was a little over interested in what you were asking his workers. I take it something you said peaked his interest."

Rafe nodded, "Yes, he said I had a good eye and was impressed with the questions I was asking. He said work clothes were provided and any tools I can't afford we would make up a payment plan for them to come out of my check. I also need work boots, but there's a problem."

Natalia rubbed his leg. "What's the problem, your record?"

Rafe shook his head. "No, I need transportation. Can I use your car ma? Don't you usually just ride with mom?"

Natalia thought for a moment. "I'm not sure. Sometimes we need both, but I have some savings. We may be able to get you your own if we can find an affordable one."

Olivia spoke up, "I have two beacon trucks for sale. We're selling them for $6,000. How much do you have saved?"

Natalia shook her head. "I might just have that after my next check."

Olivia thought for a moment, "How about this? What if we go get the things you need, I will add them to the price of the truck and we will figure out a payment plan for you to buy it and afford the insurance, gas and still be able to save some? Did he say what the job pays?"

Rafe nodded starting to get excited, "$12 an hour starting pay and he will work with the hours at the halfway house for me."

Olivia looked to Natalia. "What do you think? A truck will work better with that kind of work and they both have four wheel drive. Either would be more reliable than a cheap car and he's paying for it himself."

Natalia looked to Rafe. "I'm ok with that mijo. What do you think?"

Rafe sat up straighter. "I really want this job ma. It's exactly what I've been thinking about doing and I get to have on the job training and make a really good paycheck. I won't have to pay for classes and it will fulfill my requirements at the halfway house and get me home quicker. I really want this."

Natalia looked to Olivia, "Well, than I have no problem with him making payments for the truck, but I can buy the tools and boots you need." She looked back to him.

Rafe shook his head, "I would rather do it mom's way. I want to pay my own way and do this myself. Please ma let me do this."

Natalia looked to Olivia again who nodded and she turned back to Rafe. "Ok mijo. If it means that much to you that's what we'll do."

He pulled her into a bear hug. "Thank you ma." He released her and pulled Olivia in more gently. "Thank you mom."

Olivia rubbed his back. "Any time." They both sat back and he just beamed. Olivia smiled, "Why don't you call the halfway house and find out the times you are able to be out for work and what time you will have to be in every night. Then you can go talk to Josh again and let him know you're taking the job and what your availability is. The number is in my rolodex, you can use my phone."

Rafe hugged them both again and he rushed to the desk. Olivia sat back and Natalia leaned into her. "Why do you have the number in your rolodex?"

Olivia shrugged kissing her temple. "I wanted it in case we had questions or needed to get in contact for an emergency or something."

Natalia leaned up and kissed her cheek. "Thank you for loving him so much."

"He's my son, it's what I do." She said with a grin.

Natalia just smiled and lay her head on her shoulder as they listened to Rafe talking to the halfway house people. When he hung up the phone he came over, hugged them again and rushed out of the room to find Josh. They chuckled at his enthusiasm and got up heading back to Olivia's desk to get back to work.

Rafe came back a little while later all smiles to find Olivia on a call, Natalia had went back to her office. He sat and started working on the phones again.

Olivia ended her call and looked over to him. "Why don't we grab your ma and head down to pick which truck you want?"

Rafe nodded happily. "That would be great. Thank you again for this."

Olivia waved him off, "Of course, anything you need."

They grabbed Natalia who now had an excited Emma with her and headed down to the garage. When they got there Olivia showed him both trucks. They were both Ford F-150's, one green and the other blue. She handed him both sets of keys and he looked them both over.

He came back over smiling and handed her the keys to both back. "I think I want the blue one. They both have four doors but I like it because of the doors. Otherwise they are the same inside and both run good."

Olivia took the keys to the blue truck and handed them back. "Ok, then that's the one you get. I want to leave it in the beacon name until you pay it off so the insurance is cheaper for you if that's ok. I already added you on as a driver when you came home last week in case you needed to have a car to borrow. You'll just need to add $75 to your truck payment for the insurance. Otherwise your insurance will be double somewhere else."

Rafe looked to Natalia who nodded and back to Olivia. "Ok, that sounds good. Can I add a little extra to the price and have the tool box that's on the back of the green one?"

Olivia shook her head. "No, there is one that goes on this truck. I'm not sure why they took it off. I will have them put it back before we leave tonight."

Rafe nodded and hugged her again. Emma came over and pulled on his pant leg. "Can I ride in your new truck when we go home?"

Rafe looked to Olivia who nodded then back to Emma. "Sure you can, you're the first person I want to give a ride too."

Emma beamed and hugged him tight.

Olivia looked to Natalia. "Let's go back in and finish up for the day. We still need to get home at a decent hour and I need to pick up Ava at 6:00 while you're getting dinner ready."

Rafe stepped up beside her. "I can go pick her up. You aren't supposed to drive yet and ma's not going to want you standing to cook while she goes."

Olivia thought for a moment. "Ok, you have a point, I'll text her and let her know you're picking her up. Thank you."

They headed back in got back to work. Emma sat with Rafe and watched him set up the phones while their mom's finished up for the day. At 5:00 Olivia and Natalia headed home while Rafe and Emma went out for some ice cream before picking up Ava.