I know, I know. This is so late... I'm embarrassed. I hope you are still able to enjoy this. Let me know what you think!
~ Chapter 24 ~
His pride wouldn't allow Fitz to make use of the wheelchair they'd brought along, so Olivia stayed by his side as he slowly maneuvered his way through the crowd with his crutches. They had taken an early flight out of D.C. so they could spend the afternoon with Fitz's nieces and the rest of his family. Olivia was pushing the cart with their luggage, and when she heard the high-pitched squeal of a little girl, she grinned.
"We've been spotted.", Fitz laughed, readying himself for the little girl that was running towards them as fast as her short legs would carry her.
He was ready for the impact of her little body slamming into him, but it never came. Instead, Hannah had thrown herself into Olivia's waiting arms, nearly knocking them both to the ground in the process. She was giggling, short arms squeezing Olivia tightly.
"You really came!", she grinned when she released her. "You're actually here!"
"We are.", Olivia confirmed, equal parts surprised and elated by the child's exuberant reaction.
"I see how it is…", Fitz grumbled playfully next to them. "I bring a pretty girl and you want nothing to do with me anymore."
"Hi Uncle Fitz!", she exclaimed joyfully, reaching over to pat his cheek. "Don't worry, I still like you."
Olivia laughed and put the girl down, watching her climb onto the cart to sit on top of Fitz's suitcase.
"Where's the rest of the gang?", Fitz asked, following Hannah's line of sight when she pointed her finger into the distance.
"Daddy's at work, but there's mommy and Phia."
They moved toward Fitz's sister and her youngest daughter, and while Olivia wasn't sure that Fitz noticed, she could tell that Joan was fighting back tears. It was the first time she had seen her brother stand on his own two feet since the accident, and Olivia knew from experience how overwhelming that could feel. When they reached mother and daughter, Fitz allowed his sister to pull him into a tight, long hug. Olivia watched the exchange for a moment before focusing her attention on Sophia. The little girl stared up at her with big eyes, a small smile playing on her lips. Olivia knew she was too shy to ask for a hug, so she crouched down and held out her arms. Within seconds, the three year old was in her arms, the embrace much gentler than that of her older sister. While Hannah had squeezed Olivia tightly, Sophia simply melted against her, one tiny hand immediately finding its way into the soft waves of Olivia's hair.
"Hi sweet girl.", Olivia smiled, kissing the girl's soft cheek. "I'm so happy to see you again."
She didn't answer with words, but simply nodded her head where it was tucked against Olivia's shoulder.
"Wanna say hi to Uncle Fitz?"
"Hi.", she smiled, waving her hand.
"Hello sweetheart.", Fitz replied, kissing the little girl's cheek.
It earned him a heart-melting giggle, and he already knew the long flight had been worth it. Joan pushed the cart for them, because Sophia refused to let go of Olivia. In the car, Fitz sat between the two girls, adding fuel to Hannah's insistent babbling and joking while holding Sophia's little hand. The ride to his sister's house was loud and rambunctious, but Olivia loved every second of it. Every now and then the younger sister would add her sweet laugh to the mix, and it was the most uplifting, happy sound in the world.
Fitz's brother-in-law returned home just in time for dinner, and after a long family meal, the girls were put to bed. A day of traveling and playing every kids' game known to man had left Olivia and Fitz tired, so they decided to retire to the guest room shortly after the girls had gone to bed.
"I'm glad we came.", Olivia sighed after they had gotten comfortable in bed. "If Hannah were any happier to see you, she'd explode."
"I didn't know it was humanly possible for a little girl to talk so much and so fast."
"She's something else.", she agreed. "She reminds me of you in a lot of ways."
"Because I talk too much?", Fitz teased.
"That too.", Olivia agreed with a grin. "I meant her joy for life, though. She can get so excited over the smallest things and she is so witty and charming."
"It isn't just me she's happy to see, you know? These kids love you so much, Liv."
She blushed, allowing his words to warm her from the inside out.
"It's funny how quickly you can fall in love with two tiny little humans. I know we talk to them all the time, but I didn't know how it would be to actually be around them again. Not that I was worried about Hannah's reaction…"
"Sophia's always been a little different. When she was just a year old, Joan actually had her evaluated because she was afraid there was something wrong with her. She did all the things she was supposed to do, you know… walk, crawl, eat, say the occasional word, but that was it. She was always so quiet. When Hannah cried, you never knew if there was something wrong or if she was just bored. When Sophia cried, everyone jumped because you just knew something had happened. She never whined or whimpered and only spoke when it was absolutely necessary."
"She's still like that.", Olivia said.
"Yeah. I remember that day when Joan called me. She was sobbing so hard I could barely make out what she was saying, and I thought something awful must have happened. Then she told me about all the tests they were running on Sophia and how the doctor had suggested that it could be a mental issue rather than something physical. It was awful. They worked through all these different possibilities for weeks and you know what they told us in the end? Sophia is completely healthy. She's just a very intelligent, quiet child that chooses her words wisely."
Olivia smiled, relieved. She'd known that if there was something wrong with the little girl, Fitz would have mentioned it by now, but hearing about the struggles they'd faced when she'd been so young was still scary.
"She's perfect. You can see her mind going when she looks at you, and you just know that she will out-smart us all one day.", Olivia explained quietly. "But at the same time, she is so completely innocent and sweet."
"They're lucky, Joan and Paul, I mean. Their children are perfect.", Fitz added with a distant smile.
Olivia knew he was thinking about their future then, about the children they would have – the children she hoped they'd be able to have. It was moments like these when she wanted to throw caution in the wind and try for a baby with Fitz right then and there. But then reality would catch up with her and Olivia realized that it was important for them to wait, to explore their relationship and grow together before adding a child to the mix.
"I know it's not a competition, but I think ours will be pretty perfect too.", she mumbled.
"There is no doubt about that.", Fitz agreed, kissing her softly.
They talked quietly for a little while, and she was just drifting off when the door clicked softly, faint light shining into the room. Fitz pushed himself up onto his elbows, squinting his eyes to be able to see in the dark.
"Sophia, sweetheart, what are you doing here?"
Olivia was out of bed in an instant, kneeling in front of the girl. She pushed the messy curls out of Sophia's face, searching for any sign that the child was upset. Her little eyes were barely open and she was clutching a large stuffed animal to her chest.
"You okay, baby girl?", Olivia asked, pulling the toddler against her carefully.
"I wanted to make sure you're still here.", Sophia whispered, so quietly that Fitz almost didn't hear her from where he was sitting on the bed.
"We're here.", Olivia assured her. "We're staying for four days, remember?"
"With me?"
"Of course.", Fitz replied. "We came to see you and Hannah."
She nodded and sighed quietly, like she was relieved to hear the news, but made no move to step out of Olivia's arms. Olivia looked over her shoulder, finding Fitz's eyes in the dark. He didn't have to question her to know what she was asking, so he simply nodded his head.
"Do you want to sleep with us tonight?", Olivia asked.
Sophia stared at her, like she couldn't believe the offer. After a moment, she nodded her head slowly. Olivia scooped her up and brought her over to the bed where Fitz had already lifted the covers for them. The little girl crawled under the sheets next to her uncle, her eyes searching for Olivia immediately, making sure she would join them as well. She wiggled around until her back was pressed against Fitz's chest, and then she reached out for Olivia, burying one tiny hand in her hair.
"Love you.", Sophia whispered, already drifting off to sleep.
"We love you, too.", Fitz replied for the both of them, meeting Olivia's gaze.
He could tell that she was overwhelmed by the sheer sweetness of the moment and by the love this little girl seemed to have for her, even though they hadn't known each other for long. Olivia found Fitz's hand across the body of the sleeping toddler and squeezed it tightly. She realized that she had never experienced anything like this. There were no small children in her family. There really was no family to speak of at all, but suddenly she had gained these beautiful little girls and their wonderful parents, and it felt so good that she almost couldn't believe it was happening to her.
Sophia groaned in her sleep, twisting her body until she was comfortable. Her eyelids fluttered but her eyes never opened.
"Livia…", she mumbled, and Olivia scooted closer yet, kissing the top of the girl's head and then Fitz's forehead.
"I'm here.", Olivia replied, and Fitz knew she wasn't just talking to Sophia. "I'm here."