She's late for work, again. But she can't find one of her shoes. She walks out of the closet and down the hall, into Gerry's room. She opens his wooden toy box and sees her nude pump half buried under a plush teddy bear. She laughs to herself, thinking about how the child's personality has really been shining though these past couple months, and she pulls the shoe out, puts it on, and walks down to the kitchen.
"I think we're raising a little hoarder. This is the third time this week one of my shoes has mysteriously gone missing." She turns to Gerry and bops his nose. "And why is that mister?"
He smiles, and then shrugs his shoulders adding an innocent, "I don't know," as he shoves a slice of banana into his mouth with his chubby fingers.
She looks at him expectantly for a moment, "Well in that case," and she's tickling his belly and planting a few kisses on the clean parts of his face. "Happy Halloween Gerbear!" And she kisses his forehead one more time before she walks up behind Fitz, wrapping her arms around his waist, kissing in between his shoulder blades, resting her cheek against his back. He spins around and hands her her coffee and breakfast. "Your mom has chemo today, right?"
She nods her head. "At noon. Today's my designated day, so you've got Gerry?"
"Yeah. I've got a meeting with Dean Harb at one thirty about guest lecturing in the spring. I'm sure Professor Miller would love to see Gerry, being that he's one of the reasons Gerry even exists in the first place."
She smiles. "Thank God for Miller and his silly little backyard barbecues. I'll call you when I'm leaving the hospital. I love you." And she quickly kisses him and turns to Gerry, kissing the top of his head. "I love you too buddy, have fun with daddy today."
He shoves the rest of the banana into his mouth, and with chipmunk cheeks he voices his wishes. "All done; me go momma!" And he pouts when she shakes her head no.
She picks up the bib around his neck and wipes his mouth. "No bud, you have go with daddy today; but tonight we'll put on your superman costume and we'll all go for a special walk and get you some candy. How does that sound?"
He takes a moment to consider her compromise, and she can see the confusing etched on his eyebrows, just like his father. "Me costume now!"
Fitz laughs as he walks over with a small bowl of scrambled eggs for Gerry. "That is definitely doable. But not until you finish breakfast. Even Clark Kent needs his breakfast!"
Gerry starts shoveling eggs into his mouth and Fitz turns around. "I love you Wonder Woman, see you later." And he kisses her one last time.
She's sitting in the sterile white room, mindlessly flipping through whatever magazine she saw first at the grocery store; machines beep and people chat, the television a low hum in the background. She looks at the people coming in and out of the room, all looking rail thin, and frail, and utterly hopeless.
But then there's her mother, smiling, laughing, making jokes, knitting baby booties for a church project. While most others are living in the past, she's planing for the future. She's obviously tired and in pain; but she's strong, and humble, and unwilling to let cancer defeat her; she has that indomitable will, the drive to finish what she's started, to not leave her family even a second before she has to. To face adversity with a smile.
And Olivia is inspired by this. She's always wanted to believe in her mother's courage and strength, but now, she has concrete, undeniable proof of their existence.
She leans over and kisses her mother's temple.
The older woman smiles, "what was that for?"
"Just because I love you." And she picks up her beeping phone from her purse. She smiles and quickly turns the phone in her mother's direction so she too can see.
Her face lights up when she see Gerry, all dressed up in his superhero costume, holding up a piece of paper with the words feel better Nana, we all love you written on it.
She hands the phone back. "That husband of yours is something else."
"He is, isn't he?" And they both laugh.
"But seriously Olivia, I'm so happy that you two found each other. Love like yours is rare, and beautiful. And it's comforting, because one of these days when I'm not around anymore, I know you'll be ok. We just need to find Em her Fitz."
"Well, Will is spoken for these days, but John is still an option." And they both laugh, drawing attention over to themselves, causing them to laugh even harder.
They finally settle down, Olivia goes back to reading about this months most fashionable stars, and her mother continues with her pink yarn. Olivia starts to receive a chorus of text messages but just turns the volume off on her phone and leaves it face down on the table.
"Honey, you don't have to sit here with me for the rest of this, I know you're busy. Go to work, take my precious grand baby around for candy, spend time with Fitz. You don't have to fuss over me."
She tosses the magazine onto the table and leans closer to her mother, taking her cold hand in between her own. "Ma, I'm here because I want to be here. I'm going to sit here with you and keep you company, and spend time with you, and distract you for as long as it takes for you to get better."
The older woman smiles. "I love you Livia, but do you know how you can really make me better?"
"How?"
"Find me a root beer float that's better than McGlenin's." And as an after thought she adds, "And give me another grand baby already."
Olivia laughs and rests her head on her mother's shoulder. "Just between you and me, we're already working on that second part."
Olivia's mother kisses her temple. "Now that is what I like to hear. I feel a little better already."
"Do you think it's a bad idea though? I mean, your second pregnancy exasperated the cancer. What if we're just pushing our luck?"
"Olivia listen to me, your results were negative; you're too much like your father to have my crappy genes. Go be happy; have some great sex; work your ass off; spend time with family; drink expensive wine; have some more babies if that's what you two really want. Live your life, Olivia. Stop being afra-" but before she can finish her sentence, Olivia is standing and sprinting to the tv in the corner of the room. She turns the volume up and turns back to her mother, horror in her eyes.
...we've just got confirmation from authorities that there is an active shooter on the Georgetown campus. Shots were first heard at 10:38 near the administration building, two people have been taken to Georgetown Medical, their injuries are listed as critical.
"Fitz, Fitz had a meeting this morning with Dean Harbs about guest lecturing. He has Gerry. I, I, I have to go." And she picks up her phone and fumbles it in her shaky hands as she dials and runs out to her car.
"I THOUGHT I SAID NO PHONES. GIVE ME THAT DAMN THING NOW."
Fitz pulls the phone out of his pocket with his left hand and slowly turns to hand it over, managing to shield and cradle Gerry in the process. He quickly turns back around, keeping his body strategically placed between the baby and the gunman.
Don't kill me yet!