Chapter 29-Santa Monica, CA

Once all the presents had been opened, Vanessa and Olivia gathered up the torn wrapping paper that littered the floor so that later, Adam could place it into the large recycling bin in the garage. Mika and Ava each had a paper bag and they helped to collect the scraps of paper. Any ribbon or bows that could be reused for next year were saved and stored in a plastic bin.

"You are both such good helpers!" Olivia praised, smiling wider when she noticed Mika's little chest puff up in pride while Ava nodded in agreement.

"Good helpa, Auntie Lify," the toddler looked from one woman to the other and grinned, causing both sisters to laugh in delight. The little girl was so pleased with herself.

After clean-up was completed, everyone split up. The children were completely occupied with their new toys. Mika was busy "cooking" lunch for her daddy, who requested roast chicken and a salad. The toddler furrowed her brows in concentration as she stirred the ear of corn, tomato, cucumber, and head of lettuce in the pot that was on the stovetop. The tip of her tongue poked out of the left side of her mouth as she fisted the toy spoon with a tight grip and mixed the ingredients in the pot, occasionally having to stop and run to get the tomato that had a tendency to fly out.

She pulled the chicken out of the oven and after checking it, declared it would need ten more minutes, then promptly dashed back to her salad. Ava, who was making a stir fry, looked over and told her that salads don't need to be cooked, but the stubborn toddler had her own ideas and that's what she was following.

Oliver sat nearby holding a wooden spoon and banged on one of the cooking pots, laughing in amusement every time there was noise. He appeared to be having as much fun as the girls.

Daryl had opened up his Xbox and after the men had figured out how to install it, they were all gathered around the big screen TV in the media room, which was upstairs, on the other side of the house. From time to time, faint gunshots were heard and the men either cheered or cursed.

In the kitchen, the women decided to divide and conquer. Vanessa and Olivia helped their sister prepare Christmas dinner while Anna finished cleaning up the dishes from breakfast. Samantha had a rib roast and a ham waiting in the refrigerator.

Olivia would have preferred to not have ham, since Dale, like he did every year, had generously given a ham to every employee for Christmas, along with their bonuses. It was a tradition he started from the very first time he opened his garage and even though he was away from it, he wanted Daryl to continue the gesture.

She placed the gift into her freezer for another time, probably after Merle's birthday in January. The ham would gladly be put to good use later.

Olivia rounded up the ingredients to season the rib roast. Having spent so much time in her sister's kitchen, she already knew where everything was. Anna was going to tackle the Bûche de Noël, which could be somewhat complicated, but baking was something she loved.

Though she did enjoy spending time in the kitchen, Vanessa was not much of a cook. She never had the patience like Olivia did, so she opted to start with the vegetables; cleaning and trimming green beans, washing and cutting the carrots. The spinach was frozen, so that really didn't need much prep time.

Samantha, like Olivia and Anna, absolutely adored baking and she announced that she was going to make an Upside Down Caramelized Pear Gingerbread Cake. Everyone's mouths nearly watered at the thought of that flavor combination. Olivia could have sworn she moaned out loud.

While the women labored over their selected tasks, easy conversation flowed.

"So….how are things with Daryl, Livy?" Vanessa smirked deviously, glancing over to Olivia, while her hands were busy tearing off the stems from the green beans.

"It's good," Olivia answered, a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Did you give him a blowjob yet?" Vanessa's eyes sparkled in amusement as she watched for her sister's reaction.

"Nessie!" Olivia's eyes were wide as her cheeks flushed a darker shade of pink, while the women giggled.

"Oh, come on!" Vanessa protested. "We're all adults here. Did you or not? How was it? Did he like it?"

Olivia shook her head while her sister bombarded her with questions.

"Yes, and he did like it," she answered quietly. The women squealed loudly, laughing.

"Shhhhh," Olivia shushed, looking around her. She knew Daryl was a private person, but these were her sisters. Her confidantes. If she couldn't talk with them, then who could she talk to? She just didn't want to embarrass him.

Samantha advised, "Just keep doing what you're doing. He looks like he's so happy."

Olivia smiled, nodding in agreement. "He is. We both are."

"Yeah," Vanessa agreed. "Nothing keeps a man happier than blowjobs."

"Oh, my God," Olivia sighed, shaking her head. "You really have such a one-track mind."

"Well, she's got a point," Samantha agreed. "If it were up to Adam, he'd get blowjobs and beer every day if he could." As an afterthought, she added, "And the remote too."

The women howled in laughter. A slight tinge of pink appeared on Olivia's cheeks as she just thought of what her sister and brother-in-law did. Ewwww. At thirty years old, she knew people had sex, but still…..who needed a reminder? Thankfully, conversation soon turned to Anna.

"Anna, how was your date the other night?" Vanessa asked.

"You had a date?" Olivia turned to her friend, large emerald eyes widened with curiosity. "With who? Where?"

Anna rolled her eyes, smiling playfully. "Now look at who's got all the questions."

Olivia offered a sheepish grin.

Anna explained. "It was this guy from the clinic. He brought in his cat and we got to talking while I was conducting the examination. One thing led to another and he asked me to go for coffee, which I agreed. I was tempted to say 'no' since I don't want to start things with my patients' owners, but he seemed like a good person."

"Are you going to see him again?" Samantha inquired.

The young woman sighed. "I don't think so. He was cute and we had talked a lot, but I didn't feel IT. That feeling you get when you look at someone. I know sometimes it comes later, but if there isn't a speck of it all in the beginning, it's not going to appear at the end."

The other women nodded, lost in thought. They really did understand what Anna meant.

Olivia was thinking that this was her chance. "So, Anna… what do you think of Merle?"

At once, Anna's cheeks colored. Gotcha, Olivia thought triumphantly.

"He's…nice," she answered quietly as her face continued to warm.

"And?" Samantha pushed.

"Spit it out, girl," Vanessa commanded with a tinge of impatience. "We wanna know."

Anna sighed. "You guys are just horrible."

"Didn't answer the question," Vanessa pointed out.

"Didn't have to," Anna said smugly.

The other women groaned in disappointment. The sisters had a reputation for being stubborn, but Anna's obstinate nature was very notable and they knew they were not going to get any further information out of her.


Once most of the cooking was completed, the women took turns to shower and get ready for Christmas dinner. Passing by the children, Olivia couldn't help but smile at them, still engrossed with their toys. Bending down, she gently placed a kiss on the top of each child's head. She stepped through the baby gates that were installed at the bottom and top of the stairs, carefully making sure each door was shut completely. On her way to the bedroom, she peeked inside the media room to see what the guys had been up to.

As soon as the door opened, she was blasted by the noises from the video game while Merle was furiously shooting anything that stood in his path. In the room, the heavy aura of testosterone was evident as the rowdy men shouted out for him to "kill the little shitheads", urging him to keep going.

"Take tha' ya cocksuckers!" he roared out in victory, holding up a middle finger raised in salute towards the TV. Merle had advanced to the next round and the men cheered for him, clapping him on the back. The older Dixon handed the controller to Daryl, to play the next round. Olivia smiled to herself when she saw him actually having a great time, though he appeared to be the quietest one.

Feeling somewhat invisible, she backed out, closing the door behind her. Shaking her head with a smile, she made her way to their room, locking the door. Men and their toys


Staring into the mirror, Olivia was applying a smidgeon of blush when she caught the reflection of her Christmas gift from Daryl. Last night, she placed it on the dresser to enjoy it a little longer before packing it away in her suitcase. As soon as she had unwrapped it, she felt her smile widening. He knew she loved turtles and he somehow, from somewhere, came across a turtle shell. It was beautiful! Holding it in the palm of her hand, she admired it from all angles, her eyes picking up the black, green, and yellow colors that repeated in the geometric pattern. A tiny smile hovered on her lips, thinking about him.

She was just putting the final touches on her makeup when Daryl walked back into the room from his shower. Fortunately, their room had an adjoining bathroom, which made getting ready much easier. Since they were the ones who traveled the farthest, they were offered that room first.

His chest was bare and slightly damp. Olivia noticed in the last few weeks, he was much more comfortable without a shirt on in her presence. Good, she thought. Nothing to be ashamed of. He's finally getting used to the idea.

Her eyes roamed over his naked torso in appreciation, the towel hanging low around his hips. Memories of him moving in her while his bare chest rubbed against her sensitive nipples emerged into her head, causing her throat to run dry all of a sudden.

"Like wha' ya see?" he smirked, noting her heated appraisal.

"What if I do?" she challenged with a devilish glint in her eye.

He stepped closer to Olivia, and whispered into her ear. "Then we gonna need ta do somethin' 'bout it."

A delicious shiver traveled down her spine. "You're too loud," she accused, a smirk upon her lips.

"Me?" he asked incredulously, his usually narrowed eyes were stretched open as far as they could go. "When we get back, gonna show ya who's the loud one," he promised, fixing her with a steely blue gaze.

Warmth began to pool in her lower belly, but they were expected to be downstairs in less than half an hour. And the walls were too thin here. Darn, she thought in disappointment. She certainly didn't want a repeat of another embarrassing incident.

"When we get back," she agreed, giving him a smile.


The entire house was filled with all sorts of wondrous scents, both sweet and savory. Daryl greedily inhaled as they descended the staircase. Olivia changed into a pretty black dress, not too fancy, while Daryl put on a sleeved button down shirt and black dress pants that were fairly new. The light grey color of the shirt went perfectly with the pants. Daryl did not want any of those "pretty boy" colors it also came in, thinking a neutral shade was best.

The children were already downstairs and were occupied once again with the play kitchen Mika received.

Samantha put her daughter in a beautiful soft gold dress with tiny, dark red roses printed all over. The dark red sash around the waist ended into a large bow was tied at the back. Shiny patent dark red Mary Janes were on her little feet and her hair was tied into two little pigtails, a dark red bow in each. Mika's little brother was also dressed to the nines in a coordinating soft gold long-sleeved buttoned shirt and black pants and a dark red bowtie at his neck.

Upon seeing Olivia and Daryl arrive, Ava ran over to them to show off her new dress. The little girl looked like a tiny princess in her classic red plaid Christmas dress with a black velvet bow tied at the back. A matching headband gracefully sat on her head. She stood in front of them, picking up the fabric of her full skirt with two fingers and swished the fabric around.

"S'pretty," Daryl said, watching as the little girl's face beamed up at him before she sprinted back to the kitchen where she was "boiling" a pot of spaghetti for Merle.

Mika took the roast chicken out of the oven and tore off a drumstick, the Velcro easily giving way to the child's action. Concentrating on her task at hand, she placed it on a plate and dropped a tomato next to it. Carefully, she walked it over to Adam, who was seated on one of the recliners.

"Hew, Daddy."

"Thank you, Pumpkin," he smiled indulgently, taking the plate from her and "eating" with exaggerated noises, much to the little girl's enjoyment.

"It 'ganic," she told him, a serious expression on her little face.

Laughter ensued around the room. "Guess you spend too much time at the Whole Foods," Vanessa quipped, looking at her sister who just stepped back into the living room.

"That's my girl," Samantha said proudly. "Organic is the way to go."


Seated around the dining table, the group eyed the spread in front of them with a hungry stare. Someone's stomach released an angry grumble, announcing its hunger to all.

Daryl never thought he'd ever get used to seeing so much food at once. Growing up poor, he often went to bed hungry. The cupboards and the refrigerator would be devoid of groceries because Will was either in-between jobs or the bastard had spent his measly paycheck on booze and some slut he picked up at the local watering hole. At other times, there would be some food, typical redneck pantry items like white bread, pickled pigs' feet, grape jelly, mayonnaise. When Daryl was older, he stood on a rickety old chair and made himself a mayonnaise sandwich while Will slept off his bender. If he was lucky, there would be bologna to put in that sandwich. These memories stayed with Daryl, even until now. At night, when everything was quiet, Daryl could still remember the ache in his belly from the hunger. But he would hear a soft murmur next to him and feel the reassuring warmth from Olivia's body as she shifted closer to him and somehow, that memory would dissipate and be replaced with a fluttering warmth in his chest.

Taking another look up and down the length of the table, he shook his head. The man would not be surprised if the dining table collapsed from the sheer weight of all that food. Scanning over the length of the table, he noted the expensive rib roast and the ham that glistened with its crunchy brown sugar glaze. Two baskets held an assortment of dinner rolls. Large serving bowls offered three different kinds of vegetables and another dish held macaroni and cheese. Daryl's mouth watered as he recalled the taste of Mrs. Sullivan's prized recipe.

Olivia grinned at him, seeing the expression on his face. She knew how much he loved macaroni and cheese. "Gran's famous mac and cheese….it's almost like she's here with us too." The grin melted into a wistful smile that graced her features as she fondly remembered cooking with her grandmother. How she missed hearing her loud hearty laugh….seeing the twinkle in those blue eyes as they cooked together. There was always something going on in her grandmother's kitchen. If she closed her eyes, she could almost smell those amazing cakes and pies….

Under the table, a gentle squeeze on her hand brought her out of the past and her eyes flicked over to Daryl's.

"Ya a'right?" Cerulean blue orbs regarded her in concern.

"Yeah," she answered, smiling as she squeezed back, though the smile didn't seem to reach her eyes. She just wanted one more holiday with her grandmother.


After dinner, the children played some more and then it was time for bed while the adults convened in the living room once again. Adam brought out a selection of beer and wine for the group.

While conversation flowed, Daryl couldn't help but glance at the various pictures that were proudly displayed on the walls and on the end tables. Everywhere he looked, images of Olivia's nieces and nephew filled the space. It was evident just how revered the children were and Daryl couldn't help but wonder how it felt to have parents that give a shit about you. He would never know.

Daryl's eyes drifted over to the new photo that Adam printed out and framed earlier. It was a group photo of everyone, with him and Merle as well, posing near the Christmas tree. Olivia's brother-in-law took it this morning. He and Merle stayed away, not expecting that they would be part of the family photo, but to the Dixons' surprise, they wanted them to be in the picture too. He remembered the feel of Olivia's hand rubbing his back while he sat there chewing on the inside of his cheek when the camera was being set up. Squinting, he studied the photo, his chest and belly squirming with some weird feeling he couldn't identify.

A familiar ping! sounded from the side table, alerting Olivia to the text she just received. After placing her glass of wine down on the coffee table, she walked over to her purse and grabbed her phone. She laughed out loud after opening it, promptly showing Daryl the picture of Godiva that Maggie just sent, along with Christmas greetings. The corner of his mouth tilted ever so slightly.

The chocolate brown dog sat on the ground, looking up at the camera. A red fuzzy Santa hat was positioned lopsided on top of her head. She appeared to be hamming it up for the photo, with her large pink tongue lolling out the side of her mouth in a goofy grin. A gigantic bone and several new chew toys surrounded the happy animal.

Olivia quickly typed out a short reply and thanked her friend once more for helping out with Godiva and the farm animals. The Greenes and Mabel were taking care of things while they were gone. Fortunately, through Hershel, she found a service in Atlanta that offered per diem veterinarians, which alleviated her worries about someone to take care of the clinic in her absence. She felt guilty for needing to bother Hershel, though he said he was always happy to help. He sold his practice to get out of it so she really couldn't ask him to help cover for her.

Another ping! popped up, this time, holiday greetings from Mabel and Luke. They were spending the day at her parents' house and did not see Olivia's earlier message until just now.

She quickly typed out a brief sentiment of gratitude, thanking them again for helping to mind the farm. Smiling, she put her phone away, grateful to have such good friends. Olivia had already spoken with her friend Praew and exchanged greetings with a few friends from medical school. She was not expecting to hear from anyone else. Another ping! sounded and she glanced down in surprise at her phone.

Cassie.

Seeing her former friend's name light up the screen created a flood of memories. A giggle that came from her bedroom door. A tangle of arms and legs in her bed. Evan's naked form in-between her friend's long tanned legs.

Frowning, she quickly swiped her finger to delete the offending message without even reading it. Ever since that incident, she would receive messages from time to time, on her birthday or on a holiday; no doubt filled with apologies. Olivia wanted the past to stay in the past. She tossed her phone back into her purse and made her way back.

Daryl had noticed her frown. "'Verythin' okay?"

"Yeah, it's just Cassie trying to talk to me again, that's all," Olivia smiled faintly.

He nodded once before she sat down next to him again, picking up her wine glass. Daryl swallowed down the last bit of beer and set the empty bottle on the coffee table.

Joining back into the conversation, she heard Anna talking about Ava's Spring Break and where she was planning to take her.

Olivia looked to Daryl, who gave her a nearly imperceptible nod before she spoke. "Why don't you guys come out to the farm to visit?" she suggested. "Ava fell in love with the animals there, especially the horses. And Maggie offered to show her the cows on her farm, and the lamb too."

Sneakily, Olivia glanced over to Merle, noting how carefully he was listening, though he was pretending not to. The young woman discreetly hid her smile under her hand.

Anna's face brightened. "Oh, I bet she would love that! Ava's always talking about those horses and how Mr. Merle let her sit on one when we were there for Thanksgiving." The woman sighed. "Madison seems like such a perfect place to bring up children. It's quiet and so serene."

"It is," Olivia agreed, smiling. "I fall in love with it every day."

Olivia continued, "Ask her tomorrow and see if she wants to come out to visit. We have plenty of room for you to stay with us."

"Let me find out the exact dates she's off from school and I'll try to get that time off from work," Anna said. She was looking forward to a return trip to the quaint little town. It was so different than the bustling city of Santa Monica. Fresh country air. Lower crime rates. A more laid-back pace and where everyone knew each other.

"What time is your appointment tomorrow at the bridal shop?" Alex asked Vanessa.

"Ten in the morning," she answered with a slight yawn. "And then the other one is at 11:15."

Wedding planning was a lot of work, but it was something that Vanessa enjoyed wholeheartedly. The last time the sisters had this much excitement was when Samantha got married.

"I can't wait to go see the dresses you've picked out for us," Olivia exclaimed. "You did pick out decent ones, right?" she asked, eyeing her sister cautiously.

Vanessa sighed. "Of course, wouldn't want you guys to look like cupcakes that came to life."

With that, the women burst out laughing, while Samantha glared at them, her lips pulled tight into a pout. "Not that funny."

The corner of Olivia's mouth twisted up as she remembered the bridesmaid dress Samantha had worn four years ago for a friend's wedding. It was a medium pink color with a full ball gown silhouette, so the skirt was very full. Layers and layers of fabric billowed out. The sisters giggled and told her she looked like a talking cupcake, which Samantha did not appreciate at all. The next day after the wedding, she had donated it at the local Goodwill store, thinking that it would have been wasteful to just throw it away. It could be useful to someone in some way, although the woman truthfully did not know how.

With another barely controlled yawn, Vanessa excused herself to head up to bed. She and Anna were staying over tonight as well, to get an early start the next day. After about ten minutes, the rest of the women followed suit, leaving the men to their conversation and cold beer.

Much later, Olivia somehow sensed Daryl's presence in the bed and her body instinctively sought him out, snuggling into his side.


Shopping was always fun, even more so when they did it together, but this trip was even better since they were looking at wedding gowns. Ever since Vanessa announced her engagement, which happened not too long after Thanksgiving, the four women had been chattering non-stop through texts, phone calls, and emails about ideas and styles and themes. Now everyone had a chance to see the dresses together.

"I still can't believe you're getting married, sis!" Olivia gushed once more as she held Vanessa's hand, admiring the huge diamond that shone brighter than the sun. The large, square-shaped stone, which must be around 2 or so carats, was surrounded by a "halo" of smaller set diamonds that completely encircled the solitaire. It was positioned high in the setting, which Vanessa reported was made of platinum. Small diamonds were also set in the sides of the ring as well. The ring itself looked very sleek and modern, but it also had a vintage flair to it. Olivia smiled. Modern vintage. It was perfect for her sister. Alex did a good job, she smiled to herself.

Vanessa beamed at her sisters and Anna. "I know! I can't wait." The young woman's face was split impossibly wide into a grin.

"I can't believe that Alex got your event booked at the Waldorf Astoria!" Anna grinned. "He must have some connections."

"Yes, the event coordinator is the sister of his boss, the New York boss, that is. Since he agreed to the job transfer to New York, I guess the company kinda owes him. Not bad, huh? Favors and a promotion from it."

With that, the smile faded slightly from Anna's face. "Oh, my God….that's right. I almost forgot you guys will be moving out there."

Samantha added sadly, "My sisters are leaving me." An exaggerated sniffle was heard in the SUV.

"Oh, geez," Vanessa rolled her eyes, elbowing her sister in ribs.

"Hey! Not while I'm driving," Samantha reminded her.

It was quiet during the rest of the drive, except for some children's songs that played on the CD that Samantha popped in. Mika's little feet kicked in contentment as she listened to her favorite Raffi songs while she and Ava stared out the window.


"Here we are," Samantha announced as she pulled into the parking lot of Mon Amie Bridal Salon and parked. "Yaaay!" Ava and Mika cheered. They remembered the last trip to the store with the princess dresses.

A tall woman with blonde hair pulled back into an elegant French twist greeted the group as soon as they walked in. "Miss Walker, welcome back. We're so glad you were able to bring your family with you." She asked, "Is this the whole wedding party?"

Vanessa smiled. "Hi Candace, yes, it is." The bride-to-be introduced Olivia to the saleswoman, who exchanged pleasantries with her.

The saleswoman then smiled warmly at the toddler, who was peeking out from her mother's legs.

"Okay," Candace replied, "we've pulled the dresses you looked at last time and they are hanging for you in the last dressing room on the right."

With a huge grin Vanessa announced, "Well, here I go," before her eager feet carried her into the dressing area. The saleswoman followed her in to help her get into the gowns.

After about ten minutes, Vanessa came back out in a strapless, figure-hugging mermaid style dress with lace all over. The sweep train, which only extended about a foot and a half out, flowed behind her.

The second dress was an ivory satin with lace cap sleeves and a long chapel train. Soon, the third, fourth, and fifth gowns were modeled for the sisters and Anna. They were all beautiful, but…..there wasn't one that demanded attention.

After Vanessa's turn, the women went inside to try on the bridesmaid dresses that were set aside. Again, there wasn't anything that excited anyone.

The next appointment was at Marissa Couture, which was about 20 minutes away. Traffic was light, being it was the day after Christmas, and quite a few people were still on vacation.

"My three favorites are here," Vanessa gushed. "I hope you guys like them too."

"Good morning," the young blonde salesgirl smiled. "It's good to see you again, Miss Walker."

"Hi, Amy. You've met Samantha and Anna before. This is Olivia, my other sister."

The blonde girl smiled over at her and inquired about her flight to California.

Olivia returned the smile and talked briefly about the plane trip.

"Well," Amy started, "I've gone ahead and pulled the dresses that we looked at. The bridal ones are in Dressing Room A and the bridesmaid dresses are in B."

The young girl went inside to help Vanessa change into her gowns, while the women hovered nearby to evaluate each dress.

The first bridal dress was in a light gold color, with sheer organza sleeves and a full ball gown skirt. She looked like a princess but….the wow just was not there. The second dress was off-white and had beading and crystals on the bodice and an A-line skirt, not as full as the first dress, and it was very pretty. And then…Vanessa came out in a mermaid-style dress that complimented her figure. When she walked out, Olivia gasped, as did Anna and Samantha. No one but the salesgirl had seen this dress on her. This was the ONE. The ivory-colored silk dress was strapless and had a sweetheart neckline. It hugged her curves, then flared out into a trumpet skirt at mid-thigh. The entire bodice was diagonally draped, ending at the waist in a beaded intricate pattern of scrolls and leaves; the Swarovski crystals reflected the lights from above, shimmering endlessly. Stunning.

It was obvious by the way Vanessa's eyes glinted as she looked in the mirror that this was the ONE. She smiled so hard her light green eyes nearly disappeared into a squint.

"This one!" Olivia squealed, offering her two cents on the matter, while tears sprang in her eyes. Her sister was absolutely glowing, radiant in her dress. The other women voiced their approval as well.

While Vanessa was leaving a deposit on the gown she ordered, they filed into the dressing room to try on the selections.

The four of them decided on the one dress and Olivia knew that she fell in love with it the moment she first laid eyes on it. It was deep red, like claret wine or a precious ruby. She didn't know what the material was called, but it felt like a rich, thick satin, and it hung beautifully on the hanger, even more so on the body. It had two thin spaghetti straps and a sweetheart neckline. At the bosom, the material was gathered and twisted into a knot at the center. The back was low, extremely low, but ending far enough above the buttocks to still be considered decent. At the lower back, the fabric was also gathered towards the center, and right below that, several strands of fabric was knotted so that it draped into the long, dramatic train that was the finishing touch; downright sexy and elegant.

And, as an added bonus, it did not look at all like a bridesmaid dress, so the women would be able to use it again and again. Olivia pictured it as a dress that could be worn at the Oscars, if any of them should be so lucky to stand on the red carpet along with celebrities.

Mika approved of her mother and aunts, telling them they looked so "pwetty" and hugged their legs, rubbing her cheek in the luxurious fabric.

Samantha laughed, "You like that don't you?"

"Uh-huh," she answered, her little face scrunched in delight.

"And now….." Vanessa spoke dramatically, "I wanted to show everyone the flower girl dress." The young woman turned into the dressing room she was using and stepped out, holding up an exquisite little dress.

"Ohhhhh," Mika and Ava stared, mesmerized, as their eyes grew like saucers. It was a soft ivory silk, with two layers of diaphanous organza over the skirt and a long silk sash that tied into a large bow at the back. Two beautiful silk blooms adorned the top of the bow.

"I'm planning on ordering the flowers to match the bouquets," Vanessa explained, seeing heads bob in agreement.

"Pincess, Mommy!" Mika cried out in excitement, reaching out to touch the skirt with her chubby little hand.

Vanessa smiled down at her nieces. "I guess they approve!"


While the girls lunched at Lemonade, which wasn't far from the bridal shop, the men were in the backyard. They spent the morning trying their hand at the video games again, trying to advance further.

Adam fired up the BBQ grill, waiting for it to heat up before he added the chicken wings that were marinated last night. Next, he tossed a few steaks on, and then some salmon fillets and shrimp kabobs. On a side burner attached to the grill, a small pot contained a medley of vegetables that had already been seasoned.

The rest of the men were spread out, seated around a fire pit that was currently unlit. Thick yellow cushions covered the seats and backs of the black metal patio furniture. A large metal tub filled with ice contained an assortment of sodas and beer.

Merle gulped the last of his beer and after setting it down on the end table, he rubbed his hands together in glee, sniffing deeply when the scent of the cooking meat wafted in his direction.

"Fuckety-fuck, tha' there smells like Heaven," he commented, his stomach releasing a noticeable growl.

Alex laughed, after he swallowed down his beer. "Hungry there, Merle?"

"Goddamn starvin'," Merle grumbled.

"We'll be eating soon," Adam promised, as he turned over the salmon and shrimp. "Hey, Alex, can you take over for me in a little bit?" The man had glanced at Oliver and realized he was becoming fussy in his playpen, knowing the baby must be hungry. "Gotta get his bottle ready or all Hell will break loose. If Ollie's not happy, nobody's happy."

Alex snorted in laughter, remembering the last tantrum he witnessed. "Did she leave enough milk for him?"

"Oh, God….she must have pumped about 6 bags between last night and this morning. She used up some of it this morning in his rice cereal, but we still have so much."

The tips of Daryl's ears began to warm when he realized what the men were talking about. Sure, he knew that some babies drank breastmilk and it was perfectly natural, but still…..tits were tits and he couldn't believe the two men were just discussing this openly as if they were chatting about the Falcons.

Merle let out a low whistle. "Who knew a pair 'a tits could do tha' much?" he wondered out loud.

"Merle!" Daryl hissed out of the side of his mouth. His brother just flashed him a shit-eating grin.

Adam returned with a warmed-up glass bottle of milk. He had already tested the temperature and he began to feed his son, burping him when he was full and laid him down in the playpen for a nap after checking his diaper.

Daryl watched how the man carefully fed the infant, smiling and cooing to him, then his eyes took in how tenderly he laid him down in the playpen. An image of Will Dixon doing those very things flashed in his mind's eye and he nearly snorted out loud in derision. In all likelihood, Will would be calling that man a pussy and laugh hysterically as he asked him if he had somehow misplaced his balls.

"Soon, you'll be doing this too," Adam warned his future brother-in-law, smirking at Alex.

"Shit," Alex cursed. "Don't rush me. Right now we're still working on ordering the flowers and picking out the china and tasting the cake flavors." The young man appeared tired all of a sudden as he rubbed his eyes with the heels of hands. "Why is there so much goddamn stuff to do?"

Adam guffawed as he shook his head ruefully. "Yeah, still have nightmares of that and it's been at least 3 years or so."

"You should see how she gets this crazed look in her eyes as she's reading over catalogs and skimming websites for things that would go for her theme," Alex spoke. "And who the Hell needs a theme?" The man shook his head, perplexed.

Daryl sat there quietly, nibbling on his thumbnail as he listened, taking it all in. Is tha' wha' Livy would want? he thought to himself. His heart sank, realizing that there was no way that he could ever give her all these things. Not even if he worked his fingers to the bone 24/7 for the next 20 years.

The quiet redneck allowed his thoughts to roll around his head. He never pictured himself getting married. Now that he thought about it, wouldn't Olivia want to get married one day too?

Deep down, he truthfully had always known he was no good for her, but hearing the young man was like a punch to the face that he couldn't avoid. He could pretend to live forever like this with Olivia, but eventually, she would want the things that her sisters and other women had. She would wake up one day and take a look around. And where would Daryl fit in with that?


Author's Note:

Thank you so much for the new reviews and favorites and follows. You guys are the best!

And my apologies Guest for a belated thanks! It makes me smile when you say you need this.

I hope you've been having a great summer so far. A few more months and we will get to see the premiere in October! Yippeeeeee! I'm looking forward to the pilot show that's supposed to air in August. Hope it's every bit as good as the original show we love.I have been having serious withdrawal issues here….and still looking for a job….wish me luck!

Hey! Have you guys seen the movie The Walking Deceased? It's those dollar movies from the redbox in my grocery store. It was kinda stupid...a parody of our show. It also had a mix of other zombie references too.

Norman will at a con at the end of the month in Orlando again but we are not going. Just saw him in April. Hubby believes we spent enough money on him already. On the same weekend, there is a con in Miami that we are going to. Hubby wanted to go for some other people. Just found out Hayley Atwell from Agent Carter will be there as well as Ward from Agents of Shield. Cool. Love Agent Carter and the whole 1940s thing. I kinda picture Mrs. Sullivan like that. Resourceful, pretty, classy, and smart. Just no spy stuff. Hehehehehe.

This chapter is the second half of Christmas with Olivia's family. Good, happy fluff. The show gives us way too much angst, huh? The last chappie was just getting way too long, especially if I had this one with it too and did not split! Geez….

I believe the story would be wrapped up in about 35-40 chapters….depending on chapter length, so we are almost there, but not quite. Thank you so very much for sticking with me and this little story of mine!