Her words echo in his mind, as he sits on her couch, staring at their daughter. He blinks, wondering if he can convince himself that all of this is real. He wonders how he missed it.
"Nick if you're looking for a fairy tale it isn't this."
"Olivia," he tries to reason with her.
"I don't believe in fairy tale endings. I only believe in... reality. Life is hard, and this is no different."
"You act as if, even though, I know that you have always wanted this, that this isn't how you thought it would be."
"Does anything ever turn out the way we plan it?"
"That isn't the point."
"Look I don't want to argue with you. I think I am going to step outside for a minute, I need some fresh air."
"Ok," he agrees.
It only takes fifteen minutes for him to start getting worried. After seventeen he tries her cell phone, only to find that it is going straight to voice mail. Within twenty minutes the cop part of his brain starts going through all of the things that could have happened to her. Against his better judgment he bundles up the baby, and goes outside. He walks across the street to the bodega on the corner. He flashes his badge, at the counter.
"Did you see anyone from across the street come out of the building in the last twenty, to twenty five minutes."
"Your baby mama?" the female cashier asks, "I don't know," she shrugs.
The guy behind the counter moves towards him, "I was out on break then," he admits.
"Did you see her?"
"She pulled out of the garage like a bat out of hell."
"Are you sure you know who I'm talking about?"
"Yeah, she drives a sixty five mustang. I know who I'm talking about. I've only seen her out on a couple of occasions in that thing."
"Did you happen to see which direction she was headed?"
"Out of dodge," he admits.
"What do you mean by that?" Nick questions.
"I think she was headed out of the city."
"Oh."
"She didn't mention it to you?"
"No," Nick shakes his head.
"I think that having a baby was a little more overwhelming than she expected. This morning she came in to buy diaper wipes. She looked like she was about ready to cry."
"She brought the baby out?"
"Yeah, she had her all bundled up."
"Ok, thanks, you've been a lot of help."
After a few calls Nick determines that Olivia has left the city.
He has just put the baby back into her crib, for a nap, when someone starts knocking on the door. He doesn't check the peephole, he just pulls it open. The captain looks at him, in confusion.
"Nick what's going on, here?"
"Everything is wrong," Nick admits.
"What do you mean? Where is Olivia?"
"She left."
"What do you mean she left?"
"Captain she had the baby, and didn't tell me."
"She took the baby? Wait how do you know?"
"I came over here, and I saw her. She had the baby."
"Where is the baby now?"
"She's in her crib."
"Olivia left? Nick you must have had a miscommunication. I am sure that Olivia wouldn't leave. She would never leave her baby. She probably just went to get diapers. What did she say to you?"
"She told me that she was going to step outside for fresh air. That was an hour ago. I talked to the cashier from across the street. He saw her leave in her car."
"Maybe she went to get something to eat."
"I called in some favors. She was spotted going across the bridge."
"Headed where?"
"Out of town. She's headed west."
"Nick are you sure?"
"Do you think I would have called if I wasn't?"
"What did she say before she left?"
"That she didn't believe in fairytales. I don't know how long she is planning on being gone. I don't even know if she is coming back."
"Maybe she is just overwhelmed. I am sure she just needs a couple of hours, and she'll be back."
"Captain the fridge is full of milk. I don't think she is coming back in a few hours."
"When did she have the baby?"
"Two days ago."
"It isn't like Olivia to just leave. There has to be something that we're missing. Did she get any calls before she left?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"I was with the baby."
"Ok. I'll call the phone company."
"Captain maybe there is nothing afoul here. Maybe she just left. Maybe she has post-pardom depression, or something."
Don shakes his head, "It is too early for that to set in.""So, what is your theory?"
He shrugs, "I don't know, but I am going to find out where she is, and bring her back."
"Maybe she doesn't want to be here. Maybe she doesn't want to be a mother."
"Nick it is the only thing that she has ever wanted."
"What do we do?"
"We find her."
"What if she has just decided that she can't handle this?"
"We talk to her. We get her help. Running isn't an option. She has wanted this for so long. I'll stay here with the baby, why don't you go talk to the cashier across the street again? Maybe he saw someone with her."
"He didn't mention it before."
"Nick please."
"Ok," he agrees.