37.

I sat paralyzed in my office the rest of the afternoon.

I read the same paragraph for an hour before giving up.

I was angry.

I was angry at Cassidy.

I was angry because I saw it coming.

I was angry because I loved Olivia and Henry so much that I was infuriated that anyone thought they could taken them away from me.

I could hear the music as I slid my key in to the lock.

I opened our apartment door to see Olivia and Henry dancing around.

I smiled.

I could have cried.

"Hi honey!" Olivia said turning down the music. "Look your mama is home!"

She made her way towards me as Henry squealed and reached out his arms for me.

I scooped Henry up in my arms as Olivia kissed me.

My loves.

My family.

As Olivia pulled away I reached for her arm and pulled her in to another kiss.

She didn't question it only kissed me back a bit more passionately.

"How was your day?" She asked nonchalantly.

"Interesting."

Interesting… that was the only word I could come up with.

"Interesting? Really?"

"I'll tell you about it later." I said, preoccupying myself with the baby in my arms that had a handful of my hair.

And telling myself that I would actually get the courage to tell her about it later.

"We talked about ordering Thai earlier… are you hungry?" Olivia asked as she gathered toys in her arms.

"Um yeah that still sounds good."

I wasn't hungry.

In fact I still felt sick.

"Are you ok?" Olivia asked realizing I was still standing in the same place with Henry.

"Yeah, yeah I'm just tired."

Olivia looked at me, studied me.

The detective.

"Honey I'm fine. Just ready to get this suit and these shoes off and just be with the two of you."

"Ok," she said skeptically.

"Here let me take Henry so you can get changed." Olivia said taking Henry from me.

"Come with me."

She knew something was up.

She read me too well.

But she played along.

I was already stripping down as Olivia made her way to the chair in the corner of our bedroom.

I stopped for a moment to notice her sink down in to the chair, to notice how Henry sat so content in her arms.

"He looks tired." I said hanging my suit back on the discarded hanger from this morning.

"He is. My plan to wear him out this evening seemed to work."

"Yeah I got a little glimpse of the dancing you to were doing." I said grinning.

"Purely to entertain Henry of course!"

"Of course."

I threw on a t-shit and a pair of pajama pants.

"You look sexy in that little t-shirt Cabot." Olivia said as her eyes read the words Bahamas across my chest.

I grinned.

I loved that she looked at me that way.

That she made me feel that way.

"He's had his bath. You want to see if you can get him to sleep? I'll order Thai?"

"Perfect," I said leaning in to kiss her one more time, then lifting Henry back in to my arms.

I made my way in to Henry's room where the lights were low. We had a bedtime routine. I would walk back and forth, rubbing his back while whispering about the day or just how much I loved him and his mama.

It soothed him.

It soothed me.

I held him a bit longer after he drifted off to sleep, then put him down in his crib.

"He's asleep." I said making my way to the living room.

Olivia smiled.

"Food should be here soon."

I nodded.

"I'm going to open a bottle of wine." I said already making my way to make my selection.

It wasn't long before the food arrived and Olivia and I were sitting with each other at the table.

I was on glass number two of wine and barely an appetite for dinner.

"So are you going to tell me what's up?" Olivia said clearly noticing. "What was it that made your day so "interesting" and has obviously altered your mood?"

I took another sip of wine.

"Alex?"

I looked up her.

"Marry me," I said softly.

"What? Whoa Alex, where did that come from?"

"I love you." I said almost desperately.

"Baby, I love you too…"

"You've never thought about it? Thought about us getting married?"

"Sure. Maybe. Eventually, but where did that come from? Are why are you in such a rush?"

"I just I want to marry you, be with you for the rest of my life. I want you and Henry to be with me for the rest of our lives."

"Honey, that's the plan. I want the same thing. I plan on being with you for the rest of my life, for loving you relentlessly for the rest of my life." Olivia said intertwining her fingers with mine. "And I plan on us raising our son… but asking me to marry you tonight, it just seems sudden."

Tears were falling down my face.

"Alex? Honey, please tell me what is upsetting you? You know I love you. You know that I want to be with you… What happen today?"

"Its nothing… really it's nothing." I said getting up from the table.

She followed me.

Your love should always follow you.

"Baby I'm here. I'm right here and whatever it is… me help you feel better." Olivia pleaded.

I turned to look at her, wiping the tears from my cheeks.

I blew out a breath.

"Cassidy." I said.

"What? She asked puzzled. "Cassidy what?" she asked her voice rising a bit.

"He came by my office today."

Olivia's eyes were widening.

"Why?"

Her question was dry and bold.

"To talk about you and Henry."

"And? What did he say?'

"I think he regrets letting you go. I think he regrets not being a father to Henry. I think he would fight for you if you would let him."

"So he's jealous? He wants what he gave up? What he doesn't have?"

"Yeah I think so."

"And what else did he say?

"He knows I want to adopt Henry… and then he brought up Liam Connors escaping and you not being safe with me."

"Are you kidding me? You're kidding?"

She was getting angry.

"Liv, I told you everything is fine."

"So he came to your office to what threaten you?"

"Liv, he's upset with himself."

"So he had to upset you?"

"Yeah, I think he did."

"I have given him every opportunity to be in Henry's life. He's seen him once! It's not my fault, it's not our fault he can't get his shit together! So going to your office, questioning you and what kind of parent you are to Henry… Jesus!"

"Liv! Calm down ok, Henry is sleeping."

Olivia took a deep breath, composing herself.

She sat down in the chair and for a moment said nothing, though I could tell her mind was racing.

"Honey, I'm fine." I said, trying to reassure her.

"Are you?" She said, looking up at me.

"Yes, when he showed up at my office it threw me off of my axis. Yes, I am a little sensitive when it comes to you and Henry, but it's ridiculous…"

Olivia had slumped back in the overstuffed chair, her hands clasped on her stomach.

"You asked me to marry you Alex." She then said blankly.

"Baby, I was panicking." I said making my way to her, sitting on the coffee table in front of her. "But I don't regret asking you to marry me. I do want you to. I do want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Alex, marrying me is isn't going to make everything better. Brian is still Henry's father and if he wants to make our lives a pain in the ass he can! And God to be honest you asking me to marry you tonight was like playing who's dick is bigger."

"Liv." I said squeezing my eyes shut.

"You marry me, you get the girl and the kid? One point Alex, zero Brian."

"Liv that was not my intention. You know that!"

Olivia stood up making her way to the bedroom.

I followed.

Your love should always follow you.

Olivia was putting on her jeans.

"Liv, what are you doing? Where are you going?"

"I need to think about everything that is happening. How to deal with this."

"You're leaving?"

"I'll be back in a little while. Henry has fresh bottles in the fridge if you need one."

I followed Olivia in to Henry's room where she looked in on our sleeping boy, then followed her as she put her coat on.

"I love you." I said trying desperately not to cry and not caring that it sounded like I was pleading.

Olivia stopped to look at me. "I know you do and I love you so much, but I just need some time to think about you and Brian and what's happening."

Olivia gave me a quick kiss searing my lips, before she left me standing there, and closing the door behind her.