Chapter 38: Christmas
A/N: I really didn't know how I wanted to do this chapter. There were so many little moments that I wanted to touch on. So, this may just read like snapshots of Olivia and Fitz with the family. Hope you guys enjoy.
Olivia woke up to a text from Fitz. She looked at the time and saw that he had sent it two hours earlier, which explained why he sent a text, instead of calling.
Fitz: Good morning Sweetheart. They called us in for practice. I'll come see you when we're done. Can you tell your cousins I'm sorry, but I probably won't be able to make their game?
Olivia: Why the change in plans?
Fitz: Christmas. We want that day off.
Olivia: Don't worry. The kids will understand. But, I miss you.
Fitz: I miss you too. I love you.
Olivia: I love you too.
The smell of breakfast was wafting through the house causing her stomach to growl loudly. So, she got up, made her way to the bathroom, and then went downstairs for breakfast.
"Good morning," she greeted everyone who was in the kitchen.
"Morning Liv."
She grabbed a plate and tried to figure out where to start. There was bacon, sausage, ham, pancakes, French toast, scrambled eggs, omelets, and homemade hash browns. On sight, Baby Grant did not like the eggs. Her stomach flip-flopped letting her know what was to come if she even tried to eat any.
So, you're not going to let Mommy eat eggs, hunh? That's because you don't know that Granny makes the best scrambled eggs. And, Granddad's omelets are legendary. But, I'll eat what you want as long as you don't make me throw up everything else. Deal?
She smiled at her silent conversation with her baby as she filled her plate. She got a cup of ginger tea that Granny was still making for everyone, and sat at the island in the kitchen, knowing the dining room was probably filled to capacity. And, she didn't want anyone asking her why she didn't have an omelet.
"Morning Punkin," Carol said and kissed her cheek.
"Morning Mama. Where's Daddy?" She hadn't seen or heard him, yet.
"He went for a drive."
"Without me," Olivia exclaimed in disbelief. Non-destination drives were something they did together. They would just ride, listen to music, and talk about everything or absolutely nothing at all. She couldn't believe her dad would go without her.
Carol looked at Olivia's pouty face and smiled. "He said he wouldn't be gone long."
"Okay," she grumbled and finished her breakfast.
"Your mom must have told you that your dad went for a drive," Kasey said when she came in the kitchen with her empty plate.
"How did you know?"
"You're pouting."
Olivia rolled her eyes.
"Did you think that he might have gone to get you a present?" Kasey asked.
Olivia smiled. "I didn't think of that."
Kasey and Carol laughed. "You're such a big baby," Carol said, hugging her.
After breakfast, Olivia went upstairs to the room Alicia and Taylor were sharing.
"It's open," she heard one of them say when she knocked on the door.
She pushed the door open. "Hey," she said. Taylor and Alicia were sitting on the bed, watching a reality show. Olivia didn't know which one. She just knew there was a lot of yelling going on, and what looked the beginning of a fight. She noticed the box of Kleenex on the bed. There were a couple of empty pints of ice cream on the nightstand, and wrappers from Hershey's kisses were on the bed. Alicia had suffered her first real heartbreak right before the Christmas break. She was still mourning the break up, but didn't want to be alone. So, Taylor stayed with her.
"Hey Liv."
She pointed to the bed where they were stretched out. "Can I sit down?"
"Sure." They moved and pushed the candy wrappers out of the way to make room for her.
"I haven't really seen you guys since you got here. "
"I'm sorry," Alicia apologized. "I don't really feel like being around anyone."
"Your mom told me what happened, so I wouldn't think you just didn't want to be here," Olivia told her.
"So, you know Jeremy broke up with me?"
Olivia nodded. "Yeah. I'm sorry," she offered. "It's terrible, but something I think everyone experiences at least once."
"He won't even tell me why he broke up with me," Alicia said. "He won't return my calls or texts." She said with tears rolling down her cheeks.
Olivia hugged her. "Don't do that. Don't call him or text him. I know you feel like you deserve a reason, but he obviously doesn't feel the same. He's seen your calls and texts. He's ignoring you. It seems like he wants to hurt you," Olivia pointed out.
"Well, it's working," Alicia said.
"He doesn't have to know that."
"I just want to know why," Alicia sniffed.
"I know, honey," Olivia said. "Just try to stop calling and texting him, okay. And, try to have some fun while you're here. I know that's all easier said than done. But, this moment could possibly shape the way you deal with guys and relationships from now on. The first time a guy really hurt me, I was fifteen. And, then, when I was your age, my boyfriend cheated on me with my best friend. And, I carried those break ups with me. I had trust issues. I had a hard time trusting Fitz's love for me. I pushed him away. But, thankfully, he was persistent, and believed in us even when I didn't. Because of what happened to me when I was your age, I almost missed out on the best thing that ever happened to me," Olivia explained.
"You pushed Fitz away, because of what happened when you were our age?" Taylor asked.
"Yeah."
"But, he so fine," she said with a dreamy expression.
Olivia chuckled. "I didn't see that. Actually, I did," she quickly said. Then, she paused for a minute to gather her thoughts to say exactly what she was trying to say. "I knew that he was fine. But, that wasn't what I was focusing on. I saw the potential to be hurt again. And, that scared me. So, I pushed him away. And, it was all because I was still carrying around past hurt."
"How did you get over it?" Alicia asked.
"Fitz," she told her. "He just loved the hurt away."
"I don't have a Fitz. So, how do I get over it? How do I not carry that with me?" Alicia asked.
"Just try to have fun. Don't sit around thinking about him or talking about him. I know you'll have moments when you'll think about him. And, you'll feel sad. And, that's okay. Just don't stay in that sad place. Don't give him that kind of power over you."
"I'll try," Alicia said.
"That's all you can do," Olivia told her. "And, I'm here to talk if you ever need to. About anything."
"Thanks," Alicia said and hugged her.
/
Before Fitz could even ring the doorbell, the door swung open and Olivia leapt in his arms, attacking his lips with hers.
"Wow. Somebody missed me," he joked.
"You have no idea," she said as she planted soft kisses over his face. "Baby," she began in a singsong voice, and batted her pretty eyes at him.
Fitz already knew that no matter what she had in mind, his answer was going to be yes. He was at her mercy when she did that.
"Can we go home for a while? I miss you."
"I'm here now," he said.
"No. I miss you, Fitz," she said, and gave him a look.
"Oh. I see," Fitz said, catching on to what she meant.
"So, can we? I can send my mom a text from the car. No one has to even know you were here. Please baby."
He grinned. He missed her too. He needed to be with her. "Okay," he said, reaching for her hand. Just as they were about to step off the porch, the door open.
"What's up, Fitz," Trey greeted him. "You ready for that game?" He asked. "Or we can just throw the ball around. I'm so excited to learn from you. With you helping me, that qb spot will definitely be mine."
Olivia groaned and rested her head against Fitz's chest. "Go ahead," she whispered. Fitz kissed her temple and followed Ethan to the backyard.
Olivia went inside, and came back out wearing a coat with a blanket around her.
"Quarterback is in black," she yelled.
Let the man play," Michael yelled back at her.
"Whatever. He can't afford to get hurt."
"Quarterback is in black," Oliver said. He was coaching the blue team, which was the team Fitz was on. Olivia was hoping it would work out that way, giving her dad and Fitz some time to bond.
"No way," Harrison said. "That's not fair. We can't have Fitz and Ethan on the same team, and not be able to touch Fitz. Liv, you gotta quarterback for us."
"Not this time," Olivia said.
"We can't play defense the right way, so we're going to have to out offense them. If we're going to have any chance of winning, we're going to need you," Harrison said.
"Why?" Fitz asked.
"They use me when they want a running quarterback," Olivia told him.
Fitz gave her a wide grin. "Is she any good?" Fitz asked Harrison.
"Oh yeah. She's quick and elusive," Harrison told him.
"You don't tackle her, do you?" He wanted to see her play, but he didn't want her or the baby to get hurt.
"Hell yeah," Harrison exclaimed. "Didn't you hear me say she's elusive? You'll think you got her, and the next thing you know, her lil ass scores. You gotta put her on the ground or she'll just slip out of your grasp."
"But, you'll hurt her," Fitz said.
"Liv, come out here and show your man how tough you are," Marcus yelled.
"Um…"
"Olivia and I need to talk," Carol said, coming out onto the porch. "Find another quarterback."
"Ah man," Harrison whined, and kicked up dirt, like a little kid.
"Let's get the show on the road," Shelby said, coming outside with a whistle around her neck.
Carol sat down and motioned for Olivia to join her.
"What?" Olivia asked. "Did I do something?"
"No," Carol said. "I just noticed that it looked like you really didn't want to play. And, your cousins were going to push, until you gave in."
She smiled. "Thanks."
"Looks like Fitz is fitting right in."
Olivia smiled. "Yeah."
They watched the game the way they watched all games. Olivia talked about the game and the plays, while Carol just nodded her head. She was not a big football fan. She never made an effort to understand the game. Frankly, it seemed quite barbaric to her. But, she indulged her husband and daughter.
Just as Harrison had predicted, Fitz and Ethan ran all over them. No one could effectively cover Ethan. Tariq was the only one who gave him any kind of trouble, but he couldn't stop him from catching whatever he wanted.
/
Kasey smiled as she answered her phone. "Hey Honey."
"Hey," Tom greeted her. "I'm kind of on my way there, if that's okay."
"Of course it is. Why wouldn't it be?"
"I have my family with me. I know they were supposed to meet everyone tomorrow. But, apparently, I'm boring, and they miss you."
Kasey smiled. "Honey, it's fine. Bring them on over."
"Good. I'm about ten minutes away."
Kasey laughed. "I'll see you in a bit."
She turned to her mother. "Tom's on his way with his family," she told her.
"Great. I can't wait to meet them," Karen said.
"Where's Daddy?"
"In there playing dominoes."
"Oh no," Kasey said. "That's a recipe for disaster. Could you go get him, and tell him?"
"Sure," Karen said, as she left out.
"So, I hear Tom's family is on the way," Olivia said.
"Yeah. They were supposed to just hang out at Tom's place today and relax. But, apparently, they want to come see me," she said with a smile.
Olivia looked at her and smiled. "Aww. That's sweet."
"Don't worry. Tom told them not to say anything to about anyone they see here. Besides, they've always known that he's Fitz's driver and never said anything."
"I've met them a couple of times, they've never told anyone about me," Fitz said.
"It's fine," Olivia assured her. "Besides, I'm tired of running and hiding. While I'm here with family, I just want to be here."
By the time Tom and his family got there, Karen had managed to tear her husband away from the game of dominoes and convinced the other men to put the game up before a fight broke out and they embarrassed the entire family.
"Thank you, Mama," Kasey said as the doorbell rang.
She opened the door, and was greeted by a hug from Mackenzie. "Kasey," Mackenzie exclaimed. "I missed you."
"Hey," Kasey said, hugging her tight. "I missed you too."
"Come on in," she said, ushering them all inside and closing the door.
Kasey looked at Jason and smiled. "Hey handsome."
He smiled, flashing the dimples he knew she loved, and gave her a hug. "Hello my beautiful future girlfriend."
"Hey Liz. How are you?" Kasey asked as she hugged Tom's mom.
"I'm great, sweetie. How's my future daughter in law?"
"I don't know about that," Kasey said, holding up her bare left hand.
"Tommy, what are you waiting on?" Liz asked.
Tom groaned. "The right time," he said, as he kissed Kasey's cheek.
Kasey smiled and grabbed his hand, pulling him closer to her. "These are my parents. Harrison and Karen Wright."
"It's lovely to meet you," Liz said, hugging them both. "You raised a remarkable daughter."
"Thank you," Karen said. "You've raised quite the gentleman. I knew before I met him that he had to be an exceptional young man for my Kasey to fall in love."
"Mom," Kasey quietly groaned. But, everyone heard it and laughed.
"This is my cousin, Liv," Kasey said, pointing at Olivia and trying to reclaim the conversation. "Liv, this is Tom's mom, Liz, his sister, Mackenzie, and his brother, Jason."
"It's nice to meet all of you," Olivia said, shaking their hands.
"Wow," Jason said. "Kasey is definitely my future girlfriend, but if you're single, I'll let Tommy have her all to himself."
Olivia laughed.
"Watch it, Jason," Fitz said, putting his arm around Olivia.
"And, y'all already know Fitz," Kasey said.
"My bad, Fitz," Jason said.
"Just watch yourself," Fitz said.
Mackenzie and Liz spoke to Fitz as Jason looked around the room.
"Kasey, the women in your family are beautiful," Jason said.
"Thank you," Kasey told him. "And, they're all taken."
"Of course they are," he said, throwing his hands up in the air just as Alicia and Taylor came downstairs followed by Granny.
"Granny told us to come meet your guests," Taylor told Kasey.
"Okay. This is Tom's mom, Liz, his sister, Mackenzie, and his brother, Jason. These young ladies are my cousin Taylor and Alicia. And, this is my granny," Kasey made the introductions.
"It's nice to meet all of you," Granny said as she hugged everyone.
"Hey," Taylor and Alicia both spoke to the group. "It's nice to meet you."
Instead of the lively, playboy they were all expecting from Jason, he just stared at Alicia before shyly smiling and saying, "Hi."
Kasey looked at Tom. He simply shrugged his shoulders.
Kasey noticed Tariq come upstairs from the basement. She grabbed him and introduced him to everyone, and instructed him to make Jason and Mackenzie feel at home.
"No problem," he said. "We're all in the basement. There's a game room down there with some video games, pool table, table tennis, foosball, darts, a little bit of everything," Tariq said. "Ay, Trey," he called to Trey who was headed to the basement. "This is Jason and Mackenzie. Can you take them down and introduce them to everybody? I'm about to get something to drink. Y'all want anything?"
"No thank you," they both said.
Trey took Mackenzie and Jason to the basement with him, and Tariq left to get some drinks.
"Thanks Tariq," Kasey said, when he came back with a couple of drinks in his hands.
"No problem," he told her. "No," Tariq yelled, looking at Taylor and Alicia who were heading to the basement. "No. Go back upstairs and watch your stupid reality shows or play on your phone or whatever you've been doing."
"Whatever. You don't tell me what to do," Taylor retorted.
"Ma," Tariq called to Hilary. "Make her go back upstairs."
"Tariq, leave your sister alone."
"You know she's only going down there now, because -"
"Yes, I know. I wasn't born yesterday."
"Ugh," Tariq groaned and went to the basement.
Kasey introduced Tom's mom to everyone and realized that she probably should have waited until she had introduced Jason and Mackenzie to everyone before sending them to the basement.
She saw Alicia come back upstairs. She had been expecting that. Alicia did not like video games at all. She was a serious bookworm. Kasey had been expecting her to spend most of her time in the library. But, she had been tucked away upstairs, which is where she was headed when Jason came up, and touched her arm. They started a conversation about something that was obviously interesting, because they sat down on the stairs, and continued the conversation for about an hour.
"This is the most I've seen Alicia," Kasey whispered to Shelby. "She and Taylor are usually just present for meals."
"Alicia's boyfriend broke up with her right before the break," Shelby told her. "She's wanted to be alone, but not alone. So, Taylor's been giving her emotional support."
"Well," Kasey said as she looked at her talking to Jason. "That ex seems to be the last thing on her mind, right now."
"I hope so," Shelby said. "He really hurt my baby."
"Jason's a playboy," Kasey warned Shelby. "She could be headed for more heartbreak."
"I'm sure she's not expecting a relationship to flourish with someone she's only going to see for about a week," Shelby said.
"I hope not," Kasey said.
/
Olivia couldn't remember the last time she was as excited on Christmas Eve. She had picked up all of the presents she had ordered for everyone. She was so excited about Fitz's gift. She had to admit; it was as much a gift for her as it was for him. She just hoped that he would like it as much as she did. She was so excited and full of Christmas spirit that she agreed to go to the grocery store with her mom to pick up some last minute items.
"That wasn't too bad," Olivia said, as they were leaving. "Why don't I like coming to the grocery store?" She asked as she scratched her head. "I really can't remember."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously," she replied with a smile.
"This is a direct quote, 'Do I have to?'" Carol began with a whine. 'I could be do something else with my time, like studying. Daddy,'" she whined even more. "'Tell Mama I don't want to go to the store.'"
Olivia laughed. "Oh yeah. It's all coming back to me now."
Carol laughed. "It's not a bad thing. You just don't like to do things that you don't see as being productive. You always hated naps. I would have the worst times trying to get you to take a nap. First, I would have to chase you around the house. Then, you would fall on the floor and have the worst temper tantrum. But, if your dad was home, you would just run to him, climb on his lap, pout and say, 'Daddy, I don't want to take a nap. Can't we go play?' He would whisper something in your ear, and you would be ready for your nap."
Olivia smiled. "He used tell me naps help make you strong. And if I was going to be the first girl in the NFL, I was going to have to be strong. So, I had to take a nap."
"Speaking of which, I noticed that you went to sleep rather early, the other night. Are you okay?"
"Yeah," Olivia said, keeping her eyes on the road. "Harrison refused to let me work. And, you know if I'm not busy, all of the sleep I've missed catches up with me." It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't why she had fallen asleep the night before.
"You know you can talk to me about anything, right."
"I know."
"Anything," Carol emphasized. "I'll support you no matter what."
"I know. But, I'm fine, Mama. I promise."
"Punkin, look at me," she said when Olivia stopped at a red light.
Olivia took a deep breath and lowered her gaze before finally lifting her eyes to her mother. "You know, don't you?" She whispered.
Carol smiled and nodded her head. "Yeah."
"How?" Olivia asked as she focused on driving again.
"I just knew. The moment I held you in my arms, I knew. For a moment, I doubted it, but when I looked in your eyes, I could see a secret there. A good secret, but a secret, nonetheless."
"Wow."
"Were you going to tell me?" Olivia noticed the hurt in her mother's voice.
"Of course," she said quickly. "I just wanted to wait, until my doctor said we were safe. I didn't want to go through what I went through before."
"I've never lost a child, so I can only imagine how hard and painful that was for you."
"It wasn't," Olivia said, quietly.
"What?"
"I wasn't sad when I lost the baby. And, it had nothing to do with the baby, and everything to do with Edison. I didn't want a child with him. But, I want this baby. We both do. I just don't want to possibly go through what would be the worst moment of my life, and then have to relive it every time I have to tell someone. I wouldn't be able to handle that."
"Did you plan this?"
Olivia shook her head. "No. Our plan was to get married first."
"Life has a way of happening exactly how it's supposed to."
"Tell me about it."
"Well, your father and I are going to have to move here now."
Olivia laughed. "Kasey said you would want to move here."
"She was right. There's no way I'm living thousands of miles away from my first grandchild."
"Do you think Daddy will want to move?"
"The same man who was willing to pack up everything and move because you wanted a horse?"
Olivia laughed. "Right. You're not going to tell him, are you?"
"If you don't want me to, I won't. But, I don't think it's going to change how he feels about Fitz."
"I hope not. But, I planned the perfect way to tell him. Well, you too. But, you know..."
Carol smiled. "Okay. I won't ruin your plan."
"Thanks."
"You look tired," Carol pointed out. "When we get home, you should take a nap."
"But," she started to protest.
"Liv. You're responsible for another life, now. You can't not eat and sleep."
"I know. But, napping is so unlike me. And, I don't want anyone else to suspect anything," Olivia told her. But, she was tired. They had got up early, with a long list of things to do. And, they had managed to get everything accomplished. But, she hated lying, and she didn't want anyone else suspecting that she was pregnant.
"Don't worry. I'll tell them you're working. Get your rest."
"Is this normal?" Olivia asked. "Should I be this tired?"
"It's normal," Carol told her. "Are you getting much sleep at night?"
"Yeah. I wake up to go to the bathroom, but that's about it."
"You should try sleeping on your left side more. It's best when you're in your third trimester. But, start now."
"But," Olivia began only to stop.
"What?"
"Nothing," Olivia said, thinking about how she liked to sleep on her stomach with her head on Fitz's chest.
"It's just that I like sleeping on my stomach," she told her.
"You're going to have to let that go for a while."
"Okay," Olivia said with a smile. "I'm so glad you know."
Carol smiled. "Me too.
/
Olivia felt Fitz enter the room, his presence waking her from her nap. She felt his lips on hers. She smiled as she pressed hers against his, opening her mouth allowing his tongue access to hers. She missed him. She needed him and craved him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. Her fingers searched for the hem of his shirt, needing nothing more than to feel his skin under her fingertips. The moment her skin touched his, electric currents surged through her body. He settled between her legs, moving his hands up her shirt.
"I'm going to kill both of you, if you have sex in the bed that I have to sleep in," Kasey said, breaking them out of their passionate lip lock.
"Sorry Kasey," Fitz said as sat up on the bed, close to Olivia.
"Although your mom said you were up here working," Kasey said and sat a cup of yogurt on the nightstand next to the bed. "I came to see if you wanted something to eat."
"Thanks Kase. But, my mom was lying. I needed a nap. She knows," Olivia said, touching her stomach.
"Did you tell her?" Fitz asked as he placed his hand over hers.
Olivia shook her head. "She said she knew the moment she saw me."
"Is she telling your dad?" Fitz asked. Olivia smiled at how nervous he sounded.
"No."
He breathed a sigh of relief.
She sat up and kissed his cheek. "You get to live another day."
"You're laughing. But, your dad told me he would stand over me and watch me bleed out."
Olivia laid her head on his shoulder. "Not for this. My dad wants grandkids. And, he likes you." She brushed her hand over the hair at the nape of his neck. "How was practice?"
"Good."
Kasey looked at them through the mirror as she fixed her hair. "You two are sickening."
Olivia poked her tongue out at her. "Whatever." Olivia turned to Fitz. "When is your mom getting here?"
"She's here now," Fitz said.
Olivia jumped up. "What? Why didn't you tell me?"
"Your mom sent me up here to tell you, but you couldn't keep your lips and hands to yourself."
"How long have you been here?"
"About an hour," he told her.
Olivia grinned. "Really? You've just been hanging with my family for an hour?"
He smiled. "Yeah. I took Trey outside and helped him with his form for a while. Then, I just hung out, until my mom showed up, and your mom sent me to get you."
"Well, come on. I want to say hi. Come on Kasey, and meet my future mother-in-law."
"Hi Edith," Olivia exclaimed when she saw her, greeting her with a big hug.
"Hi sweetheart. How are you?"
"I'm good. I see you met my parents."
"I did. And, your grandparents," Edith said. "Your grandmother was very pleased that you've been to church with me."
"Really? That's great Punkin," Carol exclaimed.
Olivia smiled. There was no need to tell them it was only once.
"Um, this is my cousin, Kasey," Olivia said, quickly. "This is Fitz's mom."
"You're Tom's girlfriend," Edith said. "Well, it's nice to finally meet you."
"You too, Ms. Grant," Kasey said. "I've heard so many wonderful things about you."
"Please call me Edith," Edith told her.
"Edith," Kasey said.
Olivia sat down and talked with her parents, Fitz, and Edith when she noticed Jason and Alicia laughing. She nudged Kasey and nodded in their direction.
"Do you think she's headed for another heartbreak?"
"God, I hope not," Kasey said.
Catelyn climbed in Olivia's lap. "Hi," she said to Fitz.
"Hi Catelyn. Is Santa coming to visit you tonight?" Fitz asked.
She nodded her head in excitement. "Yes sir."
"I take it you've been a good girl."
"I have."
"So, what is Santa bringing you?"
"Skates," she said, excitedly.
"You know how to skate?"
"Nope," she exclaimed, causing Olivia and Fitz to laugh.
"Catelyn, why did you ask Santa for skates, if you don't know how to skate," Olivia wondered.
"If Santa brings me skates, then Mommy will have to let me take skating lessons with my friends," she explained.
"Oh," Olivia said. "You're a smart one."
She smiled. "Thank you."
"So, does your mommy know about your plan?" Olivia asked, looking over at Carla.
Catelyn shook her head no, as Carla discreetly nodded yes.
Catelyn put her finger over her lips. "You can't tell her. It's a secret."
"Okay, I won't," Olivia promised.
"What's Santa bringing you?" Catelyn asked Fitz.
"Santa doesn't visit grown ups."
"Yes he does. He brings my mommy something every year."
"Maybe he'll bring Liv something?"
"Is Santa bringing you something?" She asked Olivia.
"I don't know," Olivia told her.
"Have you been good?"
"A little bit."
Catelyn thought for a moment. "Trey's only a little bit good. But, he get's something. So, you can get something," she informed her.
"I should probably write a list, hunh?"
"You don't need a list. You just pick one thing."
"Really?" Olivia looked over at Carla. She needed to take parenting lessons from her. Catelyn was the first child she ever knew who only asked for one thing for Christmas. She knew that she always had an extra long list every Christmas.
"I know what you want," Catelyn announced.
"What?"
"Mr. Fitz to marry you," Catelyn sang quietly.
"Not for Christmas," Olivia told her.
"But, I won't be here after Christmas," Catelyn reminded her.
"You'll be here until the new year."
"But, you don't get a New Year gift. You just get to stay up late," Catelyn pointed out.
"Well, Mr. Fitz hasn't asked me to marry him."
Catelyn quickly whipped her head in Fitz's direction. "Why not?" She demanded.
Fitz dramatically sank back. "You had to tell me if I was cute first. You said she couldn't marry me, if I wasn't cute." He gave Catelyn a lopsided smile. "So, am I cute?"
Catelyn quickly jumped down and ran to her mother's lap, burying her face in her shoulder.
Olivia laughed quietly. "Fitz, you made her run away."
He leaned in and whispered in Olivia's ear. "Am I cute?"
She placed a hand on his thigh. His voice was way too seductive for the setting they were in. "You better cut that out," she whispered. "You're trying to get me on the naughty list."
"I want you on the naughty list," he whispered. "I also want you in my truck later on tonight."
"Ooh," Catelyn exclaimed. "Mr. Fitz is whispering. Now, you have to tell everyone what you said."
"No, he doesn't," Olivia quickly said. "He really doesn't."
"Some people obviously need something to occupy their time," Kasey said, cutting her eyes at Olivia and Fitz. "I think this is a perfect time for cousin karaoke."
"Better known as family, let's make total idiots of ourselves in front of each other all in the name of competition," Harrison said, mockingly. "I'm down, except we don't have a karaoke machine."
"I got one while I was out," Kasey said. "And, CDs."
"Let's do it, then," Carla said.
Kasey tossed her keys to Harrison. "It's in my trunk."
"I love being a little brother," he said, under his breath.
They all gathered in the family room while Huck hooked the machine up to the TV. When the kids heard they were doing karaoke, they readily came up from the basement to participate.
"Y'all ready for this beat down?" Trey asked. Whenever they did karaoke, it was always a competition of young vs. old. And, out of all the times they had been doing it, the kids had never won.
"You wish," Harrison told him.
"You guys seem excited about this," Jason commented.
Tariq shrugged his shoulders. "We do this every time we get together. It's a competition. It's all the kids against the old folks. You can play, if you want."
"I'm just going to sit back and watch," Jason said. "I'm not a singer."
"We're not all singers," Tariq told him. "But, it's fun." Tariq looked at Mackenzie and smiled. "What about you?"
She blushed and looked away from Tariq. "I'll just watch too."
"Oh, you got a serious Motown collection," Harrison said looking at the CDs. "I'm going first," Harrison said, once Huck got the machine hooked up.
Everyone knew that meant he had his song picked out and didn't want anyone else to get it.
"Yeah. Go first," Trey said. "Have everybody begging for us to go next."
"This sounds intense," Edith commented.
"It's more fun than anything," Olivia told her.
"I hope you kiddos are prepared to get schooled again." Harrison grabbed the mic and put the CD in. The music to Stevie Wonder's Do I Do started playing, filling the room with energy as almost everyone danced in their seats as he sang. When he got to the chorus, everyone started singing along. He stopped and looked around. "This is a solo, not a choir selection."
"Just shut up and sing," Kasey said.
He looked to make sure his parents weren't looking and flipped her off, and started singing again.
When he was done, Tariq got up and hooked his IPod up to the karaoke machine.
"What new school noise you getting ready to play?" Michael asked.
The minute the music started, Hilary gasped. "I know my baby is not doing Two Occasions."
Tariq winked at her and started singing.
"Get it baby," Hilary exclaimed.
"Your brother is so cute," Mackenzie told Taylor.
"Eww. No, he's not," Taylor said.
"Have you been practicing?" Erica asked.
"We all have," Ethan said. "We're tired of losing. And, y'all are the worst winners ever," he said, causing everyone to laugh because they knew it was true.
"Looks like the kids upped the ante on us," Kasey said.
"Why don't you go next," Harrison said. "You and Liv can do that song y'all did with your friends at the school talent show that you kept a secret from our parents."
"What talent show?" Karen asked.
"Come here, Harrison," Kasey told him.
"What?" He asked and foolishly walked over to Kasey only for her to slap him on the back of the head.
"What song?" Fitz whispered to Olivia.
"If by Janet Jackson we did the choreography that's in the video," she told him.
"Is it that bad?"
"There's some moves where sex is simulated with guys," she told him.
"I want to see this video," he said.
"I show you when we get home. If you're good, I'll even do the dance moves for you."
He grinned. "Oh, I'll be good."
"You ready?" Carla asked Hilary and Whitley. They had been looking at the CD booklet together.
"I guess so," Hilary said. "Although, I feel like we're not as prepared as we should be after that performance."
They did a lively performance of The Supreme's Where Did Our Love Go, shifting the energy back to the adults.
"Fitz, you want to make an ass out of yourself, like the rest of us?" Harrison asked, tossing him the CD booklet.
"Sure," he said and started flipping through the book. "You want to sing this with me?" He asked Olivia.
She looked at him and smiled. "Yeah."
"Come on, Munchkins," Trey said, gathering Catelyn, Cassandra, and Makayla.
"Oh Lord, they got the babies. We're screwed," Carla exclaimed. "We can't compete with cuteness."
"Oh, we've been planning this since Thanksgiving," Trey told her. "Y'all are going down."
The music started and everyone smiled as the girls gave a spirited and passionate version of Let It Go from Frozen.
"They're really kicking our butts," Carla said as everyone clapped and cheered for them.
"Kasey, what you got?" Harrison asked.
"I don't know," she replied. "These kids are serious this time."
"Fitz and I can go," Olivia said. "I'm not saying that it will be great or anything, but we're ready."
Olivia gave Fitz a mic and started the song.
"I knew it," Kasey said as the music to Endless Love started.
Endless Love had always been one of Olivia's favorite songs. She couldn't believe that she was singing it with Fitz in front of her family. She gazed in his eyes. They were brimming with love. Everyone else in the room disappeared and she got lost in the love in his eyes. The love in her heart for him. And, it was just Olivia and Fitz conveying their feelings to each other through song.
"It's like watching magic," Edith said when they were done.
"I know," Carol said with her hand over her heart. "They're like a living love poem."
"Damn," Derrick exclaimed. "Y'all got me wanting to renew my vows and shit."
"Alicia, it's gotta be you after that," Ethan said.
Alicia was the best singer out of the kids. She sighed heavily, not really wanting to sing. But, she scrolled through her phone for a few seconds before hooking it up and singing The One I Gave My Heart To by Aaliyah. Olivia's heart broke for her. The pain she was feeling was evident as she sung the song. She showed her vocal ability as she poured her heart out with each word she sang. The whole room was captivated as they watched and listened to her. By the time she got to the end of the song, tears were in her eyes. But, she didn't let them fall. Olivia counted that as a small victory for her heartbroken little cousin.
"Can I do one?" Jason tentatively asked.
Tom and Liz's heads shot up as they stared at Jason.
"Of course," everyone agreed.
He plugged his phone in and started singing Treasure by Bruno Mars. When he got to the second verse, he turned to Alicia and started singing to her. He wasn't a great singer, but you would never know it the way Alicia was smiling, blushing, and giggling at his performance.
Near the end of the song, he took Alicia's hand in his, and pulled her up to dance with him.
"That's so unlike him," Tom commented to Kasey when the song ended and Jason hugged Alicia. "He never goes out of his way to impress a girl. Not for real. And, in such an embarrassing way."
Nate got up and grabbed Jason by his shoulders. "Let me talk to you, son."
"Daddy, stop embarrassing me," Alicia told him. She looked over at her mom.
"Nate, leave him alone," Shelby told him.
"Nope. This is my job," he said, dragging Jason out of the room.
Wow," Tom said. "He really likes her. That's a first. I don't know what it is about you Pope and Wright women," Tom said.
"The kids have to make treats for Santa," Nicole announced
"That's right," Carla said. "I think we can all agree that the kids won this time."
"Yes," they all exclaimed.
"But, we're doing this again before the New Year," she told them.
"Bring it," Ethan said.
"I'm going to go before it gets dark," Edith said. "It's supposed to start snowing later."
"I'll see you later." She kissed Olivia and Fitz's cheek.
"You're more than welcome to stay," Carol told Edith.
"Thank you," she said. "But, it looks like you all are filled to capacity.
I'll walk you out," Fitz said.
"And, I'm going to get these folks home, before Jason ends up murdered," Tom said. He gave Kasey a hug and kiss. "I'll see you tomorrow."
When Fitz came back in, Olivia was pouring popcorn in a bowl with Catelyn, Makayla, and Cassandra.
"Now, we just have to wait on Aunt Carol to finish the syrup," Olivia told them. "And, we'll be ready to make our popcorn balls."
He stood back and watched her talk and play with the girls. Then, when her mom poured the syrup in the bowl. She showed them how to form the balls with their little hands, and then use red & green M&M's to make the ears and nose.
"They're so cute," she commented as the girls showed her their popcorn balls.
If he didn't before, he really yearned for a girl after watching her with them. There was no doubt in his mind that she would be the perfect mother.
After all the kids were in bed, Olivia and Fitz stayed up and helped wrap presents.
"That snow is really coming down," Carol said, as she came in the family room. "Fitz, Oliver and I talked it over, and you should probably stay tonight. You don't want to be out there in that."
"It's okay, I can -"
Olivia discreetly kicked him as she tied a bow on a present.
"Thank you," he said. "It's a good thing I keep my gym bag in my truck."
"Do you have any idea how big this is?" Olivia asked when her mother left back out. "They've never let a boyfriend of mine stay over."
"What about Edison?"
"He had to stay with Kasey's family when he visited. I told you my dad is old fashion."
"But, it's not even that much snow," he said.
"It's a lot of snow to my mom. Snow frightens southerners. It's pretty and exciting, but driving in it is quite dangerous. We don't have snowplows and salt trucks and very limited sand trucks. So, take the offer, Fitzgerald Thomas Grant, III."
He smiled and kissed her cheek.
After all the presents were wrapped, everyone went up to bed. Fitz went out to his truck to get his gym bag. Olivia took him down to the basement to the game room where he was going to be sleeping. No one trusted their kids to actually sleep in the game room, so most of the boys ended up sleeping in sleeping bags in their parents' room. She put a couple of blankets and pillows on the couch where he was going to be sleeping. He sat down and pulled her onto his lap, straddling him.
"Just kisses," she whispered as she lowered her lips to his, sensually kissing him. She brought her hands up and caressed his face, before seeking his tongue with hers. She slid her hands down his body as their tongues moved together.
She slipped her hands underneath his sweater, caressing his chest through his t-shirt.
She groaned in frustration. He felt her pull on his sweater. She broke their kiss as she pulled it over his head.
"Livvie, I thought you just wanted-"
"I changed my mind," she said, and kissed him again. She had every intention of only kissing him, but the moment their tongues touched she wanted nothing more than to be joined with him in the most intimate way. She reached for his t-shirt and was about to pull it off when she heard Harrison on his way downstairs.
"Yo Grant," he called.
"Seriously Harrison," Olivia exclaimed.
"What?"
"You couldn't have worst timing, if you tried," she said as he entered the room.
He looked at her, straddling Fitz's lap. Her face was flushed and her lips were swollen. "Were y'all about to….eww. Gross. Well, FYI, your dad is still up."
Olivia groaned in frustration as she slid off of his lap. "My god, what is it going to take for me to get some time alone with you?"
"Fitz?" She heard her dad come downstairs.
Olivia pulled Harrison down on the couch with her and Fitz.
"Hey," he said, looking at the three of them.
"Hey Daddy."
"What are y'all up to?"
"Just talking about football," Olivia lied.
"Oh, well your mama told me to come see if Fitz had enough blankets."
"Yes sir," Fitz said. "Thank you."
"Junior's not trying to sway you over to the Bulldogs, is he?"
"He is," Fitz lied with a laugh. "But, I told him I'm going to roll with the tide with Liv."
"That's right. Well, I guess we're Tide slash Bulldog fans thanks to Ethan."
"Ethan is just what we need," Harrison said. "With his speed and height, he's almost impossible to cover."
"You're right," Oliver agreed. "Our corners definitely won't be able to do anything with him."
"That's so true," Olivia agreed.
Oliver sat down, and they soon had a lively football discussion going on. Olivia was growing more and more frustrated with every passing minute. Never had she been so annoyed by football in her life. She wanted to tell her dad and Harrison to go away so she could make love to her boyfriend before she lost her mind. But, the conversation kept going until she felt herself falling asleep. She finally gave up and gave Fitz a quick kiss, told everyone goodnight, took a shower, and went to bed.
"Eww," Kasey whispered when she got in the bed.
"I wish," Olivia said. "First, your brother came down there. Then, my dad. They're still down there talking about football. I'm so damn annoyed."
Kasey laughed. "Just go to sleep."
It seemed like Olivia had just closed her eyes when she felt fingers pull her eyes open.
"Liv," she heard Catelyn's voice. She opened her eyes. "Santa came," she exclaimed as she bounced up and down. "Get up." Then, she moved over to Kasey and pulled on her eyelids.
"What the hell?" Kasey exclaimed, jumping up.
Catelyn giggled. "You said a bad word."
She tickled Catelyn. "What are you doing in here, munchkin?"
"Santa came," she said, excitedly.
Kasey looked at the clock. "It's barely five o'clock," she said with an exasperated sigh.
"Come on, Kasey," Olivia said. "You know they're not going to let them open their presents until everyone's up."
"Fine. Give us a few minutes to use the bathroom," Kasey said.
"Okay," Catelyn said. She ran out of the room, screaming, "they gotta pee."
"I'm not letting my kids celebrate Christmas," Kasey said as she fell back on the bed.
Olivia laughed as she went in the bathroom to freshen up. When she came back out, Kasey was still stretched out on the bed. Olivia pulled her up and pushed her in the bathroom. She changed out of her pajamas into a pair of sweatpants and one of Fitz's sweatshirts. Once Kasey had gotten herself together they joined the family downstairs.
"Merry Christmas," they greeted everyone.
Olivia smiled at Fitz and sat beside him.
"Merry Christmas," she said, and kissed his cheek.
"Merry Christmas," he said.
They all watched the kids as they excitedly opened their presents.
"I got skates," Catelyn exclaimed, holding up a pair of pink and white skates. "Mommy," she began. "Can I take skating lessons, now?"
"Yes," Carla said with a defeated sigh.
"Why don't you want her to take skating lessons?" Olivia asked.
"She's growing up too fast," Carla said. "Today, it's skating lessons. Tomorrow, it'll be driving lessons. I just want her to stay like this where she trusts everything I say and tries to be good. I've seen the other side," she said, and looked Trey. "It's not always pretty."
"Aren't you exaggerating just a little?" Olivia asked.
"No. That's why she's here. I looked up one day and Trey wasn't a baby anymore. So, I wanted another one, promising myself that I would really pay attention and cherish the moments at this age."
Olivia made a mental note to cherish every moment with their baby. She didn't want to just look up one day and realize her baby wasn't a baby anymore.
After the kids had opened all of their presents, it was the adults' turn.
Olivia watched as her parents opened their gift from her. Her mother gasped and tears gathered in her eyes. "Punkin…"
She had gotten them two tickets to Cape Town, South Africa. They had always wanted to visit, but they never got around to it. She knew if she didn't lock down a date and time for them to go, they never would.
"What is it?" Oliver asked and Carol showed him the tickets.
"Thank you, honey," Carol said and hugged her. "Thank you."
"Come here, Baby girl," Oliver said as he reached for her. They both hugged her at the same time as they thanked her.
"You're welcome," Olivia said.
Her presents from her parents were a Michael Kors purse, an Houndstooth coat and an adult Alabama onesie.
"You're never wearing that," Fitz said, pointing at the onesie.
She giggled. "Yes, I am. This is for you," she said, placing a large gift in his lap.
"What's this?" He asked.
"Open it."
He opened it and it was a guitar case with his name on it. He opened the case, and couldn't believe his eyes. "Livvie," he whispered.
"Do you like it?" She asked nervously.
It was a custom made acoustic guitar in his favorite colors, blue with black trimmings.
"I love it," he said and kissed her. "Thank you."
"Fitz, you know how to play the guitar?" Christopher asked.
"Yeah," Fitz said, strumming the strings.
"We can get a band together," he joked. "Cameron plays the piano. Harper plays the drums. And, I play the sax. I never leave home without it," he said.
"That sounds like a plan," Fitz said.
He looked at Olivia, kissed her again, and placed a box in her hand.
She opened it and saw a white gold necklace with a two-carat diamond pendant.
"Fitz, it's beautiful."
He took it from the box, and moved behind her to put it in her. She pulled her ponytail to the side. He placed it around her neck, and placed a gentle kiss on her shoulder.
"You should probably put on a coat and shoes. You have another gift outside," he told her.
She jumped up, raced upstairs and put on her shoes and coat.
"What is it?" She asked as she ran back downstairs.
"I bet it's a car," Harrison said.
"What else could it be?" Shelby asked as they followed Fitz and Olivia.
"Oh my god," Olivia shrieked when she went outside and saw the white horse being led out of a trailer by a young gentleman. The horse immediately looked up at her.
"She's not a thoroughbred," Fitz said. "She's a quarter horse."
"It's a she?" Olivia said with excitement.
"Yeah."
Olivia took a minute to try and remember what she had been taught in riding class, so she wouldn't startle the horse. She took a couple of deep breaths to calm her nerves as she walked up to the horse. "Hi," she said to the young guy.
"Hello ma'am."
"This is Felix. He's going to help out and help her adjust to us."
"Hi Felix. Can I?" She asked, as she held her hand up.
"Yes. You can pet her."
"Hi girl." She slowly held her hand out to her and eased it to her shoulder.
"Hi," she rubbed her hand over her shoulder.
"Does she have a name?" She asked, hoping she didn't. "Or can I name her?"
"You can name her," Felix said.
"Hi Lightning," she said and the horse nickered in response. Olivia giggled. "You like that name?"
"Fitz, where are we going to keep her?"
"I'm having a stable built. And, some land cleared and fenced so she'll have some roaming room," he told her. "It'll be done in a couple of days."
"How did you do all of this so fast? I just told you about this the other day."
"Well, the night you went to sleep early, I talked to your dad about it, and made some calls. When I found the best breeder in the area, I called your dad and he met me there. I didn't have an impromptu practice on Monday. I lied."
"And, I didn't just go for a drive," Oliver said.
Fitz continued. "Your dad and I looked around and talked to the breeder, and we all agreed that this girl and Felix would be perfect for you," he explained. "This is a gift from me and your dad,"
"It's the best gift ever," she said, hugging him.
She turned to her father and hugged him. "Thank you, Daddy. You're the best."
"I'm just glad that Fitz helped me fulfill one of your childhood dreams. I know I said it already, but you chose good."
"I did, didn't I," she said, looking at Fitz.