Post election festivities lasted many days after the election, and the Grant clan couldn't be happier. When Thanksgiving had come along Liv was relieved that Karen had not asked to be with Mellie knowing that it would inevitability dampen the festivities. Fitz was already starting to show hints of regret in letting her spend her winter break with Mellie, but he stayed strong.
"Hey Dad, where's Liv?" Karen asked entering the Oval.
"She's taken Lily to the Doctor for a check up and her shots. Did you need something honey?" Karen shook her head before sitting down on the arm chair beside her father.
"No, I was just wanting to hang with her."
"Did she know you were coning home from school today?" He asked knowing Liv would never pass up a chance to hang out with Karen. Again Karen shook her head. For the last couple of months she had spent almost every afternoon with Mellie, not coming home till dinner, sometimes even after that.
"Karen, sweetheart you know Liv would love to hang out with you any time of day. You just need to give her a heads up. Between Lily, catering to our whole family's needs as well as her duties to this office, she has a lot on." Karen nodded.
"Why don't I clear her schedule for the rest of the night and you two can have a girl's night out. My treat. Gerry and I will take Lily duty tonight."
"Thanks Daddy." Karen said gratefully dropping a kiss to his temple before giving him a meaningful hug. "Any time Princess."
Olivia and Lily had just stepped out of the clinic when she noticed the missed calls from Fitz. Though she promised to call the moment they were in the car, she wasn't at all surprised to see his missed calls. It had taken a threat of a riot in the middle east for him to agree to Liv taking Lily for her check up alone.
"I want you to know that both your daughter and I are rolling our eyes at you." She answered his incoming call with a chuckle. Fitz laughed,
"Sue me. I wanted to make sure my little cupcake did okay with all that poking and prodding."
"She did very well. I may have been more upset for her than she was. She's about to feed so if you want to keep her happy you're going to have to let me hang up."
"Alright I'll see you when you get back. Love you both." Liv smiled.
"We love you too Daddy. Oh, I have a missed call from Karen. Is she okay? I was going to call her right after I feed Lily."
"It's a Mellie free afternoon. She was looking for you. I think she misses hanging out with you."
"I miss her too."
"I offered mine and Gerry's babysitting expertise tonight so you two can do your girl thing tonight if you want?"
"That sounds nice. I'll make plans and give her a call once its all set up."
"I'm sure she would love that. See you soon sweetheart."
Liv and Karen left Lily in Gerry and Fitz's capable hands. They had chosen to situate themselves in Fitz and Liv's suite for the night, parking themselves on the couch in front of the TV with the basketball on and a trolley full of provisions, Lily in her bouncer between them. Liv took Karen to their favorite restaurant and they had spent the evening talking and laughing.
"I've missed this." Karen said softly with a small sigh.
"Me too kiddo." Liv replied taking a sip of her water. If nothing else but to keep her face neutral not revealing how she truly felt about Mellie's latest antics.
"Liv...I'm sorry I haven't been around much. I just..." Olivia placed a hand over Karen's.
"It's okay sweetheart. I miss having you around all the time, but I get it. She's your Mom so you should spend as much time with her as you want. I know how long you've wished for this time with her. You're happy. That reason alone is enough for me. All I've ever wanted was for you to be happy. For you to fill the void I know you felt was missing because you didn't have that relationship with your Mom."
"It doesn't mean I don't love you. Or appreciate you and all you've done for us. I do. I really do, I just..."
"She's your Mom." Karen nodded somewhat tearfully feeling somewhat disloyal and seemingly ungrateful.
"There's nothing wrong with that Kare. She's lucky to have you. I want you hear me when I say that who you are isn't measured by who loves you. Who you are is measured by what you do with what you have and what you do with what you don't have. Despite your Mom's absence until recently you have grown into an amazing young lady. One that your Dad and I are incredibly proud of. You could have at any point slammed the door in her face and you haven't. If anything you stood there with the door open and your arms wide. Not because you're naive but because you have an amazing capacity to love. I for one am grateful that Lily has you to look up to." She paused and gave Karen's hand a reasurring squeeze, "I love you kiddo. I always have. I always will. Nothing will ever change that." Olivia promised.
"Liv,"
"Yeah sweetheart?"
"You have to know that you are the reason why I can do that." Karen said locking Olivia's gaze with her own.
"I have that capacity to love because your capacity to love Gerry and I have always been immeasurable. You are the one who truly taught me what it means to love someone unconditonally. I know without a shadow of doubt that Dad loves me, that Gerry loves me. As dumb as it sounds they are genetically obliged to but you loved us from the moment you walked into our lives. You cared enough to get to know us for who we were separate from your job title. You didn't have to do that but you did. You loved us when you didn't need to. Gosh you loved us when it wasn't convenient. You love me even though you always knew that I would always choose Mom. But I don't choose her because I love her more. I choose her because she's my Mom and for all of her shortcomings she is still my Mom. And if you can love me unconditonally then I can love her with the same uncondition despite all that she's done. I can do that because I know there's always someone loving me. If nothing else because she gave birth to me, she needs to know someone loves her the way you love me, the way our family loves each other. Because maybe, just maybe it's what makes her stop doing the not so nice things she does."
