When they get into the kitchen alone, they have a seat. And Fitz sees the tool box near the external door. Clearly he decided to address the door lock situation now verses later. Something admittedly he would've done too if roles were reversed.
He comments on it as he asks, "Did you fix the door?" He nods as he replies, "Yeah. Junior and Ronnie helped me. We got it done, works like a charm now." He nods as he responds, "Good, glad you got it done. Knowing it's fixed will give you peace of mind." Eli agrees as he says, "Yeah. It will."
Being hospitable, before he moves into what he wants to discuss. He asks, "Can I get you something to drink?" Fitz shakes his head as he replies, "No. I'm good. I need to stay lucid for Livy." He nods as he responds, "Good point. You take great care of my niece Fitz. And I want you to know how much I appreciate your commitment to her."
Fitz sits back in his seat as he replies, "Thanks Eli. I do my best." Seeing he's still worrying about her he asks, "How are you doing son?" Fitz looks at him and quickly replies, "I'm doing okay. As long as Liv is okay. So am I." He nods as he responds, "That's a good answer. But, you know its okay if that's not the only answer you want to give, right?"
Fitz hears him and understands what he's trying to do. And knows playing hard to get won't help his case, so he says. "Eli, I can't like. Whenever she has an attack it scares me to death. Because there are so many uncertainties of what could happen. But at the same time, when it happens I need to be there. I have to be there to see her through it."
Eli responds, "Yeah. I see that. Junior told me how you were instrumental in saving her life when she hit her head at the office. You moved like a real pro then, and I can certainly say you did the same for her now. Despite two medical professionals being in the room."
Fitz counters, "It's my job Eli. I don't ever want to get caught unprepared when she's in distress." He replies, "Yes. I get that. And that's great thinking. You honestly do a great job of staying calm and walking her through her attacks. But let me ask you, what do you do for yourself when it's all said and done? I mean, when she's resting and the house is quiet. What about you?"
He'd never really thought about himself the way he's being asked to right now, therefore he doesn't know what to say. Eli sees him in thought and says, "I'm not trying to catch you off guard here Fitz, or stump you in anyway. I'm just saying you need an outlet. Something that helps you get the frustration out that you feel from feeling so helpless, when Peaches goes through one of her attacks."
Despite this suggestion never occurring to him, it makes total sense in the moment. He looks at him as he replies, "That's a great idea Eli. I never considered that before." He nods as he replies, "Well, I'm glad I could help. Look at it as a way for you to help yourself help her. Because if you're not balanced, you can't give her what she needs to be balanced." Fitz agrees with him and says, "Thank you for the advice. I appreciate you." He nods as he replies, "Hey, you're family Fitz. Anything I can do to help keep you and Peaches on the right track. Count me in. That's what we're here for, to help each other."
He appreciates his support and kindness, it really helps him to know they're not only rooting for them. But, they're also ready and willing to help them stay the course, steering successfully into the future for the long run. Fitz looks at his pseudo father in law and says, "I agree. Family is everything. And I know you're saying being here for us is just a part of the gig. But, just know. We really appreciate you all." Eli smiles as he responds, "You're very welcome. It truly is our pleasure."
The mood is somewhat more relaxed now, and Eli feels the need to try to satisfy his curiosity. So he asks, "Do you have any idea what Huck could've been calling her about that would upset her?" Fitz sighs as he responds, "No. Not yet. But I plan to talk to her about that later. To my knowledge everything was pretty much wrapped up with Governor Taylor and that craziness with Edison and his family." Fitz looks at him and sees he's smiling. He asks, "What's the smile about Eli?"
He replies, "Nothing really. It just warms my heart to know you're on top of things with her. If I'm being honest, I wasn't so sure you'd be able to handle her at first. But I can say now you do have a great understanding of how to deal with her. I know you don't know this, but she's allot like her mother. Scratch that, she is her mother in every way. God bless her. She is Rene's child through and through, stubbornness, feistiness, and sweetness to boot."
Fitz understands his position and says, "I get why you thought I'd struggle to deal with Liv. I admit she can be a challenge. But if she was easy, I don't think we'd mesh. Her unwillingness to relent can be an issue at times, but it can also be a blessing. I opt to revel in that more than anything, because I know no matter what her intentions are solid. And, we have great communication, so as long as we retain that I think we will always be able to compromise and make it work."
Eli enjoys his response as he says, "Amen to that. It sounds like you two have the basis of works for you in place. But if you ever need any added support, you know where to call right?" He nods as he replies, "Absolutely. Thanks again for checking in with me." Eli says, "Of course."
Their conversation is interrupted a bit by some cheering happening in the other room. Eli says, "Looks like we're getting back to stability here faster than we thought we would." Fitz nods as he replies, "Yeah. It sounds like it. That'll make Liv happy. She doesn't like to be the center of attention when it comes to her attacks."
Eli responds, "That's understandable. But she's got to get over that. When people care, they're going to check in. That's life and that's how it's supposed to be." Fitz nods as he says, "Agreed. She's working on it. And I have faith in her that she'll make peace with it at some point; I just have to be patient with her. Otherwise, we'll be going nowhere fast." Eli chuckles as he replies, "Spoken like a man who is married to a woman in this family for sure." They both laugh together, and hear their names called by Reva to come join everyone. Agreeably, they make their way back into the living room, both feeling like they had a great talk.
