Hi y'all! I am so happy that you enjoyed the last update. I had a bit of a time, coming up with a title for the last chapter. I was trying to see whether I wanted to do a play on the title of this fic or do something different. I just came across the word Assuage. It is a word that is a verb, which means to make something less severe or ease the pain of something such as grief. I wanted to know how to use the word as a noun; hence the title of the chapter. I think the word Assuagement is very fitting for the storyline of upcoming chapters. Enjoy Chapter 89!

The weight of what Carolyn was saying, crashed on me like a tsunami. All of the aforementioned holidays and so much more, are milestones that Olivia and her parents missed because of the devastation that Eli and Maya Pope put on them. I know that I can't rewind the clock, and undo what happened but I could do my best to assuage for such an injustice that was so personal.

"I will try my best, Carolyn," I say as I get rid of the lump in my throat. I was getting choked up because of what Livvie and her parents had to endure at the hands of the Popes. I was angry on their behalf. If I could face Eli Pope at this very moment, I could strangle him due to his and his wife's devious actions, committed against Livvie and her parents. I was silent trying to get my emotions under control. I didn't speak for a minute.

"Fitz? Are you alright, dear?" Carolyn asked me, her voice took on a noticeable difference. Her voice went from being so cheerful just seconds ago to showing motherly concern. I feigned clearing my throat, to mask the feelings I am trying to get under control. "I'm fine, really. I just got lost in my thoughts for a second," I say, trying to keep a smile in my voice and keep the lightness of the conversation going. I didn't want to ruin this blissful moment, with the dark thoughts I had to seek vengeance for the love of my life and her family.

"No, you're not fine. I can tell you are trying to hide something from me. Now out with it. Tell me what is going on in that head of yours," Carolyn said, clearly unconvinced of what I was trying to say. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought Livvie was on the other end of the phone. Just the aura that Carolyn has, it reminded me so much of Olivia.

There was no way I was escaping from her line of questioning. There was just something about Carolyn that made me want to confide in her and let her in. "I'm just upset about what happened to you, Preston and Olivia. I'm upset on your behalf. If I could face the people that did this to all of you, I could, for lack of a better term, throttle them. I am just that furious. I hate those people for what they did," I admitted truthfully.

"Fitz, listen to me. I understand the ugly underbelly of rage that you are feeling. I really do. There are days where I wonder what would happen if I could have had Olivia naturally, that I didn't have to use a surrogate. If you feel the way you do, about what happened, can you imagine how I feel? I absolutely hate those despicable excuses for human beings. Because of them, Preston and I missed out on so many milestones that we should have had with Livia. Her first words, her first steps, losing her baby teeth, first days of school, graduating high school and college, I could go on and on. But God works in mysterious ways. In the grand scheme of things, maybe we were just meant to reunite with her at this point in our lives, no matter how confusing the circumstances are. I still question God, why. I ask why did this happen to me, my husband and our baby girl? I ask this question a lot of the time. But you know what? More than anything, I am grateful that I have my daughter back and have the opportunity to catch up with her and make new memories with her. But not only do I have my daughter, I gained a son as well, because of you being in Livia's life."

"Thank you Carolyn. I needed to hear that," I said gratefully, feeling a certain amount of lightness that I haven't felt in a while. "You're welcome, dear."

"So, I know you called because you wanted to speak with Preston. However, since we have been talking for awhile, would I be out of line to ask what you wanted to discuss with him?" Carolyn asked me. I breathed a sigh of relief. I would want her to know what I was thinking about too. I wanted her opinion as well as Preston's. I told her just that.

I could sense her smile through the phone. "Okay, so what exactly are you calling Preston about?" Carolyn's tone was genuinely curious.

"I wanted to talk to him about a couple of things actually. I wanted his permission to ask for Olivia's hand in marriage. I also wanted his advice about engagement rings. The other thing, I wanted to discuss with him is a bit more complex. I'm thinking about changing my party affiliation from Republican to Democratic, as I seek re-election. And I also wanted yours and his opinions about reparations for the descendants of slaves," I admitted honestly.

The next part of the chapter is coming soon. Until next time...Taylor