One week later, Olivia sat alone in her favorite restaurant. She was afraid of getting sick and being alone. Yet, she knew she couldn't expect an 18 year old to like being home with her mom every day after class. Olivia looked around the restaurant. She didn't know how to feel when Fitz came in the restaurant with two other men. It was the middle of the day, so it was probably a meeting. She was angry because she hadn't heard from him in more than a month, and she was also longing for his attention. He didn't notice her sitting on the other side of the restaurant.

The waiter brought her food, and Olivia couldn't take her eyes off her husband. Was married life supposed to be like this? Being in the same restaurant, but yet so far apart. Nearly an hour later, Fitz left the restaurant. The two men stayed at the table and ordered dessert. Was life supposed to be like this? She was too old for a quarter life crisis and too young for a midlife crisis. Olivia looked at her phone. The loneliness was overwhelming. Besides her work contacts, Mila was the only other person saved in her important contacts. She couldn't keep calling her child whenever she needed a friend. Olivia moved Fitz name from the work to family category in her phone.

She could call him. What would she say? What if he invited her to his house? She still wasn't ready to have sex. She wanted to be next to him but not that close. Could they have a sexless marriage? It was a warm evening and Olivia didn't want to stay in the restaurant another hour thinking about Fitz. She had dinner and dessert, and the waiter was giving hints that he needed the table. A walk in the park would be nice.

Olivia put her phone back in her purse and paid the check. The park was directly across from the restaurant, so she didn't have a long drive. She hadn't been to that park in years. It was smaller than the park with her favorite jogging trail. It was Mila's favorite park, and she wanted to go there every day after school in the spring. They would look at the cherry blossoms and eat ice cream. Olivia smiled thinking about how Mila would make her laugh after a long day at work. She would always want to do so many things when Olivia would make plans for the weekend. Skating, movies, paint ball all in one day. Where did the years go? There were many days she looked forward to having her life back completely. Now she was thinking about starting over. She liked being a mom. Or maybe, she liked the distraction it gave her from realizing how alone she really was.

There were a few people walking around the park. Olivia was sitting on a bench hidden by trees, so they couldn't see her if they weren't looking in her direction. For the second time that day she saw Fitz, and he was with Karen. They were walking, and she couldn't hear much of their conversation. He must have planned to meet Karen at the park.

When the sky darkened and turned to night, Olivia made her way back to her car. She hadn't seen Fitz and Karen come around the trail again, so she knew they were probably on their way home. The temperature was dropping, and she only had a sweater.

XXXX

"I'll be back in a few hours. Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

"Yeah. Go have fun with your friends."

"Call me if you feel sick. I won't be gone the whole day."

"Mila, you don't have to be here with me every day."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'll be okay."

"Okay, the delivery guy left a package yesterday. I forgot to give it to you when you came home from the park. It's in the kitchen."

"Can you get it for me?"

"Yeah."

"Who is it from?"

"It says Fitz."

Olivia took the small box and shook it. What could be in such a tiny package? A wedding ring?

"Do you want me to bring you anything back from the restaurant?"

"No, I'm cooking today."

Olivia opened the box and the small brown envelope inside the box. It was a key and a note. Sweet Baby. I'm waiting for you.

He was thinking about her. Olivia couldn't contain her excitement. Mila was already out the door, so she wasn't embarrassing herself. He missed his Sweet Baby. Olivia was starting to like the nickname. Call him or let herself in his house? Olivia needed to think about her next move.