What Matters the Most
A/N: Theo is a senior in high school, with only a couple of months before graduating. The twins are 17 and are juniors in high school. This story takes place in April. Thank you to a reader, a while back, for the idea. Here it is.
Saturday, April 14th
4:52 p.m.
Alex did a double take of Olivia as the blonde folded a pair of warm jeans and her wife entered the bedroom. She smiled and looked down, placing the pair of denim on the bed, and reaching for another—Olivia's black pair. "What's that shirt you're wearing, Babe?" She shook the hot thick cotton article out and then folded it in half lengthwise.
She eyed her wife now, the brunette looking down at her own chest.
Emblazoned across the middle of the dark gray tee, in big white letters, read:
YOU DON'T SCARE ME.
I HAVE DAUGHTERS.
Alex caught eyes with her wife just as she placed the last pair of laundered jeans on the pile.
"I've had this, Babe." Olivia reached for the stack of jeans now and moved into the closet to put them away.
Alex shook her head and folded her arms, her gaze going to her wife's backside in those dark, fitted, faded Levi's. She emerged now and stopped, looking at her and mirroring her stance.
"What?" Olivia smirked.
"Did you buy that yourself?"
Olivia looked down at her chest before looking back up and cocking her head to the side. "It was actually a gift from Fin when you first had the twins."
"A gift for you?" Alex raised her eyebrows.
Olivia narrowed her eyes. "Just a gift, Al."
They looked at each other for a few more moments.
"But who was it a gift for? You or me?"
Olivia's brow furrowed and she smiled broadly. "It was a gift for me, Babe. What do you think…" Olivia moved to the bureau mirror and began taking her hair from the elastic, "…that I took a present that was meant for you?"
Alex moved up behind her and raised her eyebrows, arms still folded, her expression unyielding.
Olivia finished placing her hair back into a ponytail and turned, her jaw dropping. "You think this is your shirt, don't you?"
"Well, is it?" Alex's expression remained undeterred.
Olivia moved up to her now and took her chin into her hands. "You're being ridiculous…" The brunette placed a quick kiss on the blonde's lips.
"Am I?" Alex answered.
Olivia let go of her wife's face and took a step back.
"It's really tight, Liv. I mean…" Alex's gaze ran along her wife's upper torso, "…what is it? A small?"
"You're out of control, Al. This is my t-shirt. I had it in the back of the closet. Fin gave it to me when you were pregnant. I was much smaller then. And that's that."
Alex pursed her lips, sniffed, and took a deep breath, bringing her lips inward now. "OK."
"OK?" Olivia smirked.
Alex nodded, watching her wife move to take her watch from her bedside table and beginning to place it on. "I'm picking Theo up from soccer since the girls have the beamer at the mall and they're in opposite directions. Kelly Parker's with them. They're stopping at Wok 88 to pick up an order I placed online. She's gonna eat with us." A small vibration was heard and then the brunette moved to take her phone out of her back pocket and looked at the screen." She returned it to where it had been and began toward the door. "I'll be back in about thirty minutes and the girls should be back sooner than that."
Alex only watched her wife.
Olivia stopped just short of the doorway and turned and looked back at her, adjusting the heel of her right, black Adidas running shoe before standing upright. "OK?"
"And you're gonna wear that really tight shirt out?" Alex brought her lips inward, trying not to smile, but her body began shaking with unintended laughter.
"I am, Babe." Olivia stepped up to her now and slithered her arms around her, pulling her body to hers. "I'm gonna wear this shirt, that's so nicely pressed like plastic wrap to my breasts," she smiled, "…and hopefully drive everyone wild with desire."
"And you'll probably succeed." Alex smiled.
They looked each other's faces over, content in the moment.
"I'm not planning on getting out of the car. And Coach Ellen is just going to have to control herself if she happens to see my girls in this shirt."
"They'll be hard to miss," Alex husked, her gaze now on her wife's mouth.
Olivia leaned in slowly and pressed her lips to hers, letting her tongue swipe delicately, along her lower lip.
Alex moaned into the languidity and the kiss broke as Olivia's phone vibrated once more.
The brunette smiled and bit her lower lip. "Continue this later?" She raised her eyebrows, her tanned cheeks slightly pinker in hue than moments prior.
Alex nodded and swallowed. "Later." She cleared her throat and watched the brunette head out of the door, but not before Olivia turned back, winking and smiling.
Olivia furrowed her brow and looked down at her phone. A text message from Fin that simply said: call me.
The brunette stepped up and into the black Rover and placed the key in the ignition and turned before dialing her partner.
The phone rang once before the mocha-skinned man answered.
"Hey, Fin. You texted?" Olivia shifted into reverse and pulled the car out slowly. She stopped and pressed the button on the visor to close it, watching as it slowly lowered.
Officer Wilkes and Feines were called to an auto incident at 87th and Lexington."
Olivia's mouth parted. "Are the girls OK?" Her gaze went to the clock on the dash and then up to the master bedroom window, at the off chance she might see her wife standing there, looking down.
But she wasn't. The brunette backed out of the driveway and inched out of the alley to turn right on Lexington. She made her way to 3rd Avenue and turned left.
"It was a small fender bender, Liv. No one's hurt. They were leaving the Chinese restaurant and the BMW's fender is just dented. Probably a small job to fix. Officer Wilkes says Isabel said she was driving and maybe adjusting the music, maybe checking her phone, maybe both…no straight story yet… and…bam! She ran into the car in front of her at the stop light. Luckily, there was only one car in front of her and it wasn't a pile up."
"Luckily," Olivia said softly. "So, they're not hurt. Everyone in the car is OK?" Olivia stopped at the 89th Street stoplight, ready to make a left. She tapped the steering wheel impatiently and stared at the red glowing sphere.
"Izzie, Gracie, Kelly…they're all fine. Grace is really shaken up, though. Hasn't stopped crying since the cops came."
Olivia swallowed. "I'll bet she is. She's probably scared to death." Olivia continued down 89th and stopped at the light that would take her to Lexington, just a couple of blocks from where the girls were.
"Of you...or Alex?"
Olivia only managed a small smile before her face became serious once more. "You at the station?"
"Nah, Liv. I'm here. Southeast corner. Isabel actually called me first to see what to do after the driver she hit threatened a lawsuit. So, it feels good that she chose to call me."
"Uncle Fin to the rescue." Olivia smiled.
"I heard it come over the scanner. She called me and I headed over here. I was just a couple blocks away. They already exchanged insurance info, officers took statements and are just now leaving but I wanted to call you."
"Thanks, Fin." Olivia slowly pulled up behind the BMW now, careful to leave enough space. She put the car in park and then reached into the back seat and retrieved her mock neck, black, oversized sweater and hastily placed it on, removed her ponytail from the back of the neck collar, and then pulled on the handle and opened the door.
With her eyes focused on the incident ahead, the first thing she saw was the officers standing next to the driver's side door, looking into the window. She watched as Fin came from the passenger side and around to the front of the beamer. He headed around the officers, who looked up at her and smiled, before he headed toward her.
But Olivia needed, wanted, to see the girls. She wanted to see how they were emotionally. She needed to assess the damage control—both mentally and physically.
Olivia briefly looked at Officer Wilkes and Feines and then Fin before looking into the open window of the car.
Isabel's face was red, her eyes watery. "Hi, Mama," she offered meekly.
"Hey, Baby. You OK?" Olivia cupped her daughters left cheek with her right hand.
Isabel nodded, her lower lip trembling.
The brunette lowered her body to look into the passenger seat and saw Grace's cheeks tear-streaked, her brown-eyed daughter breathing in short gasps.
"Mama!" Grace managed. "I'm so sorry."
Olivia's heart strings tugged and she smiled, feeling her own eyes well with mist. "Hey, Gracie. You're gonna be OK." She raised her eyebrows. "OK?"
Grace nodded, her face contorting.
Olivia stood erect now and looked at the officers, and then Fin, putting her hands on her hips.
"We've got it from here, fellas," Fin said firmly.
The officers nodded and tilted the front rims of their hats in respect before they made their way to their patrol car. They got in and started it up, and pulled away from the curb, made a U-turn, and drove down the street and out of sight.
Olivia took in a deep breath and let it out, looking at Isabel and then back at Fin.
"Everything's taken care of, Baby Girl. Insurance companies will be called, claims made. But the most important part is they're OK. Even the driver of the other car has no injuries. Just a big dent in his rear fender." Fin placed his hand on her left shoulder. "Right?"
Olivia swallowed again and nodded. "Right. You're absolutely right. But I need to convince Alex of that."
"Accidents happen, Liv. That's how we learn."
"We both know that, Fin. But Alex has never had a car accident, a fender bender, or any small anything in her life. Her driving record has been the same since she got her license in the late eighties." Olivia smirked.
"Just remind her of what's important."
Olivia nodded again. "I know. I'll try." She looked at Isabel again, their blue-eyed girl now looking at her, and the detective took a deep breath, smiling.
"You go on, take that food home, have dinner, and you can all talk about it. OK?" Fin's eyes sparkled.
"I have to get Theo first. I think we'll leave the BMW here—they're too shaken up to drive—and come back and get it later. It's not far."
"I can get Officer Feines to drive it to your house, have Wilkes follow? That way you don't have to come back and get it."
"Sounds good. But have them go around back. I don't need Alex to see a police car pull up in the front of the house. Not before I tell her what happened."
"Good point. I'll call them and let them know."
"OK, Fin. Thanks." Olivia smiled.
"Let me know how it goes," Fin offered.
"I will." Olivia looked back at Isabel and lowered her upper torso to look inside again. "Girls. Come on. Get in the Rover. Bring the food. We have to drop Kelly off, go get your brother, and then head home and tell your mom."
Olivia heard Grace gasp inside the car now and she looked at her daughter, watching as her tears began falling down her flushed cheeks in torrents.
"Gracie. Your Mom will understand."
"No, she won't," Grace whined. "Like you just said. She has a perfect driving record."
Olivia brought her lips inward and then spoke. "You're all OK. That's the only thing that matters. Besides…I have a way to counteract this event that I think will make your mom understand."
The twins looked at her now, a calm curiosity filling their rosy faces.
"OK?" Olivia raised her eyebrows.
The girls nodded, even a silent Kelly in the back seat.
"You trust me?" Olivia smiled.
"Of course we do, Mama." Isabel smiled.
"Of course, Mrs. O," Kelley offered from the back.
"And you, Miss Parker, are gonna get dropped off at home and I need to speak to your mom about what happened. We'll have dinner another time. OK?"
Kelly nodded.
"OK. Everyone out. Food and humans in the Rover. Let's go." Olivia's tone was firm yet loving.
And with that, they piled into the Range Rover and headed off to get Theo, drop Kelly off, and head home to watch the rest of the evening unfold.
6:24 p.m.
Olivia felt her phone vibrate in her back pocket just as she began walking down the slated path of the Parker residence, after just having spoken to Mrs. Parker about what happened.
The early-fifties, petite blonde mother had been understanding and relieved that everything was all right and no one had been hurt, as well. They promised to stay in touch and have Kelly come over for dinner, and vice versa, when things, and the girls, calmed down once more and things were back to normal—most of all their nerves.
Olivia took her phone from her back pocket and looked at the screen.
Two missed calls from Alex.
She closed her eyes and tapped on her wife's name and then put her phone to her ear as she continued toward the car, got in, put her belt on, and started the engine.
"Liv. What's happening? It's almost six-thirty." Alex's tone was exasperated.
"I'm ten minutes away. I'll tell you when I get home."
"Tell me now, Liv. Did something happen? Did you get in an accident?"
Olivia took a deep breath and let it out, closing her eyes. She reopened them and looked at Theo sitting next to her in the passenger seat and then at the twins in the rearview mirror. She put her car into drive and pulled onto the street. "Everyone's fine. We're on our way."
A small silence.
"Al?"
"Liv. Something happened. I can feel it. Tell me now."
"We're all safe and on our way. I'll explain better when I'm off the road. Let's eat and talk. OK?"
A small silence from the blonde again.
"Alex?"
"OK, Liv. See you soon." Alex's voice was soft, even, controlled.
The call disconnected and Olivia placed her iPhone, face down, on the top of her right thigh.
"Mom's gonna be so mad at Grace and Izzie. Isn't she?" Theo's deep voice now.
Olivia licked her lips. "She'll be upset. We all know she will. But I think once she sees that everyone's OK. She'll be fine."
"When we get home, let me talk to her. You three go upstairs and Theo you can change. I'll let you know when it's OK to come down."
"You mean…when it's safe…?" Theo commented.
Olivia couldn't help but crack a small smile and shake her head. "Just let me handle this. All of you." She looked in the rearview again. "OK?"
The girls nodded and she looked at her son who was nodding as well.
This wasn't going to be pleasant. This wasn't going to be a fun evening. Her wife would be upset and with good reason. But she knew that it would all turn out as it was meant to be—a life lesson.
Her family had entered through the garage door much more quietly than was typical.
Alex was sitting on the sofa watching the evening news. She was relaxed in a pair of freshly washed jeans and a red, crewneck sweatshirt, her feet bare, her hair in a ponytail.
The blonde watched from the sofa, a half-empty glass of Chardonnay in hand, her nerves unsettled from the lateness and the cryptic conversation she had had with her wife. Grace and Isabel looked at her in passing before heading down the hallway and out of sight, Theo following with his soccer duffel over his shoulder, his hair wet with sweat.
"Hey, Mom," he offered, smiling, and offering a small wave.
Alex stood now, setting her wine glass on the coffee table. "Hey, Theo." She watched her three children disappear from sight and then her eyes went to Olivia. "What happened?" Her eyes searched deep brown spheres.
"I need you to just listen, and be calm, and not overreact." Olivia gently placed her hands on her wife's shoulders.
Alex's expression remained unchanged, but she was now experiencing a slow rolling boil building inside of her chest. "I won't overreact," she stated unwaveringly. She licked her lips. "Just tell me what happened, Olivia."
"As you can see…the girls are fine. Everyone's fine."
Alex flared her nostrils and clenched her jaw. "What…happened?"
"The twins had a small fender bender. The beamer has a small dent. The other car has a little bumper damage. But the other driver is OK…and so are all three girls." Brown eyes looked back and forth between her own. "Our girls are fine, Al."
Alex nodded slowly, feeling her emotions coming on now. "No one's hurt?"
Olivia shook her head.
Alex nodded now and felt her lower lip begin to tremble. "Thank God," she breathed.
Olivia must have seen her increasingly weakened demeanor because her brunette wife took her into her arms and held her tightly, beginning to rub her back, Alex reciprocating the hold.
She felt Olivia take a deep breath against her, brushing the wisps of hair along the nape of her neck on her exhale.
"I'm glad no one is hurt and it's only minor damage," Alex mumbled against her wife's shoulder.
Olivia nodded. "Me, too."
They pulled away and Olivia placed her hands on her wife's waist. "The girls are really afraid that you'll be mad…I mean really afraid and really mad."
"I can't say I'm happy, but…I guess these things happen."
"They do," Olivia said softly.
"And Iz was driving?"
"She was."
"Sounds more accurate, knowing the girls." Alex tried a meager smile.
"Let's just talk at dinner. OK? Calmly. And don't bring up your squeaky-clean driving record." Olivia began rubbing her wife's sides with her thumbs.
"They know about that?" Alex smirked, taking her wife's waist into her own hands.
"How can they not, Al? You've been bragging about it since Theo started driving. And even before then." Olivia smiled.
"Hmmm, I guess you're right." Alex's eyes dipped to Olivia's mouth before returning to her chocolate pools. "How about you? You've never said how many tickets you've gotten…how many accidents you've ever been in."
Olivia wiggled her eyebrows. "Maybe you'll get enlightened tonight at dinner?"
"Enlighten me, Babe," Alex smiled.
Olivia took the blonde's face into her hands and moved in, pressing her lips to her own.
Alex moaned again and the kiss ended. She opened her eyes to find her wife's lids still closed.
"And here I thought you'd be really upset, Babe." Olivia opened her eyes.
"Like you said the other day, I've mellowed out over the past twenty years. My family has done that for me. Made me more relaxed, humbler."
Olivia nodded. "And I love it, Babe." She kissed her once more. "Can I tell the kids that it's safe to come down?"
Alex squeezed her wife's waist firmly. "Yeah, Liv. Tell them the coast is clear."
That night at dinner, they talked, Olivia sharing a couple of teenage driving mishap stories for levity, and the family had an enjoyable dinner, despite the unexpected afternoon circumstances.
And the ladies both knew, in her hearts, that these life lessons, these learning experiences in life, were what shaped them, formed them, and made their children, and themselves, who they were in life.
