Chapter 37

FYI: Discussion about postpartum depression in this chapter.

Three months later…

Fitz strolled through the halls of the law firm, whizzing past Marcus' office, pushing the door slightly open. He shook his head when he noticed it was empty. Marcus was late again. He continued down the hall to his office, strolling inside as a slight smile crept across his lips. On his desk, a sesame seed bagel with a slather of cream cheese sat next to a steaming cup of black coffee. The files for his morning cases were stacked and labeled. He eased down in his black leather chair, reclining back and stretching his long legs across the top of his desk. He lifted the warm bagel from his desk, sinking his teeth deep inside, and wiped the side of his mouth with a napkin as the cream cheese oozed to the side of his lips. He took a few sips of coffee before setting the mug back on the desk and opening the top file. He was grateful to his wife and Alyssa for taking on the huge task of hiring him a new administrative assistant. They had picked the right person for the job. Lauren Wellman. She had recently moved to DC from Houston, Texas, and was looking for a job. She was young and spunky, similar to Alyssa. She had learned the quirks of the office fairly quickly, including him.

His eyes glanced at the door as light taps rake across it. Lauren slipped through the small crevice, "Mr. Grant the files for the first case are on your desk and labeled with the defendant's name."

"I'm reviewing them now. Thank you, Lauren." Fitz said, flipping open the folder.

Lauren pretended to straighten her black suit jacket, glancing at Fitz again. "Mr. Walker missed his morning meeting. I've tried to reach him several times."

Fitz sighed, closing the folder. "Who was he meeting with?"

"Gideon Wallace," Lauren answered.

"Shit!" Fitz huffed. "Please get him on the phone."

"Will do," Lauren said, turning on her heels, exiting the office.

He quickly gobbled the rest of his bagel and guzzled down the coffee.

Gideon Wallace was a prominent DC reporter for the famous tabloid newspaper 'The Sun.' He liked to be the first to expose someone of their wrongdoings…no matter the cost. He had the law firm on retainer for that reason. He knew with each breaking story he was bound to be arrested. Gideon was getting more reckless with each story. While Fitz was in Atlanta, the story of Senator Samuel Reston killing his contractor broke. Gideon was the reporter. Fitz knew that Gideon had obtained the information illegally and the Senator was out for blood. He needed to find Marcus. He quickly stood, running his fingers through his curls before walking to Marcus's office, hoping that he had arrived. He pushed the door open, eyeing Marcus at the desk, fiddling with his tie. "Marcus, we need to talk."

Marcus shuffled a few papers on his desk, stepping around the desk, greeting Fitz. "I'm sorry for being late."

"This is your third time this week." Fitz scolded.

"Makayla is acting weird and I'm nervous about leaving MJ with her."

"Acting weird?" Fitz inquired.

"Lately, she's been crying a lot and doesn't seem interested in doing anything for herself or the baby."

"Have you talked to her about it?"

Marcus shook his head, tapping the pen on the desk. "It falls on death ears and it leads to an argument."

"Has she seen her doctor since the baby?"

Marcus shrugged. "I don't know."

"Have you talked to your parents about helping out?"

"I did, but Makayla refuses to let anyone else watch him."

"You need to figure out what's going on with her," Fitz said, turning his head toward the door when he heard Olivia's voice. "Gideon Wallace is waiting for your call. Apologize for missing the meeting and tell him his first couple of hours are on the house. Don't let this happen again, Marcus. You're costing me money."

"My apologies again, Fitz."

"Just fix it," Fitz said, exiting the office.

X

Olivia eased down in Fitz's leather chair, slowly kicking off her black Louboutin heels. She inhaled her husband's scent from the suit jacket that was wrapped around the chair. Closing her eyes, her mind drifted back to the memory of the first time they made love in his office. She crossed her legs, trying to control the ache she felt at her core.

"This is a nice surprise." Fitz whispered, knocking her out of her memory.

She jolted her eyes open and attempted to sit up straight. "I have good news." Olivia smiled, pushing the leather chair back from the desk.

He grabbed the chair, blocking her from standing, kneeling in front of her. "Tell me."

His hand slid up her skirt, forcing her to lose her train of thoughts. "You're wet." He groaned, circling his thumb on the outside of the lacy fabric of her panties. Olivia leaned her head back, parting her legs, attempting to stifle her moan, "Naomi…scheduled the final walkthrough…for the…house."

Fitz pushed her skirt further up her thighs. "Oh yeah…When is it?"

"Today." Olivia moaned, breathlessly.

He paused his slow circles and slipped his hand back. "Baby, my schedule is full. I don't think I can make it."

"Fitz, I need you there." Olivia said, standing as her core throbbed reminding her that she was almost at the peak of her orgasm.

Fitz stood and guided her to the large black leather couch, bringing her down on his lap. "The house has everything you want…right?"

"Yes."

He trailed kisses down her neck. "Good. Then you don't need me."

She shifted on his lap, inching away from his lips, stopping his kisses. "This is a huge purchase that we're making together. I'm not the only one who will live there."

"I saw the house baby, I like it." Fitz flicked his wrist, glancing at his watch, pulling her closer, tickling her ear with a whisper, "convince me to change my schedule."

Olivia smirked and walked over to the door, locking it. "How much time do I have Mr. Grant?"

"Thirty minutes, Mrs. Grant." He answered.

Olivia slowly knelt in front of him, playing with the zipper on his blue slacks. "When I'm done with you, mister, you're going to clear your entire schedule."

"Is that right, Mrs. Grant." He said, cupping her cheeks, kissing her deeply.

His erection pressed against his blue slacks, demanding to be released. Olivia teased with slow caresses on the outside of his slacks, watching as he fought to keep his eyes open. A soft plea escaped his lips, "loosen my pants, baby."

Olivia swallowed hard looking around as if someone was going to barge in on them. This was the first time she was going down on her husband in his office with people present. They've fooled around before but it was always after hours and most of the employees were gone for the day.

"Baby," Fitz whispered, fluttering his eyes open, threading his fingers through her hair. "Don't get shy on me."

She took a deep breath as her hands trembled, fumbled with the tab of his zipper, but finally managing to work it over his straining erection. She heard him moan as her fingers brushed against the soft cotton of his boxer briefs.

"Do it, baby," he growled, unloosening the buttons on her shirt, plucking at her hard nipples. "Please."

She pulled the elastic waistband down, pushing at it as it cleared his thighs, freeing his erection to her touch. Thick veins ridged the length of his dick, damped with pre-come and throbbing. Her tongue peeked out from her lips, washing over the crest, tasting the salty male essence of him. With each tormented lick, Fitz moaned.

She sipped at the head of his dick before wrapping her lips around it, consuming him.

"Yes, baby." He lifted his hips in a slow rhythm, allowing the tip to touch the back of her throat. He fluttered his eyes open, watching as her lips curled his girth, sucking, taking all of him. "That's it, baby, damn…suck it."

Olivia was lost in the sensation of pleasing her husband and the nervous feeling she'd felt before dissipated. His strokes caused her to open her eyes, connecting with his waiting blue orbs. Heat rushed from her spine to her core, her nipples hardened and the thick fluid of her essence saturated her thong. She needed her own release and she'd hoped there would be time for it. His balls tightened as he sunk deeper in her mouth, releasing his seed. Olivia swallowed every drop, rimming the tip of her tongue along his shaft, releasing him with a pop.

He tried to sit up and regain his strength but fell back against the couch. Olivia was flustered and aroused. He noticed right away, bringing her down on the couch, "come here." He pushed her skirt above her waist, stroking himself, "what do you want?"

"Tongue." Olivia panted unable to focus, circling her fingers through his curls.

In an instant he dove his head straight to her core, licking, sucking, lapping up the sweet nectar.

His tongue dipped in and out the opening of her vagina, tracing the entrance, flicking over the sensitive tissue. She was so hot, so wet. Her fingers roamed to the nape of his neck, pressing his face closer to her core, circling her hips, intensifying the burning she felt through her body. The pace of his tongue quickened and her orgasm hit like a crashing wave. Fitz didn't stop as she bucked and jerked against him. She exploded again, panting, trying to catch her breath. He took one last lick before kissing the outer folds, and meeting her waiting brown orbs, "I want you, baby."

"Mr. Grant." The intercom chimed. "Your uncle Peter is on the phone," Lauren announced. "Do you want me to patch him through?"

He swallowed hard, whispering, "I'm sorry. Lauren, I need a second before taking the call." Fitz stood and pulled up his boxers, attempting to restrain his erection over the fabric.

"Sir, is everything ok? You seem out of breath."

Olivia chuckled, straightening her skirt.

Fitz tightened his belt. "Lauren, everything is ok. I need to finish my conversation with Liv."

"Ok, I'll put him on hold," Lauren stated.

Olivia slipped her toes through her heels and kissed him on the cheek. "This is why I don't visit you during the day."

Fitz chuckled. "I'll see you later."

"Don't be late, Fitz. We just sealed our deal."

"I'll make a deal with you anytime, beautiful." He smiled, walking to his desk, licking the remainder of her essence from his lips.

X

Naomi pushed the door open and sashayed inside the coffee shop. Her jet-black hair swayed back and forth as she walked up to the counter, turning to face Olivia. "Will Mr. Grant be joining us?"

"Yes." Olivia said, sighing at the text message she just read from Fitz. "He's running late."

"Ok, good."

Olivia had worked tirelessly with Fitz's realtor, Naomi over the past months trying to locate a house while Fitz was back and forth between Atlanta and DC. Olivia shared her excitement of house hunting through pictures. They fell in love with one house and immediately made an offer.

After ordering their drinks and food at the counter, Olivia grabbed the small square sensor from the barista and quickly turned, pausing at the booth in front of her. Her stomach churned when she saw Makayla bouncing a crying baby on her lap. Her hair was matted to her scalp, signaling that she hadn't done it in a few days. She wore hot pink flannel pajama pants with a mismatched stained shirt. Tears pooled from her eyes as she desperately tried to get the little boy to stop crying. Makayla glanced from the little boy and instantly connected her sad eyes with Olivia's, quickly wiping them and turning away. The small sensor buzzed in Olivia's hand and she walked back to the counter, retrieving the food.

Olivia eased inside the booth where Naomi sat, placing the tray on the table. Naomi swirled the cup of iced coffee, mixing the creamy liquid. "Reason number one why I don't have kids."

Olivia kept silent.

Naomi pulled out the black folder from her large Chanel tote and slid it across the table. "This is all of the paperwork for the house. I emailed it to Mr. Grant yesterday for his approval."

Olivia opened the folder, looking over the documents, trying to ignore the loud crying she heard throughout the restaurant.

"Does everything look good?" Naomi asked.

Olivia closed the folder and slid it across the table. "Yeah."

"Do you plan on filling up the house with more than just furniture?"

"Are you asking about kids?"

"I am."

"Yes…we want kids."

Naomi tossed her hair to the side, revealing her diamond stud earrings, placing her elbows on the table. "Can I offer some advice?"

Olivia crossed her arms in front of her chest and sighed. Olivia had become annoyed with Naomi's overzealous information about Fitz. "Ok."

"Hire a nanny."

Olivia chuckled. "No way. I plan on raising my own kids. My mother did it with me and I'm doing the same."

Naomi smiled. "Fitz is a very busy man. I've known him for a long time. A nanny will make sure you stay married."

"What are you implying, Naomi?"

Naomi pointed to the booth where Makayla sat. "Prime example...do you hear that crying? Fitzgerald has a business to run and can't be bothered with a crying baby all night."

Olivia rolled her eyes at her and took a bite of her blueberry biscotti, ignoring Naomi's comments, she changed the subject. "How long do you think it will take to close on the house?"

"Depends on you and Fitz." Naomi batted her eyelashes. "A cash offer will make it faster."

"I'll bring it up when Fitz gets here." Olivia said, glancing down at the text message that pinged on her phone. She sighed, reading the text from Fitz. "Change of plans. He'll meet us at the house."

"Awesome." Naomi said, easing out of the booth, pointing to her ringing phone. "I need to take this. I'll be right back."

The crying from the little boy intensified and echoed throughout the coffee shop. Olivia dropped her head inside her hands, shaking it. She slipped out of the seat and slowly approached the table, whispering to Makayla. "Everything ok?"

Makayla forcefully wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm fine."

Olivia took a few steps back. "You're not fine, Makayla."

Tears pooled from her eyes. "I…I…don't know what else to do. I've tried everything. He won't stop crying."

"Is he hungry? Does he have a fever? Maybe a diaper change." Olivia asked, easing inside the booth.

"I fed him. No fever. He seems inconsolable today. Marcus is at work and I don't want to disturb him."

Olivia slid her hand across the table. "Are you ok, Kay? You don't look like yourself."

Makayla shrugged. "I need to take my medication but I haven't had a chance to eat anything. I thought MJ would have stopped crying with the car ride."

"Medication?" Olivia asked, resting her back against the booth.

"Postpartum depression." Makayla said, blotting her eyelids with a napkin. "This whole parenting thing has been hard. Most days I'm sad and I've tried to knock it but I can't no matter how hard I try. I have no desire to take care of him or myself. MJ has colic which means he cries a lot…A LOT!" Her voice raised. "I'm sorry, Liv. I didn't mean to unload all of my shit on you. I…just…I don't have anyone else to talk to."

"Have you tried talking to Marcus?"

Makayla chuckled. "I'm the least of his worries. He's made it very clear I'm not his responsibility."

"I think you should tell him what's going on."

"He's not going to care, Liv. I fucked up his life. I don't deserve any grace from him."

The little boy continued to cry loudly, squirming in Makayla's arms.

"Do you mind if I try?" Olivia tilted her head, smiling, reaching out for the little boy.

"If you want." Makayla said with a slight smile. "I have a bottle if you want to feed him."

Olivia held her arms open across the table, lifting the little boy in her arms. She held him close to her chest, rocking him until he wrapped his tiny finger around hers, settling in her arms. Olivia hummed, feeding him the bottle. "You should try to eat something, Kay."

"I…I…thank you." Makayla stuttered, gobbling the sandwich in front of her. "I'm so sorry, Liv…for everything. I don't expect you to forgive me."

"Just eat, Kay." Olivia stated, watching the little boy drift off to sleep.

Olivia stood and gently placed him inside the car seat, strapping him inside. She draped the blue blanket over his tiny body. Her eyes saddened when she glanced at Makayla, "promise me you'll talk to Marcus."

Makayla nodded. "It won't help, but I'll do it."

Naomi returned from her phone call and stopped short when she saw Olivia standing at the booth with the crying baby. "Sorry about that…You ready?"

Olivia tossed her purse over her shoulder. "Yeah."

Makayla reached out and grabbed Olivia's arm. "Thank you, Liv."

Olivia looked over her shoulder and whispered. "Take care of yourself."

X

Naomi zipped through traffic in her black Tesla, slowing her vehicle as she entered the exquisite Kalorama neighborhood, pulling into the circular driveway of the large limestone estate, immediately turning off the ignition. Olivia's eyes zoomed to her husband and she smiled. He stood against his black Porsche, deep in a conversation on his phone.

"You're late." Olivia crossed her hands over her chest. "We had a deal."

He covered the phone and held up his finger, signaling to her he was on an important call.

"Busy…busy…busy." Naomi smirked at Olivia. "Remember what I said at the coffee shop. You'll need a nanny."

Olivia turned from Naomi and focused her attention on her husband. He ended his call and brought her flush against him. "I'm sorry, baby. I tried to be here on time."

"It's ok, Fitz. Let's just go inside."

Fitz linked his fingers with his wife, stepping inside the home. It was beautiful. Olivia's smile brightened as they walked from room to room. The home featured eight bedrooms, nine and a half bathrooms, a grand foyer with a spiral staircase that led to the upstairs bedrooms. A massive eat-in chef's kitchen with granite and marble flooring. The master bedroom was a two-room suite with a sitting room, and a dressing room inside the master closet. The lower half of the house featured a state-of-the-art gym, a wet bar, a 500+ bottle wine room, and an enclosed cigar room.

Naomi stood behind and admired the couple. Unbeknownst to Olivia, Fitz had signed the documents earlier in the day and had sealed the deal on the house. She placed a light blue Tiffany box on the counter. It contained a pair of embroidered wine glasses and a bottle of Chateau Mouton-Rothschild 1945. She scribbled on a small white card, "welcome home." Fitz strode to her, reading the notecard. "Thanks for everything."

"No problem, Mr. Grant."

"Did my surprise arrive?"

Naomi handed him a pair of keys. "It's parked in the heated garage. I'll let myself out."

Naomi watched as Fitz scurried away looking for Olivia. She smiled and whispered. "One day I'm going to find me a man like him."

Olivia walked inside one of the bedrooms, slowly admiring the space.

"This room would make a nice nursery…don't you think?" Fitz said wrapping his arms around her waist. Olivia eased out of his embrace, moving to the window, staring at nothing in particular.

Fitz tilted his head, placing his hand on her lower back. "I have something for you."

She gave a soft smile. "Yeah."

"Everything ok?" He asked. "You seem distant."

"Just a lot on my mind." She said, reaching out her hand for him. "What do you have for me?" Olivia shook her head trying to rid her mind of the thoughts that plagued it.

"Come with me." He led her down the spiral staircase, stopping and looking back in her eyes, "love you."

"Love you more. Did Naomi leave?"

"Yes." Fitz answered, walking Olivia past the kitchen.

"What about the paperwork we need to sign."

He tilted her chin, smiling, twisting the knob on the door that led to the garage. "It's handled." His hands covered her eyes as he led her inside the garage. "Ok. Open them."

Olivia blinked rapidly, zeroing her eyes on the black Porsche Cayenne topped with a red bow. The license plate read…Mrs. Grant. "Fitz…you didn't."

"I did. What would I look like having my wife drive in this beautiful neighborhood with a Toyota Corolla? You're in a different tax bracket, baby." He chuckled, opening the car door.

Olivia slid inside the driver's seat. "Baby, this is…" The lights lit up, and a voice announced 'Hello Mrs. Grant, how can I help you.' "Holy shit, Fitz." Olivia squealed.

She ran her hands around the smooth leather steering wheel, pushing each button with excitement.

Fitz strolled to the passenger side and slid in. "Do you like it?"

"I love it!" She said, cupping his cheeks kissing him hard. "Do you wanna make out in my new car?"

"Mmmmmmm." He moaned. "Get in the back seat."

He wasted no time opening the back door, climbing inside. Olivia straddled his lap, quickly undoing his belt buckle. He slid her panties to the side and within seconds he was inside her. Up and down, deep hard thrusts, kisses, and loud moans ricocheted through the car as they fell into the pleasure of each other. Olivia tugged on his bottom lip, whispering, "I love you so much Fitzgerald Grant."

He kissed her, straightening his clothes. "Same."

They walked through the house, clicking off the lights.

"What's this?" Olivia stepped inside the kitchen admiring the light blue Tiffany bag.

Fitz shrugged with a lopsided grin. "Read the note."

Olivia turned in his arms. "It's ours? The house?"

"Yes, baby."

X

Olivia stepped out of the bathroom and ran a small towel over her ringlets of curls. Fitz was sprawled out across the black leather lounge chair, fast asleep. He had showered before her and told her he'd stay awake until she was done. As she walked closer, his dick twitched and rose with each step. She shook her head and wondered what he was dreaming about. His hand slowly slipped inside the band of his gray boxer briefs with a few brief strokes. Olivia knelt on the chair, straddling him. "Whatchu dreaming about?"

"You." He answered.

Olivia turned resting her back against his chest as his hands cradled around to her belly. He circled his fingers. She knew exactly what he was doing and what he was thinking about.

"Any more thoughts on taking out your IUD?"

Her body stiffened. "What's wrong?"

"I saw Makayla today."

"Yeah…and."

"She's having a hard time with the baby and…she didn't look good Fitz." Olivia turned in his arms.

"Marcus mentioned something about her today."

"And Naomi said that you're a busy man and I definitely will need a nanny for the sake of our marriage."

"What? That was unprofessional. She's a realtor."

"She said she's known you for a long time. Did anything happen between the two of you?"

"No, baby. She's been my realtor since I had my first apartment. Actually, she was recommended by my father. Anyway, she knows me based on my likes and dislikes pertaining to property, that's it. She doesn't get to give her opinion concerning my personal life."

Olivia loved when Fitz stood up for her and their marriage. It was a huge turn-on.

"I…I… don't know…Fitz. Maybe we should wait."

"Wait to have a baby?"

"Yeah…I…I know you want kids and I do too. We never really talked about how it's going to look."

"It'll look like how we want it to look. If you want help, that's fine, but I figured you would want to raise the kids like your mom did with you."

"I do. I don't want a nanny unless we absolutely have to hire one. I don't want to miss all of the cute little milestones."

"What about staying at home? Is that something you want to do for a short time?"

Olivia shrugged. "I have my career, which I love. We just built the school and I love what I do."

He took a deep breath. "We still have extra land on the property. We can build a daycare specifically for you if that will ease your mind."

"It's not that easy, baby. And I wouldn't just want the daycare for me. There are so many working moms at the school."

"I'm a solutions guy, Liv. Tell me what you need and I'll make it happen."

Olivia chuckled. "First, how many kids do you really want?"

"Four."

"Fitzgerald."

"Livvie."

"We don't always get what we want."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"What if I'm not able to have kids?"

"Woah…baby…we haven't even started trying and you're already knocking us down."

"What if something else happens after the baby?"

"Like what?"

"Postpartum depression." Olivia looked away. "What if that happens to me? Makayla has it."

"Liv, we can play the what-if game all night long and none of those things will happen."

"I don't know, Fitz."

He exhaled, shaking his head, removing his hands from her stomach. "How long do you want to wait?"

Olivia shrugged. "We haven't been married a year yet…it isn't the right time."

He eased from behind her and walked toward the bed. "When is the right time? There will always be something going on. Whether it's work, our marriage, things that happen that's out of our control…it will always be something."

Olivia didn't answer him, instead, she glanced out of the long window in their bedroom.

She watched as Fitz comfortably slept. Hours later she was in the same spot allowing her thoughts to consume her, making it difficult to sleep. She wanted kids but seeing Makayla made her scared and hesitant. What if having kids changed their marriage? They were still newlyweds. They needed time. She needed time. She slowly walked over to the nightstand and picked up her phone, sensing that she wasn't going to sleep anytime soon. She googled several topics…When is the best time to have kids…Do kids change your marriage…What is postpartum depression? She was so enthralled in her Google search that she didn't hear Fitz slip out of bed.

"Come to bed." He knelt at the side of the lounge chair.

"In a minute." She said kissing his forehead.

"No." He said taking the phone from her. "Come to bed." He demanded, cradling her against his chest, carrying her to the bed.

She curled against him and whispered, "I'm scared a baby will change us."

"I don't think it will. If you want to wait, then let's wait."

"I love you, Fitz."

"I love you too, beautiful."

A/N: Keep reading, the next chapter is ready for you. Don't forget to leave a review.