I know it's been way too long since I last updated. It wasn't by choice. I've hit a major writer's block with my current stories. I have a ton of fresh ideas and new stories in mind that I have already begun making drafts for. So I will be starting the process of ending all my current stories, starting with Love and Art and moving on to Nature V Nurture and Unconditional Love. I have no idea how many chapters I will write before ending the stories, but they are sadly coming to an end. In the future, if I feel these characters have more to say then I can revisit them. But for now, I have new ideas and stories that I want to share. Thanks for reading.

Chapter Thirty-Six: Muse

Flashback

It was four o'clock in the morning when Olivia turned over in her dark bedroom. She was laying on her back, staring up at the ceiling, sleep nowhere to be found. No matter how dark the room was, no matter how quiet, Olivia couldn't sleep. So instead, she stared at the four walls, or she'd roam the house, maybe read a book. This has been her reality for the past two months. After giving birth to her daughter, Olivia noticed some changes in herself in the weeks that passed. She noticed that she was having erratic mood swings, she'd be fine one moment, and then the next she was yelling at Fitz or whoever was the nearest to her, and then she'd dissolve into tears. She'd lost her appetite, and she was having insomnia. And when she did manage to sleep it was at random times and places. Yesterday she passed out for an hour at the kitchen table.

And her major problem was that she was having trouble bonding with her baby. Olivia loved her daughter, but during the first two weeks of her life, Olivia didn't want to be around her child. Every time she cried, Olivia would cover her ears, she didn't want to hold her, play with her, bathe her, or change her, she just didn't want to be bothered with her. Olivia knew something wasn't right with her, and Fitz knew it as well. And when Olivia was diagnosed with postpartum depression, no one was shocked. She was going to therapy at first, but her doctor recommended that she start on medication as well. It was rocky at first, but Olivia was slowly getting better. Her appetite slowly began to come back, her mood swings weren't so erratic and she was able to somewhat bond with her daughter now. But she still wasn't getting enough sleep, which was her current problem.

Fitz was having no trouble sleeping, he was currently snoring next to her. She had half a mind to kick him right in the back. It's not fair that women have to do all the suffering of childbirth and the men just sit on the sidelines watching. She was the one who had to carry a baby in her uterus past her due date. She was the one screaming on the side of the road as a seven-pound baby ripped her vagina. Fitz almost passed out as he watched the doctor stitching Olivia up at the hospital. And now after having the baby here she was restless and feeling like a loon and he was resting peacefully.

Olivia sighed when she heard the baby crying through the baby monitor on the nightstand. She looked over at it and watched the baby on the camera. She had broken free of the blanket she was swaddled in and was rocking side to side as she cried. Olivia looked over to Fitz and he had yet to even move. He'd had enough sleep, Olivia decided. She wasn't going to be sleep deprived and deal with night duty.

"Fitz." Olivia nudged his shoulder and he groaned. "Fitz get up. The baby's crying."

"Liv, I'm tired."

"Yeah, well so am I, but it's your turn." The baby's crying had grown louder, and Olivia wanted to scream herself. She reached over to the nightstand and pulled the plug to the baby monitor. "Fitz get up!" This time she did kick him in the back. "Get up!" She kicked him again.

"Alright!"

"Go!"

"I am!" Fitz angrily threw the covers off himself and got out of bed. He knew Olivia was going through some things, but God she was getting on his nerves. When he made it to the baby's nursery down the hall, he was pleased to see Dianna had already gotten the baby. She was changing her diaper on the changing table.

Fitz had called Dianna yesterday to ask her to come by the house because he had to go into the city later on today. Ever since the baby was born, Fitz had limited his time in the city and was working mainly from home. Making calls and video conferencing in his home office. He didn't like leaving Olivia alone with the baby. It wasn't that he didn't trust her, he was just afraid. One day he had come home to find the baby screaming in her crib and Olivia was nowhere to be found. When he did finally find her, she was in her bedroom closet crying in the corner. Then she passed out asleep and when she woke up, she wouldn't talk to him. That's when Fitz knew he needed to get her some help. And ever since that day, Fitz has been weary of leaving Olivia home alone with the baby. Although she was getting better, and Fitz never really thought Olivia would do anything to hurt their daughter, he was still cautious.

"Hey Dianna."

"Good morning Fitz."

"Is it morning already?"

"It's a little after four in the morning. But the princess here thinks it's closer to eight." Dianna laughed, picking the baby up from the changing table. "Olivia still sleeping?"

Fitz sighed. "I wish." Fitz took the baby from Dianna. "Yesterday she fell asleep on the couch for about forty minutes. I don't think she's been to sleep at all tonight."

"Is she eating any?"

"Sometimes. I can convince her to eat something small, but it's never enough."

"How is she doing with the baby?"

Fitz looked down at his baby girl. "Better. A lot better actually. But then she'll get tired and just leave her in her rocker. You know I didn't think this was going to happen when she was born. Olivia was so excited about the baby and being a mother, it was all she could talk about. She has like twenty matching outfits in her closet right now. I thought these were going to be happy times but-"

"You know this isn't her fault right. This isn't something she can control."

"I know, and I'm trying to be patient with her, but it's hard."

"I went through the same thing when I was pregnant with Olivia and Alex. It will get better, I promise."

"Thanks again for coming today. I have to go into the office today for a few hours."

"You know I don't mind Fitz. But am I babysitting my granddaughter or my daughter?"

Fitz shrugged. "Little of both."

"Why are you so scared to leave them alone?"

"I'm not scared, I'm just worried. I wouldn't forgive myself if something happened to either one of them while I was gone."

The baby had fallen back asleep in Fitz's arms, and he gently laid her back down in her crib.

"It's scary how much she looks like Olivia." Fitz said looking at the sleeping baby. Jordyn Marie Grant made her grand entrance into the work exactly two months and one day ago. She weighed seven pounds and three ounces when she was born. She was her mother's twin in every way except her hair color. She had her mother's eyes, nose, round face, and everything in between. Her hair was thick and straight, and the lightest honey brown, almost blonde color.

Any reservations Fitz had about being a father went out the window the second his daughter was born. Fitz never knew what love at first sight was until he saw his daughter. And it was love at first fight. She was perfect.

"You should go get your last few hours of sleep while you can."

X

A few hours later, Fitz was pleased to wake up more peacefully than being kicked in the back. When he woke up, Olivia was already up and out the bed. He heard the water from the sink running in the bathroom. When he walked in the bathroom, he saw Olivia standing by the sink brushing her teeth. She looked up at him through the mirror as he walked in. She continued brushing her teeth as he walked up behind her.

Fitz opened the top drawer on her side of the sink and pulled out a bottle of pills. It was the medicine the doctor had given Olivia for her depression. Olivia didn't like taking the pills and sometimes she forgot to take them. She looked up at Fitz and he was staring back at her with the pill bottle open, waiting. When she finally held her open hand out, Fitz shook one of the pills into her hand. He then ran some water from the sink into a glass and held it out for her. He waited until she swallowed the pill before he kissed the back of her head, and then he walked over to the shower.

Olivia continued to watch him through the mirror as he undressed and walked into the shower. Their shower had glass doors, so she continued to watch him as he began to wash himself. Fitz could feel her watching him and he was hoping that she would decide to join him. But he knew that wasn't going to happen. Because Olivia had a lot of tearing when she gave birth, she had to have quite a few stitches and Fitz wasn't even sure if she was healed yet. It's been over six weeks since she gave birth, but even if she was healed, Fitz didn't think she would be in the mood for anything yet anyway.

X

"Good morning." Dianna smiled at her daughter as she walked into the kitchen.

Olivia stopped in the doorway, shocked to see her mother in her kitchen holding her baby. "Momma what are you doing here?"

"Oh, I just felt like coming to see my daughter and my grandbaby." Dianna knew Fitz didn't want Olivia to know that he'd called her to come stay with Olivia while he was at work. You want me to fix you something to eat?"

"I'm not hungry. It's seven in the morning, when did you get here?"

"I don't know honey. How about some breakfast?"

"Good morning, everyone." Fitz said as he strolled into the kitchen freshly bathed and dressed for work.

Olivia watched Fitz for a reaction to her mother being here, and when he didn't show one, she knew he already knew she was there and that he'd called her mother.

"So, I guess since my mother is here that means you have to go to work right." Olivia said to Fitz. "Right? Because you only call someone over here when you have to leave me alone like I'm a child." Olivia walked over to her mother and took her baby.

"Liv-"

"I don't need a fucking babysitter." Olivia sneered at Fitz as she walked past him out the kitchen.

Fitz waited a moment to collect himself before he went to look for Olivia. He found her in the den, rocking in a chair by the window. Fitz bent down to her and put his hand on the chair to stop it from rocking. Her eyes were already beginning to water.

"I don't need someone watching me Fitz."

"I know that."

"Then why do you keep doing this? I'm not stupid Fitz. You hate company, the only time we have visitors is when you have to leave, and you don't want to leave me here alone with JoJo because you don't trust me. You think I'm crazy."

"Livvie, I never said you were crazy."

"But I feel crazy." Olivia cried. "I'm not myself, I know that. But I love my daughter."

"I know that."

"I would never hurt her."

"I know that too."

"Then why don't you trust me to be alone with our daughter? Why do you have to call in reinforcements every time you leave this house?"

"Livvie, I do trust you okay, I just worry."

"Worry about what Fitz? I'm not going to hurt her!" Jordyn started to cry when Olivia yelled, and Olivia bounced her in her arms to soothe her again.

"She's just here to help you Liv. That's all. She's just here to help when I'm gone.

"I don't want company either Fitz."

Fitz sighed. "Okay then I'll stay home today if you want."

"What, so you can babysit me instead."

"Liv-"

"Just go please." Olivia looked away from him and stared out the window as she rocked the chair again.

"I'll only be gone a few hours." Olivia didn't respond and Fitz gave up. He kissed the side of her head as he stood to leave. When he got to the front door, Dianna was waiting. She helped Fitz get into his suit jacket and gave him his briefcase.

"Thank you, Dianna. If I were you, I'd stay out of the den."

Dianna chuckled. "She chew your head off?"

"Just about." Fitz sighed. "I don't know what it is. It just seems that everything I do lately just pisses her off."

"She just needs time. You'll see, everything will be back to normal in no time."

Fitz could only hope she was right. "Thanks again for coming by, I won't be but a few hours."

Dianna shut the door after Fitz left out and went to the kitchen to clean her mess. Then she made Olivia a small plate with a bagel and some fruit. She went to the den looking for Olivia, despite Fitz's warnings. Olivia was still in the rocking chair as Jordyn lay in her arms, staring up at her.

Olivia looked up when she heard a noise and then annoyingly rolled her eyes when she saw her mother in the room. "You're still here." Olivia said.

Dianna placed the plate on the small table next to the chair. "You didn't eat anything this morning. You should eat." Olivia didn't respond. "Olivia, you need to eat. Especially breastfeeding mothers, you shouldn't skip your meals." Olivia sighed, but she reached over and took the bagel off the plate, and started eating slowly. Dianna didn't know if it was because Olivia was listening to her or because she wanted her to shut up.

"She looks so much like you." Dianna smiled at her grandbaby. "I remember when you and your sister were that little. Those were the easy days." She laughed. "Everyone always thinks the infant stage is the toughest, but I would take the infant stage over toddler and teens any day. The day you two learned to crawl was the last day I got any peace."

Dianna laughed, but she noticed Olivia didn't even crack a smile. She hated seeing her daughter like this. Olivia was always a happy person, never one to get down in spirits. The woman sitting in front of her was just a shell of her Olivia, it wasn't her daughter.

"Libby, honey what is it." Diann hasn't called Olivia Libby since she was a little girl.

Olivia was silent for a while, until she tearfully replied. "I don't know if I can do this. I feel like everything I do is wrong. I thought I was ready to be a mother. I was so excited to meet her and now she's here and I feel like… I don't know what I'm doing."

"Sweetheart do you think you're the only first-time mother to feel this way? To have some doubts? Baby I can promise you you're not. This is an entirely new situation for you… and Fitz. The both of you are just trying to figure things out as you go and that's really what parenting is."

"I don't feel like myself. When she was born, I didn't even want to hold her. What mother doesn't want to hold their own baby? And then the mood swings started. I can't keep my emotions in check. And it doesn't help that my boyfriend doesn't trust me to be alone with my own child. None of you do."

"That's not true."

"Then why are you here? Hm? Why are you here? Why are you always here when he isn't? Either it's you or his mother or Alex, someone is always here. I can't get away from you people."

"Olivia it's not that we don't trust you... We're only here to help."

"Well you can help me by staying at home. How am I going to figure anything out and learn to do things on my own if you or someone else is always here to do it for me?"

"You're right."

"Does that mean you'll leave?"

"I was actually looking forward to spending the day with my grandbaby. But the next time Fitz call, I'll tell him that I can't make it."

"Fine."

X

Later that day, Olivia had gotten herself and Jordyn dressed to run to the grocery store. Dianna had offered to keep the baby while Olivia went to the store, but Olivia insisted on taking her. She'd almost had a fit when she couldn't find her keys, thinking Fitz had hidden them from her. Then she remembered they were probably in her car. Olivia had a bad habit of just forgetting her keys inside her car when she got out. One time she'd forgotten the keys in the ignition after she turned the car off.

On the way to the store, she stopped to make a couple of errands. She'd ended up passing the store, because she'd zoned out on the road. When she realized she'd passed the store, she made a quick U-turn and pulled into the store. It was busy that day and it took a moment for her to find a parking spot, almost in the back. She finally parked and headed into the store.

Olivia had been walking around for a while, putting a bunch of things in her cart. She couldn't even remember what she'd come to the store for in the first place. She was putting yet another box of pasta, that she didn't need, in the cart when her phone rang. She pulled it out and saw it was her mother. She was about to decline the call but then thought that her mother could tell her what the hell she came to the store for.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Liv can you pick me up some of those pot sticker things from the frozen food section? Your dad brought some home the other day and I just can't stop eating them now."

"Uh yeah Ma, sure. Hey listen, do you remember what I came to the store for? It's completely slipped my mind."

"Well no honey, you didn't tell me what you were going for. But I can tell you, you need some more toilet paper. Oh and laundry detergent."

'Maybe that's what I came for.' Olivia thought. "Okay Ma, I'll be home soon."

"Alright. Oh Liv!" Dianna said before Olivia could hang up. "How's Jordyn doing without her favorite pacifier?"

"What?" Olivia asked confused.

"Her paci, the brown one with the bear attached. You forgot it on the foyer table when you left out."

All the color drained from Olivia's face and her heart simultaneously stopped. "Oh God." Olivia whispered before she dropped her phone in the cart and she sped off down the aisle and towards the front.

Olivia practically knocked over every person that was in her way out the door. "Shit!" She ran down the lanes, not remembering where she parked her car. She stood in the middle of the road, with her hands on her head, cars honking behind her, desperately trying to remember where she parked. She was looking back and forth, when she finally saw the tail end of her car and she took off.

"Please, please." Olivia could hear her before she even made it to the car. "Jordyn!" She'd forgotten her baby in the back seat. "Jordyn, I'm here! I'm here!" Olivia pulled on the door, but it was locked. She tried the front passenger door and it was locked. "No, no, no, no." She reached for her pocketbook, but before she went to search for her keys, she saw in the window her keys were dangling from the ignition. "Shit!" Olivia began to panic as Jordyn's cries became louder. She started banging on the windows, hoping to break them, desperate to do anything to get her baby out of the car. "Help!"

A few of the people passing by had noticed Olivia and when she started shouting for help, they came rushing over. Olivia was hysterical at this point, not believing that she'd forgotten she'd even taken her baby with her today. And then she just forgot her in the car. If she didn't feel like a terrible mother before, she certainly did now.

End Flashback

X

Two Months Later…

"Livvie are you done yet?" Fitz called out from the living room couch. He was scrolling on his phone, dressed and waiting for Olivia to come down with Jordyn. Tonight, was the night of Fitz's art showing. He'd finished a new collection after years and tonight was the first night, he was showcasing his work. Fitz was beyond nervous, and he couldn't figure out why. Sure, it had been years since he last had a show, but he'd done this plenty of times before. He was a pro and he'd always gotten a good review, but of course you can't please everyone. Fitz's main concern was how the critics were going to review his first show in over five years. Fitz always read the reviews and critics of his artist good and bad, but it was another challenge when it was you under review.

Fitz had been dressed for over an hour now, granted he'd started well ahead of time, but Olivia still wasn't ready. She'd been in their bedroom in his NY condo getting herself and Jordyn dressed for the night. Fitz had contemplated taking his baby girl out tonight, he didn't want all those people and cameras in his baby's face. But Olivia had insisted that Jordyn see her daddy in action.

"Liv You know it would be a bad look for the artist to show up late to his own showing." Fitz yelled again to no answer from upstairs. Fitz sighed and checked his watch again. It was 7:45 and with traffic, it was going to take them at least twenty minutes to get to the venue. There was no way they were going to make it by 8. "Olivia!"

Ms. Betty came down the stairs instead of Olivia, holding Jordyn. Fitz had kept her own staff at the penthouse for when they came to stay. She kept up the maintenance and made sure the fridge was stocked when they stayed. She was also going to attend the showing tonight to look after Jordyn for Olivia and Fitz when they needed to entertain the guest. "Ms. Pope has requested that you stop yelling." She smiled.

"I'll stop yelling when she comes down these steps." Fitz reached for his daughter and Ms. Betty reluctantly handed her over. She'd fallen in love with the baby girl the moment Fitz brought her home to meet her. Jordyn was four months old now and still the mirror image of her mother. The only change was her hair was now a dark blonde color just as her father's had been when he was a kid.

"Don't you look beautiful." Fitz kissed his baby girl's head. She had on a champagne-colored dress, with a flared bottom and a cute bow on the back. Olivia had fixed Jordyn's hair in a side part with a diamond sparkle headband that matched her dress. "And you look lovely as well Ms. Betty."

"Well thank you Mr. Grant, but I think Ms. Pope is going to steal the show."

"Betty I thought I asked you to call me Olivia." Olivia said as she came down the steps. Fitz's eyes fixed and stuck on her the minute she was in view. The first thing he saw were her nude strapped heels, leading up to her bare smooth legs, then he eventually made it to the short hem of her dress. It was a nude-colored, diamond-embellished dress with diamond sleeves. It looked like someone had just glued diamonds onto Olivia's skin and sent her on her way. She had her hair pinned to the side in loose pin curl waves. Her curls bounced with each step she took down the steps.

It took a moment for Fitz to get his sense back. "You know Livvie as gorgeous as you look, this look is going to make us late to my first gallery showing in over five years."

"What? I don't dress up often and when I do, I like to do it right." Olivia went to grab her light jacket. "And besides, there are going to be cameras at this event and I refuse to be on the front page of the newspaper tomorrow looking anything less than drop-dead gorgeous.

Fitz pulled her against him and kissed her lips. "You've already got that covered." He kissed her aging and for a moment they forgot that they were in the company of others until Ms. Betty cleared her throat.

"It's 7:50 you two."

"Shit. Let's go ladies." Fitz made sure to remember Jordyn's bag and he ushered the ladies out the door and to the waiting car downstairs. Fitz had hired a driver for the night and he was going to tip the guy double if he got him to the venue on time.

X

"You know Olivia, it's pretty bad form for the host to be late to their own party." Alex said, sipping her champagne.

Olivia stood next to her drinking a club soda. She was still breastfeeding, which meant she was still alcohol-free. She'd just have to give Fitz a good kiss later to taste the scotch, he'd been drinking all night, on his tongue.

"It was my fault. I took some extra time getting dressed tonight."

"And I can tell baby sis, you look the fuck good though."

"Please stop saying that. I'm so sick of seeing hashtag TF on my timeline. But thank you, and stop calling me baby sis. You are only minutes older, we were still born on the same day."

Alex jokingly rolled her eyes. "Whatever." Alex chugged the last of her drink and stopped a waiter with a drink try passing by.

Olivia eyed her sister as she took a generous gulp of her new third drink since their conversation started. "You're hitting them kind of hard aren't you. Everything okay?"

"Never better." Alex answered a little too quickly. "Everything's just peachy."

Now Olivia knew something was wrong. "Alex, what is it? Where's Quinn tonight? Why didn't she come?"

Alex sighed. "She decided not to come out tonight."

"Why?"

Alex hesitated for a moment to speak. They both stood silent watching Fitz from across the room, showing Jordyn off to everyone. He spent more time talking about his daughter than his art. Olivia smiled, she loved seeing Fitz with his daughter. Her start as a mother began rough, but Fitz, he stepped right in. He may have been nervous, or thought that he never wanted to be a father. But the minute he saw his daughter for the first time, everything changed. His heart now belonged to two women Olivia and Jordyn.

"I'm waiting." Olivia said. She looked over at Alex and notice her demeanor change. "What'd you do Alex?"

"You remember when I told you I was thinking about meeting up with Kendal."

"Alex you didn't. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I don't know! I don't know I just.. I wanted to see him. For old times' sake, I guess."

"Old times sake? Are you serious? What is with you and this boy Alexandra? You're always doing stupid shit when he's around."

"Alexandra? Geez."

"This isn't funny Alex. What is the matter with you? Why do you always sabotage your relationships? Quinn is good to you, she damn good to you and she loves you, why do you keep screwing her over?"

"I don't know."

"Do you even want to be with her?"

"Yes, I do. I love Quinn, I do."

"You love her, but you're meeting up with old flames for old times' sake." Olivia was very upset with her sister. This was what Alex always did. Anytime she was in a relationship that was worth anything, she fucked it all up. "Did you sleep with him?"

"No."

"But you wanted to."

"That's not the point."

"It is the point Alex." Olivia angrily growled. She was trying to keep her voice down, because there were people all around them. "So what happened?"

"It was a disaster. I met him at a bar, him and… his fiancé."

Olivia's eyes went wide and a smile crept on her face. "Fiance?"

"Yeah. Some thick brunette with double D tits. She was fucking gorgeous."

Olivia started to laugh. Hard. She could just imagine the look on her sister's face when she saw Kendal standing there with a beautiful fiancé on his arm.

"Stop laughing."

"So, why did he agree to see you if he was going to bring his fiancé?" Olivia was still laughing, but then she sobered up. "Eww was he trying to have like a threesome or something?"

"No. He said he just wanted to see an old friend. He called me an old friend." Olivia began laughing again. "Olivia it really isn't funny. It was embarrassing."

"And that's exactly what you get Alex. You went to see your ex behind your girlfriend's back just to-"

"I just wanted some closure Liv."

"No, you wanted to sleep with him. You got closure years ago when he left you for that stupid band tour. That boy has never been any good and you need to stop wasting your time on him. He's triple d's problem now."

"As embarrassing as that night was, I'm glad it happened. I wouldn't be able to face Quinn if anything had happened between Kendal and I."

"You know I don't know why she puts up with you. I would have left you a long time ago."

"She loves me that's how. And she can't stay mad at me for long. Especially when we both get liquored up. Which is exactly my plan when I get home tonight."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "You're always playing games with her. Alex are you sure you even want to be with Quinn?"

"Yes. I love her. Now more than ever."

"So it took you getting rejected by your ex to realize you love your girlfriend?"

"No. But seeing Kendal with that woman, how they were all over each other, kissing and holding hands. The way he kept looking at her and she kept feeding him and being all lovey… I want that with Quinn. I really do."

"Then stop doing stupid shit you idiot." Olivia walked off to join Fitz across the room.

"Hey handsome." Olivia came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I was wondering when you were going to come talk to me." He'd been waiting for Olivia to come back to him. He nodded over to Alex who was still flagging down waiters. "She alright?"

"She's an idiot." Olivia rolled her eyes and Fitz gave her a confused look waiting for an elaboration. "I don't want to talk about it right now. This is your night; I want to stay focused on you." Olivia stood up on her tiptoes and gave him a gentle kiss. She wanted more, but she hadn't gotten that in a while.

"I need to show you something."

"What?"

Fitz didn't answer, he just took her hand and walked her to another part of the gallery. This area had been closed off with a rope, but when he came close a man in a suit moved the rope.

"Ladies and gentlemen." Fitz got everyone's attention. "If you could all follow me for the second part of the opening."

Olivia was just as confused as the rest of the guest. She thought the show and pieces were all in the other room, she had no idea what was in this room. All the walls had black curtains hanging up, covering whatever was on the walls. Once everyone had made their way into the smaller part of the gallery, Fitz began to speak with Jordyn still in his arms.

"A couple of years ago, I met a young woman who would change my life in the most amazing ways. I would soon fall in love with that woman, her beauty, her generosity, her kind spirit and heart. And later I would fall in love again with a gift that she gave me, my beautiful baby girl."
Olivia had no idea where Fitz was going with this, she could feel her cheeks getting redder by the minute with all the stares on her. But she just kept her focus on Fitz. "These two ladies have completely changed my life and have become my new muse to create my art again. This new collection is something I've been working on for more than a year now, and I hope you find the beauty in the art just as I do." Fitz nodded to someone in the back and a second later, all the curtains came down from the walls and Olivia's jaw dropped. Everywhere she looked, there was a painting of her. Her face, her smile, her big brown eyes. Fitz had captured her in so many ways just from memory and she didn't know which one to focus on.

She was so embarrassed but at the same time so flattered. To know that Fitz knew her so well that he could paint such masterpieces of herself just from memory alone. Her eye caught one piece in particular, a painting of her when she was pregnant with Jordyn. It was an up-close painting of her face, no smile, no expression, just her bare and natural face. Olivia thought she'd never seen a more beautiful picture of herself.

"Do you like it?" Fitz came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. He'd given Jordyn to Ms. Betty so he could talk to Olivia.

"Fitz… when did you do all of this?"

"I've been working on it for a while now. I wanted to wait to unveil it until it was perfect."

"It's me. Everywhere."

"I couldn't think of anything more beautiful. You are all I think about nowadays, so it was only natural."

"How'd you remember all these details?" Fitz even had the freckles on her nose."

"Olivia I have had my hands on every part of this body." He leaned down and kissed her shoulder. "I could paint you in my sleep."

Olivia was beginning to tear up. This was too much. She'd never had anyone do anything like this for her before. The way Fitz loved her was something she had never experienced before. His love was on a different level. This was the sort of thing men in movies.

"Fitz…" Olivia got choked up mid-sentence. She could no longer speak, so she just turned around in his arms and hugged him as tight as she could. "I love you."

"I love you too." They hugged for a moment before a throat-clearing pulled them apart. When they looked, it was a small older man with a combover and small round reading glasses.

"Phenomenal job as always Mr. Grant. And I must say, Ms. Pope, your beauty is astounding." Olivia blushed under the man's gaze. "Tell me Mr. Grant, the portrait behind you, how much-"

"Oh no." Fitz cut the man off. "None of the portraits in this room are for sale, they'll all be going into my private collection."

The man was visibly upset by this. "Mr. Grant, I would make you a very generous bid."

"I'm sure you would, but the piece is still not for sale." Fitz didn't change his mind. "However, I have several pieces for sale in the main gallery."

The man was still upset. He took another look at the painting and then at Olivia before he made his exit.

"You're not selling any of these?" Olivia asked once the man had gone.

"Of course not. You saw the way that man was looking at you? There's no way I'm going to sell him a painting of your face to mas-"

"Okay."

"I just wanted to show you off for a while, and then lock you away. There is no way in hell I would ever let anyone have any of these paintings."

"I love you."

"You said that already."

"I love you." She repeated.

"I love you too."

X

Until Next Time...