It didn't matter that Daddy held her in his lap for awhile, or that Grace took her out to a massive cabin she was in the process of redecorating in Woodland for a renowned writer and allowed her to partake in some of the decisions. Under any other circumstance, this would have shot her into a state of utter ecstasy but not today. Grace attempted desperately on the drive to the cabin and back to bring her some cheer, promising Olivia could accompany her to the cabin on weekends, promising that she could help with sketches, promising, as they passed it once back in the city, dinner and colossal ice cream sundaes at one of Olivia's favorite restaurants, but nothing took. In the remaining half hour before Grace dropped Olivia at the Walker manse, silence reigned through the rented vehicle. As she pulled up to the driveway, Olivia sat, not wanting to get out, but not wanting to stay in.

"Listen, Olivia…" Grace sighed. "It'll be okay, really. I know Karen seems a little rough around the edges, but I'm sure…" She trailed off when Olivia's eyes coldly met her own. She had no idea. None. "Okay. But it would really mean a lot to me if you would come by the office, I don't know how I'm going to finish that cabin without you--"

"You will," Olivia said quietly, "you always have before." She undid her seat belt, but still made no move to leave.

"Well, I…" Grace bit her lip. "And…and you know where Will and I are, come to us if you…well, you're welcome to come, all right?" She leaned over to hug her and felt the little girl instantly tense as Grace wrapped an arm around Olivia's neck and squeezed. The back of her neck was still a bit bruised and tender from two nights before when Karen delivered a blow to it with a silver goblet she had only just caught one of the maids trying to stuff down her uniform. "What is it? What's the matter?"

"Nothing. Nothing." Olivia shook her head fiercely. Her neck stung where Grace had come in contact with it, but Grace couldn't know. After the disaster with Daddy, nobody could. Out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed Karen leaning against one of the white marble columns holding up their elaborately decorated front porch, a cigarette in one hand, a martini in the other, squinting in their direction. "I've got to go, Grace, I've got to go." She scrambled to open her door.

"Are you okay, Olivia?"

"Yeah, I just…forgot, it must be late. Thanks for the ride, I'll see you…bye."

"Okay, sweetie, but you have to promise you'll come see me."

"I promise, bye!"

She scampered up the walkway leading to the porch, then slowed once she was within a few feet of it, trying to avoid eye contact with her future stepmother.

"Did you have fun telling her what a terrible life you lead?" Karen's cool tone stopped Olivia cold.

"I didn't say anything to her."

Karen paused, taking an extra long drag on her cigarette. "I guess I didn't think you did," she said quietly. "It's…been kind of a…long day, hasn't it?"

"Yeah. Kind of."

"Yeah." An inadvertent shudder went through Olivia as Karen reached out to her, but it was merely to run a quick hand through Olivia's shoulder length red curls, so quick that if Olivia had blinked, she would have missed it. Karen cleared her throat following the gesture, as if embarrassed that she had done it. "Why don't you go in the house now, get ready for bed."

Olivia nodded, confused at Karen's change of demeanor. It was one of the first things Olivia had ever noticed about her, how she could go so quickly from one mood or attitude to the next, but she still didn't understand it. And her softer moments didn't often extend to Olivia or Mason.

She trudged up the stairs, heard Daddy in his office but didn't feel like talking to him at the moment, and went to her room. Spread over her neatly made bed was the most beautiful sweater she had ever seen, soft lavender, flowers of a darker purple with yellow centers embroidered carefully in various places. She picked it up, savoring the feel of the soft material, not certain what kind it was but knowing it was very expensive, fingering the flowers gently. Clutching it to her, she found her father working on his laptop but figured he wouldn't mind a brief interruption.

"Dad?"

He swiveled in his chair to face her. "Hi, Liv, did you just get in?"

"Yeah, Grace dropped me off." She held out the sweater to him. "Thank you for this."

Daddy shook his head, smiled a bit. "You don't have to thank me, I didn't buy it for you. Although I do have to admit, if I'd seen it first, I would have."

Olivia frowned. "Who did, then?"

"Who do you think?" Daddy lightly chucked her shoulder. "Karen brought that home for you this afternoon."

"Karen did? Why?"

"I don't know if it matters, and even if it did, she didn't say why. I think she just wanted to do something nice for you."

"Oh." Olivia gazed down longingly at the sweater. She did love it, that was true, but without knowing the true intent behind Karen buying it for her somehow made her feel surprisingly vulnerable.

"So you be careful, Olivia," Daddy warned her, his tone suddenly dripping with austerity. "You be careful what you do, you be careful what you say. This is a good time for us, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's an easy time. We all have to learn how to adjust a bit differently than we did before. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I understand."

"Good." He leaned over and gave her cheek a quick peck. "'Night."

And as she left his office, she didn't feel any happier after receiving the gift than before.