AN: Guest 1, PTSD? Cena was definitely surprised Jolie wasn't a boy. SweetOlitz, thanks for the compliment. Write a book? I barely have time to update this fic every two weeks. Guest 2, glad you stopped scrolling past my story. Remember, Mirage is a place for people who need a break from their day-to-days lives. Nora has deep issues and needs to go elsewhere, as many of you would like. Ceres Helena, características de Jolie será revelado neste capítulo e nos próximos capítulos (Jolie's features will be revealed in this chapter and in upcoming chapters.) Here we go!
Chapter 21. The Candidate
Overwhelmed with joyful excitement, Hildie runs back and forth from the kitchen to the living room, peeking out the window to see if Mr. and Mrs. Grant have arrived with the newest member of the family. Their baby is coming home today and she has spent the past two days preparing the house for her arrival; she wants everything to be perfect. And she has been cooking all morning, preparing Mrs. Grant's favorite dish and Mr. Grant and Cena's favorite dessert for lunch. She has also started preparing a special dinner for the family to enjoy on their first night back home.
When Hildie hears the alarm chime, signaling someone has opened the front door, she gasps, quickly, wiping her hands on the dish towel. She scurries from the kitchen to welcome the family back home. As Olivia walks through the front door carrying their new bundle of joy, Hildie gives the Grants an effusive welcome, gushing at the sight of the new baby. Still trying to adjust to the new and animated version of their helper, Olivia and Fitz smile at Hildie.
"Welcome home, ma'am", Hildie says, looking adoringly at the pink baby wrapped in the antique white blanket trimmed in gold. "Mr. Grant", she says as an afterthought.
"Thank you Hildie", Olivia says with a smile.
"She is absolutely beautiful ma'am", marveling at the sleeping infant.
"Would you like to hold her, Hildie?"
Hildie's eyes grow wide as she cups her face in delight.
"May I, ma'am?" She asks with elation.
"Of course", Olivia and Fitz say, smiling at the women's frenetic movements.
"Wait, wait." Hildie yells, turning and running down the hall.
Olivia, Fitz, and Cena each scrunch their face as they watch the excited woman hurry down the foyer hall.
"I must wash my hands", she yells over her shoulder, waving her hands in the air as she makes her way to the powder room at the end of the foyer.
XXX
As Olivia settles on the sofa in the family room with Jolie nestled securely in her arms, she notices the air is filled with an exquisite scent that she does not recognize. Fitz sits on the sofa next to his wife and smiles adoringly at his baby daughter. Olivia smiles at her husband and places the sleeping baby into his eagerly-awaiting hands. And the biggest smile spread across his face as he cradles Jolie in his arms.
"Cee, come let me take off your coat", Olivia beckons her older daughter, who is standing across the room and watching her father smiling at the baby. She wonders why he looks so happy.
"It smells like Hildie has been cooking", Olivia says as she removes Cena's coat. "Are you ready for lunch, Cee?"
"Yes", she says softly, squirming as her mother removes her coat.
XXX
Sitting at Fitz' desk in the study, Maura prints the last version of the course he is scheduled to present to the community organizers next month. As she pulls the stack of pages from the printer, she leans back into the plush leather chair and smiles at her accomplishment. She has put a lot of effort into developing the course and it all has finally come together. Reflect on the road that led her to this place in her life, she hears Olivia and Fitzgerald's voices and hurries to the family room to welcome home her newest granddaughter.
"Welcome home - welcome home", she gushes, walking over to her son with outstretched arms to relieve him of the sleeping baby. "Isn't she the most precious thing", she says to no one in particular, sliding the gold and white knit hat from Jolie's head and smiling somewhat sadly.
"I can't get over how much she looks like Nora. I think she is going to be a blonde, too", looking over at her son. "You were a blonde for a long time too, Fitzgerald."
Fitz smiles as if his mother is telling him something he does not already know. Hildie hurries into the family room and stops in her tracks when she sees the other Mrs. Grant holding their baby. Her face falls in disappointment.
"Oh", she says in surprise. "I'll just go finish preparing the lunch ma'am", drooping her headand walking toward the kitchen.
"Hildie", Olivia says, standing from the sofa. "Don't you want to hold Jolie?"
Olivia walks over to her mother-in-law, lifts the baby from her arms, and places Jolie in Hildie's arms. Maura sighs as she watches Hildie ogle her sleeping granddaughter. And Jolie continues to sleep, oblivious to all of the excitement she is stirring in the house.
XXX
Later that evening after she has finished bathing Cena and helping her into her pajamas, Olivia braces for the nightly ritual she and Fitz have performed with their daughter for the past three years.
"Are you ready for your story, Cee?" Olivia asks.
"Yes, mommy", kicking her feet excitedly under the covers.
"How about a different story tonight, Cee? Would you like for mommy to read something different?" Olivia prays silently that Cena will be amenable to reading a different story tonight.
"No, mommy. I like Goodnight Moon."
Olivia groans silently as she slides the well-worn copy of Goodnight Moon from the bookshelf and settles onto Cena's bed to read the story she has read countless times over the past three years. She can recite the entire story without having to open the book.
"I want daddy to read it", looking at her mother innocently.
"Daddy is putting JoJo to bed. Can mommy read it to you alone tonight?"
Cena pokes out her bottom lip and folds her arms across her chest.
"I guess you're stuck with me tonight", tickling her daughter in an attempt to cheer her up.
"No tickles, mommy", Cena squeals with laughter.
As usual, Cena falls asleep after only four pages have been read. Olivia smiles at her sleeping daughter and kisses her on the forehead. She places the book back onto the shelf, turns out the light, and quietly walks from the room.
"Babe", she says, walking into their bedroom. "We have to find some way to bribe Cena into selecting a new bedtime story. I don't know how much longer I can take Goodnight Moon."
"Is she sleeping?" Looking at his wife anxiously.
"Right after page four – as usual. Of course she would have preferred if daddy read to her."
"JoJo took a little longer to put down", raking his fingers through his hair.
"It seems like Miss Jo can be cranky when she wants to be", Olivia says, removing her earrings and setting them onto the silver, rectangular tray atop her vanity table.
"I need to talk to you, Liv. We need to talk."
And she stiffens, stopping her nightly routine when she hears thetone of his voice. She looks up from the tray and studies his reflection in the mirror, and the serious look on his face immediately make her feel uneasy. With wide eyes, she holds her breath and searches his face for a clue.
"Talk? Talk about what. What's the matter, Fitz? What's going on?" Rapidly firing questions.
"Sit down, Liv", closing the space that separates them and placing his hands on her shoulders.
"I don't want to sit down", she says in a high-pitched voice. "Something's wrong. What is it?"
Fear flash in her eyes as she watches her husband inhale deeply and run a hand through his hair again. Now she knows something is really wrong and she begins to panic.
"What is it, Fitz?" Demanding an answer. "You're scaring me."
"There's been an accident."
"Oh my god", turning away from the mirror to face him. "My parents?"
"No – no. Nothing like that. Your parents are fine - everybody's fine."
He wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her close.
"There's been an accident at the foundation - a flood", he says quickly.
"What?" bringing a hand to her mouth as she feels that familiar sinking feeling in her stomach.
"A flood? When? How bad?"
"Calm down, Liv", trying to steer her over to the bed.
"Calm down? How can you ask me to calm down when everything I've worked for – everything I built could be destroyed."
She pulls away from his embrace and starts pacing around the room and rubbing her forehead.
"When did this happen?" Looking at him sideways with panic in her eyes.
"Sunday night, while we were at the birthing center."
"Sunday night? Why am I just hearing about it?" Her voice rising with each new bit of information he shares.
"I didn't find out about it until Monday – when mom came to the birthing center."
"What does your mother know about this?" Her breathing quickens as she imagines the worse.
"Apparently she went to the foundation after church to do some work and found the place flooded."
"What?"
"That's why I couldn't get a hold of her while we were in labor."
Olivia furrows her brow thinking she does not recall his insides being racked by contractions.
"Apparently the sprinkler in the conference room malfunctioned, spraying water for – well who knows for how long. Thank God mom stopped over there."
She nods and resumes pacing around the room.
"Everything is being taken care of, Liv", trying to offer some measure of comfort.
"What do you mean everything is being taken care of?" Stopping to look at him.
"Mona called the insurance company and met with the claims adjuster on Monday."
She nods again, thinking she can always count on Mona.
"The adjuster sent over a cleaning crew on Monday to start the abatement activities – to get rid of – to clean up everything."
And the tears begin to roll down her face.
"Shhh. Shhh", embracing her again.
"It's all over, Fitz. Everything is ruined."
"It's not over", rubbing his hand up and down her back.
"How can you say that?" She asks through the tears.
"Because the water destroyed furniture, carpet – just stuff. You are the foundation, Liv. Your talent. Your commitment. Your compassion. All of the stuff can be replaced", rocking her in his arms.
She looks up at him for a few moments as if trying to determine if what he has said is true.
"Remediation work will begin as soon as the place is dry. Everything will be new – back to normal - in about six weeks."
"How did Maura turn off the water?" She asks with a shaky voice.
"She called Mona and Mona brought Tom over. He turned off the main shut-off valve in the basement."
"I want to go over there, Fitz. I need to see how bad things are."
"It's pretty bad, Liv. You won't be able to go there until they've gotten rid of all the water and dried out the place." He caresses her face when he sees fear in hear eyes. "There is a danger of mold - you can't breathe in that stuff. They have to decontaminate and clean the space before anyone can go back in."
She nods for him to continue.
"Most of the furniture and carpet will probably get tossed. The whole place will probably need to be gutted – down to the studs."
"How do you know that?" She asks, on the verge of panicking again.
"Bennie and I went over there to see how bad things were."
"You and Bennie?" She asks in surprise. "When did you and Bennie go to the foundation?"
"Monday afternoon while you and my girls were sleeping", he smiles proudly. She rolls her eyes because she cannot deal with his proud daddy bravado at the moment.
"Come on Liv, let's go to bed. We've had a long day. We can't do anything about it tonight."
They climb into bed, turn off their lamps, and she curls into his side.
"Babe?" Intertwining her hand with his as she looks out the window at the full moon.
"Hmmm?" His eyelids are getting heavy with sleep.
"The city requires sprinkler systems to be inspected once a year."
"Mhmm."
"That sprinkler system was just certified two months ago."
XXX
Breakfast at the Grant household is different this morning because everyone is home, including the newest addition to the family. Since Maura will be working from home while the foundation is being renovated, she decided to cook breakfast for the entire family, something she has not done since she started working. Fitz sits at the island holding Jolie close to his chest while Olivia is upstairs helping Cena to get ready for school. And Nora scrolls through her phone as usual. Finally, Olivia and Cena walk into the kitchen after spending way too much time trying to agree on an appropriate outfit for school.
"Daddy", Cena yells as she runs into the kitchen.
"Good morning, Biker Princess. Did you enjoy sleeping in your bed last night?"
"Yes", trying to climb onto his lap. "I wanted you to read Goodnight Moon, daddy."
"Give me JoJo babe so you can hold Cee", kissing her husband on the lips.
"Good morning Maura – Nora", Olivia says, taking her seat next to Fitz.
"Morning Liv", Nora says without looking up from her phone screen and Olivia shakes her head because Nora's eyes are always glued to her phone.
"Good morning, Olivia", Maura says cheerily as she scrambles eggs for her son. "How are you feeling today? Don't overdo it - you just had a baby. Your body needs time to heal."
"I won't", she says sadly, thinking that's the kind of advice her mother should be giving her, but her parents are still doing missionary work in the African Bush.
"Well sit down while I get your breakfast."
"Maura, thank you for handling things over at the foundation. I just cannot believe what happened", she says sadly.
"Well Mona's husband, Tom, is the one who deserves the credit. I had no idea how to shut off the water."
Nora looks up from her phone screen then back and forth at her mother and Olivia, trying to figure what is going on.
"What's going on – what happened?" Nora asks.
"The foundation was flooded because of a faulty sprinkler head", Maura says.
Disinterested in the happenings at the foundation, Nora nods and resumes scrolling through her phone. Jolie begins to cry and Fitz and Cena look over at the baby who is wildly kicking her feet.
"Do you want me to take her?" Fitz asks excitedly.
"I think she might be hungry", unbuttoning her blouse to breastfeed the crying infant.
"Eww", Nora says when she sees Jolie suckling and Cena scrunches her face as she listens to the baby's sucking sounds.
"How are things going at the center, Nora?" Olivia asks, dipping her fork into her husband's eggs.
Maura turns from the stove, looks at her daughter, and slowly shakes her head from side to side. Nora looks at her mother and gives her mother an almost imperceptible nod.
"Everything is fine – all good."
"That's good. I have to get over there soon and talk to Marcella about the training."
"Well the first course - Fitzgerald's course - is complete", Maura interjects to shift the discussion away from Nora. "Mona needs to review it when she gets a chance. We expect Fitzgerald to present next month", smiling proudly and Fitz glances at Olivia who is smiling too. "The next two courses are almost complete as well", she says somewhat nervously.
"Fitz is going to be more than a teacher in a few months", Olivia says, nudging him in the side with her elbow.
"A few other people might have something to say about that Liv", stroking Jolie's straight blonde hair as she suckles.
"What's going on?" Maura asks, looking at her son suspiciously as she sets Olivia's plate on the island in front of her. "What are you talking about?"
"Thank you Maura", shifting the baby to the other breast. "Tell them, Fitz."
"Well", bouncing Cena on his knee. "I've been asked to run for President - of City Council."
"What?" Maura and Nora gasps at the same time.
"Well you don't have to sound so surprised", he says somewhat annoyed. "It's not the strangest thing you've ever heard. I'll have to meet with some political types Friday evening to give them my answer."
"Have you decided to run?" His mother asks, still in shock.
"I have", standing and setting Cena on his seat. "I have to get ready for my meeting with Geoffrey and the new client", kissing Olivia on the cheek and rubbing the top of Jolie's head before walking to the study.
XXX
When Fitz enters the study he is immediately upset when he sees papers strewn over his desk. He hates when things are out of order, especially his workspace. When Olivia started working from home several months ago they agreed the study would be his primary workspace. They also agreed the family room would be her designated workspace. However, since the foundation is under renovation, Maura has co-opted the family room as her home office. Wanting Maura to feel comfortable, Olivia has adopted the living room as her new workspace.
As Fitz walks over to the desk he concludes he has to build Olivia a separate office or convert one of the bedrooms to an office for her use, sharing an office just is not practical. Pushing aside the papers to prepare for his conference call, he realizes the papers are not Olivia's, but his mother's. She has obviously been using his desk to work on the training program. He grimaces as he glances at his watch. The meeting starts in 15 minutes and he still has to print the contract that will be reviewed during the meeting. He turns on his laptop, opens the copy of the contract Geoffrey sent last night, and clicks on the Print icon in his word processing application. A message box is immediately displayed on the computer screen, indicating the paper tray is empty. He fills the tray with paper and clicks on the Print icon again, this time getting a message to replace the toner cartridge.
"Dammit", he says in frustration.
He pulls open the bottom desk drawer where he stores extra office supplies but there is no toner cartridge to be found. He yanks open and slams each drawer in frustration.
"Olivia!" He yells, walking across the room to check on the bookshelf for a cartridge. "Olivia!"
"What is it, Fitz? I just got JoJo down for her nap. You know she's been cranky."
"We don't have any toner", looking at her wild-eyed.
"What?" Looking at him in confusion. She does not have a clue what he is talking about.
"The printer", pointing over to the device with the red light flashing. "It's out of toner."
"Did you look in your desk drawer?"
He cocks his head and looks at her sarcastically and she twitches her lips in response.
"I rarely print anything, Fitz. You know I hate all of that paper", waving her hand dismissively and wondering why he is bothering her about printer toner.
"It's mom."
"What?"
"Mom. Apparently she has been working in here. I found her papers all over my desk. There was no paper in the printer tray and now we're out of toner. What the hell is she printing anyway?"
Olivia shrugs her shoulders as she laughs to herself. She wonders if her husband will summon the courage to scold his mother about using his office.
"I have to print the contract for my meeting in …" Looking down at his watch. "In eight minutes."
"Well babe, you just have to do it online."
"You know I hate that", walking back to the desk.
"Just like your mother apparently", chuckling as she runs from the study.
"You're going to pay for that later", he hollers after her.
XXX
As Olivia bands Cena's hair, Fitz sits on the sofa cooing and humming as he feeds Jolie. Like with Cena, he wants to be involved in feeding his baby daughter. So, Olivia pumps and bottles breast milk so he spend this special time to bond with his daughter. Jolie, who recognizes her father's voice from hearing it while in utero, stares at her father with the same big brown eyes as her mother. When Olivia finishes combing Cena's hair, the little girl springs from the floor immediately, runs over to the sofa, and tries to nuzzle against her father.
"Careful, Cena. We don't want to wake JoJo." Cena ignores her father's warning and continues to nestle into his side.
"Do you want to hold the bottle, Biker Princess?"
Cena shakes her head no as she peeks up at her sleeping sister.
"I gotta get going Liv", glancing at his watch. "I have to meet Darius and Phil at the restaurant in an hour."
"Well give me Miss Jo", lifting the sleeping baby from her husband's arms. "Say night – night to daddy – Cee."
"Night – night, daddy."
"Night – night, Princess", kissing her on the top of her head.
Fitz is unfamiliar with the restaurant Councilman David Johnson selected for their dinner meeting, so he slowly navigates his car through the city streets as he listens to the GPS. Finally, arriving at the restaurant, he pulls the car up to the valet stand, and looks at the eager young attendant approaching the sleek, black BMW. He hands the valet key to the smiling attendant and walks toward the restaurant door. As he approaches the door, he looks over his shoulder and frowns when he hears his car tires screeching across the parking lot. He closes his eyes and silently prays his precious car is returned to him unscathed.
When he gives Councilman Johnson's name to the hostess, she escorts him to the table where the two councilmen are sitting and takes his drink order.
"Good to see you Fitz", Darius says with a mouthful of bread.
"Darius", extending a handshake to the councilman with the voracious appetite, then to Councilman David Johnson.
"Fitz, how are you this fine evening?" David asks, setting his drink onto the table.
"Fine – just fine" sitting down and crossing his legs. "Congressman Guildford isn't here tonight?"
"Phil's down in DC. He has to vote on some bill tonight."
Fitz nods as the waitress sets his scotch on the cocktail napkin in front of him.
"Cheers gentlemen", Darius says, lifting his glass. Fitz and David lift their glass in the air.
"So, I hear you have another daughter - congratulations", David says.
"Thank you", smiling proudly.
"Well if she's anything like your older daughter, she will have you wrapped around her fingers in no time."
Fitz smiles and nods, thinking about the dinner meeting he and Cena attended with Councilman Johnson when Olivia was away.
"Well let's get down to business, shall we?" Darius says, looking around the table. Fitz and David nod.
"Fitz, the President of City Council serves as the regular chairperson of council meetings. In consultation with the majority of council members, the president appoints members to the various standing committees of the council. The president is also responsible for selecting and overseeing most council employees."
"And that's a lot of people", David chimes in. "A lot of political appointments."
"The President of the City Council is a powerful position, Fitz", Darius continues. "Nothing happens in this city – no new ordinances – unless the president decides to refer a bill to one of the 25 standing council committees."
"The mayor is going to have to deal with the next president, who controls every piece of legislation that is voted on in committee or on the floor of City Council", David says.
"I had no idea", Fitz says, intrigued by the inner workings of city government.
"Some say the president is as powerful, if not more powerful than the mayor."
"Really?" Lifting his glass to his lips as he watches Darius closely.
"And, all tax legislation must begin in the Council. If you become president, we expect Wilson won't get one cent of his tax bills passed. But if your opponent is president then …. "
"Wilson is afraid if he doesn't get his guy in office then all of his pet ordinances will be DOA (dead on arrival).
Fitz listens intently to the two councilmen.
"Marla was a very powerful woman in this city, Fitz. She and Mayor Wilson have been on different sides of the political issues since he took office two years ago."
"What do you mean, David?"
"Wilson doesn't give a damn about the citizens, especially our low-income residents. He's the lackey of a certain segment of the business community."
"He might be the executive administrator, but he's nothing more than a figure-head", Darius chimes in.
"Marla has always been an advocate of the underprivileged, but she was savvy enough to know she had to take care of the business community too. She referred some bills that favored the business community to the appropriate committee and encouraged the chairperson to make it happen", Darius says.
Fitz nods.
"We need businesses in this city Fitz and the business owners know it. Some regularly threaten to move their businesses outside of the city if they don't get certain ordinances passed. The city is strapped for cash, we can't afford to lose the tax revenue from any our businesses", says David.
"And the citizens can't afford to lose the jobs the business owners provide", Fitz says reflectively.
"Marla balanced everybody's needs well", David says.
"Or so we thought", Darius says softly, shifting in his seat.
Fitz nods, wondering if he really wants to become part of the morass of city politics. The waitress returns to take their meal order.
"The mayor is proposing we disband the police department and contract out our police services. He claims it will save the city 15 million dollars over the next three years", Darius says when the waitress walks away.
"There's not a lot of room to increase taxes", David says. "We just had a tax increase last year."
Fitz nods again, thinking how he blanched when he received his last business tax bill.
"This is a very divisive issue, Fitz. The mayor is pushing for this because he wants to replace the police force with contract police. And of course, one of his friends owns the company who will get the contract. He claims we can no longer afford the police force, but I'm the chairman of the Finance Committee and I know we have other options. Wilson doesn't want to hear it."
"Of course he will get a kickback", David says.
"These are the kinds of ordinances Marla refused to refer to committee. That's why she and Wilson have been in a perpetual battle for the past two years."
"I see", sipping on his scotch. "I must admit, you're not making this job sound appealing. It all seems to be a mess. Why would I want to get involved in this quagmire?"
"Because you can make a difference. You're not part of the system. You're not a professional politician. Hell, you're not a politician at all", says Darius.
"And you'll be objective."
"And bring your business acumen to the council", Darius says. "This city needs someone like you, Fitz. You know how much the citizens need someone on their side. The work Olivia does is just a small example of the need."
"Why don't you run for president, Darius?"
"I'm needed as chairman of the Finance Committee. If I step down the next person in line for my seat is a Wilson supporter. The council is divided, half of the members supported Marla and the others support Wilson."
"And I'm not interested", David says. "Just in case that was going to be your next question."
The two men anxiously watch Fitz because they need him to agree to be the candidate. If he rejects the offer, Mayor Wilson and his hand-picked president will set the city back for decades. Fitz thinks about it for a long and takes a few sips of his drink as the waitress sets the entrees in front of them.
"Okay. I'll do it. I'll run for president", he says smiling as the waitress walks away.
"Do you need to discuss this further with Olivia?" Darius asks.
"No, she's onboard. She wants me to do it. She thinks I can be a help to the city."
"Good man – good man", David says.
"You won't regret this, Fitz."
"I certainly hope not", still not quite sure what he has just gotten himself into.
"Are you going to eat that, Fitz?" Darius asks, eyeing Fitz' untouched entrée.
"By the way, who is Wilson backing – who's my opponent?" Pushing his plate across the table to Darius.
"Someone else from the business community of course", Darius says. "Not one of the good guys."
"Yeah, a guy by the name of Charles Barber. He goes by Charlie."
Fitz eyes grow wide. Things just gotten more interesting.
"What's the matter, Fitz? Do you know this Charlie?"
Fitz spends the next hour explaining his connection to Charlie.
"Wow", David says.
"Is this going to be a problem, Fitz?" Darius asks with a mouthful of mushroom risotto.
Fitz takes a long swig of scotch before responding.
"Would you have a problem with me if I bashed in your face?"
Darius and David lean back in their chairs, stare at Fitz for a long while, then nod.
"Remind me never to get on your bad side", David says somewhat jokingly.
"Don't mess with my family and you won't have anything to worry about", Fitz says seriously, staring the man in the eyes.
Darius and David now look at Fitz a little differently, even more impressed with the man. Not only is he smart and successful, but he can also kick ass when necessary. For the next two-and-a-half hours the men discuss how to get Fitz' campaign underway.
"We have to introduce you to the various communities – the business people and local residents. We have to help them get to know who you are", Darius says.
Fitz looks curiously at Darius.
"What? That's what politicians do - set up meetings - connect people", cutting into his key lime pie. "Both you and Charlie are businessmen. It's just one of you has been successful and other hasn't. Successful business people like other successful people."
"Although you will run on the Man of the People platform, you're going to have to work with the business class well", says David.
Fitz nods.
"They're going to want to know what you're going to do for them", Darius says.
"And the citizens are going to want to know what you're going to do for them", David says.
Fitz nods at the quandary he is now in.
XXX
Remediation work has been underway at the foundation for two weeks and Mona has been working closely with the contractor to make sure the project is on schedule. Today she toured the foundation and was surprised at the state of the office. While she was happy to see all of the soiled carpet has been removed and the offensive odor is gone, she was surprised to see the drywall has been removed throughout, revealing the wall studs.
"Mona, the water did a lot of damage. We had to remove all of the drywall", the contractor responds to the surprise in her voice. "This place will be better than before once we're finished", he adds quickly.
"I'm counting on you Pete."
"Remember, you're going to have to select new carpet, furniture, paint color …"
"I know, I know", she says, surveying the space one last time before leaving for her next appointment.
XXX
Mona heads over to the Springfield Heights community center to discuss the training program with Marcella. The first course is scheduled to be presented in two weeks and she wants to finalize the schedule, the list of presenters, and the names of community organizers who will be involved in the five-week-long program.
"How many people are we expecting, Marcella?"
"Fifteen - not including the speaker", Marcella's says, looking down at the list. "We have five from Tilghman, four from Roosevelt, and six from Springfield Heights."
"Sixteen then", Mona says, making a note on her tablet. "I'll order the refreshments."
"That'll be terrific, Mona. By the way, I heard Mrs. Grant had her baby. I bet that's a pretty baby girl."
"Her name is Jolie and she is as beautiful as her older sister. Olivia and Fitz make beautiful children."
"Well, tell her I said congratulations."
"I will."
Marcella looks at the training schedule and nods.
"This is a terrific slate of speakers, Mona. I don't know how you got all of these people to agree to participate in the program, but I'm glad you did."
"I think Olivia's husband had a hand in that."
Marcella rubs the back of her neck as she continues to look down at the schedule, and Mona notices the change in the young woman's demeanor.
"Is something wrong, Marcella?"
"Do you think Mr. Grant will still want to participate in the program?" She asks hesitantly. "He has two courses according to the schedule."
"Why wouldn't he?" Mona asks with surprise in her voice. She knows from Maura that Fitz has been preparing for his presentations for some time now.
"Well, I thought he might find an excuse to back out since I had to fire his sister."
"What?" Mona exclaims with bulging eyes.
"You mean you didn't know – haven't heard?" Marcella asks somewhat nervously.
"I know nothing", Mona says with shock still lacing her voice.
Marcella closes her eyes and inhales deeply. She is not sure if she should discuss what happened with anyone, especially Mrs. Grant's office manager.
"Marcella, you better start talking - and talk fast."
"I don't want to cause any problems", Marcella says hesitantly.
Mona looks at Marcella with concern. Although she has no idea what Marcella is reluctant to say, she knows it cannot be good.
"Talk, Marcella."
"Well", Marcella begins cautiously. "You know Mrs. Grant asked me to hire her sister-in-law, Nora, to help out around the center."
Mona narrows her eyes and nods her head slowly.
"Well, I told Mrs. Grant I could definitely use the extra help but I didn't have the budget to hire another person."
Mona tilts her head slightly and frowns as she listens intently to Marcella.
"Well, Mrs. Grant said she would cover Nora's salary. It was apparent she was just trying to find something to occupy her sister-in-law's time. Nora is lucky to have someone like Mrs. Grant in her corner."
Mona quickly nods her head up and down, urging Marcella to get to the point.
"So, Nora has been working here for about two months now, and Mona, I knew she was trouble the first time I laid eyes on her", shaking her head when she thinks about when Noras arrived late for her first day of work.
"Really?" Mona says with interest.
"I didn't like her immediately, but I wanted to do Mrs. Grant a favor. She's not the kind of woman that asks for favors, so I hired Nora because it was important to Mrs. Grant."
"Go on, Marcella", Mona says anxiously.
"Well, she had an attitude the very first day she got here. She really didn't want to be here and she all but said so. But after a few weeks her attitude began to change. She started coming to work on time, she was pleasant, and she did whatever I asked her to do without complaining."
Mona lips curl down as she listens closely to Marcella.
"Did you know she is an artist?" Marcella asks Mona, who is now leaning forward in her chair.
"I don't know anything about her. In fact, I've never met her."
"Well she is, and she's pretty good if I must say. She started helping Amir paint a mural on the wall in the community room."
"How is Amir doing? It's such a shame about what happened to him."
"He's coming along but he'll never be the same again, Mona. The night those guys attacked him, beating him within inches of his life – well that changed him forever. He takes a lot of medication to control the seizures."
"That's such a shame. He couldn't go to college to study art after that. He is such a talented artist."
"He is. In some ways Amir is like a child again. And some people try to take advantage of him, but I won't have it."
"You two have always been close, but what does all of this have to do with Nora?"
"I had my suspicions that something was going on with Amir and Nora."
"What?" Mona squeals in surprise.
"Does she know about his condition?"
"I doubt it. But she's not the kind of woman who would care. Something's seriously wrong with her, Mona."
"So what happened, Marcella?"
"Like I said, I had my suspicions about them, which were confirmed when I returned early from a meeting with the Tilghman organizers. I went over to Tilghman to discuss getting them and the organizers in Roosevelt involved in the training program. That's why we're up to 15 people now."
"What happened, Marcella?" Mona insists, bracing herself for whatever is coming.
"She's nasty, Mona. Trifling. I caught her masturbating in the community room."
"What?"
She was doing it out there on the tables where children do their homework. She was trying to seduce Amir – get him to have sex with her out in the open." Marcella frowns, shaking her head in disgust.
"You gotta be kidding me."
"I figured they were having sex, but this is the first time I was able to catch them."
"Oh my god", Mona says, placing her hand across her chest.
"I told her to get out and to never come back."
Mona cannot believe what she is hearing.
"That's why I don't think Mr. Grant would want to work with me – to teach a class here."
"This is shocking Marcella, unbelievable."
Marcella nods her head in agreement.
"I'm sure Olivia doesn't know a thing about any of this. She would be over here if she knew."
"She just had a baby, Mona."
"Doesn't matter", Mona shakes her head dismissively. "And if Olivia doesn't know then that means Fitz doesn't know."
"What should I do, Mona?"
Mona places her index finger on her mouth and thinks about the question for a long while.
"You continue doing what you're doing. Continue with the training program and let that Nora handle the mess she created."
Marcella nods. She just wants the training program to go well.
"I'm glad you stopped over, Mona. Thanks for the advice."
"It's always something", Mona says, grabbing the folders from the desk and stuffing them into her case.
XXX
Councilman Johnson has arranged for Fitz to meet some of the most powerful business leaders in the city. This group of business people, men and women, have enterprises in the city that range from the technology industry to hospitality. Each has a vested interested in who becomes the President of City Council. None of these business leaders are supporters of Mayor Wilson, and therefore, are looking for a council president who will support their interests with the same vigor as Marla Briggs. Although most of the business owners are familiar with Fitz' reputation as a negotiator, they are less familiar with his political views. They need to know if they can count on him to support their concerns before they decide to throw their support and money behind him.
When Fitz enters the upscale restaurant in downtown center city, the hostess escorts him to a private dining room on the second floor. As he enters the room, he immediately recognizes the CEO of the chain of grocery stores, who was present at the meeting he attended for Olivia months ago.
"Gentlemen and ladies", Fitz says, walking into the smoke-filled room.
XXX
Darius has scheduled a series a meetings at churches and community centers across the city to introduce Fitzgerald Grant to the everyday citizen. Tonight, Fitz is scheduled to meet with the residents of Tilghman and he grows more nervous with each passing minute. As he sits on the edge of the bed bending over to tie his black shoes, he thinks about changing into his brown brogues. But when he glances at his watch, he realizes needs to leave soon if he is going to be on time. He hates being late. He grabs the red tie from the bed and walks over to the mirror.
"I finally got JoJo to sleep", Olivia says as she walks into the room. "And if we don't convince Cena to select another bedtime story I'm going to go nuts."
Fitz grimaces as he looks in the mirror, fumbling with his necktie. Olivia shakes her head, realizing her husband is nervous.
"Let me do that for you", taking the tie from his hands. He huffs and lets his hands drop down to his sides.
"You have to connect with the people, babe. Nobody cares how smart you are. They're going to want to know that you care about their issues."
His blue eyes are filled with fear.
"I don't know how to do this, Liv. I'm not a politician."
"And that's a good thing. You're a blank slate. You are not a politician with a history. So the people are willing to give you a chance, but you have to tell them how you're going to make their lives better.
He nods, feeling a bit more relaxed.
"I love you", giving her a deep and passionate kiss.
"I love you too", patting him on the chest. "Now go meet your constituents."
XXX
Fitz enters the Tilghman High School auditorium with Councilman Johnson and glances around the packed room. The auditorium is abuzz with chatter as the residents continue to file in from work or their homes. He becomes jittery again and wonders once again why he is doing this, why he is running for president. As he takes his seat on stage, he realizes he has never been to this part of the city and wonders what he could possibly say to convince the residents they should cast their vote for him.
Rashid Thomas, the community activist who organized this meeting, walks over to Councilman Johnson and informs him the meeting will start in five minutes.
"All right", David says. "But you should meet the man-of-the-hour before we get started."
Rashid smiles, displaying a set perfect, white teeth.
"Rashid, this is Fitzgerald Grant. He's our candidate for council president."
Fitz flashes a polite smile and extends his hand to Rashid.
"It's good to meet you, Rashid. Thank you for inviting me to speak at your meeting tonight", shaking the young man's hand.
"Well, we need to hear what both candidates have to say. Most people don't realize how important the president of City Council is to their everyday lives. Thank you for coming, Mr. Grant."
Five minutes later, after Rashid introduces Fitz, the residents begin to pummel Fitz with questions.
"You're running against Charlie Barber, ain't you?" An old man with a stubbly gray beard yells from the back of the room.
"Yes, I am", smiling politely.
"Charlie's from Tilghman, you know? Born and raised here. He went to this high school we standing in."
Fitz smiles politely, not knowing where the old man is going with his statement.
"He might be from here, but he is not one of us – not any more", a women yells.
"That's right. Once he started making a little money he moved away and never looked back."
"All right. All right", Rashid calls out. "We're not here to hear to talk about Mr. Barber's past. We're here to find out what we can expect from Mr. Grant if he is elected president."
"Are you going to increase the budget so our children can get experienced teachers in their classrooms?"
"Are you going to make sure the swimming pools are going to stay open throughout the summer?"
"Are you going have police patrol our neighborhood on foot? They need to get out of their cars sometimes, and not jut to arrest us."
Fitz' head is spinning. He answered all the questions to the best of his ability, but he quickly realized how unprepared he is for these town hall meetings. He just does not know enough about their issues because he has not been part of their world. After the town hall meeting, Fitz and David go to the Seeford Restaurant for drinks and to debrief. David ogles the pretty young waitress as she sets the drinks in front of them.
"Can I get you gentleman anything else?" She smiles politely, looking at Fitz.
Realizing the young woman is flirting with him, he fiddles nervously with his glass and shakes his head no.
"Well, let me know if I can get you anything", she smiles flirtatiously as she walks away with the tray tucked under her arm.
"You can get me something", David yells after the waitress.
"Fitz, I think she has eyes for you", chuckling as he lifts the glass to his lips.
"I'm a married man, David."
"And so am I", laughing out loud. "So how do you think the town hall went?"
"I don't think I'm your guy, David. I couldn't effectively answer most of those questions."
"That's the point of getting you out to these kinds of events. Give you a chance to understand the issues."
"Charlie already knows their issues. He lived in Tilghman for god's sake."
"You heard those people. Charlie Barber is a pariah, they hate him down here."
Fitz shakes his head, unconvinced of David's assessment.
"Fitz, you have the resume. You have the dedication. You just need to become more familiar with the issues. And we'll help you with that. Tonight was just a test run. The debate is in four months. By October you'll be quoting facts about the issues like a pro."
"I'm not supposed to be a professional politician, David."
"Then you'll be like a movie idol", David says, looking across the room at their waitress. "The women are going to love you."
XXX
When Fitz arrives home from his meeting with David, he is happy that somebody finally remembered to set the alarm. Although Cedar Falls is safe and quiet, upper-middle class community, he is quite aware that crime can happen anywhere. He climbs the stairs and stops in Cena's room to give her a good night kiss.
"Daddy", she says half asleep.
"Go back to sleep, Princess. Daddy just wanted to say good night."
Cena nods her head, turns on her side, and falls back to sleep. He sees that Olivia has twisted her hair and becomes somewhat melancholy because he has not had the time to comb his daughter's hair in quite some time. He shakes his head when he thinks about how much time the campaign will require him to spend away from his family. He gives Cena another kiss on the top of her head, turns off the night light, and walks from the bedroom and down the hall to check on Jolie. He smiles when he sees Jolie laying on her back spread eagle. A spit bubble has formed on her lips and she laughs in her sleep. Fitz kisses his baby daughter and pulls the blanket over her body. He sets the foot stool back in the corner and walks from the room and down the hall to the master bedroom. He is surprised to see Olivia is sitting up against the plush headboard, wearing her eyeglasses, and tapping on her tablet.
"You're up late", walking over and giving her a kiss.
"Did you eat?"
"I'm not hungry", sliding the tie from around his neck and sitting onto the bed.
"How'd it go?" Removing her eyeglasses and setting them on top of the tablet on her lap.
"I don't know anything, Liv", unbuttoning his shirt.
"It's going to take time, babe."
He unbuckles his belt and steps out of his pants.
"There might not be enough time", walking to the closet to hang up his suit.
"What do you mean?" She asks curiously as he walks back into the bedroom removing his watch.
"Did you know Charlie is from Tilghman?"
"Why would I know that?"
"Well he is", pulling his undershirt over his head. "He has a big advantage over me, Liv. He knows the people of Tilghman. He understands their issues."
"Tilghman is just one community in the city, babe. What did David say?"
"He'a not worried at all. He says tonight was just a test run. A way to get people to become aware of who I am and for me to hear their issues."
"Well if David isn't worried then neither am I."
"Liv, last week I met with some of the business owners and tonight I met with ordinary citizens. Their needs and expectations are so different."
"That's to be expected, babe."
"Darius has several more of these town hall meetings scheduled in other parts of the city. While there may be some common interests, you can bet each area is going to have unique concerns. I don't know how to reconcile all of the competing interests."
"You have to listen to them, Fitz. Really listen to them."
"I'm going to take a shower. Do you want to join me?" Looking at her with desire.
"Two more weeks, babe. Nothing's happening here until Dr. Perry gives us the green light."
"I guess it'll be a cold shower", he mumbles as he walks into the bathroom.
XXX
Fitz sits on one of the metal folding chairs near the table holding the refreshments, listening intently to Marcella give an overview of the five-week-long training program. As she talks about the Speaker Series part of the program, he smiles to himself, thinking about how proud he is of his mother for suggesting this addition to the program. He watches patiently and somewhat anxiously as Marcella distributes the program schedule, including the list of speakers who will add insights for each planned topic.
"Remember, this training program has two parts – lecture and speakers. Industry experts will come in to provide us insights into how these concepts can be and have been applied in the real world."
"Marcella, I recognize some of the names of the speakers. These are some real important people. Why are they coming down here to talk to us?" Brad asks.
"Brad, all of our speakers have volunteered to support this program. They are taking time out of their busy schedules and away from their families because they are invested in helping us to develop the skills to support our communities."
"So how much are they getting paid?" Marcus, the skeptic, asks.
"Marcus, we couldn't afford to pay any of our instructors and speakers even if we wanted to. So listen carefully because I already said the instructors and speakers are volunteering their time."
Marcus frowns and twists his lips.
"It's important that each of you make every session and arrive on time. There is a lot of content that needs to be covered and we can't hold up the class just because people can't get here on time. And, if you don't think you can commit to attend all five sessions, then let me know at the end of class tonight."
Marcella looks around the room at all of the faces, checking for understanding, before she continues.
"All right then. Let's get started."
"One more thing Marcella", Jason says, raising his hand.
"What is it Jason?"
"Are we gonna have snacks like this every week? I really like these cookies", biting in a chocolate chip cookie.
"Shut up Jason", Emory says, and a few others laugh. Jason is always the jokester.
"Okay, okay", Marcella says, putting up her hands to stop the chatter. "And without further ado, I would like to introduce our first speaker in the series. You have his bio in your packet. So let's give a nice round of applause for Mr. Fitzgerald Thomas Grant the Third."
The class claps unenthusiastically as Fitz stands from his seat and joins Marcella at the front of the room.
"Thank you Marcella for that wonderful introduction", giving her a nervous smile.
Marcella returns his smile and takes a seat in the last row of tables. She has a lot to learn as well. As Fitz looks out at the class of 15 millennials, he takes a deep breath before he starts to share his background in a bit more detail than what is outlined in his biography. Then he begins to delve into his assigned topic. He is not sure if he is connecting with the class because they are just looking at him with blank stares.
"Any questions?" He asks at the end of his presentation. And to his surprise, every hand in the room goes up.
Fitz answers a wide variety of questions. Some were seeking clarification about a point he made, while others wanted more detail about something they scribbled in their notes. He is so relaxed and really enjoying interacting with the young minds.
"One final question", Marcella says. "We have kept Mr. Grant here well beyond the agreed-upon time."
"Aren't you running for President of City Council?" Marcus asks.
"I am", nodding his head.
"I thought I recognized him", someone says.
"Why?" Marcus follows up.
"Why?" Fitz replies, unsure of the question.
"Yes. Why do you want to be president?" Marcus persists.
"Well Marcus, I really didn't come here tonight to talk about politics."
He is an inexperienced politician and does not know how to deflect when he does not know the answer to a question, or when he is asked a question he does not want to answer.
"This is all about politics. Your whole presentation was all about politics", Marcus says.
"That's right, this whole program is about teaching us how to get our message across to the political class – how to make things better for our communities."
Fitz turns to Marcella for permission to take the discussion in a different direction. Marcella nods, encouraging him to answer their questions. He looks at Marcella for a long while, like a deer in headlights, and she nods again, giving him an encouraging smile. Before he turns back to the class, he nods and returns Marcella's smile. Forty-five minutes, Fitz is still answering questions. Now sitting on the edge of the metal desk with his shirt sleeves rolled up, he is totally engaged, answering every question that is fired at him. He stumbles over some of the answers because he was not prepared for the question or he was not aware of the issue. After another 30 minutes of questions and answers, Marcella brings the impromptu town hall meeting to a close.
"All right. All right", Marcella says, cutting off Rashid, who is trying to get in one more question. "That's enough for tonight. Mr. Grant didn't come here tonight to talk politics, but we appreciate him taking the time to answer your questions. He now needs to get home to his family."
Everyone starts to stand from their seats and walk to the front of the room to thank Fitz for the information he presented in the lecture and answering questions about his campaign.
"I hope you're going to present another topic Mr. Grant", Tyrone says.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it, Tyrone."
"You have to come back, Mr. Grant", Amanda chirps demurely.
Fitz smiles politely at the young woman.
"You're all right, Mr. G", Jason says.
After everyone has left, Marcella thanks Fitz again for presenting and staying longer to answer the unplanned questions.
"You did great tonight, Mr. Grant", cleaning up the leftover snacks Jason did not take home.
"Well if you need me to come back to take more questions on this topic, just let me know."
"Thank you, Mr. Grant. I appreciate that. You have one more course to teach."
"I do", grabbing his suit jacket from the back of a chair and sliding it on.
"Do you need a ride home, Marcella? It's pretty late."
"No, I'm fine. Thank you any way", she smiles politely.
"Well good night, Marcella."
"Good night, Mr. Grant"
As Fitz walks toward the exit, he stops, and turns around as if he has forgotten something.
"Oh, Marcella, thanks for giving my sister Nora a chance to work here. How is she doing by the way? I hope she isn't causing any trouble", he smiles brightly.
XXX
He does not know how many red lights he sped through in an effort to get home as quickly as possible. His thin lips curl into a hard scowl as drives down their street and pulls the car into the driveway. He is mad as hell when he walks the front door of his home and stomps down the hall toward the family room. Nora looks up from her phone when she hears her brother enter the room.
"Welcome home, professor. You're awfully late. Did you have to stay after class for being a bad boy?" She asks teasingly.
"I want you out of my house – tonight." He says angrily with eyes the color of coal.
"What?" Nora responds in surprise.
"You heard me. I don't want you around my family. Take your sickness somewhere else."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Turning around in her chair and getting angry because of the tone her brother is using with her.
"Marcella told me everything. What the hell is wrong with you?"
Nora's eyes grow wide with fear.
"You can't talk to me that way", trying to defend herself.
"I. Want. You Out. Of. Here", he says through clenched teeth.
Hearing her son yell at the top of his lungs, Maura grabs her robe and runs downstairs from her bedroom to see what is going on.
"Fitzgerald", Maura says somewhat out of breath. "What's going on? Why are you waking the house with your yelling?"
"I want her ass out of here. Now!"
Maura looks over at her daughter who is in the chair, curled into a ball, and sniveling like a baby.
"Fitzgerald! Your language."
"She's heard worse - done worse."
"What's the matter – what's going on?" His mother insists.
"She's a goddamn disgrace. She's sick, mom."
"What are you talking about?"
"She got fired from the community center for having sex with another worker."
"Who told -?"
"You mean you knew about this?" Looking at his mother in surprise. "You kept this from us –been lying to us all of this time?"
"Let me explain -"
"I don't believe you mom. She does something like that, at a place where Olivia got her a job, and you keep this from us?"
"We're working through it, Fitzgerald. I'm helping her."
"What she did was reckless – indefensible. Not only did she humiliate herself, but she put Olivia in an untenable position. She asked someone for a favor on her behalf – and she does something like this?"
The single vein that runs down the middle of his forehead, and those in the sides of his neck throb to the point of almost rupturing.
"I'm handling it Fitzgerald", his mother persists.
"I want her out of here tonight. I told you before I didn't want that kind of behavior around my family."
Fitz stomps over to the chair and yanks Nora by the arm, but she holds on as tight as she can, trying to prevent her brother from pulling her from the chair.
"Mom. Mom." Noracalls out, trying to fight off her brother.
"Let her go Fitzgerald", his mother demands.
"I want her out of here!"
"Fitz!"
Olivia yells with a look of confusion on her face. Red-faced, and still not releasing Nora's arm, Fitz turns and looks at his wife.
"She has to go!"
"Mom. Please mom", Nora yells, kicking wildly at her brother.
"Let her go, Fitz!" Olivia screams.
"Do you know what she did? Marcella fired her because she caught her fucking at the center."
"What?" Olivia says in shock, bringing a hand to her lips.
Maura stands protectively over her daughter with her hands clasped to the sides of her face. This is not how she wanted Nora's situation to be revealed. Fitz stands in the middle of the room breathing heavily, with his hands resting on his hips.
"Tonight I had to hear about my sister, the slut, who can't seem to get enough so she has fuck wherever she goes, even at work."
With eyes almost bulging from her head, Olivia looks over at Nora who has stopped fighting her brother and is once again curled into a tight ball. Breathing heavily with her chest rising and falling, Olivia walks slowly over to Nora, who buries her face in the crook of her arm when she hears Olivia's voice.
"Nora", Olivia says slowly, trying maintain control of her rising anger.
Nora does not respond.
"Look. At. Me. Nora", Olivia says sternly.
"Olivia, please", Maura tries to intercede on her daughter's behalf.
"I said look at me", Olivia yells, in staccato tone, causing Maura and Nora to jump.
Nora lifts her tear-stained face from the crook of her arm and looks up at an outraged Olivia.
"Tell me this isn't true, Nora. I'll believe you if you tell me it's not true."
"Liv -", Fitz says.
"Tell me, Nora. Tell me it's all a lie."
Olivia is trying to remain calm, but inwardly she is panicking. She does not want this to be true. She is praying that her husband misunderstood Marcella, praying that it is all a mistake.
"I'm so sorry, Liv. I'm so sorry."
The room is eerily quiet, except for the faint wails of Jolie that flow from the nursery and down the staircase. The tacit confession feels like a punch to her gut and Olivia stumbles backward, stunned and dismayed. She looks in disgust at the sniveling and disheveled woman for a long while. She cannot muster up enough energy to get angry, the disappointment is too deep. Nora curls her body into a tighter ball and Maura clutches her pearls as she watches Olivia walk away in a zombie-like state.
"Liv …"
Fitz calls to his wife as she walks past him in a daze. With balled fists, Olivia stops in the doorway but does not turn around.
"Get her out of here, Fitz", she says without emotion. "Tonight."
Maura gasps and Olivia walks up the stairs to comfort a crying Jolie. At the top of the stairs she sees Cena standing with tears streaming down her face and clutching Biker Princess.
"Oh Cee, what's the matter?" Swiping the tears from her daughter's cheeks.
"Daddy's yelling. Daddy's mad."
"Daddy's okay, sweetheart. He'll be up soon to give you a good night kiss. Okay?"
Cena rubs her eyes and nods her head up and down.
"Let's go get JoJo. Would you like to help me change her?"
Cena shakes her head no.
"Well come with me so I can change her diaper."
Cena follows her mother into the nursery where JoJo is screaming at the top of her lungs.
"Make her stop crying mommy", putting her hands over her ears.
"Get the stool, Cena."
Cena drags the small wooden stool from the corner, over to Jolie's crib, and steps onto it to watch her mother change her crying sister.
XXX
"It's time to go, Nora. Get whatever you need for tonight and I'll send the rest of your things wherever you want", he says tiredly.
"Mom", she cries for help.
"Fitzgerald, she has nowhere to go."
"That's not my problem, mom."
"If she goes then I have to go too", Maura says in a threatening tone.
Fitz looks at his distraught mother in surprise.
"Mom, you're welcome to stay as long as you like, but she has to go."
"Then I will leave with her."
Fitz looks into the eyes of the woman who sat in the kitchen with him as a boy when he came home from school. The woman who always had a snack waiting for him. The woman who listened to all of his ramblings about what happened during his day at school. And he feels the uneasiness in build his chest whenever he has to deliver unpleasant news to his mother. Olivia cannot intercede on his behalf, not this time. He has to be the one to deliver the news.
"Then that's your choice", he says flatly.
Those were some of the hardest words he has ever had to say, but it is time for everyone to move on. He gives his mother one last look before going upstairs to help Olivia with a screaming Jolie.
XXX
When Fitz gets upstairs to the nursery, Olivia is sitting on the rocker and nursing Jolie. Cena sits on the stool and listens to the sucking sounds of her sister.
"Daddy", Cena screams, running over to her father and jumping into his arms. "You scared me, daddy."
"I'm sorry, Princess. Pucker."
Cena gives her father a kiss and wraps her arms around his neck.
"Is JoJo okay?" Looking at his wife's sad face.
"She's fine. Almost back to sleep."
Olivia looks down at her baby girl and smiles mirthlessly.
"Has she left?"
"Leaving. Mom's going with her."
Olivia nods and, Fitz, consumed with guilt and shame, looks sadly at his wife.
"I'm sorry, Liv."
"This is not your fault", she says glumly.
He nods again, wondering how he can make this better.
"Let's get you back to bed", tickling Cena's stomach, who giggles and squirms in her father's arms.
XXX
His crystal blues eyes are filled with confusion and disbelief when he opens the door and sees his wife and daughter standing on the front steps of their home. He looks at his daughter, who is trembling like a leaf in the wind, as the nonstop tears cascade down her face. He has no idea what has prompted his estranged wife and daughter to return home in the middle of the night, but something is happened, something bad has definitely happened.
"We need to come in Gerry", Maura says anxiously with an arm wrapped around their daughter's shoulders.
"Of course. Of course."
Gerry steps aside, allowing his wife and daughter to enter as if they are strangers.
"Nora, go up to your room and lay down. I'll be up shortly", Maura says softly.
"Mom", Nora replies with a trembling voice.
"I'll be up shortly, dear. I promise. Okay?"
Maura brushes the hair away from Nora's face and Nora nods and begins the ascent to her former bedroom.
"What the hell is going on, Maura? What's wrong with her? Why aren't you at Fitzgerald's?"