Chapter 19

"Mom, Natalia, come downstairs now." Emma called from the kitchen.

The two walked into the kitchen to see none other then Frank Cooper playing with Emma's hair.

"Hey." Natalia said in a shocked voice.

"Hi. Right back at ya." Frank said with a huge smile on his face.

Olivia reached a hand out to Emma. "Emma come here, you sounded like something was wrong."

"Nope, nothings wrong." She replied with excitement.

Natalia looked from Frank to Emma. "Okay, alright you two, what's going on?"

Frank had a smug look on his face and starred at Natalia. "Um, I got you a little present." At Natalia's unhappy face he put up his hands, "unless you don't want it."

"She wants it, she wants it, right mom?" Emma exclaimed, bouncing on her toes.

"Right." Olivia said, just as confused as Natalia.

Natalia turned to Frank, "Maybe we should….."

"You know what, it's not a problem, it's actually for the whole family, but I left it outside. So let me just go out and get it. Okay?"

He opened the door and Rafe walked in. "You guys got some food in here? Cause I'm really, really hungry."

Olivia gasp and covered her mouth with her hand. Natalia was happily surprised. Reaching out to embrace him. "Oh my god. Oh my baby. What are you doing here?"

"This isn't a visit. I'm, home, I'm home for good."

Olivia leant forward shocked. "You're out of prison?"

"Well I have to report to a half way house in about a week, until they see that I'm fit to stay home. But um, yeah that's it. No more prison food, no more anything."

"Oh my god." Olivia laughed out.

Natalia was bouncing and waving her arms in excitement. She hugged him again. "Thank you god. Thank you god."

Pulling back from the hug and he turned towards Frank. "Alright Ma, stop. Frank helped too."

She looked at Frank in shock. "Did you, did you get him early release?"

"Your sons a good kid. He did it on his own."

Having conflicting emotions Olivia tried to stay cheerful. "Frank come on, don't be modest. You did this, you called in some favors, you used your connections."

Natalia was still in shock, "I don't know how I can ever possibly thank you for this."

"You know what, that's just the beauty of it, you don't have to. You know I um, I did it for family."

Rafe scratched his chin. "Well you know what you could do, is you could cook him some food, cause I hear he likes your chicken."

Frank grabbed his hand a pats his back. "I heard that right."

"It's the truth."

"Rafe speaks the truth."

Natalia ran her fingers down her face. "So wait, wait, wait, wait. What happens now? I get you to myself for a week and then you have to go away again, or what, what, what's…"

"Look Ma, I'm not going to Van Cuvier. I'm just gonna be right across town. But you know what you could do…" He looked at Emma.

"You could get married while Rafe's home." She said with the jubilance only a child can have.

Rafe looked at Natalia like a little boy with his hands under his chin. "Please."

She starred at him. "What, wait, marry who?"

"Well, Frank, he uh, he told me he proposed."

"He did?" She glared at Frank.

"Well uh, I mean I did, and I would marry you right now if I could." Frank muttered.

Anger was seeping from her pours as she starred Frank in the eyes.

It was all too much for Olivia and she bolted through the living room and out the front door. She was almost unaware of what she was doing. Looking up as she pulled into a parking space, she realized she had driven to the court house. She wasn't sure why, but something told her she would find Doris Wolfe inside. Maybe that was who she needed right now. Someone as blunt as she was.

Walking in she found the woman she was unaware she was looking for. "Hey."

Doris looked up from her file. "Hey."

"Buy you a drink?'

"Are you asking me out on a date Ms. Spencer?"

"No, I said drink not dinner, and you're buying."

"Alrighty then." She grabbed her coat the two women headed to Towers.

At the farmhouse Natalia was a wreck with worry. Olivia wasn't answering her phone and she couldn't go out and look for her because of Emma and Rafe. Trying to stay calm and kept distracted while she waited for Olivia to come home, she got Emma settled in her room and came down the stairs carrying a calendar. Reaching the bottom she called for Rafe. "Look at this."

He turned holding out a picture of him much younger. "Hmm."

She laughed. "But look at this, look how many days I had to cross off waiting for you"

"Ah, Ma."

"It was like an eternity."

"Look you know what stop, because it's over. I'm home already."

"I know and I am never letting you go anywhere ever, ever, ever…."

"Ever again." He mocked over her.

"You know what we should do? We should go to Cedars and see your real doctor and just make sure your blood sugar…"

"Mama, stop look I'm fine. The doctor at the prison was good, except for that one incident you know about."

"Yeah the one incident, the scariest…."

"Incident ever."

"Yeah."

"It's over Ma, it's over."

"How bad was it really? If you want you can tell me."

"You know what kept me through it honestly, it was you. It was you and your faith, and how you know the way things are, the way things are supposed to be, I don't know."

She brought him into a hug. "I am so proud of you. My baby. I just, I'm, I feel so blessed."

"Mama, you're happy right?"

"Yeah."

"No, I mean it, cause that's all I care about. Is you being happy."

Flashes of she and Olivia raced through her mind. She wondered if now was the time to tell him. Deciding she needed to talk with Olivia first she simply said, "Well of course."

"Alright."

Emma came rushing down the stairs. "Rafe, come see your room. We hung up your posters."

"Oh did you? Okay. Come on." He looked at his mom while reaching a hand to Emma. "Don't drag me though cause I can't move that fast."

Natalia watched them ascend the steps then stood from the couch. Spotting the picture of she, Emma, and Olivia, from new years, she picked it up and ran her fingers over the frame. Praying Olivia would come home soon.

Frank walked up behind her. "Not to late to back out."

She jumped, unaware that Frank was still there. "Never. I LOVE OLIVIA! I'm going to be with Olivia."

Frank put his hands up in surrender, taking a step back from her.

Doris and Olivia took a seat at the bar. They both ordered a martini and Doris thanked the bar tender. "Nice. So heard that uh, Rafael Rivera was released from prison?

"You heard that, or maybe you did something about that."

"I have no idea what you're talking about"

"Oh, yeah, no, no that's my bad. I wouldn't want to give anyone the impression that you actually care. Anyway, how ever it happened, Frank took full credit, Natalia was thrilled, and Rafe thinks they should get married this week."

"Okay, now that was pathetic, even for you."

"See, and now, I remember why I don't like you."

"And yet, you asked me out for a drink."

"I want to get wasted."

They clinked their glasses. "Cheers. Look Olivia, I know how you feel about Natalia. And I know that you would rather cut your right foot off then have her walk down the isle with Frank Cooper."

"So what. He got her kid out of jail. If she decides to marry him then.."

"Doesn't she know how you feel."

"She does. We are engaged you know. At least, I think we still are."

"Then what? You're too much a coward to stand up to Frank Cooper for her?"

"I didn't know what to say. Rafe was standing there. She hasn't told him yet."

"Look, I'm really not trying to make your life miserable here, but I gotta tell you what you need to hear. And not what you think you need to hear, but what you really need to hear. You have got to go and talk to her. If you don't, if you allow her to make that huge mistake, she will ruin everyone's life, including yours."

"I just want her to be happy. I have to let her make this decision."

"Did she say yes when Rafe said she should marry Frank?"

"I don't know. I left. I couldn't deal. Not with that."

"Wait. You mean to tell me you are here drinking away your sorrows with me and you don't even know how she responded?"

"Yeah, pretty much. I know how it's gonna end…"

"No, no Olivia, you don't. You need to go home and talk to her. Talk to YOUR fiancé Olivia. She is engaged to you, not Frank. Now go. Talk to your woman."

"Thanks Doris." Olivia pat her arm and rushed out.

Rafe walked down the stairs to Natalia and Frank in the living room, carrying something in his hand. "Look what I found."

"What is it?" Natalia asked.

"It's my dads badge. Frank, you know what. I think I want you to have this."

"This is a great honor. But, I can't except this."

"Frank, look you can. Look my father was a cop, you're a cop too, and to be honest, I think he would be happy that you guys are getting married."

Frank went to answer but Natalia stopped him. "Rafe, We're not, we're not getting married."

"What? I mean, Frank said…"

"Frank said a lot of things Rafe, but um, Frank and I aren't….."

Frank cut her off. "What your mother is trying to say is that we uh, we have a lot to talk about."

"No Frank, I can speak for myself. I think you need to leave." She all but growled.

"Natalia…." He reached for her arm.

She pulled away from him and shouted, "LEAVE!"

"Hey, Frank man, I think it's best if you go." Said Rafe.

Frank hung his head and walked out the door. Rafe looked at his mom who had tears running down her face, but also looked so angry. "What's goin' on Ma?"

"Rafe, uh. I need to get a glass of water. I'll be right back." With that she walked to the kitchen, leaving a confused looking Rafe standing in the living room.

Olivia came through the kitchen door and saw Natalia standing at the sink. "I'm glad you're home, I wanted to uh…" Natalia spun around and Olivia saw the tear stains running down her cheeks. "Oh baby, what's wrong?" She stepped to her and wrapped her in a protective hug. Stoking her fingers through her long, thick mane. "Baby what's wrong? Talk to me."

She pushed away from Olivia forcibly, needing some distance. "Well, where should I start. My fiancé ran out in the middle of a kind of important conversation, Frank thinks he can 'buy' me with my son, Emma and Rafe are both so confused, and to top it all off, Rafe gave Frank Gus's badge because he thinks I'm going to marry him. And all I want is to tell him I'm gonna marry you. All I want is to fall into your arms and feel safe and warm and let all of this just melt away, but I can't. I can't because I am so mad at you I can't even see straight. You just left Olivia, ran away, what, what did you think? That I was just gonna marry Frank because he got Rafe early release. Really Olivia, is that what you think of me, of us. That, that Frank Cooper could come in and…"

She stopped as Rafe walked into the kitchen. "I heard you yelling. What's going on ma?"

"I'm sorry Rafe, I know you just got home, but Olivia and I really need to talk. Do you think you could go keep Emma company for a little while? Please."

He looked at his mother and then at Olivia. "Uh, okay, sure ma." He spun on his heel and walked out of the kitchen.

Natalia returned her attention to Olivia. "Well?"

"No I didn't think….yes okay. I did think it was possible. I mean come on Natalia. He just got….he took credit for getting your son out of prison. He's a good man. And I love you so much that I want you to be with someone who can make you happy, and who can give you the life that you deserve, and I'm afraid I can't do that for you…"

"Olivia…"

"Don't, don't say anything. Let me finish. You are the woman I love. Look, Frank can give you love, and security, and a home for you and Rafe. And you know what I could give you a home too, but it could never be as safe as anything Frank could offer you."

"Safe is not the most important thing."

"When this comes out, when the whole town knows, all it's gonna be is whispering, and, and cancelled playdates for Emma, and, and, and, tormenting Rafe, at a time when he really needs to feel like he can make a fresh start."

"We've, we've survived all the whisper and the cancelled play dates, and Rafe has survived prison."

"This is gonna be so much worse. It's gonna be a world of trouble, and I don't want that for you…."

Natalia cut her off "I've handled trouble before. Olivia, I CAN'T MARRY FRANK. I don't love him. I love you. I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU OLIVIA! You are my family. You are everything to me. I can't just pretend that I don't love you. Marry Frank because he got Rafe out…"

"He didn't."

"What?"

"He didn't get Rafe out."

"What do you mean."

"Doris got him out. Frank just took the credit. That's what I was trying to tell you before you cut me off. Everything I was saying a minute ago, those were just the thoughts running through my mind when I left. I know they aren't the truth. Yes things are going to be difficult, but I know we will survive it. You and me, we can survive anything. Doris made me see that."

"Doris? Doris Wolfe?"

"Yes. When I left I went to have a drink with her. Not only did she admit that she got Rafe out, she also reminded me that there is already a ring on that pretty little finger of yours. My ring. She made me see that I left without waiting to see how you reacted. I didn't give you a chance to defend us. That was wrong and I am so sorry. I know I say that a lot, but, I am. I know you love me, and I know you want to marry ME. You were just crying about wanting it now this morning for god's sake. I just let my own insecurities get in the way again." Tentatively, she took a step towards Natalia, and then another and another, until they were only a breaths width apart. She took her face in her hands, "I love you Natalia Rivera. I love you so damn much, so much it scares me. I have never loved anyone like this, and I damn sure have never been loved by anyone like this. I let old injuries cloud my judgement sometimes, but baby, I know that you love me. I know you don't love Frank, and I know, that in time, when it's right, for us and for all of our children, we will walk down the isle together."

All the anger instantly drained from Natalia. "Yes mi amour, me will. And soon." She gripped Olivia's hips and closed the gap between them. Kissing her for all she was worth. A kiss to mend the wounds of Olivia's scarred past. A kiss to remember the promise they made to one another. A kiss of healing and one of belonging.