Chapter 61

After witnessing one of the most heartfelt kisses, he had ever seen between his mother and Olivia, Rafe needed a walk. He wasn't ready to watch that yet. As he was walking on the deck, Alan caught up with him.

"Rafe, so uh, I heard you're not leaving."

"No uh, I decided to stay home a little longer, spend some time with my Ma."

"Well, I want you to know, I thought you were very brave for enlisting. I was drafted when I was your age, but I, I was too afraid to go. I would have been glad to have a Spaulding represent our country."

"It's not that I don't want to go. I do. Just uh, someone pointed it out to me that I haven't really had much time with Ma since getting outta prison. I think I need to be here, at least for now. I might enlist later on though."

"Well, I would be proud of you.'

"Alright, come ere." He gave his grandfather a hug. Telling he was going to get a drink and left him.

After their dance, and applauded kiss, Natalia and Olivia decided to take a walk in the sand by the beach. They both slipped off their shoes and walked hand and hand. Talking about this and that, just enjoying the time together. As they walked further down the beach, Josh Lewis was there. "Hi." Olivia said.

He turned to them, removing his sunglasses. "Well, look at that, that's a nice thing to see."

"Ah yeah, every man's fantasy."

"No, no, no, no. That's not what I'm talking about at all. It's just nice to see both of you happy."

"We are." Natalia said firmly, smiling up at Olivia.

"Good, because it seems to be a day for it. You know, everybody's, everybody's doing well.'

Olivia looked at him, feeling something was off. "Yeah, yeah it's a good day."

"Thank you for being my friend." He said seriously. "I think that's not an easy thing for exes to be, but I think we are friends."

"We definitely are. Why are you being so serious?"

"Because I should tell you that I'm gonna leave town for a while."

"When?"

"Soon." He looked to Natalia. "So, take care of my friend, will you please?" Natalia nodded. Not really sure what to say. "Thank you." He smiled at the pair and walked away.

The two finished their walk, then went to grab Emma so they could run home and change before meeting at Company to continue the celebration of Lillian and Buzz.

The two stood in the kitchen, making some sandwiches to eat before heading to Company. Natalia turned to Olivia. "Is Rafe doing okay at the hotel?"

"Yeah, he's uh, he's learning."

"Learning?"

"Yeah. He's gonna do great."

"How do you know that?"

"I have faith."

Natalia just smiled at her, loving the sound of Olivia speaking of faith. They called Emma down to eat and then headed out to Company.

At Company, friends were gathered around laughing together. Frank, Rafe, Ashley, Blake and Natalia sat at a booth. Olivia standing next to Natalia, a hand on her shoulder. Lillian standing against Buzz with his arms around her shoulders.

Rafe looked up at them. "Wait, aren't you two supposed to be on a honeymoon or something like that?"

"Honeymoon, we got married, what are you talking about honeymoon. Get off me boy" Buzz laughed.

"You know what, you don't, you don't have to worry about them, they're good." Frank stuttered.

"They're always on a honeymoon." Blake added.

Everyone laughed until they were interrupted by the phone ringing. Lillian stepped from Buzz's embrace. "I'll get it." She picked up the phone. "Hi sweetie…" She handed the phone to Olivia looking stricken and left the restaurant.

Olivia brought the phone to her ear. "Hello."

Just then James and Daisy walked in. "Hey sorry we're late." Daisy said.

Buzz held up a hand to silence them and turned back to Olivia on the phone.

Olivia's face was expressionless. "Oh god. I'll, I can tell everybody here…Do you need anything?...Okay." She hung up the phone and raised her head to the crowd. "Alan died."

The group was silent and stricken. James left without a word. Natalia hugged her son for the loss of his grandfather.

Daisy was unsure what to do, "I should go. James."

"You know what Daisy, why don't you give him a little time alone with his family. You know." Frank told her.

"You can call him, later. He'll need that. He'll need you." Blake added.

"I can't believe this. I talked to him at the wedding, he was just fine." Ashley stated shocked.

"Yeah he seemed fine to me too. Actually." Frank said. "Pop, what's the deal? Did you talk to Lillian? Where there complications after the surgery? I mean…"

Buzz just lowered his head to the counter.

"I don't believe this; cause he made such a huge sacrifice. He seemed so happy and he seemed so good." Blake said bewildered.

Realization dawned on Olivia. "Emma. I have to go tell Emma."

Natalia walked over to her. "Do you know what, do you, I'll call Mel and I'll just ask her if she can just keep her a little longer?"

"I want her to hear it from me not someone else. I'll…" She didn't finish, just turned, and left to go to her daughter.

Rafe found his voice after being stunned to silence. "I don't understand. This is crazy. I just talked to him, he said, he told me that he would have been proud of me to serve my country."

"You know Rafe, it's okay, you know, you can still go." Frank said.

"No, he should stay. Your grandfather isn't any less proud that you chose to stay with your family. Family was very important to Alan." Buzz countered.

A short while later, Olivia came back into Company with a sad Emma. Everyone was standing around, still somewhat in shock. Emma looked at them. "My granddad died." She stated, leaning into her mother.

"I know baby. He was my granddad too." Rafe said.

"Are you sad?"

"I am yeah. Are you?"

She nodded and walked to him. "Yes."

Rafe lifted her up on the counter. "Come ere. Here I'll tell ya what. I have two magical quarters. Okay?" She nodded. "And uh, I'm gonna give you one, and I'm gonna keep one, and I want you to remember whenever you get sad, or you get lonely, I want you to think of me, cause I'm gonna be thinking of you. Alright?'

"Okay. Can you just come home?"

"Um…"

Olivia answered for him. "You know, I told you, that Rafe is an adult, and he needs to be on his own."

"I miss you." Emma said sadly, looking at her brother.

"I miss you too. But remember, I told you, you're gonna see me all the time. At the hotel and I'll come visit at home. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Come here." He pulled her into a big hug.

Frank stepped up. "You know what guys, we really should uh, shut this down. Check up on the Spaulding's."

"Yeah." Most everyone agreed in unison.

After hugging Buzz, everyone filed out, Olivia taking Natalia and Emma's hands, leading them out together.

A few days later, after Alan's funeral, things were getting back to normal around Springfield. Olivia was walking and came across Remy who was finishing a phone call. "Unbelievable." He uttered.

Olivia walked over to him. "Are you okay? What's up?"

"I'm not married."

"Neither am I. Whew." She Joked

"No, I am, there's just no record of it."

"Oh, oh, well then go to the courthouse, they'll have a copy of your marriage license."

"Marriage license?" He questioned. "I don't think I filed one of those."

"Oh, yeah no, you're not married." She patted his shoulder and walked away.

Olivia continued walking to Company where she was meeting Natalia. She walked over to the table and joined the group consisting of Natalia, Lillian, Blake, Mariana, and Frank, with Buzz and Shane seated on stools at the bar. The group was having a lively conversation full of laughs.

Olivia walked around the table to Natalia. "Alright, we're gonna have to go because Natalia and I have an appointment with Lewis construction for some renovation on the house, so, skedaddle."

"Yes, and I have got somewhere to be." Frank added.

"Oh, what's the matter Frank, got a hot date?" Buzz asked.

"As a matter of fact, I do dad."

Mariana laughed and pointed at her dad. "Grandpa, he's got a date."

The three with plans left and everyone else continued their fun.

Olivia and Natalia were walking by the playground after their meeting, they found Frank who was wondering around the park before his date. Before they could say anything to him, his phone rang. "Uh, it's my baby girl." He answered. "Hey honey, what's going on?...When did this happen?..." He ended the call and looked at the ladies. "Seems that Daisy has made a decision that she wants to go to college. Problem is, it's on the other coast. So…I'll see ya later."

"Oh, good luck." Olivia said as he walked away. She turned to Natalia. "So, what do you wanna do now?"

"I don't know. I don't really care. As long as I'm with you." The two joined hands and walked to grab coffee.

Doris was rushing out to send off Ashley with Daisy to college in California after pulling some strings or rather making some big donations, to get her in. As she ran out, Remy and Christina were coming up with their family, needing to be married quickly.

Doris agreed and did a quick ceremony right there in the parking lot, signing their marriage license and speeding off the tell Ashley goodbye. She arrived outside of Company just in time to send the girls off with the Cooper's. Both she and Ashley cried. Both saddened that she was leaving just as they were building a relationship, but also overjoyed that she was going to the college of her choice. The girls got in the car and drove off, waving their hands out their windows as they went.

Sitting at a table outside the coffee shop, Olivia faced Natalia. "So, this isn't supposed to happen. Life isn't supposed to work out for me like this."

"Why?"

"Cause it just hasn't. But now, here I am, and I'm getting everything that I've ever wanted."

Natalia placed her hand on Olivia's toying with her fingers. "I know. We have each other, and we have a family, and we're redoing the house."

"Yeah." They finished their coffee and went for a walk, bumping into Frank and Blake, walking hand in hand.

"Hi." Blake said when she noticed them.

"Hi." They said in unison.

"So, are you two a couple?" Olivia asked.

Blake smiled at Frank. "We met online." Frank could only smile.

Leaving the happy couple, Olivia and Natalia strolled further. Running into several people playing in the park together. Olivia walked over to Reva who smirked at her. "So, you and Natalia are together."

"Yes we are."

"Finally, someone who can keep you in line."

Olivia laughed. "We all need one of those don't we."

"Josh left today. He asked me to meet him, in a year." She choked out, fighting back tears.

"Of course, he did."

"No." She and Olivia said at once.

"No, no, no, no. I don't know, weather I'm gonna do that or not."

Olivia tapped her under the chin lovingly and went back to sit with Natalia. The two sat for a bit, and then departed to grab Emma from Phillip and head home. Olivia wanted a nice evening at home, and to finally have the conversation they had been putting off since Alan died.

As they drove up to the farmhouse, they saw Rafe sitting on the front porch, his head hung low. They walked the path up to him, Emma running ahead and wrapping her small arms around him in a fierce hug. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Me too munchkin."

"Why are you here?"

He looked up at his Ma and Olivia who had made their way to the porch, and then down to the bags at his feet. "I uh, I was hoping maybe I could come home."

Natalia smiled with tears in her eyes. Taking her son into her arms. "Of course, you can. There is always room for you here, this is your home."

Olivia laid a hand on his back. "Welcome home Rafe." She touched Emma's shoulder, signaling with her head for her to come inside and let Natalia and Rafe have a few minutes.

Natalia waited for the door to close and then sat next to her son. "I'm so glad you decided to come home. I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too Ma."

"So, not that I mind, but, what made you decide to?"

Rafe wiped the tears that had gathered at the corners of his eyes. "Um after, after Alan died, I've just been thinking, he always said family was important, I want to honor that, and I thought what better way than to come be with my family."

Natalia hugged him again, letting her happy tears fall. "I'm so happy Rafe."

"Me too Ma."

"Okay." She wiped the wetness from her cheeks. "Let's get you inside. I'm gonna go start dinner."

Natalia stood and walked in, Rafe following with his bags. He headed upstairs to take his things to his room and Natalia went to the kitchen. When she walked in, Olivia was sitting at the table drinking a bottle of water. Natalia sat on her lap, wrapping her arms around her shoulders, nuzzling into the crook of her neck. "Almost our whole family is here Liv. I can't believe it."

Olivia kissed her temple. "Yeah. I'm glad he wanted to come home. I wish Ava could be here."

"Me too. I'm sorry she's so far away. I know you miss her."

"Yeah. I do, but she's doing good. It's better for her out there. Maybe one day she'll come home."

"I hope so."

"So, why did Rafe decide to move in? Not that I mind. You know that don't you? I'm really happy he's here."

"I know you are. He said he wanted to honor Alan, that family was important to him and he thought coming to be with his family was the best way to do that."

Olivia nodded. "Alan was all about family. Not always in the right way, but family was the most important thing to him."

"Well, I don't care why he's here. I'm just so happy that he is." She kissed Olivia then stood to start dinner. "So, what sounds good for dinner. Tuna noodle casserole, lasagna, spaghetti?"

"Um, make something Rafe likes. It's his first night home."

"How about I make something you both like?"

"What's that?" Olivia asked, wrapping her arms around Natalia from behind, who was grabbing things from the fridge.

"Chicken and rice." She answered. Extricating herself from Olivia so she could get everything ready.

"Mmm. I love your chicken and rice."

"I know. And so does Rafe and Emma. It's the perfect family dinner. And after dinner, you and I can sit and have that talk. Okay?"

Olivia sat at the table, watching Natalia work for a few moments. She thought about what was really important in life. She came to only one conclusion. Family. Her family was all that mattered. It didn't matter what had happened or how they had gotten to this point, the past was dead and gone. All just a part of what led her to where she was. Sitting in the kitchen, at a beautiful farmhouse in the country, watching the women she loved prepare a wonderful meal, listening to the sounds of her children's laughter above. In that moment, Olivia Spencer finally let go. She didn't need to talk about the mistakes of their past. Their future was what was important, and for the first time in Olivia Spencer's life, the future looked bright, bright, and happy.

She grabbed Natalia's hand and pulled her back down onto her lap. "No. We don't need to talk anymore. I know what really matters now." She closed the gap between them, pressing their lips together. Not deepening the kiss, just allowing it to consume her. This kiss was a first for Olivia, it was pure and simple joy. The breaking down of the final wall she had built around her heart. This kiss freed her. Allowed her to let go of the pain and anguish of the past, and look forward, vowing to never look back again. Natalia knew the demons of her past, she excepted them and Olivia, for everything that she was. This kiss was redemption, for her and Natalia.