Chapter 104

Thursday morning the family had their second family visit with Felicia. They all shared how they were feeling with the trial only days away. It was hard for Olivia to listen to her children talk of how afraid they were, how scared they were that Frank would somehow get off and come after her again. Especially Emma. Her sweet little girl was so terrified, she sat on Natalia's lap the entire session, snuggling closer to her Ma every time she spoke about her fears.

When the family visit was done, Rafe stayed for his first individual visit with Felicia. She got him a bottle of water and then sat down opposite him in her office.

"So, Rafe, do you know where you would like to start?"

Rafe shrugged his shoulders and bowed his head. "I don't really know how all this works."

"Well, it's the same as our family visits, only, you don't have to hold back. There is no one else here besides me and you and nothing you tell me will leave this room."

Rafe raised his head to meet her eyes. "So, no matter what I say, you won't tell mom and Ma?"

"Nope. Now, I do need you to understand that if you tell me something that I feel puts yourself or others in danger, then, I do have to speak to the appropriate people, but, that won't be your moms, and I don't think that will be a problem with you Rafe."

"Okay, um, you already know what happened, so I'm not sure where to start."

Felicia leaned forward and gently laid her hand on Rafe's. "Rafe, I know this is hard, to open up and tell someone how you feel, but that's exactly what I'm here for. I know what happened to Olivia, and I know that you were there, but I want to hear from you, what your perspective was during that situation. Without you having to water it down because of Emma and you mother's being in here. Or we can talk about something completely different. You had said that you didn't except Olivia in the beginning, maybe you want to tell be about that. How you went from hating her to calling her mom?" She removed her hand and sat back in her chair waiting for Rafe to be ready to talk.

Rafe visibly relaxed. Not having to talk about what happened with Frank made him feel like maybe he could talk to this woman. "Well, I mean, you live here you know who Olivia Spencer used to be. Can you blame me for not liking the woman?"

"No, I can't say that I can. Olivia and I may not know each other very well, but, you don't live in Springfield and not know who Olivia Spencer is and what she's done. But what exactly was it that made you not like her?"

"When we first moved here, after Olivia got sick, she was trying to take my dad from my Ma. She was so mean and cruel to Ma. Then after my dad died, she got his heart. I couldn't understand why Ma would give that bitch my father's heart. She was the reason he died. Or I used to think that."

"You don't anymore?"

"No. I haven't for a while now. It was really hard when I was in prison and Ma was alone, or at least I thought she was, but she wasn't, she had Olivia. I still don't know how the two of them went from being at each other's throats to being friends. I mean Ma said it just kind of happened. She felt drawn to Olivia and over time she saw the real Olivia, the one hidden behind all the sarcasm and bitchyness. They became friends and then more. Obviously. When I first found out about them, I hated Olivia more than I ever had. I felt like she had taken my father and now she was taking my mother too. It had always been just me and Ma before Springfield, and I guess it was hard to have to share her. I tried everything to break them up. I don't know if you know, but, my Ma left town last summer. It was my fault, but I made Olivia think it was hers. My Ma wrote to Olivia every week while she was gone, but I took the letters and hid them so Olivia would think my Ma just left her."

"I can understand you having trouble with their relationship. So, what happened? How did you go from hating Olivia and trying to break them up to loving her, calling her mom?"

"When Ma came home last summer, she was so upset and hurt that Olivia wouldn't speak to her. Ma tried over and over to get Olivia to talk to her, but Olivia wouldn't do it, she said that Ma left her and she couldn't trust her. I thought I would be so happy that Olivia wasn't giving Ma the time of day. She was proving that she hadn't changed, she was the same old Olivia Spencer, but I was wrong. It hurt me to see my Ma so broken. I gave Olivia the letters. She didn't read them at first but, eventually we made a deal and she did."

"What kind of deal? If you don't mind my asking." Felicia could see Rafe's walls dropping, he was opening up. She needed him to keep talking. If he would tell her all of his thoughts on Olivia and his relationship, she was hoping it would lead to him opening up about what happened with Frank. She usually didn't expect so much out of a first meeting, but they wouldn't speak again before Frank's trial and she knew Rafe couldn't go into that court room and speak as a witness with the way he was currently feeling.

Rafe kept telling her about Olivia and him. He told her about the deal they made for him not to go into the army if she read the letters. How that's when he started to really see everything Olivia had done for him. From the little speech she gave him when he first went to jail for being so rude to his mother to using her connections to keep from going into the army. He told about what happened with Olivia's heart in Chicago before Thanksgiving, how he truly had started to see her as another parent and how the thought of losing her broke his heart even more so then Gus had. He filled her in on their home life and his position at SRHR and made certain it was known that Olivia was his mother just as much as Natalia was and nothing would ever change that. While he told their story, he glossed over everything that had happened with Frank. Only mentioning a few things here and there, about Frank coming to see him in prison and lying to him about he and Natalia's relationship. He briefly told her about Frank leaving marks on his Ma and how it took all he had not to kill the guy on the farmhouse front lawn, and then he got to what had just happened with Olivia. Felicia thought he was going to stop talking, but he didn't. He looked down at his hands and continued.

"I had just finished loading the car and I heard something upstairs. It sounded like someone falling, hard. My heart sank because I knew it was my mom. I was so scared something had happened to her heart again. I don't even know how many stairs I skipped trying to get to her."

At this point Rafe's eyes had glossed over and he was lost in the memory. Felicia briefly thought she should bring him back, but he was talking bluntly about what had occurred and how it made him feel, so instead, she sat up straight and hung on every word he said. She knew somewhere in there was the key to helping Rafe.

Rafe walked her through every detail of that day. Frantically calling 911, he and Mallet breaking through the door only to be stopped by the dresser blocking it. The havoc the room was in when he finally got inside. The blood he could see in the closet, and Frank holding the woman he had once hated with so much passion but now loved more than he had ever thought possible.

"Moms eyes opened and I could see how much pain she was in. But when she looked at me, I knew she was going to do something to get us out of the mess we were in. I could just tell. I could see how much she loved me in her eyes, how desperate she was to get me out of that room and away from Frank. She was so beat up. There was blood dripping from her temple, her lip was split, her eye was black, her breathing was so labored. I was crying, I remember how hot the tears felt on my face. I felt like I couldn't move, couldn't think, but when my mom looked at me with those determined eyes, something switched in my brain. I started talking to Frank. I remember telling him that he was right. It hurt so bad to say that, to say that Olivia didn't love me or Ma, that she was a bitch, but I had to, I had to keep him distracted. That's when Olivia made her move, it happened so fast but, she was amazing. She had been beaten so bad, she was unconscious when we first made it to the room, but somehow she found the strength to all but kick his ass. She head butt him and I think she hit him but I'm not sure. All I know is he was on the ground and mom had his gun pointed at him ready to blow his head off. How did she do it? How did she find that much power within herself after what she had just been through?"

Felicia could tell that Rafe was still half in the memory so she reached out to touch his shoulder. When he looked up tears were streaming down his face. "It was you Rafe. You gave her that strength."

"Wh-what do you mean?" He stuttered through his sobs.

"When Olivia looked at you, saw how scared you were, she became the strongest person you will ever meet. She became a mother protecting her child. There was nothing it that moment that could stop her from doing what she had to do to keep you safe."

"But how?"

"Rafe, have you ever heard the old saying that a mother could lift a car if her child was trapped underneath?" Rafe nodded without looking at her. "This was the same thing. Adrenalin raced through Olivia at the thought of her child being hurt and her strength grew ten times it's norm. I don't know if I've ever met anyone quite as determined as Olivia Spencer. And with her natural strength and determination along with her fear of something happening to you, she found everything she needed to get you both out of that situation Rafe. Now, I'm not saying anyone else could have done what she did, even a mother in the same situation, what Olivia did was nothing short of heroic given her injuries, that woman is so very strong. You are very lucky to have her love you the way she does."

"But I should have been protecting her, not the other way around. I'm the man of the family. I'm supposed to protect them, all of them. I swore to Olivia when she was in the hospital when her pacemaker messed up, I promised I would take care of her if she just lived. And She did, and then when it was time for me to hold up my end of the bargain I failed." Rafe all but screamed, more tears rushing from his eyes.

Usually, Felicia kept a certain distance from her patients, keeping personal boundaries, only touching on the arm, knee, hand, or shoulder. Especially with adult patients, but in that moment, all she saw was a broken little boy not much younger than her own son, Remy, fearing for his mother. She quickly moved to sit next to him on the couch and wrapped her arms around him, allowing him to cry into her shoulder for long moments before he was able to control himself again and pulled slightly away and sat up straight again.

Felicia moved back to her chair and handed him a box of Kleenex. "It's okay to be upset Rafe. You have every right to be angry, frustrated, sad, scared, whatever you're feeling, you have a right to it, but I need you to understand that none of this was your fault. It is not your job to protect Olivia, or your Ma, it's their job to protect you, and that's exactly what Olivia did that day." Felicia paused and made sure she had his full attention. "Rafe, you did nothing wrong, nothing you did or didn't do caused Olivia's injuries. Frank Cooper is the only one responsible for what happened in that room."

"But I should have known something was wrong when it took her so long to come down. I had just been upstairs; I was packing for Ava and then I got all the suitcases from up there. How did I not know he was there? How did I not protect her and keep him from hurting her? I had a bad feeling when we pulled up to the house that day. I should have known."

"Rafe, no one could have known that he was in the house. He was a police officer; he knew how to keep quiet and stay hidden. From my understanding he was hiding in the closet in your moms room."

"Yeah, he was."

"Did you go in that room?"

"No."

"Then how were you supposed to know he was there Rafe? No one could have known. However, I don't think that's all that's bothering you. Am I right?" Rafe took a few minutes to look up at her and then he nodded his head. "Do you want to tell me what you're really scared of?"

Rafe took a deep breath and tried to stop himself from crying again. "I don't want to lose her." He said in a voice so small Felicia had to strain to hear it.

"You think something is going to happen to Olivia?"

"Yes. I know it's stupid because she's okay now and Frank is going to prison, and I'm not a little kid like Emma, but I can't help it. I finally have the family I've always wanted. The one I never let myself believe I could have. I have sisters and two parents that love me and a nice home in a decent town, and every time I turn around something happens to her. First her heart, and now this." Rafe started to sob again thinking about what his life would be without Olivia.

"I wouldn't have any of that without her, I need her okay. I hate it because I've never needed anyone but Ma, but I need her. I need my sisters and Sam and god damn it I need Olivia Freaking Spencer. I need her to yell at me when I fuck up and put me in my place. I need her to tell me when I'm being stupid. But more than that, I need her to hold me when I'm scared. I need her to mess around with me like I'm a little kid again. I just…I need my mom, and Olivia Spencer is my mom." He took another deep breath trying to get his thoughts together.

"Everyone always talks about how much Ma changed Olivia, made her a better person, but Olivia did that for Ma and me too. She made us better. She gave us a family and made us believe we were more than we ever thought we could be. At Christmas Olivia acted like Ava and I were five years old and did the whole Santa thing. She lets me crawl in her bed and holds me whenever I need to or want to. I haven't crawled in bed with Ma since I was like eight, I thought I had grown too old for that kind of stuff. But it's different now. I'm not too old for any of it. We are a family that is there for each other no matter what. We are the closest family I have ever seen." Rafe paused and looked from the floor to his hands and finally up to Felicia. He was about to tell her something he swore to himself he would never tell anyone. But he felt like he could tell her. Like she would understand.

"The first time I felt truly safe since I was little, was one night when I first moved in with Ma and mom. They were doing construction on the house so we were staying at the Beacon. Emma wanted a movie night and the only place big enough for all of us with on Olivia's bed. We all piled up there, I couldn't admit it then, but I woke up in the middle of the night and I was laying partially on Olivia. She had been running her hands through my hair before I fell asleep. I was going to move and sleep in the other room, but I looked over and there was Ma cuddled up with Emma with a smile on her face, and then I looked at Olivia from where my head was on her stomach, she had that same smile and she was holding me like I was her son. And for the first time in a long time, I felt so safe. I stayed there like that. I wanted to feel that safety that Olivia provided. I had never felt like that. I mean I always knew Ma would do all she could for me, to protect me, but it's different with Olivia. I know what she can do and how far she will go to get what she wants. In that moment, having her hold me like that. I knew, I knew that this woman would do anything for me, to keep me safe, to make me happy, and now, now all I can think is that if she dies, if I lose her, I'll lose a part of me to. I don't think I could survive losing her. I NEED HER."

Felicia was taken aback for a moment. She knew a lot about Olivia Spencer, and not a lot of it was good, but hearing Rafe talk about her as if she was the greatest woman to ever walk the planet, as if she alone held his happiness in her hands, she was awestruck. She could only hope that Mel and Remy felt even an ounce of that towards her. She quickly collected herself and returned her attention to the man looking so young and innocent in front her.

"Rafe, I know it's scary when someone we love comes close to death. It makes us rethink ourselves and our lives. I can't promise you that nothing bad will ever happen to Olivia or anyone in your family for that matter, but I can promise you that your family will get through anything life throws at you." Rafe looked skeptical, so she continued.

"Rafe I see a lot of families come through here. They all have their own issues and things to work through, but I have never seen a family as close as yours. You've not been a family for very long, but if I didn't know your story, I would think that you had always been together. You five gather around each other, you rally together and hold one another. You keep each other safe. Not just physically, but emotionally as well. Like earlier, when Emma was so upset, you and Ava immediately were on the floor in front of her and Natalia. Olivia swallowed her pain and got as close to Emma as she could and you and Ava held your moms and your sister, you all cried together and you all did everything you could to ease Emma's fears. I've seen a lot in my years as a psychologist, but I've never seen a family that joins together like yours does. Each of your pain in one another's. If one of you hurts you all hurt. And you all make sure that every member of your family is okay before you let go of each other. That is a closeness I have never seen, and one that I envy. Trust me when I tell you Rafe, no matter what happens, the Spencer-Rivera family will be just fine, and you will be the family this whole town looks up to and aspires to be like."

Rafe thought about that for a moment. He let his eyes slip shut and flashes of his life since becoming a family with Olivia, Emma, and Ava washed over him. He saw the scary times that had them all cuddled in his moms bed together, but he also saw the happy times, snowball fights, game nights, movie nights, family dinners. He saw himself and his Ma holding down his mom while his sisters tickled her. He saw them all in his apartment playing video games. He saw his mother's stealing kisses and him and his sister making a dramatic scene of how gross it was. A smile washed over him as a weight lifted from his shoulders. Felicia was right. They couldn't stop the bad things from happening, but they could control how they handled it, and they could hold onto the good moments that happened in between all the bad ones.

Rafe slowly opened his eyes and was met by Felicia's kind eyes staring back at him and a smile on her face. She had watched his facial expressions as he sat and thought on the couch across from her, and although she didn't know exactly what he was thinking, she could tell he was finding the happiness his family provided amongst all the craziness, and when a smile popped on his face, she knew he was holding onto that.

"Are you feeling better?" She asked happily.

"Yeah." Rafe smiled at her. "Thank you. I know I still have some stuff to work out, and I hope I can still come talk to you, but you reminded me that no matter what, I will always have my moms and my sisters, and Sam, I will always have my family. And even when everything is going to shit, our family is strong, we will bind together and concur whatever we have to."

"I'm so happy to hear that Rafe. I really hope you continue to come and speak with me, with your family and alone. We made a lot of head way today, but I believe you are right, there are still some things you need to work through and I would like to help you with them."

"Thanks doc. You're really good at what you do."

"Well thank you Rafe. Alright, we've reached the end of our time, but I'll see you next week both with your family and individually?"

"Yeah, I'll be here." Rafe stood and Felicia did as well.

Just as they made it to the door, Felicia placed her hand on his arm. "Remember Rafe, when you're in the middle of a bad moment in life, just close your eyes, see whatever it was that brought that smile to your face just now and hold onto it until the next good moment comes along. Okay?"

"Yeah okay. Thanks again. I'll see you next week." With that Rafe opened the door and headed out. When he reached his truck he quickly called Ava and asked if she was alright with him running home really quick before heading to work. Ava could tell that it was important to him so she agreed. Rafe knew his Ma had her first individual appointment an hour after him so if he was quick he could catch her and his mom both at home before she left and then have a few minutes with just his mom before heading to work.

Rafe raced home and burst through the farmhouse door intent on wrapping his mothers in his arms but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw his mom cuddled up with his ma on the couch sound asleep. Sam was sitting in the wicker chair and he and Natalia were chatting quietly while Olivia slept.

Natalia looked up at her son. "Hey, where's the fire? You came in the door like your pants were burning."

Rafe shook his head and walked to his mother, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek. "No Ma I'm fine. I just really wanted to see you and mom." He leaned over and placed a sweet kiss to Olivia's forehead causing her to stir and blink open her eyes. "Sorry mom. I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's okay son. I probably n-needed to wake up s-soon anyways." She slowly moved to sit up with the help of her wife.

Natalia smiled at her. "Hey there sleepy head. You feeling better after your nap?"

"Yes. Thank y-you sweetheart. How l-long was I out?"

"Just a little over an hour."

Rafe couldn't stop himself any longer and quickly wrapped his arms around Olivia's neck, careful not to jar her too much. Olivia held onto her son and soaked up the moment. She didn't know what was going on, but she could tell Rafe needed her in that moment. She turned her head and kissed his temple before he pulled back from the hug and sat between his mothers on the couch.

"Are you o-okay bub?"

"Yeah. I'm good. I just, I needed to see you and Ma. I needed to tell you that I love you."

Olivia was a little confused when Rafe wrapped her in a hug again, but she hugged him back and kisses his head again. "I love you t-too baby. You s-sure everything is okay?"

Rafe pulled back from the hug again and turned to hug Natalia just as tightly. "Yeah. I just, I love you guys so much, and I love our family, and I'm so sorry it took me so long to see how great you are."

Natalia smiled over at her wife as she hugged her son tightly. "We love you too mijo. So very much. And all that matters is that we are together now."

Rafe pulled back from the hug and smiled as his ma. "I know Ma. I'm just so sorry for everything I did to you and mom before. I know I've said it before, but I'm really sorry, and I'm so happy that I get to be a part of this family. We will get through anything together, I see that now, and I just wanted you and mom to know that too."

Natalia cupped his cheeks and kissed his forehead. "We know mijo, I'm glad you know it now too." She released him and sat back against the couch. "So, it would seem your talk with Felicia went well?"

"Yeah, it was really good."

"Good. Alright. I need to get myself ready to go see her and then I promised Ava I would stop by and help her with a few things. Then I have to take Emma to see Felicia. Sam is going to stay around here and help mom. Are you going to work today?"

"Yeah. I just wanted to come home really quick before I went in. Are you getting Emma from school early?"

"No but my appointment is at one and then with helping Ava, I'm sure I'll be in town until school lets out. Emma's appointment is at three thirty so I'll be home around five to make dinner. Will you and Ava be home by then or should I wait a bit to start it?"

"I'm not sure. I don't think we have a whole lot to do today. A few things to catch up on since we were in Chicago, but since Ava is so much like mom, I'm sure she has most of it done and then with you going to help her I bet we'll leave around five and be home just as you finish dinner."

"Sounds good. I'm gonna go get ready and I'll see you tonight if you're gone before I come back out."

"Okay. Love you Ma."

"I love you too." She kissed his cheek and then Olivia's lips before disappearing to her bedroom.

Rafe really wanted to talk with Olivia for a few but wanted to wait until his Ma left so he instead threw an arm around his moms shoulder and looked to his uncle. "So, how much longer are you staying in town? Not that I like want you to leave or anything."

Sam chuckled. He knew his nephew was just making small talk until his ma left, though he didn't know why, he had a feeling it had something to do with his talk with the good doctor. "I'm not really sure. It depends on the trial on Monday. I was offered a job taking pictures and writing a few articles in Washington but I would have to leave by next Friday. So, we'll see. If the trial goes good I'll probably head out then, but it all depends. I want to stay until Livvie here is fully recovered, but she's been up my ass for me to stop putting my life on hold and since she's doing so much better, I just might listen to her. I need to make some money here soon."

"It's about t-time you listened to me. Sam I a-appreciate all that y-you've done for me and for my f-family, but you have your own l-life too, and I hate that y-you've stopped your life for me."

"Livvie, I haven't stopped my life, I just put it on hold. You are my family, and until you married Natalia, you and the girls were all I had. I couldn't not be here for you. You've given so much for me over the years, it was my turn to be here for you."

Olivia blushed at the statement. "Thank you S-Sammie. I love you y-ya know."

"I love you too Livvie." Sam heard Natalia coming back and stood from his seat. He walked to his sister and kissed her cheek. "Now if you don't mind, I'm gonna go and take a shower while Rafe's still here, I'll be down shortly."

Olivia watched him walk up the stairs as her wife stepped back into the living room. Olivia whistled at her love in her business suit and smirked. "Mmm, someone is looking s-sexy. Should I be worried." She joked as she tried to stand from the couch. Rafe helped her stand and she slowly walked towards Natalia.

Natalia took two long strides and met her wife in the center of the living room. She wrapped her arms gently around her waist and kissed her lips. "Not at all my love. It's all for you."

Olivia kissed her again. "Mmm. Good a-answer."

Natalia kissed her wife once more and just as it deepened, Rafe cleared his throat and Natalia pulled back. "Alright, I've got to go. You be good, don't overdo it and make sure you do your exercises and take your pills with lunch."

"Yes ma'am." Olivia gave a mock salute.

Natalia chuckled and gave Olivia a few quick pecks before releasing her and heading for the door. "I love you; I'll be home around five with Emma. And I guess I'll see you at the Beacon shortly Rafe?"

"Yeah, Ma, I'll be there. Just gonna stay with mom while Uncle Sam takes a shower."

"Okay. I love you both."

Olivia smiled at her wife who she could tell did not want to leave her. "I love you h-honey, I'll be fine, Sam will be h-here with me until you g-get home. Now go before you're l-late."

Natalia smiled at her wife and son who was helping her back to the couch before she opened the door and went out into the chilly weather.

Once the door closed and Olivia was in a comfortable position on the couch, she turned to her son. "What's up bub? I k-know you were stalling un-until your ma left."

Rafe got a sheepish look on his face. She knew him so well. "Yeah, I was. I just wanted to talk to you for a few."

"Okay. What's go-going on son?"

"Nothing really, I just, I really need you to know how much I love you and how important to me you are."

"I know. And I l-love you too."

"I guess what I really want to say is that you are my mom. I know I've told you that but this, all of this shit that has happened, it really scared me. I know you know that, and I know you think that it was just because of what Frank did, and a lot of it was, but, after talking to Felicia I realized that it was more than that." Rafe looked down at his hands unable to meet Olivia's eyes.

Olivia gently tilted his chin up with two fingers so he would meet her eyes. "Rafe, you are my s-son, nothing will ever change th-that. There is nothing you could say or d-do that would make me think any l-less of you. Now, what do y-you need to say son?"

"I'm scared, not of something happening to you, but of losing you at all. I pushed you away so hard in the beginning, and I hated it when I started to care about you, about the way you felt and the things you made me feel, but I didn't really. I was just scared to have someone else care about me. Especially after only having Gus for a little while before he died. I love my dad, I really do, but I love you so much more. Mom I don't know what I'd do if I lost you. It would be like losing Ma, and I don't think I could handle that."

Olivia ignored the pain in her ribs and brought her son into her arms as he wept. She held him as tight as she possibly could and kissed the top of his head. "I'm not going an-anywhere son. I love you so m-much." Tears were streaming down her own cheeks, but she continued anyways, doing her best not to stutter too much. "I will al-always be here f-for you. For all of y-you. Rafael Joseph Spencer-Rivera, y-you are my heart, j-just as much as your m-ma and Sam, and Emma, and A-Ava are. Nothing w-will ever take me f-from you." She kissed his head again and held him even tighter.

Rafe pulled back a little but not completely from her embrace. "I know you will do everything in your power to stay with us, but that's what I wanted to tell you. When I was talking to Felicia she reminded me that even when bad things happen, we still have each other. No matter what our family always sticks together. That's what I wanted to thank you for. Before you, I always tried to be so strong, be a man, take care of Ma and myself, but then you came, and that first night we watched a movie at The Beacon in your bed, I felt so safe with you, and from then on you showed me it's okay not to so mature all time. You act like a fool on a regular basis to make Emma or Ma or me or Ava laugh. You let me be a carefree kid like I never got to be in Chicago. Felicia told me to hang onto that, even in the bad times. And she's right, as long as we hold onto each other always, even when it's hard, we'll be okay. That's what I wanted to thank you for. For giving me a life, I could never even dream about, and for making me feel safe in a way no one else ever has. I know you would do anything for me to keep me safe and protected, and that's something I've never had before."

Olivia tightened her embrace on her son again. She was crying happy tears as flashes of her family rolled through her mind, similar to the ones Rafe had at Felicia's office. She knew then and there that come hell or high water she would hold onto this family with everything she had. Olivia freaking Spencer had a life and a family worth fighting for and she'd be damned if she let anyone take that away from herself, her wife, or her children.

They didn't know how long they sat like that, just holding each other on the couch. Both silently conveying their gratitude and love for the other. Sam had walked down the steps but stopped halfway down and looked at his sister and nephew. He knew his sister had finally found her true home and he smiled before silently going back up the stairs.

Olivia Pulled back just enough to press a long lingering kiss to her son's temple. This kiss was for the thankfulness she felt to be able to hold this sweet young man in her arms. He may be big and tough on the outside, but he was soft and sweet and caring on the inside, just like her. He was her son through and through and nothing would ever take him from her.