She awoke with a sudden jerk to the sound of Fitz's alarm going off at eight. And she was pretty sure he awoke from her sudden movement — rather than the alarm sounding.
He knew how light of a sleeper she was. How loud alarms tended to startle her awake quite easily.
His hand was instantly rubbing her back after he turned off his alarm.
"Mmm," she groaned sleepily, enjoying his large hand rubbing her back. But she'd been having such a nice dream, she was kind of sad to wake up.
"Hi," he whispered.
"Hi," she replied, blinking open her tired eyes.
He scooted closer, wrapping his arm tighter around her.
"I love you," she murmured sleepily.
He smiled, looking down at her. "I love you too. What…what was that for?"
"I had a dream about you. I was about to tell you I loved you, and then the alarm interrupted me and my very pleasant, calming dream. So I figured I better at least finish it out in real life," she whispered.
He chuckled at her, kissing her cheek.
"You are so cute."
"Aw. Thank you," she smiled, blushing at his compliment.
"And…it sounds like you had a way better dream than me. I was…I was fighting this dragon, or something. With Tyrion Lannister. It was frightening," he said.
"What?!" Olivia laughed. "You had a Game of Thrones dream?"
"I did. It wasn't fun."
"More importantly…you were fighting a dragon? With Tyrion? I think Daenerys would be quite upset with you guys, baby," Olivia nodded.
"I know. Thank God there was no mention of 'dracarys' or I think we would have been done for," he nodded. "I would have rather shared your dream," he added with a laugh.
"Well, I'll just make sure you know how much I love you a little extra today, to make up for that," she shrugged, rolling on top of him.
He wrapped his arms around her and held her there comfortably, nodding.
"Okay. That would be nice. Thank you."
"You're welcome," she laughed, pressing a kiss to his lips.
"Well. Should we get up, get ready?" he asked her.
She smiled and nodded in agreement. "Let's do it."
They got ready, made sure they were all packed for their night away, and Olivia made them breakfast and coffee to go. Just another way to show Fitz her affection, since he clearly missed out on it in his Game of Thrones dragon dream.
They were on the road and headed to Jean's right on schedule, which meant they got to Jean's right on schedule, too. A tad bit earlier than expected, even.
And the drive with Fitz was always nice. Great views. Nice chats. Good music, split between the two of them this time. And just plain old great company — her man.
When they rolled up to Jean's beautiful home — the home that always seemed to take Olivia's breath away every time she saw it — the excitement grew in her chest. She really did love Jean. And this would be the first time she'd been back here since Jean had openly known the truth. Really, the first time they'd spend significant time together since then, at least. Of course, Jean had known for a long time, that just hadn't been apparent to Olivia, nor Fitz.
Fitz grabbed both their duffel bags from the car, and they walked up to the front door.
"Mom?" he announced, as they walked in. "We're here."
"Ohhh! Oh, well hello! I'm coming dears. Give me a moment," she yelled.
Fitz chuckled — he could tell it was coming from the kitchen. She was likely finishing up lunch.
"No worries," he yelled back, setting their bags down in the foyer.
Olivia hung up her crossbody purse on the coat hook and took her shoes off, preparing to be bombarded with a big Jean hug.
And soon, it came.
"Ohhh! My boy. Olivia. Oh goodness, it's so great to see you both," she said, with outstretched arms.
She reached Olivia first, so Olivia gave her a big hug.
"It's so great to see you, too, Jean! I've missed you!" Olivia said, hugging the adorably small woman.
"Oh, I've missed you too, honey," Jean replied, pulling back to look at her.
The two women smiled at each other, and Jean looked back and forth between Olivia and Fitz.
Olivia could almost sense what Jean was thinking. It was a sense of pure joy, now that things were out in the open, and she was allowed to know what she knew.
"Oh, I'm just so happy. I'm just so happy, you two," Jean confessed, smiling at them.
"I'm glad, mom," he chuckled, walking over to her to receive his hug, too.
"Oh, I am too, son. I'm so glad for you both," she said, patting his back.
"Thank you," he smiled, looking over his mom's shoulder at Olivia, who was also a smiling mess behind them. "How are you? I missed you."
"I'm doing very well! I missed you too. How about you? How are you two doing?" she asked.
"We're great," Fitz said, kissing her cheek.
"Yes, great," Olivia agreed.
"Oh, wonderful. Wonderful. Come, tell me more. I've got coffee in the kitchen. Yes — to go with our lunch. It's never a bad time for coffee," she nodded, waving them along.
They both laughed and, of course, agreed with her.
"Wow, mom, it looks great," Fitz said, seeing the food she'd prepared.
There was practically an entire salad bar on the island. All freshly diced vegetables, chopped lettuce, grated cheese, fresh avocado, steaming grilled chicken sliced up neatly on a plate — damn near everything Olivia could want or even imagine for a salad. And to go with, she'd prepared some wraps of all different kinds. Veggie wraps. Turkey wraps. Buffalo chicken wraps. She had all the options, and Olivia was living for it. What a nice, filling, healthy meal.
"Well, I sure hope so. Olivia, you let me know if there's anything else you want," Jean nodded importantly.
"Oh, no, this looks amazing! I'd be inclined to try one of everything if I was sure I could eat it all!" Olivia laughed.
"Well, you be my guest! Please do!" Jean exclaimed.
"You and I can split one of everything, give it all a try. Mom made it, it's all going to be well worth it," Fitz said, giving her a smile.
"Perfect!"
"Oh, you're too kind, Fitzgerald," Jean said, waving off the compliment. Though, Olivia could see how happy it made her.
She could see just how happy Fitz made her, in general. That man was her pride and joy — there was no question. It made Olivia's heart swell.
They all had a wonderful lunch, trying a bit of every aspect of Jean's wonderful meal — and caught up since the last time they'd all spoken. Jean asked immediately about Karen, and how she'd been. How school was going, and how all her extracurricular activities were going. She chatted with Olivia about her classes and her tutoring work, and all her friends. For Fitz and his mom, they'd chatted on the phone earlier this week, but for Olivia and Jean, it had been a bit longer since they'd last spoken.
And it was so nice to really catch up again, and this time — feeling a little more free to talk about other things as well. For example, Olivia helping out with the new house decorations, and spending as much time there with Fitz and Karen as she could.
Jean was very happy to hear how far the house had come since she'd last seen it, shortly after Fitz had moved in. There were some new additions she had yet to see, so they all agreed she'd need to come down and see it soon. She wanted to get to one of Karen's volleyball games soon anyway, so she'd have to make a weekend trip out of it.
She was disappointed, though, that Fitz's baby grand piano on order still hadn't arrived, and that he and Karen had been using his old keyboard in the meantime. So, after they cleaned up from lunch, they all found themselves in Jean's piano room. The room Olivia and Fitz had spent much time in during spring break earlier this year. And the room Fitz used to spend countless hours in every week as a child, practicing his piano.
Every time he played, Olivia was sure she fell in love with him all over again. It truly never got old. And it seemed the same way for his mother — who was adamant he play them some pieces from the get-go.
Since he hadn't played for his mother in a while, he got out one of her favorites — the Adele piano book she loved. She could play, too, she was quite amazing, herself. But she preferred to listen to him play when she had the chance. Especially if he was playing songs from one of her favorite artists.
Olivia was practically in awe, sitting by Jean on the couch, listening to him play "All I Ask" for his mother. What a sweet son.
He didn't sing, but he didn't need to for Olivia to instantly recognize the song, and appreciate how well he played it.
When he finished, Olivia and Jean both broke into applause and encouragement.
"Oh, son, thank you! It never gets old," Jean smiled.
"That was amazing, Fitz!" Olivia nodded.
He turned back at the women and smiled, giving Olivia a subtle wink.
"How about another one, Fitzgerald?" Jean asked.
"Alright. Livvie — what's your favorite Adele song?" Fitz asked.
"Hmm…probably Turning Tables. I think I know every word," Olivia laughed.
Fitz turned around and stared at her, raising his eyebrows.
"Well…come on over here then," he said, patting the bench.
"Oh…oh, no. No, that's okay," Olivia said, feeling herself start to blush.
Jean's eyes widened. "Oh, my dear! If you are uncomfortable singing in front of others, I understand. But if you'd like to…I would love to hear you sing."
She did love to sing, and singing in front of people didn't really make her all that nervous. She was just perfectly fine listening to Fitz play, and not joining in, that was all. But, if Jean insisted — Olivia didn't have to think too hard about it.
Plus, she'd sang this one before, which made things easier.
"Well…alright," Olivia nodded, getting up from the couch.
"Oh, wonderful! Well, I'm just so excited now!" Jean exclaimed. "I'm being spoiled, hearing the piano and the vocals. Goodness!"
"Yeah, and not just any vocals. She's...amazing, mom," Fitz said, flipping to the right song. He didn't play this one too often, so he hoped he'd do it justice. Especially while Olivia was accompanying him.
"Oh, I sure believe it," Jean nodded seriously.
"Oh, I don't know about that, but thank you," Olivia blushed.
"Don't be modest," Fitz whispered, rubbing her thigh.
Olivia peered up at him with a smile, waiting for him to start them off.
"Ready?" he asked quietly.
She gave him a nod.
He smiled at her, clearly looking forward to playing for her. He always loved when she sang along. It made it much more enjoyable, and complete.
He did a quick scan of music to see where his hands should be, and took a look at all the sharps and flats. He was ready.
Olivia didn't even need to read the music to know when she came in, she knew the song by heart. But she did follow along with his notes, while simultaneously watching his fingers move so effortlessly across the keys.
Talent.
And then, when it was time — she began to sing.
Fitz felt the familiar goosebumps arise on his skin upon hearing her singing voice. That always happened to him.
They were quite the duet. Then again, they always were. But this was the first time Jean was getting to hear.
And by the end of it, she was standing up and clapping.
"Oh, bravo! Brava!" she exclaimed. "My, my. Olivia, darling. What a voice!"
"Thank you, Jean," Olivia blushed, flashing her a smile.
"And again, flawless as always, Fitz," she said. "You two sound just marvelous together."
"Thank you, mother," Fitz said with a chuckle. "It's all her."
Olivia gasped. "It's all you!"
"I think it's both of you! You make the perfect duet!" Jean said.
"That, we do," Fitz agreed. "How about…one more duet for mom. You pick, Liv."
"Okay," she nodded, looking through the stack he pointed to next to the piano. "I'm picking an actual duet, where you sing with me."
"Uh…sure. Okay," he laughed, rubbing her back as she looked. "Anything you want."
"Words to live by, son," Jean nodded.
Olivia took a break from browsing music pieces to laugh at Jean. "She has a point!"
"Oh, I know. Trust me," Fitz agreed. "You find one?"
Olivia gasped. "Yes — how about this one?"
Fitz scanned the pages she'd pointed to inside the piano book, at the song "Stay" by Rihanna and Mikky Ekko. That was a pretty popular modern piano duet; he'd played it once, maybe twice before. He hadn't sung it though. That would be new, but he nodded in agreement.
"Sure, Liv," he nodded.
"You'll like this one, Jean," Olivia said.
"Oh, I know I will," Jean replied.
His eyes scanned the pages, doing another brief look over of the song and its key. And, at Mikky's part — as that would be his part to sing. He came in much later than Olivia, so at least he had some time to settle into the song.
"Got it?" Olivia asked, looking at him with a smile.
"Yep, got it. I'm ready when you are," he nodded.
"Ready," she said, scooting closer to him. She barely gave his elbows enough room to play, but he never said anything. He enjoyed having her right there next to him. No space and all.
He began to play, and Olivia smiled — she really liked this particular song. And then she came in and started to sing.
She turned the pages for him at each page mark, since she actually had her hands. And she sang up until the last line of her first part: "I want you to stay."
Which was when he came in. And she just watched in awe and amusement.
His fingers, moving skillfully as always. His eyes, looking back and forth between the notes, the keys, and the words he was singing.
My God, what a turn-on.
He sang his part, and then she joined in near the end when they came in together.
When it was over, they both looked at each other with soft smiles, as if to say "good job" without any words.
And Jean was astonished. She clapped yet again, looking lost for words after hearing them sing together this time.
"What a beautiful song, and two beautiful voices," Jean said, looking at them as if she could tear up. "My, my. You two sound beautiful together. You two…are wonderful together."
They both smiled on the piano bench, looking at each other sweetly.
"Thanks, mom."
"Thank you," Olivia smiled.
"Absolutely. You two better take that book home with you. Take those sheets of music — something. You should have it with you when your piano comes. Such a beautiful song should be played more often," Jean nodded.
"Aw, mom — are you sure…you don't want to keep it here?" Fitz asked.
"Oh, nonsense. You know your mother. I play my hymns and my Christmas music when the time comes, and I'm content. I just buy all those other books for when you and Karen come," Jean said.
"Alright — but I think since we gave you a show…you need to play for Olivia now, too," Fitz nodded.
"Oh, yes, please!" Olivia said, giving up her spot on the bench for Jean. This would be amazing, she just knew it.
"Oh, no, I don't…I don't know," Jean laughed, her cheeks growing pink.
"Mother. Sit. Play. Sing," he said, leading her to the bench. "You are wonderful, too."
"I really would love to hear where Fitz got his musical talent from," Olivia said excitedly sitting back down on the couch.
That made Jean chuckle. "Well. I will admit, Olivia — he sure didn't get it from his daddy."
"No. No, I didn't," Fitz chuckled in agreement.
He'd been young. But even he had remembered how tone-deaf his dad had been. But such a thing never stopped him. He was the goofiest, most fun man who wouldn't let embarrassment get in the way of a thing like that. He'd belt out a song proudly, not caring about notes, or his tone.
It was quite funny actually. And thinking about it made Fitz smile.
"No?" Olivia giggled.
"Oh, darling. No. Gerry wasn't too musical. But you know what? It made him even more fascinated when I played the piano for him when we first started dating. And It made him appreciate Fitz's eventual love for music, and his talent, too. Even though Fitz was little — it was apparent at a young age. That made Gerry so very proud," Jean nodded with a smile.
Fitz sat down next to Olivia, putting a hand on her thigh. His face held the sweetest smile as he looked down at the floor. Like he was thinking about his dad all over again.
Olivia intertwined their fingers, giving him a smile.
He nodded at his mom.
"Come on, mom. Let's hear it."
"Alright, alright," Jean agreed, flipping through some options.
She ultimately landed on a few of her favorites from the 70s. And Fitz was right — she could sing. Wow, could she sing. It was no wonder little Karen had such a beautiful voice. That gene went back deep on both her parents' sides of the family!
And Olivia was hit with déjà vu when Jean ended it with some Stevie Wonder. Because she remembered when Fitz had played her a Stevie Wonder song on this very piano. Which had then led to some…other activities. That was another wonderful memory.
Needless to say, they had a wonderful afternoon in the piano room, all three of them, which eventually transitioned to the living room. And from there, Olivia got even more of a backstory on Fitz's childhood, and early adulthood. His life before her.
Because Jean brought out the home movies, much to Fitz's dismay.
"Mom, seriously, Liv…doesn't want to see these," Fitz protested.
"Oh, I absolutely do," Olivia said.
"She absolutely does," Jean nodded, flashing a smile at Olivia.
Fitz rolled his eyes, shaking his head at his mother and girlfriend. The two were practically besties already. And he secretly really appreciated it.
He just didn't appreciate the home movies.
Jean must have grabbed the most recent ones, because the first few were of his football career in high school. Olivia got to finally see him play the sport he loved so much — and man, was he good.
She'd had an idea before that he was being modest about how "mediocre" he'd been in high school, but she came to learn how untrue that was. It appeared his team was pretty mediocre, but he sure wasn't.
"Oh my God, honey. You look like a star out there!" Olivia exclaimed.
"He was!" Jean agreed.
"No, I wasn't," Fitz chuckled.
"You were! Look at you! Tom Brady has nothing on high school Fitz Grant," Olivia said.
Fit chuckled and shook his head in embarrassment, putting his hands to his face.
"Oh, my boy — he embarrasses so easily," Jean said, looking at Olivia with a shrug.
"He really does!" Olivia agreed.
"Come on, Fitzgerald. Look at you. Look how sweet you are, giving your team a pep talk there," Jean said, nodding to the screen.
Fitz laughed and watched as he did, indeed, have his team in a huddle during a timeout, going over his game plan. Not the coach — but Fitz, himself. He remembered how proud he used to be as a captain back then.
The next clip that came up was of them waiting to go out onto the field — during what Olivia could only presume was a Homecoming game of some sort. It was clearly an important game, and the entrance was very grand. So whoever had filmed them getting ready to run out — did so very dramatically, and close up. Much more close up than Olivia had seen so far, given that all she'd seen was football plays.
So this time, she got to actually see him, at the very front of the line about to lead the team out. His hair was cut short — but the curls were still slightly visible. He had eye black on his cheeks. And his bright, blue eyes scanned the camera, before he gave it a soft smile, and put his helmet on. Seconds later, they all ran out — and all that could be seen was them charging onto the field, with the announcers booming over the speakers.
All Olivia could do was gasp. How cute!
Truly, he didn't look all that different than he did now. He clearly had aged very, very well since then. The only difference now was he looked a bit more sophisticated. A bit more put together. Hotter — if that was possible.
"Oh, honey! How cute were you!" Olivia exclaimed.
"Wasn't he?" Jean nodded. "He truly was the sweetest young man, Olivia. Never could get much of a word out of him, but you could always get that smile out of him if you tried."
"Well, there's a reason I call him smiley," Olivia pointed out.
"Yes! Such a fitting nickname you came up with," Jean said.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he nodded, laughing.
He was still embarrassed, of course. But he had no idea what he was in for when the home movies got older.
Those ones were really embarrassing. At least, at first.
Him as an awkward young teenager. As a kid, wearing his school uniform. Winning educational awards, singing in the choir, all the typical stuff that had Olivia and Jean "aww"ing, and Fitz chuckling in embarrassment.
That is, until they got back to his young years. His really young years, when the film was a little blurrier.
And when Gerry was still alive.
And those clips — Fitz watched more closely. They all did.
They smiled as they watched Fitz's first steps caught on camera. Him babbling words that sounded a lot like "dadda" and "momma." Jean pushing Fitz on the swings at the park. Gerry showing Fitz how to swing a golf club, and throw a football.
So many great memories, that all came flooding back to Jean.
And by the end of it, all three of them were crying.
Not only did it make Olivia sad for Fitz, who no longer had his dad in his life. It made her think of her own dad, who was no longer in hers, either.
She had had tears streaming down her cheeks the second she saw Gerry and Fitz interacting for the first time. She'd cried quietly the entire rest of the time — smiling as she watched the man who looked so much like Fitz now, play with his little boy. Not knowing, that in a few short years, he wouldn't be there to play with him anymore.
But she had no idea the videos were having the same effect on Jean and Fitz, too.
What Olivia didn't know was that neither of them had seen these particular videos in a while. Especially Fitz.
So when she looked up at her boyfriend and his mom, she instantly felt even more saddened.
Jean was just weeping, reaching over and holding Fitz's hand.
And Fitz. Her sweet boyfriend. The tears were sliding down his cheeks silently. He made absolutely no noise, he just sat there, with a small smile on his face, thinking back to the memories he did have of his dad, and letting the tears slip out.
So there they all sat, the three of them deep in their feelings, when Fitz sniffled and spoke up.
"Jeez, mom. You…you could have warned us about that last video, maybe."
Such a Fitz thing to say. It provided the lightness and laughter they all needed at the moment, and they all laughed amidst their tears.
"Yes, goodness gracious. My…apologies. I didn't mean to…do that to us," Jean said, wiping her face. "I was just trying to embarrass my son in good fun, honest."
That had Fitz chuckling again, wiping his face.
"Thank you for letting me watch," Olivia said, trying to remove all evidence she'd been crying and wiping her face quickly with her fingers. "Those were beautiful."
"Oh, darling," Jean said, flashing a sympathetic look at Olivia. Because of course, it was easy to tell she'd been crying. "Of course. Let me go grab us some tissues!"
Jean got up, squeezing her son's hand one last time before disappearing from the living room.
Olivia rubbed Fitz's back, looking up at him intently as he quickly wiped away the tears still silently falling out of embarrassment.
She leaned her head against his arm, hugging him fiercely from the side.
"He seemed…absolutely wonderful," Olivia whispered to him.
"Mhm," Fitz nodded, smiling briefly. "He was."
She intertwined their fingers and he squeezed her hand in response.
She looked up and turned his chin toward her, leaning in to kiss him. She could feel his damp eyelashes and cheeks against her face, and it only made her want to kiss him more. To show him she was here, and she understood.
He was quick to kiss her back, leaning in for another one.
"I love you," she whispered.
"I love you," he whispered back. "Sorry about that."
"Do not be sorry," Olivia shook her head. "You know…I understand."
He nodded, flashing her a sad look. "I know."
Jean came back in a hurry with not only tissues, but a plate of cookies, too.
"Now — I know this was my fault. But I'm hoping I can make up for it with chocolate chip cookies? I made this batch last night," Jean said.
Again — something they probably all needed. Some light-heartedness.
"Thank you, mom."
"Yes, thank you, Jean!"
"Of course. You know, it's a good thing it's almost dinner time, because I have exactly what we all need, in addition to these cookies," Jean nodded.
"Oh, and what's that?" Fitz chuckled.
"Shrimp."
Olivia gasped.
"Shrimp?"
Fitz smirked at her, giving her a nod. "We may have had a discussion about your favorite foods."
"Maybe," Jean shrugged, looking at Olivia happily.
And Jean was right. When dinner time rolled around, and they were staring at big, steaming bowls of garlic shrimp stir fry — they were as happy as could be.
Obviously — Olivia, most of all.
She was able to add another recipe to her collection after that, because it was fantastic, and she planned on making it herself some time. Jean graciously gave her the recipe she'd used.
The night went smoothly, and there were no more tears, thankfully.
There couldn't possibly be any more tears when they ended the evening with more chocolate chip cookies, card games, and a round of decaf coffee before bed. It was very nice.
But Olivia started to feel sleepy before Fitz, so she turned in first, thanking Jean immensely for the wonderful day.
Jean, of course, thanked her back, and gave her the biggest hug.
Fitz brought their bags upstairs, letting his mother know he'd be back down in a moment.
He just wanted to say a proper goodnight to Olivia — and of course — prevent her from having to bring her own bag upstairs. Not allowed.
"Thank you, baby," she said, as he set her bag down on the bed. The bed in the room they always stayed in now — his old room.
He'd grown to love it now. Though he would never admit it, because he used to tease his mom about it.
"Of course," he said, sitting down on the edge of the bed and waving her over.
She smiled, coming to swing a leg over him, and settle in on his lap.
"Hi," she greeted with a smile.
"Hi," he whispered, pecking her lips.
"I thought you were going right back downstairs?" she challenged, lazily wrapping her arms around his neck.
"I am," he nodded, pulling her closer with both palms on her ass. "I just wanted to sit here with you for a minute first. Say goodnight."
"Very thoughtful of you," she smiled.
He sighed contently, looking at her as she sat on his lap. He gave her one more peck on the lips, and then kissed her neck, down to her chest.
"You could sleep in…you know. Just underwear, if you want," he whispered, still kissing her chest.
"Oh yeah?" she asked, smiling at him and raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah," he said.
"Mmkay," she whispered near his ear. "I expect the same from you."
Her voice made his body feel warm, and the blood rush down to…certain areas.
He nodded immediately, signaling he understood.
Their eyes flickered down to each other's lips, and soon, they were kissing again. More eagerly this time, and with tongue. Not for a long time, just enough to make them both crave more.
But, he was already way over his "moment" he told his mother he'd be gone, and she was tired, anyway. So, hesitantly, he lifted her up with him as he stood, allowing her legs to sink slowly to the ground as he set her down.
"Goodnight," she whispered, holding his cheeks in her hands.
"Goodnight. I love you."
"I love you," she said, giving him one more kiss.
"I won't be late," he assured her.
She smiled. "You be as late as you want. Go be with your mom. And don't forget to take your meds, okay?"
"I won't. I'll take them now. Thanks," he nodded, kissing her cheek.
She started to head for the bathroom to get ready for bed, and he took his meds before heading back down to chat with his mother more.
When he got down there, after what had been about seven minutes, his mother gave him a smile as she sat at the kitchen table, sipping coffee.
"I thought you'd gotten lost," she teased.
He knew his cheeks grew red as he sat down next to her — a freshly poured cup of decaf in front of him.
"Had to say goodnight," he reasoned.
"Uh-huh," his mother nodded, sipping her coffee suspiciously. But happily.
"Don't, mother," he warned. But he hid a smile behind his coffee cup.
"What, son? I didn't say anything," she shrugged.
"You said it with your eyes," he replied.
"Oh, now you're just telling stories," Jean said.
He chuckled, shaking his head at her.
"Today was just wonderful, my boy. Thank you for coming. It made my whole weekend. My whole week, I should say!" she corrected.
"Of course, mom. It was a great day. Tears and all," he chuckled.
"Oh, I know," she sighed. "I hadn't…I hadn't seen those for a long time."
"Neither had I," he replied. "But…I enjoyed seeing them today. It's been too long, since…since I last watched a video of him. You know, really…saw him. I have a picture of him and me in my office that I see every single day, but…that's not quite the same."
"I understand," Jean agreed. "Still miss him. Just as much as I did that first year after he was gone. That terrible feeling — it gets better. But it doesn't ever go away."
He nodded in agreement, giving her a reassuring smile.
"I miss him, too."
"I know you do. But…do you know where I see him?" she asked.
He smiled, already knowing this answer.
"Where?" he asked anyway.
"Here," she said, putting her hand up to his cheek softly. Looking back at the man who did so resemble his father.
"And here," she added, placing her hand on his chest. Right above his heart.
All he could do was give his mom a smile. And try not to fucking cry again.
"Don't make us both cry again, mother," he warned, looking down at the table.
"Oh, I know, I know. I won't! I really am sorry about that. And Olivia too — poor thing," Jean noted, shaking her head.
"Yeah. She…she relates to that. To us," he said. "Her dad."
Jean nodded solemnly. "I remember you telling me that. Just terrible. How young was she?"
"She was just a baby," he replied. "She doesn't remember him. Only stories that her mom tells her. It sounded like…he was just like dad. Amazing."
Jean let out a sad sigh. "Knowing Olivia, I just know he was amazing. That is just awful."
"Yes. Two good men — gone too soon," Fitz said.
"Indeed. But their children sure are making them both proud. That much, I know," Jean said.
Fitz smiled, his mother patting his arm gently.
"She is so lovely, Fitzgerald," Jean said, looking at him happily.
"She is lovely," he agreed. "She's…perfect."
"I'm so happy you found her. The one for you. I am just…so happy about it, every day," Jean said gladly.
"Yeah. Me too, mom," he replied. "And…I want to thank you for that. For…being on my side, and supporting her and me. Right from the start — you've always been supportive, and…I'm just so grateful for that."
"Oh, Fitzgerald, there is no need to thank me for that. Life is too short. And I just want you to spend yours with someone you love, and who loves you," she smiled. "And my, oh my, does that woman love you. Good gracious."
He found himself smiling at his mother's words. She was one of the most perceptive women he knew. So Olivia's affection for him being so obvious to his mom made him feel good.
"And you, Fitzgerald. You are my number one. You know it," she added. "You have my support in everything. Anything. Always."
"I know," he smiled back. "I love you."
"I love you so very much, my boy. My sweet boy," she noted.
His eyes had started to get heavy recently — and his mother being his mother, was quick to notice.
"You look tired, Fitz," she said. "Meds?"
"Meds," he nodded. "I don't mind the tiredness. It's worth it, for how they…help me."
Now that probably gave his mother the biggest smile of the night.
She sighed happily, patting his arm. "I'm so, so thankful."
"Me too. Things have been better. A lot better. I know…it's not ever going to go away for good. But life's been easier lately."
"Well, and I'm sure your current life situation has helped with things too. You're not under constant stress. You're not unhappy. I've got to think…this is the most at peace you've been in a very long time?"
"Yes," he confirmed. "Definitely."
"And you deserve it, honey," Jean said.
"Thanks, mom," he smiled.
"Now. Finish up your coffee, and you head on up to bed. Get some sleep," she said.
There was no use arguing with his mother. Her house, her rules.
He nodded, getting up to give her a hug.
"Goodnight. I'll see you in the morning."
"Goodnight, Fitzgerald. I'll have coffee on and breakfast done by eight."
"Sounds great. Olivia and I will be ready."
"Perfect. See you tomorrow, son."
He flashed his mother a smile and headed upstairs, knowing she'd be headed up to bed shortly, too.
Olivia was such a light sleeper, so he feared he may wake her up, anyway. But he tried to be as quiet as possible when he entered the dark, quiet room and shut the door behind him.
She didn't move in bed, so he walked quietly over to the bathroom, grabbed his bag on the way, and got ready for bed in there.
He almost left the bathroom wearing gym shorts and a shirt, but he forgot the deal they'd made about minimal clothing. So he removed his shirt and shorts, and just stuck with boxers. Comfier anyway.
When he was all ready, he tiredly walked back to the bed and realized now, that she was shifting slightly.
Damn. He thought he'd be able to do it. Sometimes he could pull it off.
"Sorry, baby," he whispered, crawling in bed with her.
"Mmm…s'okay, baby," she murmured, looking sleepily back at him as he climbed in behind her.
Scooting up next to her and wrapping his arms around her, he felt the thin tank top she had on with nothing underneath, and just a pair of panties on.
It made him smile.
He gently cupped one of her breasts from behind, and kissed her neck.
"Goodnight," he whispered.
She sighed happily, inching her body closer to him, too. She'd been in and out of sleep, waiting patiently for him to join her in bed. And now he was here.
Wrapped up in his arms, feeling his lips softly against her neck as he bid her goodnight.
She'd never felt more content.
"Goodnight."
The sunlight streamed in from the window, waking Fitz at the perfect time. Just past 7:30, which still gave him plenty of time to get up before his mom made breakfast.
He didn't want to wake Olivia, though, so he stayed where he was, taking in her beauty from behind her. She had on a light purple silk bonnet today, he thought it seemed new. He hadn't seen the color in the dark last night, but it wasn't familiar. He'd have to ask when she awoke.
For now, though, he'd enjoy how peaceful she looked as she slept in his arms.
Either her internal clock started going off…or he woke her up when he inched closer to her. He wasn't sure, but she did start to stir.
Her hand immediately went to his, resting on her stomach. She traced his fingers, blinking tiredly at the sunny window.
"You awake?" she whispered.
Yes! He hadn't woken her up, or else she'd know he was awake already.
"Yes," he whispered back, tightening his grip around her.
"Mm. Good morning," she said, leaning back into him.
"Good morning," he nodded, kissing her cheek. "How did you sleep?"
"Really well. You?"
"Well," he agreed, moving his hand back up to her breast, where it had been so comfortably last night. His hand must have slipped down during the night — how terrible.
She smiled, feeling his fingers lightly squeeze. His thumb rubbing across the thin fabric.
Not only that, but she could feel the effect the morning always had on him, pressed against her from behind at the moment.
"Is this one new?" he asked, looking at her bonnet.
"Yes!" she nodded. "Thank you for noticing."
"Mhm. It's nice."
"You're too sweet," she whispered, turning around in his arms.
His smile was already beaming back at her when their eyes met. How contagious.
"So smiley today," she whispered, giggling. "And hard."
His eyes widened and he looked down under the covers, before looking up at her with pink cheeks.
"Yeah. Sorry. Don't…don't mind that," he chuckled, pulling the covers up over them again.
She was just giggling and giggling as quietly as she could at his reaction.
"Oh I absolutely don't mind. That's my favorite combo, I think," she said.
"Smiley and —" he said, before bursting into quiet laughter. "Smiley and hard."
"Yes. God yes. Give it to me all day. Every day," Olivia replied.
"I'd give it to you right now if we weren't in the presence of my mother," he said quietly.
Olivia gasped, wrapping her arms around his neck. He was smiling even harder now, pulling her closer.
"Naughty," she whispered. "You can be so naughty sometimes, it's very intriguing."
"Thank you," he whispered, touching his lips lightly against hers.
Amidst their kissing, Olivia reached down and felt him through his boxers. So he did the same — lightly squeezing her ass with one hand and a breast in the other. It was nothing too crazy, and it wouldn't lead anywhere. But it was still nice. A nice makeout while feeling each other up never got old.
Though, when they did have to get up and get ready to go downstairs because they heard Jean up and about — Fitz was slightly regretting it. Because if he'd been aroused when he woke up, that was nothing compared to how aroused he was now from their activities in bed. Oh well.
Olivia was absolutely cracking up about it because it was so obvious still, as they brushed their teeth.
He chuckled, going red in the face.
"Your fault," he murmured.
"Yes. Give me all the credit for that, I want it," she nodded with a smile.
"You got it," he said, rinsing his mouth.
She followed shortly behind him, and he was quick to stand behind her, holding her hips.
She finished up and they both looked in the mirror as Fitz wrapped his arms around her from behind. He could see a little bit of her stomach between the top of her underwear and the bottom of her tank top. And her breasts showed through the think fabric — clear as day.
"This is not going to help your situation," Olivia whispered, holding onto his arms.
"No. It won't," he agreed. He was pretty sure it was getting worse by the second, actually. Again — oh well.
They smiled at each other in the mirror as Fitz's hands slowly moved down to the edge of her tank top, and started to pull.
She lifted her arms, and he pulled it off her. And then he nestled his head back on her shoulder and just appreciated her body in the mirror for a bit.
"I'm going to rinse off quickly. You want to join me?" he asked, slowly pushing her panties down, too.
"Yeah," she smiled, admiring him in the mirror as she stepped out of the silky pair of underwear. She was fully naked now.
He started the hot water and she was quick to join him by the shower, starting to push his boxers down for him. Which, revealed his erection.
Good morning.
He stepped out of them completely and both enjoyed their naked time together — both in and outside of the shower. The hot water running down on them felt nice. Fitz held her there for the most part, hugging her closely under the water. And shielding her from it — so her hair wouldn't get wet.
He was sweet like that.
They lathered each other up in soap. Fitz washed his hair. And they were done in a few minutes.
And as he'd been doing lately, Olivia allowed him to lotion up her body after the shower. He loved it, and she had to admit — it was extremely relaxing when someone else did it for you.
Not only that, but when she watched him softly rub it into her skin, looking so dedicated and focused, she often felt so calm, and cherished.
He made it exceedingly clear how much he loved her body, and that was a really nice feeling.
He spent extra time on her breasts, as always, and she smiled at him, holding his cheeks adoringly.
He massaged one breast with lotion, and then the other, brushing his thumbs over her nipples a few extra times. He finished by leaning in and kissing them both softly, and planting one more on her lips.
"Done," he whispered.
"I'm so spoiled," she whispered back.
"Or…I'm so spoiled," he said, looking down at her bare, moisturized body.
"Call it a tie?" she asked.
He smiled and nodded. "A tie."
"Now, we have to get dressed mister, or we're probably going to miss breakfast," she said.
He chuckled and nodded. "I know, you're right. She told me eight."
She took one last look at his naked body, letting out a sigh.
"You need some more time?" he asked, smiling at her.
She nodded, getting her last fair of stares in.
"Whew," she whispered, feeling the heartbeat way down below. Something she could always anticipate when she looked at him naked. "Okay. I'm good. I'm ready."
"Sure?" he asked.
"Yep, let's go before I change my mind and jump you," she said.
He chuckled, letting her lead the way out of the bathroom.
They got dressed, and actually managed to be ready by about 8:05. When they got downstairs, Jean was just finishing up breakfast, and coffee was hot. Perfect timing.
"Ahh, my dears. Good morning!" Jean exclaimed.
"Hey, mom."
"Good morning!" Olivia replied.
"How did you two sleep?"
Fitz nodded at Olivia and they both agreed "great!"
"How about you?" Fitz asked.
"Oh, just wonderful, thank you. Everything is just about ready. Feel free to fix up your coffees the way you like!"
So, that's exactly what they did. Both chose to go with straight black coffee today, as did Jean.
"Alright — now you two go and sit and I'll get your breakfast," Jean nodded, starting to serve up the scrambled eggs.
Fitz chuckled, grabbing Olivia's hand as they headed back to the island.
They sat down and had a feast for breakfast — scrambled eggs, French toast, bacon, and cut-up fruit. Which, was amazing.
And after a little more visiting that morning over coffee, they let Jean know they'd have to be going to get back in time for Karen's volleyball match that afternoon.
It had been a nice day away with Jean, so when they were all packed up and ready to go, Olivia was sad to be leaving.
"Thank you for everything Jean, it was so great to see you!" Olivia exclaimed, hugging her tightly.
"Oh, don't you mention it, darling. Thank you for coming, it was such a treat," Jean said, patting her back happily.
Next, she hugged her son, who leaned down, as always, to be eye-level with his small mother.
"Oh, son. Thanks for coming. Wonderful to see you," she said, kissing his cheek.
"Great to see you, mom. I love you," Fitz said.
"Oh, I love you too. You send me that volleyball schedule of Karen's and we'll plan a weekend I can come down and watch her, okay?"
"Absolutely," Fitz agreed.
"Okay. Send her my love," Karen said.
"I will. Bye, mom. Thanks again," he said, giving her a wave.
"Bye now. You drive safe you two, and text me when you get home," Jean nodded.
"We will," Olivia assured her, waving to her.
They put their bags in the back, waved one last time to Jean, and were off.
The drive back was nice — again spent chatting and listening to music they both enjoyed.
When they finally got back home, they had about half an hour before they had to leave for Rye to watch Karen's volleyball. They used the time to let Jean know they'd made it back safely, unpack their bags, and have some lunch before they were back on the road again.
Olivia grew a little nervous as they neared Rye, though. She'd been trying not to think about it all weekend, and she'd been pretty successful, actually. She'd been distracted at Jean's house, in the best way.
But now, the time was actually nearing, so she couldn't help but think about it. Fitz recognized it immediately and understood why.
Soon, she would be seeing Mellie for the first time since everything had happened. Since the divorce, since the new house, since Fitz even told her about the affair — all of it. And that was nerve-wracking, to say the least.
She hadn't wanted to draw a lot of attention to it, because it shouldn't be a big deal. This was Karen's game. This was about Karen.
But to Olivia, this was also a big deal.
"Hey," Fitz said, looking over at her as he parked.
"Hey," she said, watching him slip his hand in hers.
"It's gonna be okay," he nodded.
"Yeah. Yeah, I know," Olivia agreed nonchalantly, trying not to worry him. He didn't need that.
Because she also knew, this would be the first time he brought her to an event of some kind after his and Mellie's separation and divorce. Everyone knew the Grants had separated, but of course, all the details weren't quite as public.
She knew that after being married to someone for almost ten years and then showing up one day with a different woman — one who'd lived in his house — wasn't exactly the greatest thing for him to have to deal with, either.
They both weren't in the best situation.
"We'll handle it together, okay?" he asked, squeezing her hand.
She nodded, flashing him a brief smile. "Together."
They walked, hand in hand, into Karen's school and he led her toward the gym.
Olivia almost wanted to look down at the floor as they entered the crowded gym, but Fitz squeezed her hand and looked over at her. Which, had her feeling instantly a bit more comfortable. Seeing his smile, and assuring look. Feeling his strong hand in hers.
The girls were warming up at the moment, so they had time to find their seats and mingle with the other parents if they chose to.
Fitz instantly spotted Mellie, who'd just gotten done talking with another set of parents. Brad and Julie — Fitz liked them.
And long before they even reached Mellie — she spotted them, too. And her reaction was pretty much what Olivia expected it to be. It was almost like Mellie was internally saying "oh, shit."
Olivia could relate.
Well. Here went nothing.
They weaved through some people, going over to meet her as Fitz reassured Olivia quietly.
"I'm here. It's going to be okay," he whispered. "It's going to be okay."
Little did Olivia know how fast his heart was racing in his chest. It was the most anxious he'd been in a long time. Not just because Mellie and Olivia were both there — that, frankly, was weird. But because he felt for Olivia and understood her pain. He felt like everyone there was staring at them, wondering how exactly this situation came to be. Talking about them behind their backs, probably. He felt so anxious.
And yet somehow, he was able to shove it aside. Maybe because he was distracted by trying to make Olivia feel better. Or maybe because this medication really seemed to have him in a generally calmer state. Maybe a million things — but he held his ground and stayed calm, thank the Lord.
And in a few mere moments, they'd walked right up to Mellie.
Olivia's hand was damp and sweaty in his own, and he felt so terrible. So instantly sorry that she was so nervous, and wishing at that moment that they weren't here right now. But they were. No backing out now.
Fitz cleared his throat, knowing he would majorly need to take the lead in the conversation department. Somehow.
"Hey there, Mell," he greeted.
Mellie plastered a normal, joyous look on her face and nodded at the two of them.
"Hey, Fitz. Olivia. Nice to see you again," she said graciously.
Well, probably fake graciously — but it actually appeared pretty genuine.
"Hi, Mellie!" Olivia said, giving her a smile. "It's so great to see you again."
Seriously? Was that really the right thing to even say? Why wasn't there an instruction manual for this shit.
Fitz held strongly to her hand, trying to assure her she was doing great.
"How have you been?" Fitz asked.
"Oh, good, good," Mellie nodded. "Thanks. How about you guys?"
"Um, yeah. Great, really great," Fitz replied.
"Definitely. Really nice to see Karen back in action," Olivia said, nodding out at the court.
"Yes. It will be a tough game. But always great to see her play," Mellie nodded.
"Yes, this team's always a tough one," Fitz winced, looking heading to their benches.
"I know. We've just got to hope our girls show up to play today," Mellie nodded.
"Yes, indeed," Fitz nodded. "Well. We won't keep you, we just wanted to say hi."
"Very thoughtful," Mellie nodded.
"It was so nice to see you," Olivia smiled graciously.
"You guys as well," Mellie said.
They all bid each other goodbye and headed for the bleachers to sit. They didn't sit too far apart from each other, but they also didn't sit next to each other, either.
"You okay?" Fitz whispered after they sat down.
"Yes," she nodded. "Are you?"
"Yes," he whispered back.
But he could still feel how sweaty her hand was in his. He scooted closer to her and flashed her a smile, trying to show her as much support as he could in this damn school gymnasium. He really tried.
The teams were getting ready to play any minute, the girls all huddled up in circles at their respective benches.
Karen's team put their hands in the middle, and Karen announced, "Wildcats on three. One, two, three —"
"WILDCATS!" they all yelled.
Olivia instantly felt the happiness rush back through her body when she saw Karen, and her leadership on the court. Thatta girl!
Fitz could tell right away that seeing Karen put Olivia a little more at ease.
"Let's go, ladies!" A mom on Rye's side yelled.
"Here we go, blue!" a dad yelled.
Parents all joined in on each side, cheering on their teams and their daughters.
And then, the game began.
Olivia didn't know volleyball super well — but Fitz obviously did, after watching his daughter play it for years. So she followed his cues and his comments, and used her very limited knowledge from past games to get her through.
Essentially, all she needed to know, was that this other team was damn good, and Karen, was a freaking beast.
She was tall and lanky for her age — but stealthy and quick, too. And stronger than you might think. The perfect girl to have up front by the net.
She would have made a damn good center in basketball, or even a small forward, Olivia thought.
The match remained very close, and it took the final few rallies of the third set to determine the final score, and ultimately, the winner.
The winner, was the Rye Country Day School Wildcats.
And the last point of the last rally was scored by the hand of none other than Karen Grant.
"Yes!" Fitz exclaimed, standing up and clapping.
Olivia gasped, looking at Fitz excitedly.
The rest of the parents erupted on the Rye side as well, clapping for their girls' hard-fought win. As for the girls, they celebrated with smiles on their faces, all huddling together and giving Karen some extra pats on the back. But they were great sports, too, and shook hands with the other team and coaches immediately, as well.
"Great match, blue!"
"Nice job, ladies!"
"Thatta girl, Karen!"
The stands were filled with chants of encouragement.
Fitz looked over at Mellie shortly after, giving her a thumbs up. Mellie smiled brightly back, returning his thumbs up.
They knew their daughter could play.
"That was amazing," Olivia whispered to Fitz, as they all headed back down the bleachers to leave.
"Yeah," he chuckled. "She's…she's something else."
"She's amazing is what she is!" Olivia said.
He nodded, giving her a smile. She could tell how proud he was. And it was fucking adorable.
They all waited out in the foyer of the school for the girls to find their parents after — which presented another slightly awkward situation for Mellie, Fitz, and Olivia. Because, of course, all three of them wanted to see Karen afterward and congratulate her, so…there they stood, all together, waiting.
"She's getting so much better at her approaches," Fitz said.
"God, I know. We've been working on that lately together. Talking about how quick she needs to be on her feet and how much that will set her apart from other hitters," Mellie agreed.
"Well, it's working," Fitz said. "That was one of the best matches I think I've seen her play."
"Agreed," Mellie nodded.
Olivia wanted to jump in so badly, and agree with them. But she shut herself down pretty quickly. She'd only seen a couple games, and didn't know the sport very well. What did she know? She just kept the smile on her face and her arm linked with Fitz's. Unsure of what else she could even bring to the table right now.
But she felt the happiness radiate through her again when she saw Karen approaching them.
She knew her dad and Olivia would be at the game today, but obviously hadn't really been able to pay them much attention until now, after the game.
And she was ecstatic.
"Daddy! Olivia!" she exclaimed, skipping toward them.
Fitz gasped, opening his arms for her.
"Hey, you! Come here," he said, pulling her in for a hug.
She happily hugged him tightly, as he lifted her slightly off the ground.
"I missed you! Great job!" Fitz said, kissing her cheek.
"Thanks, dad. I missed you too," she replied with a smile. "Hi, Olivia! I'm so happy you are here!"
Fitz set her down and let her give Olivia a big hug now.
"Hi, miss K! I'm so happy I came. What a great game. And you — with the winning point and everything!" Olivia exclaimed. "You were amazing, Karen."
"Thanks," she giggled and blushed.
"Amazing match, Karen," Mellie added with a smile.
Karen skipped over to her mom, giving her a hug too.
"Thanks, mom. I'm so glad you all got to see it. I think…I think those were some of my best sets ever, all three of them."
"That's what dad and I were saying!" Mellie smiled.
"Coach Ennis said so, too, "Karen nodded happily.
"That is great to hear, baby," Mellie said, patting her daughter's back.
"You got all your stuff, sweetheart?" Fitz asked.
"Yes, except my backpack in mom's car," Karen nodded.
"Alright. Why don't you head out with Olivia, she'll show you where the car's parked. I'll grab your backpack from mom's car," Fitz said, patting her back.
"Okay!" Karen replied, happy to be going with Olivia.
Karen waved to all her teammates as they collectively left the school, and then gave her mom a big hug, knowing she wouldn't see her for a week now.
And then, Mellie and Fitz went one way — and Karen and Olivia went the other.
"I'll be right back," Fitz assured Olivia.
"Okay," Olivia whispered, taking Karen's hand.
It grew silent, as Fitz and Mellie made their way over to her stunning red Alfa Romeo.
"I just…wanted to say thank you," Fitz spoke up. "For being nice today."
Mellie laughed. "I'm not a child, Fitzgerald."
"Yes, well. Plenty of adults can be mean and childish," Fitz said. "Just…thanks."
"What am I going to do at this point, anyway?" Mellie shrugged, grabbing Karen's backpack from the backseat. "I don't…I mean I don't love the woman. But…there's no use in…being a bitch. That's not going to help anyone. Especially at my child's sporting event and especially in front of everyone else who's known us for a decade."
Fitz nodded, taking the backpack from Mellie.
"She, uh…she seemed to be taking a page out of your book. She barely said a word today."
Fitz sighed, nodding sadly. "Yeah, well. She was nervous, Mellie. She didn't want to upset you, or…make things weird for you."
"Well, I really don't know why I seem to have that effect on people," she said — genuinely curious.
Fitz chuckled, shaking his head.
Uh, probably because you're intimidating as hell?
"It must be because you're so approachable," Fitz said sarcastically.
Mellie rolled her eyes, mouthing "fuck you."
He laughed, giving her a wave and backing away.
"Bye, Mell."
"See you, Fitz," she said, getting into her car. "We'll figure out drop-off next weekend?"
"Yeah, yeah. I'll call you."
"Alright. Bye."
He gave her one last wave and headed over to his jag, where his two favorite girls were waiting for him.
The drive home was nice, catching up with Karen and seeing how her week at school had been. How piano was going and how many new songs she'd gotten after her lesson last week.
The answer was three new songs. So impressive!
Olivia seemed a little quiet, but Fitz chalked it up to the experience of seeing Mellie for the first time, and he wasn't wrong. Olivia was just trying her best not to show that to Karen.
When they got home, they all could finally relax. Olivia and Fitz had had a long day of driving and being out and about thus far, so it was nice to know they could stay at home for the remainder of the day.
And Karen got all her stuff situated for the upcoming week after switching houses, and then took a shower to rinse off after her well-played games.
Which, left Fitz and Olivia to themselves for a while.
Olivia was taking the time to get a few things done for the week on her laptop, so she was in bed, typing away on the computer when Fitz came in.
Shutting the door, he slowly walked over to her and sat next to her in bed. His hand found her thigh and he started rubbing it affectionately, giving her his full attention amongst the silence.
They remained in silence for a few moments as he studied her. He could tell things were just a bit off. And he knew the reason; it was understandable.
"Was it weird?" he asked softly.
She didn't do anything for a few moments, but she soon nodded in response.
"Was it for you?" Olivia asked.
He nodded honestly. "A little."
She gave him a nod of agreement.
"But you handled it very well," he added.
She laughed skeptically. "Did I? Handle it well? I mean…really. How do I…handle something like that."
"Exactly the way that you did," he replied. "By being you."
She sighed, putting her hand up to her forehead. It was easy to see she was stressed, and thinking a lot about it.
He reached over and gently shut her laptop, before returning his hand to her upper thigh.
"Liv. Talk to me," he said.
"I'm sorry. I guess I just…" she trailed off. "It's just harder to…"
"See her," he said.
"Yes," she nodded. "And I know how terrible I sound…saying this. She has much more reason to feel weird about it, or dread seeing me. Not…the other way around. But it was…it was hard. It just was."
"Yes. It was," he agreed. "You have every right to feel that way, too. It's not going to be easy for any of us. I wish I could say otherwise, but…it would be a lie and we both know that."
"Yeah," she agreed. "Do you think she felt weird about it, too?"
"Yes," he nodded. "I could tell. But I think she handled it very well also."
Olivia nodded silently, thinking about the encounters.
"Do you think…that will get easier?" Olivia asked.
"Yes," he nodded. "For sure. Time will…help, I think."
Olivia silently nodded again.
"Obviously, you know…I've thought about these things. I knew these situations would come. I knew I'd have to deal with them. It's just…it's always…"
"Harder, when the time actually comes," Fitz nodded.
"Yes."
He turned her chin, studying her eyes.
"But…we're in this together. You aren't alone. We will continue to navigate together. Like we always do. Okay?"
"Okay," she whispered, nodding at him.
"Okay," he nodded, pecking her lips. "Crazy, weird situations have…nothing on us. We know that by now, right?"
"Right," Olivia said, letting out a brief laugh. "How are you doing? I know…that crazy, weird situation had to be just as odd and difficult for you, too."
He shrugged. "I'm doing just fine, Liv. My main concern is you."
"Baby. How are you doing?" she asked again, looking at him, concerned.
"I'm okay," he said again. "I…I wondered if I might not be. I was…I was really anxious when we first got there. Seeing everyone, being there with you for the first time since it all happened. But I dealt. I handled it. And…and it was all okay."
Olivia sighed, leaning into his body. He immediately wrapped his arms around her, and they sat there in an embrace.
"Are you sure? You're okay?" she asked, resting her hand on his chest.
"I'm okay. Are you okay?"
"I'm okay," she nodded.
"See? Look. We're already navigating."
She giggled quietly against his chest and nodded.
"There's nobody else I'd rather navigate with," Olivia said.
"Me neither," he agreed.
And so, there they sat together. Talking through some things. Talking through their new normal, and all it entailed.
And just like everything, there would be ups, and there would be downs, too. There were still some new things they'd have to face, and things they'd have to get used to.
But just like Fitz said — they'd get through them all together.
Hey friends — I hope you all are staying safe and doing well.
And I hope a little ASA Olitz was able to brighten your weekend.
Until next time!
Read on,
~T