Chapter Twenty-Eight

One month later – August

"Goodnight stars, goodnight air, goodnight noises everywhere," Olivia read. Her nightly routine included spending time reading to Mason. It was getting closer and closer to her due date and she never felt more ready to hold her baby boy.

He was currently kicking up a storm and it always made her smile. Her little boy was an active one. She looked around the nursery and smiled. The room was complete and ready for Mason to make his debut. Fitz and Olivia had set up a bassinet in their room for the first couple of months before officially moving him into this from.

"Mommy! I'm ready for bedtime!" Mira came into the room with her hair in braids that Fitz had clearly done. He had gotten really good at doing them after tons of practice. It was Liv's turn to handle bedtime. They wanted to make sure to give their little girl individual time with the new addition coming soon.

"You're ready?! Okay sweet pea, let's go to your room. Did you pick your book for tonight?" she slowly got up from the rocking chair.

"Yes I did!" Mira said grabbing her mommy's hand. She loved holding her hand every time she could so she could help her mommy walk. It was the cutest thing to see.

"Where's daddy?"

"He's outside with Josie."

The two of them made it to Mira's room and she got in her bed. Liv tucked her in and fluffed her pillows. She grabbed the book from the nightstand and began to read. Mira followed along and even read a couple of pages before her eyes started to close.

"Goodnight sweet pea," Liv whispered and placed a kiss on her forehead.

She slowly and quietly walked out of the room and went to into her bedroom where she found Fitz already laying bed with his reading glasses on.

"Hey baby. How are you feeling?" Fitz said looking up from his iPad.

"Like I can't wait to get your son out of me," she looked at him with a sad smile.

"Aw come here baby. Let me give you a massage,"

"You're too good to me," she said as she sat down on the bed. She took off her top and bra before she got in a comfortable position which was hard to find nowadays.

"No such thing," he replied and started to apply the massage oils they had been using for over a month. He knew that she was feeling more aches and pains as she got closer to her due date, no matter how hard she tried to cover it up. He knew he couldn't take the pain completely away but he tried his best to help her.

"This has probably been the highlight of my day," she giggled when he hit her ticklish spot.

"Well I'm happy to be a part of that," he said.

"Hopefully just two more weeks and we will have our baby," she said smiling as she leaned back to him.

"I can't wait," he said and passed her one of his t-shirts to sleep in. Olivia turned to her side with her back pressed up against Fitz. Being cuddled next to him was the best way to get sleep.

"Don't forget we have to go to the store in the morning to buy school supplies and clothes."

"Can't believe we will have a kindergartener on our hands."

"We will and then a newborn too."

"We're blessed."

"yeah we are. I love you Fitz."

"I love you more now get some sleep."

The next day Olivia woke up to an empty bed and a full bladder. She was starting to feel some uncomfortable cramping but she brushed it off. Dr. Gomez had warned her at her last appointment that it was normal to have some Braxton Hicks and to not be alarmed. Usually the cramping would come and go in the morning. Mason was already making it known that he was going to coming sooner than later.

"Okay little man. I hear you. You're hungry and also ready to join us but stay a little longer for me please," Olivia said as she got up from the bed and walked to the bathroom to do her morning routine. She grabbed her robe and made her way to the kitchen where she found Fitz and Mira making chocolate chip pancakes. Her little girl heard her mother come into the kitchen and her face lit up.

"Mommy good morning! We made breakfast," she said.

"Oh it smells so good sweet pea. Thank you so much," Liv said and placed a kiss on Mira's forehead before she went over to Fitz to give him a good morning kiss.

"Hi"

"Hi sleepy head. You feeling okay?"

"Mmm…yeah just a little bit of cramping but nothing unusual."

Fitz looked at her skeptically. As it got closer to her due date, Fitz was watching Olivia closely to make sure she was okay. He knew that she would push herself as much as she could even though she shouldn't.

"Okay well why don't you sit down and I'll bring you your food."

"Thanks babe."

The three of them ate breakfast and then proceeded to get ready for their day. It was going to be a busy morning. Since school was only three weeks away, they had to make sure that all school supplies and clothes were bought. Mira was excited to be going back to school and getting to see her friends. She would be moving to the elementary school that was next door to the preschool which meant a lot of her friends would be there too.

When they arrived at Target, Fitz and Olivia decided to divide and conquer. Fitz was in charge of getting school supplies while Olivia and Mira would be getting her school clothes. She was required to wear uniform which made the process way easier.

"Babe call me if you have any trouble finding anything," Liv said to Fitz before they split.

"Don't worry I got this. I'll meet you guys in a few."

With one final peck on the lips, they went their separate ways.

"Okay sweet pea. Let's go find your uniforms," she said to Mira who was sitting in the shopping cart.

"Mommy how many days until my brother comes?"

"Well it all depends on your brother. Whenever he feels like he's ready, he will come," she answered.

"Mason please come soon," Mira whispered.

Olivia smiled at the sweet words. She was still so blown away by how much Mira had embraced the big sister role. She was worried that she wouldn't connect with her little brother but luckily that never seemed to be a problem. They quickly looked through the clothes and were able to find everything that Mira needed.

Olivia decided to make her way over to the shoe section to find a new pair for Mira to wear. Her little girl keeps growing out of everything lately so she knew that this new pair would only last for a couple of months.

"Okay now do you want the pink or the purple tennis shoes?" Olivia held them up to Mira.

"Mmm...," Mira put her finger on her chin contemplating which one of the two she wanted. "Pink!"

"Pink it is," Olivia grabbed the box and placed it in the shopping cart. As they continued along the aisles, she started to feel more of the uncomfortable cramping that she had to stop for a moment.

"Mommy? You okay?"

"I'm okay. Let's go see if we can pick a couple more things for your brother."

"Okay!"

Olivia continued to push the cart to the baby section. They picked a couple of more onesies and more diapers because one could never have too many diapers. She kept feeling the pain and cramping but she didn't want to scare Mira. She knew that this seemed different than the usual Braxton Hicks that she was feeling earlier.

"Okay sweet pea. I think we are finished. Let's go find daddy so we can leave."

They went back to the school supply section and managed to find Fitz who looked like he was a bit confused.

"You okay there Fitz?" Liv said laughing at the look on his face.

"Yeah I'm fine. There are just so many options but this is the last thing on the list," he said as he picked the box of crayons and put it in his own shopping cart.

"Seems like we finished around the same time. Let's get going," she said pushing her cart and taking the lead to the registers. As she walked, she started to feel more and more pain and cramping which made her stop.

"Liv you okay?" Fitz said looking at her worryingly.

"Umm…I've been feeling some cramping and pain. It could be anything but I could also be in labor," she responded sheepishly.

"Liv! Why didn't you tell me earlier?!"

"Because it isn't happening too often. I think I'm just at the beginning stages. It's just uncomfortable. Now let's not worry Mira and check out. We will start timing them and when they get closer together, we can head to the hospital. Now breathe because you have that worried look on your face."

"Because I am worried. But you know your body and I trust you to tell me when it's time to go to the hospital."

They checked out as quickly as they could and Fitz handled putting all the bags in the car. Twenty minutes later they had arrived back home and Olivia took some of the lighter bags in. She wanted to make sure she kept her body moving. When she got up to their bedroom she felt another round of pain that lasted about ten seconds. She looked at the clock and realized it had about 25 minutes since her last one. Considering everything that Dr. Gomez had told her, she knew she was in the early labor stages and they still had time.

She made her way to Mira's room where Fitz and their little girl were putting her school supplies away.

"Hey baby. How are you feeling?"

Liv smiled, "I'm fine. Definitely still in the early stages but we should really make sure all our hospital bags are packed as well as Mira's. You should call your mom later to make sure she is still okay with keeping her."

"Don't worry I'll handle it," he said and gave her a peck on the lips. The rest of the afternoon seemed like a blur to Olivia. Her contractions were starting to get a little closer together going from 25 minutes to 10 minutes. Katherine was already on her way to pick up Mira for the night. Fitz and Olivia had decided to not tell her anything just yet and wanted to make sure she had a great sleep over with her Grammy.

"Are you excited to go with your Grammy?" Liv asked as she finished packing Mira's bag.

"Yes! Grammy said we are going to color and watch Moana and eat popcorn!"

"That sounds like so much fun sweet pea."

"But I'm going to miss you mommy. Can you come too?"

Liv stopped what she was doing and sat on the bed next to her. She pulled her in the best she can and said, "I'm going to miss you too but I can't come. Grammy just wants some alone time with you but don't worry I'll always come back to you."

Mira pouted but said, "okay."

Before Olivia could say anything else the doorbell rang signaling that Katherine had arrived. Mira's face lit up and she quickly made her way downstairs to see her Grammy. Liv smiled, grabbed the little girl's bag and went downstairs.

"Hey Katherine," she said as she got to the bottom of the stairs.

"Hey Liv. How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay. Just trying to breathe through the pain," and just as she said that she felt another contraction. This time her contraction lasted longer than the last one for a full forty-five seconds. She closed her eyes and tried her best to breathe through the pain. Katherine was by her side holding her hand the minute she realized that Olivia was feeling a contraction.

"Okay after that one I think it's time for us to go to the h-o-s-p-i-t-a-l," Olivia said spelling out the word because she didn't want her little girl to worry.

"Alright well Fitz is outside putting your bags in the car but let's get you going," Katherine took Mira's bag from Liv's hand and the trio went outside. Fitz was confused when he saw all three of them but the look on his mom's face said everything. It was time to go to the hospital.

They quickly said their goodbyes and Fitz called Dr. Gomez on the way to the hospital. Olivia would be checked in and she would meet them there. The two of them shared a smile. When they came home they would be parents to a baby boy.

An hour later Olivia was hooked up to monitors and Dr. Gomez had come to check in with her. She was currently only three centimeters dilated and she had decided that she would be getting an epidural which Dr. Gomez said she would page the anesthesiologist to administer it.

Fitz was sitting in the chair next to her bed holding her hand as she felt another contraction come through her body. He whispered encouraging words to her to try and help her as best he could. He hated seeing her in so much pain but he knew that she was a warrior and would get through this.

"Okay that was a strong one," Liv said once it was over.

"I wish there was some way I could help you better," Fitz said as he placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Well you can massage my lower back a little," she said giving a tiny pout.

He smiled and moved to the other side so he could give her a massage. Olivia closed her eyes and enjoyed his hands on her. There was a knock on the door and it was the anesthesiologist with two nurses. Once she was administered the epidural, she felt much better when the contractions came.

Two hours had passed and it was already 7pm. Dr. Gomez had just checked in with Olivia once again and she said that Olivia was six centimeters. It was clear that Mason was wanting to make his appearance sooner rather than later. Liv sent Fitz to see Mira and get them dinner while Abby was visiting.

"Damn Liv. You're actually having a baby," Abby said.

This made Olivia laugh at her friend's comment, "yeah I can't believe it either but here we are. God I can't wait until this is all over and I have him in my arms."

"He will be here before you know it. How's the pain?"

"It's not as bad now but definitely painful. Fitz has been good with me and has held my hand through it all. I don't think I would be able to do this without him," Liv said.

"You definitely have a keeper. He didn't even want to leave now."

Olivia laughed, "yeah he didn't but he knows I'm in good hands and Mason isn't coming any time soon. I'm only six centimeters."

"Is Fitz going to bring Mira?"

"No we decided that she would stop by in the morning once Mason arrived. We don't want her to worry."

"That's a good idea. She is probably so excited."

"She is and she is going to be an amazing big sister," Olivia said tearing up just thinking about it.

"Don't cry because you'll make me cry," Abby said as she also started to tear up.

"Okay, okay no more tears," Liv said laughing.

Abby stayed for another hour and they talked about finalizing more items for the wedding which was seven months away. It was coming together beautifully between the flowers and the set-up of the reception. Fitz showed up just as Abby was leaving. They said their goodbyes and he took her seat next to Olivia.

"Hey baby. How was Mira?"

"She was having the time of her life and confused on why I crashed her sleepover," he said laughing and taking out the soup that he brought for Liv.

"I can imagine but it's good to hear that she's having fun. She has no idea she is about to become a big sister."

Before Fitz could say anything else, there was a knock on the door. It was Dr. Gomez coming in to check on Olivia.

"How's this beautiful family?" Dr. Gomez asked.

"Ready to get this little guy out," Liv said rubbing her belly.

"Well let's check how far along you are now," she said as she started to look under Liv's hospital gown.

"Alright well it seems like you are at eight centimeters. Two more to go before you can push. This little guy seems to be impatient so I'm sure I'll be back pretty soon. Your vitals look really good so no issues there. Do you guys have any questions?"

They looked at each other and shook their heads. As long as their little boy was doing alright, so were they. Dr. Gomez said her goodbyes and left the room. It was already 10pm and the both of them were extremely exhausted. They decided to take a nap in hopes of getting a little rest before their little one made his debut.

It was now 1am and Olivia had been pushing for the past twenty minutes. Fitz was by her side, holding her hand, and reassuring her that she was doing great. She was feeling exhausted and didn't know how much more she had in her.

"Okay Olivia. You are doing great. You're almost there," Dr. Gomez said. "When the next contraction hits, I need you to give me a big push and it will all be over."

"I don't know if I can," she said with tears in her eyes.

"Babe. Look at me," Fitz said moving her head so they could look at each other. "You got this. Our baby boy is almost here and you've been amazing. I couldn't ask for a better mother for my children."

Olivia nodded her head, "I love you."

"I love you more."

Olivia could feel another contraction coming causing her to squeeze Fitz's hand as she pushed with all her might. She let out a yell and all she could hear was Fitz's voice of reassurance. Next thing she heard were the cries of her little baby boy.

"You did it Livvie."

She couldn't get any words out. All she could do was cry in relief that he was okay. Everything was a blur as Fitz cut the cord and the nurses checked on their baby.

"Alright mommy and daddy. Do you want to meet your baby boy?" the nurse asked.

"Yes of course," Liv said.

The nurse smiled and placed their baby in her arms. He was bundled up in a blue blanket and was now calm laying in his mother's arms.

"He is 7 pounds 4 ounces and nineteen inches long. He is perfectly healthy," Dr. Gomez said to the couple.

"A perfect baby boy. Welcome to the world Mason Thomas Grant."

AN: Disclaimer - I have never given birth before so I did the best I could with the info I got from google lol. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Baby Mason has made his arrival! Until next Monday. Stay safe and healthy and wear a mask!

XOXO