Chapter 6: Hi

December 16, 1969

Olivia was helping her mother decorate the Christmas tree. It was a tradition that they had always done together every year, even before Cyrus and Mellie joined their family. It was the single aspect that Maya reserved just for Olivia as they used her great grandmother's ornaments to dress the tree, and Olivia looked forward to it every year.

"How's this?" Maya asked, looking for her daughter's approval as she hung the angel.

"Looks good!"

Maya smiled at her daughter who had grown so much this past year. Olivia began the tenth grade and Maya could already see the woman that Olivia was growing to be. She became active in her school's student government, became a member of the high school's JV swim team, and finished her first semester of high school with all straight A's.

Mellie too was doing extremely well. After hesitantly agreeing to let her go to Woodstock with her friends, Mellie spent the rest of her summer and the beginning of the fall working on her college applications. Maya knew that she should be hearing back any day now, and she was thrilled and anxious at the same time. Ultimately though, she was confident that both Mellie and Olivia would end up at top-notch schools. She was beyond proud.

She knew that with the sudden loss of the Grants and Fitz's departure that both of her daughters had gone through a lot last summer. She knew that Fitz was a subject that Olivia especially thought about still. She could tell because anytime the new neighbors (a young couple just starting a new family) came out of their house she would get a slightly sullen look, almost as if for a moment she forgot and thought Fitz might be coming out the door.

"You know, Fitz's birthday is in a few days," Maya changed the topic, clearing her throat, taking more ornaments out of the box.

"Oh yeah," Olivia replied nonchalantly as if she forgot, although she could never forget Fitz's birthday. For starters, it was around Christmas time, plus similar to herself, he too was born on the 20th of the month, a slight commonality that she oddly enough loved as though being born on the same date, but of different months, was a sign from the stars.

"Have you written him at all?" Maya spoke up.

Olivia shook her head no. It's not that the idea didn't cross her mind. It came to her daily, but after the messy breakup between him and Mellie, she was a little worried on the idea of contacting him. It wasn't that Mellie would have thrown a fit over it or anything, she was more mature than that, but Olivia feared how Fitz would react on his end being contacted by his ex's little sister, and she didn't want to upset him more.

"You should write him and wish him a happy birthday," Maya suggested. "I'm sure he would appreciate it."

"I'll try," Olivia said. "I'm a little busy. I told Mellie I would join her for a protest tomorrow after practice."

"Ahh, so I see now she's roped you into the anti-war spirit."

"To an extent. I'm not nearly like some of the hippies," Olivia laughed. "But I do really like it. I always liked the marches you took us to as kids, I just don't think I understood the impact of it all when I was little."

"Look at you," Maya said, pinching Olivia's cheeks. "I am so proud of you! Of both of my daughters!"

"MOM!" Mellie came running into the house with an envelope in hand. "I heard back from the University of Michigan!"

Olivia and Maya ran out of the room to Mellie. The University of Michigan was Mellie's first choice with its recent history of intense activism and its outstanding department in public policy. She was shaking with anxiety.

"Should I wait for dad?" Mellie said looking up at Maya.

"No, he called earlier, he won't be home until late. He's working on a project with James." Maya explained. Cyrus had been busy helping the legal team of the Stonewall rioters, and through his new work project met James Novak, who had become a Cyrus' new law partner in DC. Olivia met him a couple of times. He seemed really nice and he and Cyrus got along very well with their work.

"Just open it!" Olivia shouted, not able to wait any longer. They were all in the need for some good news.

"Ok, ok," Mellie hushed down and opened the envelope, sucking in her breath. "I GOT IN!"

Olivia and Maya closed in on a group hug, congratulating her. They were beyond thrilled.

"Should I accept it? Or wait for the other decisions to come in?" Mellie asked.

"Let's sit down and talk about it, and we can go through our options," Maya suggested, overly joyed for Mellie.

"Mom, what about the tree?" Olivia pointed out, noting that they hadn't finished decorating it yet.

"Oh, yes right," Maya stammered. "How about we take a break for now, and we can get back to it tomorrow or the day after?"

Maya sat down with Mellie to talk over her decision on choosing Michigan before cancelling all of her other applications. Having gotten distracted by the dramatically good news, Olivia went upstairs with Louie following her and sat at her desk.

She sat still, twiddling a pen in her hand, thinking through her mother's words to her. She looked down at her dog who was staring at her.

"I shouldn't write to him, right?" she asked, not expecting any kind of response but a blank stare. She thought more to herself, going through the points out loud. "Sure it's his birthday soon, but he's probably really busy. Who knows if he even has time to read?"

She looked down to Louie who cocked his head to her and she let out a sigh, "then again he did save your life, that's a good point…but then again the whole thing with Mellie ended so terribly…but that shouldn't make a difference, right?"

Louie cocked his head in the other direction, still staring.

"You have no idea I'm even saying, do you?" she chuckled. "Ok, I'll do it."

Olivia pulled out a piece of paper from one of her notebooks and sat back at her desk and began writing.

Dear Fitz,

She immediately crossed it out and crumbled the paper, throwing the ball into the nearby trashcan.

"No! 'Dear Fitz' that's too endearing," she said frustratingly. "Maybe, 'Hello, Fitz?'"

She thought for a moment before speaking to herself again throwing her hands in the air, "No, that's too formal. Come on, Olivia, think!"

Finally it hit her, the simple word that they always shared with each other. She sat back at her desk with a new paper in hand and started her new letter.

Hi,

I hope everything is going well at training. What's it like? Is it like what they say in the movies with 4am wake up times and eating raw eggs every morning? I don't know if you have the next couple of a days off for the holidays, but I wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas…oh yeah and also a happy birthday.

Things in McLean have been pretty uneventful. I started high school, which has been pretty good so far. I got all A's in my first semester, thanks to a certain French tutor I know. Also, I'm part of the student government! I'm one of the five tenth grade representatives. I was a little surprised, it's not like I was popular in junior high, but I thought I would give it a shot, and I ended up winning a spot.

I also joined the debate team and I made the JV swim team. The practices are at the same time as cheerleading, which works out pretty well, because then Mellie drives me home everyday. Cyrus bought another car shortly after you left, and Mellie uses it to take us to and from school.

I would still prefer if you drove me everyday like old times. Mellie is still not the best driver, and everyday with her feels like being on a roller coaster. Mellie is doing well too. She just got into the University of Michigan, and is planning on going there next year. I'm not sure if you've kept up with her at all through letters, but I just wanted to update you in case.

I know I haven't written you at all while you've been at basic training. I wish I could say that it's because I've been busy and couldn't find the time, but the truth is I wasn't sure if you wanted to hear from me. I guess I just wasn't sure with the way things ended if you would want to hear from me or any of us. And I understand if you don't. If you wanted to throw this letter away and not respond, I wouldn't blame you.

I keep thinking about the night in the tree house before you left. And I'm sorry if I came across as mad at you. I'm not going to say that I wasn't mad, because I am mad that you left. But I do apologize for taking it all out on you. I just really care about you Fitz, and I miss you a lot.

Olivia stopped herself from writing, realizing that she was on the edge of turning this into a sappy love letter. She calmed herself. She wouldn't let it be known how deep her feelings ran for the boy next door. It was a ridiculous crush, she told herself. Trying to add in some last minute humor before ending the letter, she continued on.

Anyway, I hope you're staying safe out there. Happy birthday, old man!

- Liv

ooo

December 29, 1969

Olivia heard a knock on her door and put down her book.

"Come in!"

"You've got a letter from the US Naval station," Maya sang, holding up the envelope in her hand.

"Really?" Olivia cheered with glee and put down her book, grabbing the envelope right out of her mother's hand.

"I assume you took my advice?"

Olivia just nodded, and Maya hurried out of the room to leave her daughter alone to read the message. She walked back to her bed and sat down. Olivia took a deep breath and nervously opened the envelope. Her eyes scanned over it, trying to take in each word before she actually began reading and comprehending the letter's contents.

Hi,

Wow Liv, or should I say "Representative Pope?" Congratulations on student government! That is amazing! And congratulations on making the swim team and getting straight A's, though I'm honestly not surprised. I'm hoping I can actually see you in the Olympics for swimming come 1972, or 1976 tops.

Boot camp is exactly as you would expect. No 4am wakeups, but we do have 5am wakeups. It's intense workouts, but the guys here are pretty friendly, which makes it easier.

Don't worry, I'm not going to throw this letter out. I'm glad you wrote me. I will always want to hear from you, Liv. I really miss you too. I've been thinking a lot about that night before I left also. I'm glad I was able to see you one last time before leaving.

I should warn you that I don't know when I'll be able to receive let alone write another letter in the future. I'm going to Vietnam right on New Years. It'll be an eventful start to a new decade. But, I'm going to do my best to keep that promise of coming back.

I want you to know that no matter what happens, I'll be fine, and I need you to be fine too. I don't want you to be worrying about me too much. You shouldn't be spending your high school and college years concerning yourself with that. You have an entire life ahead of you, Liv. I can't wait to see what you'll do. Hopefully our paths will cross again.

Merry Christmas, Liv!

- Fitz

Olivia stared at the letter. He was being sent into war already this quickly. In a couple of days he would be in the heat of the fighting over in Vietnam. She folded the letter back up and put it in the envelope, sticking it into one of the drawers of her desk. There was no use in writing back. By the time it reached the Naval Station, he would be gone. She wished he had left a different address at a base in Vietnam, where she could contact him, but he didn't. He didn't and she knew why. He wanted her not to worry about him. He wanted her to have a normal high school and college life, not worrying about him.

If that was what Fitz wanted for her, then that was what she would do. It's not like she truly had another choice also. She knew she had to get over this ridiculous crush at some point, and given the letter, now seemed just a good a time as any.

And so as the school year moved on, so did Olivia, focusing a large part of her time on swimming, student government, and debate. Mellie graduated that summer and began school at the University of Michigan in the Fall of 1970, and Olivia continued to excel throughout her junior and senior years of high school. She made Varsity for 11th grade tryouts, won reelection, and became captain of the debate team as a junior in high school. She made an effort to keep herself busy, distracting her mind until she too graduated.

A/N: This one is a short chapter, but the next couple ones are pretty long/average length. The next chapter is also going to contain a pretty big time hop. It won't be the present just yet - though that is coming soon. But it does skip over Olivia's high school experience and continue into her life at college.