If faced with the choice between morning sickness or working at the White House during wartime, Olivia Pope-Grant would chose the White House without question.
Rinsing her mouth as she looked at her pale reflection, Olivia was unsure of how she was going to make it through family brunch. She had made sure that Fitz was not preparing eggs of any kind the night before, to which he had questioned how exactly they could have brunch without eggs, but quickly fell silent after seeing the death glare from his pregnant, hormonal wife. But she knew that even without eggs, Carleigh, Fitz's "nickname" for their unborn daughter or so he predicted, could and would reek havoc on her mother's stomach at the drop of a hat.
From the master bathroom, Olivia heard the doorbell sound and then the door open. She also heard her husband's greeting and realized that the President had arrived, early as usual, so she quietly slipped from her "hiding spot" and padded down the hall to the living room without bothering to slip on any shoes.
"So Olivia tells me that your foundation has been taking on a lot of wrongful conviction cases lately," she heard Mellie ask, as Fitz passed her and Marcus a drink.
With a quick nod, Fitz answered, "We have. Ever since Olivia worked that case with Annalise Keating, we have had an influx of cases. Some have a lot of play and may be over-turnable. Others?" he shrugged, "You know there is no jury in the world that would overturn the conviction."
Olivia stood from her place in the shadows, laughing to herself as she watched the scene before her play out. Not so long ago, Mellie and Fitz couldn't be in the same building together, let alone hold a civil conversation in the same room. They had all come so far in the last three years, putting the past behind them to come together as a family for Karen and Teddy.
'And now this new baby,' the lawyer thought to herself, laying a hand on her barely swollen abdomen.
After their wedding almost two years before, Fitz wanted to start trying for a baby almost immediately. Olivia had had reservations about trying so quickly but Fitz reminded her that there had been nothing quick about their relationship. So now a year, nine months, and a miscarriage later, Olivia was thirteen weeks pregnant with their rainbow baby. They had finally decided to tell their family since Olivia was passed the first hurdle of her pregnancy, thus the brunch with no eggs.
"Where is Olivia?" Marcus asked, wrapping an arm around Mellie's waist and placing a kiss on her temple, as she took a seat on a bar stool beside him while Fitz cooked.
"She was finishing up her makeup when I left her in the bathroom about fifteen minutes before you guys got here," Fitz answered, leaving out the part about his wife throwing up everything but her toenails as he flipped a pancake onto the stack beside the griddle.
Finally leaving her spot in the shadow of the hallway, Olivia spoke up, "Actually I'm right here."
Upon hearing Olivia's voice, Mellie whirled around, hopped down from her seat, and practically ran to hug her best friend. The two hadn't seen each other in person in over two months due to their busy schedules.
"Madam President," Olivia murmured as she returned the brunette's embrace. "It's so good to see you. I've missed you, Mels."
Mellie released her just enough to see Olivia's face, replying, "Oh I've missed you too. So have the kids. Teddy wanted to come but his best friend at school had a sleepover birthday party last night. I do not envy the parents who got to deal with seven eight year olds hopped up on sugar all night." the older woman chuckled. "He did tell me to tell "his Liv" that he loves you all the muches in the world."
Hearing the special phrase that the two only used with each other, Olivia's smile grew even wider. "I swear that boy in growing up too fast. In my mind, he should still be learning to toddle around the Oval Office. Instead, he's eight years old and going to his first overnight birthday party." Olivia sighed; tears welled up in her eyes at the thought of her son growing up so quickly. Adding hormones to the mix just made her even more of an emotional wreck.
Mellie's brow furrowed upon seeing the tears in Olivia's eyes. "What's wrong, Liv?" she questioned, the tone in her voice telling Olivia that she knew something wasn't right.
Completely releasing Mellie from their embrace, Olivia walked passed the bar where Marcus was still standing and opened the refrigerator. "Nothing, Mels. I'm just sad to see our baby grow up," the younger woman replied as she took a bottle of water from the open fridge. She paused to open the bottle and took a sip before turning back toward Mellie, all the while feeling her friend's eyes boring holes into her back.
One eyebrow raised, Mellie reclaimed her seat the bar. She looked at Fitz, who just shrugged his shoulder, before she countered, "Olivia Pope-Grant. I have known you for almost fifteen years so I know you pretty well. Something is going on that you aren't telling me."
Turning as she let the refrigerator door close behind her, Olivia stepped up next to Fitz, who immediately put his free arm around her waist. She looked up into his eyes; their height difference very obvious due to her lack of shoes. When her gaze met his, she raised an eyebrow as if to ask a question that she already knew the answer to. After he gave the slightest of nods, Olivia took a deep breath.
"I'm pregnant," she murmured just loud enough for the couple in front of her to hear. "Thirteen weeks. I'm out of the first trimester, and Dr. Martin says that everything looks good. We are keeping a close eye on everything." Olivia's voice cracked, and a tear slipped down her face at the memory of losing their first child.
A watery smile danced across both Marcus and Mellie's faces. The two of them had been the only people Olivia and Fitz had told about her first pregnancy, and Mellie had been the one to fly to Vermont and spend a week with Olivia when she had had the miscarriage. They both knew just how important this baby was to both of their friends.
"Oh Liv," Mellie gasped, something between a sob and laughter falling from her lips. "I'm so happy for you!" she continued as she came around the bar to envelope her friend in another hug.
"Fitz, you sly dog," Marcus congratulated with a wink, shaking the father to be's hand over the bar. "So I'm guessing this was the reason for family brunch?" the man asked as the two women released from their embrace.
"It is," Olivia hiccuped, wiping tears from her face. "We don't' figure we can keep it a secret for much longer, and since things are on track with this little peanut," Olivia continued, splaying a hand just under her navel, "now seemed as good a time as any."
Fitz flipped the last pancake on the stack and chuckled, "Now if only everyone else could get here."
"You know that Abby is rarely on time. Even when she worked at the White House, we had to move the clocks up five minutes to ensure that you were on time." Olivia replied, laughing as she bumped her shoulder against her husband's. "As for Quinn, Charlie, and Huck; I'm sure they will be here any minute."
Mellie and Marcus both laughed, nodding their heads in agreement as the front door opened behind them, and Abby Whelan walked through the door. Abby's timely entrance caused all of them to dissolve into hysterical laughter.
"Did I miss the joke?" Abby asked, walking over to the bar, hands on hips. "I'm sorry I'm late. My Uber driver didn't know the house was even here so we drove around in circles for a good ten minutes."
Having finally gotten control of her laughter, Olivia made her way over to the red head and wrapped her in a hug. "It's okay, Abby. We are used to you flying in on two wheels."
"I am not always late," the younger woman replied with a huff. "Okay, okay. I might have an issue with gauging my timing on occasion," she conceded after seeing Olivia and Mellie's raised brows. Her deflated expression causes all four of the people in front of her to dissolve into laughter all over again.
And in that moment, standing in the kitchen, surrounded by so much laughter and love, Olivia realized that all the pain and heartache had lead her here. And despite the broken promises, trampled hearts, torn friendships, outright lies, and bad decisions, she wouldn't change a second of this crazy life because this was right where she was always meant to be.