Chapter 4

Family Quilts

Autumn 1975

Anne sauntered down the expansive corridor, the edge of her long dressing gown lightly brushing the carpet. The quiet blanketing the house comforted her because she knew her beloved husband and children were asleep. She longed for this alone time, always in short supply with five children ranging in age from 12 to 3 years old. The help of the nanny and housemaid was invaluable to her, but she was always very involved in her children's care and the management of her home. She couldn't do it alone with the children and all the entertaining she had to do for The Organization.

Her husband, Michael, wanted the coveted spot of Supreme Eminence. That had always been his dream since he was recruited decades ago. Unlike him, she was a legacy, born into the Organization. Her mother had been a recruit and her father, a legacy. She would never admit it to him, but of the two of them, Michael was the stalwart member. In her observation, the recruits were the passionate ones, probably because they had made a choice to join. Whenever leaders or members came calling for a favor, he always answered in the affirmative. During these times, Anne automatically assumed the planner and hostess role.

Last night there had been a dinner party for President Gerald R. Ford and members of his cabinet. Now that Ford had ascended to the Presidency due to Nixon's resignation, the Organization had one of its own in power.

Anne was looking forward to sitting with a cup of coffee and reading for an hour before she would have to begin breakfast on this Sunday morning. As she rounded the corner, she heard a strange sound coming from Soren's room. With her ear pressed to the door, she listened to what sounded like sobs.

"Soren, darling, what's wrong?" The room was dark, but her son's form, outlined under the bedclothes was unmistakable. He lay facing the opposite window, his shoulders shaking from weeping. At the sound of her voice, his sobs increased. He didn't turn to face her.

Anne pulled on his shoulders. He turned, revealing tear soaked cheeks.

"Oh Soren, what is the matter?"

"Mom, I don't want to leave. Why does Dad…want…to…send me away?"

"I don't understand? Where did you get that idea?"

"Last night I was in Dad's office and I heard him tell Mr. Ford…the President, that one day he would have to live as if he didn't have an eldest son." Soren's voice was no longer muffled by his tears.

"Did he see you? I don't understand, darling." Anne pulled her striking red hair over her shoulder.

"I…I was hiding…After you sent us to bed, I came back downstairs. I made sure Ivan and Kirsten were in bed. I'm sorry Mom, but I wanted to use the Altair. When I heard someone coming in the office, I hid in the closet." Soren's eyes had dried and he looked guilty as he explained.

"From the first day your father bought that computer, you have been obsessed with it, darling. I'll never understand how to work that contraption. It has so many switches. I'm not mad at you, but I think you misunderstood what you heard, Soren. That is usually what happens when you eavesdrop."

Soren's eyes widened in response to his mom's words. "But Mom, I wasn't listening in on purpose…"

"I know, I know, but you were hiding for a reason. Forget about what you heard, okay. I'll talk to your Father. I am sure it is a misunderstanding. Go back to bed and rest. It is only 6:30." Anne stood and adjusted Soren's covers. She smiled and touched his cheek.

"Mom," said Soren.

"Yes, darling." Anne turned and faced Soren as she stood in the doorway.

"Thanks." Soren turned over and faced the window.

Anne smiled and shut the door behind her. As soon as she was out of earshot, she let the tears fall. Twin emotions of anger and despair filled her. She was angry with Michael for deceiving her, for his total allegiance to The Organization, and for his blind ambition to be Supreme Eminence. They had agreed to never sacrifice their children. He had promised her they would lead normal lives. I should have known. Soren is only 12, but he pushes him so hard. He wants to be SE, but he wants to groom Soren to follow in his footsteps. How can I stop him? Maybe my brother will know. Anne rushed down the stairs to make the call.

Present Day

Fitz couldn't concentrate on the budget he was supposed to be reviewing. All the numbers were merging on the screen. He had promised to have it approved and returned to Marcus, the overzealous Finance Director of the Grant Center for Global Advocacy by the end of the day. He yawned and then grinned because of the origin of his exhaustion. Last night his little onion rings didn't want to sleep at all.

Olivia had been driven to tears by their cries. "They look peaceful while they're nursing," she said between sobs, "but when I put Annelise down Arthur begins to squirm and cry, which wakes Annelise and then they both start screaming."

Fitz pulled her into his arms as she wept. "I know this is hard, Livy. We should hire some help during the day when you are home alone. You are trying to orchestrate OPA's relocation on top of all this. It is too much. How about I look into hiring someone?"

"I don't think that is a good idea given our situation. Your resignation is still fresh. Who could we find on such short notice…someone we can trust completely? I don't want our private lives in the tabloids. I'll be fine in a couple of weeks."

He cupped her face in his hands and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Raising Annelise and Arthur will not get easier. They will start crawling, then walking, then there is potty training, the terrible twos…judging from our temperaments they will probably be pretty stubborn. What if one of them has Karen's personality? We might as well run from the house screaming right now." His hands traveled the contours of her shoulders, waist, the small of her back, finally resting on her derrière. He caressed her there and pulled her closer. "I know we'll make more crying, smushy babies so we'll need some help to manage it all," he said with a devilish grin.

An involuntary chuckle escaped from Olivia as she moved out of his arms. Shaking her head she walked over to the twins' lbasinets. They each had their own, but she had put them both in Arthur's. They were awake and making gurgling sounds. Olivia smoothed Arthur's red hair and brushed her finger against Annelise's chubby cheek. "Hi, my little darlings, please tell Daddy that Mommy's womb is closed. You two are the first and the last babies to come through there. Fitz, how do you know so much about twins?"

He was frozen in place. His mother had used the same term of endearment for him. He couldn't remember a time when she didn't call him, "darling". It embarrassed him as an adolescent, but he'd longed to hear her say it after he was sacrificed and assumed a new family. Then, he'd been just 13 years old.

He let the memories wash over him. His siblings Ivan, Kirsten, Peter, and Petra all cried when he left. He hadn't thought about his real family in years. However, the impending meeting with his father and Olivia's birth of the twins caused him to think about his old life almost daily. Little Arthur's red hair reminded him of his mother. The fact that the newborns were twins reminded him of his siblings, Petra and Peter, also twins. He'd named his daughter, Annelise Petra Grant after his mother, Anne and his sister, Petra. Deep down he knew that he couldn't continue to keep his past from Olivia especially since it was showing up everywhere. Fear and dread filled him as he wondered how she would react. He didn't know when or how Nate would show up with whatever information he had. Fitz knew that Nate's information was incomplete. No one had ever infiltrated The Organization. Whatever information he did have was probably distorted.

"Fitz, what are you thinking about? I've been talking to you, but you are in a daze."

"I'm sorry. What were you saying?"

"How about my mom? She could stay with us a couple of days and nights a week until we find someone or indefinitely. She offered as much when I first came home from the hospital. You do have a point. I need help, especially when OPA is up and running here."

"Honey, you cannot be serious," Fitz said, his voice rising slightly. "Mildred hates me…no, "hate" is not strong enough….she abhors me. I had more pleasant conversations with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad when I was President."

"She doesn't hate you. She is very conservative and doesn't like the situation…our affair…us living together…you still being married. Seriously, I think she always wanted me to end up with…" Olivia could tell he was getting upset. She walked into his arms and kissed him. "Just think about it okay, love?"

"I will come up with a solution, but it is highly unlikely that Mildred will be part of the equation." He scooped up both babies and sat in the glider rocker.

Olivia didn't want to argue about this, but she didn't like the way he spoke about her mother. "At least she is here which is more than I can say for your family. Your mom and dad only visited once. There has been no word from them aside from the cards and gifts from your sisters and brother."

Fitz could not respond. When he'd defected, his stage family could no longer play their roles. To maintain the farce, Demarchelier arranged for his fake father and mother to play their roles one last time when the twins were newborns. He had Demarchelier send cards and gifts in the name of his fake siblings. He didn't know how he could explain it if they didn't at least visit so he and Demarchelier had come up with that ruse of a visit. It had been awkward. Olivia mistook their unpleasantness as an affront to her. Actually, their coldness stemmed from their anger at loosing their prestigious jobs as his parents and all the amenities associated with it.

"Let's not argue about this, Livy. Why don't you take the night off? I'll do it all. I'll make Gerry and Karen help me. If you need to nurse, just pump the milk and put it in the frig with the rest of the stash." Fitz lifted the twins' little arms in a mock wave, "Say goodnight to Mommy, she has a date with the Sand Man."

"Are you sure? Neither one of us has ever done this alone for an entire night."

"I won't be alone. Kar and Gerry will help, okay? Don't worry about it. Go. Enjoy your night and don't do any work." Olivia kissed Fitz and the twins on the cheek. She left the nursery in a rush, not looking back.

"It just you and me tonight, kids. Do you think Aunt Diane will come and stay with us? She is like Glenda, the Good. We can't have Mildred ride in on her broom and say, "I'll get you, my pretty!" Fitz laughed from deep in his chest and the twins started to whimper.

"Shh…Shh. I'm sorry for speaking badly about your grandmother." He rocked back and forth on the glider hoping to quiet them.

The knock on Fitz's office door brought him out of his thoughts about last night. The numbers on the monitor reminded him of the work that lay ahead. Not only did he have to finish the budget, but there was meeting with Demarchelier to prepare for the meeting with his father later in the week. It had taken 6 or 7 weeks for them to agree on a location. His father wanted to meet at the family estate at Adam's Rib Ranch. Fitz didn't want to leave Olivia and the twins to make the trip to Colorado. Fitz wanted a more neutral location. The ranch held too many memories for him. They finally settled on a cottage at Lake Lanier Islands Resort in Pine Mountain, GA, about an hour from Atlanta.

He opened the door to Mrs. Handley. "You have two packages, Mr. Grant."

Despite his pleas, she would not address informally as "Fitz." He was glad she agreed to be his executive assistant after working with him at the White House.

"Thank you." He took the packages from Mrs. Handley that, from the size of them, held documents.

"Mr. Grant, don't forget that you have a meeting in three hours."

"Yes, thank you." The first package held divorce papers. He flipped to the last page and saw Mellie's signature. He sat in his chair and hit the speed dial for Olivia's cell phone.

"Hi, honey. Finished with that budget yet? Marcus is going to give you hell if you're not."

"I'm almost finished. What are you doing? Where are you?"

"I am in my car. I feel free. The twins are at my mom's house. I just left The Ben Franklin Academy. I took Karen's zip drive and report to her. Like usual she forgot it because she won't pack her book bag at night."

"We have to stop playing good cop bad cop with her, Liv. She didn't call me to bring it because she knew I wouldn't do it. She has to learn some responsibility. Where are you headed now?"

"She didn't call you because who wants the President bringing their homework to school…resigned or not? I have one very important errand to run before I go back to Mom's house to get Annelise and Arthur. I hope they are tired when we get back home."

"What important errand is that?"

"It's a woman's errand. You get back to work, and I'll see you tonight, love. Bye." Olivia disconnected the line.

"Did she just hang up on me? I didn't tell her about the divorce papers." He dialed her right back and got her voicemail.

He hung up the phone. I'll surprise her tonight with the news. With one touch of his finger on the mouse pad, the monitor sprang to life. Before long, he was immersed in numbers again.

About 30 minutes later, there was another knock on his door. Before he could get up, it opened, and Olivia appeared in the threshold.

"It's great to see you Mrs. Handley." She closed the door and leaned against it with a certain look in his eyes. He felt himself harden. What is she up to?

Her winter white coat was buttoned to the neck. He could see what looked like a grey pleated skirt peaking from under her coat. It was short since most of her thighs were visible. She wore knee length high-heeled boots. Her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail with ringlets cascading down. A large black shoulder bag hung from her shoulder.

She dropped the bag and walked toward the desk unbuttoning her coat with every step. By the time she reached the desk, she dropped the coat to reveal a white, very low cut, tight sweater. Olivia leaned forward and propped her arms on the surface of the desk. The action pressed her breasts together and put them to Fitz's eye level.

"Hi."

"Hi." He reached for her but she moved away from him and walked around the desk.

She sauntered around his desk. He swiveled his chair around to follow her every move. She swiped his wooden pencil cup off the desk and then she bent over in front of him to reveal that she was bare underneath.

"Mmm hmm…" he said.

She was planning a slow seduction. She took two steps away and turned to face him. He had that look she knew well. He rose from the chair and stalked to her.

"No. No. No.…Sit down, Fitz. I'm here to do my boyfriend." She took one step back. I'll have to work fast before he tries to take over.

When he was back in the chair, she knelt between his legs and unbuckled his belt.

"Slide forward." Olivia unzipped his trousers. "Lift your hips." She grasped his trousers and boxer briefs at the waist and pulled them down around his ankles in one movement. She took his manhood in her hands and rubbed the length of him. They stared at each other. He pulled her left hand up to his lips and closed his mouth around the tip of her ring finger. He suckled that finger slowly, moving down the length of it, until he reached her engagement ring. He clasped it with his teeth and pulled it off her finger. The sensation of her fingers in his mouth was too much. Her thighs quaked a little as she felt the wetness of her arousal between her legs.

He held the ring between his fingers. "This ring and the twins mean I am more than your boyfriend. The divorce is final. I got the papers today." He place the ring back on her finger.

While Olivia took in that surprising news and continued to catch her breath from his mouth and tongue, Fitz bent over, grabbed her around the waist, and pulled her onto his lap. She lifted her hips and he entered her slowly. "You belong to me."

They looked at each other as she took him in inch by inch. He untangled his feet from the trousers around his ankles and walked to the small couch with Olivia still straddling him. He very slowly finished what she started.

An hour later, Olivia was speeding around Interstate 285 and away from Fitz's office. She dialed her mother's number and activated the car's speakerphone.

"Mommy, I'm on my way to get the twins. How are they?" Olivia couldn't wipe the silly grin off her face after being with Fitz earlier. It hadn't been the seduction she had planned.

"They are absolutely marvelous. We've had the best time, and I don't want it to end. Why don't you go on home? Have some more time to yourself. We have enough of your milk for a couple of hours. Annie and Arty are having a ball with their grandmother."

"It's fine, Mom. I'll come-?"

"So just call me later. Bye."

"Okay…" Olivia frowned at the dial tone.

Fifteen minutes later she was rolling into her driveway. She greeted Olitz and Patra who were jumping up and barking at her arrival. She let them into the backyard, and went straight upstairs to her bathroom. She hadn't had this much alone time in months. She drew a hot bath and stripped off all her clothes. She surveyed herself in the large mirror. She had about 10 pounds to lose to reach her pre-baby weight. There were stretch marks on her abdomen and waist. Her breasts were heavy from nursing. As she sank down into the hot water, she smiled in contentment.

She awoke with a start and sat up in the bathtub. She was cold in the tepid water. She stepped out of the bath and grabbed Fitz's robe. The house was quite except for the suction sound of the water draining from the tub. Something in the atmosphere felt off, but she ignored it.

When she entered her bedroom, she screamed at the sight of Nate sitting in the recliner. Olitz and Patra started barking at her scream. Olivia remembered that they were still in the backyard.

"What are you doing in my house?" Olivia walked backwards toward the nightstand where a panic button was hidden.

"I'm sorry to barge in like this, Carrie. I told you I would be coming to see you. I didn't think it would take this long. It has been difficult to find you alone. You are usually with him, his kids, or the babies. Today was my chance, and I had to take it. Don't be mad. I need to talk to you."

"Nate, you have to stop sneaking around like this. You can't do that. First, my hospital room, and now you show up in my bedroom! This is an invasion of my privacy. You have no right to do this. You have to leave now. I don't want to hear anything you have to say about Fitz. I don't know what has happened to you and I don't want to know." Olivia hoped he didn't notice her pushing the panic button beside the bed. Now that she'd pushed the button help would be coming soon.

"Carrie, don't look at me like you are afraid. It's me, Nate. Grant is the one you should be afraid of. His real name isn't even Grant. He's been lying to everyone. Wait, what are you doing? What is that behind your back?"

He rushed to her and reached for her right hand. She immediately backhanded him with her left hand. Nate screamed out in obvious pain and grabbed his face. She ran to the door, but not before seeing blood gushing through his fingers.

Olivia looked down at her left hand that was also covered in blood. Her engagement ring had pierced the flesh on his face. Her mom had called the ring impractical and ostentatious. The band was designed so that it looked as if three gold bands had been braided together. The centerpiece was formed of three diamond-incrusted orbs held together and suspended in the center of a circle made of diamonds. She was gratefulr for it today.

She stuffed her feet in a pair of her sneakers that sat by the door and ran down the stairs. She couldn't hear Nate behind her, but she wasn't sure if he was chasing her. She didn't look back. The chill off the Autumn air reminded her that she was naked under Fitz's robe. She cursed herself for not grabbing her cell phone. As she ran down the secluded, winding road, and was blinded by headlights. She thought of Annelise and Arthur before she slipped into nothingness.

Fitz shook Demarchelier's hand when he entered his office. He was tall and lean and looked like Anthony Hopkins. He hadn't changed much in the two years since Fitz last saw him.

"Have a seat. Make yourself comfortable. There are drinks in the small fridge. Do you mind if I check something before we begin?"

"No, certainly." Demarchelier took out a seltzer water.

Fitz walked to his desk and opened the second package he'd received and forgot about in all the excitement of the signed divorce papers and Olivia's surprise visit.

Inside the bigger envelope was a smaller one with his name scrawled across it. A message was typed in the center of the page:

You got what you wanted. Now you will get what you deserve.

Fitz frowned. Then his office phone, cell phone, and Demarchelier's phone all rang simultaneously.

"Hello."

"Dad, it's Gerry. I think Liv is missing."

"What? Where are the twins?" Fitz said.

Demarchelier looked up from his phone. "Ms. Pope is missing, but the twins are still with her mother."

Fitz went numb. He handed Demarchelier the note.