24 weeks
Their sixth wedding anniversary falls on a Friday, the last weekend of summer before the girls go back to kindergarten. After dropping them off at her father's house, Olivia has brought Fitz into NYC on this sunny September afternoon and she's planned all sorts for them to do - because how often do they manage to get away without the kids? - but he has other ideas, seducing her the second they're inside their hotel room -
Because how often do they manage to get away without the kids?
Afterwards they stay in bed for ages, enjoying the luxury of five-star sheets and the view of the city from forty stories up and simply having time: time to be together without the responsibilities of parenthood; time to be naked, to snuggle, to bond with their baby boy. He's a wriggler, active for most of the day, and even though this is her third pregnancy the magic of it hasn't faded. She's still in awe of her body; still feels so unbelievably lucky to be able to grow this perfect little human. She thinks he's starting to respond to her voice, to recognize his mommy, and that makes everything real. Only four months to go until he's here, until she's a mother of three.
She simultaneously can't wait but also never wants this part of her life to be over. She just loves being pregnant.
"This is the best decision we ever made," she says softly, with Fitz spooned up behind her and their hands joined on her belly, feeling their child's movements.
"Date night in reverse?" he teases, nuzzling his nose against her ear. "Mm, I agree."
She laughs; nudges him with her elbow. 'Date night in reverse' means they have sex before dinner, because they used to find they'd get home and be far too full to play. And it works; she even wrote an article about it a few years ago for a women's magazine, one which still generates readers' comments and emails, almost universally agreeing with the concept.
"The baby," she retorts now, and she can't help the shiver that runs through her when he kisses her neck, when his hips flex subconsciously and his arms tighten around her. "You know, your son? This thing inside me that's kicking you right now, saying hello- Fitz!"
She gasps because his hand has wandered to her chest, and her nipples are exquisitely sensitive these days.
"Yes, Livvie?"
His fingers trail downwards again, over the curve of her abdomen. She instinctively spreads her legs but he pauses, focusing his attention and his kisses on the soft skin beneath her ear. Another reason she loves being pregnant: zero to sixty in ten seconds flat.
"What are you waiting for?" she whispers, moving against his rising erection.
"I thought you wanted to talk about the best decision we ever made."
She tilts her face to look at him, so ridiculously handsome with his summer tan and his playful blue eyes and his heart-melting smile. If she hadn't already lost her train of thought entirely, her all-consuming desire for this man would have stolen it away in an instant.
"Right now," she breathes, raising her palm to his cheek, drawing him down to kiss her, "This is the best decision we've ever made."
He makes her come easily, from this position with his fingers between her thighs, and then he asks her to ride him because he wants to watch her, to adore her in all her glory. It's harder than it used to be: every week her body seems to have changed again, so she thinks she remembers the best way to move but it's always different, always requires some adjustment. Not that Fitz minds, of course: she's naked and he's inside of her, so he's happy. More than happy. And he helps her find her rhythm, sometimes joining in, other times lying perfectly still and taking everything she's giving him. She likes making him come this way best of all.
They shower together afterwards, all soapy hands and more time enjoying the baby's kicks because it's so rare they get to do this at home. Olivia stays wrapped in her towel while she does her hair and makeup and Fitz keeps coming over and trying to unfasten it, his mischievous smile almost melting her resolve. After eight years together, knowing he's still insatiable for her makes her feel like an absolute goddess.
When she's finally ready to go out, checking her figure-hugging, navy blue dress one last time in the mirror, he stands behind her and lovingly covers her belly with his hands. "You were right earlier," he says, meeting her eyes in the glass. "This little guy was our best decision."
She slides her fingers into the spaces between his and smiles.
"You look beautiful, by the way," he goes on, his low voice so warm and earnest. "Before our babies, my best decision was telling you how I felt at Ben and Kate's wedding. It was picking out your engagement ring and writing my vows and seeing you there at the end of the aisle: the girl I knew I would love forever."
Tears sting her eyes and he continues to speak even as he turns her in his arms, tenderly wiping her cheeks with his thumbs. "I still feel like that, every single day. I look at you and I can't believe how lucky I am, how lucky our children are. You're the best mommy, the best wife. I love you a million times more than you'll ever know, sweet baby. It's all of me. It's everything I am. Loving you, and our children, is everything I am."
She's half-sobbing, half-laughing when he kisses her, a tidal wave of the deepest joy and fiercest love rising through her. He tells her he loves her all the time; showers her with affection constantly. But it's these rare moments of profundity, of incredulity, when he stops the world with his words, that remind her just how fortunate they are.
"Happy anniversary Livvie," he murmurs in her ear, holding her so tight she can barely breathe. "Six years married to you is nowhere near enough. I can't wait for ten, twenty, fifty."
"Wow," she says quietly, brushing away fresh tears. Her heart is still pounding; she's still feeling his love, physically as well as emotionally. "Fifty years. That would be so awesome."
"We'll get there. I'll make sure of it."
She gazes into his eyes. "Thank you for being mine," she says solemnly, and it doesn't seem like enough after his declaration but she knows he can see inside of her, can see he means everything to her too. "I love you forever. And no-" She puts her finger on his lips. "You don't get to say, 'I love you more'. Not this time."
"Damn."
They laugh. Fitz kisses her again, gently at first and then harder, when she doesn't let him go. He backs her into the mirror and his hands settle on her hips as they make out. Olivia wishes she could feel more of him, wishes he could get closer without her baby bump in the way.
"Mm," he sighs after several minutes, drawing back for air. "You are so delicious. Are you sure we can't stay here all evening?"
She could very easily be seduced by her gorgeous man all over again. But even though they've lost the afternoon, the surprises she has planned for this evening are too good to miss. Last year, he opened a popup gallery dedicated entirely to her - she has a lot to live up to.
"We could," she says now, running her fingertips down his chest, over his hard abs. "But we're not going to. I just need to fix my makeup and then we can leave. We're not keeping Annie Liebovitz waiting."
She mentions his idol, the renowned portrait photographer, all the time; teases that he's secretly in love with her, that he'd marry her if he could. And, as his laughter follows her into the bathroom, she knows he thinks she's joking.
She isn't.
She takes him to dinner in the Chinese restaurant below their old apartment, where they'd eat together or get takeout from even before they were a couple. They haven't been here since they moved out and, just as she'd hoped, Fitz loves it. And they're recognized too, by Szu and Ji Sung, the couple who own it, which makes her feel a little embarrassed at just how often they'd rely on this place for nutrition.
"Congratulations to you both," Szu comments excitedly as she leads them to a booth. "First baby?"
"No, this is number three."
"Oh wow. Good for you, good for you. Lots of hard work, huh? But I'm sure they are beautiful, beautiful children."
She turns and calls to her family in Mandarin, while Olivia looks at her husband with barely-concealed amusement. After they've said hello to everyone who works in the restaurant, many of whom she's certain she's never met before, they're finally left alone to look at the menu - but Fitz closes hers and puts it aside.
"I remember our order. Do you?"
She thinks. "Number seven, twelve… sixteen?"
"Twenty-two, forty, forty-seven, sixty-one, sixty-eight. I can't believe that was actually stored somewhere in my brain." He looks so impressed with himself, it's adorable.
"But how do you know the menu hasn't changed?"
"I just skim-read it. It hasn't. Also, look around - nothing in this place has changed in the last eight years."
It's true: the red plastic tables, the stained carpet, the unusual Chinese artwork on the walls. It's like they've stepped back in time. It even smells the same.
"So, we're having our usual then?" she asks with a smile, covering his hand with hers.
"Why not?"
Half an hour later, their table piled high with prawn crackers, kung pow chicken, beef in black bean sauce, special egg-fried rice and numerous other plates, Olivia is feeling slightly overwhelmed. "Did we really used to eat all this in one go?"
"There were always leftovers for the next morning, when we were hungover."
The thought of that - both being hungover and eating cold Chinese food - makes her feel queasy. "Ugh. Don't remind me."
They manage to get through a reasonable proportion of the meal before admitting defeat, reminiscing about their time living in Fitz's apartment. "Do you know what my favorite memory is?" he asks, pulling her to sit on his lap, wrapping his arms around her. This is the kind of friendly neighborhood restaurant where it's perfectly okay to behave like this. They used to be much worse in public when they were first together.
"The time I smashed your TV? Or when the pipes burst?"
He laughs. "Weirdly not. It was seeing you run towards me from the bathroom with your very first positive pregnancy test. I've never forgotten your smile, or how you squealed, or the way we held each other and didn't say a word. I've never forgotten that feeling of complete, indescribable love; nor the feeling of absolute terror."
She giggles, gliding her fingers through his hair. "That was the beginning of baby Lila. Such a long time ago. I can't believe this time next year she'll be starting first grade."
"Neither can I. Our baby girl."
"God, I miss them both already. I hope they're having a good time with my dad."
"Of course they are. He spoils them rotten. I'm sure they've already eaten their body weight in chocolate and now they'll be watching Frozen for probably the third time." The baby kicks suddenly, and Fitz feels it beneath his hand. "You're right son," he says, "It is the most annoying movie in the history of the world. I agree."
"It's not so bad," Olivia argues. "Apart from when the music gets stuck in your head." Unbidden, the chorus of Let It Go starts to play in her mind. "Damn it!"
Fitz chuckles and kisses her cheek. "Shall we go? I'll sing something else to you on the way."
She stands, smoothing down her dress. "Such as?"
"Oh, I don't know. How about Everything Is Awesome?"
If anything, the song from The Lego Movie (another favorite of the Grant girls) is even more irritating, and he knows that full well. She playfully slaps his ass as he moves past her. He tugs on her hand, drawing her against him and kissing her mouth. "I love you."
"I know you do. Doesn't change the fact that you're annoying."
He gives her a truly irresistible smile. "Oh, but it does though, doesn't it?"
And, even though she hates to admit it, he's right.
Love changes everything.
Next stop on their anniversary date night is a tour in a horse-drawn carriage, something else they never did while they lived in the city. It's a warm evening, the sun slowly sinking towards the horizon, turning the sky pink, blue and orange. They canter around the streets, admiring the historic architecture, reliving all the years they spent here both alone and together, all the places they used to know so well. Fitz takes pictures with his phone, of the scenery and of her, and because he knows what he's doing they're stunning, perfectly capturing the fading light as it falls on her skin, on her smile.
"You are so fucking beautiful," he says seriously, and he hardly ever swears anymore because of the kids so when he does, he really means it. "Look at you."
She doesn't know what to say so she kisses him instead.
Her father calls just after they've dismounted: the girls are going to bed and want to say goodnight. "Hi," she says, feeling her heart swell when she sees her daughters on the screen. She can count on one hand the number of nights she's spent apart from them, and suddenly she feels desperately sad that she's not there to brush their hair, to kiss them, to tuck them in and read them a bedtime story. "Are you having fun with Grandpa?"
Fitz can obviously sense the emotion in her voice because he holds her tight, letting her know that he understands, giving her his strength.
"Yes," the girls say in unison, so sweet and gorgeous in their pink stripy pajamas, sat up in bed in her father's spare room. "We went swimming," Lila continues, "And then we played in the park with Rufus, and then we had chicken nuggets for dinner with ice cream and sprinkles-"
"And we had hot chocolates," Evie chimes in, taking over from her sister, "And we watched Frozen and Grandpa sang along!"
"Wow. Was he good?"
"He was okay," Lila shrugs, and then looks guilty when Olivia hears her father laughing in the background. "Daddy's better. He does all the voices."
"Yoo hoo. Big summer blowout," Fitz says in his best Scandinavian accent, and the girls collapse into fits of giggles. Olivia can't help but laugh too. They chat for a little while longer, until their sleepy daughters are starting to yawn.
"Okay, bedtime for you two," she says fondly, wishing she was there more than anything. "Be good for Grandpa and go straight to sleep, alright?"
"We will. Night Mommy, night Daddy."
"Night munchkins," Fitz says. "We'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
"For breakfast?"
"Maybe a bit after breakfast. How about we come over for lunch?"
Evie rubs her eyes. "Okay."
"Can we say goodnight to our brother?" Lila asks, and Olivia can't believe she almost forgot this evening tradition.
"Of course you can." She holds the phone so they can both see her tummy. "He's right here, listening to you."
"I want to kiss him goodnight."
"Daddy will kiss him for you tonight, and you can kiss him tomorrow when we see you."
"Okay. I love you baby brother."
"I love you too," Evie adds.
Olivia feels like she might burst into tears. Fitz takes the phone from her and wishes his girls sweet dreams. After that, he thanks Eli and tells him to call overnight if there are any issues.
"They're angels," Olivia's father replies. "I'm sure they'll be no problem at all. You two just enjoy your time together."
"They're fine," Fitz says firmly as soon as he's hung up, pulling his wife into a hug. She clings to him, missing her babies so much it hurts. "They're going to be fine."
"I know," she sighs, willing herself not to cry. "Nothing phases them, does it?"
"Right now, I'd wager they're stronger than you are."
She laughs. "I want to argue with you, but I know you're right."
"Good. Now, what's next on this mystery tour? You keep hinting about something at nine o'clock, and it's a quarter to…"
That brings her back to reality. "Is it? Shit, we need to go. Come on."
They arrive at the Howard Greenberg Gallery on East 57th Street just as the doors are opening, and as soon as Fitz realizes this is their destination, he turns to her with his mouth wide open in shock. "How did you-? Baby, this is amazing."
It's preview night for Annie Liebovitz's latest show: an exclusive, invite-only event. And it wasn't as hard to get tickets as she'd expected. All it took was a call to the Culture editor of NYT Magazine, whose number she got from a friend of a friend, saying she and Fitz would write a joint review. They've become something of a celebrity couple in the art world since his Nurture exhibition last year. It made waves among photography critics but it was also picked up Buzzfeed, who brought it into the mainstream media. (Their headline was: "This photographer put on a whole popup show in NYC dedicated to his wife and it's giving everyone all the feels," which still makes her laugh - and Fitz cringe.) Olivia's Instagram account grew by twenty-thousand followers overnight; their story was featured on network news. And obviously it's all died down since then, but her most popular social media posts are always ones that her husband has taken of her and their girls.
She explains the story to him now, as they wait in the small queue outside. "So, when I say 'we' are writing the review, I really mean you are. I'm not qualified for this at all."
"You know I said you were the best wife ever? Well, take that and double it."
She tries not to smile too hard. He doesn't even know the best part yet.
The show is spectacular, of course. They're allowed to wander around the gallery, with canapes and drinks on offer. Olivia is content to follow her husband, to watch the intrigue and wonder on his face with each new portrait he sees, to listen to him discuss lenses and depth and all manner of technical things with other photographers and fans. And then, after about half an hour, there's an announcement: "Ladies and gentlemen, please make your way through to the back room where the Q&A with Ms Liebovitz will begin in two minutes' time."
And Fitz's stunned expression is priceless.
He gets them to the front row, squeezing through the crowd using variations of: "Sorry, excuse me, my wife is pregnant, do you mind if we go past you? Thank you so much."
"Good work," she whispers as they take their seats.
He grins and puts his arm around her shoulders, kissing her temple. "I love you being pregnant for so many reasons, but this is definitely my number one right now."
And she doesn't mind him admitting that one bit.
She records the session and takes notes while Fitz listens intently to the wise, often funny words of one of his heroes. He asks a couple of questions, easily weaving in compliments as he talks, and Olivia can feel him buzzing beside her, alive with passion for his art, a feeling shared by almost everyone in the room.
Afterwards there are more drinks in the gallery and Annie discusses some of her photographs from close up. By this point Olivia can feel the evening catching up with her and she sits down by the entrance, resting her feet. It's a measure of how absorbed Fitz is that he doesn't notice she's gone for a good twenty minutes - usually he's acutely aware of her presence, attuned to her needs at all times. But she doesn't care. This was a gift for him and he's happier than she could ever have hoped for.
Eventually he comes to get her, to take her back to the hotel. "We can stay longer if you want," she says sincerely. "I'm honestly fine."
"Livvie, you've been so patient. I can't ever thank you enough for this. It was the most incredible surprise. But let's go."
"Fitz, really-"
"I want to go." He puts his palm on the small of her back and leans in close. "I want to take my wife to bed on our anniversary and I want to kiss every single, stunning inch of her. And even if we go to sleep, that is completely fine. I just want to be with you."
And she has no argument for that.
None at all.
He's true to his word, gently peeling her dress away from her skin in the lamplight, following the same path with his mouth. When they're down to their underwear he sits on the bed against the headboard and she straddles his lap, the soft sounds of classical piano playing from her phone. They talk about all sorts of things in between lingering kisses, relishing this quiet time together, not knowing when they'll have it again. Olivia thought her body was already satiated by their earlier rounds of lovemaking but heat is gradually building in her core, coaxed by his gentle hands and loving words. When he eventually takes off her bra and cups her breasts, massaging them, sucking her nipples into hard peaks, desire floods her from head to toe.
In days gone by she would have ridden him like this but now they have to reposition, to make allowances for her growing bump. She's not complaining though, not really: especially when he ends up kneeling behind her, holding her upright with him; telling her to watch them in the mirror as they slowly move and then fall apart together. Hers is one of those orgasms which turns her legs to jelly, her brain to mush. She doesn't even go to clean up, just pulls on her panties and snuggles down under the covers, already halfway to sleep.
Fitz cuddles her once he's finished in the bathroom and turned out the light. He kisses her shoulder and briefly rolls her onto her back so he can say goodnight to her belly from him, Lila and Evie. "I love you," he murmurs, and she doesn't know who he's talking to, only that she can hear the tenderness in his voice and knows he is everything she will ever need.
He spoons her again, completely enveloping her, and it's her most favorite place in the universe. "Livvie?" he asks quietly, wondering if she's already asleep.
She manages to make a noise, to let him know she's not - although she's very close.
"I thought of a song to sing for you. You'll like it, I promise. Are you ready?"
"Mm hmm."
"Well it's a marvelous night for a moondance, with the stars up above in your eyes…"
And she knows every night of her life with him will be as marvelous as all the ones that have come before - if not more so.
TBC