Saving Ma
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters and I do not make any profit from this
Chapter 2
After hanging up with Mel and Rafe Olivia started pacing her office. She didn't know how to tell Natalia she had hired Mel and Rafe had a hearing Thursday without her getting mad or upset with her. She just wanted to help him and knew Natalia would never agree to her paying for his attorney.
She was starting to get worked up. The last thing she wanted to do was upset Natalia. She was already on edge ever since last night when Frank proposed and Natalia hadn't answered but was thinking about it. She just knew she was going to be losing the only real family and home she and Emma ever had.
She had come to the realization that she was in love with her at Towers after Emma presentation. She sat there drinking, thinking about all their interactions and how she felt about it. Coming to the conclusion that she liked being two mommies with her and admitting to herself that she was in love with her best friend she headed home.
That's where she royally screwed the pooch. She just had to kiss her, causing a chain reaction of events that led to that damn proposal. Now here she was, in love with her best friend, watching her date numb nuts and praying she didn't say yes to his stupid proposal and ruin her life. All while trying to get their son out of prison and home without his ma ringing her neck.
She was almost in a full panic attack hunched over hanging on to her desk when Natalia walked in.
"Olivia, I just ne…" she looked up from her papers and saw the state Olivia was in. "OLIVIA!" She rushed to her side. "What is it? It's it your heart?"
Olivia shook her head. "purse… please... Ativan…" she said pointing her purse.
Natalia shot around the desk getting the pills out of her purse and rushed back with a bottle of water. Olivia swallowed the pills and Natalia guided her to the couch and helped her sit. Upon sitting Natalia brought Olivia's hands to her chest and started the breathing exercise that she always used on her to calm her.
Olivia had started to calm a bit and her breathing was evening out. Natalia started to relax. "That's it. Breathe deep."
Olivia finally calmed and collapsed back into the couch. "I'm sorry." She said embarrassed she let herself get that worked up.
Natalia smoothed Olivia's hair out of her face. "It's ok, but what brought that one on?"
Olivia blushed and ducked her head. "I need to talk to you about something and I know you are going to be upset with me."
Natalia was shocked. "All that was because you need to talk to me about something?" Olivia nodded. "You know you can talk to me about anything."
Olivia sighed. "I know but I did something and you are going to be mad or upset with me. I was thinking about the best way to tell you and I started thinking about a lot of other stuff and I just overwhelmed myself. I'm sorry I scared you."
"I told you its fine. Now, why don't you tell what it is you did that you think I'm going to be so mad that it warranted a panic attack."
Olivia spoke under her breath. "….."
Natalia chuckled. "What's that mumbles?"
Olivia sighed. "I hired Mel to help with Rafe's case."
Natalia stood. "You did WHAT?"
Olivia winced. "See there's the mad."
Natalia sat back down. "Why did you do that without discussing it with me first? When did you hire her?"
Olivia shook her head. "Because you would have said no. I hired her in January after your last attorney said they couldn't do anything. I knew if anyone could get him out it was Mel."
Natalia sighed. "Olivia it isn't your responsibility to pay for my son's legal fees."
Olivia stood pointing at her. "See? That right there is why I did it. You have no problem claiming Emma and doing any and everything for that kid but I'm not allowed to do the same for Rafe."
Natalia just looked stunned at the outburst. "Olivia please sit before you throw yourself into another attack." Once Olivia sat she continued. "It's not the same. Mel is not a cheap attorney. This has to be costing you a small fortune. All I do for Emma is cook and read bedtime stories.
"That's not true and you know it. You help me in every way with her. You help her with homework, you do her laundry, take her to play dates and the park. You are a second mother to that kid and we all know it. You told me that you love her, that you would die for her. Did you mean it?"
Natalia looked like she'd been slapped. "Of course I did. How could you ask me that?"
Olivia just shook her head. "Can't you see that's how I feel about Rafe too? I would die for that boy, I love him. He's my son. If the tables were turned and you had the money to help Emma you wouldn't hesitate to do so. That's all I was trying to do. To help our son."
Natalia had tears in her eyes. No one, not even Gus, had spoken that passionately about Rafe before but her. She thought about it for a moment and conceded her point. "Ok, you have a point, and your right I would do anything for Emma, or Ava for that matter. So I will not argue with you about helping Rafe, but from now on we discuss these things. Ok?"
Olivia sighed and visibly deflated against the couch again. Totally worn out by the events of the day. "Ok, yes, thank you."
That sat in silence for a few minutes before Natalia thought of something. "Olivia. Why did you choose now to tell me about Mel?"
Olivia perked up and sat straight up taking Natalia's hands. "Mel got Rafe a hearing in two days on Thursday at 3:00. They are reviewing his case along with his treatment physically and medically since he's been in. He could be coming home!"
"Are you serious?" she said as she threw herself into Olivia's arms trying not to cry.
Olivia just held on cherishing the feel of Natalia in her arms. "Yes. We have to be at the courthouse at 2:15 to meet Mel. Then we will see Rafe at 2:30. So why don't you clear our day and we can sleep in, go to lunch then be at the courthouse by 2:00"
Olivia squeezed her once more before leaning back and wiping her tears away. "Oh, by the way, Rafe ask me to have you to come see him during visitor's hours tomorrow. He wants to talk to you."
Natalia sat back. "I can't tomorrow. I have a staff meeting at 10:00. I can't just leave like that during work hours."
"Yes you can if it's for one of our children. I don't have anything pressing in the morning. I can take care of the staff meeting just leave me your notes. Oh, I want you to drop me off and take my car. Your monstrosity is still in the shop. If I need anything before you get back I can take one of the Beacon cars."
Natalia just smiled. "If you're sure."
Olivia leaned her head back on the couch. "I'm sure. Go see him. It sounded important."
They sat quietly for a few moments and Natalia noticed Olivia's eyes drooping. "I think that Ativan is starting to really kick in. We have the rest of the day clear. Why don't we go home and you can lay down and sleep it off until Emna gets off the bus?"
Olivia nodded and got up to shut down her computer and gather her things while Natalia went to her office to do the same. When they got home they changed out of their work clothes and Olivia decided to lay on the couch for a nap. Natalia busied herself in the kitchen making some cookies for Emma and Olivia and putting dinner in the crock pot for later. After the kitchen was all clean and the cookies cooling on the rack she saw that she had an hour before Emma got home. She decided to gather the laundry and get started on it while she waited.
When she walked in to the living room she found Olivia passed out on the couch. She stood there in the door way just watching her. She is so beautiful she thought to herself. She's not sure when she fell in love with Olivia she just knows she is. It took her a long time to reconcile her feelings with her religion and God. She fully accepts that God is love and he wouldn't give her love if it was wrong. Her priest might not agree but then again her priest didn't agree with her keeping her baby when she was 16 either. She had always tried to live her life by what God would want and that didn't always coexist with what the priests thought. No her problem wasn't in accepting that she loved Olivia. It was in not thinking Olivia could ever love her the same or that she was good enough for her.
She sighed to herself and headed up to gather the laundry and wait for their daughter.
