Over Hannah Martin's shoulder Olivia could see a white minivan with exhaust fumes coming out of the pipe. It was a cold and blustery day.
"Olivia may I come in?"
"No and I would like for you to get off my property before I call the cops and have a restraining order put out on you and your husband."
"Olivia I only come with peace, please you have to believe me."
"I don't have to believe anything you say now please leave, I'm not going to tell you again." Hannah stared at Olivia with heavy eyes.
"Olivia I brought Joshu, I mean Leo."
"What?" Olivia was sure she heard Hannah say I brought Leo but still the shock had set in. Hannah turned around and waved for her husband to come. The next thing Olivia saw was Bruce exit the van with a child carrier that was covered with a blanket of zoo animals as he came closer. Her heart sunk into her abdomen.
"Olivia may we please come in?" Olivia was at a loss for words. So much was going through her head and her heart. She nodded and moved aside as Bruce got to her step. They both entered as Olivia's eyes were firmly glued on the shape of the blanketed carrier. Bruce drew back the blanket to reveal a sleeping Leo. Olivia motioned for them to sit. Hannah struggled at finding her words. The emotion in her voice was not false Olivia noted but their intent was yet to be judged. Her eyes never left the site of her baby boy in that carrier.
"We know- we've brought grief and heart ache to you…and we just want-you to know we never meant to…and you'll probably never believe that but it's the truth. I'm so sorry Olivia." Olivia stood going into the hall bathroom and getting the box of Kleenex, returning handing it to Hannah. She took a few. Bruce had removed his glasses to wipe at his eyes as well. Olivia walked over to him handing him the box then returned to her seat.
"Why…why did you do it?" she asked barely audible. Her eyes had pooled with water ready to spill. Her lips quivered and she wiped each eye, each cheek catching the tears as escaped from her tear ducts.
"I don't know, I I I…just felt him inside me…and felt that he was mine-and after we brought him home…I kept thinking what did I do to this poor woman who wanted children all her life." Hannah took a deep breath continuing to wipe at her tears. The baby started to stir so Bruce rocked him as Olivia watched. He yawned and cooed making all the cute baby sounds a new born does. They both noticed Olivia zeroing in on the blue mittens as she held on to her wet, wrinkled tissue.
"His nails grow so fast we keep those on to protect his little face. You'll see his left cheek already has a tiny scratch." Bruce told her.
"Olivia I'm a good Christian woman and my heart would not allow me to keep this little boy from you any longer." Hannah stood prompting Bruce to stand and hand over Olivia's son to her. Her hands shook with joy and fear as she took possession of Leo. She held the carrier with one hand as she wiped away her streaming tears.
"Our lawyer has already been contacted and should be or already has contacted yours. Olivia's phone rang as the three stood in her living room.
"We've taken up enough of your time already. Olivia we are very sorry." Hannah said sobbing. She crossed in front of her husband who looked down at Leo.
"Everything is in here, clothes we bought, formula, diapers, medical records, first check up, it's all there and you'll notice he has cradle cap so we just put the lotion on him at bed time and in the morning. Doctor said he'll outgrow it by 6, 7 months." Bruce turned and headed to the door only to turn back to Olivia.
"He's really been a good baby." When the door was shut and their van gone, Olivia stared down at her son touching his hands, his arms, and his face. Leo was here and finally hers to call her own. Olivia went and checked who had called her. It was her lawyer so she called him back. The relief washed over her as she was told they could not change their mind and come back and take her baby Mr. Sinclair assured her.
"The nightmare is over Olivia. You have your baby forever." She was so emotional she couldn't answer him back."
"I know what you are meaning to say Olivia. Congratulations and call me in the morning and we'll set up a meeting for you to sign the papers and close this chapter. Bye now." The first thing Olivia did after ending the call with her lawyer was to hold her son.
"Hi Leo, we meet again handsome." She pressed her lips to his forehead and smelled the lingering scent of baby powder. "I missed you so much." She walked in circles as she looked down at him sleeping in her arms. She realized that she hadn't shared the good news with Nick. At first he was skeptical that was just another ploy with the Martins but she assured him after talking to her lawyer this was the real deal, done deal.
"What oh my god I'll be right there. Forget the gym! Oh my god Liv I can't believe it. Oh my god!" She laughed at his excitement then went into the kitchen to make him a bottle.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
"He's so handsome." Olivia said bent over Leo's crib.
"I know." Nick said looking at him lying there so comfortable.
"Ten little toes, ten little fingers." Olivia said stroking his feet as he lay in his crib for the every first time. Nick rubbed her back.
"We better get to bed ourselves because he'll be up in a few hours." Leo moaned turning his head to the other side. Nick pulled on Olivia's arm tiptoeing backwards but she wasn't quite ready to leave him just yet. Olivia went over and sat in the rocking chair.
"I'm just going sit here for a little while ok." She whispered. He walked over to her smiling.
"Ok, I love you."
"I love you too."
So many thanks for hanging in there with me. We made it! Thank you so much for all your wonderful reviews-you all are so awesome after reading the reviews tonight from chapter 20 I decided to go ahead give you 21. Sorry its short, work last Thursday to today wiped me out but I strive to make my readers happy I have a little tweaking to do with chapter 22. Sometimes ideas just pop up in your head that sound better than what I had originally penned so I will be posting again tomorrow or Tuesday. XOXO!