A/N- I am getting better at updating, SEE! I want to wrap this story up soon. I mean it HAS been a year. But for now I will write EO domestic fluff. ENJOY!
Neither of them would have anticipated him missing one of the most important appointments of this pregnancy, but unfortunately duties calls. Even if it is at the most inconvenient time. It's the holidays and for some reason one of the busiest seasons for the NYPD. He's a Captain and unfortunately the first call when a major case comes through- even if he's supposed to be finding out the gender of their baby today.
The news is devastating when he calls her just an hour or so before the appointment but she understands. It's all a part of the politics of the job. She cried a little on the phone and he felt terrible. There's days like this when he wants to put his papers in and live off his pension, but he considers the fact he's got three college tuitions to pay for now in the future and decides against it.
"I called Casey, she will be there to pick you up and take you in about 20 minutes," he can't be there himself but he figures having Casey there would help fill in some of the gaps. He can hear her sigh with relief on the other end of the call and he himself feels his body relax knowing she's at least content with that.
"Thank you El," the line goes silent for a moment. They're both upset and disappointed that he won't be there but they're trying to see the best in everything. "If not you there, I'd rather Casey," she says melancholy.
"I know honey. I know," he hears her sniffling on the other end of the line. She's still crying and it nearly brings him to tears just at the sound.
"I still want to make this special," he sits on the other end of the line, staring out of his office window while chaos ensues in the bullpen.
"And we will," she promises without knowing exactly sure just yet. "Please stay safe, El. I love you."
"I love you too honey," and reluctantly he hangs up before his squadroom falls into shambles without him.
…..
Since the day that plastic stick came back with two pink lines on it, the only thing she's ever wanted was a healthy baby. To make it to a viable stage in this pregnancy alone was enough for her. So when it came down to gender it never really mattered. It didn't take away from how special the moment should have been between the two of them though.
It's when the tech asked her one more time for good measure if she really wanted to find out today without her husband there. Olivia had a change of heart at that moment and told her no. Instead she would print the scans and place them in Casey's hand to keep away from her until the next day. It just didn't feel right doing this without him. She had no clue if this would be their very last baby either. So every milestone in this pregnancy was worth celebrating together.
Now it's a day later and she's anxious as ever staring at the white envelope on her kitchen island. Elliot would be home any minute now and she's not only excited to see him, but looking forward to his face once he realizes they still get to find out this good news together.
The girls are already in bed for the night and she's freshly showered, nursing a cup of tea as she stands in the middle of the kitchen. Elliot was supposed to be home this morning and that had also not gone to plan. But he was really on his way tonight and she's relieved to have him home. It's hard sleeping in a bed that's half empty.
And like clockwork the turn of the lock clicks. He's home.
He comes around the corner and suddenly appears in the kitchen. Two days of stubble have grown in and he looks beat down. If she had to guess he's slept thirty minutes maybe here or there the past almost 48 hours. She can't wait to get him showered and fed before cuddling up to him in bed. She'll let him sleep in tomorrow and maybe attempt to make an edible breakfast for them all.
"Hi baby," he held both sides of her face and brought her lips to his for a kiss. Or two, or three. Just enough to make up for all the ones he's missed the last few days. She melts into him at the pet name and completely forgets her annoyance at them. It just sounds so good coming from him it's hard to get upset.
"Hi," she smiles so softly at him with her face that's a little fuller these days. This pregnancy has done her beautifully. He finds her getting more stunning each day as if that were even possible. "We've missed you," her hands fly to her middle that's grown so much the last few weeks.
"You and our baby girl or baby boy?" She chuckled at his urgency to find out the news.
"Well, here's the thing," she disentangled herself from him and moved to grab the envelope on the counter. "I didn't let them tell me just yet. Instead the scans are here in this envelope," she handed it over to him.
"You waited for me?" He went soft immediately. The exhaustion rids itself from his face just for now as he takes in how much she does just for him.
"I didn't want you to miss it," he reached to give her another kiss, sweetly. "C'mon, let's open it," she takes a hold of his hand and guides him over to the sofa.
"Okay," he blew out a nervous breath. "I want you to know I don't care if it's a boy or a girl. I'm happy either way," he reassures her again. As if it ever mattered to either of them but she loves his carefulness.
"Me too," she says gently with both hands cradled around her middle. They stare at one another for just a few moments before he begins opening the envelope. He removes the scans carefully and holds them so they both can read it.
It's a girl!
The scan reads with an arrow pointing to prove it.
He can't contain his happiness as he jumps up in excitement. His hands fly in the air in victory- thrilled they would be welcoming another baby girl into their lives. She stands with him and yelps with joy. He envelopes his arms around her, his hands slide around her waist as he buries his face into her hair. She can feel the grin on his face against her skin with a few soft kisses between smiles. Her own arms wrap around his middle as close she can with their baby girl between them.
"I can't wait to meet you baby girl," he kneeled down to make himself eye level with her swell. He gives sweet kisses to her middle and her hands hold both sides of his head, stroking through his cropped hair.
"You are the best girl dad ever," she looks down as he loves their unborn. He has never been afraid to unveil his love for her or their girls, and she knows she's picked the right one.
"The girls are gonna be so happy," he stands to his feet again. "I want to tell them as soon as they wake in the morning," there's stars shining in his eyes. He's like a child in a candy store trying to take on every tasty treat in sight. His shameless eagerness bounces onto her and it makes her teary eyed as she looks up at him. How goddamn lucky is she?
"And mama too," she catches herself saying that instead of Bernie. It slips naturally but the woman really had been a mother to her since the day she met her. A sounding mind in the midst of all the chaos she's ensued the last year.
"And mama too," he repeats and cups her glowing face between his hands to kiss her full lips and pull her in for another embrace. Just to hold her for a moment in the middle of their living room late tonight. Analyzing every inch of this moment for the memory it will become tomorrow.
…..
Early January
In the blink of an eye she's on the beach in all her pregnant glory nursing an iced tea as she looks on at her girls chasing waves with her love. The sand is incredibly warm beneath her feet that dig into its softness. The lounge chair she's got sits low on the ground so she can sunbathe in peace without the strain of laying on her back. She feels sexy in her one piece bathing suit, a bubblegum pink that pops against her tan skin.
Bernie is inside preparing dinner for them. She insisted on cooking tonight even though they told her this was vacation for her too. But she has a special meal planned and there's no coming between that woman when she's got a plan. So they let her take a trip to the market and gather everything she needed and get to cooking away in the kitchen.
Elliot keeps a close eye on the girls, only letting them go until the water was a little below their knees. It's far enough to get a good catch of waves and not worry about them being whisked away by the current. They still scream and giggle with each jump into the water. Olivia can't help the blissed out grin on her face. She lifted her sunglasses to get a better look as she captures pictures on her phone.
It's absolutely perfect.
"I tell you what," Bernie's voice comes from behind her. She's shuffling through the sand with a glass of water in one hand and a bowl in the other. "You sure make pregnancy look much better than I ever did," Olivia looks back and she's already crouching to sit right beside her abandoning a chair and plopping her butt right in the sand.
"Ah, I don't know about that," she pushed her shades above her head and looked over at Bernie in all her coastal get up. She's got the oceanside grandmother attire down in her flowy tan pants and matching top, barefoot and a hat large enough to fit them all underneath it.
"You look gorgeous out here darling," she hands over the mysterious bowl and Olivia grins immediately when she sees what it is. "Never thought I would be putting pickles and ice cream in a bowl together."
"I can't help it. Your granddaughter wants everything salty and sweet. Even if that means together," she took a bite of her pickle that had been covered in ice cream that was becoming soupy already from the heat. It tickles the perfect spot for her craving and she's grateful the people around her care so much to make her happy.
"I can't believe I'm getting another one of them," they both look over at Katie and Ophelia who have moved on to digging into the sand. She thinks they are creating a mote of some sort for the sandcastle they have started to build. Elliot is beside them, packing sand into one of the molds like the good helper that he is. "You know I meant to tell you I had a dream about a little girl a few weeks before you found out. I couldn't make out her face but if I had to guess she looked just like you."
"Grandmother's intuition maybe?" Olivia breaks from looking at the girls and over to Bernie. She only shrugs and takes a sip from her water.
"You think of any names yet? Maybe Bernie?" That makes Olivia chuckle as she takes her last bite of ice cream.
"That is a good one," she nods. "Sometimes I think about honoring my mother, but that feels silly," she admits out loud. It's not something she had even spoken to Elliot about yet.
"It's not silly," Bernie denies. "Your relationship was difficult, yes, but not all the time."
"I just miss her. Especially now that I'm having another baby," she clears her throat that is beginning to tighten on itself. "I like to think that if she had been around long enough maybe she would have changed. Maybe a grandchild would have been enough to stop the drinking," she shakes her head, upset with herself for holding onto so many, what ifs?
"It's okay to feel and to wonder. Grief is not linear and missing your mama isn't a crime," she stands carefully to her feet and now towers over Olivia. "You are one of the daughters I never got to have," she says with Kathy in mind. "I know I can't replace her but I will be here for you just the same as any other mother out there," her hand flies up to caress the side of her soon to be daughter in laws face. Olivia offers a melancholy smile and covers Bernie's hand with hers.
"And I think Serena is a beautiful name," she bends to peck her cheek. "You're gonna be a great mother to these three girls," she stays slightly hunched over to keep eye contact with her so she knows she means it. The empty bowl is stolen from her hands and Bernie leaves her with those words to return back to the kitchen.
Elliot watches on from a distance, keeping a close eye on the girls still but watching his mother and the love of his life bond so fiercely confirms for him that he's made the right decision.
He was going to marry this woman.
…
The time that Bernie made them stay out of the kitchen is well worth it when they all surround the dinner table setup outside. A roasted chicken so big there is doubt they could finish it all in one night. It is served alongside roasted vegetables and mashed potatoes. The most simple dinner but the most perfect. She requested everyone dress "decent enough", for their meal tonight. So the girls wore the matching dresses they had picked out, a floral print with plenty of pinks and purples. Elliot sports an iconic dad outfit with khaki bermuda shorts and a baby pink polo to match the girl's dresses. Pink is the theme it seems since the news of the baby girl has dropped. Especially when Olivia had appeared in a long off the shoulder dress in a blush pink.
She looks heavenly with her hair dark and down her back falling into its own natural wave from letting it air dry. Her skin glows and not just from the pregnancy but the touch of sun that has tanned her skin from the past few days. Not a touch of makeup in sight and Elliot thinks she could not look more perfect for the night he has planned ahead.
Dinner is full of laughs and stories from the girls of all the creatures they saw on their hike this morning with Elliot. The fire pit roars in the background so it is good to go for the s'mores they had planned for dessert later. A few other families are on their decks too enjoying one another's company. Some walk along the beach as the sun sets and for a moment they all can pretend that this is their life everyday.
"So, before we move on to dessert, I wanted to give all you girls something," Elliot says at the end of the table opposite his mother. He quickly disappeared into the house and is back in a moment with four small boxes in his hands. Three of them are red while Olivia's is Tiffany blue.
"These didn't make it in time for Christmas," he handed them each their designated boxes and once he made it to Olivia, he could see the tears welling already in her eyes. She knows. The color alone of that damn box lets her know what he is up to, and there's no hiding how much she has been looking forward to this. "Go ahead and open them."
The girls scream with excitement when they see they each have a charm bracelet that matches Bernie's. All three of them have a seashell to represent the many beach trips they have left together. But Olivia, she waits a moment in complete shock and awe that he's really doing this tonight. With shaky hands she opens the teal box and at the same time Elliot drops to one knee.
"Olivia," he begins and gently removes the box from her hands to hold it out to her. "I feel like I've known you a lifetime and it is insane to think that it has only been a year and a half. In that time I have grown more and more in love with you each and everyday. I love the way that you love my daughter and Opie, my mother, the immense way we've grown side by side one another," he pauses to choke back his own tears. Olivia lets the tears fall against her cheeks. Behind them both the girls watch in awe alongside Bernie.
"I wanted to do this sooner but of course we've had a few welcomed bumps in the road," he eyes her swollen middle with the corners of his mouth lifted. "So, Olivia, would you do me the honor of being my wife? Will you marry me?" She can only nod hastily before he's got her snatched up and into his arms. The word yes is mumbled into the crook of his neck before he pulls back and kisses her adoringly. Her tears taste of salt on her lips and he remembers the entire reason they are here right now.
Finally, he pulled the ring out of the box and slid it onto her left ring finger. It fit thankfully for now and it looks pretty damn perfect on her. A pear cut diamond ring with a simple silver band. She expressed to him that flashy wasn't really her thing, and he always wanted to respect her wishes. The girls are at her hips, hugging their parents ferociously upon witnessing the good news.
"I love you," Olivia eyes her ring amorously. "It's perfect," his lips find hers again and the girls giggle below them at their parents' affection. Bernie hangs back watching it all unfold. Her son was finally happy and back at the good place in his life. Of course Katie had always been enough to keep him going after losing Kathy, but since finding Olivia she doesn't think she has seen him have a bad day since.
She had hoped and prayed that he would soon find love again. Then Olivia happened and answered every single one of her prayers for him.
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