One Night Stand
(Chapter Eleven: Taking Chances)
Two Weeks Later….
Olivia sat at a small table in a little café as she waited for her mother to arrive for their first lunch date. The truth was she hoped as much as Serena did that they would be able to reconcile at least enough to hold a mediocre mother-daughter relationship and give her children the chance to know their grandmother. Olivia never knew her father and Elliot's parents had been head for years now, so Serena was the only grandparent the girls would ever have.
She drew a deep breath and sighed as she poured more creamer into her coffee cup. She picked up the spoon from the table and stirred the strong liquid as she stared out the window. Moments later a taxi pulled up in front of the building and Serena Benson climbed out.
Olivia smiled, relieved that she did infact show up. As much as she wanted to believe in her mother's ability to recover, part of her had gotten so used to being let down by Serena, that she was half sure she would be stood up.
"Sweetheart," Serena said as Olivia stood to hug her. "I am so glad that you called."
"I'm glad you came," Olivia said with a smile.
"How are you, darling? And how are grandma's girls?"
"I'm good. Now that Sophie is home and things are getting back to normal. They are doing well."
"Getting big, I'll bet?"
"Yes," Olivia laughed pulling a new picture from her wallet, "they are about nine each pounds now. Smiling and cooing."
"Where are they now?"
"Umm, with the new nanny."
"A nanny?"
"It seemed like a better option than daycare. I am just uneasy about leaving them with a dozen other babies and one or two staff to watch them. This is only a trial arrangement for now, to see how it works out. But if things go well, Amber, the nanny, will come to the house to watch the girls. I think it will be better for them to remain in their own home, sleeping in their own beds. At least until they are a little older. And it will be really nice not to have to worry about dragging them out in the winter when the weather is all cold and rainy."
"It sounds like you have put a lot of thought into this."
"I have….we have."
"You are with their father?"
"Kind of. We are really good friends and we have been close for a long time. We had intended on possibly starting dating, then all of this happened. Lately we have just been trying to get our lives back."
"But you live together?"
"We got a place together, so that we could both be there for the girls. We have separate bedrooms of course. He has children with his ex-wife and he has them on the weekends and it is nice. Like a big family. The other kids help out with the babies and so far, everyone has gotten along great. He is a remarkable father and he is amazing with the babies."
"That's great. Do you think there is a future for the two of you?"
"I know that Elliot will always be a big part of my life. We will always be best friends and their parents. As for a romantic relationship, I'm not really sure yet. There is chemistry between us, but we have not really had time to start a romantic relationship. Right now we are just trying to get things back to normal for the kids."
"He sounds wonderful."
"He is," Olivia said smiling at the thought of him.
"You really like this guy?"
"I do, mom. More than any man I have ever met in my entire life."
"There wasn't a relationship before, when you got pregnant?"
"Not exactly," Olivia said hesitant to share the details of her sexy evening with Elliot with the almost stranger in front of her. "Briefly, I guess."
"Long enough to get pregnant?"
"One night. We weren't dating. He was separated from his wife and it just kind of happened. When he found out Kathy was pregnant, he decided to give things one more try."
"His wife was pregnant also?"
Olivia smiled.
"Yes, their son, Eli was born not long before I had the girls."
"Three babies?"
"Three babies, two girls in college and a set of teenage twins."
"Two sets of twins?"
"Yeah, but they are fraternal, brother and sister. Sophie and Isabella are identical."
"It's good though," Serena said, "that they have brothers and sisters. I often wished that I had another child, that you'd had a sibling."
"Yeah mom, so did I."
"I know I hurt you. And you will never fully know how truly sorry I am for that. But I love you darling, I always have. I was weak. I was weak and I was sick and the drink was the only thing that seemed to ease my pain."
"And it didn't really matter that it was the cause of mine?"
Serena closed her eyes and things were quiet for a moment.
"I was wrong. I put myself before you so many times. And I never really was a good mother. But you, you are a wonderful mother to your little girls. Those babies come first for you, before everything else. That is the way it should be for every parent. That is the way things should have been for you when you were a child. I know it wasn't easy for you and I have regretted the choices I have made all of my life."
Olivia wiped a tear from her eye.
"You regret the choices you made," she repeated.
"All but one of them," Serena said slipping her hand over Olivia's. "Baby, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. Oh, I wish that the circumstances could have been different….that I could have had you with a man that I loved and given you a father…a family. But I have never for a second regretted my decision to have you and to keep you. You are the love of my life, Olivia Grace. The way that you feel about your baby girls, that remarkable love that fills your heart that was never there until you felt those babies moving in womb, that is the same love I hold for you. You are my baby, my little girl all grown up. I don't regret having you or keeping you. I regret not being a good mother to you and not being there for you, not telling you more often how much I love you and allowing us to lose touch the way we have. I wasn't a good mother Olivia, but I am so proud of the strong woman you have grown into and the wonderful mother you have become. I love you and I am proud of you."
Olivia stared at her mother with tears in her eyes.
"I love you too, mom."
Olivia sighed and wiped her eyes.
"Oh," she said softly, "I should call and check on the girls. We are still kind of on a trial with the new nanny and….I just get really nervous leaving them."
Serena smiled."
"I'm just gonna step outside," Olivia said standing from the table.
"If you know what you want, I could go ahead and order."
"Yeah, umm, the cob salad with no egg and fat free ranch dressing on the side. Can you also ask them for an iced tea?"
"Sure."
"Thanks, mom. I'll only be a minute."
Serena flagged down the waitress as Olivia stepped out onto the sidewalk in front of the café to call and check on the girls. Olivia had no more hung up the phone from talking to the new nanny when her phone rang again.
"Elliot?" she said as she answered the call. "El?"
"Hey, how's it going?"
"Okay, is everything alright with you?"
"Yes. I just called the nanny to check on the girls and I wanted to call and check to see how things are going with you and your lunch date with your mother."
"You checked on Sophie and Isabella?"
"About ten minutes ago. And Amber said they are just fine."
"Taking a nap," she laughed. "I just got off the phone with her."
"She seems pretty good."
"Elliot, I have only been gone two hours."
"Right. Well, you take your time and enjoy your afternoon. I am sure everything is fine back home."
"You're nervous, too?" she asked.
"Yeah, I am. Maybe it's just because we came so close to losing Sophie before…."
"Elliot, the agency performs a background check on all of their nannies. And…."
"And?"
Olivia paused for a moment before she continued.
"Cragen ran her prints and pulled her jacket. She is squeaky clean."
Elliot smiled and laughed.
"Cragen did?"
"Yes. He asked me not to mention it, he was afraid you would be angry. But he knew I was a little weary, so I guess he thought it would make me feel better."
"Did it?"
"Of course. And the guys know that she is there alone with the girls, so you know half the department is circling the house waiting to pounce on this girl if she so much as sets foot out the front door with the girls."
"I know, I like it that way."
Olivia laughed.
"It is a little comforting, huh?"
"Listen, you have fun with your mother. I have a few errands to run, then I'm going to drop by the house for lunch."
"You don't go home for lunch."
"I do today. I want to just drop by unannounced and catch her off guard. I can't help but be nervous, it is really the first time we have left them and they aren't really big enough to tell us if something is going on. I just want to see her with them. She's gonna have to earn our trust, Liv."
"Call me, okay? Call me or text me or something and let me know what you find. We just ordered lunch and I think she's wanting to do a little shopping when we finish up here. I'll probably be a couple more hours."
"Take your time and enjoy your afternoon. I will call you later."
"Okay. Elliot…."
"Yes?"
"Thank you," she said softly.
"You're welcome," he said smiling as he hung up the phone.
"Everything alright?" Serena asked as Olivia returned to the table.
"Everything is great."
"Oh, good."
"Elliot called to check on the girls just before I did," she said with a smile.
"He's worried?"
"No. Just protective. I love that he is like this with them."
"It is sweet."
"He wants to drop by the house unannounced for his lunch break and see what's going on with the nanny and the girls."
"He sounds like he's a good father."
"He is an amazing father. I couldn't have chosen anyone better."
Serena smiled across the table in approval as the waitress sat their plates down in front of them. After lunch Serena insisted they visit a children's boutique so that she could load Olivia up with gifts for her granddaughters. They shopped for over an hour picking out half a dozen outfits and toys for the babies.
Serena walked Olivia back to her car and helped her load up the baby items.
"I really hope to see you again soon," she said watching as a smile spread across her daughter's face.
"So do I," Olivia agreed.
"You already know that I really want to meet the girls. I won't ask when, I trust you will let me know when you are ready and it is okay for me to see them."
"I think maybe you and I should spend a little more time together."
"I agree. I really want to get to know you again, to earn your trust again. I know I wasn't there for you before, but I am here now. And I am going to be from now on. I promise you that."
"Mom…."
"I know my promises have not meant much in the past. I didn't care much for the value of my word. But I really have changed baby and I thank you for giving me the chance to prove it to you."
"It was good to see you again. I should get home to my girls."
"Give them kisses for me. Tell Sophie and Isabella that grandma loves them both very much and I cannot wait to finally get to hold them."
"I will," Olivia said with a smile.
"Liv honey wait," Serena said as she opened her purse.
Olivia watched as she pulled out a small jewelry box.
"What is this?" she asked softly.
"Open it."
Olivia nodded her head as she raised the lid on the box/
"It's beautiful," she said as her eyes widened to stare at the object.
Inside the box was a little gold band with tiny ruby stones all the way around it. Olivia smiled as it sparkled up at her. She pulled the little ring from the box to inspect it.
"It's a baby ring. I got one for each of the girls," Serena said pulling the second jewelry box from her purse. "fourteen karat gold with ruby stones. Ruby is their birth stone, July, right?"
"July twenty third," Olivia answered.
"Their names are engraved inside. They don't already have baby rings, do they?"
"No. Mom, this is so sweet. I think I'm gonna cry."
"Don't cry. Just give these to my precious granddaughters. And cherish these moments mommy, they grow up so fast."
Olivia hugged her mother and Serena kissed her cheek.
"I love you. I have always loved you," Serena said staring into her daughter's dark eyes. "I have just never been good at showing it."
"I love you too, mom."
"Call me, I would like to set up another lunch date or something."
"I will, I promise."
Olivia waved as Serena climbed into a taxi and disappeared into the busy streets of the city. She climbed into her car and headed home.
That evening Elliot cooked dinner and they put the babies to bed a little early. They sat across from each other at the dinner table discussing the days events.
"So everything went well?" he asked.
"It went great. We are supposed to get together again soon for another lunch date."
"That sounds promising."
"We have a lot of issues to work through."
"But you think things are going to work out?"
"I hope so. We're off to a pretty good start and she is beginning to restore my faith in her. The faith she destroyed all those years ago. I am trying to see past all of the horrible things she has done in the past and focus on the few good moments we have shared in the present."
"Not as easy as it sounds, huh?"
"No. I am never going to completely forget the past, it is part of what made me who I am today. But if I can't put it behind me and move forward, I will never be able to share any kind of relationship with my mother. As badly as she hurt me, I have to be the one to suck it up and rise above the pain. I have to forgive her, even though it still hurts. It isn't only about me anymore, it's about them now. About the life I provide for my children and if I don't at least give this a chance, they will never know any of their grandparents. I know what it is like to grow up without family and I want more than that for Sophie and Isabella. I want them to have a family and I want them to know what it is like to grow up surrounded by people who love them."
"They will have that, I promise. I think it is a very brave thing you are doing. I know how hard this is for you and I am glad it is going so well. Have you decided yet when you want her to meet the girls?"
"I'm not sure. I need a little more time. I need to be able to trust her again and know for sure that she isn't going to just fall off the wagon or disappear from our lives again. Things are really great right now and I will admit, it feels so good to have my mother in my life again. I just need to be able to be sure."
"That makes sense."
"I am supposed to call her in a few days to set up another mother-daughter lunch date. And I'll have to admit I am a little bit excited about it."
"Good," Elliot said with a smile.
"What about you? How was your day?"
"Fine. Busy, but good."
"What did you think about Amber?"
"I thought she was great. She seemed really good with the girls, gentle and caring. And they really seemed to like her."
"Good. So do I."
"So, it's decided then? We want to keep Amber?"
"I would love to keep Amber. I like the idea of having one person taking care of the kids, instead of what ever random person happens to be at the daycare."
"Alright, I will call the agency tomorrow and let them know we would like to hire Amber full time."
"Did you see the little rings she got them?"
"The nanny?"
"No," Olivia laughed as she handed him one of the ring boxes, "my mother."
"That's pretty. But what do you do with it? A baby can't wear a ring, they will swallow them."
"I'm going to put them on a chain and wear them until the girls are older. Then I'll get another chain and let the girls wear them. A gift from their grandma. They are real gold with their birthstone and they have their names engraved inside."
"That was a really thoughtful gift."
"I thought so, too. I mean it was nice of her to buy them all of the clothes and toys, but the rings are something they can keep forever. And maybe someday our grandchildren will be wearing these."
Elliot smiled and kissed her forehead as he carried the dinner dishes to the kitchen.
"I don't want to think about grandchildren just yet. I would like for our babies to stay babies for at least a little while longer."
Olivia smiled.
"I'm with you on that."