FITZ'S POV
"The bed was very cold." Liv mumbled in a sleepy voice, pressing her face to my back as she wrapped her arms around me. I smiled. Liv was always more affectionate in the morning when she first woke up and didn't have a chance to overthink things.
"I'm sorry, I have to head to work." I turned around and looked down to see her dressed in my Navy t-shirt, her hair sticking up in random places because she fell asleep without wrapping it.
"You weren't going to wake me up?" She stood on her tippy toes and sniffed my neck.
I pulled back and stared at her "Did you just sniff me?!"
Her cheeks turned red "You smell good"
I chuckled and kissed her, groaning as my phone went off.
"You'd be get going, Governor."
I leaned down and kissed her before walking out to the car waiting in the driveway.
Cyrus had me meet with 10 senators about gun control in California. An issue I was trying hard to push for. It was a little bit after lunch when I heard my secretary arguing with someone.
"Janine, what's all the arguing going on out here?" I asked walking through my office doors to see Olivia and Janine.
Liv blew an air out, making her hair move out of her face.
"Can you tell the watch dog to remove her hands from my body?" Liv huffed out.
I smiled and nodded to Janine. Liv was dressed in white slacks with a dark blue silk top.
"This is a nice surprise"
"I can't stay" I frowned as I walked her into my office. "I have to get back to Washington for a few days"
"You just got here Livvie"
"I know" she spread her hands through my curls "I was thinking that you and Avery could have sometime alone"
"You're leaving her with me?!" I grinned pulling her towards me.
"Don't look so happy that i'll be gone"
"We will miss you" I leaned down, kissing her full on until her phone went off.
"I have to go"
"No-" i gripped her waist "How long will you be gone?"
"Three days"
"THREE"
"I'll be back before you know it." She smirked "I left Avery with mom who was at the ranch"
"Have a safe flight, I love you."
She smiled shyly "I love you too"
"Hello?" I called closing the main house doors at the ranch. I didn't hear anyone through the main floor. I decided to walk out towards the ranch and that's when I saw my three year old covered in mud, squealing as she held onto a piglet. She squirmed as my mom took a picture of her in her overalls.
"Daddy! You're home" Avery called as I approached my mom.
"What do you got there, Aves?"
"Nana Em got me a piglet, isn't he so cute" she gushed kissing the pig. I scrunched up my nose.
"The cutest" i said glumly
"Hush, Fitzgerald" my mother scolded me
"Gerald? I like your name Pitzgerald"
"Daddy, that's my name"
"Okay... Gerald"
My mother snickered making Avery laugh as well.
"I guess I'll be sleeping alone tonight since mom is out of town and Avery wants to be mean" i teased walking back to the house.
Suddenly Avery was slamming into me, taking me down to the ground and covering me in mud.
"Don't leave daddy"
"Oh, now you want to be nice to me? After you cover me in the mud"
She narrowed her eyes and suddenly her chubby hands were touching my face, spreading the mud even more. We must have been fighting in the mud for an hour before my mom called us to the main house to shower.
"Did mommy tell you where she was going?" I asked tucking Avery into her own bed that night after a good bath.
"She was going to work, but I could stay with Daddy" she yawned "I like living with you, Daddy"
"I like living with you too"
"And mommy"
"Mommy too" i smiled "Sweet dreams, Princess"
I kissed her forehead and watched her clutch my hand until she fell asleep. I got up cleaning the mess we had made in her room. Liv always made sure no matter how late it was for Avery to clean up her own mess, but I had a duty to let her have the best week. Liv had already called wishing us a goodnight since she had an early start the next day.
It was a bit before I decided to call it a night. I was drifting off to sleep when my door creaked open. I watched as Avery's curly head peaked up to see if I was sleeping only to yelp when she noticed I was awake.
"Sorry, daddy"
"Why aren't you asleep bug?"
"I had a bad dream" her bottom lip started to quiver. "Can I sleep in here?"
"Sure, baby"
I helped her into the bed and watched her turn so I could rub her back.
"Do you want to talk about your bad dream?" I asked remembering how her therapist wanted us to talk about her nightmares.
"I thought my old daddy took me away from you and mommy" she whispered.
I kissed the back of her head. "You're not going anywhere, Avery."
"Promise?"
"I promise" I felt her nod "Would you like to go to a special place with me tomorrow?"
"Just you and me?"
"Just you and me"
"Okay"
"Get some sleep"
"Avery?!" I shot up out of my bed the next morning. Avery was not someone that left the room without letting one of us know.
"Did you not sleep well sweetheart?"
"I miss mommy"
"I know, I miss mommy too but she'll be home soon" She climbed into my lap "Would you like to go somewhere special with me?"
She nodded touching my face, which somehow always calmed me.
Daddy, where are we?" Avery asked as I let us into Pop's old condo. It was the first thing I bought with my inheritance. I would pass it down one day, wanting it to stay in the Grant family name.
"One day this will be yours sweet cheeks" I set Avery down.
"Who libs here?"
"Lives" i corrected "My poppy did"
"Did he go up to heaven?"
I nodded, gulping since it was still so hard without Pops.
"I sorry, daddy" she hugged my legs.
"That's okay, he was very nice" we moved into the living room where there was a photo of Liv. pops and I. I handed Avery the picture.
"Is that you and mommy?!" She gasped
"Yes, that's the first summer we met." I smiled "The summer that changed everything"
"Mommy's hair was so curly, yours too Daddy" she giggled "You look like your Poppy. Was his name Gerald too?"
"Fitzgerald" I chuckled
"This was my favourite place when I was younger. It made me feel at home"
"Daddy?" Avery asked a little later after I had ordered us a pizza.
"Avery?"
"What do you do at a birfday party?"
I smiled sadly at her as she concentrated on the cheese falling off the pizza.
"Well, your friends and family come over to celebrate you being born" she nodded as I continued "Are you excited for your birthday?"
"I think so" she bit her lip "Mommy said you'll be with us for a whole week!"
"I will be"
She smiled "Do you know how much I love you, Daddy?"
I stared in shock at the most adorable almost four year old.
"Who taught you that?"
"I heard you saying that to mommy"
I chuckled "I love you, Avery. You're my favourite girl"
I stayed home the rest of the two days while Liv was gone. I worked from home because Avery was usually very quiet and calm when she knew Liv and I had to work. I came back from my office to see Avery covered in the paint that I had let her play with outside.
"Fuck" i groaned under my breath as I noticed she had dumped the paint all over her light brown curls. Liv was going to kill me if she ever found out. Thankfully she was coming home the next day.
"Princess?" I said calmly not to scare Avery.
"Daddy?"
"Why are you covered in paint?"
"I like green" she said as if it was normal to cover yourself in paint.
"Okay, but baby we don't paint-"
"Hello?!" Liv's voice suddenly filled the house. I pulled at my hair. What the fuck is she doing home? "Anyone home?!"
I heard the heels clicking closer and closer.
"Out here, mommy!" Avery spoke up
I narrowed my eyes and pulled my hair even more as Liv rounded the corner outside. She came to a halt as she took in the scene and walked over towards us. Her eyes were cold and her lips were pursed, something that only happened when she was pissed.
"Fitzgerald, why is she covered in paint? You weren't watching her-"
"Livvie"
"Don't Livvie me"
"Mommy, you don't like green?"
Liv'e face softened as she bent down wiping Avery's eyes to get past the green paint.
"I like green, just not on you lady bug" she smiled "Now, why did you decide to paint yourself?"
"Well, I was feeling a bit blue, but I used all of the blue"
Liv snickered "Did Daddy teach you that?"
"No, TV"
My eyes went wider. Liv was very strict about watching TV during the week when Avery could be practicing her words.
"Oh, Daddy just let you break all the rules huh?"
Avery nodded "Alright, that's enough catching up. Let's go get you cleaned Princess" I lifted her up and moved through the house before Liv could kill me.