Chapter 17 Who?
So far today's been a pretty easy-going day. Mellie and I have been getting a long fine which makes me a little uncomfortable. Though it is nice. My blood pressure is probably the best it's been in the last few weeks.
Fitz thought as he watched Mellie pour herself an afternoon drink.
Things between Mellie and I have been rocky for a long time but since Olivia's come into my life things are way beyond rocky.
There's a lot of stuff I need to figure out right now. I'm just not sure how to. Or maybe I'm scared to.
Either way there's only one person I trust talking to about any of this...
"Hey Jerry do you want to go to Uncle Cyrus's house with me?" Fitz asked.
Jerry shook his head. "It's boring at his house. He only has fancy books that he won't let me look at, he has no games, and he always has the news on."
That's very true. I don't know why Cyrus works at a school full of kids when he's very anti-kid. Especially young kids. Though he does try his best with Jerry.
"Alright. I'll see you later kiddo."
"Wait!" Mellie called out. "When will you be back?"
Fitz looked at the clock.
310
"Probably in a couple hours."
Mellie looked up at the ceiling with her head tilted as if thinking it over.
"Oh good you'll be back by dinner time. Please be back by dinner time."
"Yes dad! Be back by dinner time! Remember when mom poisoned me?"
"I did not poison you Fitzgerald! You need to stop saying that!" Mellie told Jerry. "How embarrassed was I when your teacher approached me at that school function and offered to give me cooking lessons in front of all those other parents. Embarrassed isn't even the right word. I was mortified!"
Fitz turned away to hide his smile.
"MOM! I was throwing up my guts after eating your soup! My guts! If dad didn't take me to the doctor's I'd be pushing up daisies right now."
"Jerry you really do-. Wait, where did you get the phrase 'pushing up daisies' from?" Fitz asked.
"Uncle Cyrus."
Fitz looked at Jerry in confusion.
"I heard him say that some lady named Sally was going to be pushing up daisies."
"How did you know what that meant?"
"A girl at the playground asked google."
Mellie rolled her eyes. "My god!"
Children today have access to way too much. Thank god Mellie and I are tech savvy and agree that Jerry doesn't need any phones or tablets or whatever for many years to come.
"Jerry, you really do need to stop saying that your mom poisoned you-"
"It was my guts dad!"
"Jerry." Fitz said in a warning tone.
"Oh ok." He said with a roll of his eyes.
"I'll see you in a little bit. Don't give your mom too much trouble."
"That'll be the day." Mellie mumbled.
Fitz walked over to Mellie, leaned in, and whispered "With that kind of attitude he's not going to listen to you. He's not a dumb Mellie. He knows you have little patience for him and I think that upsets him."
"Upsets him," Mellie nearly laughed. "How?" .
"You don't show him that you care about anything he says or does. Put some effort into your relationship with him." Fitz told her. "Give a damn for once."
Before Mellie could say anything Fitz walked away.
I know I'm not a big help in how Jerry views his mother but she's the one really doing the damage. I don't want Jerry to grow up without strong family connections like Mellie and I did. I want him to have a special bond with both of us. I want him to be able to count on both of us throughout his life. Right now it's like he's got one parent and a very annoying much older sister.
Our family needs to make a lot of adjustments.
Fitz got into his car and started to pull his seatbelt across when he paused.
How can I recommend making adjustments to better our family when I'm wanting to be with someone else?
Damnit! I don't want Jerry to go through what I went through as a child.
Fitz quickly shook his head in an effort to not let the memories of the past take over. He fastened his seatbelt, started the car, and backed out of the driveway.
It's a great time to go see Cyrus. His take on things is always entertaining.
Today has been such a nice day. Olivia thought as she put her book down. Just being able to relax, give my mind a break, and slow down. I feel like I've been in overdrive the last few of weeks. Yesterday is certainly a testament to that.
I don't know what's going to happen when I see Fitz tonight.
I mean we came awfully close to doing something that maybe we both would regret.
Sadly, depending on how I look at it, I would only regret it because I feel there's more that needs to be talked about. Now that I really think about it I'm glad it wasn't this rushed closet sex frenzy. If we were to have sex I would want it to be thought out on both are parts because it would be a huge step that neither of us could take back.
Olivia picked her book back up.
Am I willing to give myself to a man who may never be mine? Could I handle walking through those school doors to work and seeing him everyday? Would he look at me with shame on his face?
She tossed the book back down.
Goodbye mind break.
"Fitz! Come in!"
"You're not going to yell at me about not calling first in case you had company?" Fitz asked Cyrus.
Cyrus smiled. "Now Fitz you know I always behave myself on Sundays."
Fitz laughed.
Cyrus is one of a kind.
"Come into the living room. I was watching CNN but I'm willing to interrupt my activities for you."
Fitz followed Cyrus into the living room. "Well damn I feel special."
"Honestly don't feel too special. If that segment about whether or not it's worth it to see Magic Mike hadn't ended you'd still be standing outside." Cyrus told him as he turned off the tv.
"Oh Cyrus."
"Anyways, guess what..."
"What?"
"No bitches are wrapping me up and putting a diaper on my head this year!"
Fitz furrowed his eyebrows. "What are you talking about?"
"The damn Halloween party this weekend. I got a costume this year."
Fitz laughed. "I didn't think you would ever go again."
"Oh I'm going and if everyone shows up in a costume I'm going to attack someone outside in regular clothes and drag them in. I want to witness someone else be humiliated this year."
"I'm sensing a lawsuit in your future Cyrus."
Cyrus laughed. "Did you get a costume? I know you're going because you'll do anything to get away from Mellie."
I almost got a lot more than a costume. Fitz thought.
"Um yeah. Jerry, I, and Mellie went costume shopping. Though Mellie's objective was the same as it was when she attended the football game."
"To be an ass." Cyrus said.
Fitz nodded his head.
"I don't care what you say Fitz there's no reason on Earth to stay with her. I wish I could get that through to you! I think that great head of hair is what's getting in the way." Cyrus ran his hand through his thinning hair. "For the record. Bosley Hair Restoration does not work!"
Fitz smiled before getting serious.
"Something wrong Fitz?"
"There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about. I would've talked to you sooner but I thought I had everything under control."
Fitz took a deep breath. "You know the new teacher at our school?"
"Yeah. Ms. Pope. Olivia."
"Well some things have been going on since she started working at the school."
Cyrus raised an eyebrow.
"I um...we-"
Fitz was suddenly interrupted by his phone.
He rolled his eyes when he saw who was calling him.
"Yes, Mellie?"
"I need you to come home right now! The Macklin's have a family emergency to tend to and I couldn't bring myself to say no when they asked if Jeffrey could stay with us till they returned." She hurriedly told him.
"Ok? So why do I need to come home right now?"
"Because he's only been here ten minutes and I'm ready to throw both him and our son out on the street! If you don't get back here in the next few minutes that's exactly what's going to happen! BOYS STOP THAT RUNNING RIGHT NOW!" She screamed before he heard her take several breaths. "Get here now Fitz!"
"Calm down. I'll be home."
"What's going on?" Cyrus asked after Fitz put his phone away.
"Our neighbors had a family emergency and dropped their son off at our house."
Cyrus laughed. "Mellie's probably bald and on her tenth drink by now!"
"Probably." Fitz got up. "I'll see you tomorrow Cy."
"Wait, what about what you needed to talk to me about?"
Fitz shook his head. "I guess that'll have to wait."
Well looks like it's time to go. Olivia thought as she finished off her wine and popcorn.
I always end up loving are time together at the park yet it doesn't stop the horrible nerves I feel beforehand. There's always something crazy that's happened leading up to the night that I don't want to talk about but has to be talked about. I know it's going to continue to be this way until we cool off what were doing or he...
I know what I want him to do. What he needs to do, but it worries me to think about it.
I'm going to have to be strong enough and confident enough in myself to walk away if he chooses to stay with her.
Olivia put her coat on, grabbed everything she needed, and headed out the door.
In a way it would be nice if she left him, but I'd much prefer it to be the other way around. I don't want him to "choose" to be with me because the decision was forced by her. I want him to make the choice on his own. Completely independent of what anyone else is doing or saying.
I certainly don't want to sit around waiting for him but I could see myself doing that and that's frustrating! I don't want to be "that" woman.
If my father knew the situation I was in I wouldn't be able to blame him for wanting to take over my dating life.
As Fitz neared the back side of the bench he could see someone else approaching the bench from the front.
God I hope that's her.
He smiled when the light from the lamp touched her.
"Hi," he said nervously.
"Hi."
He came around the bench and made a gesture for her to sit down first.
"You look tired. Are you ok?" She asked.
"Yeah. I've just been hanging around with a couple of seven year olds. Thankfully I managed to put them to bed in time to meet you here."
"Sleepover party?"
"Impromtu. Needed to help the neighbors out in an emergency." He looked at her curiously. "It's been a crazy weekend..."
"I definitely agree with that! Actually it's been a rough weekend since I left work on Friday."
Friday? I talked to her Friday night and I don't remember her saying anything bad happened that day.
"We talked Friday night but you didn't say anything about a rough day." He told her before hurriedly adding "Not that you have to tell me everything or anything. I'm just sorry I didn't know."
Olivia smiled. "Nothing to be sorry about. I was so glad you called because you really turned the emotions of that day around."
Fitz couldn't help but smile. "What happened?"
"Well, my dad can be...actually is really controlling!"
I know all to well what it means to have a controlling father!
"Without giving me an opportunity to say 'no' he invited me to dinner at his house. He told me he had a surprise for me..."
"I'm guessing it wasn't the greatest of surprises."
Olivia shook her head.
"I was already dreading the evening and based on the past I knew the surprise would be something I didn't want but kudos to him because he really pulled one over on me this time."
I'm practically on the edge of my seat wanting to know what happened.
"I walked into the living room and there's a man standing there."
"A man?" Fitz responded before he could stop himself.
What kind of man? Who is this man? What the hell was this man doing there? Fitz could feel his heart start to race.
"Yeah. Turns out my dad set me up on a date. A dinner date for three."
What the fuck? Doesn't her dad know-. Wait, how could he know? And if he did I'm pretty sure he wouldn't be happy that I'm into his daughter.
"I couldn't believe it! He had mentioned the guy to me one time before but I never thought he'd interfere and invite him over without saying a word to me."
Well if it was a rough for her then she obviously didn't like the guy.
"I can understand how that would make an evening you were already dreading worse." Fitz said.
"It was my father that made the evening rough but luckily my 'date' turned out to be a really nice guy."
WHAT?
Fitz cleared his throat. "Oh really?"
"One of my father's favorite pastimes is making me feel like shit. Especially in front of other people but when he said his usual B.S. Frank basically stood up for me. He really made me feel the best I could've in that situation."
"Frank. That's his name?"
Olivia nodded her head.
What is his first name 'Franklin' or something stuffy like that. What the hell kind of name is Frank? And if his full name is 'Franklin' then why the hell is she calling him "Frank"!
Did they become friends by the end of the evening? Is he trying to get with her? Has he contacted her since? Did he sweep her off her feet?
He couldn't have. I mean if he did there's no way what happened on Saturday would've happened. Right?
Though what if he called her today and she got all excited? She forgot about him on Saturday but he called her today and now she remembers how he made her feel the best!
Frank. Frank who? That's what I want to know! Who the fuck is Frank?
"Fitz? Are you alright?" He heard her ask. His eyes shifted trying to bring her back into focus.
He nodded his head and tried his best to smile.
Sure. I'm alright. Except my blood pressure just went up through the heavens.