Part 21

"Oh Livvie, look at this, is this not the most precious thing?"

All dewy eyed and sentimental, Maya fawned over the adorable pink dungaree set, with matching bow and booties… "I think my grand baby is going to look gorgeous in this…"

Chuckling, "Ma, don't you think you should wait until I've had my scan, before purchasing any more "pink" items…"

"I'll keep the receipt." Maya dismisses playfully, placing the dinky little outfit into her shopping basket.

It had been hard, but over the last few weeks or so, Maya had begun to pick herself back up again. These days, if she was not fully throwing herself into work, she was out spoiling Liv and her future grandchild every chance she got. Anything to keep busy, and not focus on the fact that her husband was still AWOL.

Eli had gone to Ghana for an unspecified length of time, to spend some time with his friends, David and Abby, and whilst he was there; offer up his medical expertise working at their charity funded medical station. Following his daughter's public dressing down, then consequent discovery that Sally had decided to give Fitz his old job back, Eli had returned home fit to explode. And like a ticking time-bomb waiting to happen, he did blow; once duly met with Maya's complete lack of empathy and her refusal to agree with him. If anything, she completely stood by her daughter's convictions and then for good measure, proceeded to deliver a few home truths herself. As you can imagine, after the day he endured, it didn't go down too well; leading to yet another blazing row between husband and wife, that took up the entire night and carried on to the early hours of the morning. Eli had simply had enough; he felt like he was on the verge of losing his mind. So, without so much as a warning (other than to Sally, requesting extended emergency leave), Eli packed a suitcase, booked a direct flight to Ghana and left. That was 7 weeks ago; he had not been in touch since.

The bitter sting of Eli's departure and his appalling behaviour leading up to it, had Maya seriously questioning her future and their marriage, and over the past two weeks she had started to toy with the idea of filling for divorce. This worried Olivia greatly. The last thing she wanted was for her relationship with Fitz to lead to the destruction of her parent's marriage. As angry as she was at her dad for running off and leaving her mother in the manner that he did, she had hoped that they would find a way to resolve their difference in the end. Maya, however, did not feel that way, as far as she was concerned Eli had shown himself to be nothing but a self-serving bastard, who held no regard for her feelings, or their wedding vows, so why would she wish to remain married to a man like that. Liv was convinced it was the hurt talking, but she also knew that her mother was a prideful woman, well-aware of her self-worth, and why should she settle for anything less than what she deserved. Therefore, there is a fairly good chance that her mum might just go ahead and file for this divorce. If only Liv could find a way to pin down David and Abby location in Ghana, maybe she could finally reach out to her father and encourage him to return and fix this mess.

After a couple hours shopping at the mall, Liv and Maya decide to take a pit stop at their favourite smoothie bar. Taking a seat with their drinks they talked shop, Liv's pending 20-week scan, her plans for the nursery, and of course Eli…

"I spoke to Cyrus Beene last night."

Liv's heart sank. She knew what that meant. Cyrus was an old College friend of her mother's, who ran his own law practice on the other side of town. He specialised in marital law, particularly those of the rich and famous. Truth be told he had quite a cutthroat reputation. Liv had only met him a few times, but every time she found him rather obnoxious and almost snake like in demeanour. He came across as an unscrupulous character, that would stop at nothing to gain the upper hand. And at this turbulent time, her father's worst nightmare.

"Mum, please don't tell me you're going to hire him as your attorney…"

"No, not quite, but I wanted to bend his ear about how best to proceed if I do go ahead and file for divorce."

Liv rolled her eyes… "I really don't trust that man, let alone with something like this… if anything he'll talk you into it… you know that he hates Dad."

"Now, now Olivia, hate is such a strong word; Cyrus does not hate Eli, he dislikes him… they dislike each other."

"Even more reason to not go to him for advice, gosh, I can't stand the man…"

In a comforting gesture, Maya reaches over and cups Olivia's hand… "Stop it, stress is not good for the baby…"

"Hard not to stress mum, when I'm the cause of my parent's divorce…"

Almost sternly. "Olivia look at me…" Olivia lifts her hanging head and meets her mother's worrying eyes… "If I choose to go ahead with this divorce, it's not about you or Fitz, or this baby; instead, it has everything to do with your father; you are not to blame yourself. Do you hear me?"

"Yes mum", Liv wipes away a stray tear, hormones had her emotions riding on the surface these days.

"Your father has a lot to answer for, and if he does not soon, I can't see how I can remain married to him…"

"But you still love him, right?"

Maya sighs wistfully… "Of course I do, otherwise it wouldn't hurt like it does, but Liv he's the one that's walked away first here, not me…"

-x-

They were having a boy; the joy that beamed out of Fitz's eyes as Novak announced that Liv was carrying his son, had Liv feeling all warm and tingly inside and smiling from ear to ear. It was a happy moment for the couple, as they basked in the news. Liv had secretly hoped it was boy, what with Fitz already having a daughter, she wanted to give him a first too. His first son.

Fitz leans down and gives her a loving kiss… "You happy?" he asks her.

"So happy," she replies wholeheartedly, pulling him in for another peck. She couldn't get enough of him recently, although the way he responded to her, you'd think it was the other way round. They were infectious, each fully consumed by the other, utterly intertwined and entangled in their love, and for the first time in a long time confident in their love too. With the news of their son, they walked out of Maternity as if they were floating on cloud nine. In that precise moment, nothing or no-one could bring them down.

With both their shifts over, they head to his office to grab his stuff, with the intention of going home and celebrating. Liv hands him the sonogram pictures, so that he can carefully place them in his briefcase, but instead, he finds himself perching on the edge of desk, taking a moment to look at them with awe, smiling to himself… "Your mum was so certain it was a girl."

"I know, I just hope she has kept all those receipts", Liv jokes, giggling as he wraps his arms around her, pulling her in close and placing his forehead against hers… "We'll call Maya as soon as we get in, then order us some dinner, and then…" with a naughty glint in his eye, he leans down and whispers seductively… "I plan to devour every inch of you for desert…"

With flushed cheeks, heatedly, Liv squeezes her thighs together in anticipation of their night's festivities, for she can barely contain herself, and in proof, wantonly teases back…

"Easy tiger, saying things like that to a hormonal pregnant woman, might result in you getting devoured first..."

Mouth suddenly dry, extremely turned on by her brazenness, he watches her intently, as she slowly moves from his embrace and walks like a lioness to the door... When his feet finally catch up with his lust-filled brain, he gets up about to follow her out, when the abrupt click of his lock tells him all too clearly, that his little minx has other plans...

A single request passing through her bow shaped lips... "Drop em!"