I'm still writing the last chapter, but here's more fluff and smut in the meantime.
TBOT
XXX
Back in the U.S…
The Grant family finally returned to the United States, in need of a vacation from their vacation. They'd rested most of the day on Sunday in Barcelona, preparing for their long flight home. Cruz was in a better mood, which made the ten hour flight more tolerable.
After two days of unpacking and reacclimating herself with being back at home, Olivia finally went to visit Lauren McWilliams and her new son, Drew McWilliams, II, or Deuce as he was called. The baby had been born while the Grants were still abroad, and Olivia had sent flowers and a huge gift basket. She couldn't wait to meet the newest member of their little tight-knit crew. A month before their departure, she'd co-hosted a baby shower for Lauren, which was planned by Benny Maddox.
The Team had also held their Super Bowl championship ring ceremony before the start of training camp, but obviously Fitz was not in attendance. When the couple returned, the ring was delivered via bonded courier and was now stored in the safe, next to the first.
Over the next few weeks, Olivia and Fitz were busy taking meetings regarding their new careers, and Olivia was going into the city more to tape for MSNBC. She missed working in the city. She missed walking into the busy justice building, and all the hustle and bustle. But, she wouldn't give up the life she was building with her husband for any of it.
Olivia had also booked three speaking engagements for the next month and a half. They were all out of town, but her rule was: no more than thirty-six hours away from home. She was also leaning heavily toward an offer made by the Howard University School of Law Civil Rights Clinic as an adjunct professor and supervising attorney.
She'd been recommended for the position although the Dean admitted he'd seen her in action in the courtroom and on television. He was also a friend of her father's, but she knew he hadn't had anything to do with the offer. Eli Pope knew his daughter well enough to know it was best not to interfere when it came to her career.
Teaching was something she'd never considered, but after witnessing so many ill-prepared public defenders, and a few defense attorneys, in the courtroom, someone with her experience was desperately needed. It would mean working two days per week on campus in the District, which meant she could tape her segments from the studios on those days. She was busier than ever, and the school needed an answer soon.
Her saving grace was her husband, who allowed her to focus on her career while he cared for their son. The arrangement was still working but she missed hanging with her guys. On top of all this, they were in the middle of interviewing and hiring a designer, and a contractor to make upgrades to the new home they'd purchased. Things were moving fast.
A month after returning from Barcelona, they'd made a routine trip to the Farmer's Market in Falls Church on a beautiful Saturday. They were leisurely driving through the Virginia countryside hoping to lull their cranky eleven month old son to sleep when they saw a small and discrete For Sale sign posted on the brick wall of the entrance to a private neighborhood. They'd discussed possibly moving, but that was as far as they'd gotten. They didn't know if they wanted to build a new home, or remodel an existing property.
Olivia wanted their son to grow up in a neighborhood with other children the way she and Fitz had. The Great Falls estate was safe and secure, but the nearest neighbors were miles away. Because of who her husband was safety was of utmost importance so wherever they moved would need to be gated, private and safe. Excited about the location, they'd immediately contacted the realtor. When she heard the name Fitz Grant, she'd immediately scheduled an appointment so the couple could tour the structure the next day. Olivia fell almost immediately in love. Situated on three acres, with magnificent views of the Virginia countryside, the architect had taken advantage of the land's natural terrain to add to the three story structure's beauty. The climate controlled home boasted high ceilings, seven bedrooms, seven full bathrooms, and two half baths, formal living, great/family room, large airy chef's kitchen, study, sauna/steam room, recreation and media rooms, gym, wine cellar, outdoor kitchen, basketball/tennis courts, pool, pool house and a guest cottage. Fitz laid claim to the recreation room for his man cave and left the rest to Olivia to do whatever she wanted. Four days later, they made an offer.
They'd sold Fitz's D.C. condo before the beginning of his final season in the league, but had kept Olivia's, and used it whenever they needed to stay overnight in the city, or if was too late to drive back to Great Falls. Now that she was considering the position at Howard, it would definitely come in handy.
Olivia was managing the remodeling project, her career, and she was in the middle of planning their son's first birthday party. With a full plate, it was no surprise she was becoming increasingly irritable and short with everybody. Her little boy was almost one year old and she was not ready. She wanted her little baby back, the one who needed her for everything. Her moods were all over the place and her latest victim was Benny Maddox.
Benny's business was growing and Olivia tried to stir new clients her way when she could, as long as she used Black vendors when she could. She'd finally stood up to Jake and was now working nonstop. So much so, she'd hired a full-time assistant.
Olivia was in her office going over notes from the last interview she and Fitz had had with a designer from a list of Wyatt's recommendations, when her phone rang, and she answered without looking at the screen.
"Hello."
"Hello, Olivia. I still need your final decision on the cake for Cruz's party," Benny said. "Joey and I have narrowed it down, but the final decision is yours."
"It doesn't matter to me, which is why I hired you," she snapped massaging her temples.
"Olivia this is your baby's first birthday, everything should be your decision. When we first started planning this party, you were making more contributions."
"Well, my money is my contribution," she answered snidely, instantly regretting it since Benny was really trying hard to be a good friend.
Olivia sighed. "I liked the dancing elephant with the pearl balls. It's perfect since that's the party theme." The party was being planned around Cruz's favorite toy, his plush gray elephant, Bubby, gifted to him by his Lovey. He rarely went anywhere without it.
"Great! That's the cake we both liked as well," Benny said, trying to move things along, sensing Olivia's patience was growing short.
"Thank you, Benny."
"No problem. Don't forget his one year and smash cake photo shoot is Saturday at three. Do you have everything?"
"Yep. We're ready. We have his bow tie, suspenders, crown and bloomers, although his father doesn't understand why he has to wear bloomers."
Benny chuckled. "Okay. If you need anything or you have any new ideas, just give me a call."
"I will. Thank you, Benny. For everything. And I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier. It was uncalled for."
"It's really okay, Olivia. You have a lot going on right now. I'm just glad I can help."
"You've been a tremendous help."
Benny was quiet for a minute, unsure how to respond. She was still getting used to people being nice to her without wanting anything in return.
"Thank you, Olivia. That means a lot coming from you."
Olivia nodded as if Bennie could see her. "Well, I have a meeting in fifteen minutes. Thanks again, Benny," she said, before ending the call. Her mind immediately wandered to what she could do for her friend, besides paying her for planning Cruz's party, especially after putting up with her mood swings for the last month.
XXX
Three weeks later…
On a beautiful and mild October Saturday afternoon, Fitz and Olivia stood watching all the family and friends who'd come to shower their baby boy with love. They couldn't believe how fast a year had gone by, and their life had changed so much since he entered the world. It had been one entire year of loving Cruz, who had come into their lives unexpectedly, and it was quite a journey to witness. Everyone wore grey t-shirts with 'Cruz's First Trip Around the Sun' printed across the front.
Benny had turned their backyard into a children's carnival. There were clowns, a train, bouncy house, a mini carousel and ferris wheel, face painting, games, and food booths offering everything from hot dogs to funnel cakes, a photographer, videographer and a DJ, who was spinning classics. The birthday boy was having the time of his life. They knew he didn't really understand what was going on, but that was okay. He'd ridden the train several times with his T, who laughed and screamed with him, while he rang the bell. She was such a big kid.
Olivia had also recorded a video of her mother, the Maya Pope, holding Cruz's hand, jumping in bouncy house as high as his little legs would allow. She would need it as proof because no one would believe her when she told them.
Cruz was currently in his father's arms, which was rare these days because their baby had recently begun walking unassisted, and was so proud of himself he wouldn't allow anyone to hold him. They chased him daily as he walked around destroying things.
They'd invited a few Team players children since it was a home game weekend, and they all seemed to be enjoying themselves.
The train went by and India, sitting next to her father, waved at Cruz from the front seat. As expected, Cruz wiggled to get out of Fitz's grasp and he set him on his feet. His little face broke out into a lopsided grin, and they watched their music loving, soccer ball kicking little boy toddle away, chasing bubbles.
Fitz placed an arm around his wife's shoulders. "This is why I will never go back."
He didn't need to say go back where, she knew. "Do you miss it?"
"The game?"
She nodded.
He shook his head. "Honestly, I think I'm good on the game. Cruz is growing so fast," he said glancing at their son, "and I don't want to miss any of that."
Olivia leaned into her husband's muscular arm. Watching their baby turn one, and his growing independence made them both sad. It seemed like just yesterday her doctor placed him on her chest after he was born, and her world changed in an instant. It had been a joy, and the highlight of her life watching him grow, reach different milestones and seeing his personality emerge. Her baby boy had given her so much purpose, joy, a new outlook on life, happiness and unconditional love. She'd completed her first year as a mommy and she couldn't wait for the many more to come.
"Are you feeling better?" Fitz asked, interrupting her thoughts. He was looking down at her with concern.
Olivia glanced up and couldn't help but laugh at the balloon elephant hat sitting on his head.
"I'm fine, Fitz. I think it was food poisoning. Did you throw those eggs in the trash? I just need to get some rest, and I will once this is all over."
"You sure you're okay?" he asked again because he'd eaten the same thing and hadn't gotten sick.
Olivia nodded. "Yeah."
"Okay, if you say so."
She didn't notice the look of skepticism on his face because her eyes were on their son who was squealing with delight as his Uncle J tossed him into the air while his Auntie Jo stood next to them laughing.
It had all started with the Eggs Benedict Fitz made that morning for breakfast. They were Olivia's favorite and she'd eaten them heartily. The meal had gone down well, except for a vaguely metallic aftertaste. Twenty minutes later, she found herself hugging the toilet. The nausea passed after an hour and she no longer felt any effects of the breakfast she'd consumed. She was ready to celebrate their baby boy…and eat a few funnel cakes.
XXX
Current… Falls Church
Fitz's body was curled around his wife's as they lay comfortably together, naked in the custom king bed with its headboard made of carved wooden doors from Morocco, as the early-evening sunlight shone through the wall of windows in their bedroom, drenching the large space with natural light.
Their designer worked with them, well Olivia, to decorate each room in the new house. It was magazine worthy before Olivia Pope Grant, along with their designer, Fiona, put her touch on every room. Their master suite had taken the longest. The massive room was what had sold them on the property. It boasted a sitting room, multiple dressing rooms, custom-fitted walk-in closets, two fireplaces, two full bathrooms and a private terrace. Despite its large size, the room was still intimate, cozy and kid friendly. It was where they went to relax and escape everyday life. It was their sanctuary.
The family had moved from their home in Great Falls to the new neighborhood in Falls Church a month before Elle-Carolyn was born. It was a small, secure and private community, and there were neighbors and families with young children. Lars Nilsson's twins were the same age as Cruz and they were inseparable. It was also near a park where they took the kids to play. Of course their backyard rivaled any park or playground, but going to the park, Cruz and Elle-Carolyn got the chance to interact and socialize with other kids.
There was a whimpering sound on the video monitor. Fitz turned and watched their daughter move around for a few seconds before she finally settled down again. He released the breath he was holding; he wasn't ready for playtime with his wife to be over just yet.
Tiredly, he brought Olivia's left hand to his lips and kissed the finger that possessed the stunning diamond eternity band in platinum that he'd gifted her on their first wedding anniversary. After four years, she was still the woman he couldn't live without. The woman he couldn't wait to share his day with, the woman that he loved so much, even at her worst, because she still made him feel like the best. He sighed with happiness and contentment.
Olivia lay across her husband's chest, relaxed, after their second round of satisfying and energetic sex. They'd taken a short break only to change positions. They fucked long and hard as if it was their last time, and her core was throbbing and pulsating from the experience. It was pure ecstasy.
This man, she thought. She was lost in his touch, his voice and his love. She chuckled softly. Some things never changed. Here they were, rushing to squeeze in a quickie while their children napped. It seemed they still couldn't get enough of each other.
Leaning down, Fitz kissed his wife's shoulder and murmured, "I will never get tired of making love to you. I swear I still don't understand how I got so lucky, first with you, and then our beautiful children." He shook his head in wonder.
Olivia smiled, her eyes still closed.
Moving her hair aside, he kissed her neck. "Maybe we should think about having another one. What do you think, Livvie?"
That got her attention. Here we go again, she thought. Olivia opened her eyes and turned over onto her back, looking up at her husband. "Are you serious?"
He shrugged and gave her that lopsided grin. "Sure. Why not? We have the space, the time and definitely enough love for another baby."
Now that was true. When Elle-Carolyn was born, her heart doubled in size and the immediacy of love was surprising. It wouldn't be any different with another baby.
"Cruz and Elle-Carolyn are growing so fast," he continued, glancing at their sleeping children on the state-of-the art video monitor. "I love and adore you, Olivia Grant, and I would love nothing more than to have another baby with you. Seeing you pregnant with another one of my beautiful babies would make me very happy."
She had to agree with him, they did make beautiful babies.
"Says the person who doesn't have to carry the baby," Olivia said reaching for Fitz's hand and squeezing it before bringing it to her lips, kissing his fingers. Her first pregnancy, labor and childbirth had taken a toll on her small body, and it had taken longer for her to fully recover. Elle-Carolyn's birth story was completely different from her big brother's, and fortunately, their daughter had been much gentler on her mother.
"Come on, Livvie. You know you want more of my babies who will have my mother's eyes, and who will look just like you."
He grinned at her and she bit down on her lower lip to keep from smiling. It wasn't working. Giving in, she smiled instead, and nudged his shoulder with her own.
"Fitz, are you sure you want to have another baby right now? I mean, we're both busy with our careers, and Elle-Carolyn is very attached to you. I don't think she would allow another baby to get anywhere near you. You've spoiled our headstrong daughter rotten, mister."
Fitz chuckled and nodded his head. His wife was correct, he spoiled both children, well as much as Olivia would allow. The grandparents were just as bad, but he was the biggest culprit. He'd sit for hours holding his babies on his chest while they slept, but Elle-Carolyn Grant had him wrapped around her tiny fingers. She was definitely a daddy's girl, and lit up whenever her daddy was around. When she was born Fitz had fallen in love all over again. Having a daughter was entirely different than having a son. Each had taught him to love and provide in distinctive ways. He was responsible for showing Cruz how to be a man, just as his father had shown him, and for Elle-Carolyn, he had to model what a real man looked like.
"Well I did say that I wanted a little girl who looked like you, and who I could spoil. I got what I wanted…again."
Olivia shook her head and rolled her eyes, and Fitz laughed.
"Livvie I'm not spoiling her, I'm just giving her the attention she needs for proper development," he protested.
Olivia pursed her lips. "Fitz you bought our daughter diamond earrings for her first birthday. What does that have to do with proper development?"
Fitz grinned sheepishly at his wife. "Aww Livvie, I bought a pair for you and I couldn't just leave her out. If anything, I'm spoiling you both."
Olivia side eyed her husband and shook her head. "Anyway, I'm not too sure how Elle would react to having another baby in the house, Fitz. Remember how attached Cruz was to me?"
Their son was still a mama's boy. If he saw Fitz touching or kissing Olivia, he would put out his little hand pushing him away. That action was always followed by a strong "no" or "mine." Fitz would laugh, thinking to himself, "No son, she's mine." But he wouldn't stop because it was important for their son to see what healthy love looked like.
The first two weeks, after they brought Elle-Carolyn home, sixteen month old Cruz Grant had no interest in his new baby sister whatsoever, and spent most of his time pretending she wasn't there. They learned very quickly that two under two was not for the weak. It took a lot of patience. When Cruz was screaming for attention from his mommy, and Olivia was in the middle of nursing Elle-Carolyn, Fitz always stepped in to try and calm his son down. They were a team. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. Most times the toddler only wanted his mother. Olivia felt like a failure. Obviously her baby wasn't ready to share her with a sibling. She was only able to nurse her newborn and hand her to Fitz to burp because a screaming Cruz wanted her to hold him. Fortunately, he didn't regress, and had no interest in nursing which was a plus.
After the second or third week, he began to realize that this new tiny human wasn't going anywhere, and he started to settle down. They all understood. It was difficult being an only child for sixteen months, getting all the focus, love and attention to having a sibling and sharing it all. He began to step into his big brother role, and became obsessed with his little sister. He actually wanted to be around her, giving her kisses, holding her and putting her pacifier into her mouth if she was crying. If she was asleep too long, he insisted on checking on her. He'd also tried to feed her a Goldfish cracker, so he was willing to share with his sister. Fitz and Olivia were so proud of their little guy, and the progress he made, they couldn't wait to see their children playing together as Elle-Carolyn got older.
That was not going to be the case with Elle-Carolyn Grant, and they both knew it. She was their sensitive child, prone to tantrums and crying fits. Of course at her age, she didn't have much control over her emotions and her adjustment to a new baby wouldn't be easy.
"Do you know we could possibly have three children, three and under?"
"Livvie, we can hire any help we might need. Just think about it." He kissed her forehead. "Whenever you're ready," he murmured. "You know I'm ready anytime. You bring the eggs, I'll bring the opportunity."
Olivia laughed as her husband climbed between her legs again, and she watched him slowly stroking his long, thick and hard inches with one hand.
"As a matter of fact, I'm ready now."
"I can see that," she said just above a whisper and wrapped her arms around her husband's neck and her legs around his back as he sank himself fully inside her again. Olivia let out a moan of satisfaction against Fitz's lips.
Fitz lifted her hands and pinned them above her head with one hand, while bracing himself and his weight on his forearm, leveraging his hips against her to hold her into place. He almost came at the sound of her loud moans as he slid in and out of her.
Olivia raised her head and whispered near his ear. "Please, baby, fuck me."
He loved when she talked dirty, it just spurred him on. Her eyes were closed, her pouty lips were slightly parted, and her beautiful skin flushed.
"Open your eyes, Livvie."
Olivia smiled softly as she complied and he thrust deeper into her, moving leisurely as if they had all the time in the world, and panted as she met each thrust.
"You're driving me insane, babe."
Fitz grinned. "I just had the same thought about you, love."
"Really?" She ran her fingers through his hair, damp from perspiration and whimpered. "I don't think I can take much more, babe."
Fitz continued to pump into her at a frenzied pace. His orgasm was seconds away. She moaned in surprise when he shifted her body and lifted her leg without pulling out. Leaning down, he sucked a puckered nipple into his mouth while still thrusting harder and forcefully.
Olivia grabbed his tight ass as their sweaty bodies moved in sync with one another as he moved in and out of her, urging her to come. Their eyes locked and her shallow breathing sped up. He knew she was close. She encouraged him, urging him on with words and moans, and he continued to slam into her until her orgasm hit her suddenly, making her tremble in his arms. The feeling was so damn intense she had to grip his shoulders to hang on.
"Fitz!"
He continued to pound into her and then shuddered. "Livvie!" he yelled. "You're making me come, baby." His back straightened as he continued to stroke into her, his seed filling her to the hilt. He stilled and thrust into her one last time as she clung to him, her fingers digging into his forearms.
"Look at me, Livvie," he said softly, his voiced filled with lust.
She opened her eyes and met his deep blue ones.
"I love you," he said hoarsely.
Before she could respond, he lowered his head and took her mouth in a slow, gentle kiss. When his weight grew too heavy, he rolled onto his back, pulling her into his arms.
They were quiet for a full minute before Fitz broke the silence. "I don't know, Livvie, we may have just made another baby."
Olivia smiled tiredly at him, amusement in her eyes and her face all aglow. He stared at her. There was something familiar about that look.
"You think so?"
He squeezed her tight. "I'm only kidding, but you let me know when you're ready."
Olivia chuckled at the silly grin on Fitz's face, and he kissed her forehead then glanced over her shoulder. "It's almost five 'o clock. We should probably shower before the kids wake up from their naps."
Olivia nodded. "We can't let them sleep much longer or they'll be awake all night."
"You're right about that. How about Thai for dinner? The munchkins love the fried rice."
"Sounds good, but can we get delivery instead? I'm exhausted and I'm not in the mood to deal with fans who want autographs, and selfies with you. Plus we'd have to get the kids dressed, and Elle-Carolyn would spend an hour screaming 'nooo, meee,' trying to dress herself, refusing any help from us."
Fitz laughed, nodding at his wife's accurate description of their daughter. "Plus, she's napping now but that does not mean she won't have another meltdown later at dinner."
"Hey!" he said with fake outrage. "That's my baby girl you're talking about."
Olivia laughed at her husband. "That's our baby girl, and you know I'm telling the truth."
He did in fact know she was telling the truth. His baby girl was a handful and it was mostly his fault. He just couldn't help himself when he looked into that little face. The face she shared with her beautiful mother, those silver grey eyes, adorable pink glasses and pouty lips. They hadn't planned to have another baby so soon after the first, but things don't always happen the way you plan.
XXX
Two years ago…
Fitz walked into his large bedroom, with one year old Cruz in his arms, searching for his wife. He walked past the large sleeping area and to the sitting room with its view of the mountains. The plan was to take a walk after dinner, but when Olivia hadn't returned from upstairs, he grabbed their son and his Bubby, and went to check on her. He wasn't surprised to find her curled up, asleep on the sofa because he knew that was where she liked to rest. What concerned him was the look on her face. Though her breathing was steady, her eyes were closed and her brows were tightly furrowed, as if she was in pain.
He shook her gently and she opened her eyes.
"You okay, Livvie?"
"Ma!" Cruz squealed and reached out to his mother.
Olivia sat up and took her baby into her arms, kissing his cheeks and forehead before hugging him and snuggling him close.
Fitz took a seat next to his wife and silently observed his loves. She'd ignored his question but he would give her a moment with their son before he asked again. Something was wrong and he was going to find out what. For now, he just watched.
Olivia played peek-a-boo with her son, and laughed along with him. There was nothing like the sound of baby giggles. He loved the game and could play for at least twenty minutes straight before something else distracted him. For the past few weeks, she'd wondered where her eight pound, eleven ounce newborn had gone, and who this little babbling one year old boy, with her entire face, was. He had long ago stopped lying still during a diaper change, and he no longer wanted help and tried to do everything by himself. Currently he was absolutely adorable in his "big boy" clothes. Fitz had dressed him in cuffed toddler jeans, a navy fleece, beanie and tiny navy Chucks. He hated wearing shoes but not wearing them wasn't an option.
"Ma," he said again and her heart melted. He'd been saying dada all day, every day for months, to Fitz's delight of course. But not long ago he said Ma for the first time, looking at his mother, and she became a blubbering mess. It wasn't Mama or Mommy, but she'd take what she could get.
"Yes, baby?" she asked smiling at her son. Some days she still couldn't believe she was his mother. He didn't answer but instead wiggled to get down from her lap. She kissed his forehead and set him on his feet. Fitz put an arm around her shoulders and she leaned into him as they watched their son walk toward the large basket of toys in the corner.
Cruz Grant kept his parents on their toes. He was getting into everything and loved unraveling the toilet paper when he got the chance. They had locks on every cabinet within his reach and had to keep the remotes and their keys out of his sight. His Bubby, baby remote and car keys, along with every ball imaginable were his favorite toys. Their fearless little boy also loved giving hugs and kisses.
Fitz finally spoke. "You didn't answer my question, Livvie. Are you okay?"
Olivia briefly took her eyes off their son, who was happily removing every toy from the basket, then turned to her husband.
He looked worried, staring at his sickly looking wife.
"How are you feeling?"
"My stomach's upset. I think that second slice of cake may have been a mistake."
Fitz gave her an 'I told you so' look.
"What? That cake is good, and sinful," she shot back.
These days his wife seemed to eat a lot. She usually made healthy choices, which is why he was surprised when she had a second slice of Bert's famous chocolate cake. Now she was paying the price.
Without another word, she quickly jumped to her feet, surprising her husband, and ran to the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Fitz sat watching the door for a minute before walking over, lifting his son into his arms and following her.
"Livvie, are you okay?" he asked, knocking on the door. He could hear her retching on the other side.
"Ma!" Cruz yelled, tapping a tiny hand against the door, and bringing a tired smile to his mother's face.
"I'm fine, you two. I'll be out in a minute," she responded. Once she was sure her stomach was empty of all its contents, she slowly stood, flushed and made her way to her vanity. She washed her hands then stood staring at her reflection in the mirror, cringing at what stared back. "I look terrible," she whispered. After brushing her teeth, rinsing and gargling, she splashed cool water on her face. Patting her face dry with a hand towel, she tossed it in the hamper and finally opened the door. She fully expected to find Fitz standing there waiting, but he wasn't. Walking to the sitting room she found him on the floor with Cruz playing with a plush soccer ball. Quietly, she stood watching her boys.
Sensing her presence, Fitz looked up at his beautiful wife and gave her that lopsided grin. His grin faltered a little. He didn't like what he saw. Her skin was pale, and because she was tired all the time, she had circles under her eyes. And now she was vomiting. Something was wrong and he definitely had his suspicions, especially after the breakfast incident the morning of Cruz's birthday party, but he'd wait for Olivia to connect the dots. After all, she was a former prosecutor, and connecting the dots had been her job.
"Feeling better?"
She nodded. "I'm fine. Now, let's take that walk." She reached for her sweatshirt and pulled it over her head, while Fitz stood and lifted a protesting Cruz into his arms. He helped Olivia straighten the knit cap on her head while their son reached out to grab the fur pompom, but Olivia was too quick and stepped out of his reach. She tickled his round little belly and he laughed and squealed, showing all of his tiny teeth.
Fitz leaned down and softly kissed her lips, tasting the mint from her toothpaste and mouthwash. He wanted to deepen the kiss but their impatient son wasn't having it. He was ready to go and screeched his frustration. They both laughed.
"Let's go," Fitz said.
Olivia kissed her son's soft cheek. "Okay, okay, we're ready little mister."
Turning, she walked toward the door of their bedroom, followed by her husband and son.
XXX
Early the next morning…
Fitz quietly walked across the large room, toward the bed he shared with his wife. She lay on her side with her back to him. It was still early and the sun hadn't yet risen. Their son lay in the middle of the bed spread out like an octopus, sucking on his pacifier. He'd been sleeping in his crib every night for almost six months now, but if he woke, Fitz would go and get him, and bring him into their bed, which he'd done fifteen minutes ago.
Cruz's cries had awakened them both and while Fitz had stood from the bed to go and check on him, Olivia stood and seconds later, bolted toward the bathroom, her hand covering her mouth, and closing the door behind her.
When Fitz returned to their bedroom, Olivia was back in bed with the duvet pulled over her head. Placing their sleeping son, along with his Bubby, next to her, he kissed them both and left the room again.
Fitz sat on the bed next to Olivia and gently shook her shoulder. She opened her eyes and peeped at him from beneath the duvet. She still wasn't feeling well, and her stomach was queasy.
"I brought you tea, Livvie. It may make you feel better."
Olivia eyed her husband, then the mug in his hand. It was her favorite mug; a Mother's Day gift from Cruz with his picture hand painted on it. She slowly sat up against the mound of pillows. Fitz leaned over and kissed her tenderly, tasting toothpaste, while she reached for the piping liquid. She pursed her lips, blew across the hot liquid and took a small sip, closing her eyes, hoping and praying she could keep it down.
"Thank you, baby," she said before taking another sip. He'd made it just the way she liked it: splash of milk, sweetened with honey and flavored with a slice of lemon.
Fitz gave her that grin. "Are you any better this morning?"
Olivia nodded, grimacing as a wave of dizziness swept over her along with chills.
"A little. Maybe it's the flu, or a virus. I've spent a lot of time at the studio lately and I may have caught a bug or something from someone. I hope it isn't contagious. As a precaution, you and Cruz should probably be in another room, away from me until I can see a doctor."
Fitz looked at their sleeping son and then placed the back of his hand against her forehead.
"You don't feel warm. Could it be something else?" he asked, his eyes imploring her to make the connection.
Olivia felt too weak to argue. She was definitely coming down with something. Lately her stomach churned and rejected breakfast, lunch and dinner leaving her irritable and exhausted.
She glanced at her husband who tilted his head and stared, but said nothing.
Olivia shook her head. "No, I don't think so."
Fitz sighed deeply before finally voicing his suspicions. "Livvie, could you be pregnant?"
Olivia was about to take another sip of tea and her eyes grew wide as saucers as she held the mug midair. Her mouth opened and closed several times while she struggled for the words to answer her husband's question.
Could she be? The dry heaves during lunch with Jada a few weeks ago. The queasy stomach she'd had after the cheeseburger with all the toppings, and the greasy fries she just had to have, along with ice cream for dessert last week when she and Fitz had had lunch on their way home from the new house in Falls Church. Her husband had raised a brow but didn't say a word. The Eggs Benedict! Lately, her diet had been all over the place. And of course the cake incident yesterday
"Oh my God! Oh my God! Fitz!" Why hadn't she thought of that? It certainly explained how she could be sick and hungry at the same time. And how had she not recognized the symptoms immediately.
Fitz reached out and removed the mug from his wife's hands while she quickly reached for her phone and pulled up her period tracker app. Her last period was in July. She'd missed August, September and October. She hadn't had a menstrual cycle since they'd returned from vacation.
Olivia looked up at her husband, shocked, but Fitz had a huge grin on his handsome face.
"Fitz…I…no…" she shook her head. "Could I be?" Her mind began to race. She wasn't really ready to go through another pregnancy. She'd just stopped breastfeeding Cruz. Her first pregnancy had been problem free until her ninth month, but being overdue was miserable. Also, this wasn't the best time for her to be pregnant, not with a toddler, her career and her schedule. Fitz had also put off starting his firm until after Cruz's first birthday, and now she could be pregnant again. What was he going to do? It just wasn't the best time. But was there ever really a perfect time? She hadn't really planned to get pregnant the first time either, and everything had worked out.
She looked at her husband again and his grin grew wider.
"There's only one way to find out." He set the mug of warm tea on her night table, stood and rushed to his closet. Less than two minutes later, he re-emerged wearing sweats, a long-sleeve t-shirt, fleece jacket and a baseball cap pulled low on his head.
"Fitz where are you going at this hour?" she asked with a slight frown.
"I'm going to the nearest twenty-four hour store to buy a pregnancy test." He grabbed his wallet and keys, and then returned to his wife.
"I'll be back in thirty minutes or less." He quickly kissed her, and then Cruz, before hurrying for the door.
Olivia chuckled softly as she watched her husband rush out of their bedroom.
"Fitz please be careful," she called out to his retreating back, causing her son to jump and whine in his sleep. She reached out and rubbed his tummy.
"Shh, baby, Mommy's sorry for being so loud." Cruz finally settled down again and Olivia kissed his curls before lying on her back, willing the tea to stay down. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out. Could this really be happening again? Had they really created another life? Hadn't they just had a conversation about waiting to expand their family? Guess it was already too late. But she shouldn't be surprised. They'd done nothing to prevent a pregnancy. She and Fitz couldn't keep their hands off each other, so of course there was a chance she could get pregnant, and if she definitely didn't want another baby right now, she should've been using some form of birth control. But they hadn't and here they were; her husband was currently on a pregnancy test run. She chuckled nervously and placed her hands on her belly. Maybe she wasn't pregnant. Yeah, right. Fitz's pull out game had been superb when they didn't use a condom, which wasn't often. But it seemed as if they'd gotten caught up while she was ovulating, and now she was possibly pregnant again.
Turning her head, she smiled at her beautiful baby boy. They'd just celebrated his first birthday a little over a week ago. Was he about to be a big brother in a few months? Were they crazy to have two children under two? Yes. But she didn't want to get too far ahead of herself. They wouldn't know for sure until Fitz returned with the test. Excitement fluttered in her belly and she covered her smile with her hand. She laid thinking about the possibility of a new member joining their family and it wasn't long before her eyes grew heavy, and she drifted off to sleep.
XXX
"Livvie?" Fitz said quietly.
Olivia opened her eyes to see her husband standing over her, grinning.
She grinned back at him. "You're back," she whispered.
He nodded. "Yep, I'm back."
They laughed softly, not wanting to wake their son who was currently asleep on his mother's chest.
"Did you get the test?"
Fitz angled his head in the direction of the bathroom. "Take it now. The box said morning urine is the most accurate."
Olivia could only laugh thinking about her big, handsome husband standing in the store aisle reading the label on a home pregnancy test. "Thank you, babe. Can you move your son, please, so I can get up?"
Fitz reached out and gently removed Cruz from her chest, and laid him on his broad shoulder.
Olivia stood and walked toward the bathroom with Fitz on her heels.
"Do you need any help?"
She shook her head and smiled at him. "No, I think I can manage."
"Well I'll be right here, waiting." He leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips.
"Okay." She closed the door and walked over to the plastic bags on the vanity. Fitz had gone to two different stores. She dumped the contents of both bags and laughed when she saw the four different tests spill onto the stone countertop. Washing her hands, she reached for her toothbrush and decided to brush her teeth again, prolonging the inevitable. The whirr of the brush drowned out her thoughts. When she finished, she grabbed one of the test and walked over to the concealed toilet. Holding up the box, she noticed her hands were trembling, her palms were sweaty, and her heart was racing, probably from the anxiety she was feeling. Sighing, she got down to business.
Almost as soon as the first stream of her morning urine hit the stick, the color changed and the little window delivered the news: Pregnant.
"Fuck," she whispered, then chuckled. Of course she was pregnant. Wiping, she flushed the toilet and then ran to the sink to wash her hands.
"Fitz!" she called, her voice trembling.
Fitz quickly opened the door and stepped inside, with a wide awake Cruz in his arms. He was holding his Bubby, still sucking on that pacifier and sporting the craziest bed head she ever seen. He whined and reached out for his mother. Olivia pulled her son into her arms, the wand still in her hands. She handed the stick to Fitz who took it, and then let out a loud whoop, scaring her and Cruz.
"We're pregnant again, Fitz," she said, placing a hand on her stomach. His eyes followed her hand, fixated.
Fitz knew his wife was definitely pregnant the moment he heard her yell his name from behind the closed bathroom door.
"We're having another baby," he said, his gaze moving back to her beautiful face. That lopsided grin she loved so much making an appearance.
"You're going to be a daddy again."
Fitz stared down at the test in his hand. "It looks like Cruz is going to have a little brother of sister."
Olivia nodded. "That's why I've been feeling like crap, and looking that way as well." She turned to mirror and shuddered.
"Livvie you've never looked more beautiful than you do right now, when you're carrying our babies." Olivia saw the tears in his eyes just before he pulled her and their son into a tight hug.
"God I love you, lady" he said as they stood in their bathroom, wrapped in each other's arms.
XXX
Later…
The Grant family of three lay in bed together as the sun slowly rose above the mountains. Fitz alternated between kissing Cruz, Olivia and her stomach, and telling Cruz he was going to be a big brother, making Olivia's heart swell. After thirty minutes, they could no longer entertain Cruz in bed. Fitz showered and dressed before taking their son to his nursery, cleaning him up and getting him dressed. The two of them went downstairs for breakfast, leaving Olivia alone to finish her hair and make-up, and to schedule an appointment with Dr. Goodrich.
She took the back stairs and the smell of coffee and maple syrup hit her before she made it to the kitchen. Fitz and Cruz were eating pancakes when Olivia entered the sunny room, and she felt her stomach churn. Bert prepared her tea while she kissed her husband's smooth cheek and then her son's sticky one, before taking a seat at the table next to him. He offered her some of the soggy pancake in his sticky hand and Olivia pretended to take a bite, to the squeals and laughter of her son, while also willing herself not to throw up on the table.
Olivia requested dry toast, and Bert stopped what she was doing, giving her the once over. If she noticed anything different, she kept it to herself. After breakfast, Fitz and Cruz left to attend his weekly music class. Their son loved music and he loved to dance. Whenever they were at the D.C. condo or the grandparent's homes, he never missed an opportunity to bang on the pianos. The class was only thirty minutes due to the student's attention spans, but Cruz loved it. Olivia had a Zoom meeting with her agent, and a ten o' clock hit on MSNBC. By the time she finished, her boys would be back. Later, she joined Fitz and Cruz in the media room where they were watching Sesame Street. Cruz loved that show, especially Elmo, who Olivia hated with the fire of one million suns. But her baby loved him, and they always got at least thirty minutes to themselves while he stood holding his Bubby, and dancing and trying to sing with the characters.
Taking a seat on the double leather theatre recliner next to her husband, she laid her head on his shoulder and they quietly watched their son, occasionally laughing at his antics.
Fitz leaned down and kissed her hair. It was now pulled back into a sleek ponytail for her television appearance.
"You okay?"
Olivia nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. For now."
Fitz chuckled and kissed the tip of her nose.
"How was music class?" she asked, glancing at their son.
Fitz laughed. "It was chaotic as usual."
Olivia laughed along with him. "Hate I missed that."
Fitz side-eyed his wife, and she laughed harder.
"He loved it. But if I never hear 'B-I-N-G-O' again in this lifetime, I'm okay with that."
"I'm sorry, babe," she said between peals of laughter, "I'll be there with the two of you next week."
"Good. You'll get to spend thirty minutes watching toddlers walk around trying to take instruments from one another and babies drooling and crawling, trying to keep up with the toddlers. He had the tambourine today; no way was he giving that up."
"Last week he had the congas and threw a tantrum when we had to leave. He loves that class," Olivia added.
"Yes he does." Fitz nodded before kissing her hair again. "How was your meeting with Josie?"
"The meeting went really well. She's really good at what she does. Too good, honestly."
Fitz frowned. "What do you mean?"
"She has so much lined up for next year. I didn't have the heart to tell her that I'm pregnant, and some of her plans are going to have to be shelved for now. The Howard position doesn't begin until next fall, thank goodness, but the speaking engagements, panel discussions, or anything that's going to require excessive traveling or being away from home for any length of time while I'm pregnant, is not something I'm not sure I want to do."
Fitz agreed. He didn't want her traveling at all while she was pregnant, but he would never tell his wife what she could or could not do.
"And then the new house. There's just so much going on, and so much to do." She sighed, already overwhelmed.
"Livvie, as I've said before, we will work it out. If you need to travel by private jet so you'll be more comfortable, and can get home to us sooner, that can be arranged too. Don't worry. And as far as the new house, I know you want to decorate every room perfectly, without my help." He grinned at her.
Olivia laughed, nodding her head. She hadn't really liked a lot of Fitz's ideas.
"But you're going to have to let that go. Fiona and I will be doing more of the heavy lifting. Okay?"
She smiled up at him.
"Thank you, baby." She shook her head. "I still can't believe I'm pregnant again."
Fitz chuckled. "Believe it. The result of the first test…and the three others you took just in case there was some human error with the first, all indicated you're going to be a mommy again."
Olivia laughed. "I had to be sure. And to think, I thought you were crazy for buying so many tests."
When Fitz got to the first drugstore, he quickly found the aisle he was looking for. As he stood in front of the section with pregnancy tests, he could not believe how many different kinds there were to choose from. He read a few labels before grabbing two and quickly headed to the check-out. Thirty minutes later he walked into their bedroom and found his wife fast asleep, and their son softly snoring on her chest.
"I know you, Livvie. Even if the first test was positive, you still wouldn't have believed it. You would've argued that the test had to be defective, or that you'd done something wrong."
She smirked at him. "As if there's a wrong way to pee on a stick."
"Well, it would've been easier for you to believe that than trust the first test result. That's why I bought the other three. No way would you believe those were defective too."
"But I didn't do that when we found out Cruz was coming. And that was definitely a surprise."
Fitz nodded. "True. But Livvie just two months ago you were very adamant about not being ready for another baby. I knew there was a tiny chance you wouldn't believe the first results, so I bought backups."
"Well there are a lot of reasons a woman can miss a cycle. And you're right, I would've argued that the reason I missed mine couldn't possibly be a baby. I mean, I knew I wanted another baby someday, but someday was supposed to be at least three years down the road."
"Well down the road is now a few months away. I can't wait to see Dr. Goodrich on Thursday."
"Neither can I."
They were quiet for a moment, watching their son who was now kicking a soccer ball around the room, still holding on to Bubby. He would be ready for lunch and a nap soon.
"Fitz, how did you know?" Olivia asked, looking at him. "We've both been so busy. I didn't even notice that I'd missed my period, and for almost three months!"
"I knew because I know your body, Livvie. Better than anyone," he grinned. "Your breasts were tender at times when we had sex, your skin has been glowing, the nausea, and you've been moody and more irritable than usual."
Olivia lightly punched his shoulder as he laughed. Fitz had joked often that when his wife was pregnant with their son, he knew how to handle her mood swings. She swung and he ducked. He would go through it all again if it meant having another baby with the love of his life.
"And, we haven't had to postpone sex because of your period. So I knew it was a possibility." He hugged her tighter. "I also remember how much sex we had while we were on vacation. I'm not surprised that we managed to make another baby." He grinned down at her and she kissed his lips.
"Are you happy, Livvie?" Fitz asked, pressing a kiss to his wife's forehead.
Olivia nodded. "I'm happy." She was still trying to wrap her head around the possibility that there was another tiny life growing inside of her.
Fitz stared at his wife closely. "But?"
"What do you mean, but?"
"Come on, Livvie, what are you not saying?"
She stared at her husband before finally sighing and looking away, then back at him.
"Fitz, the timing is just…"
"Divine intervention," he interjected. "Who are we to question that? Plus we've been playing roulette for months."
That got a chuckle out of her. She knew he was right. And moving forward, she wouldn't question it again.
"But what about Grant Investments? You wanted to wait until after Cruz's first birthday to get it off the ground. Now with another baby on the way, what are you going to do?"
"As long as I have you and our children, nothing else matters. I want you to do whatever makes you happy. Don't worry about me."
"Are you sure, Fitz? Your business is important too. How are we going to do this with two babies?"
She was right. There was a lot of background work; lawyers, research, hiring staff, etc. He would need to be more involved, but with Cruz, and possibly another baby on the way, he wasn't sure how much. Things wouldn't be as easy as he tried to make it, but he had the right people in place, and he'd promised his wife it was her turn.
"Livvie. Will things be a little more complicated? Maybe. Probably. Fortunately, my business won't need me full-time, and I don't want you to think that having another baby will stop you from having the career you want. We'll figure it out the way we always do, together."
She wanted to believe him. No, she did believe him.
"Why are you so sure about all this?"
"Because Livvie, I will put my next chapter on hold for as long as I need to if that's what has to be done. I will stay home with our babies while you do you work."
Fitz never had to work again; they would be just fine. He'd achieved all he'd set out to do when he entered the League, and had made a lot of money. The investment firm was his way of giving back. He wanted to help those ex-players who hadn't been as fortunate as he had, help them double or triple their earnings from the NFL.
"I'll stay home and continue to be your incredibly handsome, and very rich house husband." He gave her that lopsided smile.
Olivia laughed. She had to admit, his words were comforting and what she needed to hear. She moved deeper into his arms knowing everything would be okay because she would be doing this all over again with the man she loved with her entire being.
TBC