PART 14

Elliot stormed out of the restaurant with Eli slowly in tow. Dickie was quick to stand and follow, but Elizabeth grabbed his arm to hold him back.

Outside, Elliot and Eli were staring each other down while Elliot tried to control his anger. "Eli…with everything that Olivia has done for this family over the years, I will not let you make her the villain in all of this."

Eli stood as tall as he could, trying to rival his father's imposing stance. "Is mom the villain then?"

Elliot let out an exasperated breath. "No one is the villain Eli. But if someone has to be, I am. I am the villain." Eli shrugged his shoulders and shook his head while letting out a sound of disgust. Elliot tried to soften his approach with his youngest son. "I loved your mother…and Olivia. And that ultimately hurt both of them."

Eli began shifting uncomfortably on his feet by his father's admission.

"I'm pretty sure you know that before you were born, your mother and I separated and filed divorce papers. But while we were married, I was faithful to your mother. My personal relationship with Olivia did not begin until I was free to see other people. Both your mother and I saw other people during that time."

Eli crossed his arms in a defensive stance in response to hearing his mother dated other men at some point before he was born.

"Please know that from the moment I went back to your mother, I was never with Olivia intimately again. I was faithful to your mother until the day she died."

Tears began streaming down Eli's face at the mention of his mother's death.

Elliot walked to his youngest son, placed his hands on Eli's arms, and lowered his head to make eye contact with the crying teen. "If you are going to be angry, be angry at me. Because of my actions, Olivia had to make decisions by herself regarding Ella." Elliot placed his right hand on the back of Eli's head in an attempt to comfort his son. "Olivia loved our family so much, and respected your mother so much, that she gave our daughter up for adoption so the knowledge of her wouldn't destroy our family."

Eli broke down in tears, and Elliot wrapped his arms around his son. "I know that you don't know Olivia like the rest of your siblings, but you have to know that she is one of the most selfless human beings ever to live. Her entire life has been about helping others. And I'm pretty sure you are alive because of Olivia and everything she did for your mother when she went into labor after the car accident."

Elliot pulled himself back, but kept his hands on his son's arms. Seeing how distraught his son was, he kept trying to reassure Eli. "It's not Olivia's fault that I fell in love with her. I knew it was wrong, and I struggled for years with my feelings. But in the end, I honored my vowels to your mother, and I hurt Olivia deeply by doing so."

Tears kept streaming down Eli's cheeks, and Elliot kept wiping them away. "I miss your mother, and I will always love her. And I know you're still really young to fully understand the meaning of love. But when you find your soulmate, you will spend the rest of your life wanting to be with them. And as much as I loved your mother, she wasn't my soulmate. And I think she knew that…and I know that hurt her. I will always regret that."

Eli began to calm down, and met his father's intense, but loving stare.

"Eli, I was faithful to your mother, and honored everything I had promised her. But now that she is gone, I have the opportunity to be with my soulmate. And Olivia has every reason to never forgive me for leaving her the way I did. But she has selflessly allowed me back into her life, and I'm not going to wait another minute to be with her. And Ella is a whole other miracle that has blessed my life."

Elliot looked past Eli to see Olivia and Ella standing and watching them. With tears swimming in her eyes, Olivia felt her heart swell hearing Elliot's declaration. The man she had been in love with for nearly half her life…the father of her daughter…her soulmate…was baring his soul to his youngest son. It was all so overwhelming.

Ella knew what she wanted to have happen next. "Elliot. Can I talk privately with Eli"

Elliot looked at his son silently asking his permission. Eli nodded, and Elliot gave him a quick hug before crossing to Ella. He gave her a quick hug before taking Olivia's hand and crossed into the restaurant.

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Ella and Eli sat on a bench just outside the secluded restaurant. "Eli, I know this is a lot of information, and it's hard for you. I just wanted to come here and meet my birth parents. Finding out I have brothers and sisters is so much more than I expected. I want to have a relationship with everyone…especially you Eli."

Eli slowly turned to meet Ella's gaze. "I don't want to hate you Ella. It's just that you are a reminder that my dad had sex with another woman while my mom was still alive."

His sister nodded her head understanding his apprehension. "I get that Eli. But, it happened. So now, all we can do is go forward. I don't want to cause any stress for any of you, but I want nothing more than to get to know my siblings. I've waited my whole life to find my birth family, and I just hope you give me a chance." Ella leaned in to give her younger brother a quick hug before standing up. "Why don't we go inside and enjoy our first family dinner together."

Eli nodded in agreement, but he needed a moment. Ella told him that she understood, and then turned and walked back inside the restaurant. Eli sat for a moment reflecting on all the information Elliot had just shared with him. As much as he missed his mother, he decided that being angry with Olivia wasn't going to solve anything. He wiped the tears from his face, stood up, and returned to his family inside the restaurant.