"Liv whats up," Allison asked as she opened the door, Everly was snuggled in her mom's arms with her soft blonde curls damp from her bath.
"I wanted to talk," Olivia said, "Ev isn't in bed?"
"My dad got her all riled up after dinner. He took her and the dog for a walk and she was hyper," Allison answered, "we just had her bath. Do you want to read her story while I get her sippy cup?"
"I can wait," Olivia said.
"Ev can you say hi to Olivia," Allison asked her daughter.
"Hi wivia," Everly echoed.
"She's getting big," Olivia said.
"She's 2 in May," Allison sighed, "too big."
"Daddy," Everly asked.
"4 more sleeps," Allison promised, "it's Sunday, Daddy is home on Thursday. Story and your sippy cup, brush teeth and bed."
"Sippy cup," Olivia said.
"Half the time," Allison said, "I'll see how she does. I'll offer her cup and if she fights me I'm not going to refuse it."
"How can you be happy being a mom," Olivia asked, "I never want kids."
"It was an adjustment," Allison said, "but then I get to play with her and she smiles or giggles."
"You have scribbles on your fridge," Olivia observed.
"She's starting to draw," Allison said, "she loves sitting at the table and drawing when I study. My highlighters are this week's favourite art supply. She really likes stickers."
"What else do you do," Olivia asked.
"School, work, time with Asher, friends," Allison said, "I'm busy. I've gotten used to it. You?"
"Travel," Olivia said, "trying to keep my followers happy."
"It looks like a lot of fun," Allison said as she sat on the couch with Everly, "give me 10 and she'll be down for the night."
"Do you really do this every night," Ava asked.
"Yep and up around 2:30 for diaper change," Allison said, "but I go in, change her then back to sleep. I don't even really turn lights on anymore."
"Why," Ava asked.
"It wakes her up," ALlison replied.
"Potty training," Olivia asked.
"Soon," ALlison said, "there's no point until she's more mobile. We just started using the walker this week and it's huge."
Olivia played with her phone as Allison read Everly a short story and tucked her in.
"Tea, water, juice," Allison offered walking into the kitchen.
"Wine," Olivia asked.
"We don't have any," Allison said.
"I brought some," Olivia said.
"I'll run up and grab you a wine glass but I'm having tea," Allison said.
"It's no fun to drink alone," Olivia whined.
"I work and go to school tomorrow," Allison said.
"It's the weekend," Olivia pointed out.
"I'm up at 6 tomorrow," Allison shrugged, "you know I've never done hang overs well."
"One glass," Olivia asked.
"No thank you," Allison replied, "I'm happy to get you a wine glass though."
"Tea is fine," Olivia pouted.
Allison filled the kettle and pulled two mugs from the cup board.
"Liv what changed," Allison asked, "you were one of my best friends."
"You had Everly," Olivia said.
"Other than that," Allison asked, "I understand you don't love her around all the time or all the kid talk. I'm sorry she wasn't asleep when you got here."
"It's all you've done since senior year," Olivia complained.
"Yes," Allison said, "I got pregnant that fall!"
"How did you," Olivia asked, "how did you not know?"
"I was drunk," Allison said, "I love my daughter and she is my favourite person on the planet. But I also know that had I been sober that night I wouldn't have slept with Asher."
"Why didn't you just get rid of her," Oliva asked.
"Olivia," Allison snapped, "I could never choose to terminate. And we did talk about Annie and Josh adopting her. I was going to then I started to feel her grow and kick me, her little flutters and wiggles."
"Why did you keep her," Olivia said, "you ruined your life."
"I didn't ruin my life," Allison snapped, "I made a choice. I knew what I was choosing. We knew what we were choosing when we chose to keep her. How can you say I ruined my life? I'm still in school and working."
"You never come out," Oliva said.
"We do," Allison said.
"Girls night," Olivia said, "the last time you did you were still pregnant."
"I've been to a couple at Ava's in the last year," Allison said, 'you were out of town."
"Next weekend," Olivia asked, testing Allison.
"It's Ash's first weekend home," Allison said, "I need to spend some time with him. We have to have time as a couple. We talk, facetime and text but I need to see him. I need him to hold me."
"You guys," Olivia asked.
"We've lived together for a while now," Allison said, "I miss him when we're apart. I don't really sleep."
"Sex," Olivia asked.
"We have a daughter and live together," Allison said.
"Yes or no," Olivia asked.
"You can figure it out," Allison said, "what happens in our room is between me and Asher."
"Seriously," Olivia asked, "when did you become a prude."
"It's no one's business," Allison said, "I don't ask you. You volunteer the information."
"You used to be fun," Olivia said, "you were always up for anything. To sneak out with me to meet boys, to drink, you even tried pot with me. What happened to you?"
"I had a baby," Allison said, "Olivia I don't want to be that person anymore. I'm ashamed of some of the things we did. I'm thinking about my daughter and the example I set for her, that Asher set and it's not good. How will I look my daughter in the eye and tell her she was born my senior year? I can't go out and party and get drunk. It's not fair to Everly. I always hated when my parents would go to a conference or away for a weekend to have time as a couple. It was like I didn't matter. I get it now their weekends away a couple times a year and we would stay with my sister."
"You and Asher," Olivia asked.
"Next weekend she's going for her first sleepover," Allison said, "we're going for dinner and a movie then coming home just us."
"Where is she going," Olivia asked, "can you come to girls night then."
"No," Allison said, "we're going on a date and Everly is having a sleepover with Annie and Josh. It's the first time she'll be away from us overnight."
"It's your sister with four kids," Olivia said.
"Why she's going to Annie's," Allison said, "she loves Heather and Ellie spoils her. Asher and I need the date night. I even bought new pyjamas for it."
"Sexy," Olivia asked.
"We're doing Valentines since he was away for it," Allison smiled.
"Is it sexy," Olivia asked.
"Lacy and silky," Allison confirmed, "barely there. What did you and Drake do for Valentines?"
"Dinner," Olivia said, "but thats dying I have some one else I'm talking to."
"Olivia," Allison gasped.
"A back up plan," Olivia said, "we were never exclusive anyway."
"How do you do that," Allison said, "no commitment no trust? How can you sleep with them knowing you don't have a commitment?"
"It's fun," Olivia said, "it doesn't have to be a big emotional thing. Sometimes it's just physical."
"But it was better once we were together," Allison said, "knowing what the other likes."
"Can you come really party soon," Olivia pressed, "sleep over like you used to. Come have drinks in the hot tub."
"I'll come hang out one nigh sit in the hot tub maybe have one," Allison suggested a compromise, "I can't sleep over."
"She's with her dad," Olivia argued, "he just left you with her for a month."
"To work," Allison argued, "because we need the money. Olivia I want you around and I know our lives are very different. I want to find a happy medium. I'm okay not going to every event, I know I can't go to parties often and I don't drink like I used to. Can we please find a compromise."
"What," Olivia asked, "you just need to get over yourself and have some fun. You've been uptight since you got knocked up."
"I chose this," Allison said, "I honestly love it. It can be stressful and busy and theres lots of sleepless nights but at the end of the day I love Everly and I love Asher and they love me. I have my family. Olivia I'm not ashamed of my family. I love them and being with them. Ya it's like 10 years before I expected it to happen but I have them and love them. I want life with them. With him."
"You're no fun," Olivia said, "lets have the wine or I have weed."
"No," Allison said, "you can have wine I won't. And if you want pot you can leave."
"Seriously," Olivia asked.
"I love you Liv," Allison said, "I will not have drugs around Everly."
"Then lets go outside," Olivia said.
"No," Allison said, "I'm not smoking or vaping anything."
"I'm out," Olivia said grabbing her purse and shoes.
"Olivia there is more to life then parties and drinking," Allison yelled.
"You have become the biggest bore," Olivia yelled, "when did you become perfect miss priss. You got your self knocked up! You think because you chose to keep Everly, you kept your crotch goblin that you're better then us. You aren't. You just gave up on your friends, you gave up on having your own life. You just got boring. You can't expect the rest of us to wait around while you play mommy to a defective baby."
"Get out," Allison screamed, "get out now. My daughter is perfect, she is beautiful and smart. She has challenges that she is so determined and brave in working on. She is chatty and funny and loves art. Everly is perfect. If you can't see that, if you can't support me get out."
"What," Olivia asked.
"Get out of my house," Allison said, "I want you around but not like this. I support you, and want you to be happy but I will not let anyone put my daughter down. Olivia you need to go."
"Fine,' Olivia snapped. She shoved her feet in her shoes and threw the door open. She slammed it behind her.
Allison threw herself on the couch sobbing. She had been having a hard time with Olivia for over a year but didn't expect that. She had hoped to work things out to talk it through but if her so called friend couldn't support her daughter couldn't accept Everly she didn't want her around. But she had possibly just lost her friend. She didn't have many of those these days. She had been friends with Olivia since elementary school. She had thought Olivia at least cared. Allison clutched the throw pillow sobbing.