Chapter Ten: Are You Ready?
"Abby I just need you to calm down okay. You are fine, everything is fine. This is your big day, and nothing is going to go wrong." Olivia tried to calm down an almost hysterical Abby. They were in a small tent, getting Abby ready to walk down the aisle. She was dressed in her gown, her makeup was flawless. And she had her something old, new, borrowed and blue. She had a pair of new diamond earrings from Stephen, her mother's borrowed diamond necklace around her neck, her grandmother's old handkerchief in her bra and a lace blue garter on her thigh. Her garter was actually something Olivia had given her. She'd asked Abby's mom for one of her late husband's ties and had it made into Abby's garter belt. That way she'd have her something blue, and in a way it would be like Abby's dad was walking down the aisle with her. Abby was ready for her big day, but her nerves were getting the best of her.
Olivia, Quinn, and Erika were all dressed in their dresses. All their dresses were yellow, floor length with a soft, flowy material with a high split. Quinn and Erika's dresses were one strap off the shoulder, while Olivia's was strapless with a sweetheart neckline. The men were all wearing tan suit pants, white button down shirts and tan vest. Steven was already at the altar and Fitz, Huck and Harrison were all waiting on the women.
"I'm fine, I'm just freaking out a little."
"It's just wedding day jitters honey, it's natural."
"But aren't I suppose to be happy? I'm not supposed to have jitters."
"Abby if you weren't happy you wouldn't be here standing in this gown. You wouldn't have sat through three hours of hair and makeup. You wouldn't have been running around all day making sure everything was perfect."
"But my stomach's been bubbling all day Liv."
"Abby I will not let you ruin the best thing that's ever happened to you, just because you're a little gassy." Olivia said, making Abby laugh. "You love him Abby and I know Stephen loves you. And I know you both want to be married."
Abby smiled, with teary eyes. "I do."
"I know you do, but you're saying that to the wrong person." Abby smiled. "Now suck up the tears until after the I do's. We don't have time for a touch-up, I was supposed to have you down that aisle ten minutes ago. We wait any longer, and your mother is going to explode."
Abby laughed again, thankful for her friend talking her off the ledge. She stood up, turning so Olivia could put her vail on her head and over her face. She turned back around and smiled,
"Are you ready?"
"Yes."
"Okay. Let's go get married."
X
"Ladies and gentlemen please clap for the newlyweds Mr. And Mrs. Steven Finch!" The MC, one of Steven's cousins, announced as Steven and Abby walked into the reception hall. Abby had originally wanted the reception to be outside as well, the weather didn't quite work out. It was a beautiful day, but it was hot. Her guest were already baking from being outside for the ceremony, she didn't want to make them sweat anymore. Besides, she wanted to be comfortable when she ate and while everyone danced and the air conditioned building was a way better climate.
The ceremony was sort and sweet. Abby and Steven had written their own vows, and there wasn't a dry eye in the audience. But no one cried harder than Jennifer, Abby's mother, her eyes were bloodshot by time the ceremony was over. She had happy tears for her daughter getting married, but she also had some sad tears because Abby's father wasn't here to see their baby girl getting married.
The entire ceremony, Olivia tried not to look in Fitz's direction. When they walked down the aisle, she could still feel their spark as they locked arms. She figured they'd always have that connection between them, she couldn't fight it, but she couldn't react to it. Things between them ended pretty badly, at Huck and Quinn's anniversary party. Olivia didn't mean to blow up on him the way she did, but she let her emotions get the best of her. Something she rarely did, except when it involved Fitz in some way. She certainly didn't look like Dr. Olivia Pope having sex with her ex, then shouting at him after. How was she supposed to advise others on their life, when she couldn't even get her own together?
Olivia was sitting at the bridesmaids table, beside the head table with Quinn and Erika. They were all watching Abby and Steven dancing their first dance. All had smiles on their face, happy for the new couple. You could just tell they were both madly in love with each other. They were gonna go the distance together. They clapped when the music ended, and some of the guest joined the couple on the dance floor. Olivia spotted Harrison before Erika did, and she smiled, knowing he was coming to ask Erika to dance. Erika happily took his outstretched and Harrison whisked her off to the dance floor, leaving Olivia and Quinn alone.
"Olivia where's Blair?" Quinn asked, noticing he didn't come with Olivia and he wasn't in the audience during the ceremony. She knew Olivia didn't want to come here alone.
Olivia sighed and drank the rest of her champagne, wishing it was something stronger. "We broke up Quinn, I broke up with him." Olivia answered, before picking up Erika's glass she left.
"What? Why? I thought you said you weren't going to."
Olivia nodded, "Yeah, I wasn't. But then I did something and felt bad afterwards." Olivia answered very vaguely.
"What'd you do?" Quinn asked curiously.
"Something bad. Something I shouldn't have done, and I did it twice."
"Olivia what did you do?"
"Fine. But you can't tell anyone. Not Huck, not Abby, Thea and especially not Erika. " Olivia sighed. She hadn't planned on telling anyone, but if she did tell one of her friends it would be Quinn. She couldn't tell Abby or Erika, because Abby would judge and Erika would get the wrong idea. Besides this was Abby's day, she wasn't going to interrupt that with her own drama. "I slept with Fitz."
"What?!" Quinn almost shouted, but still loud enough to get dome curious stares form the tables beside them. "You what?" Quinn asked a little quieter. "Olivia. I thought we agreed that that was not a good idea. I thought we agreed you would stay away from him."
"I know, and I tried I really did. But he came over to the house, and I had been drinking and I was emotional and he was there to comfort me. The next morning I woke up to him in my bed."
"Olivia." Quinn sighed. "Wait, you said you did it twice."
Olivia made a face. "Don't be made at me."
"Why?" Quinn asked, then realization finally hit her and she gasped. "You didn't."
"I'm sorry."
"You had sex at my anniversary party?!"
"Shush!"
"You had sex at my anniversary party?" Quinn whisper shouted. "When? Where?"
"Before the toasts, in an electrical closet."
"Oh my God."
"We were dancing, and then he invited me back to his place. I blew him off, and seduced me. He started talking about what he'd do to me if it went with him and I got wet, I couldn't help it."
"Okay, I don't need to hear this." Quinn said, but Olivia kept going. She'd already opened the door, and now she couldn't keep quiet. Although it felt good to tell someone and finally get this off her chest.
"Then I left him on the dance floor to go clean up. I was almost to the bathroom, but then he pulled me into this closet. Then he just started kissing me. I pushed him off, but then I thought what the hell and I jumped back on him and fucked him. I fucked him hard Quinn."
"Shh." Quinn now shushed Olivia, people were looking their way, but she doubted they could hear what they were saying. Quinn pushed her glass over to Olivia, although it was only water. "So that's when you dumped Blair?"
Olivia nodded, sipping Quinn's water. "After he dropped me off at my place. He wanted to come in, but I felt so awful about what I had just done with Fitz. I tried to justify the first time, because we were both a little drunk. But we weren't the second time, we both knew exactly what we were doing. And I felt like a whore."
"Did you tell him about Fitz?"
Olivia shook her head. "No. I was too much of a coward to tell him the real reason I was breaking up with him. I just told him I didn't feel the same anymore, it wasn't him it's me. All the generic bullshit."
"So what now?"
"What do you mean?"
"With you and Fitz, what now? You too obviously have some unresolved…whatever between the two of you. What are you gonna do about it?"
"I don't know. We haven't spoken since that night, I kind of blew up on him. I've been avoiding him like the plague ever since. I don't really know what to say to him."
"Well how about I love you, let's work this out."
"What?"
"Olivia anyone with eyes, can tell you still love that man. And he still loves you. You've never gotten over him Liv, why else do you think you haven't dated, except for Blair, since you and Fitz split."
"I've been busy with work Quinn."
"Bullshit. You've been given a second chance Liv, and if you don't take it you're gonna regret it the rest of your life."
"It's not that simple Quinn. We split because I couldn't have kids. Fitz wants biological kids, and I still can't give that to him. I'm trying to adopt a baby, how could this work if Fitz still doesn't want an adopted baby. You might be right about me still having feelings for Fitz, but I want a baby more. And if I have to sacrifice my happiness with Fitz to be a mother…then so be it. A mother has to make sacrifices."
"You shouldn't have to sacrifice your happiness Liv."
"Well I don't have a choice now do I?"
Quinn didn't have an answer for her, so she just held Olivia's hand on the table. She wished she had some words of comfort for Liv, but it was normally Olivia's job to do the comforting. Maybe this was just one of those times were silence did the best healing. Little did she know, that her husband was having the same trouble with Fitz at their table, after what Fitz just shared with him.
X
It wasn't until about five after ten when Olivia finally made it home. Shortly after the cake cutting, Abby and Steven set off to their honeymoon their guest cheered, throwing birdseed, instead of rice, as they headed off towards their decorated limo. Olivia half wished she was going to Honolulu with them. Two weeks in the sun didn't sound bad right now. After the limo drove away, Olivia and her family all headed to her dad's house, including Charlie. Olivia wished she was staying longer, but she only came to town for Abby's wedding. She was leaving a few hours after the wedding to catch a flight to India. She was finally going to put her degree to use. She was going to be teaching at an underprivileged school.
They spent hours back at her dad's just sitting around enjoying each other's company. Charlie was telling stories about all her adventures over the years and the many little odd jobs she's had to support herself. Once it started getting late, Charlie left to head to the airport and Thea and Jason headed up to bed. Curtis insisted on Adelle staying in one of the guestrooms, instead of driving home because he knew she hated to drive at night. CJ was already back at his new apartment, probably in bed with the curvy beauty he brought to the wedding. Curtis tried to convince Olivia to stay in her old bedroom, but Olivia declined. Mostly because she had work in the morning, but partly because she just wanted to be alone.
She had showered, rubbed her body with lotion and put her still shorter hair in rollers for a nice bump tomorrow. She was just about to lay her head down, when someone rung her doorbell. Olivia cursed, who the hell was ringing her doorbell at…she looked at the clock on her nightstand. It was now almost eleven o'clock after she'd taken that thirty minute shower. Who was stopping by this late at night? Olivia was about to ignore whoever it was, but then she thought that it might be an emergency, since the person was here so late at night. Olivia hastily threw back her cover, put on her long silk robe over her short silk nightgown and slipped her feet into her bedroom shoes. She walked down the dark halls and down the steps to her front door. He turned on the porch light before looking out the side window. She half expected and hoped that Fitz would be standing on the other side of her door, but she grew concerned when she saw jasmine instead. She looked upset, like she'd been crying. Olivia quickly unlocked and opened the door for her.
"Jazmine?"
"Hey." Jasmine said, with a clogged voice. "I'm sorry to show up here so late, but I didn't know where else to go."
"Are you okay?"
Jazmine shook her head. "I saw my parents today." The tears that had once dried, came back streaming down her Jazmine's face.
Olivia quickly ushered her in the house. "Come inside." Olivia led her over to the couch in the living room. After Olivia made her some hot chocolate, per Jazmine's request, Olivia sat back on the couch next to her with her feet curled underneath her. "What happened?"
"I went to see my folks today, to tell them about UCLA. I don't know why I expected them to be happy for me. But I at least expected them to be proud of me. My older brother, God bless him, is a drug addict. We haven't seen him in years, my parents don't even know where he is or if he's even still alive. I'll be the first one in the family to go off to college, besides my mother. I thought they'd be proud. But, the minute they saw me and this…" Jazmine pointed to her belly. "I just don't understand."
"I'm sure they just don't know how to cope with seeing their daughter young and pregnant."
"I get that, but it's not happening to them. I'm the one that has to live with being pregnant. I'm the one who had to find an adoption agency all by herself. I'm the one who's taking care of my grandma, finding a home to put her in and trying to go to school. I didn't expect them to welcome this situation with open arms, but I at least expected them to by parents. I didn't expect them to turn their backs on me."
"People deal with stress and emotional situations differently. Some people handle it correctly, and others… not so correctly. What happened when you told them about school?"
Jazmine scoffed. "It was like they didn't even hear me. All my mother could do was stare at my belly and my dad didn't even look my way. We ended up getting in this huge argument which led to me storming out crying. I was driving around for what felt like hours before I realized it. I was hungry with no money, and I somehow ended up on this side of town."
"Oh well if you're hungry, I can fix something for you."
"I don't want to be a bother."
"Its fine really, you have to eat." Olivia said, before she headed off to the kitchen. If it had been anyone else at her doorstep at eleven at night, she'd never had opened the door, yet alone make them something to eat. But the girl who was carrying her future daughter, she could have anything she wanted.
Olivia returned about ten minutes later with a sub sandwich, kettle cooked chips, a dill pickle spear and a root beer. As she was making Jazmine's plate, her own stomach started to rumble a bit, so she made another sandwich for herself.
Twenty minutes later, Jazmine and Olivia were still on the couch talking like longtime friends. They had finished their sandwiches and Olivia was now finishing off the bag of kettle chips, while Jazmine ate from the jar of pickles. Jazmine was sort of playing twenty questions with Olivia. It felt better to have Olivia talking about herself, then think about what had brought her here tonight. It was a great distraction, and it didn't hurt that Olivia had lived an adventurous life and it was fun learning about all the different places she'd been and the amazing things she'd done.
"Is this you?" Jazmine picked up one of the many pictures off the coffee table. The entire surface was covered by picture frames. This picture was of Olivia and her family during one of their vacations, Olivia was about ten at the time.
"Yes. That's me, and my big brother Curtis and our big sister Althea. That picture was taken in Africa. My dad has a charity that helps bring in clean water and food to the villages. It's a nonprofit organization, that my granddad started, and when he became ill and couldn't travel anymore, my dad took over. We took that trip so he could get acquainted with the staffers and the people there."
"Cool. I've always wanted to go to Africa." Jazmine put the picture down and picked up another. This one was of an adult Olivia standing between two other women. They were wearing colorful skirts with tribal print, smiling to the camera as the wind blew their hair in their faces.
"That one was taken in Africa as well. My girlfriends and I took a trip together. The red head is Abby and the other one is Charlie."
"Is that your hotel you're standing in front of?"
"Mhm. Amazing right." Jazmine nodded. "Yeah, most people think Africa is nothing but dirt roads and poor villages with big bellied babies. And while there are, sadly, parts of Africa like that. You never see ads or commercials about the quite wealthy part. They have got malls, shopping center, there's a freaking McDonald's and they have the most beautiful houses and hotels. The pool there was put of this world."
Jazmine put that picture down and picked up the one next to it. It was a newspaper clipping, she couldn't read it, because it was a foreign newspaper. But she looked at the picture below the words. She could tell it was Olivia and the other two ladies from the previous picture. But what shocked her was the people running behind them, and behind those people were bulls.
"Are those bulls running after you?"
Olivia laughed, and nodded. "Yes. We went bull running in Spain." Olivia laughed again, remembering how much Abby was screaming as they ran through the streets of Pamplona. And she was still screaming as Olivia and Charlie laughed at her, when they ducked into a small alley while the other people ran past them.
"You and your friends must be pretty close."
"Yeah, we all went to college together. We shared a suite in one of the dorms."
"What college did you go to?"
"Well I did my undergrad at Yale. And got my bachelor and master's degree there as well. Then I got my doctorate at John's Hopkins."
"Shit." Jazmine said amazed. "I guess you're pretty smart huh? John's Hopkins?"
Olivia shrugged. "Well John's Hopkins has one of the best medical programs. And I needed a medical degree in order to be a psychiatrist, without it I would just be a psychologist and I didn't want that. No offense to psychologist by the way. I have always found the human anatomy very fascinating. But I find the human mind to be more fascinating. Plus I had a scholarship."
"Wow. I got lucky to get into UCLA, especially with my grandmothers bills." Jazmine said sadly.
Olivia felt bad for the girl. She was only a child, yet she had more problems and responsibilities than the average adult. "Did you say you found a place for your grandmother?"
Jazmine sighed. "Yeah, I had to find a place quick, because after I go off to school there won't be anyone to take care of her. The home isn't the worst but it isn't the best either. It's all I could afford with her disability checks."
"It's not Shady Hills rest home is it?"
"Yeah it is actually." Olivia was already shaking her head no. "Is something wrong?"
"You can't have your grandmother staying there. There's a reason they're so cheap, and it's not out of the goodness of their hearts trust me. No, I'll help you find some place better, don't worry about it."
"Oh no, you don't have to do that. I can't ask you to do that."
"You didn't ask me, I offered." Olivia smiled, and got up to clear their plates and mess. It took her a while to come back, and when she did, she was carrying some clothes. "So I think these should fit you. They're my brothers, he's always leaving something here when he stays. Don't worry, I washed them." Olivia handed Jazmine a pair of pajama pants and a large t-shirt. "You can take the spare room downstairs, those steps can be a real bitch sometimes."
"Um…" Jazmine said confused.
"What you didn't think I was going to let you leave did you? It's way too early to try and leave now. You've yawned like five times since we sat down, I know you're tired. You can sleep it off here and leave at a more appropriate time in the morning."
"Thanks."
"Don't mention it. The room's is down this hall and the second door, the first is the bathroom."
X
The next morning, Olivia woke up when her alarm clock rang. She got up and got ready for her day, and went downstairs for some breakfast and cup of coffee.
"Good morning Blue." Olivia said, when he dog came up to her, pawing at her leg. "Not this morning buddy, you eat your food." Olivia grabbed a muffin from the basket on her counter and poured a cup of coffee. She wasn't in a rush, but she wouldn't have time to make an actually breakfast. So she had to settle for blueberry muffin from her favorite coffee shop. She always bought some in bulk, so she didn't have to go back every morning she wanted a muffin. She should have already left, but she couldn't leave before Jazmine did. Olivia heard the shower running this morning when she came down, so she knew Jazmine was up. She was sitting in her breakfast nook reading the paper, sipping her coffee when Jazmine finally walked in. Her hair was slightly wet from her shower, and she was back in the clothes she had on last night.
"Morning."
"Good morning, I hope you slept well."
Jazmine nodded, "I did, thank you."
"Great. There's muffins in the basket behind you. Normally I would make breakfast, but I don't have time today."
"Don't worry about it, you already let me bum a room off you. I was actually coming in here to tell you I had to get going. My grandmother should be waking up soon. But thank you for everything, you know listening to my problems last night."
"Anytime."
Olivia walked Jazmine to the door, waving to her as she drove away. After, Olivia too got into her car and drove away toward work. It didn't take her a long as it normally did, because for whatever reason, traffic wasn't that bad and she made every light. She was still scrolling through messages and emails on her phone, when she walked off the elevator.
"Good morning Ms. Pope." The receptionist cheerfully greeted.
"Morning." Olivia mumbled before she looked up from her phone. "Can you leave a message for Dr. Patel that I need to speak with him before the day is over."
"Of course. There's a gentleman waiting for you in the lobby."
"Does he have an appointment?"
"Not exactly. It's the officer from before."
Olivia sighed a she turned around. Officer Ballard was just setting down the magazine he was reading, before he stood up, buttoning his suit jacket.
"Ms. Pope, nice to see you again."
"Can I help you?"
Jake ignored her question. "This is my partner Officer Montgomery." Olivia looked to the woman dressed in uniform beside him. She was surprised he had a female partner, he looked like the kind that would only work with a male officer. Too macho.
"Can I help you both?" Olivia repeated since she was ignored the first time. "If this is about Peter, I told you I can't discuss my patients with you."
"Mr. Walters is no longer a suspect in this investigation. He's now our witness."
"Oh?"
"Yes, we found the murder weapon. We pulled a set of prints, and they didn't match Mr. Walters."
"I told you he couldn't have done this."
"Yes well obviously he was there, he may not have done it, but he might have seen who did and I need to talk to him right away. He's been moved from the hospital to a psychiatric facility, but he's not responding to therapy, and the doctors there can't get him to open up to them."
"You want me to go down and talk to him for you." Olivia said, getting to the point. She didn't have time for story time.
"Yes I would, as soon as possible."
"Set up an appointment with my secretary." Olivia said, before he walked away towards her office.
"This is an urgent matter Ms. Pope." Officer Paige Montgomery spoke for the first time, following Olivia down the hall to her office.
"I'm sure it is Officer, but so are my patients." Olivia shut the door to her office, not letting the officer slip in behind her. After making the appointment with Daniel, both the officers walked back down the elevators.
"She's a feisty one." Paige spoke first.
"That she is." Jake smiled.
"Don't even think about it, she'd never give you the time of day anyway. You're out of her league."
"Yeah, and so are you. So put your lady boner away."
"Fuck you." Paige laughed.
X
"I can't mother. I'm on call at the hospital tonight." Fitz spoke between yawns. It was almost ten at night now, and Fitz was beyond tired. He'd just taken a short nap on the cot in his office, but he was still tired. He was in back to back emergency surgeries that morning and he was exhausted. But this was his job, what he lived for; the rush and excitement of it all. "Mother you are being a bit dramatic. Why can't dad fix it?... Oh but he can still golf three times a week with his 'bad back'. Okay… okay fine mom, I'll be by in the morning to fix it. Okay. Love you too."
There was a knock on his door a moment later. "Come in." Fitz yelled, still lying on the cot.
Amanda walked in the door. "Doctor Grant didn't you hear the page?"
Fitz sat up from the cot, searching around for his pager. "Shit, what is it?"
"There's a girl in labor, she's been asking for you. She say's you're her doctor."
Fitz stood up and stretched quickly, before putting his lab coat back on and hanging his stethoscope back on his neck. "What's the patient's name?"
"Uh, Foresmith. Jazmine."
The breech baby, and the funny teenager. Fitz remembered her right away. "Page the OR, we might have to perform an emergency C-section." Fitz spoke, as the two of them walked down the halls to the maternity ward. Fitz heard Jazmine, before he saw her. Before he even opened the door to her room.
"Oh my God, this hurt so bad!" Jazmine groaned, when another contraction hit her. "I always thought the actors were exaggerating in movies, but this really freaking hurts."
"Jazmine, how we feeling?" Fitz asked gleefully.
"Pretty fucking bad. Can you just get her out?"
"Let's see." After Fitz finished washing his hands, two of the nurses in the room helped him into a scrub gown and put on his gloves. He sat in the little black stool at the foot of Jazmine's bed, taking over for the doctor that was already there.
"The baby is still breech, but her contractions are coming too fast, this baby isn't going to wait any longer. I don't think we have time for a cesarean." The other doctor informed Fitz, as she moved out of his way.
"I don't think we do either, I'm looking at a foot right now." Fitz said. "Jazmine, your baby is still breech and it looks like we're going to have to deliver now. I have to feel for the position of the baby, so I can bring her out as safe as possible. Now you're going to feel a lot of pressure, and this is going to hurt. I need you to just bare down and breathe through it ok."
Jasmine nodded frantically. "Okay." She just wanted this baby out. She braced herself, just as she felt Fitz pressing down on her stomach, while doing something else down below. She couldn't really tell what he was doing, but she wished he would stop. After a moment, he finally did stop, and he told her to get ready to push. She had been ready to push, when her water first broke.
"Are you ready?"
"Yes."
"On my count. One. Two. Three push!"
X
Olivia was soaking in her bathtub when she got the call.
After her long day at work, all she wanted to do was go home, to get in her whirlpool tub with some music, a glass of wine and soak until her skin pruned. She was half way there, her toes had started pruning up ten minutes ago. Her old school slow jams were still playing through the speakers, as she dunked her head underneath the water. This was one of her many stress relievers. This, dancing and sex. And since she was too tired to go dancing and there was no one for her to have sex with, this bath would have to do.
Not only was she stressed from her job, but she had so much on her mind. Jazmine and the baby, Peter and the cops, Verna and her health, and of course Fitz. He was the main one on her mind, as much as she wished otherwise. She just couldn't get him out of her head, not matter how hard she tried. She didn't know if this was just because of the sex and she was horny. Or was she really missing him, missing I'm so much to think about reuniting. Was this about her scratching an itch or repairing a broken marriage. Why does her life have to always be so dramatic and complicated?
The distant sound of her phone ringing, broke Olivia from her reverie. She sat up, wiping the water from her eyes and sighed. Who was calling this late? She thought for a moment that it could be Fitz, but she quickly dismissed that thought. Then she thought it could be Jazmine. Olivia had told her to call her if she needed anything, no matter what. Lord knows she doesn't have a sense of visiting hours, as yesterday if a fact of that.
Olivia finally decided to get out of the water and answer the phone, before it stopped ringing. Whoever it was had better have a god reason for calling her home phone so late. After she wrapped a towel around herself, Olivia grabbed the phone off the hook before it stopped.
"Hello."
And just like that, her life was instantly changed.
The next ten minutes were a blur. She could barely make out what Ms. Hannigan was saying. All she heard was Jazmine was in the hospital and had just given birth to a little girl. After Ms. Hannigan hung up the phone, Olivia stood stunned for about a minute before she got herself together. She quickly dried off, but not well enough, since she was still wet when she pulled on some underwear and a pair of yoga pants. She grabbed the first sports bra she could find and t-shirt and threw them on. Her wet hair was slinging water left and right as she frantically went around her bedroom getting ready. After she laced up her tennis shoes, she grabbed her phone, keys and purse before racing to the nursery. What do I need? What do I need?!
"Dammit, why didn't I pack that bag?!" Olivia yelled to herself. She hadn't yet packed a bag for when jasmine went into labor. Olivia snatched the diaper bag from the closet and quickly put in what she needed. She got diapers, wipes, pacifiers, bottles, a can of formula, bibs, onesies, and a cute outfit to go home in. It was probably too much, but she honestly didn't know what to pack. She wasn't sure what the hospital would have for her and what they wouldn't have. And she also didn't know how long the baby would have to stay in the hospital. The baby. Her baby. Olivia loved how that sound, but she would have to name her when she got to the hospital. Her tires couldn't roll fast enough.
X
Olivia tied her damp hair into a curly bun on her head, as the elevator rose, carrying her closer to her baby. She smiled with her phone in her mouth, just thinking about her baby. When she got to the hospital, she parked in the first spot he could find. She got a horn honk and a few choice words from a woman waiting for the same spot. After she parked, she dug her wallet out of her purse and put it in the diaper bag, and locked her purse in her glove compartment. She was glad when she found a light jacket in her backseat. She always hated how cold hospitals always were.
She had decided that she wasn't going to call her family, until that baby was in her arms. She learned her lesson the last time, and she couldn't go through that heartbreak again.
The elevator doors opened, and Olivia headed straight for the nurses desk. Before she even got a word out, Ms. Hannigan was calling her name form down the hall.
"Olivia."
"I she okay? Are they okay?" Olivia asked.
"The baby is fine, and Jazmine is fine as well."
"I hate I missed it."
"It was fairly quick. There was a little hiccup, when they discovered the baby was still breech. But the delivery went smoothly. The baby was a little impatient."
"Can I see them?" Olivia asked anxiously.
"Well…" Olivia's stomach tightened. If Ms. Hannigan told her that Jazmine had changed her mind about the adoption, Olivia was going to strangle someone. And it was probably going to be Ms. Hannigan, for calling her down here just to tell her Jazmine changed her mind. "Jazmine doesn't want to see you. She doesn't want to see you or the baby. When she was born, Jazmine told the doctors to take her away and give her to you. She didn't even hold her."
"Is she okay?"
"This is just a little difficult for her, I'm sure you understand. She knows she's doing the best thing for the baby, but it's still hard."
"Can I see the baby?" Olivia asked, hoping she didn't sound insensitive to Jazmine's feelings, but she just wanted her baby. And if Jazmine didn't want to see her, what could she do anyway?
Ms. Hannigan smiled. "Of course." The two walked down the hall towards the nursery. They stopped in front of the large window and Ms. Hannigan pointed out the baby. She was in the front row right in front of the mirror, so Olivia could see her well. She was already swaddled and in a blanket with a pale pink hat on her head. She was gorgeous. She had a light complexion, but she was still a little darker than the other babies. Olivia could tell she was going to be a little chocolate baby, just like Jazmine. She had the cutest plump lips and button nose. She had her eyes closed, so Olivia couldn't tell what color they were, but she could tell they were big and round. This was my baby. Her little lips were twitching, once her pacifier slipped out. This was my baby girl. Olivia kept repeating that in her head, over and over. This was her baby girl, she was finally a mother.
"Do you want to hold her?"
"Yes!" Olivia answered quickly and enthusiastically, making Ms. Hannigan laugh.
"Come with me. I know the nurse on duty tonight, she always gives me special treatment." Ms. Hannigan knocked on the door, and the nurse inside opened the door. "Kelly."
"Bethany how are you?" So that was Ms. Hannigan's name. Olivia never really took the time to ask her first name before.
"I'm fine thank you. Kelly this is Olivia, she's adopting the baby I was telling you about."
"Oh, the little turkey." Kelly laughed. "That's what Dr. Grant called her when she was born. She was a big one, almost ten pounds." Olivia wasn't listening to them, so she didn't hear the nurse say Dr. Grant. All she was worried about was her baby girl. "I guess someone wants to hold their baby."
That's when Olivia snapped back into the conversation. "Yes, I do."
After Olivia washed her hands, and put on an awful yellow gown the nurse picked the baby up from the bassinet. She whimpered in her sleep, but didn't wake.
"Are you ready?" The nurse asked.
Olivia smiled. "Yes."
The nurse lifted the baby, and Olivia opened her arms. She fit perfectly, like she was made to be in Olivia's arms. She whimpered again, while Olivia adjusted her, but quieted quickly when the nurse put the pacifier back in her mouth. Looking at her more up close, Olivia could see she looked like Jazmine but not by much. She must look like whoever her father is. She was the perfect baby in every way. That might have been a little biased coming from Olivia, but whatever.
A single tear slipped down Olivia's face, a she stared down at her baby girl. She could believe that after years of trying to have a baby, and now after months of trying to adopt, she finally had her little girl.
"She needs a name." Nurse Kelly said.
"Sophia. Sophia Marie Pope." Olivia could've sworn she saw the baby's lip curl into a smile when she spoke her name. "You're stuck with me now kid. You've got my name."
X
So Olivia has her daughter. YAY! Okay enough... Next chapter will be a time jump.
(^_^)