Chapter 13

It was morning. The lovers had slept through the night. They had made love only twice last night, they had talked for a while, and kissed each other good night. It had been another good day. And now the hot Caribbean sun had risen again. This was their last day in the Caymans. Today they would leave this island and the Caribbean Heat they had produced here behind. Olivia had awakened first and turned in his arms. He stirred a bit but he didn't become fully awake. He could feel her body as well as smell her. He knew she was there and he knew that she wouldn't leave him. He had returned to his slumber.

She continued staring at him. He was such a handsome man. Even in sleep everything about him was perfect. And he was hers. How had she lived her twenty-three years of life without him? They had spent this past week together 24/7 with little exception. It was going to be difficult going back to what was deemed a "normal" life. Olivia knew that she would never know normal again. She had met Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III and her life would be forever changed. She had fallen deeply and soundly in love with a man she met a week ago. He loved her as well. She was sure that he did.

Olivia could watch him sleep forever. Maybe she would get to do just that. He had talked of marriage and she had listened intently. It was going to happen between them he had said, and she was hopeful. Today was their last day here on the island but Fitz had said they would never be over. They were taking their love on the road so to speak. Their romance would continue in the states. He was flying her home today. Olivia was so excited about it for more reasons than one. She had checked the clock it was after nine. As much as she enjoyed watching Fitz sleep, they needed to get moving. She needed to go home and face what awaited her there. It was a confrontation that had to happen. Tommy had a similar confrontation when he left home years ago. Her father had disowned him and told him never to set foot in his home again.

Tommy had been back but he and his family had stayed at The Point when they came to the Caymans. She and her mother had visited Tommy and his family there. It was only there that Tessa had met and come to know her grandchildren. Not one photo of Tommy and his family was allowed in the main house. Olivia had pictures in her apartment. She had told her father the same thing her Nana had said. "I will have pictures of anyone I choose in my home. Your domain begins at the top of the stairs." How sad was that? A child estranged from a parent to that degree was a pathetic legacy but it was what the king had decreed. If Tommy married "that girl from college" he wasn't welcome in his home.

All of it had made her sick inside but Uncle Jim had facilitated an arrangement that had worked out over the years. Now it was her turn to be evicted from the palace. She didn't want it but she knew when she had chosen Fitzgerald Grant that it was bound to happen. Thomas Pope had called her his princess all of her life but he would cast her aside today and she knew it. Olivia closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. When she opened them, she was looking into a sea of blue. Whatever happened today if she could awaken to those eyes every day all would be worth it!

"Good morning my love. You have an aura of sadness around you. I can feel it Olivia and I'm sorry for what you must go through today. If it could bear it all for you I would. If you change your mind, I can still go with you. You need not face your father alone. I would stand beside you."

"I know you would Fitz. And I love you for it but this time I must face this battle alone. I will get through it I promise you. Will I be unscathed, of course not? I'm dealing with an unreasonable man that apparently doesn't abide the word no well. He's accustomed to sitting on a throne. He cast Tommy out without a second thought and he was heir to the kingdom. If he would banish a prince, what chance does a secondary princess have? No matter what Thomas Pope says or does today, I have chosen you. I have cast my lot and that is that."

"Your father is a fool Olivia. You don't cast your children aside because of who they choose to love. How archaic is that? It's Stone Age shit. I know there are many customs here different from the States but your father is being more than unreasonable. I suspect that he still stings from Tommy's defection and now there will be yours. I also suspect from what you have told me of the way he treats your brother's wife and their children that your father may be a racist Olivia. To deny his own flesh and blood is the lowest of the low, but to refer to his own grandchildren as half-breeds is despicable. I must tell you Olivia your father will never get a chance to disparage a child of mine. He would have to have a documented and complete reformation of character to even come within ten feet of one of our children. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about that!"

"You are right. He is a fool and he may be a racist, but he's choosy racist. One of his "paramours" on a neighboring island is a Caucasian woman. He thinks no one knows of the association because he dips his wick away from the Caymans. So, you see Fitz I don't even think it's truly about race. My father is simply an evil man that wants to have his way. He's like politicians telling you how to lead your life while they do any and everything they choose. And you're are right again. Thomas Pope won't come within ten feet of our children!

Let's not dwell on him Fitz. I will see him today and speak my piece. At a time of your choosing so will you. He may put a damper on our day but we won't let him spoil it. We will say what we must and move on. Since we are leaving the island at seven, we should get going. I want to see Darcie before I leave. I promised her I would. I was thinking that you could drop me at her house this morning and she can drive me home. I will be ready for you to pick me up at three. We are to have dinner with your parents at four-thirty. We don't have to be at the airport until six-thirty since we don't have to check in. As you can see, I have made out our itinerary for today and I hope you don't mind."

"I don't mind Olivia. I know what has to be done today. Your plans are fine. I intend to check out of the resort this morning and return to my parent's home anyway. I will pick you up at three at your apartment. If you need me for anything before that simply pick up the phone."

"I will. You want to eat or shower first?"

"I'm hungry as hell and you know why. Last night was amazing. Let's shower and be on our way Olivia. Time will fly. I know it doesn't seem like it but we've been talking for almost a half hour. We can shower and stop somewhere for a quick bite and I will drop you off at Darcie's. Sound like a plan?"

"It does as long as we stick to showering and not loving. That shower brings up all sorts of memories. I could be tempted to relive them!"

Olivia as well as Fitz was remembering their last encounter. They'd had a deeply satisfying encounter after dinner. They had been too tired to move from their bed afterwards. The lovers had fallen asleep in each others' arms. When they had awakened sticky and salty in the middle of the night, they decided to change the linen and shower. Their lovemaking was usually a protracted affair. To say that the two of them were steamy and sweaty afterwards was putting it mildly. Sometimes they were simply too tired to move, but usually they headed straight to the shower after a bout of lovemaking. They hadn't done so last night. In the early morning hours they had entered the shower with the best intentions. They would shower, lie on those satiny clean sheets, and go to sleep. It didn't work out like that.

Fitz had been scrubbing Olivia's back at her request and she had returned the favor. They finished their shower but they had ignited a firestorm. Once out of the shower, Olivia begun the nightly ritual of spraying her body with the oils she rubbed onto her skin after a bath. Her body was damp and glistening. Fitz was watching her every move. It was sensual as hell watching her. The heat within him was building. Finally, he had come up behind and told her how beautiful she was and how her skin was as soft as a baby's bottom. He was kissing her neck and shoulders. He manipulated her breasts in his hands. He pressed himself against her. He told her how much he wanted her, could she feel it? He couldn't wait until morning and it turned out neither could she!

He had asked Olivia to come back into the shower area with him. They were things he wanted to do with her on that huge marble table in the middle of the shower area. He wanted her naked with only with her diamond heart around her neck. He wanted her to put on a pair of her six-inch heels. Would she indulge more of his fantasies this morning? Yes, of course she would! Fitz had laid her upon the cold marble and made love to her with her legs wrapped around his back. He had dropped to his knees and loved her as she sat atop of the marble table with her legs dangling over his shoulders. Olivia also found herself bent across the marble table as he took her from behind. Fitz had said that the high heels made her the perfect height as he stood behind her loving her. He was right. Last night had been amazing!

"Olivia, not one bit of hankie pankie this morning, none! We're going to have hours in the sky tonight. I intent to see that your initiation into the Mile High Club is thorough and on point. I promise you abstaining this morning will be well worth the wait. Our play area will be small but the probabilities are endless. I have a lot to show you tonight, Olivia."

"You haven't shown me everything in your repertoire? There's more? My goodness! I could hardly wait as it is. There's more. We wait until tonight then."

"I have twenty-one years of experience Olivia believe me there's more."

The lovers left the bed for the shower. They stuck to the plan. Olivia showered at the opposite end of the double shower away from Fitz. It was paramount that they do so. It was apparent that they couldn't get enough of each other. Even with all of the sexual releases he'd had during the past week, he had yet to have his fill of her. He was drawn to mate with her like a moth to a flame. He wondered if his intense desire for her would ever abate. It helped that Olivia seemed to desire him just as much as he desired her. Knowing he would have a lifetime with her helped some but he simply loved the woman so much.

Yet there was something that left him perplexed. They both experienced visions between them. Their visions eventually came true. There was one vision that left him cold. He had a vision of Olivia walking away from him. She was angry and crying. What could he have done? He knew that he held on to her during the night much tighter than he needed to because of that vision. Of all the visions he had seen that one wasn't positive. Olivia had asked him why he called out sometimes as they slept while asking her not to leave him. He had told her he was dreaming, which he assumed he was. He would never give Olivia cause to leave him, never! The vision still haunted him but he refused to dwell on it. They had a future together and he knew it.

Olivia turned to watch her lover bathe. As with everything with Fitzgerald Grant, he was meticulous. The way he washed his hair, his body, all of it turned her on. She couldn't help herself, she zeroed in on IT. Even is repose IT was formidable. IT was thick and long even now. When his hot blood rushed into IT, IT elongated and thickened even more. IT was the most perfect piece of anatomy she had ever seen. She knew she was fascinated by IT, how could she not be? IT had brought her so much joy and pleasure. Olivia sighed. There wouldn't be any sex in the shower this morning. They had made a pact. She finished her shower and left.

She had just finished drying herself off when Fitz came out of the shower. She was conditioning her hair with a leave-in spray before putting on the final products for the natural look she would wear today. She would see her stylist over the weekend and get a blowout and a press. When she wasn't involved in water sports it was the style she sported most. Fitz had said he loved them both but he seemed partial to her long tresses.

Olivia looked up at him and smiled. She had fallen head over hills with this man. And right now, she couldn't get enough of him and the things he made her feel inside and out of the bedroom. Darcie had told her about certain things that she had experienced and what she could hopefully expect. She had watched the "teaching" tapes with Darcie but nothing had prepared her for reality. Sex was amazing and sex with Fitz it was beyond amazing!

He was to die for coming out of the shower with his hair hanging on his forehead in riotous curls. His perfect chest with those marvelous chest hairs that she loved to run her fingers through. Often, she sifted through those hairs to suck and play with his nipples. And his six-pack abdomen with his inny belly button from which a line of fine hairs led straight to the object of her fascination! That tract of hair was a road map to heaven. She was so lucky!

He had a towel wrapped around his waist and he was drying off with another. They were going to have to fight off lust this morning and they both knew it. Olivia had already done her body spray. She turned back to her hair and applied the final product. She applied some foundation and added some lipstick. She had put on her undies. She was wearing a bra and thong. They were the least sexy amongst those he had bought for her. She didn't want to tempt fate. They had made a pact. She walked over to the closet to get the sundress she was going to wear. Everything else was packed up and ready to go.

Fitz' gaze followed her to the closet. Damn Olivia was so beautiful and sexy. Her ass in that thong had made him want to follow her and put her up against a wall and push the string of that thong aside. He had tented his towel just like that. He closed his eyes and willed his dick to behave. They had made a pact. He intended to honor it but damn he was tempted not to. He took a deep breath and walked to where Olivia had laid out his clothes for the day. Everything else was packed and ready to go. They would leave their love nest in about a half hour. These last few days of idyllic bliss were over but the best was yet to come.

They arrived at Darcie's. Fitz got out of the car and opened the door for Olivia. They walked up to the front of her apartment building. They walked through the common door and to the elevator. Darcie lived on the third floor. They were holding hands and saying little. They both were dreading the separation even for a short time. Neither had said so aloud but the feeling was there. They rode the elevator in silence. They walked to apartment C6 still in silence. Olivia broke the silence at Darcie's door.

"All will be fine Fitz don't worry please. My father is just a man. He may be a mean self-righteous ogre but he is still just a man. Today he will find out that I'm not my mother. It will shock and confuse him. He will probably be expecting the same docility that he's seen from me my entire life. That frightened little girl has long been gone. He just didn't know it. I'm a grown woman Fitz and I won't be intimidated. I will be alright."

"I know you can take care of yourself Olivia. It's just that the closer you get to this actual confrontation with the man, the more uneasy I become. He may be more than unreasonable Olivia. I suspect he still sees you as some malleable child that is his to command. He will be most distraught and he may lose his head and attempt to punish you in some way Olivia. He could try to hurt you physically. I'm worried that the confrontation could drive him to violence. I hate to be blunt but has he ever struck your mother? I'm sorry to have to raise such a question about your parent but I could see him as such a man."

"I know that he has "punished" her in some way for what he perceives as wrongdoings. His methods of punishment I was never privy to. I've never seen my mother with bruises on her uncovered body so I couldn't speak to that with all certainty. I've only witnessed verbal abuse. That was his forte at our house. He used it on everyone that he thought to be noncompliant. I certainly don't expect anything other than that today. He will berate me and threaten me with banishment. He bullied my mother because she allowed it. I won't!"

He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. He placed a trail of kisses across her forehead and sighed. He didn't want Olivia to be hurt and she was going to be today. And he, because she was insisting, was opting out of protecting her during what he knew would be a volatile situation. If the man dared to touch her, he would annihilate him. He was praying the man would practice restraint and caution with Olivia. Would she still love him if he had to destroy her father? Thomas Pope was a complication he did not want or need!

"As you said, let's not dwell on it, Olivia. You go and visit Darcie. Go home and talk to you Father and call me when your talk has concluded. I insist upon knowing that you are okay. Can we agree to that Olivia?"

"We can. I love you Fitz. Nothing that will be said and done between me and Thomas Pope will change that, not one single thing. Stop your worrying now. I will call you after I speak to him. I promise and all will be well. Okay?"

Olivia rung Darcie's door bell and waited. Fitz was holding her hand tightly. She knew that no matter what she said she wouldn't be able to dispel his fears. He was seeing Thomas Pope through one lens only and he was afraid for her. She understood but he was going to have to trust that she could take care of herself in this instance. It was part of building trust between them. Their love was new. In her mind their love was very strong but filled with little pockets of fragility. They would work through this.

Darcie came to the door. Fitz wasn't coming in. He was only dropping her off. They briefly said a word about the delightful dinner they had last night and what a pleasure it had been to dine with her and Nnamdi. Fitz kissed Olivia soundly on the lips and he left. As soon as Darcie closed and locked the door, she turned on Olivia!

"Okay Caro. I want to know everything. Start with him busting your cherry and get me up to date!"

"Damn Darcie, let me get inside the apartment and sit down. I know you are anxious to know all but really there's not much to tell. We had sex, lots of it. I liked it Darce, very much."

"You are kidding me, right? You think you get to waltz in here and say, 'We had sex, lots of it' to me and I will accept it as the end. Girl please! Sit your ass down and tell me what happened!"

Olivia laughed out loud. She thought she would try it and see how it would go. She was going to give Darcie a sanitized version of the week she had spent with Fitz but every little nuance and detail? No. A lot of what she felt and experienced this week had been for her and Fitz to share only. She loved Darcie. She was her best friend in this world but some things she would never share with anyone other than Fitz.

"Well to start things off I didn't tell him about my virginity until the last minute. He was beginning to push inside me when I told him and he stopped. He was incredulous and he thought to stop everything right then and there. He was trembling and he could barely speak as he was deciding what to do with a twenty-three-year-old woman that was a virgin. I had to encourage and entice him to continue. He did. It hurt at first Darcie but once he pushed through the portion of my hymen still intact and started to move within me, I was lost.

He had already given me two magnificent orgasms with his mouth and tongue. They were wonderful but having him deep inside of me was even better. And of course, when we both exploded together, I literally left this world Darcie. That orgasm was so intense and satisfying. Never in my life had I felt something so good. And the bottom line is that he has been producing those feeling over and over again all this week. That's what happened!"

"Wow! How often did you do it? How did you like oral for yourself? And when you gave back did that big cock that you described last night almost choke you to death? Was he freaky? Did he want anal? Did you try sixty-nine? Did she spank you at all? Did he produce any sex toys? Of all the things that you did what did you like best?"

"Darcie, I know you have always shared every single detail of your sex life with me over the years. I sat down with you and didn't miss a word. I wanted to know everything. I'm so grateful for what we have shared. You haven't one qualm about telling me all with every single detail. We are different in this regard Darcie. I don't want to share everything, I can't. To me it's entirely too personal. It could be that because I'm so new at this I'm reluctant to share. No way am I embarrassed about anything we did. I simply can't share it all right now with anyone but Fitz. I'm hoping you can understand. Do you understand what I'm saying? I know you may be somewhat angry that I can't share any more than I have and I'm sorry Darce. It's simply too personal and intimate. I will say that I enjoyed every single thing Darcie. I loved it all!"

"Caro, I think I do understand I really do. As I sit here thinking of how it has become between Nnamdi and me and I sort of feel the same way. We haven't really talked about him because you were away at school. I think I love him Caro. He's so different from other guys I've dated. And the sex has been extraordinary. He has brought me to new heights in the bedroom. I don't feel compelled to tell you more than that. I do want to keep those most intimate moments between he and I. It does make sense if you think about it. Making love is different than having sex. I begin to suspect all of the antics I shared with you prior were about having sex with men that I didn't have a connection other than the need to copulate and orgasm. When you love someone it's different."

"What about Nnamdi Darce? Does he love you back? I can sense you love him. Is the feeling mutual?"

"I don't know Caro. We are six months in and there hasn't been any mention of love. We get on together very well. We share some similar interest and we have very good sex, but there's been no talk of love. I'm too afraid to mention it for fear that it isn't something he wants to hear. Menfolk tend to run if they aren't ready for love. I was hoping to ride this wave and him as long as I could. I simply planned to protect my heart from hurt if possible."

"I fell in love in a matter of hours Darcie. I knew what I felt but I rejected it as being impossible. Then I realized that it wasn't. I finally admitted it to myself and to Fitz. Of course, he had already professed his love for me which made it easier. Nonetheless I embraced what I felt and perhaps you should too. If your feelings are reciprocal then you would know. I know you've been hurt before Darce, very badly, but all men aren't looking for one thing. Some are out here looking for their mate and true love."

"I know this is true Caro based on what I've seen with you. I want what you have without a doubt. I want a man to look at me the way Fitzgerald Grant looks at you. I want a great love affair just as you are experiencing. I'm hopeful with Nnamdi but as I've said there's been no professions of love yet. Keep your secrets girl. It's okay. I understand and I won't hold it against you. As if I could Caro. I love you. You are my best friend. Nothing will change that!"

Darcie reached over to hug Olivia. They were best friends for life. Holding a few private moments for only you and your lover is the way it should be and she knew it. She had been curious though about how Olivia was going to respond to her first true sexual encounter. Apparently, she had responded well. Olivia had shared what she could and that was enough. They both had lives to lead, separate lives. She was satisfied with what she had been told. Her friend was happy and in love. That was a good thing.

"Let me get you home Caro. I know what awaits you there. Don't let your daddy intimidate you. Stand firm and tell the bastard off. He deserves to have his throne kicked over and that crown he thinks should be on his head should be knocked off. He ran Tommy from this island with his nonsense. I know you were planning to leave anyway but you should go at your own pace."

"My father is just a man Darcie and he is a very flawed one. He will learn that today when he tries to browbeat and bully me. I won't stand for it. I was there when he eviscerated my brother. It was a very distasteful event. It discombobulated the family and he cared not a bit. My mother and whatever demons she had, became tenfold. She was more or less a handmaiden to Thomas Pope. Perhaps she is still content with that. If she is, that's fine. Once I'm gone my father becomes her problem for her to face alone. I expect my father to disown me today and throw me out Darcie.

When I return to Cambridge I haven't any idea when I will come back here. Luckily, I can count on Uncle Jim. He will continue to support me. He is the owner of my condo and will support me with an allowance until I'm on my own. The Point will be open to me just as it has been to Tommy. I will have a home and family to come to but it will be very different. I'm not sure how my mother will fare in all of this. Of course, you and Uncle Jim will always be my family. And you are free to visit me at your leisure. You will come to visit me won't you Darce?"

"You better believe it girl. You don't get away from me that easily because your daddy is an old fool! Count on it, Caro. Fitzgerald Grant maybe the love of your life but he can't have you entirely for himself. You had best advise the bloke that you have sister though not through blood and I will never let you go!"

"Fitz understands that we are as close as sisters and that you are part of my life Darcie. He would want us to continue our relationship. All of that is already settled my friend. I need to get going. I want to be ready when Fitz arrives. If possible, I don't want a confrontation between he and my father. I know Thomas Pope. He'll want a confrontation with Fitz because he will see him as corrupting me and taking me from my family. He talked that nonsense to Tommy's wife before he married her. He said horrible things to her. I don't want Fitz exposed to that type of vitriol because he chooses to love me."

"No, he shouldn't face the malice I know your father capable of. I would try and ward it off as well. Let's get you home. Perhaps you can talk some sense into the empty head of your father. What a foolish man. He's a respected doctor of this island in spite of all his picadilloes. Yet, he would make a mess of it all. A beautiful wife that he treats like dirt and he runs his only son from home. I wish I could find sympathy for the man but I can't. I hope you plan to come at your father with both barrels. He needs a good shot in the ass!"

"I intend to face him as an equal Darce. I'm grown. I'm months away from having MD at the end of my name. I have now experienced real love with a man. I won't let him take that away from me by attempting to poison that relationship with his vile talk. Tommy stood there and took it and he walked away. I intent to walk away but not before I have levied my grievances and crimes against him. Nana stood up to him until she became ill and totally dependent upon him. Her illness changed her because she felt he was all she had. I'm not alone and I won't be ever again. I have Fitz. I plan to stand up for us today."

"Good girl Caro. I only wish I were a fly on the wall. I know your true fire. Unfortunately for Thomas Pope he was too busy being king to truly know his own daughter. Now he must learn the hard way. Shall we go?"

The two friends shared more on the short ride to Olivia's place. They said their sad good-byes and Olivia exited the car. She looked up at the main house. She wondered from which window Thomas Pope was watching her. There wasn't any need to put it off. She was home and a reckoning was coming. She loved this place and in her heart she knew that this was probably her last day to call it home.

Olivia walked in and started taking in her surroundings. As always, she could feel Nana's presence all over the place. Nana couldn't help her today she was on her own. Pack-up girl, go upstairs and say your piece. She knew that her father was up there. She heard two distinct people moving above her. She was surprised that her phone had not rang as soon as she walked through the door. It didn't ring so she had packed up her things and placed them at the door. Whether she would ever come back to this place was debatable. She was expecting her father to disown her and throw her out the same as he had done with Tommy.

She traveled light when she came home because she had everything she needed already here. Her bag basically only contained her face regiment products and toiletries. This time when she packed, she placed into her bag things she would want if she didn't get back. Olivia was prepared to say good-bye to this place. It was breaking her heart also because of Nana. Her spirit was in this place. She often spoke to the dead woman when she had problems. Even though Nana never spoke back she very often showed her the way to solve her problems. She was going to miss her home. Yet she was ready to move on. She was expecting to have a new life when she returned to Cambridge this time.

She now had a friend and lover. He intended to visit her there and they would continue their love affair. Even knowing what she faced upstairs, Olivia still had a smile on her face. Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III was now officially her significant other. He loved her and she loved him. They were happy. This "talk" she was about to have with her father would remove the smile from her face. That would last only for as long as it took for Fitz to pick her up and walk her up the steps of his plane. No matter what happened up those stairs, Thomas Pope couldn't take her joy!

She assumed after more than thirty minutes she was the one that her father had deemed should make the call. No problem. She picked up the phone and made the call.

"Good morning, Mother. I hope all is well. I will be leaving for the airport in a couple of hours. I wanted to say good-bye. Daddy is home, right?"

"He is Olivia and he's livid. I told him the truth that you were with Mr. Grant. I told him you had gone of your own free will on an extended holiday with the man. He finally accepted that fact after threatening to have the constable search for you. I knew where you were but that was none of Thomas Pope's business. You are a grown woman capable of making your own decisions. Are you alright Olivia? I'm sure you've had your first taste on intimacy. I pray that your lover treated you well. I failed you in a lot of ways Olivia and I'm sorry. I told you before you left here that would support you and I meant it.

Your father has taken days off of his precious work if you can believe it. All under the pretext that he's so worried about you and your whereabouts. He's been shacked up for two days at Bellehaven with one of his whores when I turned him away. He's back here now expecting things to go on as they have. I haven't left my bedroom since he returned yesterday. Apparently, his hands work outside of the medical theater. He prepared his own food this morning and he understood that he wasn't welcome in this bedroom. I haven't seen him but yes, he's here. Are you coming up now?"

"Yes Momma, I am. This confrontation must occur and I think we know what will happen. I'm prepared for it. I don't know when I will come back to the Caymans after today but I plan to be at The Point whenever it is. I'm done catering to Thomas Pope. I'm done being the perfect daughter. As you said, I'm a woman grown and I make my own decisions. I have chosen Fitzgerald Grant and he has chosen me. I go back to Cambridge today and I intend to continue my life with him in it. I love him Momma so much. I know it seems out of whack to fall in love with someone so completely after only a week but it happened. I don't deny it. I'm coming up. Would you please unbolt the door?"

Tessa unbolted the door and embraced her daughter at the top of the stairs. She stood away from Olivia and looked her in the eyes. She also looked at her from top to bottom. There were signs of passion upon her. Olivia hadn't tried to hide them. She had spent a week in a love nest and she wasn't ashamed of it.

"You look well daughter. You look well loved. I hope he pleased you."

"He did Momma. He pleased me very much. Where is father?"

"He's in the blue room. I heard him showering in there this morning. At least the stench of his whore will be off of him. Shall we go and face the king?"

"Let's."

"Let's go into the kitchen and sit at the bar. We will wait there. Can I get you anything Olivia?"

"No Momma. I'm here to say goodbye. I'm going back to med school today as scheduled."

"I thought for a while that you were already gone. I thought you had an early flight. I was very sad thinking I wouldn't have a chance to say good-bye to you Olivia."

"I did have an early flight but I cancelled it. Fitz is flying me home on one of his family jets. I would never leave here without saying good-bye to you Momma. Things have happened but I'm still your daughter. I'm happy and I'm in love."

"I see. I'm glad you are happy with Mr. Grant, Olivia. Peter Hansen wasn't the one for you. He was a braggart and a fool. He actually came here and asked your father to find you and bring you back or he was done with you. Your father castigated him of course. The fools on this island amaze me. So, what are your plans once you are back in the states?"

"I plan to complete my studies of course. I fully intend to be a doctor and my love for Fitzgerald Grant won't change that. He is very much on board with my plans. He wants to marry me mother and I want that too. We have a lot of things to work out but we will. We intend to be together in the states. He will be coming to Cambridge to see me. Fitz lives in New York City and I intend to visit him there. Our relationship will continue as I finish medical school and then we will go from there."

"If there hasn't been an actual marriage proposal, do you intend to live together? I know that is the American way. I can't advocate against it. Look at my marriage. It's in shambles and supposedly I went about everything the correct way. If you love him Olivia, go for it. True love in my opinion only comes once in a lifetime. You should grasp it while you can. Be happy Olivia."

Neither woman had heard Thomas Pope approach the kitchen. He had stood just out of view but he had heard their conversation. He had stood there watching and listening to the two of them as the conspired against him. He had never been more disappointed. His wife and his daughter ungrateful of all he had sacrificed and given them. The closer he got to the two of them the madder he became. Tessa was allegedly a grown woman, Olivia was a young woman barely in her twenties but they both should have known better!

"Well, well, well. Isn't this touching? A wife who locks her husband out of his bedroom and a daughter that shows up finally after a week to her home marked by her illicit lover. Did he just mar your neck or are you scarred from head to toe? You have brought shame to this house Olivia. You should be on your knees in penance. And you disappoint me Tessa filling Olivia's head with nonsense about the love of lifetime and the American way. She hasn't any idea who she has been fucking for the last seven days. She just met the man last Wednesday. You should stay away from the wine Tessa. You already had a boggled brain."

"I'm not drinking this morning Thomas, not a drop. And my mind is as clear as the Caribbean Sea! I heard you tiptoe in this morning at five o'clock. I heard you showering the stench from your body. I see you're able to fix your own breakfast. Where have you been? You must have worked up quite an appetite over the last couple of days. Have you ever fixed yourself a meal before? You have dirty dishes all over the place."

"Tessa, you don't question me. You took it upon yourself to lock me out of my own bedroom and then have the nerve to question me! We will deal with your insolence later. Why don't you attend to that mess in the kitchen? I want to talk to Olivia."

Olivia hadn't spoken since her father had made his presence known. She should've known he was lurking somewhere in the shadows. He had shown up right on time trying to humiliate both she and her mother. She was indeed wearing the love marks from Fitz proudly. She hadn't considered for a minute trying to cover them. Fitz was a passionate man and yes, she was covered with marks from his passion. When he was behind her he tended to suck and nip at her neck. In fact, more than her neck bore his marks. And she had marked him as well. She was as passionate as he was. She took a deep breath and thought of Fitz. He had wanted to come with her. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that Fitzgerald could deal with a man like her father but he wasn't here. This particular time she would deal with him alone.

Tessa Pope hadn't moved from her seat nor did she run to the sink to do the bidding of her husband. There was a time Olivia would have jumped to her mother's defense and would have run interference for her. Tessa would be on her own from now on. She would have to learn to handle her husband herself. Olivia was done with that! She stood up from the stool and looked at her father. She had loved and revered her father once. After all, he was that Thomas Pope. He was the storied famous son that had returned home as a renown internist, married the island beauty, and was allegedly dedicated his wife and family while being a prominent healer and leader on his home island.

Where had it all gone so wrong? Even Nana had given up on him, calling him a lost cause when she realized exactly what he had become. When he had banished Tommy from the kingdom he had built, that was the last straw for Nana. His own mother had abandoned him. Olivia would abandon him today as well. After today, she would technically no longer have a father. She would become as dead to him as Tommy had. There wasn't any need to dwell upon it. The time had come to face the music!

"You wish to talk to me father. I wish to talk to you as well. Shall we begin?"