Melbourne, FL 1998

Melbourne was a small town in central Florida right off the coast. It's population stood at a little over fifty thousand people. It was a predominantly white neighborhood, made up of middle class suburban families. The liveliest activities came twice a year in the form of Christmas Festival and Spring Festival. It was the only two events that people recognize the place for. The people were somewhat friendly but mostly kept to themselves.

"Fitz, I gotta go…" Olivia said half seriously trying to pry herself out of her boyfriend's tight grip.

"Come on Livvie you can't leave me like this…" He trailed, grounding his erection into her right thigh and she whimpered in response.

"Nah uh… that's on you for being a horny teenager," she quipped, smacking her full lips together.

"Like you." He bit her left ear playfully to get back at her for her words and she yelped before bursting into laughter.

"Let me go!" she demanded a little more sternly, before pushing his firming chest with her petite hands and he finally released her. Breathing heavily she sat up in his full size bed to gather her wits before smoothing out the wrinkles in her shirt and hair. She had to make herself presentable again.

Fitz sat in the middle of his bed fully clothed with a stiff boner in his pants while watching his girlfriend of 11 months "fix" herself. To him she was already perfect with her smooth milky chocolate skin that was soft under his touch, her beautiful heart shaped face and brown doe eyes also landed her an ethereal touch. She was poised and stood tall and regal even though standing at a mere 5'4". She was everything his young heart could ever want and more than he knew what to do with.

"Do you want me to drive you home?" He asked, running his fingers through the luscious dark brown curls covering his head. He needed to do something to take his mind off of the problem in his jeans.

"No thanks," Olivia returned casually, standing in front of his floor length mirror, hanging on the back of his door while finger combing her shoulder length chemically straightened hair.

"Why not?" Olivia shot him a look conveying that he already knew the reason why.

He rolled his eyes in frustration. "You're 16 about to be 17, I don't get why your mother have such a problem with us being together!" He said petulantly.

"Fitz…" Olivia spoke in a warning tone; she didn't want to get into this with him.

"No, if you love me then you would let her know that we're still together. We shouldn't be hiding our love, Livvie." He spoke passionately, reddening his suntan face even more.

She admitted that he did have a point, but what was she to do when her mother didn't approve of her dating before 18? When she tried to bring Fitz home her mother plainly demanded for her to end the relationship because she wanted her to focus on school – "boys will come later Olivia" she said in her firm no nonsense tone.

Moving over to him, she sat at his side on the small bed and took his face in her hands. "You know I love you and it won't always be like this. We're going to go to college and my mom won't be able to control me there. It'll be you and me against the world, baby," she whispered softly against his lips, reminding him of their goal. Both their eyes were set on Georgetown University the following year after they graduated high school.

"You're right. It's just that I love you so much and I want to be open with you. My parents are ok with us being together and I just want it to be the same with your mom."

Olivia pecked his lips softly. "I know, and it will in time. Promise." She deepened their kiss for a few more seconds and pulled away because she really needed to go before her mom got home.

"I'll see you tomorrow at school," she told him, picking up her purple backpack from off his bedroom floor.

"Yep," Fitz reluctantly said, standing next to her. They shared another brief kiss before Olivia finally left his house. By the time she was turning the corner to get on the main street that would lead to her house she noticed his mother's car driving by and waved at it, in which his mother waved back and shouted her a hello through the hastily winded down window. Mrs. Grant was always nice to her and made her feel welcomed at their home. 15 minutes later she was walking through her front door.

Olivia was in her room finishing up her Math homework when she heard the garage door opening. She looked at the time - it was almost 6 PM. She quickly finished off the other two problems before putting away her books and leaving her room to go greet her mother.

"Hi mom," she greeted from the entranceway of the laundry room that was also a passageway to the garage.

"Hi Livia, how was your day?" Maya Pope asked brightly, slipping off her heels while simultaneously placing her briefcase atop the dryer. When her hands were empty she scuttled across the short distance to her and enveloped her in a tight hug. Olivia was a bit taken aback by the overzealous display of affection; it wasn't something she was used to when it came to her mother. She was affectionate, yes, but to a point.

"My day was good," Olivia mumbled into her mother's arm.

"Good, good. I have amazing news that will change our lives," she gushed, holding Olivia at arms length.

Confused by what this all meant she asked, "What's that?"

Instead of directly answering her question Maya tugged gently on her arm and began to lead her out of the laundry room to the kitchen. "Come let's cook dinner and we'll talk then." Her voice was radiating with happiness and Olivia couldn't help but to smile a little.

"Ok, mom." It wasn't often that her mother displayed such a carefree attitude. She took life very seriously. Well, she had to when she found out she was pregnant at the age of seventeen and her family wanted nothing to do with her. From that time onto now, it was the two of them.

Thirty minutes into cooking a flavorsome dish of chicken Parmesan the landline began ringing. Maya being closest to it answered, "Hello, Pope's residence."

Olivia looked up briefly from her task of chopping cucumbers to make a garden salad to gauge her mother's reaction.

"Hello," her mother repeated again, only this time exasperatedly but there still was no answer.

The hair on the back of Olivia's neck stood instantly because she knew whom the caller was. She busied herself again with the chopping of vegetables to look less obvious in case her mother looked at her.

After two more hellos Maya slammed the phone back into its holder in irritation.

Olivia tried not to look at her as she continued her task. For a few minutes she thought the small storm had blown over but it wasn't.

"Tell Fitz to stop calling my house if he's going to stay mute on the telephone."

"Mom, uh-"

"Don't even lie to me Olivia, I know you're still seeing him," Maya interjected.

Olivia's heart began beating fast and her face grew warm. She wondered what her mother was going to say next so she held in her breath, waiting…

"I was once young too." She raised an eyebrow at Olivia. "Are you having sex with him?" She asked point blanked.

Olivia quickly shook her head no and it was the truth, although her and Fitz had intense make out sessions they never crossed that line, yet… but they did talk about being each other's first. "No mom," she also vocalized to reassure her.

"Good, I don't want you to end up like me. Put that off for as long as possible," she smiled softly at her teenaged daughter.

Olivia nodded, "Yes ma'am."

They continued their cooking when out of the blue Maya suggested, "You can bring him over for dinner on Friday."

Olivia stopped everything she was doing and squealed, "really?"

Maya smiled brightly, "really."

Olivia's jaw almost dropped to the floor and her eyes was about to pop out her head in excitement.

"It's time I officially meet the boy that has my daughter disobeying my rules," she said the last part with a little edge in her voice but for the most part she spoke lightly.

Olivia gave her a nervous chuckle. She couldn't wait to call Fitz and tell him the good news. It was almost too good to be true. n

By 7:30 PM both women had freshened up and were seated around the dinner table, set for two. Even though Maya was a teenaged mom she made a life for herself and her daughter. After leaving her Mississippi roots she moved down to Florida when Olivia was only one year old. With public assistance from the government she followed her dream of attending college while working and taking care of her daughter. It wasn't an easy feat but she got it done with little support from an elderly woman who had adopted her in as a daughter. Maya didn't know what she would've done without Ms. Edna. Four years after moving down to Florida she graduated from the University of Central Florida with a BA in Marketing. After that she was lucky to gain an entry-level job at one of the best marketing firms in the state. She was fortunate to move up the ladder over the years into a senior position. It was long overdue and well deserved.

"So… I have incredible news." Maya took a gentle sip of her red wine before returning the wine glass onto the right side of her placemat.

Olivia forked a mouthful of pasta into her mouth while looking at her mother expectantly.

"I received a huge promotion at work. And I mean really huge," she emphasized, flailing her slender arms.

"That's awesome, mom!" Olivia congratulated in a cheery voice. She knew the hard work her mother put in and could only be proud of her accomplishment.

"Thanks sweetheart. They're opening a new office in London and wants me to run it." She clasped her hand in glee; she was beside herself with joy.

Olivia sat dumfounded, as all she heard was LONDON, LONDON, LONDON, and LONDON.

"What! London?" Olivia exclaimed after she had gathered her wits.

"Oh sweetheart, yes, we'll be moving to London. Isn't that exciting? A new place, a fresh start for us." Maya's eyes widened in wonderment.

It wasn't exciting for Olivia; her mind immediately went to Fitz and her friends. She couldn't move to London and leave them behind. How could she do this to me?

"Mom, I don't want to go to London," she stated desperately.

Maya waved her off with her hand. "Olivia, don't be foolish. What am I going to do? Leave you behind?" When Olivia didn't immediately answer, she continued, "over my dead body. Where I go you shall go, also."

"What about Fitz and school? I can't leave them behind," Olivia panicked, feeling the wall closing in on her.

"What about Fitz? There'll be plenty more boys out there and as for school you'll probably be better schooled over there than here. It's going to be alright." Maya said assuredly but Olivia didn't buy it. She felt the light go off inside her.

"Mom, can I stay? I don't want to move." The first trickle of tears ran down the length of her chin as she spoke.

"Olivia!" Maya's voice boomed, startling her. "Can't you be happy for me? I've worked my ass off since I was 18 years old to provide for us because your no good daddy couldn't be bothered. I'm finally where I want to be. I finally made a name for myself despite the odds against me. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I'll be damned if I don't take it. You're young, you'll easily move on. The sky is your limit, baby. Trust me, it won't be the end of the world." Even though her voice was harsh at the beginning she softened towards the end.

Olivia only nodded, too choked up to speak.

Fitz was having the time of his life in his shower fantasizing about Olivia while stroking his stiffened member. His mind went to the way her lips felt against his and how soft her breasts were. The more thought he conjured the more aroused he became as he continued his masturbation. He was climbing up the mountain peak when loud knocks on the bathroom door pulled him out of his inclination.

"Fitzgerald," the familiar voice of his mother called and he instantly groaned. Dammit… now I can't even finish. He thought.

Exhaling deeply he answered, "yes ma?"

"The telephone for you. It's Olivia," she shouted over the running water.

"Ok, I'll be out." Fitz called back, switching the water to cold to help rid of his erection.

A minute later he rushed out of the bathroom with the bath towel wrapped around his waist.

"Fitzgerald, don't be wetting up my floor," his mother chastised from the kitchen.

"I'll mop it up, ma," he rebounded, moving as quickly to the phone hanging against the wall. Once there he grabbed the phone and said, "Livvie?" He was surprised that she was calling him that early when she normally did around 10 when her mother went to bed.

"Fitz," the way that she said his name caused goosebumps to instantly cover his skin. He knew something was wrong.

"Livvie, what's wrong?" he probed.

"Everything," she sobbed. "Everything. My mom is ruining my life."

"Liv, Liv, calm down." She was speaking too fast and her crying muffled her words.

"I'm moving to London in 3 months."

And, with one sentence the course of his life was changed.

Ten years later

October, 2008

"Taxi!" Olivia shouted after the yellow cab from the side of the busy and overcrowded sidewalk in her slight English accent. It was the first time visiting the States since leaving in '98 and she was already over the crowded city. It was much different than her slow paced life being a UN ambassador for women in developing countries. She pulled the belt on her trench coat tighter to ward off the chilly fall air. Eventually, a kind New York cabbie came to a halt in front of her and she quickly climbed in, tugging her carry on behind her.

"Marriot Marquis, please," she relayed her destination to the taxi driver and he pulled off.

Washed and primed for the evening Olivia was swaddled in an oversize bathrobe padding from the bathroom to the small kitchen area that came with her suite. She made herself a cup of tea while calling her mother to tell her she landed safely. Maya Pope was the same as always, overprotective in nature.

When she was finally settled into the queen-sized bed for the night she grabbed her laptop from its bag to do some work. Tomorrow she was meeting up with other UN representatives for a leadership conference.

Midway through editing her proposal she saw a notification at the bottom of the laptop screen, alerting her of a new email. She clicked the link and noticed it was from one of her few friends, Abigail Whelan, inviting her to join Facebook. Apparently it was the new and upcoming social media platform but she wasn't interested. She led a private and busy life, dedicating most of her time to work. In many ways she became her mother. By now she thought love would have found her again but it never did. The last time she came close to anything like love was ten years ago, when she watched the pair of blue eyes that captured her soul slipped away when she walked through the doors of the airport. At first they believed that their love could withstand the distance but it didn't. As time went by their interactions became far and few in between. Olivia couldn't remember much of that time because she felt stuck in an emotional abyss. She ached for the love that was far away, separated by miles upon miles of water and land.

Sighing, she ran her fingers through her shoulder length bob and continued working. By the time she was finished an idea struck her and before thinking much about it she clicked on the invitation to join Facebook. Within a few minutes she was in and familiarizing herself with it. The first thing she did was added Abby as a friend and within a few minutes she saw she had accepted her friend request. Immediately she saw a chat button popped up on the side of the screen and the two began chatting. Olivia was laughing as she conversed with her friend through this new medium.

Meanwhile, she was filling out her profile, including her education, jobs, birthday, etc. When she added her previous American high school as one of her educational facilities she noticed a list of friends that attended the school that year popped up in her recommended friends field. Olivia jumped with elation when she noticed several of her friends that she hadn't spoken to in a decade. One by one she clicked on their pages, gleaning bits of their current life. Some were married and with kids while some hadn't changed at all. It was nice to be able to connect with them so she clicked on the add button for most of them. For the next two hours Olivia was inboxing old classmates, catching up.

Just when she was about to sign out of her newly fond account she noticed his name (Fitzgerald Grant) on one of her recently added former classmate's page. Heart hammering in her chest as she clicked on his name, she didn't know what to expect because she hadn't spoken to him since they had officially broken up many years ago. The distance was too rough and they were too young so they didn't know any better.

However, nothing prepared her for what she saw when she clicked on his page. In his profile picture he was dressed in a U.S. NAVY uniform holding a little boy that looked exactly like him and a tall brunette woman stood beside him with her arms around his midsection. They were smiling brightly into the camera.

It shouldn't hurt but it did. So many time has passed and he had moved on but she didn't. A small part of her was hoping that perhaps one day they would meet again. He was her first love; her only love and she not only gave him her heart so many years ago but her body and soul. He was her first for many things.

The tears fell as she watched the man she still loved living without her. It hurt; it hurt so badly…

AN: I'm sorry this was angst ridden but I'm trying my hand at new writing techniques. Please review and let me know what you think :) Thank you.

Until next time,

XOXO