Chapter 54
It's been a long time since Liv was able to smile in her dreams. This dream had all the makings of happiness for once in her life since the accident. She watched her father walk towards her and there was no sign of blood, anywhere.
"This can't be real." Liv reached out her hand and Eli grazed it. It gave Liv chills throughout her body, and she smiled. "I felt you, dad, I felt your touch." Her eyes began to tear up and her father sternly said no.
"We will not be crying today, Baby Girl." Eli said and he was sitting on the park bench in Central Park. His hands went around in the air to show Liv where they were. "Remember this place?"
She shook her head and sat down on the bench with him. Her head rested on his shoulder. "I remember, daddy, I do." She looked at all the fall colors that beautified the trees.
"Tell me what you remember. I'm listening." Eli assured his daughter.
"I was so happy. The last time we would ever come to his place." Liv took a deep breath. She wasn't allowed to cry, not in this dream anyway. "I was admiring all the leaves. I was reaching up to touch the colors of the ones that hadn't fallen yet."
Eli nodded. "Yes, you did, I told you not to pull them down. Then what did you do?"
Liv closed her eyes. "I began to pick up the leaves that were still fresh. I got lost in the colors and matching them to the trees. I was…" Liv suddenly stopped. She tried, and she knew she remembered but the words wouldn't come out. She tried again. "I was…"
"You were dancing. You were in pure happiness amongst all the colors and the leaves." Eli finished her sentence. "You can say how happy you were. That's why I captured it in that picture. The one that hangs over your fireplace in Vermont."
Liv's head jolted up and she looked at him. "How do you know that?"
"I see everything now Liv, I have for a long time. Your mother is happy, and you are happy, but you are scared. I need you to say why you were dancing in all the leaves."
"Because I was happy. I was so happy to be with you, outside, on a beautiful fall day. I was happy the leaves were changing. Most of all, I was happy because everything was so perfect." She smiled.
"Yes, it was perfect." Eli was standing now against the tree in the park.
Liv looked over at the bench, she didn't feel him get up, yet her head was still on his shoulder. His arms were crossed, and Liv knew that look. She was about to get a lecture.
"It was perfect, dad, then, two months later…"
"Things were not in your control, our control. You have to think right now, the moment you are in now. Can you do that? Who are you?" Eli asked.
Liv tried to get up to walk next to him, but she couldn't. She looked down and she was in her wedding attire for bed. "I'm Olivia Po…I'm Olivia Grant." She rubbed her tiny round belly. "I am going to be a mother.
"Yes." Eli clapped. "That's my girl. You are Olivia Grant. Waking up for the first time as Olivia Grant, and you are having a baby. My grandson Liv, and you need to be happy, and put that accident behind you. You carry the scars, don't let it carry away your happiness you're meant to have."
Liv looked down at her belly. "Your grandson, dad, yes, your grandson." Liv felt her smile grow wider as her arms went around her belly. "You want to feel him kick?" She looked up but he was gone, her father was gone.
A chill ran up Liv's spine and she looked at the empty bench one more time. She remembered dancing, she remembered being surprised with the picture, and she looked over to where her father was just standing.
Now it was the artist, smiling, looking at Liv and holding a piece of paper. "For you, beautiful girl. Your father wanted to capture your happiness." He bowed his head and walked away, letting the paper float to the ground.
Liv walked over to the paper and before she picked it up, she flinched back and smiled more. It wasn't her dancing with happiness, it was her and Fitz dancing in happiness as her stomach showed the baby growing inside. Liv reached out and rubbed the paper as she smiled so tenderly.
Fitz had wakened up early, earlier than he intended to, but that was alright. He watched Liv for a few moments, the first time she would be waking up as his wife and he just wanted to look at her for a few long minutes.
Her eyes were wandering, dreaming, but she was peaceful, not like she was in the car ride over. He watched as she smiled a bit, and he got out of bed figuring she wouldn't miss him for a brief while.
Taking out what he needed for their first breakfast as husband and wife, he tried to be as quiet as he could. He began cooking, looking at his phone to check the schedule of the upcoming games around the league.
Placing his phone down he looked around. Today they would utilize the outdoors. It was something they couldn't do much of when they visited for the first time. That was the dead of winter. They would get use out of the inground pool. A nice, big pool, just for them, and Fitz smiled with everything he could do to her in that pool.
When his daydream was over he found himself staring at the fireplace and for no reason at all, he thought of Liv's fireplace at her place in Rutland. The first time he was in her place, and she had fully decorated, he thought of the picture over the fireplace.
He had no idea what made him think of that picture, but he remembers her happiness and the backstory she told him. Her father had it done, and she had no idea the picture was being drawn. It caught her in pure happiness.
His phone began to buzz, and Sparks was calling him. "Just the person I wanted to talk to." Fitz began his conversation as he finished up the breakfast cooking.
Liv's hand reached out to rub the picture, but she felt something softer. It was a good feeling, so she wasn't complaining that it wasn't the picture. Then the smell hit her. She was dreaming of fall, so maybe that was the smell of the maple she smelled in the air.
Suddenly, she felt a touch on her face. It was a gentle, loving touch, and Liv turned towards it, welcoming it. Her eyes opened, blinking once, and she saw him. The face she loves, the face she wants to wake up next to the rest of her life, and her shoulders went up in a shiver.
"What dream had you smiling so much? You were beautiful and I could have watched you all day." Fitz reached over and kissed her forehead.
"My first wake up as Mrs. Grant." Liv smiled as she pecked his lips.
"Your first of forever." Fitz smiled at her; his eyes sparkling.
Liv gave a stretch as Fitz kissed her belly. "Good morning, Baby Grant. Daddy loves you." He looked back up at Liv.
"What smells so good?" Liv looked over towards the kitchen. "How long have you been awake?"
"Long enough to have made maple syrup French Toast." He felt her hand go towards his cheek.
"Our first meal in the cabin." Liv looked at him, her eyes now smiling.
"And now our first breakfast as husband and wife." He was directly above her lips now and he gently went down to kiss her, lovingly, tenderly.
Liv's arms went around him, and as much as she wanted to eat, she wanted to kiss him more, to stay like this for hours. She heard him moan in protest.
"No, uh uh, I worked too hard on that food to let it get cold. Eat first, then we can come back to bed." Fitz scooped her up and her arms wrapped around him with a laugh.
"You don't play fair, Mr. Grant." She rested her head on his shoulder, and it brought back the memory of the dream.
Liv watched him plate the food and get some more of the Vermont Maple syrup. Once again, the memories soaked her brain back to the night they first met. Spinach ravioli was the dish Fitz had made. He had invited her to eat after only meeting her ten minutes ago.
She was deep in thought rubbing her ear as she thought of that chilly night. A naïve city girl thinking she could just order a pizza from an all night pizza place, she was starving, she remembers. Then his voice inviting her back and Daisy wagging her tail in happiness knowing Liv would say yes.
"Doesn't it Livvie?" Fitz snapped his fingers in front of her eyes. "Hey, you with me?" He laughed.
Liv blinked and shook her head a bit. "Yeah, sorry," she smiled. "What did you say?"
"I said the maple syrup smells so good, doesn't it?" Fitz lifted his fork and took some French toast. Then he picked up another piece and put it in front of Liv's mouth. "Here, have some of mine since you seem to have forgotten how to eat. Everything alright, Liv?"
She reached in and took the piece Fitz offered. Trying to speak she just couldn't because her taste buds were hooked on to that syrup, chewing that piece. Finally, she was able to speak. "God, Fitz that is good." She picked up her fork realizing what she was missing.
"What was that all about?" Fitz asked as they both now continued to eat.
"The spinach ravioli." Liv didn't have to go further.
"Ah" Fitz nodded, actually blushing a little. "Our first meal. The first time I saw you eat, and you already had my heart but you looked so adorable."
Liv smiled. "It was so good, and I had felt so stupid anyway. No lights, no heat, no food, what was I thinking?"
"We did make a Rutland girl out of you, though didn't we." Fitz's eyes smiled at her.
She held her fork now with a piece for him and watched him take it off. She stopped his face from going back with her other hand. Her eyes met his. "You sure did, Mr. Grant." She kissed him while he was still chewing, feeling the muscles in his jaw do two things, kiss her and continue to chew.
They were just about finished the plates of French toast anyway. Once Fitz swallowed what was in his mouth, Liv pulled him closer rubbing his cheek, licking his lips removing the remainder of the maple syrup, and she felt Fitz scoop her up again.
The kiss continued to the bed, where Fitz pulled her shirt over her and brought her body to the bed. "You haven't let me walk yet this morning." Liv smiled.
"You're getting as much rest as you can, and I am keeping you off your feet for now. This is our honeymoon." His lips went to her breast, and he kissed it gently seeing how much her body was changing with the pregnancy.
He rested his forehead on her belly. He gave it a small kiss as Liv's hands went through his thick curls. He just shook his head still trying to take in the reality of it all.
"Hey, Mister, now where did you go?" Liv asked, looking down at him.
He crawled back up slowly, circling her tummy with his forefinger. They were just looking at one another. "Just so grateful we are here in this moment. You're Mrs. Grant and I'm daddy to be in this perfect little cabin." Fitz nodded towards the window. "If you want, we can just continue this in the pool."
Liv smiled, hugging his head now, looking at him. "That sounds fine. Do I have to dress or can we just…"
"Liv, you want to go commando in the pool?" Fitz's mouth dropped open in surprise.
She shrugged her one shoulder. "What? You made me fall in love with my body." She rubbed his chest, giving it a kiss.
"Well, we should wear a suit for now, going down the water slide." Fitz got up to dress.
"Wait! There's a water slide? How come I missed that?" Liv jumped up like she was five.
Fitz stood holding her hand, fingers interlocked, and they looked at the amazing pool located directly behind the pond. It was beautiful, crystal-clear blue water, a small bridge, a water slide above the bridge, and a waterfall coming down in front of a cave like awning under the bridge. "God, Fitz, this is amazing."
"I wasn't sure if I'd have guests over much and I had thought of the girls, that's why I had the slide put it. Then I figured the calming sound of the waterfall would make for a peaceful place for me to just hang out in the water. I could listen to the sounds of a waterfall all day. Makes me remember the days I missed water." He took a deep breath staring at the pool with Liv. He squeezed her hand. "Come on, let's go down the slide."
Liv giggled out loud. He sounded like a boy in the water park as he pulled her towards the pool. They stepped in together, the water more refreshing than cold, and they walked to the middle of the pool until it got too deep for Liv.
Fitz picked her up, as she wrapped her legs around him and he stepped up to the bridge on the side walking up to the slide. Fitz sat first and he went down. "Hey!" Liv shouted. "You didn't wait for me. I thought we were going together."
Fitz turned at the bottom of the slide in the pool. He put his arms up. "Come down, Livvie, I'll catch you."
Liv covered her mouth, trying hard not to laugh out loud. He just looked so adorable waiting at the bottom of the slide for her. It gave her chills how happy she was right now. She slid down, feeling like a kid again and splashed just a bit as he caught her in his arms.
She didn't have a moment to catch her breath as his lips came down hard on hers. Always loving his hair, his curls, and how they felt soaking wet, she began to rub her fingers through it, falling into the heavy kiss, as Fitz carried them back towards the slide.
"No, Fitz, let's just keep." Liv wanted to keep kissing, but Fitz stopped the kiss and her words.
"Oh, I promise I'll get back to that, but you have to be bathing suit free. First, I want to go down the slide a few times with you, Mrs. Grant." Still carrying her, she connected her forehead to his and moaned.
"I love to hear that."
"What? Go down the slide." Fitz smiled.
"Mrs. Grant." Liv kissed his cheek. "Mrs. Grant." Liv kissed his forehead.
"Oh yeah, that." Fitz sat down, placing her in between his legs and wrapped his arms around her as they went down the slide together. At the bottom Liv went fully under and now her hair was soaking, and Fitz smiled. "The curls I love the most on the woman I love the most."
They did this several more times, and Fitz was loving seeing his Livvie so carefree. Fitz could see her fear of being happy disappearing, as she smiled for the whole time they had been on the slide and in the pool.
Finally, on the last go down, Fitz took her under the cave where the water was falling in front of them. The calming sound of water hitting water was echoing the cave and it was shallow enough for Liv to stand.
Placing her down, Fitz took off her bottoms and then untied the back of her bikini top. He felt her hands go through his hair as he cupped her wet breast in his mouth.
Liv felt his warm lips on her skin, cool from the water. The warmth sent a rush through her body, and she gave a shivered moan. Her head went back as she felt his lips overtake her breast, his tongue comforting the hardening nipple.
All the time his lips were locked on her breast, Liv was able to free his trunks, stroking his wet dick in the water, and she heard him moan onto her breast.
Lifting his head to her lips, he walked her backwards and stopped, her back resting on the stone wall, still the sound of water hitting water calming both their heating bodies.
Fitz took a step back and looked at her. Her hands had fallen to her side and were both on the wall as the feel of his stare on her body did things to her. She felt her core become wet despite the wetness from the pool and she reached her hand out to his.
When he took it, she pulled him in, kissing him, grinding her body up against his, and he raised her leg, resting it on his hip. His lips, his breath, both in sync on her neck, causing her face to fall into the crook of his neck.
Her breathing, as well, deep, heavy and she turned, sucking on to his neck. "Put it in me Fitz, I want to come. I want to bring my body to weakness in this magnificent place." Her lips joined his once again and while holding her leg up, Fitz was able to push his cock hard into her.
"Is your back ok on the wall." He stopped, concerned for her.
She nodded; her eyes closed. "I'm fine," it was barely a whisper, as Liv bit her bottom lip. It was times like these she was secretly happy her stomach wasn't so big with the pregnancy. "Harder," was the only word she could muster out.
His free hand held her hip, and his rhythm got faster. He wanted to come in her so bad, feel her walls close around him, and just lose her in a kiss as her body was pinned against the wet wall.
He pulled back, looking at her. She looked so fucking gorgeous, this woman he would spend his life with, and he let her leg go. She was fine keeping it on his hip as he cupped her face and shoved his tongue deep into her mouth.
She moaned, using the wall as leverage as she grinded with him, her hands both digging into his back, something she had always been afraid to do.
Fitz didn't seem to mind, as he moaned with her on the first grind of her nails into his skin. He pounded up hard, her mouth opened in pleasure as she pulled back from his kiss and rested her forehead on his shoulder.
Deep within her, he felt her walls close, her body begging for more, and Fitz grunted as the whole experience was overwhelming.
One more moan and the tightening of her hands on his shoulders, Liv's body lost control and Fitz had to hold her balance as his body weakened with hers. They came together, both just standing now in a full embrace listening to their moans give way to the calming sound of water again.
"Don't spoil me like this Fitz, I could get used to it." Liv kissed him as he continued to hug her close to her body.
"Never happen, I'll never stop spoiling you." Fitz kissed her cheek as she let him lift her again in his arms, walking out of the pool.
They took in the sun for several minutes, just lying on the lounge chairs that faced the waterfall. Their hands were interlocked as they both stared at the rhythm of the waterfall. He squeezed her hand and she looked over at him.
His eyes glistened to a clear blue in the sun with the ripples of the water reflecting in them. She smiled at him and his face just softened. "What?", she asked when she saw his expression.
"That smile takes all the darkness away Liv, always has." He blinked, looking at her, her skin shining with the sunlight. "I love you so much. So much that we are taking five more days on the honeymoon."
Liv pulled her head in back in surprise. "We're? What? But you have to be with the team."
Fitz shook his head. "No, I spoke to Sparks, he's taking care of it. I want to take you somewhere and I hope you're in agreement."
"Okay," Liv said cautiously, "where is it?"
"I want to go back to New York with you. I would like to see all your childhood places. Central Park, your school, where you grew up, just like we did in Santa Barbara."
Liv took a deep breath. She thought back to her dream. Maybe that was why she had the dream in the first place. She turned her head watching the water stream down into the pool She nodded without looking back at him. "Yeah, we can do that. That condo is there for a reason." She looked back at him. This time she squeezed his hand. "Thank you."
He stood up and scooped her again in his arms. Kissing her forehead as they walked back to the cabin. "We'll leave first thing in the morning."
While Liv was in the shower, Fitz began to prepare dinner. There was a light knock on the door and Fitz answered it, thanking and tipping the delivery guy for coming at the precise time.
He knew he was stepping on dangerous ground here, but he just wanted sad memories to become happy ones. If anyone can attest to needing normalcy it was Fitz. That dream she had in the car still spooked him; he could only imagine what it did to her.
He looked at the three bouquets of flowers he had delivered. They were very vibrant, beautiful and Fitz placed one where they would eat their dinner on the island in the kitchen.
Looking around, he noticed the top of the stand, nothing there since the tv was mounted to the wall and that's where the second bouquet went. Finally walking towards the bedroom, he placed the final bouquet on the end table on Liv's side of the bed.
Taking a deep breath, he looked around at all three, hoping this wouldn't lead to something worse on their honeymoon. He just wanted every memory she had of that accident replaced with a happy one.
She did that to him. Every time her fingers gently went over his scars it replaced the pain with comfort. Every time she held him in her arms, it replaced the loneliness with love, and every time they made love it replaced the questions he had about himself ever being able to be a man again. He wanted to take something from her and replace it.
He went back to the kitchen where he was just about finished making the surprise dinner. She would come out of the shower, say something about those flowers, and then he would show her tonight's meal, spinach ravioli.
Liv stepped out of the hot shower. It was a longer shower than anticipated but she had to calm her insides. Maybe this was pregnancy hormones, but she wanted him inside her every moment she was near him.
Her body felt an awkward numbness, the need of making love to him was overwhelming and she wasn't sure what it was. Was it the way he was spoiling her, the way he was loving her, or he was just that damn good.
Looking at herself in the mirror, she decided it was all of the above, and how lucky she was to have him as her husband. She stood, staring at the scars she could no longer see so clearly as taking over her body.
As she reached over for her surprise to Fitz, she stopped. Maybe it wasn't all three, maybe it was finally seeing him tan. The sun, although not so much exposure, did leave his body with a bit of a sun kissed tan. When he stepped out of the bathroom tonight with only the towel wrapped around his waist that's when she noticed it.
With so little time, it was the last she saw of his body before coming into the bathroom herself. "That's what it is," she told her reflection. It's the gorgeousness mixed with the sun, tanning his body and making him more of a turn on for her.
She smiled at she reached for the lace teddy she had bought when she was in California. The one she had teased him with after she learned about his club Fitz for the beach. She licked her lips as she put it on.
Being honest with herself, it wasn't as sexy as the first time because she didn't have the little belly, but she was certain Fitz would love seeing it on regardless. She smiled at her reflection, something she can't remember doing too much in her adult life and wrapped the bathrobe around her body.
"Here goes nothing, Mrs. Grant." Liv opened the bathroom door, and though very faint, it was a smell she never ever forgot. She stopped right by the bed's end, sniffing in the air, and having to sit down on the bed.
Sunflowers don't have much of a flower perfume fragrance, that's why her mother loved them so much. They had a faint, almost lemon type smell and Liv could remember that smell staying in her senses for what seemed like years. As she sat weakly on the bed, she looked over to the night stand, seeing the vase of flowers.
She tried to speak but she couldn't, and Fitz was in the kitchen, his back to her as he was standing doing dishes in the sink. Her eyes left the vase on the night stand and drifted over to the kitchen one more time and she noticed them, the vase on the island.
Taking another deep breath, she closed her eyes. Was he doing this for a reason? That was the question she needed an answer to. "Liv" she heard his voice, concerning and scared. "Liv are you ok?" He knelt in front of her, his hands on her lap. "Liv, what's wrong?"
Locking her arms around him, she put her forehead to his. "The flowers, the sunflowers, the smell." She gave a small sigh, holding back the tears. "Why?"
"I don't smell them, how do you?" Then he realized, he may not smell them, but of course she would, my God, how could he be so dumb.
"But thank you, Fitz, thank you so much." She pulled back and smiled. "My father has been on my mind for three days now, coming to me in my dreams, and this, well this sums it all up."
Fitz took a sigh of relief. "So, you're not mad or upset?"
"Shocked is more the term. I'm not going to lie; I smelled it as soon as I got to the bed and a wave of emotions overtook me. That's why I had to sit down. Then when I saw them over there and you in the background, it replaced my fear of seeing them again with the love I have for you and this cabin. This cabin is our happy place and bringing these flowers into it, makes it more accepting to put the bad memories behind me."
Fitz kissed her softly. "I also made spinach ravioli, just so you could have the first night dinner experience." Fitz shrugged.
Her hand went to cup his face. "I love you so much. That meal will always remind me how I thought about being Mrs. Grant that very first night. I wondered if I could be a mom and find my way around a kitchen. Now, my life with you is complete, and all this, these bad memories, are being replaced with good ones, happy ones."
Fitz put the plates in front of them, in the middle some sparkling water to have with it. Fitz watched as Liv took her first bite, closing her eyes while chewing. She opened them to see him staring at her with his little smirk.
"Still so damn delicious, just like the man who made them." She licked her lips then took a sip of the sparkling water.
Once they were finished, Fitz began to clean up as Liv stepped down from her chair. "No, let that wait." She took his hand and put it to the tie around her bathrobe. "I have a surprise for you." She kissed his chest because it was damn inviting. She backed up to his lips, "You're not so white anymore, and your tan body is a hot turn on." Liv smiled as she stopped and let him undo the robe.
Fitz pulled at the tie, pulling it towards him, and opening it seeing what she had on under it. He used his two hands to push the robe off and took a deep breath. "Thank God I didn't have to beg for it this time."
Once again in a flash, she was in his arms, walking towards the bed. In the three seconds it took to get to the bedroom, Fitz already was bulging through is boxers, so he had to take them off as Liv adjusted herself on the bed.
Without any hesitation, his hands cupped the lace around her breasts and his mouth dove in below where she was again wearing nothing. His tongue wasted no time to find her entry and he loved to feel her body tense, feeling her nipples grow hard beneath his hands through the lace.
She thrusted her body down a bit, pushing more into him, she wanted it, tongue and all deep inside. Fitz gave the ok by squeezing her breasts gently causing her body to jolt a bit. His tongue came out of her entry and licked slowly around her clit.
"Oh, God, Fitz." Her familiar numbness of orgasm began to shake her body and her head turned, looking at the vase of flowers. She closed her eyes, and just lost herself in the feeling Fitz was giving her, as her body invited the weakness. She rubbed his curls as she felt his head come up.
While his lips were on her neck, he turned her body around as she went on both knees, head down still in weakness.
Fitz mixed her wetness around, making it easy for him to slide his aching erection into her gorgeous vagina. When he was deep in her, he heard her moan, as his hand once again felt through that lace on the teddy she wore.
He felt beads of sweat begin to form on his forehead and watched her head tilt up in weakness, saying his name over again. "So good, Fitz, so good."
Pulling her up slightly, so his one hand could go across her chest, he buried his mouth back onto her neck. "I love you, Olivia Grant, today and forever." He grunted hard, pounding the last of what he had into her as she moaned one last time and fell forward in weakness.
Fitz couldn't even hold her, as he too, fell with her in weakness emptying into her. He took a long deep breath and whispered, "the things you do to me."
Now, in the darkness of the cabin, the two newlyweds lay quietly in each other's arms. Liv left the lace teddy on, Fitz loving the feeling of it against his chest. "My first day as Mrs. Grant was so much more than I could have imagined."
"Every day with you as Mrs. Grant will be more than I could have ever imagined. I can't wait until we get to New York. Making love to you in your condo, spending alone time with you in the city where you grew up, I just can't wait." Fitz said as he rubbed her shoulder falling into a peaceful sleep.