by Sadie Grubor
"Did you eat good?"
"Num nums."
"Good boy."
"Down now." He pushes at her chest.
"Hold on." She walks to the far end of the kitchen. Placing a kiss to his head, she sets him down in his play area.
The minute he's loose, he runs off to a pile of cars and blocks.
"Was he good?" She turns to me.
"Of course. He's a wonderful boy."
"I can't disagree." She smiles.
"Olivia, I don't want to cause a fight," I watch her body tense, "but I would like you to let me know if Erik sends anything else."
My eyes search hers. I see her defiance flare.
"It's not about you. I just want to be sure I'm aware of his actions. They seem off to me."
Her body relaxes a bit.
"It's nothing, I'm sure," she states. "But I will tell you about any more deliveries."
"Thank you."
I set Alex's bag down next to the baby gate and straighten.
"I have a doctor appointment on Wednesday. There will be an ultrasound."
"Will we learn the sex?"
She fidgets for a moment.
"Do you want to know?" Her brow furrows.
"I…I don't know. I guess I didn't think about it until now. What do you want to do?"
"I'd like to know, so I can prepare the other bedroom accordingly. And so I know if I'll need to purchase girl things in place of the boy items I have stored away."
"You planned on another child?"
"No. I mean, I thought about it." She looks to Alex playing on his mat. "But it's mostly just because I haven't been ready to let go of his baby things yet. My plan was to donate them eventually."
She looks back at me, catching my grin.
"Can I be honest?"
She nods, her brow furrowing a bit.
"I hope it's a girl."
"Really?" She sounds genuinely surprised.
"Yes." I cup her face. "There should be another girl as beautiful as you in the world."
I don't miss the twitch at the side of her mouth. She's pleased by my words.
"Text me the time and address for the appointment."
I pull my hand away, enjoying the way her body sways toward me.
She nods.
"Also, our date."
She stiffens again.
"I'd like to get together Thursday evening for dinner. Is that okay for you?"
"I…I think so."
"Good. Dress casual and comfortable. I want this to be as relaxed and easy going as possible."
"Okay." Another nod.
With this being our most positive interaction, I don't want to leave. I want to cup her face, kiss her lips, and hold her so close that she sways into me. I want to squat on the floor with Alex and play cars.
I can only hope she responds positively to my surprise.
Stepping into the doctor's office, I'm not prepared for a room full of round bellied women. There are eight women, including Olivia. I take a seat beside her and settle into the chair.
"Hello," I greet her.
"Hi." She smiles small.
Her leg bounces and she fidgets in her seat.
"Are you okay?" I place my hand on hers.
She nods, leg still bouncing.
"Are you sure? You seem nervous." I nod to her shaking limb.
"Oh, no. I have to pee," she whispers.
"They don't have a ladies room?" My brow furrows.
She smiles wide.
"I can't go until after the ultrasound. I started drinking water too early and now I have to go every twenty minutes."
"Oh." Settling back into my chair, I think about this information. "Isn't that uncomfortable?"
"Can we not talk about it? I'm trying not to think about it. Distraction is key."
She winks and I swallow hard. I'm not use to this playful side of Olivia.
"Miss Harlow?"
Our attention turns to a woman in bright pink scrubs.
"Yes." Olivia stands, securing her bag over her shoulder.
I follow her lead.
"My name is Liz," she introduces herself to both of us, then turns to Olivia. "How are you feeling this morning?"
"Good, just overhydrated," Olivia jokes and Liz laughs.
"Let's see if we can get you taken care of quickly."
We enter a light blue and white room.
"Hop on up." Liz pats a beige padded table.
Olivia lays her bag and coat on a chair and slips onto the table.
"Can you unbutton or roll down the top of your pants?"
Liz clicks away on a keyboard and looks at a screen. Olivia pulls her shirt up under her breasts and pushes the stretchy pants low on her hips.
My eyes are riveted on the small bump — our child. Another child is growing in there. Before I can stop myself, I lay my hand on her.
Olivia's eyes widen and she bites at her lip. I want to lean down and take her mouth with mine. Instead, I smile wide.
"Excuse me." Liz smiles at me. "I need to put this gel there."
"Of course."
I remove my hand and stand closer to Olivia's side.
"This should be warm." Liz squeezes the light greenish gel onto Olivia's skin.
Seeing Olivia's hand lying next to her, I take it in between both of mine. Her eyes meet mine. She smiles and I can feel tension leave her.
"Do you want to know the sex?" Olivia asks.
"Yes," I answer on an exhale.
She gives one nod.
"So, that's a yes?" Liz holds a wide T-shape wand in her hand and presses it against Olivia's stomach.
"Yes," Olivia answers.
"Let me get my measurements done and then I'll turn the screen toward you."
Liz clicks some keys, rolls a ball-like object on the keyboard, and presses a few buttons with one hand while moving the wand around with the other. The longer she stays silent, the more tense I feel Olivia become.
"Everything is looking good, Olivia." Liz keeps her eyes on the monitor as she assures her.
Olivia audibly exhales.
"I was a bit worried for a minute."
"Sorry," Liz apologizes. "Everything is measuring on track for eighteen weeks."
A couple more clicks and then the monitor is turned toward us.
"Okay, you ready to meet your baby?"
Her eyes move from Olivia to me and back.
We both nod.
"Here's a hand."
She uses a finger to circle the screen before clicking some buttons.
"A leg and the little foot is here." Liz grins while pointing.
My heart constricts. It's suddenly hard to breathe.
"Okay, let's see if we can get a good angle."
The…my baby's leg kicks out.
"Do you feel that?" I ask Olivia.
"Not yet." Her eyes stay on the monitor.
"Ah ha!" Liz exclaims. "Say hello to your baby girl."
"A girl?" I whisper.
"A girl," Liz confirms.
I squeeze Olivia's hand, bringing it to my mouth and kissing her knuckles.
"Thank you," I speak against her skin.
Her eyes meet mine, but she stays silent. I don't need her to say a word.
In this moment, every crack in my heart heals, the darkest parts of my soul fill with light, and my chest swells. This little girl hasn't arrived yet, but I already love her the way I love Alex and Olivia.
During the remainder of her appointment, her doctor is happy with everything except her blood pressure, which is a bit high. She instructs Olivia to take it easy and avoid stress, but, for now, it looks good.
While I originally wanted a house, there wasn't anything on the market aside from a house still under construction. This leaves me in this three bedroom apartment for the next few months.
I thought this temporary apartment would be the location for our date night, but decide a neutral location will be best. To ensure we have privacy to talk to each other, I request
a private dining room from the downtown steakhouse.
Dressed in dark jeans and a long, cream sweater, Olivia stares out the window of the car.
"Are you okay?" I ask, keeping my eyes on the drivers pushing and swerving before entering the Fort Pitt Tunnel.
"Yes." She nods.
"Please don't be nervous. I want us to relax and talk, that's it."
I break to avoid some idiot crossing into my lane just inside the tunnel. Olivia's hand moves to the dashboard.
"Sorry."
"Not your fault."
From the corner of my eye, I see her shrug.
We arrive at the restaurant after finding a space in the parking garage one block over. The lack of valet parking, and parking in general, is annoying. I should've used my driver, but I want this to be a normal man and woman going to dinner date.
After giving my name, we are immediately shown to a private dining table. It's set for two, but could easily seat four. The waiter takes our drink orders and leaves us to look over the menu.
"So, a girl?" I try to open up conversation.
"Yep." She grins at her menu.
"You wanted a boy," I say, mostly to spark a response from her.
Her head snaps up.
"No. I didn't care if it was a girl or a boy. Why would you think that?"
Her brow furrows.
"You just seem quiet on the subject." I shrug and look at my menu.
"May I take your order?" The waiter appears, taking both our orders and disappearing again.
There is a long, uncomfortable silence.
"Please tell me what's wrong?"
Our eyes meet and lock for a moment before she looks away.
"I don't know what to do," she whines. "I haven't dated in forever. I have no idea what we are going to talk about aside from visitations for Alex and the baby."
"None of that tonight," I state and take a drink from my water glass.
"What do you mean?"
"Tell me about your family. You know about mine. I think it's only fair you tell me about yours."
"Uh, um, you met my father. He lives in Beaver and works at the power plant. My mother lives in California, she's an acting teacher. They are both only children, I'm an only child, and my grandparents either passed away before I was born, or when I was too young to remember much about them."
"So, no cousins or stepsiblings?"
She shakes her head.
"My father never remarried and my mother would never risk her figure to another pregnancy," she giggles.
"Will I meet your mother?" I ask, curious about her absence.
She shrugs. "She doesn't come back East. She's more of a long distance grandmother, sending cards, gifts, and the occasional phone call. Though, the calls are typically when I'm in bed, since she waits until late in the evening West Coast time to call."
"I see."
"Have you and Hugh always been close?"
She finally settles back into her chair, relaxing.
"For the most part, yes. I was, of course, jealous of him as a child."
"Jealous?"
"He had my father and Heidi. Even at a young age, I knew my mother was different."
"Damon, I'm so sorry." Sympathy wrinkles her forehead and nose.
"It's fine. It's in the past." I smile, drinking from my water again.
By the time our food arrives, we are talking comfortably. We tell each other about where we went to school, first kisses, knowing what we wanted to do when we grew up, and things we didn't know about each other until tonight.
It's during dessert when I decide to confess a few things.
"I need to tell you a couple things."
I push away my dessert plate, resting my elbows on the table.
Olivia's eyes search my face as she settles back in her chair.
"What?" she asks, suspicion darkening her eyes.
"I want you to listen to what I'm about to say without getting angry. It wasn't her intention to upset you. She's just concerned—"
"She?"
Olivia's eyes narrow on me and for a moment, I think I see a hint of jealousy.
"Scarlett." I try to hide a grin.
Olivia's body relaxes.
"Her mother has visited your bakery for the upcoming wedding. You're making the cake for next weekend."
Olivia's eyes widen and her mouth pops open.
"Mrs. Manson…" she breathes. “That's Scarlett's mother, isn't it?"
She continues without giving me time to respond.
"I knew the last name sounded familiar, but I couldn't place it." She slouches back in her seat, shaking her head. "Why would I be upset about this?" Confusion wrinkles her brow.
"Scarlett knows your last interaction wasn't exactly cordial, so she didn't want to upset you further by coming into the bakery." I shrug. "I told her she was being crazy, but you know how you women are."
"Hey!" Olivia scolds, but a small smile gives away her amusement. "You're right, though. I wouldn't have minded her coming. In fact, it would've been nice to see her and apologize."
"Apologize?" I ask.
She nods. "Yes, I wasn't exactly nice that day."
Instead of commenting, I continue on.
"I'd like for you to consider going to the wedding with me next Friday and spending the weekend at my apartment."
"Spend the weekend?" she asks in a broken whisper.
"Yes, since we have the therapy exercise coming, I figure it's the perfect time. We will attend their wedding Friday evening, return to my apartment, and on Saturday, I'd like to show you the house I've purchased."
"You bought a house?"
"I purchased an under construction house. It's in the final stages." I nod.
She clears her throat.
"Where?" she asks, trying to sound nonchalant.
"McKees Rocks. It's a newer neighborhood. It will only be about twenty minutes, depending on traffic, from the bakery."
"Oh."
She picks up her water glass and takes a drink.
"I'd like for you to see it as well as the plans." I shrug. "So you can offer suggestions for child proofing and such."
Her brow rises inquiringly.
"Child proofing?"
"Olivia, I'll be completely honest."
Leaning forward, I place my forearms on the table and fold my hands together.
"I want you to see the house, offer your input, and make sure you like the house. It's my full intention for you to live in this house with me, our children to grow up in this house, and for you to share a bed with me every night."
Her lips part in surprise.
"You don't have to agree to anything now, but know I will do everything within my power to make it happen."
Her mouth shuts and she visibly swallows.
"Is that all?" she asks after recovering from my confession.
"No, there's one other thing I'd like to talk about. It's about the fertility clinic's mix up."
A twitch in her jaw betrays her nervousness.
"What about it?" she asks through her teeth.
"I'm having it further investigated. I’m not comfortable with all the unknowns. I just don't want you to be surprised about me looking into the situation more."
She exhales a breath.
"That makes sense. Thank you for telling me."
"So?"
I sit back in my chair once more.
"So, what?" She plays with the napkin on the table.
"Next weekend, will you accompany me to the wedding and spend the weekend?"
"I'll think about it," she answers quickly — too quickly.
"Olivia—"
"I said I'll think about it, Damon."
The drive back to Olivia's apartment is quiet. She keeps one hand on her stomach and the left on her leg. Before I can tell myself it's a bad idea, I reach out and take her hand in mine. She jolts, just a bit, in surprise, but doesn't pull her hand away.
"I didn't mean to upset you."
&n
bsp; She sighs.
"I'm not upset, just thinking about everything."
Her head presses back against the leather seat, rolling to look out the window.
"Still, the night was going so well. I didn't mean to ruin the evening. I just wanted to be honest about things."
Lifting our joined hands, I kiss the back of hers. She gasps. I smile against her skin.
Olivia
The minute the door is closed, I lean back. The tingling sensation from his touch lingers on my hand. The sounds of a drumming heartbeat fills my ears. Eyes closed, I take a deep, calming breath.
"Must have been a good time." The sneer in Erik's voice alarms me.
"What are you doing here?" I ask, straightening from the door.
Looking around, I find Mercedes seated on the couch. She puts a finger to her temple and swirls in the universal crazy motion.
"Apparently, Damon is bored with stalking you and has decided to follow me around."
"What are you talking about?" I furrow my brow and set my keys on the table next to me.
"I can't believe you're with him," he growls, loudly.
"Shh, Alex is in bed," Mercedes whispers harshly.
"You know what, Ced? You can go now." Erik keeps his eyes on me as he speaks.
"Who the hell—?"
"No, Erik, you can go," I say, cutting Mercedes off. I grab the doorknob and open the door.
"I patiently waited for almost a year. Almost a year, Olivia!" He steps close.
From the corner of my eye, Mercedes stands from the couch, putting her cellphone to her ear.
"Erik, I never made any promises. You chose to wait for something that I never — not once — said was going to happen for us."
I motion to the open door.
"You've become a whore, you know that?" he barks.
"Go to hell, Erik. I—"
Erik jerks backward out the door. Damon looms over him, his face red and chest heaving.
"What did you call her?" Damon growls, holding Erik by the neck of his shirt.
Erik stretches his neck to look past Damon. His angry eyes settle on mine.
"I can't believe you want a psycho! A stalker is who you can't seem to get enough of," he adds to the previous insult.
"Don't look at her." Damon moves, standing so I can't see Erik.
"Fuck you!" Erik shouts. "You can have the whore and—"
Erik's yelling is cut off by Damon's fist.