you know i'm such a fool for you (Olivia x Viola)

Chapter 10: Epilogue

Author's Note:

I wanted to thank everyone who took the time to read and enjoy this with me. I had a great time creating something that I myself desperately wanted to read (albeit not with the best technique).

Please let me know your thoughts, feelings, wants, grievances. I am open to it all and love talking about these two any time of the day. As always, you can reach me on Tumblr too: @jumbled-juliet

Six years later...

"Yes, ma'am."

"And you can enter through the side door. Sebastian will be on an interview call around noon in the living room. He needs full concentration, that poor boy."

Olivia bit back a giggle at the well-meaning dig and exasperation dripping from the voice over the phone. "Yes, ma'am."

"Dear, please, how many times must I insist there be no ma'am's!"

It was something Olivia had picked up right after she and Viola started dating and never even tried to get rid of.

"Of course, I'm sorry that it always seems to slip my mind," she replied smoothly, dragging her finger languidly on the countertop.

"Olivia. Dear. Don't apologize. Now, as I was saying, just go through the kitchen, drop off any wine or what have you- you know you don't have to bring anything." She did. "It's very casual. But please do make sure Viola doesn't show up with her dress wrinkled or stained," she adds like an afterthought. "Another thing is: some of the ladies from book club will be there, and you might recognize a few. However, don't panic! I prayed last night that there be no issues-"

"Daphne, it's no problem, really. I'm sure everyone will be civil and if not then I can take what's thrown at me," Olivia replied, voice smooth as silk as she put down her wine, "We have everything ready, and we're so looking forward to this. I'll make sure Viola behaves and doesn't try anything funny."

"Oh, dear, there will never be a day those words don't bring tears to my eyes!"

Olivia drummed her fingers on the cutting board and shifted in her heels. She should've sat down ages ago or waited longer before changing out of her comfy clothes. "You know I'm happy to take her off your hands- even if she is a handful."

Olivia's eyes flit to where Viola lay to see the girl had her eyebrow raised at her. She returned it in challenge.

Viola was lounging on the sofa in what looked like an uncomfortable position with her laptop balancing on her hip. Her hair was spilling over the arm of the sofa, and she had to scrunch up her long legs to keep them in the small space.

It looked ridiculous, but she swore it was comfortable. It always made Olivia chuffed thinking this is something a young Viola carried over into adulthood. She swore she'd seen a photo of Viola with her teeth in braces and dimple on full display, laying the same way from one of the Hastings photo albums.

Mrs. Hastings said her name from the phone, and Olivia registered that she'd gotten so distracted surveying Viola that she'd missed what her mother had said.

"Sorry, what was that, Daphne? I think you cut out."

A few short words later and a long-winded farewell, Olivia hung up and pushed off the kitchen counter to carry on chopping vegetables for their salad, since she'd been ignoring her duties to sip wine and read a magazine up until Mrs. Hastings had called her phone.

Viola's apartment was small and boxy with modern refurbishments and a studio-like floor plan. The decor, however, was homey in its mismatched, handpicked style that was from Viola accumulating furniture throughout college. The setup was such that someone could be in the kitchen and see the whole place minus the bedroom; nifty for someone like Viola who liked to try to talk to you from fifty feet away.