Protecting Olivia

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE

ETHAN

I'd called Kate the next day to tell her about our mother and she reacted the way I thought she would. She wasn't upset, just quiet and asked if I wanted her to come back to Perth. She'd only just left so I told her it wasn't necessary. Like me, she didn't really know our mother. Kate reminded me that despite living in the same house as her for fifteen years, it was me that raised her, that looked out for her. Kate could count on one hand how many times our mother had actually acknowledged her existence. I was always the buffer between Kate and our parents, they never got the chance to get near her when I was around. It was my job as her big brother, one I would never change.

I'd taken Livy's advice and looked into my mother. Mary Steadman was born in the small town of Port MacDonnell in South Australia, a small fishing village known for their rock lobster. Her parents, Donald and Martha Steadman, still lived there as well as an older sister Francis, her husband and three daughters. An older brother, Joseph, the second born to Donald and Martha, now lived in Adelaide with his wife and two teenage children. Mary was the youngest of the three and lived there until she was eighteen.

Mary married Patrick just before her nineteenth birthday, Patrick being twenty-six years old at the time. They were married in Melbourne and then moved to Brisbane, where I was born just after Mary turned twenty. Mary's father was a local fisherman, as were most of the small population of Port MacDonnell. His father was also a fisherman.

There was nothing else about Mary from her time in Port MacDonnell, and apart from a marriage certificate and mine and Kate's birth certificates, there was nothing about her after that either. She finished high school, but never did any further study and never held a job.

Her parents were now in their late seventies, her older sister and brother in their fifties. After learning about her estranged family, I wasn't sure what to do about it. Her body still laid in the morgue, another thing I wasn't sure to do.

My father's body had just disappeared after his death, so I didn't have to deal with any of it. My mother had no one to claim her apart from myself or Kate. I didn't know her, so how was I to decide what she wanted? I was also curious as to her family. Were they horrible people that she ran from?  Something told me that that wasn't the case.

I'd spent the week after Livy moved out getting back into training after being cleared for active duty. The team knew that it wouldn't be long before we were sent out again so we made sure that we were at the top of our game. We also finished in time for me to pick up Matthew from school and spend some time with him before Livy came to get him.

Those five minutes that I saw Livy each day were what I lived for. Seeing the way her eyes lit up when she saw Matthew, how she listened so attentively about his day always brought a smile to my face. She was an amazing mother. And when she would smile at me just before she left, my world stood still. She'd always had the ability to take my breath away.

I missed her though, I missed having Livy and Matthew living with me, seeing them every morning and coming home to them every night. I was back to being Jordan and Jane's third wheel and I honestly didn't know what to do with myself.

Before Livy, I would be busy keeping an eye on my father, busy looking over my shoulder, watching out for any threat. Now, I found myself wondering what to do with my down time. I didn't get much of it, but once Matthew left for the night, I struggled to calm my mind. I didn't want to sit at home, but the solitude of the beach or the clifftop didn't have the same appeal. I was completely lost, and it wasn't a feeling I was comfortable with.

The Friday, after I picked Matthew up from school, Lance and I took him down to a nearby footy oval and showed him some of the finer points of playing football. Despite never getting the opportunity to play before, he picked it up quickly, kicking it an impressive distance one his small legs. He was getting fitter, able to run for longer without getting tired. It made my heart swell with appreciation for Chase. He gave my boy his life, and I would forever be grateful for that.

Matthew stayed with me for the night, an agreement that Livy and I reached easily between us. Though I would rather both of them to be with me all the time, being able to have Matthew on the weekends would have to do.

I dropped Matthew off after dinner on Saturday night. Livy greeted us at the door, in her cosy flannelette pyjamas with small love hearts over them. She looked adorable with her hair piled on top of her head, no makeup on but bright eyed and her breathtaking smile. How much I wish I could just wrap her in my arms and kiss her. It is wishful thinking. Our ship sailed long ago, and whatever could have been between us was destroyed when I left Brisbane.

It doesn't change how I feel about her though, and every time I see her, I love her even more. But it's enough that she is back in my life. It has to be.

Matthew disappears into his room as soon as I drop him home. I knew he would be tired, having stayed up later the night before watching movies with me. He'd told me about his friends at school and a particular girl he liked in his class. I'd teased him about her, earning a blush on his freckled cheeks and a loud groan. With only a few months until he turns eleven, he's starting to get embarrassed, especially when I roll out the dad jokes.

I take a seat at Livy's dining table as she places a cold beer in front of me before sitting in the chair opposite and sipping on a glass of white wine. I fill her in on what we had been up to, watching as her eyes light up hearing about Matthew and his talent for football. She gets a bit teary, and I'm reminded of how hard it would have been for her while Matthew was sick. We fall into silence as we sip on our drinks, although it's not uncomfortable, I decide to tell her about my mother.

"I looked into her," I say, looking into her stunning blue eyes which widen slightly before she places her glass on the table and gives me her full attention. "She grew up in South Australia, has a sister and brother, and her parents are still alive."

"Are you going to call them?" she asks, her eyes not leaving mine.

"I'm going to go over there. See them in person rather than try to tell them who I am over the phone." She nods her head in understanding.

"When?" she tilts her head to the side when she asks and I fight the grin on how damn adorable she looks.

"Monday... I don't know how long I will be gone. Probably a couple of days, no longer than a week." I tell her.

"I'm coming with you." She states, her eyes not leaving mine. To say I am shocked is an understatement, I had never even thought that she would consider going with me. "You don't have to do this alone Ethan." Her voice is softer, her eyes sincere yet determined.

"I'm sure Seb and Lucy won't mind looking after Matthew," she continues. I nod my head and swallow the lump in my throat, unsure what to say. I want her to come, I just never dreamed that she would. She offers me a smile before picking up her wine glass and downing the remaining contents. I sip my own beer, noticing my heart beating harder, no doubt because I would be going away with Livy, alone.