Wildest Deams

Chapter Thirty-One

"Zara?" Maria spoke again, scanning the last few groceries. 

Zara blinked back tears and quickly reached for Olivia, who gracefully picked Zara up and perched her on her hip. Zara hid her face in the crook of Olivia's neck, hiding away, hoping Maria wouldn't say anything more to her.

"Zara, I miss you, " Maria tried again to get her daughter's attention.

"Please, don't, " Olivia warned, swiping her card to pay.

"She's my daughter, " Maria growled.

"Biologically, yes. Otherwise, no, she's my daughter. You abandoned her and her father, that was your choice, not hers, and if you now realize you made a mistake you have to live with it."

"She's my daughter, you worthless whore."

"Don't speak around her like that, " Olivia growled, "Zara, honey, plug your ears, please."

Zara nodded, her breathing accelerating as she sniffled against Olivia's neck. The hot tears rushed over her cheeks as she kept her arm tight around Olivia's neck.

"You listen to me and listen close, " Maria seethed, "I will get my daughter back and Nick will leave you and those boys in the dust. He'll get tired of your body, hell, those boys bent you so far out of shape, you're not even your pre-pregnancy weight yet, are you? So don't worry, your time is dwindling, Olivia, watch out."

"Fuck you, " Olivia growled, leaving the establishment without another word.

Olivia got out of there as fast as she could and to the parking lot. She got Zara into her booster seat and loaded up the groceries. As she did so a police car pulled into the lot and pulled up behind her vehicle.

"Detective Benson?" The uniformed officer questioned.

"Yes?" Olivia sniffled, wiping away the tears that had fallen.

"The manager of the store just called, and said there was a verbal altercation between you and a cashier. Is everything alright?"

"No, it's not. The cashier there decided to call me a worthless whore, call me fat, and do it all in front of my six-year-old. I want to press harassment charges and you can deliver the paperwork to my desk by Monday morning."

Olivia wasted no time, after the brief conversation with the uni, getting into the SUV and driving home. She gripped the steering wheel and her knuckles turned white and she stayed that way until the soft squeak of Zara's voice brought her back to reality.

Zara sniffled, wiping away her tears, "why is she at the grocery store?"

"I don't know, Zara, " Olivia shook her head.

"Mama, " Zara sniffled, "I love you."

"I love you too, Z."

The pair got home and before Olivia could unload the experience on Nick she was pulled in four different directions. The babies need to be fed, the groceries needed to be put away, Zara wanted to snuggle - which was understandable, and she needed to relax.

"Here, I'll take the groceries, why don't you go sit and feed, " Nick offered, taking the grocery bag from her hand.

"Thank you, " she sighed, moving to the living room with her boys.

Zara sat near with her head rested on one of Olivia's shoulders, holding one of her brother's hands as he fed. August and Silas fed for a while, both being burped and changed before Olivia could send Zara away so she could speak to Nick in private.

"Nicholas?" Olivia entered their room, he appeared in the threshold of their bathroom door.

"Yes, love?"