Don't Let Us Go

Airports And Goodbyes

The sun was low, and so was the happiness between Spencer, Olivia, and their sluggish daughter. After an afternoon of ice skating, Disney movies, and family dinner; the time to say goodbye was here.

Already passed by TSA and bag check, the family of three waited at the flight gate for boarding time. Drowsy from the children's melatonin that Liv gave her an hour prior, Gigi napped in her fathers arms, cuddling her face onto his shoulder.

Olivia's hand ran through their daughter's hair that was braided into two pigtails.

"She's going to be bouncing off the rails when we get home," Olivia tried to amuse herself to keep the thought of being without Spencer from breaking her heart. "I will make sure she gets to FaceTime you the second we get home."

"The house is gonna sound so empty now," Spencer grunted, not looking forward to returning to an empty penthouse that he adjusted to sharing with Olivia and Gracianna. "Crazy, huh? I didn't even know I had a kid three weeks ago. Yet, I can't envision a life with her now." He joked half-heartedly, clutching his little girl protectively.

Tears swelled in Olivia's eyes. "We are going to miss being with you too."

Spencer repositioned a slumbering Gigi to where he held her with one arm so he could use his free arm to wrap around Olivia. Her arms wrapped around his waist as she pressed her face into his chest.

Pushing his own tears back, he tried to keep it together for Olivia. One of them needed to be strong enough to let the other go if they were ever going to take care of their separate responsibilities so that the three of them could be together again.

"It's just for a few weeks, Liv." Spencer attempted to coax away her pain. "I will call you guys as soon as you text me that you got off the plane," He added, kissing the top of her curls.

Sniffling, Olivia pulled away from him, wiping away her fallen tears.

"Now boarding all passengers through seat..." The announcement drowned out as time sunk in for both Olivia and Spencer, forcing them to realize the happy bubble they created over the last week or so,  popped. But they still had now.

Spencer leaned down, connecting their lips,  his tongue begging for entrance, which she eagerly granted. Olivia angled her head and pressed up onto her toes to get closer to him. One of his hands buried itself in her curly hair, while her hands slid around his hips, wrapping around his waist,holding him tighter. They both were drowning in the sensation that their lips brought each other, letting the world fade in the background. Finally, the need for air caused Liv to pull her mouth away, resting her forehead against his. "I love you." Spencer murmured breathlessly, his hooded eyes meeting her tear stained one.

"I love you too." She smiled brokenly, pulling away from him.

Her arms opened, gently removing Gracianna from his arms and into her own. Spencer held back his tears as he cleared his throat to call out to his sleeping daughter.

"Cici...Cici, baby girl, wake up." He encouraged, stroking her forehead softly.

Wrinkling her small face, Gigi scrunched her nose, mumbling incoherently as she eyes slowly peeled open. "Mom...Daddy....what's wrong?" She asked drowisly, rubbing her eyes as she released a growling yawn.

"It's time to go, sweetie. You gotta say bye to your Dad." Olivia softly disclosed, kissing the side of Gracianna's head.

Glancing between both of her sad parents, Gigi lips quivered, and tears brimmed. "But..you guys are back together. Daddy is coming to live with us. I don't wanna leave." She rambled, waterworks spilling down her chipmunks cheeks. "Daddy promised we would stay together." Her tears filled eyes glared at Spencer. "You promised!"

"And we will, baby!" Spencer tried to mellow her pain, kissing both her cheeks and wiping her fallen tears. "But you have school, and your Mom has to work. It's just for a little while until I can get my job setup in L.A, remember? We talked about this. You, Me, and Mommy in L.A together. For good." Spencer vowed to a weeping Gigi.

"You promise?" She cried, her red nose flaring up as she sniffled. Her little hand rising, "Pinky promise."

Spencer chuckled through his own tears as he locked their pinkies together. "Yeah. I promise."

"Mommy too..." She grunted, her puppy eyes on display, and her little arms crossed with an attitude. "Promise Mommy too."

Liv snickered at her daughter's demands but performed the pinky promise, nonetheless.

"3 weeks...." Spencer inquired of their next family reunion in L.A, his pinky finger locked with Olivia's.

"Three weeks." She agreed, keeping their finger locked they sealed it with a kiss.

"Last call for passengers boarding....." The announcer instructed one last time.

Spencer and Olivia broke apart as she hurried to grab her carry on, luggage. Spencer wrapped his arms around the both of them one last time, before releasing them to board their flight.

Olivia pulled her wheeled carry on with one hand, while carrying their daughter with the other, her back to Spencer. Gracianna faced over her mother's shoulder, waving at her dad with a small smile. Olivia stopped once she and Gigi were safely behind the flight gate, blowing Spencer one last kiss that he caught from his distance away, before he watched the love of his life and his daughter leave his line of sight.

A feeling of dread washed over him, unable to find the desire to return to his empty penthouse that now held too many memories. Dialing up his teammate number, Spencer found a place to crash for the night, until he could hear Olivia and Gracianna's voices one more in the morning.