Outside Work We... •[TNN One-shots]•

Olivia •|| MARJOREECE ||• [Another Woman Pt. 4]

Prompt: Marjorie meets Olive. Well, sort of meet her.

As the tension in the room eased, Mia and Charlotte rejoined Reece and Marjorie in the living room. Mia flopped onto the couch beside Marjorie, throwing an arm casually over her shoulder while Charlotte perched on the armrest beside her.

“Well, that was a soap opera and a half,” Mia muttered, her lips quirking into a smirk as she sipped her coffee. “Glad you two lovebirds patched it up, though.”

Reece chuckled weakly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Thanks, Mia. I owe you one.”

“Oh, you owe me plenty, Knight,” Mia quipped, her sharp tone softened by the amused gleam in her eye. “But let’s focus on not screwing this up further, hmm?”

Before Reece could respond, his phone buzzed loudly on the coffee table, drawing everyone’s attention. The screen lit up with the name “My World💚” and a contact photo of a grinning teenage girl throwing up peace signs.

“Speak of the devil,” Mia said, her brow arching. “Well? Don’t just sit there—answer it.”

Reece hesitated, glancing at Marjorie. “Are you okay with this?”

Marjorie gave him a small smile and nodded. “Go ahead. I’d like to hear her voice.”

With a deep breath, Reece picked up the phone and put it on speaker. “Hey, kiddo.”

“Dad!” Olive’s voice rang through the room, bright and cheerful. “Guess what? My roommate finally figured out how to make lasagna without setting off the fire alarm. It only took three tries!”

Reece chuckled, his shoulders relaxing. “That’s great, Olive. I’m glad your dorm isn’t up in flames. Again.”

Her laugh was warm and infectious. “Yeah, me too. Anyway, what’s up? You sound weird. Did something happen?”

Reece glanced at Marjorie, who gave him an encouraging nod. “Actually, yeah. I… I told Marjorie about you.”

There was a pause on the line, and then Olive gasped dramatically. “No way. You finally did it? It’s a miracle!”

Mia snorted, earning a playful nudge from Charlotte to keep quiet.

“Yeah, I told her,” Reece continued, a hint of nerves in his voice. “And she’s here right now, listening.”

“Oh my God,” Olive said, her voice full of excitement. “Hi, Marjorie! I’ve heard so much about you. Like, seriously, I’ve been bugging Dad for ages to tell you about me. He’s such a chicken sometimes.”

Marjorie couldn’t help but laugh, charmed by Olive’s energy. “Hi, Olive. It’s so nice to finally meet you… well, sort of.”

“I know, right?” Olive said with a giggle. “It’s about time. So… you’re not mad at him, are you? I mean, he’s kind of an idiot, but he means well.”

Marjorie glanced at Reece, her smile softening. “No, I’m not mad. I wish he’d told me sooner, but… I’m just glad to know about you now.”

“Aw, thanks! You seem really cool,” Olive said warmly. “I hope we can meet in person soon. I’m dying to know if you’re as awesome as Dad says you are.”

Reece blinked, his cheeks turning pink. “I don’t—uh—I didn’t say—”

“Oh, please,” Olive teased. “You gush about her all the time. It’s adorable.”

Marjorie grinned, reaching over to squeeze Reece’s hand. “Well, I’d love to meet you too, Olive. Maybe when you’re back from school?”

“Absolutely! I'm getting back next month!” Olive exclaimed. “I’ll let you guys get back to whatever you were doing, but, Marjorie, I’m really glad you’re in my dad’s life. He’s happier with you, you know?”

Marjorie’s chest tightened at the sincerity in Olive’s voice. “Thank you, Olive. That means a lot. And I cannot wait to meet you next month.”

“Okay, enough mushy stuff!” Olive said with a laugh. “Bye, Dad! Bye, Marjorie! Talk soon!”

The call ended, leaving a warm silence in its wake. Reece exhaled, looking at Marjorie with a mixture of relief and gratitude. “She really likes you.”

Marjorie leaned against him, her smile genuine. “I think I really like her too.”

“Aw, precious,” Mia interjected, tossing a pillow at them. “Now, can we talk about how I’m the one who deserves a thank-you for getting you two lovebirds back on track?”

Charlotte shook her head fondly. “You’ll get your thank-you, Mia. Eventually.”

And for the first time in what felt like hours, everyone laughed together, the tension finally giving way to hope and light.