Daughter of the Arrow

Chapter 8: Idiots

He woke up facing her.

The sun was just rising, casting streaks of light through her golden hair, creating a halo.   His arms were still wrapped around her.   Her face was that of an ethereal being's, angelic.   She was gorgeous no matter what, but if he caught it just right in the early morning before she woke... that was a special kind of beautiful.   He could have waited there, holding her in his arms forever; waiting for those baby-blue eyes.

Her eyes flicker open, giving a teasing glimpse.   She gave a sleepy smile, eyes half open.   So he leaned in and kissed her.   "Good morning, Prettybird."

"Morning."   She snuggled closer to him, but then she looked at the clock.   "Best to be getting up."

"Why?"   He had no interest in moving.

"Do you want your daughter wandering in here?"   Dinah stared at him in disbelief.

"Does it matter?"

"That's it!"   She pulled herself out of the embrace of his arms and the blanket.    She walked over to the drawers and threw clothes at him.   "Get.   Up."

He smirked.   "One really has to wonder why you have my clothes."

"Just get up!"

*****Dinah's P.O.V.*****

That evening, Olivia wasn't too fond of the idea of taking a bath, but Dinah eventually wrangled her into the tub with the promise of bubble bath.   Dinah had dried Olivia off and was in the process of redressing her, when Ollie stuck his head in.

"Call for you," he said, holding up her ringing phone.   "From... Sandra Colter," glancing at the screen.

"She's from my work," she said, standing up.   "Could you finish changing Olivia?"

"Sure," he said, as Dinah took the phone.   Olivia protested, "I can change myself!"

She hit the 'accept call' button, shooting a look at her daughter, who resigned herself to the idea with a pout.   With that taken care of, she said, "This is Dinah."

"Hey Dinah.   How you doing?"

Sandra.   Her boss, coworker, and the best friend she had in Swanann.    "I'm doing fine," she said with a smile.   "What do you need?"

"I was callin' ta ask if you knew when..."   Dinah couldn't hear the rest of Sandra's sentence when Olivia shrieked.   Dinah looked up in alarm to see Olivia, with no shirt on, come running out of the hallway, ran past her in the living room, and into the kitchen, with Ollie chasing after her.   She sighed.   Olivia had learned that she could run in circles through the house when she had first started walking, and she did so to her own great delight.   The fact that Ollie hadn't caught her yet, as they went around a second time, meant that he was taking as much joy in it as the three year old was.

"Sorry, could you repeat that again, Sandra?"

"I said, do you know when the Alstroemeria delivery is coming in t'morrow."

"Nine o'clock, I think?"   Her husband and daughter tore once again, with much giggles and laughter.

"Alright,   I have ta ask.   What is goin' on over there?"

"Just some idiots, on my end."   She emphasized the word as Ollie ran past.   He looked back with an exaggeratedly hurt expression.   She covered the phone and whispered, "You are!"