Dear mom

2. Open Letter

Stabler Resident

Thursday, September 5

9:41 pm

Dinner had been relatively quiet after the argument about the mystery letter sent from Serena. Corinna had still been upset with her parents over her newly enforced punishment, and Olivia had been overwhelmed with the decision to either try to bury this again or accept her mother's attempt to reach out after so long. Pia had been the most talkative, wanting to make sure her she covered every detail of her first day of kindergarten.

Once dinner had been finished and both kids were in bed, Elliot figured it was as good a time as ever to try and speak to Olivia about what had happened earlier. As much as he understood how the sudden return of her mother upset her, he needed answers. It was almost like he didn't know Olivia at all. When they had first met in college, Olivia had told him her mother had died her freshman year and that was the end of it. But now..for her to admit her mother was in fact alive? That she was product of rape?

As tragic as her childhood had sounded, he just didn't understand how she could pretend her mother was dead.

Elliot waited in bed for Olivia to finish her shower and night routine, hoping that he'd given her enough time to gather her thoughts before he brought up her mother again. She had barely said two words to him for the rest of the night, obviously upset, and she had every right to be. But they both knew more than anyone that the truth eventually comes to light, and it had come time for her to face it.

"Olivia, we need to talk about this," he spoke up once she had gotten settled into bed.

"El please, I'm so tired," she tried her best to dismiss him by turning off the light on her nightstand, and laying on her side to fall asleep but it was no good.

"So what am I supposed to do with this? Huh? Suddenly your mom is not dead after all these years, and I'm supposed to just accept that?" he had switched the light on his side of the bed on, and sat up leaning against the headboard.

"It's not that easy to talk about Elliot," she sat up next to him, trying her best to resist from letting any tears fall. Her throat had felt tight and her heart had been racing. She had tried so hard to put her past behind her and chase after a new life, but her past was catching up to her instead.

"I don't expect for you to tell me everything tonight, but I'd like to know what happened one day soon-why you ran away.. For now I think you should read whatever is in this envelope, because there must be a reason she's decided to reach out after twenty years," he reached inside of the drawer of his nightstand and handed the envelope over to her. She took it reluctantly and toyed with it between her hands, while biting on her bottom lip trying to decide what to do. Olivia understood where Elliot had been coming from. She owed him an explanation- and soon.

"I promise you one day I'll tell you everything there is to know, it's just I can't do that for you right now," she paused to take a deep breath and wipe away the few tears that had fallen. "El, you know I love you more than life itself and I wouldn't keep anything from you unless it was for a good reason. Y-You know that right?" she cried and looked over at him. Not even the darkness that surrounded them could hide the worried look in her eyes.

"Baby don't cry," he pulled her close to him, and laid down with her across his chest, the swell of her stomach bumping into his hip.

"I'm so so sorry. We promised not to keep things from one another and I did. If you're mad at me-"

"No no, I'm not mad, not one bit," he kissed the top of her head and ran his hand along her back.

"But I lied," her voice cracked as she tried to gather herself.