The Butterfly Effect

26. first comes a baby?

Sunday, March 23

It was Sunday morning already, and where had the time gone? Olivia couldn't figure it out. It was their first time away from Cecilia for longer than a day, and she missed her terribly. But living beachside for the past few days, despite the rain had been pretty dreamy. She felt her heart swell greatly when she thought about if they ever came back here for a vacation. It would be her, Elliot, and the kids- all of them. Her mind dreamed intensely about next summer, the possibility of having their first family vacation here. Late nights spent barbecuing and roasting marshmallows, their afternoons spent on the beach while she sat in the shade keeping an eye on Mason as he played in the sand with his daddy. The shrieking laughter that roared deep from Cecilia as Eli played with her carefully. The girls working on their "perfect tan" for the summer. Dickie and the few friends he brought along playing a game of volleyball with a few girls they'd hope they could shoot their shot with.

Next summer, she said to herself.

"What's that?" Elliot looked up from the suitcase he had been loading with the few clothes he had left to pack.

"I was thinking maybe next summer we could bring the kids up here for a few days," she hadn't realized she'd said it loud enough for him to hear. "By the way, these looks ridiculous. I can't believe you packed these for me," she said. Referring to the dark washed overalls she had found in her luggage this morning, and the only clean thing she had left.

"I think you're forgetting that I found them in your closet," he smiles and she can't help the laugh that escapes from her mouth.

"Touche," she gives him a break. "The sad part is that I bought these two weeks ago and they already barely fit," she pulls herself up from where she sat on the edge of bed to answer her phone that rings from the other side of the room. She see's it's a facetime call from Maureen and tries to smooth out her unkept sex hair from last night, which earns a chuckle from Elliot.

"Cecilia!" Olivia coos when her baby girl's face appears on the screen, a face that she swears has changed over the past weekend. "Are you having fun with Mo?" she babbles and smiles, revealing the four teeth that had grown in in the last few months. "I miss you!"

"Oh okay that's enough!" Maureen appears on the screen after taking the phone from Cecilia who had begun slobbering over the lens. "Hey Liv! I hope you and dad are having fun! When will you be back?"

"Hi honey, we'll be back late afternoon. You didn't burn the house down did you?"

"Give me a break! I can manage to put a pizza in the oven from time to time," she shifted Cecilia in her lap who continued to try and grab the phone with her chubby hands.

"Okay okay," Olivia held her hand up surrendering. "Thank you guys again for watching her, we'll see you soon! Cecilia, mommy and daddy love you!" Olivia blew a kiss, making the child erupt in laughter. A sound that she didn't know she had missed so much until she heard it. "Love you Mo, see ya later!" the call disconnects and she gathers the few things she had left out to get ready this morning, before meeting Elliot downstairs and starting the two hour trip back home.

~

Monday, March 24

Suddenly those blissful days at the beach weren't long enough as the blaring sounds of their shared alarm goes off at the crack of dawn. Olivia barely budges, and that's only due to the shift when Elliot's side of the bed is no longer weighed down. Once she hears the shower running she knows she has at least another ten minutes before Elliot is finished, and comes to rub her head in an effort to wake her. She snuggles closer to the pillows she has precisely set up underneath her belly. Just as sleep has settled back in, she feels the familiar touch of his hands threading through her hair as his thumb runs along her temple. The smell of his body wash wavers through the room as her eyes open to find his icy blues staring back at her.