Summertime & Butterflies

Twenty-Five

Olivia didn't know how to answer Harry's remark about marrying her, so she didn't. She gave him a light kiss, swatted his bottom and carried the tray of snacks to the deck, hoping the comment would disappear as quick as it appeared.

It wasn't as though she wouldn't marry him – she would, absolutely – but after a few years, not a few months. Their relationship had started quickly and had continued to do so. Would it keep continuing to do so? Would they end up married before Christmas, and pregnant by Valentine's Day? The thought was almost nauseating.

"What?" Olivia asked, snapping out of her thoughts as she noticed Harry and Anne looking at her expectantly. She flushed, wondering how long she'd been in her own trance.

Harry snickered at her. "Mum asked, how many brothers and sisters do you have?" he repeated, sharing a light chuckle with his mother.

"Oh!" Olivia answered, letting out a self-deprecating laugh. "Sorry... I have two sisters," she answered. "Both older," she added, wondering how much information Anne was looking for. Olivia always found it odd to talk about herself – did she launch into a tirade about her childhood with her sisters, share their birthdates, occupations and quirks, or was it enough to just say she had two sisters?

Anne smiled. "Ah, the two babies of the family," she teased, switching her gaze between Harry and Olivia. "I've read about birth orders. Youngest and youngest matches are often fun-loving, creative and energetic," she told them, the smile on her face pleasing Olivia.

"They're also immature, spoiled and dependent," Gemma pointed out, taking a sip from her glass. "Neither wants to be the responsible one. Incredibly flighty..." she added, her eyes focusing on Olivia as she directed her final comment to her.

Olivia sighed. Gemma's enigmatic comments quickly got old. It was more than obvious that Harry's sister was not on board with their relationship, but Olivia wasn't planning on going anywhere. It would be a lot easier if Gemma could accept it.

Harry scoffed indignantly. "Hey!" he protested. "I'm very responsible!"

Gemma laughed. "You couldn't even cook spaghetti until, what, two years ago?" she teased him. "Dependent!"

Harry scowled. "I don't even like spaghetti," he argued, though he was lying through his teeth.

"Yes, you do," Anne corrected, turning her attention back to Olivia. "One of your sisters lives here, right?" she asked.

Olivia nodded. She didn't want to bore Anne with stories about her family, but talking about herself was better than stick-handling Gemma's snide remarks. "Yeah, my brother-in-law plays for the LA Kings. Hockey team," she added, unsure if Anne was a sports fan.

"Wow... hockey player, musician..." Gemma mused. "Momma taught her girls well, didn't she?" she added, letting out a laugh. The laugh was humourless, trying to hide the insult. If Harry didn't catch the sneering tone of Gemma's words, Olivia would buy him a safety helmet to wear.

"My mother taught us to be with men who love, respect and appreciate us," Olivia corrected, selecting her words with care. Despite Gemma's disapproval and unnecessary gibes, Olivia didn't want to get into a battle with her. "Their jobs have nothing to do with it," she added, deciding against telling Gemma that her other sister and her husband lived cheque-to-cheque, wrangling five kids in a three bedroom rental and screening telephone calls from creditors. Gemma would somehow spin the story to make it sound as though Olivia was with Harry for Jessica's financial gain, and her own.

Gemma waved her hand dismissively. "Of course not," she answered. "It's a nice perk though, isn't it?" She stood up before Olivia could argue. "I'll be right back," Gemma announced, stepping towards the door.