Life As We Know It

Chapter Thirteen: Rethinking Decisions

Olivia sighed as she looked at herself in the mirror, it was the first week in April and she was now sixteen weeks pregnant and there was now a clear bump that carried her unborn child.

However Olivia was far from happy, she hadn’t seen Lionel since she had announced her engagement to Gavin; she wasn’t even surprised that the footballer had stopped speaking to her.

“You ready to go?” Ashley asked as she watched the brunette, she knew that something was bothering her best friend; it was clear that since her engagement something had bothered her.

Olivia nodded as she forced a smile at her before collecting her bag and prepared to leave, she knew that she had made the right choice with Gavin but she couldn’t shake the doubts that filled her mind.

Ashley was taking Olivia to her doctor’s appointment since Gavin was working late again at the law firm and Olivia was growing tired of it.

“So do you think we’ll find out what the baby will be?” Ashley asked making Olivia smile at her, she knew that Ashley didn’t approve of her choosing Gavin but was grateful that her friend supported her.

“We should do,” Olivia said trying to forget the conversation she had had with Gavin every night since she had accepted his proposal; he wanted her to stop modelling to become a full time housewife, something her father supported.

“How’s Lionel?” Olivia asked making her friend look at her; Ashley was aware that the footballer was avoiding her and that he hadn’t been in contact with her friend for four weeks now.

“He’s good… the team’s in Zaragoza for a match today,” Ashley said making the brunette nod sadly, she missed him more than she ever thought she would; he was a part of her life that she didn’t know she would lose.

***

The midwife smiled at Olivia as she checked the brunette over, the woman hadn’t missed that the younger woman hadn’t had her child’s father with her over the last two check-ups.

“How have you been feeling?” the midwife asked as she smiled at the brunette’s blood pressure before moving to get the ultra-sound machine for the scan, she could see that there was something bothering Olivia.

“I’ve been feeling fine,” Olivia said making the midwife nod as she turned the machine on making Olivia lay back allowing the midwife to put some cold gel into her stomach and start the scan.

Olivia smiled as her baby appeared on the screen, she couldn’t believe that the baby had gotten so big since she had last seen it.

“Would you like to know the sex?” the midwife asked making Olivia nod, while Ashley stared at the baby; she knew that Lionel would have loved to be there right now.

“It’s a girl,” the midwife said as Olivia blinked back tears, she was having a little girl; the midwife smiled as she moved to make some scan pictures while Olivia stared at the image.

“I’m having a girl…” Olivia said making Ashley smile at her, she knew that Lionel was missing a lot right now and hoped Cesc and Gerard could make him see sense.

“Ash… you’re my best friend and I know it’s still early days but would you be the Godmother?” Olivia asked making Ashley stared at her, she nodded excited at her best friend before she hugged her.

After wiping of the gel and collecting the scan pictures, Olivia and Ashley headed for some lunch; as they waited for their orders, the dark haired woman sighed as she text her boyfriend to talk to Lionel.

“Okay Olivia… what’s going on?” Ashley asked making the brunette look at her and shake her head, but a stare from the dark haired woman made her sigh.

“Don’t say I told you so… but I don’t think I can marry Gavin,” Olivia said making Ashley smile, she had known that the older man was wrong for her friend; there was something about him.

Olivia ran a hand through her hair as she watched her best friend, she knew that she could tell Ashley anything especially her worries about the future.

“He wants me to become a stay at home wife… to give up my career that I’ve worked hard for,” Olivia said making Ashley nod.

Gavin was old fashioned like his parents, who thought that the only right way was for a woman to be a stay at home maker while the man was the bread winner.

“There are things about him that didn’t bother me before and now… I can’t stand them,” Olivia said making Ashley smile at her and nod; she knew what was happening and couldn’t have been happier that it had.

“Then have a break… you know, you’ve been with him for six years Olivia; he’s the only guy you have ever dated and now you’re marrying him,” Ashley said making Olivia nod nervously, she knew that Gavin wouldn’t like her thinking about this but she needed time to progress this.

***

Lionel sighed as he started to warm up for the match against Zaragoza, he hadn’t spoken to Olivia since she had announced her engagement and the Argentine couldn’t bring himself to watch her with Gavin.

“She doubts him,” Cesc said as he appeared next to the smaller footballer, who looked at him confused; the Spaniard smiled at him as he stretched for the match.

“I spoke with Ashley… Olivia doubts agreeing to marry him,” Cesc said making Lionel stop what he was doing and stared at him; this could be the chance he wanted, to have Olivia pick him.

Lionel had been avoiding Olivia because of how jealous he felt about Gavin; the lawyer wasn’t good enough for her and he knew that there was a chance that he wasn’t being faithful.

“Plus I think a congratulations is in order… it’s a girl,” Cesc told Lionel, who seemed to light up at his words not only could he have a shot with Olivia but he was going to have a little girl.

Cesc patted him on the shoulder before he returned to warm up with Gerard who smiled at Lionel, who couldn’t bring himself to move.

“We’re having a girl,” Lionel whispered in awe as a smile at the thought, he quickly moved to his phone; he had to speak with Olivia, he wanted to hear her voice after hearing what he had.

“Hola,” Olivia said her voice sounding strange as she answered the phone, Lionel ran a hand through his hair and shifted nervously.

“It’s Lionel. Cesc told we are having a girl,” Lionel said as he sat down on the bench, he ignored Pep’s warning look at him as he waited for the brunette to respond, he could sense that something was wrong.

“How are you?” Olivia sniffled, making the footballer sit up concerned wondering what had happened; he hated the sound of her crying and wished he could comfort her.

“I’m fine… Olivia what’s wrong?” Lionel asked concerned making some of his friends stopped to look at him, they knew that he had fallen for the mother of his unborn child and they all worried about him.

“I had a fight with Gavin,” Olivia said softly, Lionel sat up at the mention of her fiancé; he didn’t want the lawyer to hurt her and he knew that Gavin didn’t have the best of tempers, Google search had been his friend in the last four weeks.

“How about we meet up when I get back?” Lionel said wanting to see her, to show her he was right for her and he wasn’t going to let the lawyer win this time.