𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐘 𝐃𝐀𝐃𝐃𝐘 [MONTGOMERY DE LA CRUZ AU]

THIRTY TWO ૐ 'ADIEU, AMOUR'

OLIVIA RELEASED A LONG SIGH as she hauled over her suitcase on the trunk of the car, refusing to accept any offer of assistance from neither one of her brothers who insisted. The morning sun lies high and bright on the sky, the sunlight starting to scorch on her skin as the clock ticks slowly to early noon.

"Are you sure you'll be fine to leave today? You could always delay, USC isn't going anywhere and it's only a few hours drive from here." Harriet asks with a frown, her arms clasped around Grayson and judging from how she held him, she's not ready to let go. Having her daughter leave again was one thing that drives her on edge, having her grandson away was a different level on the sadness department.

"We'll be fine, Mom." Olivia assured with a small smile and took a few steps back away from the car and stood beside Noah, who was standing stiffly beside Alex, his cheeks tinted the shade of a pomegranate and hands awkwardly tucked in his jean pockets. She cleared her throat and says lowly, "You know, you should tone down the lovey dovey eyes and all that crap. It wouldn't take a ten year old to figure out what's going on between you two."

"Fuck you, Livvie." Alex retorted with a roll of his eyes, smiling as he tugged her down for a hug. "I woke up at the crack of dawn for you, don't give me shit before you go."

Olivia laughed and hugged him back, her smile slowly fading as her laughter died down. She cleared her throat to force down the lump on her throat and sighed shakily. It was still hard for her to go. "I'll see you again in a few months, right? You'll come visit me and Grayson down at LA."

"Of course. I'll gun down the entire state just to visit you two." His blue eyes shifts to Noah behind her and he sends him a wink, "Plus, I have to visit your brother too."

Noah starts coughing violently, his face a deeper shade of red and he awkwardly shuffles on his feet. Olivia laughed and pulled away before nodding at Alex with a grin, "Could you give us a minute? I need to talk to my brother."

Alex shrugged and bowed his head in a mocking way before walking away from the pair and standing by with Cali who was cooing at Grayson who was now held by Jeff Atkin's arms and no longer by Harriet's. Jeff continues to sulk with an adorable pout of his own, peppering the toddler with kisses on his neck, causing him to shriek with giggles. When Alex made a move of trying to take Grayson from him, Jeff dramatically gasps and refused to let the boy go. It would be harder for Jeff to let go when he's now attached to a child he only got to know for a few weeks.

"What did you want to talk about?" Noah stammered confusedly with a frown.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Can't I talk to my brother for no apparent reason?"

"Geez, you can't even stay nice to me before you leave." Noah bites sarcastically and Olivia chuckled, punching his left shoulder gently. From afar, by the front porch, Michael Connelly talks to Justin Foley with fondness bursting in his eyes and a faint hint of adoration. His head is threw back as he laughed at what Justin was yammering about and he has his hand placed on the young man's shoulder, a gesture Michael Connelly only does to people he's very close and comfortable with. "I see that you've chosen who you want to be with."

"What makes you think that?" Olivia asks, her eyes searching her brother's unreadable expression. There was something about his expression that sends confusion amd doubt deep on the pit of her stomach because among all her siblings, it was Noah who was never keen of taking a side no matter the situation. He'd rather stay neutral and unscathed with the matter at hand. He'd rather stay in between than choosing who to side with. She follows his line of sight and felt the edges of her mouth curl up with the sight of her father and the boy she first loved.