Saving Adam

Part II

Olivia's POV
Two December's ago we were having Christmas dinner with Adam's family. My mother was in the living room talking with Adam's mother by the Christmas tree. The Grinch was on and for some reason that was all I could focus on, feeling a little solemn that the Holiday would come an end in a few hours.

At that time Adam and I had just a taste of wealth, which we poured into rent, loans and business. So when a gasp flew through the living room and I turned to see a velvet box opened with three diamonds peeking out, my heart jumped out of my chest. The ring wasn't anything too flashy compared to what I had seen at investor meetings and stores we had passed through over the years. However it was better than anything else anyone could have offered me, because of who gave it to me.

Attached to the velvet box was my future husband. His eyes drifting nervously to his parents, siblings and then to me. "Well aren't you gonna ask," I laughed through the tears and the faint singing of The Who Village. "Oh... well Olivia Bradley. Will you be my-"

I couldn't even hear him through my sobs, all I could to was nod, seeing him slide the band around onto my finger. It was a silver attached to three shiny stones, but it meant the world to me. I rarely ever took it off. When Adam was on business trips it was there to keep me company. When I had a child cry in my arms at work it was there. When we had a fight, it was there.

One year later after our engagement, at the peak of the wedding planning, the company started to grow. We bought a house in New York, a vacation home in Georgia, started charities and had renovated our firms. One night in the pitch black Adam asked me if I wanted a new ring, "Like the one Bennett's wife had."

I had seen Bennett's wife's ring, it was gaudy and tacky just like it's owner. The whole thing was covered in diamonds and every precious stone you could think of. "No. Why would I?" The ring had been a constant reminder of a time before the wealth, before the meetings, before the business. When Adam and Olivia were just Adam and Olivia not Mr and Ms Lawerence. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

"What are you thinking about?" A dip in the bed pulled me back to reality. "Nothing just business." The suit was gone now, tucked away in our closet, replace by a plain white t-shirt and pajama pants. He still wore his glasses though, the top of his hair brushing over the top of them.

After all these years he still... looked like a Justin Bieber, Kristen Stewart love child. "You looked beautiful tonight," he took off his glasses, laying onto the bed and pulling me towards him. "You still do." I smiled, running my fingers through his hair. He always looked serious when we were alone, as if concentrating so hard on the moment between us.

"Nigga the meeting is over you can relax," I said running my fingers over the wrinkles in his forehead. A small chuckle echoed through the darkness; an unconvincing one.

"Just a lot going on." Stress got to him differently than it did with me. We both shared responsibility as CEOs however Adam had press conferences, readings and signings for his books. I hated seeing him tense even when we're alone.

"Okay. From now on; no business for the rest of the night. None of it. Not the firm, not meetings. Nothing," he laid his arm over his eyes; not answering. I moved onto his lap lowering down to kiss him. First on his lips then down to his neck, hoping to get his attention. I sucked and smoothed the area over with my tongue, grinning at the the way his lips parted.

"Olivia it's 2:30 am." I didn't answer. The time has never stopped us before.

———-

When we first bought the house, the realtor had told us about the massive ten rooms, open floor plans, pool and the list went on. Finally after a month of comparing it to others we had bought it. On our first night we slept on an air mattress by the window walls outlooking the entire city. Only to find out that if we had seen the view when we had toured it, we would have bought it within the week.

I woke up to an empty bed, goosebumps making home to every part of my body. It was 4 am, no sign of sun or Adam anywhere. I sighed wrapping the sheet around my naked body and slipping through our the room door.

The house was probably the most unconventional thing you've ever seen. A spiral staircase wrapped around a modern chandelier. It wasn't the standard crystal ones you saw in the movies but a massive crystal stone with light shining through it. Like if you were inside a cold cave. Along the walls picture frames of family and framed band posters from music festivals.

Everything had a flare to it; so you knew whose home it was.

"Couldn't sleep?" I asked talking a seat on Adam's lap and grabbing the coffee in his hand. The grand chair was fixed in front of the rows of window walls, displaying a city that never sleeps buried in snow. It was beautiful.

We had designated this spot to Adam's area. On our right was a side table with a pen and journal, and if you opened it each page was a mess of ideas scribbled across it. Most of them made it out of the journal into New York bestseller novels.

When he had surgery after a mild car accident and was on bed rest he was always in front of the window. When he had a stressful day he was here. When we fought he was here. This view to him was what my ring was to me.

A place to stay grounded.

"I didn't want to wake you." He smiled leaning up to kiss me. "Now it's my turn to ask. What's on your mind?" I watched the twinkling horizon feeling his chest move up and down with his breath.

"When we bought this house. I didn't realize how empty it was," he spoke with a nervous etch in his voice. I stayed quiet sensing there was a thought following.
"How do you feel about having a baby?"