Olivia hung up the phone and signed off her e-mail. "She starts school on August 30th, we set up a date for the second weekend in September, Friday through Sunday." They'd been back from up north for a few weeks. Olivia's father had died three days after she saw him and she felt great about it. There were no more nightmares.
"I'm happy for you." He said over the kitchen table where he was moving around different picture back drop tiles.
"You don't sound happy." She kissed his arm and stood on the other side of the table.
"You'll be up there with him, happy family reunion, how easy will it be to fall back, proud parents?" He said it rather nastily, but Olivia didn't react. She knew he had every right to say it. "I don't want you to go without me, but I know this isn't mine to be a part of." He moved a dark blue square over and pushed an off white one in it's place.
She leaned over, placing her hands on the table,
"I booked your flight with mine. You are a part of it, you are my husband, you don't have to be around Ben, but you'll be there, we'll be together."
He looked at her from across the table, surprised, "Really?"
"Really."
The first week of September the new distribution center opened, it was glorious, big machine like doors, rows and rows of products and merchandise, the offices were sharp and clean, delivery trucks were lined up, shiny and ready to go. A couple of days later they had the grand opening of the PureSide Supplements Shop, the twins and their wives were there, members of the staff. The twins were finishing their speech.
"-we could not have opened on the west coast without this couple, let me introduce you to Crawford and Olivia Wallace, sponsored athletes, dear friends and now business partners." The crowd clapped and Olivia stood half behind Crawford at the microphone, she didn't want to speak.
"Wow! Thanks so much for coming today, what a turnout!" She tried to smile and not look nervous, and wrapped both her arms around his. "I've personally known and been with the twins and PureSide from the ground up, they are amazing people who have built a good and amazing empire. Olivia signed over three years ago and things have just exploded." The crowd clapped and yelled Olivia's name. "We stand by the Kirkpatricks and what they make and we are now proud to have invested and help grow the brand here on this coast! Thank you!" There was a ribbon cutting and then they all took their places among the neat shelves of supplements, snacks and clothing. Crowds of people rushed in until they finally closed the doors at eight. Fitz brought out a bottle of Irish Whiskey to the four of them sitting on the floor, the place had been picked over, many racks and shelves sat empty. He grabbed five paper cups from a sample tray and sat down, pouring each one a shot. "Total success."
"You must be worn out Lola, you've never been so quiet." Fred laughed and she lazily gave him the middle finger.
Olivia sipped at the smooth liquid and pondered things, how far had life come in four years or so? Struggling gym owner now to a cushy VP and running a store, then her thoughts drifted to the upcoming weekend...seeing her daughter again, seeing Benny for the first time since Mulligan died. They hadn't told anyone about Stephanie, they told anyone who needed to know they were going to Portland on business. Lola was going to stay at the house and watch Oliver.
Olivia and Crawford were both tense as they walked the streets of Portland, heading toward a Starbucks to meet Benny, they were meeting Stephanie at the waterfall park down town, Crawford had set up a meeting with a potential client for real estate shoots. "I love you." She gripped his warm hand, he looked down at her, uncertainty in his eyes, "I love you too."
Benny was sitting at a table in the back, holding a large coffee, looking at his phone, he wasn't as big as he used to be, but you could still see his muscles there under his sweater. They got in line and ordered coffees for themselves and walked over, Benny stood. "Hi." He said, taking them both in, then he stuck his hand out to Crawford. "Crawford." He said formally.
"Ben." He shook it, Olivia finally breathed, "Let me know when you're done." He kissed the top of her head and walked out.
Olivia and Benny walked side by side down the drizzly road and stopped at the top of the concrete steps that led down to the man made artistic waterfalls, they faced each other. "I'm nervous." He admitted.
"Me too. She's going to love you." Olivia smiled.
"I've wanted to just see her for so long." His breaths were short and quick, little bursts of white breath cloud coming out and then instantly dissolving. Olivia took his hand and gave it a pat. "She's coming."
Their daughter was walking quickly toward them, graceful and full of excitement, her long black hair was down and she had a brown beanie on and a brown jacket, jeans with black boots, his hand tightened around hers. "My God, it's you Livvy." He looked at her with his terrified green eyes, a smile on his face. She paused twenty feet away from them. Olivia wondered what they looked like to Stephanie, two out of place people, holding hands, staring at her. Then she ran at them and the three of them hugged, together, it all felt right, how it should have been from day one.
Olivia stepped back and let them meet, he was just staring at her and she looked up at him in amazement. "You are, hi, I-I-I'm sorry, I don't know what to say." He said.
Stephanie looked over to Olivia and smiled, they were all smiling, tears were filling her young eyes, "You guys don't know how long I've waited for this." Benny and Olivia exchanged looks, they did know, they'd been waiting every day since she was born.
All of the sudden, the sky and air surrounding them started shimmering, pulsing dangerously, and she could feel herself being sucked away by an invisible force, Stephanie and Benny were getting further away, ripped away, she could hear Stephanie crying "Olivia? Mom!"
"Livvy?" Benny yelled.
Olivia reached out into the now encompassing blackness and screamed...she didn't know what was happening.
YOU ARE READING
I choose me.
Fiksi Umum"I choose me" follows the story of Olivia Granger , her life from an orphan, to an athlete and business owner, to a woman whose life turns in a direction she never ever thought it would go, a direction she never even knew could exist. It is a hear...
