I choose me.

Part 44: It's Hagen now

ALMOST TWO YEARS LATER

"Olivia Granger." She handed her ticket to the attendant at security.

"Granger...it says Hagen here." She raised an eyebrow.

"Oh—newlywed, my bad." She pulled her suitcase quickly through the busy Boston Airport, she was on her way to Atlanta, Georgia for another FitExpo and exclusive lifting session with sixteen ticket holders. She was traveling alone this time, Benny was coaching several teens who were participating in a weekend long boxing event in town.

Olivia Hagen, she'd barely changed the name on her business paperwork, though eight months had passed. The proposal was so unlike him, he'd surprised her and taken her uptown one night to a fancy restaurant, paid for a dozen roses at their table and had a little man serenade her with a violin, and then had gotten down on one knee and presented her with a black diamond ring, one large square stone on the black gold band. It wasn't like him at all, he had tried so hard for her, the two misfits. "Okay." She'd said and accepted his proposal. A year later the wedding happened.

One Friday night at Father Kerry's church, she had worn a white dress off the Target sale rack, had her hair in a braid, he had on new black jeans and a collared shirt. "Tell me this is right." She gripped Mulligan's hand hard while they waited for things to start. He cleaned up well in the only suit he owned, a brown pin striped one from the eighties.

"You're here, make it count."

"What the hell kind of advice is that?" She'd laughed. They said traditional vows, they kissed in front of the twenty-six guests, and she became a Hagen. There was no honeymoon, people like them didn't have time or money to vacation. Olivia longed for the unknown adventures of Europe, South America and the U.K., but they popped a bottle of champagne and ate cake from the corner shop.

She didn't blame him anymore. He was who he was and she'd learned to settle the past couple of years, Benny loved her and she really loved him, she came to terms with the confines of their old world neighborhood . Some of the memories of her dream life had begun to fade from her mind. There were some nights when Benny was training and she hadn't drank too much, she'd slip out to the church and her and Father Kerry would pour over encyclopedias and the internet, looking for a plausible connection between the memory they shared, but to no avail. So she'd go home, sad and angry for a bit, and drink herself to sleep. Olivia had learned how much quieted her mind and allowed her to sleep, but without the hangover to inhibit her day or training.

It wasn't a bad life. Benny hadn't fought seriously again, instead coaching, doing appearances, and there was even talks about filming a beginners guide to boxing and he'd been featured in Muscle and Fitness a couple of times. Olivia had done three more major lifting competitions and two big MMA fights, her trophy shelf was a little heavier. The relationship with PureSide was safe and steady, and she considered the twins good friends. It was hard work, but she liked that it kept her mind off the past most days, most days. The days it wandered she got angry, Benny didn't understand and they'd fight and make-up...rinse and repeat.

"Now arriving in Atlanta, Georgia." The overhead speaker said and she filed off to the baggage claim. The team was staying at a DoubleTree Inn, it was after ten when she got to the front desk.

"Welcome Mrs. Hagen, you're on the third floor, take the left elevator."

"Thanks." Olivia waited by the elevator, and when it dinged she wasn't surprised to see Crawford Wallace stride out, he smiled when he saw her, his hair was short now, a little spiky and he had a short, trimmed beard.

"Olivia! Good to see you." They did a small side hug.

"You too, how is Lola, how are the boys?"