Olivia Graham was twenty-two when she started a whirlwind romance with charismatic Jakob overseas.
By age twenty-five, Liv was back home and checking off the widowed box on paperwork. With zero plans, Olivia and beloved dog Snuggles find themselves...
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Flashback
Will and Liv walk along the picturesque grounds, people around them oblivious to the fact that one of them was robbed of his future, and the other had been hidden as a family secret.
They pause at a bench near the pond and settle in together. When Olivia leans her head on Will, he puts his arm around her so she can rest comfortably. For nearly ten minutes, they stare at the water, silently mourning their parents.
"Bug, do you want to keep living at school?" Will finally asks.
"Where else would I go?" She asks hoarsely.
He kisses the top of her head, "With me, of course."
A genuine laugh is heard from her before she answers, "Will, you live in a two-bedroom apartment and go to school all day; I would be cramping your style."
He shakes his head, "Not anymore. I'll be moving to Dad and Mom's house." He pauses, holding in a sigh. "Home; I'll be moving home to take over for Graham Development."
"Why?" She balks, "That's not what you want." Will wants to be a sports journalist and maybe report for ESPN, and Liv thinks he has the knowledge, looks, and charm to be a successful reporter.
"Because somebody has to, and you're too tiny."
Olivia laughs again, putting her arm around the front of her brother, and leans into him more, her tone light. "I'm sorry, Will, you must be so sad."
"It will be okay," He sighs and tightens his arm around her, "I'm going to ask Joanie to marry me, and you can come live with us if you want."
"Are you?" Liv asks quietly. "But why would she want to marry you?"
"Hey!" He squeezes her with his arm, and she kisses his cheek and beams, the heaviness of the event letting up, bit by bit.
"Well, that's nice, JoJo is very sweet, and I hope she says yes."
He ruffles the hair at the back of her head. Joanie will say yes; she already agreed to it a couple of years ago, but they thought they might be closer to 25 or 30, not 18 or 20.
"I want to stay here," Liv replies, watching the water again, "This is home."
Will's eyes mist over at those words. This is home: this goddamn boarding school is the home where she flourished most of her formative years.
"Whatever you want," he softly agrees.
The private jet is ready within the hour for the flight home that evening. Scott and his younger brothers were there, along for the ride.
