A Case Reopened [Book Two]

Twenty-Eight

When Lou and the kids arrived, Olivia and Hunter were just coming downstairs. Teddy was already racing to the front door, and he jumped up as high as he could to try and open the door.

"Teddy, you can't reach that. You are still a little too short." Olivia chuckled, as she lifted her little boy up and balanced him on her hip. 

"I'm taller than you, Mommy!" He huffed, and Olivia sighed.

"Yeah right, mister. Not now, but maybe in the future." Olivia smiled. She kissed her son's cheek before slowly opening the door and looking at her ex-wife and their children.

"Hey, Olivia." Lou smiled, and Olivia smiled back.

"Hey. Uh, come on in." Olivia spoke. She stepped out of the way and set her little boy down before smiling at Nicole and Mathias.

"So, they are very excited to be sleeping over. They packed games and some candy that they like." Lou smiled.

"Well, I'm glad that you two are excited. Hunter is really excited too. Let alone me..." Olivia breathed.  

"Hunter?" Mathias asked, and Olivia nodded as she saw that Amanda had joined them and Hunter had decided to hide behind her legs.

"Yup. That's your younger sister. She's a little shy, but she'll warm up to you two once you've been here for a few hours." Olivia spoke. She sent Amanda and the kids upstairs to put their bags away, while she talked to Lou.

"So, are they really excited?" Olivia asked, and Lou nodded.

"They have been talking about this sleepover for the whole week they've known about it." Lou smiled.

"Are you okay with this?" Olivia asked, and Lou nodded slowly.

"I'm a little nervous because this is the first time the kids have been away from me since they were born. Ava and I are having a date night, which is nice since we haven't had one since before Stephanie was born." Lou breathed. Olivia nodded slowly before taking a slow breath.

"Thanks again for letting us do this... for letting me get involved. I have tried to move on for the sake of my family, but the kids have always been on my mind..."

"Uh, speaking of your mind... are you doing better?" Lou asked, and Olivia nodded.

"I've been on the same anti-depressants and anxiety medicine since before we got our divorce. It's been working, so that's good." 

"Good... uh, so I'm going to say goodbye to the kids and then head out. I'll call your cell tonight around nine to say goodnight."

"Sounds good." Olivia smiled.

///

They started the sleepover with making homemade pizza. Teddy wasn't really into it so he played on Olivia's phone. Cora was being all sorts of fussy today, so she was being held by Olivia or Amanda the whole time.

"How old are you, Hunter?" Mathias asked as Olivia moved the trays to the oven.

"Huh?" Hunter asked shyly. Olivia shut the stove before looking at her little girl and smiled softly.

"Honey, tell Mathias how old you are." Olivia smiled.

"I'm almost four," Hunter whispered.

"That's cool! Are you starting school soon?" Mathias asked as he tried to get his little sister to warm up to him. She was super shy, and he never did expect that.

"Mommy, I'm done." Hunter frowned. She jumped off the chair she had been standing on, before running out of the kitchen. Olivia frowned before looking at Mathias.

"She's starting at a normal school in the fall... uh, why don't you guys help Amanda set the outside table. I'm going to go talk to her." Olivia spoke. She gently ruffled Mathias' hair before leaving the kitchen.

"Do you think we should call our Moms and see if we can go home?" Mathias asked.

"No, kid. It's okay. Hunter will tell Olivia if she's uncomfortable and we can approach it then. But until then, let's get set the table. And then maybe one of you could take Cora from me so I can stretch my arm?"

"I'd love to hold her..." Nicole smiled shyly.

///

Olivia slowly opened Hunter's bedroom door before looking in and seeing her daughter sitting in the corner of her room. She had grabbed her blanket from her bed and had buried her face in it as she cried.

"Baby?" Olivia whispered as she stepped into the room before shutting the door behind her.

"Mommy?" Hunter sniffled.

"Pumpkin, why are you crying?" Olivia asked.

"I don't make you happy as they do." Hunter whimpered.

"Oh, love..." Olivia frowned. She walked over and sat down in front of her daughter before reaching out and gently caressing her tear-stained cheeks.

"Mommy, do you want them?" Hunter asked.

"Baby, I wouldn't trade you for the world. No matter what happens, I'll always want you. So don't worry about me wanting to trade you for them."

"But-"

"No, honey. Now, what's else is bothering you?" Olivia asked, as she reached out and pulled her little girl onto her lap. She cuddled her little girl close as Hunter continued to sniffle and her breaths came in hiccups.

"I'm not the big sister anymore... what if Teddy won't love me as much as the others?!" Hunter sobbed. Olivia rested her cheek against Hunter's hair as she rubbed her back gently.

"Hunter, you are Teddy's best friend. Nothing will change between you two. You are his hero. He talks about you all day when you are at school."

"Really?" Hunter sniffled, and Olivia chuckled and nodded.

"We need you in this family, Hunter. This family wouldn't be the same without you in our lives. So let's cuddle for a little bit longer than we can go downstairs and eat pizza and play games. Okay?"

"Okay," Hunter whispered.

///

The kids all crashed by eight that night, and then Olivia and Amanda had to deal with clean up. 

"What did you and Hunter talk about?" Amanda asked as she washed the dishes while her wife rinsed and dried them.

"We talked about the fact she doesn't think I love and want her as much as Mathias and Nicole. But we cleared that up. She's three, and I never did anticipate for this conversation to come up when she's this young." Olivia breathed.

"She was the eldest for almost four years, Liv. Maybe she isn't ready to be a middle child."

"I'll talk to her again tomorrow after they leave. If she says she's ready, then we can move forward." Olivia smiled. She leaned over and kissed Amanda's cheek gently before moving to put a stack of plates away.

"Are you happy?" Amanda asked, and Olivia nodded slowly.

"I was happy before they came back into my life, and I'm happy now too."