It All Started With A Lie

{36}

Chapter 36: (Ethan's POV)

"I'm going grocery shopping," Olivia said. 

Both Cher and I looked up at her, then at each other from where we sat beside each other at the kitchen counter. "Really?" we asked in sync. 

"Is there a problem?" she asked. 

"No," we said in sync again. 

"Then enjoy, bye Cher," she said, kissing her cheek before turning to me. "Bye, Miles," she whispered, pecking my lips on her way out. 

"I thought your name was Ethan," Cher said, seemingly confused. 

"My full name is Ethan Miles Archer, she's called me Miles since the third grade," I clarified. 

"And you don't call her by her middle name?" she smirked. 

"She- well, actually I don't know her middle name. What is it?" I asked. 

I can't believe I don't know her middle name. 

"She doesn't have one," Cher shrugged in response. 

"No wonder I didn't know it," I chuckled. 

"You didn't think to check your yearbooks or something?" she scoffed. 

"No," I said slowly, "I did not think of that." We both laughed and then fell into a comfortable silence while eating cereal. 

"I'm glad she's got you, Ethan. She deserves that," Cher nodded. 

I eyed her quizzically, "I'm glad I'm there for her but uh, what do you mean she deserves that?" I asked in confusion. She deserves the world, I can't give that to her though. 

"I mean, little Ethan, she's had a rough childhood," she sighed, standing up and leaving her empty dish in the sink. 

"She has?" I frowned. She nodded, turning to me. "How come?" 

"Well," she sighed, sitting down. I stopped eating, turning my attention to her. "You should probably finish, it's a long story," she said, eyeing my food. 

"Well, we haven't got time, she'll be back soon," I said. 

"Fair enough," she nodded, "So, when her parents had her, they were over the moon. Her father was, at least. But then they realized they weren't going to have time for her. I mean, they weren't planning on having a child, it just... happened. Her father got back to work within 2-3 weeks of Liv being born and her mother stayed back. For a long time. Liv's grandmother, our mom, helped a lot. I was still living in San Diego, in this neighborhood, in fact. 

When Liv turned around 3 maybe 4 years old, her mom had it. She was sick and tired of being a stay at home mom and having to be a housewife. She decided to go back to work. Which was fine, nobody objected. But nobody expected Maya to completely neglect Olivia either." 

I stared at her, slightly in shock. 

Neglect? 

"She started going into work, slowly, day by day and she started leaving Olivia with me. She would drop Olivia off at my house at about 7 in the morning. I would be the one going to drop Olivia at school, then pick her up, and then she would be with me the entire day. After dinner, and only if her parents told me they were back home, I would go and drop her off back at her place. Our mom would come and help me as well because I never have, and still don't have any clue on how to raise a child. That's why I don't have kids myself," she scoffed. 

Now that I think about it, I did Cher there at school while growing up more than I saw Olivia's parents. 

"And it started getting tough. She wasn't gonna grow up any faster but I had a few jobs myself. This is before the art gallery rolled around. And it started getting real difficult. I couldn't take her with me every single day. It would have been tough on her too, a kid comes home slightly tired from school, they're hungry, they want to nap, they're tired. I couldn't take her with me. I did sometimes. When our mom, my neighbors, or any of my friends couldn't babysit her. But how long could I keep asking for favors? That too for a child that isn't mine," she sighed.