The News

Yikes, down to the wire with the third post of the week.  I plan to have two posts up this next week, but I can't guarantee days.  It's possible that the first one WON'T be Sunday (which has usually been my most consistent day).  I have stuff due in every class this week, plus some life stuff that's come up.  If there isn't a post on Sunday, check back midweek.  
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Once we got in the car, Sarah sighed heavily.  I turned to look back at her, cocking my eyebrow quizzically.  "They just drive me nuts sometimes.  I'm so glad to be away from them for a night," she said in response to my unasked question.

I pressed my lips together and tried not to laugh.  "I can see that," I replied.

"They hover," she said, shaking her head.  "They hover and they hardly let me have any of my own space.  I'm a teenager, for god's sake."  I wasn't used to hearing her put so many words together, especially with so much teenage exasperation.

"I'll go ahead and assume that you've mentioned to them how frustrating that is for you," I said.  I slid my eyes over to Brody, who was watching the road with an amused half-smile on his face.

"Obviously," she replied.  "They don't care."  She glanced at Brody, and suddenly aware of his presence again, she slumped in her seat a little and disappeared behind her hair.

Sarah was quiet for the rest of our drive.  When we got home, I showed her to the guest room and she dropped her bag on the bed and looked up at me expectantly.  "I have snacks and movies if you want," I suggested.

"What kind of snacks?" she asked curiously.  Her voice was soft again, back to normal.  She must have gotten her irritation out of her system.

"Popcorn, kettle corn, M&Ms, Swedish Fish, --"

"You can stop.  Swedish Fish are my favorite," she said, smiling.

"Mine too!" I said, grinning.

We went to the kitchen and gathered some snacks and I got her set up with the remote to find something to watch.  Then I headed back to Brody's office.  "Doing some work?" I asked, sticking my head around the half-closed door.

"Yeah," he replied, looking up.  "I figured I might as well.  That way you guys can have some space.  Sarah still looks terrified of me, so I don't want to intrude.  If you want, though, I can come join you."

"I think you're okay working tonight," I agreed.  He promised to make breakfast in the morning, which was fine with me, and I shut the door softly and headed back to the living room, where Sarah was flicking through the Netflix options.

We watched two movies and consumed an entire bag of Swedish Fish.  Sarah, who had been fighting to stay awake during the last 20 minutes of the second movie, went to bed right after it was over.  I knocked softly on Brody's office door, then pushed it open.  "I'm going to bed," I informed him.

"Okay," he replied.  "I'm finishing this one thing and then I'll be up.  Probably in less than five minutes."  I went upstairs and sure enough, he was in the bedroom by the time I finished brushing my teeth and washing off my makeup.

Once he finished changing he went into the bathroom and I changed and got in bed.  He was out a couple minutes later and snuggled up to me in bed.  "Did you get a lot done?" I asked.

"I did, actually," he replied, his breath tickling my neck.  We talked softly for a couple minutes before shifting around to get more comfortable and drifting to sleep.

I woke up early the next morning to Brody's phone ringing.  I groaned as he stumbled out of bed and silenced it, then slipped out of the room, phone in hand.  I heard him answer as he gently pulled the door shut behind him.  I fell back to sleep and the next time I woke up I smelled breakfast.  I dragged myself into the bathroom and brushed my teeth, then got dressed and walked sleepily downstairs.

I was pleasantly surprised to find Sarah sitting at the kitchen table, listening as Brody chatted away.  "Bacon or sausage?" he asked her as I came into the room.

"Sausage," she answered immediately.

"Sausage it is," he replied, grabbing some turkey sausage out of the freezer.  "Good morning," he said, grinning cheerfully at me.

"Good morning," I answered, not grinning cheerfully, because mornings are hard.

Brody turned and grabbed a mug and handed it to me.  "Have some caffeine," he said.  I love that man.

I took my caffeine and sat down at the table with Sarah.  She smiled at me, clearly not in as desperate need of caffeine as I was.  "Sleep well?" I asked her.

"Yeah," she replied, nodding.  We both sat and listened to Brody talk away as he finished up breakfast.

After breakfast, Sarah went to take a shower.  I helped Brody clean up and as he was drying the dishes I'd washed, he said, "I jinxed myself when I said it was a quiet week.  I have to go to Miami."

"To Miami?" I asked, confused.  His dad's business was sold and no longer his problem.

"I have a couple clients there.  Clients that wanted to continue to work with me rather than the company I sold to.  One of them was the call I got early this morning."

I nodded, understanding.  "What time?"

"I booked a flight that leaves at 6:30 tonight," he replied.  Nadine and Jon were coming to get Sarah around 1.  We'd have to leave by 4 to get Brody to the airport on time.  At least we'd have a couple hours to hang out before he left.

When Sarah came out after her shower, I asked her what she wanted to do.  "Well," she said hesitantly.  "This might dumb, but I kind of just want to be lazy for awhile.  I hardly ever get to do that at home.  I kind of just want to read for awhile."

"Hey, that works for me!" I replied.  So we spent most of the day lounging around, reading.  We moved out the deck when it warmed up enough outside.  We ate lunch out there and then came in so Sarah could get her stuff ready for Nadine and Jon to come pick her up.  She was ready to go when they got there, and we all chatted for a few minutes before they went on their way.

Brody and I made good use of our couple hours together, then I insisted on driving him to the airport.  Once he was dropped off, I drove back home, stopping to pick up something to eat on the way.  The laziness of earlier in the day was persisting and I didn't feel like cooking for myself.  I stayed lazy for the rest of the evening and got in bed early.

When I walked into work Monday morning, there were more people lingering around the hallways and in office doorways than usual.  I was friendly with just about anyone but since my days were usually pretty booked with clients, I didn't know anyone really well so I just headed straight for my office.

I had barely set my bag down when Angela, the therapist whose office was right next to mine, popped her head in.  "You haven't been here since Thursday, so you don't even know the news!" she said in an excited almost-whisper.

"I have no idea what news I don't know," I agreed, confused.

She made a big production out of looking down the hallway, stepping into my office, and nudging the door partway closed.  "Josh and Kelly both got fired," she said dramatically.

"What?" I said, a little louder than I intended.  Angela gave me a dirty look.  "What?" I repeated, my voice much more appropriate to the situation.

She nodded knowingly.  "I was here when it happened.  It was awful."

I looked at her, waiting for her to continue, but she just looked at me expectantly.  Ah, I was going to have to drag it out of her.  Curious, I played her game.  "Yeah?  What happened?"

"Well, Jake went into Josh's office and shut the door.  I heard Josh yelling.  Then the door opened and I heard Jake say, 'Don't make me call the police to escort you out of here.  Just get your stuff and go.'"

"Wow," I said, still playing into her excitement at being the one with the inside scoop.  "So did he go?"

"He did," she replied, nodding solemnly, "But not without making a scene.  He went down to Kelly's office and she was already gone, so he came storming back through yelling about that."

"Gone like...?"

"Like fired," Angela said, conspiratorially.  "Office cleaned out and everything.  Clearly she went much more quietly than Josh did."

"Huh," I said.

"I heard that Josh is trying to sue," she continued.

I gave her a weird look.  "Why were they even fired?"

Her face instantly got stormy and she rolled her eyes.  "Well, I don't know that.  I have to get to work, see you later!"  I had finally gotten to the piece of information she didn't have, and she clearly wasn't pleased.

I processed the news for a couple minutes, then shook my head and got to work.  I had an assessment to write and less than an hour before my first client came in.

I was almost finished with my assessment when Jake knocked on my doorframe.  I had interviewed with Jake and Kelly, but very rarely saw Jake.  He was a management consultant and spent most of his time off-site.  Just seeing him standing in my doorway made my pulse double.  "Hi Olivia," he said.  His tone was polite but not overly friendly, and that put me more on edge.

"Hi," I said nervously.

"Do you have a couple minutes?"

"Actually," I replied carefully, glancing at the clock, "I have a client in just a couple minutes.  I have about a half hour after that though."

"Perfect," Jake responded.  "I'll be back around 10 then."  Then he turned and disappeared into the hallway, leaving me with an hour to panic about what he wanted to talk to me about.

Meet Eddie

A bonus!  We haven't had one of those in awhile :)  Look for a third post sometime late Friday or on Saturday.  
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I used my Friday morning to finish up the rest of my wedding-related tasks for the week, including booking our rehearsal dinner at the place we'd decided on the night before.  Then I headed into town, went to the gym, stopped at the grocery store to pick up something to make for dinner and some snacks in preparation for Sarah to spend Saturday night.

I was looking forward to Sarah's visit.  I'd only talked to her a couple times since she had just showed up in Denver and called me in a panic.  She had been worried because she'd heard Nadine talking about how Sarah and AJ's mom wanted to try to get custody of them.  In our last conversation, she'd told me that they had to go to court in October but that it didn't sound like their mom would be successful.

After picking up a few groceries, I headed home.  I did a little cleaning and then started making dinner.  Brody, with his amazing timing, made it home just as dinner was done.  "You're earlier than I thought you'd be," I greeted him cheerfully, setting down the dish towel I'd just swiped over the counter to wrap my arms around his neck.

"Slow week," he replied, dipping his head down to kiss me.  "Though I probably shouldn't say that out loud, since I'm on call."  I wrinkled my nose and he laughed.  "How long until dinner's ready?"

"It's done," I said, peeling myself out of his arms and turning off the stove.  Brody tugged his tie off and laid it on top of his jacket, which he'd draped over the back of a chair when he walked in.  He grabbed plates and silverware and put them on the table, then unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled his sleeves up.  By the time I made it to the table, he'd pushed his hands through his hair, messing it up significantly, kicked off his shoes, and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt.  I chuckled.  He had gone from put-together businessman to half undressed in a manner of minutes.  "Why don't you just go change?" I asked.

"Because it's time to eat and I'm hungry," he replied.  "And because upstairs is really far away."

After we ate, Brody insisted on cleaning up.  I didn't make him argue too hard, and happily let him do the dishes I hadn't already done.  We spent the night relaxing on the couch with a movie, and it was an excellent night in.

On Saturday, Brody actually slept in with me and we got up and made breakfast together.  After we ate, he disappeared into his office for awhile to do some work.  He emerged again around 4.

"Leave in about a half hour?" he asked, looking at his watch as he moved my feet to sit down on the couch.  I promptly plopped my feet in his lap and nodded.

"I just need shoes and I'm ready," I replied.  Brody entertained himself for the next 20 minutes by rubbing my feet and distracting me while I tried to read.  Small price to pay for the foot massage!

We headed into town.  We were going to go meet Eddie, the dog Pete was looking for a home for, before we had dinner with Nadine, Jon, AJ, and Sarah.  Brody drove us to a nice residential neighborhood, and we stopped in front of a good sized, well cared for house on a corner.

When we rang the doorbell, we heard two sharp barks, a muffled command, then silence.  A second later, the door swung open.  Pete greeted us cheerfully and ushered us in.  "The wife is out running some errands," he said.  "She might be back while you're here, she might not.  Can I get you anything?"  We both declined and I took a second to appreciate the home's decor.

"That is gorgeous," I said, pointing to a print hanging on the wall above their couch.

Pete grinned.  "Thank you.  I'd love to take credit, but Serena has an eye for that kind of stuff."  He motioned for us to sit, and I did, noticing a huge, copper colored dog sitting near the corner of the room, warily watching Brody and I with large, intelligent eyes.  "This is Eddie Mac," Pete said, motioning to the dog.  One of his ears flicked towards Pete, but his warm brown eyes stayed locked on us.

Brody laughed.  "Eddie Mac?  He must have good hands."  I looked at Brody, confused.  "Ed McCaffrey was a wide receiver for the Broncos in the 90s and early 2000s."

"Oh," I said.  Obviously.

Pete released Eddie and he walked straight to me.  I let him sniff my hand, and after a thorough inspection he licked it once and dropped his head into my lap.  He leaned gently against my legs, nudging me with his huge head.  I laughed and scratched the top of his head.  He manipulated his head until I was rubbing his ear, then relaxed onto my leg, letting his tongue flop out happily.

"I think he likes you," Pete said, laughing.

"I'm feeling a little left out," Brody said, pretending to pout.

I withdrew my hand from Eddie's head and said, "Go lick him to death!"  He kept his head in my lap, nudging me gently, for a few more seconds, then trotted over to Brody and repeated the process.  He didn't get quite as comfortable, but he looked pretty happy.  "He's so well behaved," I commented.

"They were training him to be a service dog," Pete explained.  "Their son has seizures, and apparently service dogs can help.  He was almost done with the training, but then they had to move, and their son got really sick, and it just got to be too much for them."

Brody grinned, and Eddie pulled his head away from him and came back over to me.  "He could be a therapy dog," Brody suggested.

"You don't have to sell me on this," I said, laughing.  "I don't know why you think you do."  Eddie put an experimental paw on my leg.  When I didn't scold him, he sat up on his haunches and put his other paw on my other leg.

"That's bad manners," Pete said, chuckling.  Eddie gave him the dog equivalent of a side-eye and shimmied closer to me.  After a minute of slowly creeping, his chest and belly were shoved between my shins and his forehead was shoved against my stomach as I scratched his ears with both hands.

"He's hugging you," Brody crowed, laughing.  "You have a new friend."  

We stayed for another half hour, and Eddie happily laid on my feet the whole time.  When we got up to leave, he followed us to the door.  He obeyed Pete's command to sit several feet away from the door but watched me forlornly.  "Look," Brody said, "He's sad.  He wants to go with you."

"I would love for him to come with me, but then we'll have to leave him again in a few weeks and that's not fair to him," I said firmly, though my resolve was waning.  It hadn't taken me long to fall in love with Eddie.

"Well?" Brody asked as we left.

"I love him," I declared, grinning.

Brody chuckled.  "He loved you.  I was getting a little jealous."

I snorted.  "You got plenty of attention from me last night."

"Oh no, I meant jealous of you.  I wanted more attention from the dog!" He smirked and bumped my shoulder with his as he stopped to open his car door for me.

"Of course you did," I said, laughing.  He paused before he shut the door and leaned in to kiss me.

Once he was in, he looked at me.  "So, we'll pick him up when we get back from our mysterious honeymoon?" I asked.

Brody grinned.  "I guess that's okay," he replied, pretending to consider it.  "I'll let Pete know."

We got to the restaurant where we were meeting Nadine, Jon, AJ, and Sarah a little early, and we headed inside to get a table.  I kept an eye on the door, and waved when I saw them walk in.  We stood to greet them, and I hugged Nadine, then Jon.  Sarah smiled shyly but slid into a chair without hugging me, which was fine.  AJ gave me a quick hug and said, "You didn't tell us you were getting married.  Are you marrying this guy?" He pointed at Brody.

I laughed and Nadine scolded him.  "AJ, that's rude.  At least sit down first."

Once we were seated I said, "Yes, I'm marrying this guy.  This is my fiancé Brody.  Brody, you met Nadine and Jon briefly, you know Sarah, and this is AJ."

"I'm 10," AJ said matter-of-factly.

"That's awesome," Brody replied, grinning.  "I would have guessed 11."

"Really?" he asked, wide-eyed.  Then he turned to Nadine.  "See?  I told you I looked older in this shirt."  I pressed my lips together, trying not to laugh, as Nadine nodded patiently.

I caught Sarah rolling her eyes, and we exchanged and quick smile before she ducked her head back down, letting her curtain of hair fall in front of her face.  The streaks of color that had been purple the first time I met her were now bright turquoise.  "I like the new color," I said.

"Thanks," she said softly.  Her eyes darted to Brody and then back down to the table.  She was so painfully shy, which was the only thing about her that didn't remind me of myself at that age.

"So you must be so excited," Nadine said.  "3 weeks!"

"Yes, 3 weeks," I agreed, smiling.  "The last couple months have gone really quickly."

"Is there anything we can help with?"

I shook my head.  "I don't think so.  Thanks, though!  Brody's mom has been helping, and my parents will be here a whole week before to help with some of the last minute stuff."

"Oh," Brody said suddenly, looking like he just remembered something.  "I was supposed to have you call Jen.  She wanted to know if you wanted her to come early."

"When was I supposed to call her?" I asked, confused.

"A couple weeks ago, maybe?" he replied sheepishly.  "Sorry."

Jon and Nadine laughed, and Nadine nudged me and said, "Get used to that."

"I'll call her tomorrow," I said, laughing.

"So, speaking of your parents," Nadine said, quietly and hesitantly.  "Do they know we're coming?"

I smiled kindly.  "They do," I said reassuringly.  "My mom is happy that you guys are a part of my life."  Nadine looked visibly relieved.  I was stretching the truth just a little bit, I guess.  My mom didn't really care either way as long as I was happy, and had volunteered on her own that she would be perfectly polite and respectful--you know, just in case I was worried.  I hadn't been, until she had mentioned it.

The rest of the dinner went well.  Brody charmed the entire table as usual, and I longed for that skill.  He was truly comfortable around just about anyone.  That was probably what made him so good at his job and so successful with his business.  Sarah was quiet, but she was at least making eye contact by the end of dinner, which was a success in itself.

After dinner, Brody and I walked to Nadine and Jon's car to get Sarah's overnight bag.  She was spending the night with us.  Brody offered to take the bag and Sarah surprised me by handing it over.  I touched her shoulder gently and smiled.  "Ready to go?  Do you need to grab anything else, or is there anything we should stop and pick up while we're in town?"

"No thanks, I'm ready," she replied, smiling a real smile for the first time since she'd walked into the restaurant.

Just Be Patient

I realize that my schedule hasn't been super consistent, day and time wise, at least.  The plan for this week is this regular storyline post, Liv's backstory post on Wednesday at 6 a.m. (central time), and a regular storyline post Friday at 6 a.m.  Everything is already written and ready to go so there shouldn't be any delays!
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At work on Wednesday, I got a text from Brody saying that he was headed down to Colorado Springs for a meeting with a client's attorney and wasn't sure how late he'd be home.  I wasn't too worried, since I was going to Lauren's after work.  We had invited Kinsley as well.  I hadn't been seeing much of her lately, between being so busy and her spending so much time with Damien.

Between work and going to Lauren's house on Wednesday, I called Sarah to check in with her.  I wasn't expecting her to answer but she did.  "Hi," she said when she picked up.

"Hi," I replied.  "I was just calling to see how you were doing."

"I'm fine," she said.  She paused and I waited, then she said, "I mean, I'm better.  Grandma had her lawyer talk to me about what's going to happen and it sounds like mom probably won't be able to get us back."

"Good,  I'm glad you're doing better."

"Look," she said, suddenly sounding shy.  "I'm really sorry I barged in on you.  Thank you for picking me up and feeding me and letting me stay with you.  I was kind of an idiot, and you were really nice."

"Sarah," I said firmly, "You're welcome anytime.  I would appreciate a warning phone call next time, and not having to alert your panicking grandparents that you're safe, but you can come visit again if you'd like."

"Yeah, I'd like to come again, maybe like in August before I go back to school?  I mean, I'd have to ask Grandma this time but I think it would be fun."

I grinned to myself.  It was crazy to me that Sarah had gone from silently glaring out at me from under her hair to asking if she could come visit.  "Definitely.  Talk to your grandma and we'll figure something out."  We said goodbye and I headed towards Lauren's house.  When I got there, Lauren had just gotten home and we sat down and chatted while we waited for Kinsley.

"How's Alex?" I asked her.

"He's fine," she replied with a shrug.

"Just fine?" I asked.

She rolled her eyes.  "No, he's good.  I don't know.  He's coming home with me in July.  So you know, it's fine."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Back up!" I practically shrieked.  "He's going home with you?!  Lauren, that's a huge deal!"

"Which is exactly why I hadn't told you yet," she grumbled.  "It doesn't need to be a huge deal.  You just have to make it weird."

"I'm sorry," I said sincerely.  "I just... I don't know, I never thought this day would come."

"You're making me seriously regret saying anything," she complained.  "I wish Kinsley would get here, because then we can talk about her equally surprising relationship status.  Or we can talk about the fact that you're practically married to the biggest manwhore in the entire state, that's pretty weird."

"So you're pretty nervous about taking him home with you, huh?" I asked, completely unfazed by her anxious sarcasm.

Her face crumbled a little and she said, "It's the worst idea I've ever had.  I don't know what I was thinking.  And I'm sorry I called Brody a manwhore."

"The biggest manwhore in the entire state, actually," I teased gently.  "Laur, it'll be fine," I promised.  "Your mom is going to love him.  He's like a parent's dream--he has a good job, he has manners, and he makes you happy.  And your mom is wonderful and if he doesn't like her, then he's crazy."

Lauren looked up at the ceiling, then said softly, "My mom has a new boyfriend.  It's weird.  I don't know how to feel about it.  She's always been on her own.  I want her to be happy, but I don't know."  I started to say something but Lauren shook her head.  "I don't want to talk about it, never mind."

"Okay," I said, letting it go without question this time.  Instead I told her about Josh inviting me to lunch.  We were in the middle of coming up with ridiculous theories about why when Kinsley arrived.

"Sorry," she apologized as she came inside.  "I stopped by to see Damien quick and I got distracted."
"Distracted, huh?" Lauren asked, cocking an eyebrow at her.

Kinsley rolled her eyes.  "Not like that."  She turned to me.  "Did she tell you she's bringing Alex home with her?"

"Yes, we already talked about it," I said.  "Can we make dinner?  I'm starving."

The tension dissolved as we started making dinner and we were soon joking and laughing like normal.  We lost track of time and it was nearly 10pm before I realized I needed to head home. I had a text from Brody that he had stopped to have dinner with his mom.  I called him on my way.  "Hey," I said when he answered.  "I'm on my way home.  We totally lost track of time.  Sorry, I would have called sooner if I had realized what time it was."

"It's okay, I'm on my way back too," he said.  We talked about our days for a few minutes and then hung up.  I was almost home and Brody would be home in about a half hour.  I was ready for bed by the time Brody got home and we both went right to bed.

I considered skipping Thursday's happy hour because I was tired, but I decided to stop by for at least a little while.  I had ridden into town with Brody, so Lauren picked me up after work.  When we got there, Kendra, Christian, and Damien were already there.  Lauren and I got drinks and joined them.

We were there for over an hour before Brody got there.  I could tell immediately from the set of his jaw that he hadn't had a good day.  I met him at the bar, where he was ordering water.  "I can drive if you want to drink," I offered, squeezing his arm gently.  When the bartender reappeared, he ordered a drink, then leaned down and kissed me.  "Bad day?" I asked.

He rubbed his forehead and nodded.  "One of the clients that left my dad's company is suing them.  They have a pretty legitimate suit and it's going to be a nightmare."

I had forgotten that Brody was the majority shareholder of his dad's company since his death.  They had been so self sufficient that Brody rarely had to deal with them, just like he had hoped.  I frowned. "So what does that mean for you?" I asked, as Brody paid for his drink and we started walking towards the table.

"It means the company is going to be paying.  Hopefully we can settle and we don't have to go to court.  I'm probably going to fly down Sunday so I can meet with the attorneys on Monday."  I nodded.  We were at the table now and sat down next to each other as Brody greeted the rest of the table.

We stayed long enough for Brody to have three drinks in rapid succession, and then we left.  I drove his SUV home and headed upstairs to get ready for bed.  "I'll be up in a little bit," Brody assured me, headed back towards his office.  I got ready for bed then read for a little while.  Brody still hadn't come up, so I went down to his office.  When I peeked into his office, I saw him sitting with his elbows on his desk and his forehead resting in his hands.

"You okay?" I asked gently, slipping around the partially open door and into the room.

He looked up and smiled weakly.  "Yeah," he replied, leaning back in his chair.  "I'm just kicking myself for not selling sooner, or not paying more attention to the company.  Maybe if I would have known, I could have done something to prevent this."

I walked over behind his desk and squeezed his shoulders.  The muscles were tight and tense and he groaned when I pressed my thumbs into the base of his neck and began to rub.  "How can I help?" I asked.

"Just be patient?" he requested.  "Depending on what they ask for, this could be over on Monday, or it could stretch out for weeks or months.  I might have to go back and forth a few times."

"I can do that," I agreed.  "If you need to cancel our hiking date for next Friday--"

"No way," he interrupted me.  "I'm going to need that hiking date."

"Okay," I replied.  "But if things change, and you need Friday, I won't be upset."

He turned in his chair, and I let my hands fall away from his shoulders.  Once he was facing me he grabbed my hands and tugged me closer.  "I appreciate that a lot, but I have no intention of canceling our hiking date, Liv."

"I feel like such a priority," I said with a smirk.

"You are," he replied.  "I hope you really do feel like you are."

"I do," I assured him.  "You've been doing a really great job of balancing things and it means a lot to me.  I love our Sundays together, and that you've been home in time to eat dinner together more than you're not."  He tugged on my hands and I leaned down and kissed him.   "I should get to bed," I said once we had separated.  "I'll let you get some stuff done."

"Okay," he replied.  "I really will be up soon now.  I can't manage much more of anything tonight."  I said goodnight and made my way up to bed.  I was asleep before he came up, but when I woke up in the middle of the night, he was next to me in bed.

Early in the morning, I woke up as he sat down on the edge of the bed next to me and brushed hair out of my face.  "I'm going to go," he said softly.

"What time is it?" I groaned, squinting at him.

"A little before 6.  I'm going to try to be home at a semi-reasonable time tonight, so I'm going in early."

I nodded sleepily.  "If I bring lunch to you, can we do lunch together today?" I knew I had a big gap in the middle of my day and didn't feel like sitting around, waiting for Josh to come bother me.

"Can I let you know?  I'd love to, but I'm not sure what things look like today."  I nodded and he kissed my forehead and stood.  I fell back to sleep for another hour after he left.

I got a text from him around 10:30 that if I wanted to stop by around 12:30, he'd have about 45 minutes.  That worked well with my schedule so at 12 I left work, picked up lunch for both of us, and headed over to his office.

When I pushed through the doors to his office suite, Arlene pressed her lips together into a thin, tight line.  Then she said, "He's expecting you, you can go back."  She returned her eyes to the computer screen in front of her and didn't further acknowledge my presence, which was fine with me.  I walked past her and wove my way through the hallways to Brody's office, saying hi to people I now recognized.

Brody was just hanging up the phone when I walked in.  He greeted me warmly, even though I could tell the day had not been a good one so far.  We ate our lunch together, and he was really quiet as we ate.  "You're so quiet," I commented.  "Just a shitty day, or something else?"

He smiled.  "Just a shitty day, sorry.  I'm glad you came though."  He talked a little more after that but was still quieter than usual.  I didn't push, and the 45 minutes still passed too quickly.  "I'm not sure what time I'll be home," he admitted when he was walking me out.  "I'm shooting for 'sometime when it's still Friday and not Saturday.'"

"Okay," I replied.  "I'll probably be home.  I was too social this week and I need a night to myself."  We said goodbye and I headed back to work.

The rest of the day passed without anything notable happening, and after work I went to the gym and the grocery store.  It might be incredibly lame to go to the grocery store on Friday night, but it was quickly proving to be the best time to go.  Packed groceries stores are the worst, and Friday evenings make for a quick and painless shopping experience.

Brody did make it home while it was still Friday, and even with a couple hours to spare.  He had booked a flight down to Miami for Sunday evening and a flight back on Tuesday evening.  He planned to meet with the attorneys and try to get a settlement figured out Monday and Tuesday, but anything that still needed to be done he hoped to be able to trust to the company's attorney and handle from afar.

We planned a date night for Saturday night, so that we had at least a couple hours to spend together without interruption (hopefully) before he went down to Miami.  We tossed around the idea of going out, but in the end we decided to keep it a low key night of making dinner together and staying in.

As we laid in bed together Saturday night, I commented, "We've come a long way in balancing your job and our relationship."

Brody chuckled.  "No kidding," he agreed.  "I no longer fear for my safety when I have to tell you I need to travel somewhere, or when my phone rings during dinner."

"Hey!" I said, nudging him in the ribs with my elbow.  "That's because your phone doesn't ring during every dinner--not to mention breakfast and lunch, and we can now plan things around when you're most likely to have to travel.  And because sometimes you shut your phone off completely."

"You're right," he said.  "We're both handling it better."

"I'm not used to people telling me that things will change and then having them actually change," I admitted.  "It's been nice."

"You're welcome," Brody said, teasing me.  "I'm the poster child for proving that men can change!"

I shook my head and laughed.  "Let's not get carried away."  He laughed too, then tightened his arms around me and pressed his face into my hair.  His breath tickled my neck as he exhaled, and that was the last thing I remembered before I fell asleep.

My Favorite Part of the House

Thanks for your patience in waiting for this post!  I'll be posting another regular storyline post on Wednesday, and the last of Liv's backstory on Friday.  Hope you all have an awesome week!
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15 minutes after I heard the shower turn off, Sarah walked slowly down the stairs.  She looked up at me through a curtain of wet hair, then cast her eyes back down to the floor.  Silently, she sat down in the chair furthest away from the couch, where I was sitting.  "Are you hungry?" I asked her.  It was now past noon, and I was definitely getting hungry.  She shrugged.  "Well, I am," I continued.  "If I make something, will you eat?"

"Yeah, I guess," she replied softly.  I motioned for her to follow me to the kitchen and I pulled the fridge open.  I gave her some options, watching her face for clues because I was pretty sure she wouldn't actually tell me what she wanted.  "Whatever you want is fine," she said finally, just as I had expected she would.

My eyes scanned the counter and I saw half a loaf of french bread sitting there.  I pulled the fridge back open and then asked "French toast?  Eggs?"  Her eyes met mine, and she paused a few seconds before shrugging.  "I think that sounds good," I said.  It was the most response she'd given any of my suggestions.  "Do you prefer bacon or sausage?"

She wrinkled her nose.  "I hate bacon," she said.  I grinned.  "What?" she asked.

I shrugged and pulled a package of turkey sausage out of the freezer.  "Sausage it is.  I hate bacon too."

"Oh," she said, but she smiled a little.  "Um, do you want some help?"  She sounded unsure again.

"Nah," I said.  I motioned to the table.  "Pretty simple.  But you can keep me company if you want.  If you wanted to talk while I cook, that would be okay.  If you don't want to talk, that's fine too." I looked at her from the corner of my eye and saw her frown as she pulled out a chair at the table.

She was silent for so long that it started to get hard for me to let it be quiet.  She was staring down at the surface of the table, but she had a look on her face that I'd seen many times.  I had a feeling she was wrestling with whether or not to talk, and if I gave in to my urge to fill the silence now I'd destroy any chance of her talking about what was on her mind.  So I sliced bread and beat eggs, waiting for her to decide what she wanted to do.

Finally, she started talking, but what came out wasn't what I expected.  "I know that you didn't know him, and that it was pretty crappy for him to just...disappear on you, but living with him was better than living with mom."  I got her a glass of water and returned to my food prep, listening.  "When I was really little, before AJ was born, we lived with mom and her dad.  He was an asshole."  The venom in her voice was surprising to me.  "He had rules.  So many rules.  I couldn't talk at the dinner table.  He didn't want to hear me ever.  He told me I was stupid and told my mom that she should dump me somewhere and drive away, that I was ruining her life.  I was 4."

She paused to take a drink of water.  "I think that...that there was something wrong with him.  Like, with his brain maybe.  People get mean when they get dementia sometimes, right?  Or maybe he was really depressed or something worse."  I nodded, encouraging her silently to keep talking.  "When Dad got out of jail the first time, I had just turned 5.  He came and stayed with us for a little while.  My grandfather," she rolled her eyes and spit the word out as if it burned her tongue, "was too scared of Dad to be mean to me while he was around.  We stayed there with him for a few months before we moved into an apartment.  The apartment sucked.  It had mice and roaches and it smelled funny and was never quite clean, no matter how much Dad scrubbed.  AJ was born about 6 months after we moved."  She stopped talking for long enough that I turned around to look at her.  She was still staring down at the table, tracing the pattern of the wood grain gentle with a fingernail.

She glanced up and her eyes darkened briefly when she saw me watching her.  She disappeared behind her curtain of hair again, slumping down in her seat.  I turned back to the stove and pulled the first pieces of French toast out of the pan on dropped them onto a plate.  I put some eggs and sausage on the plate and walked it over to the table.  I got out butter and syrup.  "Do you need anything else with that?" I asked her.

She shook her head, but when I turned to walk back to the stove, she asked in a small voice, "Do you have any juice?  Or soda?"

I pulled open the fridge and surveyed the contents.  We were in desperate need of a trip to the grocery store.  "We have Dr. Pepper, apple juice, and milk," I said.  I leaned around the fridge door to look at her.  She timidly asked for a Dr. Pepper and then stood to take it from me as I made my way back to the table.

She was quiet as I finished making food and made myself a plate.  I hoped she'd continue her story when I sat down.  Instead, she asked, "Is this really your house?"

"Well, kind of," I replied.  "It's actually Brody's house, but I moved in about two months ago."

"Where did he go?" she asked.

"He went to work for awhile.  Do you want some more?" I motioned to her now empty plate.  She considered this for a minute, then shook her head.  "You sure?  I can make a few more pieces of French toast, and there's more sausage."

"I guess I'll have sausage."  She got up and grabbed the last two pieces and brought them back to the table.  "Do you want one?" she offered.  When I shook my head she dropped them on her plate.  After we ate, she told me she had been on the bus most of the night and hadn't slept much.  I got her set up in the guest room and found out what kind of pizza she wanted for dinner before I left her to sleep

Once I was down there, I found my phone.  I had a text from Brody asking if we needed anything else while he was in town.  I sent him a short grocery list along with Sarah's pizza request and my own.  Then I tossed the phone on the couch and quickly washed the dishes from our quick meal and then flopped onto the couch.  I called Nadine and Jon and gave them a quick update.  They let me know they were planning to leave first thing in the morning and should be out here around lunchtime.  I gave them the address and told them I'd try to get Sarah to call when she got up from her nap.

Sarah ended up staying in bed until after Brody got home with groceries and pizza.  I shooed him upstairs to shower and change while I put the groceries away, then I went to the guest room to see if Sarah wanted dinner.  I knocked lightly on the door, not wanting to wake her up if she was still sleeping.  "Yeah?" she answered right away.

"If you're hungry, there's pizza," I replied.  "If not, you can always have some later."

I heard her moving around and then the door opened.  She looked slightly disheveled.  "I'll eat," she said quietly.  She offered me a very brief, shy smile, and I moved out of the way so she could get out.  "After I eat, I think I'll call my grandma."  I noticed her cheeks turning pink, and I almost laughed.  I wondered if our father had blushed as easily as we both do.

"I think she'll be glad to hear from you."

She nodded, then said, "I feel like kind of an idiot now.  I'm really sorry that I ruined your weekend."

"Sarah, you did not ruin my weekend," I said firmly.  "In the future, a call before you show up in Denver would be a good choice, but I'm glad I was around."

"Me too," she said ruefully, as we entered the kitchen.  I got out some plates and napkins and opened the pizza box.  Brody appeared in the kitchen as we were putting some pizza on our plates.  He grabbed one of the plates and smiled kindly at Sarah.  "Thanks for the pizza," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.  She refused to make eye contact with him and I could see the pink returning to her cheeks under her hair.

"You're welcome," he replied.  "Works out well for me, because I don't have to cook or wash dishes."  She met his eyes briefly and almost smiled, then looked back down at her plate.  Brody leaned against the counter with his plate in his hand and looked at me.  He said quietly, "I'm going to eat and then do a little more work."  I had a feeling he was eating and disappearing for Sarah's benefit, because she seemed absolutely terrified of him.  I nodded.

We all ate quietly.  Brody finished his pizza quickly, shoved his plate in the dishwasher, kissed my cheek and disappeared to his office.  "Does he always work a lot?" Sarah asked once he was gone.

I nodded.  "He owns his own business, so he's pretty busy."  She didn't say anything, but I was hopeful she might continue what she was talking about before.  After several minutes of silence, I tried prodding her a little.  "Do you want to tell me more about your mom?"

She frowned, then shrugged.  "She's never home.  I always took care of AJ.  She just wants us back because she gets more money when she's taking care of us.  She's always out with her stupid boyfriends, and I hate her."  Her voice had risen as she'd talked, but this was all I could get out of her.

After dinner, she called her grandma like she had said she would.  She I asked what she wanted to do and she asked what I'd be doing if she wasn't there.  I told her I might be reading or Brody and I would watch a movie or maybe go out.  She suggested we all watch a movie, and while she pretended Brody wasn't there as best as she could, she didn't seem quite as thrown off by his presence.

She excused herself for bed after the movie and once I heard the guest room door click firmly shut, I curled up next to Brody, leaning into his chest.  We talked quietly about the situation for a few minutes and then he told me about his day at work.  We turned on some old episodes of Arrested Development and watched a couple together before we were both too tired to stay up any longer.

"I think I might sleep down here," I said.  "I'm a little worried she might try to take off in the middle of the night, but even if she stays, I don't want her to wake up and need something and not come ask for it.  It might be easier if I sleep on the couch."

Brody immediately volunteered to sleep downstairs with me.  I protested that and after arguing it for a couple minutes, I convinced him to go up to bed with the promise that I'd let him know if I needed anything.

Nadine and Jon arrived on Sunday right around 1:30.  Sarah had helped me prepare and clean up from lunch and we had just finished when the doorbell rang.  She allowed Nadine and Jon to hug her tightly, though she didn't do much to hug back.  For their part, Nadine and Jon refrained from scolding her, though I could Nadine was struggling to hold her tongue.  "Can we have a few minutes?" Nadine asked me.

"Absolutely," I replied.  I left the room and went back to Brody's office.

He looked up and grinned when I knocked on the door.  "Are they gone already?" he asked, his grin turning to a perplexed look.

"No, they just asked for a few minutes," I replied with a shrug.  I pulled the second desk chair up next to him and stretched my legs up and forward, resting my heels on a clear spot on the edge of the desk.

Brody ran his fingers lightly up my bare calf and shook his head.  "It's not nice to tease while there are other people in the house," he said.

I rolled my eyes.  "Sorry you have no self control," I joked.

He grinned and leaned over to kiss my cheek.  "How pissed are they?" he asked quietly then.

I shrugged.  "They're not happy, but they were handling it well while I was out there."  I sat quietly while he wrapped up what he was working on, and was soon startled by a knock at the door.  I looked up and saw Nadine standing tentatively in the doorway.

I stood quickly.  "Nadine, this is Brody, my boyfriend." Brody stood as well and they exchanged greetings.  We walked back out to the living room.  Sarah was sitting sullenly on the couch, once again hiding behind her hair.  When she glanced up at me, I could see she had been crying.

"Well, thank you for everything," Jon said, after I had introduced Brody to him as well.  "We owe you one for taking such great care of her and her whims this weekend."

"It wasn't a problem," I assured them.  "I'd love you see you guys again soon--maybe on a planned visit this time?"  I caught Sarah's eye and smiled.  She smiled back, the corners of her lips barely twitching up before her eyes darted to Nadine and she disappeared back behind her hair.  We talked about trying to plan something and decided we'd pick a weekend soon for Brody and I to drive out to Utah.

As I was walking them all to the door, I was surprised by Sarah hugging me, briefly but fiercely.  I looked at her and said, "Call anytime, okay?  And keep me posted."  She nodded, smiled her faint, fleeting smile, and disappeared out the door behind Nadine and Jon.

"Sorry," I said with a rueful grimace once they were gone.  "That disrupted the entire weekend."

"Yet is still not the craziest thing that one of our family members has done to disrupt our lives," Brody said, smiling.  "That honor will forever stay with my father, I think."

Brody reminded me we still had several hours of our "no work" Sunday left.  We went for a long walk, wandering around the neighborhood.  We stumbled on a small hidden park that Brody didn't even know existed, and explored for awhile.  When we got back, we made dinner together.  After dinner, we ignored the mess and took a bottle of wine upstairs to enjoy while we soaked in the huge tub together.

"Well," Brody said, running his hands down my arms and pressing a kiss against my shoulder.  "I've now used this tub more since you've moved in than I had in the entire time I had this house before you moved in."

"It's a damn shame you didn't use it more," I said, shaking my head.  This tub might be my favorite part of the entire house.  I might like it even better than my little library.

"Mmmhmmm," he agreed, pressing his lips to my shoulder again, but getting closer to my neck.  I let my head fall back onto his shoulder as his lips made their way to my neck and his hands stroked down and then up my thighs.

It took us a minute to figure out a viable position for the tub and while we struggled and adjusted we also splashed out about half the water.  "I'm not cleaning that up," I said, smirking as Brody moved his leg and sloshed out another pint or so of water.  But it was the right adjustment and my words faded to a gasp as Brody thrust into me.

After we finished, we relaxed in the tub until the water wasn't warm anymore.  Then we cleaned up the water mess together, dried off, and got into bed.  "Thank you for everything this weekend," I said as I snuggled up next to him.  "And I really like our Sundays together."

"So do I," he replied, pushing a piece of my damp hair away from my face.  I shifted and got more comfortable, then easily drifted to sleep.

Is this what happens when you have a sister?

With everything that had been happening lately, we'd pretty much given up on Thursday happy hours, but this week Kinsley suggested we get them up and running again.  We all agreed and planned something for this coming Thursday.  Since we all had hardly hung out together for what seemed like months, I was excited for it.

When I got there, Lauren and Alex were the only ones there.  I got a drink and joined them.  Kendra arrived shortly after, then Christian and Kinsley.  Kinsley looked at me guiltily when she sat down.  "What?" I asked, looking at her strangely.

"Damien is coming, and I think James is too," she said apologetically.

I shrugged.  "I'm not the one that cares if he's around."  Damien and James did arrive shortly after, and Brody followed just a few minutes later.

Brody said hello and kissed me on the cheek before he walked up to the bar with James, of all people.  When they returned, they stood off to the side carrying on their conversation in hushed tones.  I grew puzzled when they pulled their phones out and appeared to exchange numbers, then shook hands.  Brody came over and sat down next to me after that.  "What was that all about?" I asked curiously.

"I'll tell you about it later," he replied.

"Why can't you tell me about it now?"

"Because later is better," he insisted.

I just stared at him, then said, "Because I'll be mad about whatever it is?"

"Liv, come on.  I'll tell you later, I promise."  I didn't even get a chance to decide if I wanted to let it go for now when his phone rang.  He had switched on call weeks with Pete and was on call again.  He got up and answered as he walked towards the door.  A few minutes later he came back.  "I'm sorry," he said.  "I have to go back to the office for awhile.  Do you want to get a ride over there when you guys are done, if I'm not back yet?"  We had driven together again this morning.

"Yeah, that's fine," I replied.  "I'm sure someone will give me a ride."  He kissed me and said goodbye and took off, leaving me curious about what he and James were discussing and a little annoyed that he refused to tell me about it.

When I was ready to leave, I ended up getting a ride with James, since Brody's office was most on his way.  I barely even had my car door shut when I asked, "What were you and Brody talking about?"

"Sorry Liv, I'm going to let him tell you about that," he replied.

"Seriously?  But--"

"Sorry," he interrupted, his voice firm.  "You'll have to wait and talk to Brody."  I sighed and looked out the window, feeling like a kid that had just been scolded for asking too many questions.  I was now convinced that Brody was up to something that I wouldn't be pleased about.

He insisted on parking and walking me up to Brody's floor.  He hadn't brought up Cassie at all, and I wondered briefly if he was in contact with her.  I decided I wasn't ready to know, and didn't ask.  I said goodbye to him just as Brody pushed open the door to let me into his office suite.

"Thanks for the ride," I said.  Brody echoed my thanks and then led me to his office.

"I'm almost done," he said.  I nodded and plopped down on the couch.  I pulled my Kindle out of my purse and settled in to wait.  About 15 minutes later, Brody asked if I was ready to go.  I put my Kindle away and stood.

"Will you tell me what you guys were talking about now?" I asked.

Brody sighed.  "I will, but you're not going to like it."

"I figured as much," I said with a shrug.

"I was asking him for a couple of research tips," he said simply.  I glared at him, giving him a look that clearly said, "that is not enough information and you know it."  "I want to know more about Josh."

"Josh?!" I yelped.  I took a deep breath and forced my next question to come out quieter and calmer.  "My coworker Josh?  Why?"

"Honestly, I'm not really sure why," he admitted.  "I just have a weird feeling.  He's been weird, I don't like the way he acts around you, and I don't like what I've heard from Neil."

"Brody," I said exasperatedly.

He shook his head.  "Something about that guy is off, and I don't trust him one bit.  I'm not to the point of wanting to hire James, I just want to see if there's any interesting public information on Josh.  You can be pissed at me if you want.  If it makes you feel better, I didn't just to do this to be a crazy, overprotective boyfriend.  I also don't like the way he's talked about me to you and I'm a little paranoid, given recent events."

Once he said that, I could start to understand his worry.  Josh did seem really stuck on Brody and how much money he made for some reason.  It seemed to go a little beyond typical jealousy or whatever else.  "Okay," I said, resigning myself to the fact that he was going to do this whether I liked it or not.  "Can we just go home now?"  Brody nodded and gathered his stuff.

Once we were on the road, he asked, "On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being that you've never been happier, and 10 being you're plotting how to kill me in the most painful way possible, how mad are you?"

I snorted.  "4 and a third," I replied.  "I'd be pissed if you had hired James to investigate him.  But doing a little research makes more sense when you pointed out your worry in light of recent events.  It actually does make me feel better that you're not just doing it to protect me, which was my assumption--self-absorbed as it is."

"I think that's a fair assumption, considering my tendencies to try to protect you," he said with a shrug.  "I'm glad you're not mad, though."  And then it was done.  I assumed he'd let me know if he discovered anything interesting, and I'd just as soon not worry about it unless he did.

On Saturday, Brody planned to go into the office.  I planned to ride into town with him and go to the gym, then I had plans to spend the rest of the day with Lauren and Kinsley.  We slept in and took awhile to get out of bed, but once we were up we got ready pretty quickly.

As I was pulling my shoes on, my phone began to ring from the counter.  Brody grabbed it and handed it to me.  "It's Sarah," he said.

"I'll call her later," I replied, silencing the ringer.  I sent her a text that said, "Headed to the gym, can I call you in a couple hours?"

Her reply was immediate.  "I'm in Denver, can you come get me?"  "What?" I yelped in surprise.  What was a 14 year old doing in Denver?  Was she by herself?  How did she even get here?  I quickly called her back, while holding up one finger to an impatient-looking Brody.

"Hi Liv," she answered, sounding a little bit desperate and not at all like her normal, sullen self.  "Don't lecture me, okay?  Can you please come pick me up?"

"Where are you?" I asked calmly.  Brody no longer looked impatient, and now just looked confused.

"I'm at the Greyhound station," she replied.  After a pause, she said, "Please, Liv."  She sounded scared, and I told her I was on my way.

I quickly filled Brody in, and he grabbed his keys.  "I'll drive," he said, abandoning his plan to get to work.  I gave him a grateful look.

When he pulled up I saw Sarah sitting against the building, hugging a backpack to herself.  I got out of the car and when she saw me, she jumped up and threw her arms around me and started to cry.  I hugged her back before gently disentangling myself and leading her to Brody's SUV.  I pulled open the back door and she got in and slid all the way over.  I climbed in the back with her and slid into the middle.  She immediately leaned against me and I put my arm around her.

"Back to our house?" Brody asked quietly from the front.  Sarah sat straight up, realizing there was someone else in the car.  I nodded to Brody, then introduced him to Sarah.  Sarah stared at the back of his head for several seconds before crumpling against me again.

Back at our house, I got Sarah some water.  "Are you hungry?" I asked.  She shook her head.

"Do you want me to stay or go?" Brody asked softly.  I had no idea.  I shrugged helplessly.  "I'll stay for a bit at least, just in case," he said.  "I'll just go to my office and be out of the way."  I nodded.  He headed out of the room, and I was so grateful for his support.

"Will you tell me what's going on?" I asked, sounding much calmer than I felt.   My question started a fresh round of tears.  I rubbed her back and waited for her to calm down.

Finally, she took a deep, shaky breath, and said between hiccuping sobs, "I heard Grandma on the phone, and she was saying that our mom wants us back and they're going to have to go to court."

"Oh, Sarah," I replied.  "That must have been scary to hear.  Did you ask her about it?"

"No!" she said fiercely.  "It doesn't matter!  I'm not going back with her!"

"Okay," I responded soothingly.  "So I assume she doesn't know you're here?"

"No, and please don't tell her, Liv," she begged.  "Please."  She turned her desperate eyes on me for the first time since we had picked her up, and my heart broke for her.

I squeezed her hand.  "Sarah, I have to.  She's probably worried sick about you.   She needs to know you're okay."

Sarah shook her head furiously.  "I'm not going back there!"

"Let me talk to her.  Maybe you can stay here for tonight at least.  Can I tell her why you left?"

She glared at me for several seconds.  I returned her gaze, keeping my face neutral.  Finally, she said, "Whatever, I don't care."  She pulled her knees up to her chest and put her forehead on them.  I took out my phone and called Nadine.

Jon answered.  "Jon, it's Olivia," I said.  "Sarah is here."

"What?" he practically yelled.  "What do you mean, there?  She's with you?  In Denver?"  I heard him yelling for Nadine, and a second later, she breathlessly picked up another phone.

"Yes," I confirmed.  "She's here in Denver.  At my house.  She--"

"How did she get there?" Nadine shrieked, cutting me off.  Sarah must have heard her, because she lifted her head and glanced briefly my way.

"She took the bus.  She overheard you on the phone talking about her mom, and she freaked out."

"Oh no," Nadine muttered.  "I bet she did.  We're coming, we'll be there soon."

"Wait," I said.  "Please, give her some time to calm down.  She can stay here with me tonight, if it's alright with you."

Neither of them spoke for nearly 30 seconds.  Then I heard hushed whispers.  Finally, Nadine said, "If you're okay with her staying, that's fine.  Can I talk to her?"

"Sarah?  Your grandma wants to talk to you," I told her, holding out the phone.  She shook her head stubbornly.

"Nadine, can we call you back in a couple hours?  She might be more willing to talk then."  Sarah glared at me again.  Nadine agreed, and we hung up.

Sarah asked if she could take a shower.  I walked her upstairs to the guest bathroom.  I got her a towel and a toothbrush, showed her where everything was, and then I walked downstairs and plopped onto the couch.  Brody came out of his office and sat on the couch next to me, and I let my head fall onto his shoulder and my eyes close.  He wrapped his arms around me and said, "You handled that really well."  I just relaxed further against him.

"Thank you for putting your day on hold for this.  It means a lot to me,"  I told him after a few minutes.  He squeezed my shoulders with his arm.  "I think we'll be okay here if you want to go to work now.  I probably should have checked with you, and I'm sorry, but I told them she could spend the night here.  I hope that's okay."

"Of course it is," he replied. "Are you sure you're okay if I go in for a little bit?"  I nodded and assured him we were fine.  He glanced at his watch.  "I'll come back around 6?  I can bring pizza or something if you want."

"Yes, that sounds like a good idea," I replied.  "Thank you."  I moved so he could get up, and I grabbed my phone and texted Lauren and Kinsley to let them know what was going on and that I wouldn't be making it today.

Shortly after Brody left, I heard the shower turn off.  I sighed and wondered what the hell I was going to do with a scared and angry 14 year old (that I barely knew) for the next 24 hours.

The Library

In the morning over breakfast, Brody and I talked about the moving schedule.  I had this weekend off, and I was going to try to switch my next two weekends so I had next weekend off, then worked two in a row.  He was going to call the moving company he had used when he moved into this house, and hopefully we could get my furniture moved next week.  Then, in three weeks, hopefully we'd be on our way south for a much needed vacation.  Everything was happening super fast, but I really did feel ready now.

I had only been at work for an hour or so when I got a text.  I looked at it and saw it was from Sarah.  We had texted occasionally, but she hadn't called again since the first time a few weeks ago.  This time, we ended up texting back and forth throughout the day.  The first few texts were a little painful, because she just didn't say much, but the end of the day we had a good conversation going and I was glad she had texted me.  It definitely felt more like a "sisterly" conversation by the end.  I made a mental note to call Nadine and maybe try to arrange a visit sometime soon.

I had managed to get my work weekends rearranged the way I wanted them, and I was relieved to have my three day weekend starting tomorrow.  The last couple weeks had worn me out and I needed some time to recharge.  Not that packing and getting ready to move leaves much room for recharging, but at least I could do it in yoga pants after sleeping as late as I wanted!

The weekend passed really uneventfully.  I hadn't heard from or seen Cassie at all since the letter she'd put in my mailbox, and James hadn't called (or stopped by at 4 in the morning) either.  Brody spent Friday night at my house and donated a large chunk of his Saturday to helping me pack and loading and unloading boxes.  We got this batch of boxes out to his house, and this time I got to help him carry everything downstairs.  On Sunday, we took advantage of the beautiful weather and went for our first hike of the spring.

I wasn't ready for work again on Monday.  I was sore from hauling boxes and hiking (that's embarrassing.  I really need to get back to the gym more regularly) and had enjoyed the weekend so much.  Mid-afternoon I got a text from Brody that said, "Come over after work?"  It was quickly followed up with a text that said, "I feel weird asking you to come over to your own house.  But I also want to make sure you know which house.  It's the one that used to be mine and is now ours."  I laughed reading it and responded that I would.  He told me he'd be there when I got there, which was surprising to me.

I stopped to pick up a bottle of wine on my way home after work, because it felt like a wine sort of night and I had no idea what Brody had at the moment.  When I pulled into the driveway, the garage door opened and I saw that Brody had made room for me to park there.  I pulled in and parked, and got out.  He was waiting just inside the garage and walked over and handed me a garage door opener.

"Hi," I greeted him, grinning.  "You made room for me."

"I did," he replied. 

I kissed him.  "Thank you.  I feel like I belong here now."

"Good!  And I have a surprise for you," he said excitedly, his eyes sparkling.

"Okay..." I replied, following him through the kitchen and towards the stairs to the lower level.  "You haven't converted the basement into some weird torture dungeon right?  I'm not into that."

He laughed.  "No, you'll be completely into this surprise, I promise."

I was definitely intrigued.  At the bottom of the stairs, instead of turning left towards the room with his punching bag, he turned right towards the two rooms we'd been sticking my boxes in for now.  He stopped in front of the door at the end of the hall.  "All yours," he said.  I cocked an eyebrow, and he motioned for me to open the door.  When I did, my jaw dropped.

He had taken the room and turned it into a mini-library.  Certainly not the Beast's library, but one wall had three bookshelves side by side, taking up the entire wall.  Next to the window was the loveseat/chaise lounge combo that I had really liked when we were looking at furniture.  In one corner was a comfortable looking papasan chair, and a small desk sat in the other corner.  He'd already unpacked all my books and put them on the shelves. 

"Do you like it?" he asked.

"Are you kidding?  You made me a library!  It's perfect!"  I threw my arms around him and hugged him tightly.

He chuckled and wrapped his arms around me tightly, hugging me back.  "I know you were worried about not having your own space, so I wanted to make sure that you did.  I won't even go in there unless you invite me.  We can paint if you want, and I guess you'll need to pick out some curtains, but I didn't want to make all the decisions and have you not feel like it's actually your space.  If you want the room next to it too, it's yours."

"When did you do this?" I asked.  I kept my arms around his neck but pulled back enough that I could look at him.

"I've been planning in my head for awhile, and I bought the furniture Thursday.  I took the afternoon off work today to get the garage cleared out, be here for them to deliver the furniture, and get the books unpacked."

I let go of him and walked into the room, flopping on my new chaise.  "This is amazing.  Thank you!"  Brody leaned against the door frame and smiled at me.  "Are you just going to stand there?" I asked.

He shrugged.  "Remember, I won't go in without an invitation."  He looked at me expectantly, but I just smiled deviously.

"That's right," I replied, sliding the hem of my skirt up higher on my legs.  "So I could sit here and torture you."

"You could," he agreed, his eyes on my legs.  "But that wouldn't be very nice."

"You're right, you should probably come in then."  He quickly joined me on my new favorite furniture, one hand tangling in my hair and tipping my head up so my lips met his, and the other sliding roughly up my leg.  It continued under my skirt until his thumb brushed across my underwear, then it stopped, his thumb resting just beyond where I wanted it.

I started to shift an arm down to slide my underwear off but he let go of my hair and grabbed my wrist, pinning it down against the chaise.  He pulled his lips from mine and moved them to my neck, stopping to suck gently before he said softly, "Two can play the torture game."

"Not fair," I protested, wiggling beneath him.  "I only tortured you for about 7 seconds and you're way better than me at it anyway."

"I know," he said, smirking at me before he pressed his lips to my collarbone.  Luckily, he didn't tease me for long, and we quickly broke in the new furniture.

"I have good news," he said as I snuggled against him after.  "The auditor is finished, everything is good, and we can book our trip."

"That is good news!" I agreed excitedly.  "Today has been pretty awesome, especially for a Monday."  My stomach growled then, and Brody laughed.  We got dressed and headed upstairs to find something for dinner.

After we ate, Brody asked, "So did you pick a place yet?"

"I did," I said with a grin.  I had chosen a resort in the Riviera Maya area of Mexico.

He handed me his laptop and credit card.  "Book it," he said.  "My only requests are a direct flight if possible and first class."

"You are spoiling the shit out of me," I observed, as I opened his laptop and started typing.  "Be careful or I'll get used to it."

"I hope you do," he replied.  "I'm tired of your death glare when I spend money on you."

"Yeah," I agreed sarcastically.  "It's a really terrible problem when your girlfriend doesn't want you for your money.  And speaking of your money, you're putting a lot of trust in me here, just handing me your credit card."

"You don't want me for my money, remember?" he joked.   


Once our trip was booked and official, time seemed to drag.  I spent a lot of time at home the rest of that week, getting things ready to move.  Lauren helped (mostly by keeping me company and pouring wine) and by Friday at noon, I had everything ready to go.  I loaded a few boxes of my essentials and a bunch of clothes into my car and drove out to Brody's house.  The movers were coming tomorrow morning but I didn't want to spend the night in the chaos of boxes that was my room.

I took a shower once I got to Brody's house, and had a text from him waiting for me when I got out.  After I dried off I read it.  "You still at your old place?"  I texted back that I was back at our house.  It felt weird calling it "our house" even though with all the time I'd spent here lately, it was starting to feel a lot more like a place I was living.  I didn't get a response from him, which I found odd, but I assumed he had just gotten busy with something at work.

I was surprised when I heard the garage door opening.  "Hi," I said, confused, when he walked in.  "What are you doing home?"

He frowned and sat in the chair adjacent to the couch where I was sitting.  "You're going to be upset, and I'm sorry," he started.  I narrowed my eyes.  That's not exactly setting a conversation up for success.  "Neil was supposed to be on call this week and weekend, but he called this morning--his mom is in the hospital, and he's going out to Phoenix to be with her.  I was going to let you know when I got home tonight.  It's been pretty quiet lately.  I guess I should have let you know this morning, not that it would change anything, because I got a call."

I nodded slowly, knowing exactly where the conversation was going.  "What time is your flight, and where are you going?" I asked.

"6:15, and Dallas," he replied.  "I'm sorry, Liv.  I hate that I won't be here for you actually moving in.  If you want to reschedule it to a day I'll be here..."

"No, that doesn't make sense," I said, shaking my head.  "Tomorrow is fine, it'll be fine."

He nodded.  "How mad are you?"

I shrugged.  "I'm bummed because I'll be spending my first night officially living here by myself, and it's frustrating because your person in Dallas has seriously the worst timing ever, but I guess I'm not really mad at you."  

"You guess you're not really mad at me?" he said, fighting a smile.  "That's not super convincing."


"Shut up," I said.  "I'm trying really hard to not be pissed about it, okay?  Don't press your luck."  Even though things had been so much better since Brody had gotten the on-call schedule going, I couldn't help but be frustrated about the timing of this call.  And I really wasn't mad at Brody, but it's okay to be mad at the situation, right?  Either way, I knew one thing:  I did not want to fight with him before he had to leave.  I learned my lesson on that one.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly.  "I shouldn't tease you, especially when you're trying so hard to not be mad about this."

I nodded, then forced the next words out of my mouth, "Do you want a ride to the airport?"

"I need to shower and pack, we can figure it out when I'm done, okay?"  I nodded, glad for the time to manage my frustration.  As he disappeared upstairs, I grabbed my Kindle out of my purse and headed downstairs.  I opened the door to my library and closed it behind me, then curled up in the papasan chair and turned on my Kindle.  After reading for about 20 minutes, I felt much better.  Logically, I understood why he had to go.  I was glad he was going so that Neil could be with his family. The timing just sucked, but there was nothing Brody could do about that. 

I read for another 15 minutes or so before I headed upstairs.  When I got there, I found Brody on the couch with his laptop.  He had showered and changed into dark jeans and a striped button down.  When I sat down next to him, he set his laptop to the side, and I leaned against him as he wrapped an arm around me.  "So, can I take you to the airport?" I asked again.

"If you want to, I'd love that," he replied.  "Thank you for being understanding.  I know it sucks and I wish I didn't have to go.  I'm going to try to get home on Sunday." 

I motioned to his laptop.  "Do you need to do some work before you go?"

"I'll do it on the plane," he said.  "Do you want to go for a walk?  It's so nice out."  I agreed and we spent the next 45 minutes wandering aimlessly around his neighborhood, enjoying the spring sunshine.  We decided that Brody would drive to the airport, and I'd ride along and then take his SUV back to my house, where I could use it to move some more of my stuff that the movers wouldn't be taking in the morning.  I was so ready to have everything moved and to get settled in Brody's (our) house. 

When I got home, I loaded everything I wanted to move with Brody's SUV so I didn't have to do it in the morning.  I was glad that I had decided to hire movers, because I was tired and sore just from moving a bunch of boxes over the last week.  I'd never cut it moving furniture.  I fell into bed early so I could get up early and be ready for the movers to get here.

In the morning, I made the last few preparations for the movers and then waited.  They were late and I was irritated by that, even though I told myself it didn't make a difference as long as they came.  My only plans for the day were moving and unpacking.  When the movers finally arrived, I was not at all pleased to discover who one of them was.

Attack of the Clones

I sat in the parking lot of the restaurant in my car until I saw Nadine and Jon's car pull up and park.  I got out, feeling nervous again, and walked towards them.  By the time I got there, everyone was out of the car and I couldn't hide my smile as I watched a small boy bounce around, excitedly talking to Nadine about something.

"Hi again," I said in greeting.  The little boy stopped and stared awkwardly at me for several seconds before breaking into a huge grin.  I smiled back.

Nadine introduced us.  "Sarah, AJ, this is Olivia.  Olivia, this is Sarah.  She's 14.  And this is AJ, he's--"

"NINE!  I'm nine!" AJ shrieked joyfully, before turning back to Nadine.  "Can we go inside?  I'm hungry!"

Jon chuckled.  "These kids can eat.  You'd never believe it, with how small they are."

"Actually, I would believe it," I replied.  I looked at Sarah.  She was peering sullenly at me through a curtain of long, blonde hair with bright purple streaks.  Aside from the purple streaks and the scowl, she was the spitting image of 14-year-old me.  It was actually a little off-putting.  She was tiny--they both were, and any lingering doubt I might have had about whether or not these kids were related to me was wiped away.

"Hi Sarah," I said to her, smiling kindly.  "It's nice to meet you."

"Hi," she replied, her voice so soft I barely heard her.  She didn't smile, she didn't say anything else.  Just stared up at me.

"Have you been here before?" I asked, motioning towards the restaurant we were starting to walk towards.  She shook her head silently.  "Me neither.  I haven't lived here very long.  I've heard it's good."  She nodded, looking for a second as though she was going to speak, then she lowered her eyes and said nothing.

Ahead of us, AJ was babbling away to Nadine and Jon.  His sandy blonde hair flopped into his eyes from his cowlick just like mine does when it's shorter.  I suddenly felt completely overwhelmed by the fact that these people were the relatives of a father I never knew, were my relatives, my siblings.  Once we were seated, I excused myself to go to the bathroom, but slipped outside instead.  I pulled my phone out and dialed Lauren's number, praying she'd pick up.

"Hey Liv!  How'd the meet and greet go?" she asked cheerfully when she answered.  I sighed in relief.

"I'm having lunch with them and the kids.  The kids, Lauren.  My god, they're like....mini mes.  It's so weird."

"Wait, you're doing what?  With the kids?  Seriously?  Wow.  Are you okay?"  She paused for a second then said, "You're not okay, because you're calling me when you should be eating lunch with them."

"I don't know.  I was fine, but then I just got really overwhelmed.  This was a bad idea.  Maybe I should just go.  I should have just stuck with meeting Nadine and Jon today, and met the kids another time.  I'm freaking out."  My hands were starting to shake and I sat down heavily on a bench near the door.

"Breathe, Olivia," Lauren prompted me.  "If you need to go, then go.  I'm sure they'll understand.  I think you might regret leaving now, though."  I knew she was right.  Just talking to Lauren had a weird, calming effect and I was already feeling a little better.

I heard a familiar male voice in the background, and Lauren said something back that I couldn't hear.  "Are you with Alex?  I can let you go, I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"Don't be dumb, Liv.  Yes, I'm with Alex, but you have nothing to be sorry for.  If I was busy, I wouldn't have answered.  We can talk as long as you need to."  Thank god for Lauren.

"Thanks, Laur.  I think I'm okay, I should get back in there.  Thank you for listening."  We said goodbye and hung up.  I took a deep breath and walked back inside.  I made my way back to the table.  "Sorry," I said sheepishly.  "I got a phone call I had to take.  I hope you weren't waiting for me."

"The kids ordered, but we haven't yet," Nadine said kindly.  I looked at the menu quickly and was ready to order when the server came back.  We ordered and Nadine instructed him to go ahead and bring the kids' food out as soon as it was ready.  Sarah sat across from me, and I'd notice her watching me from behind her hair occasionally.  As soon as I'd look over and smile, she'd return her eyes to her cell phone in her lap.  At one point, Nadine leaned over and whispered something to her.  Sarah scowled and shifted, presumably shoving her phone into her pocket.

Sarah barely said 3 words through the whole meal.  AJ, on the other hand, talked my ear off about school, movies he'd seen, and skiing lessons.  He had so much energy and enthusiasm, and I couldn't help but smile every time he talked.  Nadine and I tried hard to pull Sarah into the conversation, but she resisted our efforts.  My heart went out to her.  Her dad had died, she had been removed from her mom's care, moved to a new town, and entered the awkward adolescent phase, all within a few short years. No wonder she was sullen and quiet.

We were at the restaurant for over an hour, and I relaxed throughout the meal.  As we walked out, a small hand on my arm stopped me right outside the door.  I turned to Sarah, who said, "Do you think...could I text you sometimes?  Grandma is great, but she's kind of, well...old, and she doesn't get it sometimes."  I was surprised to hear full sentences coming from her, and even more shocked that she was asking to contact me.

"I'd be okay with that," I replied carefully, "but if you don't mind, I'd like to check with your Grandma first.  I don't know what her rules are, and I don't want you to get in trouble or anything."  I smiled warmly to show her that I was interested in talking to her more.

"That's fine, I don't think she'll mind," Sarah said.  Then, she dropped her head, hiding once again behind her cascading blonde and purple hair, and walked towards the car.  When we got there, I pulled Nadine aside and explained Sarah's request.  She beamed at me, her eyes shining.

"If you're okay with that, it would be wonderful.  She's been through so much, and we have her in therapy but she won't talk much with her therapist.  It would be so great for her to have someone to talk to."  Nadine looked like she was starting to get emotional again, and I started to feel a little overwhelmed for the second time in the last hour.

I nodded, though.  "Yeah, it's totally fine with me.  I'd be happy to chat with her sometimes.  I'll give her my number."

Nadine's face got stormy for a second, and she said, "Olivia?  I...worry about her sometimes, and well...if she tells you anything..." she trailed off, her eyes pleading with me to understand what she couldn't say.

"If she tells me anything concerning, I'll let you know right away," I assured her.  "Otherwise, her crushes and friend dramas are safe with me."  It was my way of letting her know that I'd tell her anything that was alarming but I wouldn't be providing a full report of every conversation.  That seemed to satisfy her and she nodded happily.  I walked over to Sarah and we exchanged cell numbers.  She flashed me the smallest, briefest smile before she got into the car--the first time she had smiled since she got out of the car.

AJ threw his arms around my waist in a surprising and hasty hug before bounding back into the car.  Just watching him run around was making me tired.  Jon shook my hand and patted my shoulder before climbing into the driver's seat.  Nadine turned to me.  "Would it be okay if I hugged you?" she asked tentatively.  I smiled and gave her a hug.  We said goodbye, with Nadine promising to let me know the next time they were in the area.

I got into my car and blew out the deep breath I had been holding while I walked from their car to mine.    I sat for a few minutes while I gathered myself, and I sent a quick text to Lauren that said, "You were right, glad I stayed.  Went well, tell you later."  Then I sent one to Brody letting him know I was on my way home and he could come over whenever he was done.

When I got home, I thought about calling my mom and filling her in, but I decided I wanted to wrap my head around it all a little more first.  Instead, I called James.

"Who can I investigate for you today, Miss Olivia?" he answered.

"Do you ever just say 'hi'?" I asked.

He laughed.  "Sometimes.  How are you?"

"I'm good.  I just wanted to let you know that I met Nadine and Jonathan today and it went well.  So thanks again for the info on them.  I really appreciate it."

"Good to hear.  And I told you, it's no problem and I was happy to help.  Did they tell you anything about the kids?" he asked curiously.

"Actually," I replied, "I met them too.  They look just like me.  It was really weird."

"Well, at least you know they're related to you then," he said.

"Yeah, they definitely are."  We talked for a few more minutes and then said goodbye.

I still felt a little unsettled but got up to take care of the cleaning I wanted to get done.  I was vacuuming when Brody walked in.  I quickly finished and turned off the vacuum.  He hugged me.  "Good thing you gave me that key," he said with a grin.  "I rang the doorbell twice and knocked."

"So what you mean is that you can't take a hint?" I asked, smirking at him. 

He laughed.  "I guess I'll go then," he said, starting to turn back towards the door.

"Noooo," I said, laughing.  I flopped on the couch and he took off his shoes and sat next to me. 

"How'd lunch go?" he asked, once we were settled. 

I grimaced and shrugged.  "I'm not entirely sure.  The kids are obviously related to me.  Something about that made me panic, and I almost left.  Lauren talked me down, but I literally walked out of the restaurant and called her, freaking out.  The boy, AJ, is 9, and he has tons of energy and was lots of fun.  Sarah is 14, and she said about 5 words until we were walking out.  She pulled me aside and asked if she could have my number.  Nadine says she's in therapy but doesn't talk to her therapist.  She looked so...beaten down.  But I bet there's a really sweet girl under there somewhere.  I ended up having a nice time and relaxing, so I'm glad I didn't leave, but it was definitely a little unnerving to see two carbon copies of younger me get out of their car."

"I bet," Brody replied, putting his arm around me.  "I'm really impressed that you went and met them, especially the kids.  I was thinking about it and I'm not sure I could have done it."   

"It was mostly curiosity.  I'm really glad I did it.  I hope Sarah gets in touch with me.  She looked like she could use a friend."

Brody stayed for a couple hours.  We ate leftover pork from Friday and did absolutely nothing else besides lay on my couch.  Brody left around 7 after we made plans to meet for dinner on Wednesday. 

I called Lauren and filled her in on how the rest of lunch went, and made plans to meet her, Kinsley, and Cassie for dinner on Tuesday.

After I hung up with Lauren, I thought about how I'd never have made plans to go out with friends so much in Wisconsin.  Between dinner with the girls, dinner with Brody, and happy hour on Thursday, I'd barely be home this week.  I was such a homebody in Wisconsin--granted, I was in school and had so much homework to do most of the time that I didn't have time to make fun plans, but it was crazy how much that had changed.  I wouldn't trade it for anything.