Olivia
I was on my way back home to Los Angeles, with my father and Cindy.
Home, my new home. And when I arrived there, Blake would not be there. Not anymore.
While my father and Cindy were chatting in the front seats, I was at the back trying to listen but my mind was on somewhere else. On Blake. Right after Blake decided to reversed my adoption yesterday, I immediately packed my bags and went with my father and Cindy. Even when I was about to go, Blake had never once looked into my eyes. Like he was avoiding me, or should I say…despising me. I still said my gratitude for taking care of me for the past five years. I was holding myself to cry at that time and screamed for his action. But I held it back. Because of what Blake already said, he would stick to it. No matter what.
“Olivia?” I heard Cindy called me and I looked at her. She was smiling yet hinted the pity on her eyes. “What’s your favorite food, darling?”
“What?”
“Um, well. You’re going to live us forever, or maybe until you got married and move out so at least I have to know all your favorites starting by food,” she continued.
“Cindy is a great cook too. I heard that you’re an amazing cook,” my father said.
“Hey, we can spend time in the kitchen together. Probably at the weekend. We should have a family quality time together.”
“That’s a great idea,” my father replied leaving me watching them in awe. These two hadn’t married yet but Cindy had taken a baby step to me.
I guessed if my mother was still alive, this what she would be doing. Cooking my favorite food. Probably gossiping about boys in school. She would hug me tight when I had a bad day. And by a mere thought of it, my tears dropped, and began to cry.
“Oh, no. Taylor, stop the car.” Cindy had probably noticed it and my father stopped to the side of the road. “Oh, Olivia. Why are you crying, sweetheart?” I couldn’t say anything. I missed my mother so much and more importantly, I missed Blake. I was just away from him for like two hours yet I couldn’t dismiss this longing for him.
I heard one of them opened the door and came to me. I didn’t know who it was when the person opened the door. Until my father wrapped his arm around me, pulling me to his chest. “Everything happened so fast. You must be still in shock but we are here to support you. You can depend on us, or at least to Cindy if you are still unable to trust me.” I could sense the honesty from him. He didn’t want anything else except me accepting him as my father.
I raised my head and looked at him. “I just…miss my mother. I lost her at a very young age and I can’t do anything like what mother and daughter usually do when I’m in high school,” I said.
“I’ll do everything to you,” Cindy said. “I might be a newbie as a parent but I can practice.” I laughed slow. She was trying her best.
My father, or maybe I should call him dad wiped my tears away. “Give Cindy a chance, Olivia,” he stated.
“And what about you?”
He laughed nervously. “If you can give me the chance, I’m willing to take it.”
“Well, I am giving you a chance. It might be awkward first but this is our step.”
“You’re right.” And he landed his lips on my forehead and went back to his seat. He started to drive again. Two hours later, we had arrived at my new home. It was so modern yet looked so simple from the outside.
I walked out of the car where dad grabbed our bags from the trunk. Cindy wrapped her arm around my shoulder as we looked at each other. “Come on. Let’s give you some tour around the house.”
Cindy guided me inside the house. I entered where the living room looked amazing. It was so tidy with a single red chair on the side and a long couch behind the table. There was a television on top of the wooden table. Wooden floor, some wooden walls, dad had a taste in woods.
“Taylor likes modern design,” Cindy stated but that was what I was thinking. “Come, let’s see your room.”
We went to the second floor and stopped in front of a room at the end of the corner. She opened it as I was amazed by the interior. A double bed with white sheets and a gray comforter. A fluffy-looking carpet with a hanging chair. This room was beautiful.
“You like it?” Cindy asked and I turned to her.
“I love it.”
“Oh, God. I’m so glad. Actually, I chose all of the stuff here,” she announced.
“You are?” And she nodded her head. “I hope you will enjoy your stay here, Olivia. Because I think Taylor wanted it too.” I could only smile at her words. “I will grab the rest of your stuff by myself tomorrow.” And I lost my smile instantly. I knew what she meant.
“I’m sorry I can’t come.” Even without had to wait for Cindy to ask me, I immediately gave the hint to her that I didn’t want to go. I couldn’t go back there. Not with Blake around.
“Hey, you don’t have to say sorry. I understand,” she said and then I heard some footsteps which clearly belonged to my father. He came while bringing all my bags. Cindy turned when she sensed his presence behind her. “She loves the room.”
“Really? Thank God,” he said in relief and he walked in and put the bags on top of the bed.
“Are you hungry? I think you are especially after the long ride and it’s already two hours late from lunch. I will make something for us,” she said and walked out. Leaving me and my dad.
He turned to me while looking around the room. “Well, Cindy is very excited to have you here. She has not stayed here for now but she will be starting next month.”
“She will be a great mother,” I said.
“She will, for you.”
“It just feels…weird. She used to be my step-aunt and now my step-mother.”
“Well, life sure has its way to twists us up,” he commented.
“I agree.”
“Say, about your school. You can continue in your current school but before that—”
“I want to continue there,” I cut his words. I didn’t want to move to a new one and be separated from my friends, not with Karen and Josh. I could bear being separated from Blake, but not my friends.
“Okay. Well, starting the new academic year, your name would be changed.” I knew that. I was no longer a Morgan anymore. “Okay.” He was about to leave when I stopped him by holding the tip of his t-shirt.
“Um, I want to help Cindy,” I said nervously but he only smiled. He allowed me to go out of the room first and he escorted me to his massively stunning kitchen. I found Cindy in front of the stove and as she sensed my presence, she looked up to me and smiled. I went to her and immediately helped her.
This would be my new life. Maybe it was meant to be. From this day forward, I would be Olivia Graham. And that’s why…
Goodbye, Blake.
***
Blake
I was in the living room while waiting for Cindy to pack all Olivia’s stuff from her bedroom. I just returned last night I was tired as fuck. Not physically but mentally tired. I heard Cindy walking downstairs, taking the last box from Olivia’s room. From what used to be Olivia’s room.
“Help me out, will you?” she asked and I stood up. Taking one of the boxed and headed to her car. None of us were talking since she came to my house. Not even bothered to tell me how Olivia was doing. She did not even ask me why I did that back in the hotel. Just nothing.
I put the last box and Cindy closed the trunk. “Thanks,” she said and headed to her door. “My wedding will be held next month,” she informed and opened the door. Grabbing something inside and handed it to me.
A wedding invitation to her and Taylor’s.
“I want you to come but Olivia will be there as well so…it’s up to you if you want to come or not.”
I smirked at her statement. “Are you truly inviting me?”
“Yes. Our parents will be there as well. They miss you.”
“I’ll come, Cindy. Don’t worry.” As soon as she heard my answer, she got into the car and turned on the engine.
“I can’t understand your decision, Blake,” she suddenly said. Oh, she can’t?
“I thought that’s what you wanted in the first place. For dropping my adoption to Olivia.”
“I know that but I never expected you to do that. You just broke her heart. There are nicer ways to tell her that you don’t want to adopt her anymore. Let me remind you something, big brother. Olivia is going to be my daughter and I won’t let anyone, not even my brother to hurt my daughter.”
I was speechless. I didn’t want to talk about this now.
Cindy closed the door but she lowered her window down. “She cried on our way home yesterday. She said she missed her mother but I know she missed you. She was shocked thanks to your noble action,” she stated sarcastically. “You love her, Blake. Not as a daughter but as a woman. There’s nothing you can do now that she has become my daughter. You will be her uncle.” And the damn fact hurt me bad. “I’ll see you again soon, Blake. Probably at my wedding,” she parted ways with me and drove away.
I looked at her car before I walked inside my house. Slamming the door hard and punched the wall. My hand was hurting like motherfucker but I paid it no attention. This was nothing compared to my heart. “Fucking hell!”
I still remembered. The hurt from Olivia’s face yesterday. It pained me since I had to let her go. I did not want to but it must be done. Olivia was not ready, and the only thing I could do was by letting her go. When I called Cindy that I had decided to let Olivia go, it pained me. Like a thousand knives pierced right through my chest.
I would not be seeing her again. I would come home from the office without her smile. I would be alone for the rest of my fucking life. “Fuck. Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” I punched the wall many times and slide myself into the floor.
Some part of me regretted my decision. “Olivia.” Stupid me for letting her go. “Olivia.” I was such a dumbass. “Olivia.” Or I was being smarty pants? I had no fucking idea anymore. The pain in my heart was incomparable to what my mother had done to me. I felt like some part of me was gone.
Olivia took it. I let her go. Cindy was right.
I loved her, not as a daughter but as a woman. Since the day I laid my eyes on Olivia when she was born, there was a magnet pulling me to her. It must be crazy to some people but my protective instinct kicked in when I was with her.
That was why I divorced.
That’s why I let her go now.
“Olivia, I love you. I love you so fucking much.” But even though I loved her…
Goodbye, Olivia.
THE END FOR PART ONE