They were the first ones I called that morning, telling them that I missed them and was sorry that I didn't get to see them over the holidays and that if they would fly out and meet me halfway, I would spend the week with them. It took everything I had not to break down and cry during the conversation. I know my mother could sense that something was wrong, but she didn't hesitate to buy their plane tickets so that they could be on the earliest flight out, so we would arrive at the airport the same time.
I left Cash and Claudia a note addressed to both of them, telling them that I had to get away for a while to think. That was it, short and sweet and to the point. I left it with the nurse to give them for when they showed up.
I texted Amelia, letting her know that I was going to see my parents and where I would be, but to not tell anyone where I was and that I would be back by Sunday of the next week for the children. She told me not to worry and for me to rest.
My first stop was to the nearest Walmart to buy some clothes to wear, because all I had with me was the gown I had worn to the New Year’s Eve party. Trust me, I got a lot of looks while I was in there, but I really didn't care. I was on a mission to get out of town and I didn't want anyone trying to change my mind.
Before I boarded my flight, my cell phone finally started blowing up with calls and texts from Cash and Claudia. I hit the ignore button and turned it off. Neither one of them could say anything to change my mind about taking a break from everything for a few days.
Yes. I am furious at him, but more heart broken than anything and I realize that all that Claudia did was what I asked her to do. She defended me to Cash, but she also announced it to the world and I didn't want him finding out like that. I just can't let her get into my head and I do not want to hear anything negative about Cash. I heard enough negativity from him last night to last a lifetime and I didn't want to rehash everything.
I started crying as soon as I sat down in my seat in the first class section of the plane. I couldn't handle dealing with the public sitting in coach and wanted to be as alone as I possibly could. I normally don't splurge on anything like a first class ticket, but honestly, I didn't care about anything but seeing my parents and longing for their hugs.
My flight landed a few minutes before theirs did and I was waiting for them in the baggage claim area when I saw them. My heart skipped an extra beat and I took off running towards them and jumped into my dad’s arms like I was a little girl all over again, and he had the power to take all of my pain away.
My mother started crying and was patting me on the back and kept asking me what was wrong and I just told her that I had missed them so much, and that I was fine now since I was with them. Dad went to get us a rental car to take us to the resort that I booked for the three of us, while Mom and I stood outside waiting for him to pick us up.
"Honey? I know something's wrong. Do you want to talk about it? You're so skinny, have you been eating enough?" Oh, if only she knew how soon I was going to balloon up all over.
"Mom, I can't talk about it right now, okay? Can we go get something to eat before we go to the resort and we can talk then? I'm starving!"
"That's fine honey, but I need to know what's going on when you feel like talking. I'm so worried about you. You're not acting like yourself."
"I know, Mom. I feel better now, though, since I'm with you and Dad. I've missed you both so much!"
I leap towards her and give her another hug and she hugs me back. This is what I've been missing the most! It feels so safe and secure in my mother’s arms, hoping that she can make everything all better.
Dad pulls up in the rental and Mom and I both get in the back seat, so that Dad could chauffeur us around like he used to when I was a teenager. Mom and I giggled all the way to the restaurant, while Dad kept calling us Madam Olivia and Madam Elizabeth and asking where we wanted him to take us.
We arrived at the steakhouse and go in to get seated. Our waitress is very nice and after Dad heard all of the specials of the day, he ordered for the three of us. He did when he would take Mom and I out on dates and it seemed like old times, so Mom and I just laughed and went along with it.
After our waitress finished taking our orders, both of them stared at me, waiting for me to tell them what was going on. To have parents drop everything in their lives for a full week with absolutely no explanation, they deserved to know what was going on with their only child, so I tell them everything up until the pregnancy news. Mom was the first one to say anything.
"Oh, Sweetheart. It sounds like you've truly met your soul mate and Henry? It sounds like we may be getting a couple of grandchildren that sound absolutely sweet and gorgeous." Dad nods at her and grabs her hand, but he's staring at me in wait for why I seem so devastated.
"Yes Elizabeth, I heard that too, but Olivia. Something has happened, hasn't it? Has he hurt you? If he has, then it’s time that I introduce myself to this Cash Kingston! I don't care how big his castle is or how much money he has. He's hurt you, hasn't he?" Silent tears fall from my face, while I nod at my father.
"Yes Daddy, but I know in my heart that he still loves me and in his own way he can't help it. The thing is. I don't know how else to say this other than to just spit it out but, I'm pregnant. You are going to be grandparents again and I’m having twins!" My mother was the first one to react, while my father stayed quiet.
"You are? Twins? Oh Olivia! That's wonderful news! I think I'm going to cry. After Derek and the kids died, I never in a million years thought that you would ever again... Oh, I'm so happy! So, does this mean you two will be getting married? Isn't this wonderful news, Henry? Our baby girl is having twins, sweetheart!"
"I heard her Lizzie, but something has changed and I can feel it. What happened, Olivia?" I can't get anything past my father.
"Do you remember me telling you about how his wife Vanessa died? In childbirth? Well, he has it in his head that I'm going to die too. When he looks at any pregnant woman, he thinks they've been given some sort of a death sentence."
"But Honey, you've always had such easy pregnancies and deliveries, haven't you told him that? Were you trying to get pregnant?" I shook my head.
"In the beginning of our relationship, he flat out told me that Gideon and Eden would have to be enough for me as far as children go, which they were, they are. If I were not pregnant now, I could help raise them for the rest of my life and love them as my own as I already do. I told him that I was fine with his conditions, but that if I were already pregnant we would just deal with it, to which his response was that I would get rid of it." Both of my parents are shocked at what I just said and my father looks furious.
"He can't make you do anything that you don't want to do! It's time I met him and give him a piece of my mind!"
"I know, Daddy. Trust me. I stood up for myself, he didn't like it, but I guess you could say we agreed to disagree and left it at that. Never in a million years did I think that I was already pregnant when we had that conversation." I reach for my glass of water, because this is the most that I've talked in days and I'm dying of thirst. I have to remember that I just got out of the hospital just this morning.
"So, let’s fast forward to last night. I sort of got into it with one of his employees at the party, and Claudia came to my defense and screamed at her that I was pregnant and that was how he found out." Mom gasped and held her hand to her mouth.
"How he found out what? That you were pregnant? Olivia? Do you mean to tell me that you didn't even tell him when you found out? How far along are you, honey?"
"I'm 13 weeks pregnant and no, I couldn't tell him, because I didn't want to fight about getting rid of it, so I wanted to wait until I was too far along for him to even consider it. He was furious by finding out that way." This time it was my dad that spoke up.
"Olivia, I honestly can't blame him. You've been lying to him for what? Weeks? And he finds out at a party in front of his employees? I imagine he's probably embarrassed."
"Honestly Dad, I co
uld care less if he's embarrassed. The first thing he said to me was that we could make an appointment first thing Monday morning to get rid of it. When I told him how far along I was, he asked me to choose. Either him or the babies. When I wouldn't choose, he told me that I should move back in with Claudia and then he said I could stay with Gideon and Eden while he went to China for a couple of months for work."
"Oh, honey. You're talking so fast you're making me dizzy! Where do you two stand now?"
"Well, I was admitted to the hospital last night after our huge argument, because I passed out due to dehydration and exhaustion and probably the stress of the argument." I squint my eyes for the shouts that I know are coming from both of them.
"What? You were in the hospital and you didn't tell us?"
"We are your parents! We should have been called! Does Claudia know? She should have called us!"
"Yes, Claudia knows and I'm fine. I begged the doctor to release me early, so that I could get away and I had to swear that I would stay hydrated and get plenty of rest. Amelia, Cash's mother, suggested that I visit you both, so that I could think while she watched the kids this week. She's the only one that knows where I'm at, so if Claudia calls you, please tell her you've talked to me and that I'm fine, but please don't tell her where we are."
"Why are you so mad at Claudia?"
"It's not that I'm mad at her exactly. She really let Cash have it and I was proud of her, but I guess I'm more upset that I didn't get the chance to tell Cash the way I wanted to, instead of her just blurting it out the way she did. I also don't want to hear her bashing Cash. I still love him! I can't help it and he's... Well, I knew he wasn't going to have the best reaction, but I just assumed that our love for each other would cause him to change his mind about the way he feels about pregnancy. I guess I was in denial."
"Well honey, I don't mean to defend Claudia, but if you wouldn't have lied in the first place, she wouldn't have been put into that situation. I've always said, one lie turns into hundreds of lies to cover the first lie and that's why honesty is always the best policy."
"I know, Daddy. And you're right. I was wrong in keeping it from him. I am guilty of that and I owe him an apology for that, but he owes me so much more. He broke my heart! I don't know where we go from here. So, that's why I called you two. I need my parents more than I've ever needed you two. When Derek and the kids died, there was nothing that you could do to help me but to just love me and let me cry and try to accept that they were gone. There was nothing to fix. What was done was done. Now, I need rest and time to think about what to do next and fun! Lots and lots of fun! I'm so sick of crying!"
"Honey, your father and I are getting old. I don't know how much fun we can get in to."
"You're in your fifties. You're not even close to old age. Dad can golf, while we go shopping and we can go to dinner every night. They have a spa at the resort, massages, pedicures, manicures. I don't care what we do as long as we have fun doing it, okay Mom?" I finally get a giggle out of her.
"Okay, Sweetie. You know how I love to shop. But let’s do that tomorrow. All I want you to do today is eat and rest! You're feeding three people dear and we need to fatten you up for the babies!"
Oh, how I love her. Both of them. I'm so relieved that I didn't get the third degree for getting pregnant out of wedlock or sleeping with Cash too soon. It's nice to finally be of age to be friends with my parents with no judgments and nothing but unconditional love.
********************
A couple of hours later, after all of us were full from our dinner, we headed to the resort that I had booked for all of us. Mom and Dad were surprised that I got us separate suites and didn't like that I had spent so much money on them.
I told them that I just wanted them to have some privacy and to feel like they were on their honeymoon again without worrying about their daughter being in the next room. I didn't miss the look that Dad had given Mom, and I could tell that he was happy about my decision.
"Honey, please get some rest tonight. Thank you so much for this gift you've given us. You know I've always begged your father to take me away for a weekend, but he always complained about the money.
You have always truly been our gift from God and have been such a blessing to our lives. We love you, sweetheart."
"Oh, Mom! Please don't make me cry! Just knowing that I can treat you both after everything you've done for me, makes me so happy. And I promise! I bet I'm asleep in five minutes, I'm so exhausted."
Ten minutes later, I've brushed my teeth and put a tank top and shorts on to sleep in and crawl into bed. I know I shouldn't, but I pull my phone out of my purse to see how many phone calls and texts I have. It takes five minutes for my phone to stop sending notifications and pull my voicemail and texts up.
There are over 100 texts from Cash and almost just as many from Claudia, and around 20 voicemails from both of them.
I can't help myself but to look to see what they both had to say. I look at Cash's first.
Why did you leave without letting anyone know? Have you thought about the safety of the babies?
Seriously? Now he cares? They're babies now and not fetuses?
.
I thought we were partners? You can't just disappear without telling anyone where you're going.
Your Dr. is an idiot! Does she not know how long 24 hours actually is?
Liv, I'm sorry. I love you.
Turn your damn phone on! Do you have any idea how worried I am about you?
Okay. Enough of that. I'm curious to see what Claudia has to say.
I'm so sorry. Please forgive me! I'm a shit! Please talk to me.
At least Claudia agrees with me about something.
Just letting you know that Cash
is going crazy looking for you. I've never seen him so scared!
Caleb told me to tell you that I'm an Idiot! No really, this is Caleb on Claudia's phone. I understand why you left, Olivia. Take all of the time that you need. My brother needs to wake up and realize what a blessing he has in you and the babies. Your parents said you were fine, try and get some rest.
Well, at least someone agreed with me about why I left. I ought to call Claudia, but I don't have the energy for the conversation. My phone starts ringing and it’s Cash, so I ignore it and let it go to voicemail. I can't bear to listen to the voicemails, because I know that if I hear his voice, I'll just melt and end up calling him.
He doesn't leave me a voicemail, but instead texts me and his text unnerves me and I have no idea how he knew. I turn my phone off, because I know it's the only way that I'm going to get any sleep, but all I could think about as I was falling asleep was what his text said.
I know you've turned your phone back on. I will find you, Liv. We need to talk. Why do you always have to run away from me? Why, Liv? Why?
********************
I hear a knock on the door, so I crawl out of bed and open it. Derek is standing there smiling down at me.
"Hey honey, how's it going?"
"Derek? Oh my God!" I leap into his arms and it felt like old times, when we were dating and I was still in high school.
"I guess that answers my question. You do still miss me." He leans down and gives me a tender kiss.
"Of course I still miss you! I'll always miss you!" I look behind him. "Where are the kids? Why am I having a dream like this? I've never had a dream about you without it being...."
"I know, Honey. I don't know why you're dreaming about just me right now, but I'm glad because I really need to talk to you." Oh no. The last time I talked to him in a dream, he seemed hurt and angry.
"What about? I'm so sorry that I moved on. It's not because I don't still love and miss you or the kids. I just..." He put his finger over my lips to stop me from saying anything.
"Shhh. Olivia. It's okay. I'm so happy for ya girl. Can't you feel that? Cash is good for you. I'm not going to lie, though. Did you have to find someone better looking than me? That made me a little je
alous, but he's really a good man and he loves you just as much as I do. Maybe more, if I have to admit it."
"Derek. I know you loved me."
"I know you knew, but I'm so sorry I couldn't show you in the right way. I loved you the only way that I knew how. You deserve to be worshipped, Olivia, and Cash is the guy for you, he's just a little stubborn is all and he's going to be alright about the babies. They're beautiful by the way."
"How can you say this to me after what I've done to you? What I've done to the kids?" He smiles that crooked smile of his and grabs both of my hands with his, as he's standing in front of me.
"Honey. What happened was an accident. In no way was it your fault, baby. Where we are? The four of us? Is so beautiful and peaceful. My parents are there, ya know. and we see glimpses of your life and are so glad that you're finally happy, and are happy for you that you're finally living, Olivia! That's all that we ask. Is that you live your life and move on."
"But I have so many questions to ask you about the kids, about the babies..." I hear a knock at the door.
"Open the door, Olivia." He's smiling at me with that adorable baby face of his that I had been beginning to forget how handsome he was.
"I don't want to. I'm afraid if I do, you're going to leave."
"I'll always be with you, honey. Open the door and just remember to live your life and love those babies, all of them. Just live, Olivia."
I look at him and I open the door and all of a sudden I'm raised up in my bed and everything is dark. I look over at the clock on the night stand and it's six in the morning. I had fallen asleep around ten and still feel absolutely exhausted. I hear a knock at the door and I jump out of my bed and run to open it, hoping that maybe it's Derek and he's brought the children this time.
"Derek?"
"No, Liv. It's me." Oh my God! Cash! How did he find me?
Lost and Found Page 31
