Chapter 34

"Yeah, you can go back to being our doctor."  Stephanie tells her as she turns to look at Olivia.  "The witch that mom has us going to now is terrible."  

"Well, that will be up to your mom and dad.  And just so you know Stephanie, there was never a time that I didn't want to be your doctor.  But when I admitted to myself that I loved your dad and realized that he couldn't give me what I needed, it was a constant reminder of what I could have had, what I really wanted."

"Sick kids?" she laughs, "We only see you when we were hurt, sick or sports physicals."

"No, I wanted to be able to take care of you like a mother and I wanted a a family with your dad."  Olivia smiles, remembering the dreams that she used to have, that she tucked away and thought of on bleak and dreadful days.  In her heart, she knew that she and Jon should have been together, but at no time did she ever want to COMPETE with Dorothea.  

"Did you tell my dad to leave my mom?"  Stephanie spins around on her butt to face Olivia.  "Did you say that it was either you or my mom?"

"I did."  Olivia admits, with a big case of butterflies in her stomach.  "And that was the wrong thing to do."  

Olivia and Stephanie watch Jon get off the bed sit in a chair.  He wanted to let the two of them talk, he wasn't going to stop the natural progression of things.  "What did he say?"  Stephanie wonders, "He must have said no, because you left - but you're back now."

"He didn't say no.  He didn't really give me an answer per say.  But I seen it in his eyes.  And not only that, I have dealt with your mom about all of this, way back in the day."

"You did?"  Stephanie is shocked by that.  "My mom talked to you about all of this?"

Olivia nodded and looked over at Jon and continues with, "And I lied to you Stephanie, I have been in your house."

"What one?"

"The one on the river in New Jersey."

"YOU HAVE?" she squawks at Olivia, getting up off of the bed.

Jon again joins the conversation, "She has been there, but it was after I told your mom that I wanted a divorce."

"Why did you lie, Olivia?"  the young woman demands, "Why couldn't you just tell me about it?"

Olivia slightly shakes her head, "I forgot until we just started talking.  It was so long ago.  I didn't mean to lie."

Stephanie starts a little pace of the room, "So mom has known a long time?"

Jon replies, "Yes, Stephanie she has known about Olivia."

"Then why is she acting like it's new news?  She flew us out here for old information?"

Jon gets up and walks to her, holding his daughter close, "I think she's freaked that Olivia is back in my life.  And I think your mom held onto hope and then when she seen us on the news, all of her hope was taken away." he tries to draw a conclusion for her.  His heart hurts for her, but keeping it all from her, at her age would only be counter productive.

"She never mentioned her before.  Why?"  Stephanie asks her father.

"I don't know, but I haven't mentioned her either Stephanie.  So don't hold that against her."

"I just thought that the doc moved away,. that's why we were going to the bitch mom has us going to now."

"I guess we both thought that it was better to just leave it lie, to not bring her up.  But you need to know, we didn't do it to pull one over on  you guys or to keep it from you.  Olivia was gone, so there was no point in talking about her anymore."

"Stephanie, I went to Florida to see your dad and to tell him how sorry I was that I left and that I tried to make him choose.  I love your dad and will spend the rest 

of my life making it right with him, please know that there was no plan, he had no idea that I was coming and I didn't do it to hurt anyone."  Olivia tells her, "I'm even more sorry that you had to learn about it the way that you did and that your mom dragged you and your brothers out here in the middle of the night."  Olivia takes a sigh of relief and looks at Jon.

Jon winks at her, mouthing the words I love you.   That makes Olivia smile.  A smile that reaches her eyes and tells him that they, including the kids are going to be just fine.  "Steph, it's late.  Why don't you get some sleep and we can talk about this in the morning, before we see your mom."

"I think I'm okay dad.  I was going off what mom was saying, which was bull crap."

"Well, there was some truth to it.  If you still need to talk about it in the morning, we will be more than happy to talk."  Olivia adds her few cents, feeling like they have just skated over the issue, but she could tell that Stephanie was relieved having talked about it - period.

Stephanie kisses and hugs her dad goodnight, "Good night daddy."  And then she hugs Olivia, "Good night Doc."

They both tell the young woman good night and she leaves their room, going to bed in the other room, where Jesse was already sound asleep.  Jon closes the door that adjoins their room and sits down, pulling his cigarettes from his jacket pocket.  With one in his mouth, he lights it and looks up at Olivia, standing at the window looking out at the rain coming down.  "Are you okay, babe?"  He slightly startles her as he asks, "What are you thinking?"

Olivia turns around and looks at him, "Did I make a mistake by running to you?"

Jon shakes his head and gives her a funny look, "Where the hell did that come from?"

"Well, look what's happened already." Olivia is referring to Dorothea and her inability to let go of Jon.  "Is she going to follow us around forever?"

Jon stands, taking a long drag off of his cigarette.  The smoke burns his lungs, but that's what he needed, to keep him alert.  He's exhausted from a show, the travel across country and the nonsense with Dorothea.  "Can we stop talking about her."

"Well."

"She's part of the package, to some degree.  You will have to deal with her, but I can't imagine that she will follow up anymore.  She just needed to see for herself."

"But look, she flew across country, WITH the kids to catch you with me.  Are you sure that she's going to let go."

"With her, I'm not sure of anything.  But for the most part, she's a pretty smart woman.  It's my hope that she can finally move on."

"Yeah, move on to make our lives hell and if she can't get to us, then maybe she will go off on the kids."

"She does not want me to find out that she is taking it out on the kids.  We haven't been under the same roof in months and she knows that it's over.  Taking her heart break and despair out on the kids will change the whole game."

"She is their mother, Jon."

"And I'm their father, the one that keeps them fed and in the lifestyle that they are accustomed to.  If she pulls her shit, that may change." Olivia can hear the tome in his voice changing from one of concern to one with a little bit of anger.  He's realizing that Dorothea crossed a line by showing up in Seattle.

Olivia walks over to him and takes his hand, "Babe, it's late.  Can we go to bed?"

He kisses her on the forehead, "Go ahead, I'll join you in a few minutes.  I want to check on Steph and Jesse."

She stands on her tippy toes, "As your doctor, you need to get some serious rest if you plan on performing tomorrow."

"I'll hurry.  Just want to make sure that their door are locked."  Another kiss on her forehead and he walks away.

Olivia jumps in the hot, much needed shower and waits for her man to join her.  She was looking forward to a few minutes with him a loan.  NAKED.