Strong [A Barson Fan Fic]

- 23 -

Olivia stared at her engagement ring and couldn't believe that it was really hers and that she was engaged to the man she loved more than words could ever describe. 

"Mama!" Ezra screamed from his bedroom, and Olivia had to finally take her eyes away from her ring before opening the door and walking in to see her son. Ezra was preparing himself to scream again, but stopped when he saw his mother.

"Mama! Hi!" Ezra exclaimed, and Olivia smiled as she moved to her son and ran her fingers through his blonde curls before kissing the top of his head.

"Hi, Ezra. How was your nap?" Olivia asked, and Ezra didn't respond because he had grabbed his mother's hand and was staring at her ring.

"Pretty." He breathed.

"Daddy got it for me, love. And you can look at it more later. Right now, we have to get your diaper changed." Olivia smiled, before lifting her son up and covering his face in kisses.

///

While Olivia was busy with Ezra, Rafael was finishing up with the set up. He hung the banner with Ezra's name on it and then brought out all the gifts that he and Olivia bought for their little guy. By the time that Rafael had finished setting things up, his mother and grandmother had arrived.

"It looks so good back here, Rafa!" Lucia grinned, as she came into the backyard with a large stack of gifts balanced in her arms.

"Thanks, Mom. But why the hell do you have so many gifts?! He's one, and most of the stuff he gets today he will outgrow one way or another." Rafael sighed, as Catalina came over to him and gave him a tight hug.

"He's our grandbaby. We gotta spoil him." Catalina smile, as she held her grandson at arm's length, before winking at him. 

"You two are horrible." Rafael sighed, before stepping away from his grandmother and over to unlock the gate.

"So, where are Liv and Ezra?" Lucia asked, once her arms were free from gifts.

"Liv went to wake him up. She's probably just struggling to get him changed as we speak." Rafael sighed. 

///

Not long after Catalina and Lucia showed up, Adam arrived and Olivia's friend Chloe did too. The party was extremely small, but at least those around weren't faking their love for Ezra. Even Adam had a soft spot for the baby, and always brought him back a gift whenever he had to travel for work.

Olivia finally managed to get downstairs with Ezra, but stopped when someone rang the doorbell. She placed her son on her other hip, as she looked outside and saw that all of the invited guests were there.

"I wonder who is here, Ez." Olivia spoke, as she moved and opened the door.

Olivia let out a slow breath before sighing softly.

"Hello there, mother." Olivia breathed.

"Olivia." Serena replied. 

"What can I help you with? Because you made it pretty damn clear that I was no longer your daughter, and that I'm a whore, and a disappointment." 

"I wanted to meet the baby." Serena spoke awkwardly, as she looked at Ezra. She was shocked by how blonde her grandson was, but she really wasn't there to meet her grandson.

"No, Mom. You aren't here to meet him. What is the real reason?" Olivia frowned, as she shifted Ezra higher up onto her hip.

"You seem pretty well off. And I need money." Serena grumbled.

"Excuse me? You are here for money?!" Olivia spat.

"Hey, I paid for all of your shit for years! Just pay me back!" Serena yelled. Olivia quickly walked to the back door before sitting her son down onto the deck and shutting the door tightly.

Then she moved to where her mother was trying to step into the house.

"For seventeen full years, you supported me because I was too young to be out on my own. Don't you dare think that I should give you money for something that you barely even did! You treated me like shit my whole life, and show up on my son's birthday to ask for money! What the fuck is wrong with you!" Olivia spat.

"You were an expensive bastard!" Serena yelled.

"Are you talking about my surgeries? Because those could have been prevented if you didn't beat me!" Olivia screamed.

The back door opened quickly, before Rafael came running in.

"What's happening?!" Rafael demanded, before seeing Serena for the first time in person.

"This bitch had the audacity to come here and ask for money! She thinks I should repay her for the time she was raising me! Like when I was ten and I had to get surgery on my elbow because she broke it when beating the shit out of me!" Olivia growled, as went to lunge at her mother, but her fiance grabbed her and stopped her.

"Today is Ezra's birthday, and you don't need to go to jail. Now, go out back and get something to drink. I will be back soon." Rafael whispered. Olivia was about to object, but just flipped her mother off before heading outside.

After a few moments of silence, Rafael turned and looked at Serena.

"What do you need the money for? Because I'm not going to help you get high or drunk." Rafael breathed.

"Who the hell are you, anyway?" Serena growled.

"I'm going to be your son-in-law, eventually. So, why do you need our money?" Rafael asked.

Serena rolled her eyes before stepping back and pointing outside. Rafael hesitantly stepped out and saw Serena's car and a car seat in the back.

"My daughter is two and she has asthma. I need to pay for her inhaler." Serena replied.

"Y-you have another daughter? What?" Rafael breathed.

"Yeah. I made mistakes, but at least I love this kid. Now, please. I just need money to help pay for her medicine and then I'll be out of your hair." Serena sighed.

Rafael stared in disbelief, before hesitantly pulling his wallet out and passing Serena some money.

"What's her name?" Rafael asked, and Serena bit her lip as she counted the money for shoving it into her pocket.

"Why the hell do you want to-"

"Just tell me her name, okay? Because your other daughter, the one I'm engaged too, will want to know."

"Sophie. Now, I'm gonna go. Bye." Serena spoke, before running down the path and to the car. 

"God, please don't let Serena beat that little girl. Because I honestly will not think twice if I get the chance to kick her ass for abusing Olivia and Sophie."