THE RETURN

Chapter 52

Why isn't there anymore with pools?" Noah asked as he dug his body further in between Elliot and Olivia.

At that moment the four of them were spread out on one couch, all trying to get a glimpse at the single screen Elliot was holding in his right hand. They had begun the house hunting with a boy beside each of them, peering into opposite phones. However, it had quickly become a dog pile on the couch as they all tried to peer at the other places on the other phone. The end result had ended with Olivia and Elliot laying longways, side by side, facing towards one another. With his back against the back of the couch, Elliots left arm was wrapped securely around her body to prevent her from falling off the couch. Noah had wedged himself in the small space between them, effectively laying on their sides. Eli had draped himself over Elliot's right side, using his chest as a place for his head. All of their eyes were staring at the phone in Elliot's right hand.

Olivia smiled, "Pools are hard to get in the city baby. The houses here don't really have enough backyard space for a pool, and condos with pools are pretty hard to come by in our price range."

Noah sighed, "I think we should stay with the condo then. So we have to spend like a minute each way in the elevator, it's not that bad."

Eli nodded his head against his dad's chest, "I agree. None of these other places have the commodities that this one comes with. A pool, a gym...another bedroom with a bathroom. It's the total package."

"It's the total package until there's a fire," Elliot mumbled. He wasn't sure when his negative feeling towards the condo appeared, but up until a while ago he really didn't care as long as Olivia was happy. He would still move into the condo if she absolutely loved it, but the more he looked at the other options available, the more he wanted to stir away from the condo. The thought of being as high as they were going to be made him more and more uneasy.

Olivia tilted her head up to look at him. The ability for her to read him so well, was one that she had not lost throughout the years. The look on his face was one of contentment, with a small sign of irritation. "So, the height is only a little bit bothering you?" She asked with a smile on her face.

He looked down at her and smiled back, "Maybe a little more than a bit. But think about this logically." His eyes drifted between all of them as he spoke, "Liv, you work anywhere from eight to 20 hour work days, depending on your caseload. Imagine that ride up when all you want to do is fall into a comfortable blanket. And you two also, after school or baseball or dance practice, do you really want to ride up that elevator. I mean I'm dreading having to go up it once a day, when in reality we'll all be going up it four or more times a day. It just sounds exhausting. And don't even get me started if there's a fire because..."

"Okay dad, we get it." Eli grunted.

"Yeah... da... El... Elliot, we get it." What started as a smile on the young boy's face, turned into a small frown when he finished the sentence.

The simultaneous look between the two adults, was followed by a look in Eli's direction. Elliot wanted nothing more than for Noah to call him dad, however he didn't want to make that step before speaking to Eli about it. When he was met with a smile and slight nod of the head, he leaned his head down to kiss the twelve year old on his temple.

The instant lifting of his body off his dad, cause Elliot to laugh. "Gross dad."

Once Eli was completely off of them, with his behind settled against the opposite arm of the couch and his legs stretched over theirs, Elliot looked down at Noah. He wasn't exactly sure how to tell the young boy, but he decided that whatever came out of his mouth would be good enough. If it wasn't, Olivia would help him along. "Hey Noah." He waited for his eyes to drift up to him, before continuing. "You know buddy, if you want me to be, I would be honored to be your dad."

The instant smile that spread against the young boys face accompanied his light squeal of excitement perfectly, "Really!?"

"Yeah, baby, really." Olivia whispered.

"That means I can call you dad?"

Elliot smiled and ran the fingers of his right hand through Noah's hair, "If you would like to call me dad."

"Yes! I do!"

Elliot accepted the boys flying arms gratefully, even effectively pulling his arm out from underneath Olivia, to wrap both around him. He laid a light kiss to the boys curls. Olivia's son had accepted him as a father, just as much as he accepted him as a son. "I love you, son."

"I love you too, dad."

His smile widened as his arms wrapped tighter around him. He opened his eyes slightly to peer at the woman beside him. Her eyes and cheeks were full of tears and her lips were curved into a smile. When her lips mouthed, "I love you," to him, he mouthed them back.

"Can I introduce you as my dad too?" Noah asked as he started lifting himself off Elliot's body.

"Of course you can."

"Thanks El... I mean dad!" He gave Elliot one last squeeze before turning his body towards Olivia, almost knocking her off of the couch in the process. Luckily, between the three of them, with Noah grabbing ahold of her waist, Eli grabbing hold of her legs and Elliot grabbing her hands, she was able to catch herself. "Sorry mom!"

Her laugh died off long enough for her to say, "it's okay baby. Now I know between the three of you, I'll never fall."

"Never! Thanks for giving me a dad mom."

And just like that the look of laughter on her face changed to look full of happy emotion. The tears that escaped her eyes came faster than she could stop them. "Oh Noah..."

The boy smiled and leaned in to lay a kiss on her cheek, "Only happy tears mom."

She laughed lightly, "They are, they are, I promise you."

His nod was followed by a turning of his body between them, so that he was once again on his back, "Since we don't want a fire hazard, can we keep looking at places dad?"

Since the moment the young boy had called him dad, Elliot's face had been a picture of pure emotion. One of those faces that had every emotion available in it. "Of course we can." As Eli draped his body back over Elliot's, his eyes drew to Olivia's. Her eyes seemed to meet his perfectly because the amount of emotion they saw within one another's, caused tears to fall from both.

Their lips leaned in at the same time. The gentleness of the kiss accompanied their emotions perfectly. It was short, but it carried just as much meaning as they did when they were long and sensual.

Although it didn't need saying, he whispered, "I love you."

"I love you too Elliot, so much