lost little one

chapter 18

lizzie's pov:
i awoke to the insistent ringing of my phone, wondering who could possibly be calling at such an early hour. with a groggy hand, i retrieved it from the bedside table, noting it was ashley on the caller id before answering.

"ashley, what's going on?" i mumbled.

"are you free today?" she inquired.

"yeah, i am" i replied, now fully awake.

"cool, we're going out" she announced.

"where to?" i asked, curiosity piqued.

"to this amazing restaurant. mary-kate will be there too, along with mary's friend, robbie" she explained.

"okay, i'll need to bring lia along" i mentioned.

"sure, that's fine" she confirmed.

"what time and which restaurant?" i asked, eager to make plans.

"12 o'clock at otium. it's not far from you" she informed me.

"i'll be there. lia's been missing you anyway" i said.

"i've missed her too. she's such a sweetheart" ashley remarked fondly.

"well, see you later" we exchanged farewells before ending the call.

** time skip to when lia is awake **

as my bedroom door creaked open, i glanced up from my book to find lia standing in the doorway. i patted the space next to me, inviting her to join.

"good morning" i greeted with a smile, planting a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"morning, mom" she replied, returning the smile.

"how are you feeling today, honey?" i inquired, concerned.

"i'm okay, mom" she reassured me.

"that's good. we have some last-minute plans, is that alright with you?" i asked, ensuring her comfort.

"sure, mom. what are we doing?" she responded, her curiosity piqued.

"do you remember my sister ashley and mary-kate?" i prompted, and she nodded in recognition.

"ashley invited us for lunch today at noon" i explained. "mary-kate will be joining us, along with her friend robbie."

"okay" she replied softly. i sensed her unease.

"what's on your mind, dear?" i inquired, concerned.

"nothing" she shrugged, but her demeanor hinted otherwise.

"is it about meeting robbie?" i reassured her, "i'll be right there with you, and if mary-kate knows him, he must be alright. i'll stay close, sweetie."

"okay" she responded softly.

"are you sure you'll be okay?" i asked, wanting to ease her worries.

"i'll be fine" she replied, her tone more confident now. "you'll be there, like you said."

** time skip to at the restaurant **

as lia and i entered the restaurant, or rather, as i entered while carrying lia in my arms, i scanned the room and spotted mary-kate and ashley with a man who i assumed was robbie. making my way to the table, i gently set lia down beside me before taking my seat next to her.

"lizzie, this is robbie; robbie, this is lizzie and lia" ashley introduced us.

"hello, robbie" i greeted him with a smile, extending my hand.

"it's nice to meet you" he smiled, shaking my hand.

"you too" i replied.

"is this your daughter?" he asked, glancing at lia.

"yes this is lia" i confirmed, and lia looked up at him.

"hello there" he greeted, but lia remained silent. she seemed a bit nervous, understandably so.

"sorry, she's a little shy" i assured him.

"that's okay" he responded kindly.

"lia, should we look at the menu?" i suggested.

"sure, mom" she agreed.

i handed her a menu and helped her look through it. after a bit of deliberation, lia chose the french toast, and i opted for the porridge.

noticing they had cookies, i asked lia if she wanted one, and she did. she chose the peanut butter cookie. lia also chose water, and i decided to have the same.

as everyone else started perusing the menus, ashley decided on a smoked brisket sandwich with water. mary-kate opted for the otium breakfast, also with water, and robbie chose avocado toast with water as well.

when the waiter returned to take our orders, we all placed them, and when the bill came, i quickly tapped my card before my sisters could protest. they always disliked me paying, but i knew they would understand.

we all chatted for a while, and lia joined in the conversation, albeit not much. eventually, mary-kate and ashley became engrossed in their own discussion, while robbie and i found ourselves engaged in our own.

"so, what do you do for work?" robbie inquired.

"i'm an actor. what about you?" i responded politely.

"i'm a musician. i'm part of the band milo greene" he revealed.

"oh, wow, okay" i replied, surprised by his unexpected profession.

after some more chatting, our food and drinks arrived, so we began eating while continuing our conversation about various topics.

once we all finished our meals, we chatted a bit longer before the waiter returned to clear our dishes. we expressed our gratitude, and she assured us it was no trouble at all. she seemed genuinely kind.

soon, we decided that it was time to leave. so me and robbie exchanged numbers as he seemed nice and we got along. after that, we all said our goodbyes and me and lia left to go home.

we arrived back home now, and we both got out of the car, heading inside. lia asked if we could watch a film, so of course, i agreed.

i grabbed a snack for each for us, as we wouldn't be that hungry since we just ate, but it's there if we want it. it doesn't matter too much if we don't have it.

as we sat down on the couch, lia cuddled up to me, and i wrapped the blanket over the two of us. i scrolled through disney+ until lia saw a movie she wanted to watch, so i put it on.

eliana's pov:
robbie seemed alright, but i still harbored doubts about whether i could truly trust him. just like savannah and alex were once close until things soured, and i found myself unfairly blamed for it.

their circle of friends left me questioning whether their behavior was typical or if they were simply terrible people. their actions left scars, making it difficult for me to trust anyone, especially men, given the extent of the betrayal by savannah and her group.

i'd rather endure physical pain than relive the emotional torment they inflicted. it's a trauma that remains etched in my memory, haunting me to this day.

authors note:

word count: 1063