Semper Fi

Bringing up Old Shit

"You got them both down ok?" Olivia asked from the couch.

"Yeah they are both out cold," Elliot responded. His happiness at Noah calling him daddy was being temporarily overshadowed by the irritation he still felt towards her. Instead of joining her on the couch he went over to the kitchen and grabbed a beer.

"So you gonna tell me what's wrong with you now?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

He continued to drink in the kitchen and looked out of the window instead of making eye contact with her.

"El you didn't talk to me during dinner and you've been distant all night," she explained walking over to the kitchen. She wrapped her arms around his waist from behind. "Come on what's wrong? Talk to me."

He leaned into her touch and took some steadying breaths trying to calm down before he talked. He didn't want to end up in a screaming match.

Frustrated with his silence she turned him around to face her, took his beer out of his hand and put her arms around his neck. "Please. Talk to me. We said we would always be honest with each other."

"Yeah we did," he countered.

"Are you implying that I haven't been honest?" She pulled her arms from around his neck and folded them defensively.

"You tell me. When is Noah's adoption going to be finalized?" he asked angrily.

"At the end of next week. Why?" she asked confused.

"Why didn't you tell me? You haven't mentioned when it would be final. You don't think I would've wanted to be there and to be a part of everything? Hmm? Why didn't you tell me about his biological father?"

"Wait Elliot hold on," she said holding up her hands in a stop gesture. "I didn't purposely keep that from you. I told you everything about the adoption when I first told you about Noah. It just hasn't come up recently. As far as everything with his biological dad, I just didn't want to talk about all of that. It's a very sensitive subject for me because I'm worried that he will try and get some rights to Noah."

"And don't you think I could've helped you with that?"

"I know you could've but I don't want you to. Elliot, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings truly I didn't. I plan on having a party or something after the adoption goes through and I want you there. Everyone will be there."

"A party afterwards? What about the actual adoption? You don't want me there for that?"

She was silent and looked down and his eyes widened with realization. She really didn't want him to be a part of the process.

"Wow. You really don't do you?" he said rubbing his hand down his face. "Why Liv? Why don't you want me to be a part of this?"

She walked back to the living room with him following close behind. She sat down and tried to choose her words very carefully.

"Elliot. I—You have to understand. Becoming Noah's mother legally is all I have thought about over the past year. It is the single most important thing I think I have ever done in my life. But when I started the process of fostering him and adopting him I did it by myself and I want to finish it that way," she explained. She seemed legitimately sorry for hurting him but she was firm in her position.

"Wow." It was all he could say. He couldn't believe that she was going to shut him out of this. "We are supposed to be in a relationship. Something this big we should be doing together."

"You are here for me and I appreciate that. More than you know but I just want your support Elliot. Nothing else," she explained. "I have to do this alone."