For Better, For Worse (BWWM) | COMPLETE ✔

✔Forty One: "Nancy."

Justin

It hurt me to see Olivia this way. For two days straight, she'd been distant and I hated that she'd lost a part of herself in the argument she had with her mother.

Unlike me, Liv really wanted to keep her family together. She'd already lost her biological father and her brother and her mom was the only biological person on her life at the moment. It must've been hard.

I'd made a cup of tea for Liv and took it to her as she laid on the couch, blankly staring at the tv.

"Tea for my girl?" I sat at her legs and watched her sit up slowly so she could take the cup.

"Thank you." She smiled softly.

I stroked her cheek and pushed her hair out of her face.

She'd told me how it went with her mom at the hotel. That day, I had to hold her as she cried herself to sleep.

"What did you want to tell me the other day?" She asked me.

"It's not important right now, baby. It's okay."

"No, please. I wanna talk and think about something other than what happened with my mom. So... Please tell me. You looked really excited when you were about to tell me."

I took a breath and stroked Liv's leg before I spoke.

"I spoke with Scooter the day I went to the bakery and we spoke about recording my first single." I said.

"Okay?"

"He has some people lined up who want to help me write and record it. Some professionals."

"That's good news, right?" She smiled.

I nodded.

"Then what's the matter?"

"I can't exactly do all of that over the phone like I did when I had my meeting with Scooter so... I might need to leave for a couple of days to talk about this with the record label bosses and... stuff. I don't know if you can get off work long enough to come with but... I need to get the ball rolling: see Mama Jan about my vocals, sign some contracts, write, record... The works."

Liv looked at me as she processed all I was saying.

"I could go with you." She finally said.

"Mr Brown might need all the help he can get, Olivia, the bakery--"

"He's going to have to find someone else," she interrupted me, "I'm going to resign and we can move."

"I'm not sure I understand."

"Let's go. Let's pack up and go."

"I don't mean to be the voice of reason here, babe, but... are you saying this because you want to get away from your mom?"

"I am."

"But you can't make a decision like that so soon without thinking about it. People need you here."

"And I'll be there for as long as I can. I'm not saying we should leave tomorrow. I just want you to know that I'm ready to move on. The sooner it happens, the clearer it will be to my mom that I wasn't bluffing. Besides, after Naomi gets back to me, I'll be too busy to work at the bakery anyway."

I sighed.

"I don't want you to make hasty decisions, Liv." I said.

"And I don't want to feel like I have no control over my own life."

"Take a day or two to think about all of this. That's all I'm asking."

"I made a choice a short while ago when I told you I'd pack up and follow you if needed."