True Love Forms

Four

Nick's POV

I walk past Olivia's room to see her and Emily sitting on the bed. Olivia looked like there were tears in the corner of her eyes.

"Olivia, are you okay?" I ask as I walk in. "Yea. Yea I'm fine." She says, wiping at her eyes a little as a tear or two fell.

"What's wrong?" I ask as I go and sit next to her.

"I just.... I just miss my grandmother. She was there my whole life and I could never even imagine a life where she wasn't there as my child grew up. Then she died so suddenly and my world was crumbling again. The rain crashed against me and I didn't know what to do. I was terrified. Not even Sofia and her family could help me through that." She told me.

"My grandmother died when I was thirteen. It'll take awhile, but time will heal you from it." I tell her. "That's probably the most cliché thing I've ever been told in my life!" She said with a smile.

"It got you smiling didn't it?" I ask. "Yea." She said. "When was the first time your world was crumbling?" I say, using her words. "Fourteen months ago. When Michael left me and I got kicked out of home." She said.

I was about to say something when she spoke again. "I had just told him I was pregnant with his child. He refused to believe that the child was his. I almost lost Emily before she was born." She tells me. "You.... what?!" I ask.

"He took a strike at me for trying to wreck his life. I was lucky that Emily didn't get hurt, but it was a pretty close call." She says and I look down at Emily on Olivia's other side.

She was sitting there in her pajamas with a teething ring in her mouth, her brown curls hanging around her sky blue eyes. Olivia's eyes were sea blue.

"That's terrible." I say. "I know. Dad and my stepmom were in the living room when I went in that day. I told them that I was pregnant. They told me to pack my bags and go. So I did." She says.

"I thought you had a hard time letting guys in." I say. "I trust you." She said with a slight shrug. "Good, because I will never ever hurt you or Emily." I told her. "I know. Emily's a good judge of character and she's never upset around you. She trusts you." She says.

"Tell me something about you nobody else knows." She says. "Will you tell me something about you that nobody knows if I do?" I ask. "Sure." She says.

"I have always wanted to one day have a family of my own." I say and she smiled. "You'll love it when it happens. Um.... I secretly believe in fairytales." She says.

"Oh really?" I ask. "Yep. I've always imagined myself a Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty." She says.

"Well, I think that you could be a princess." I say. "Really?" She asks. "You're intelligent, caring, sweet, loving, funny, and beautiful. The perfect princess." I say.

"You think princess have to be beautiful?" She asks. "On the inside, yes. I believe that inner beauty shines through to the outside. Like you." I say and she smiles.

"Thank you." She says. "You're welcome." I say. "What makes you believe that inner beauty shines through?" She asks. "My aunt taught me that a few years ago." I shrug.

Emily yawned quietly and Olivia picked her up, carrying her over to the crib I had helped dad put in here for Olivia & Emily.

I listen as she hums to her daughter. She's so, so beautiful. She's also probably the strongest person I've ever met.

"You're pretty strong, you know that?" I ask. "How do you figure that?" She asked as she walked over and sat beside me again.

"You've been through more than a girl our age should have to go through. Yet you've come out a fighter after it all. How do you do that?" I say.

"I don't know. I guess it's just who I am." She says. "What's your favorite animal?" I ask. "Horses." She says in a heartbeat. "Why horses?" I ask. "Until I was eight, I lived on my grandmother's horse ranch. By the time I was eight, I had won five or six riding competitions." She says.

"Whoa." I say. "What?" She asks. "You just don't strike me as a horse rider. That's all." I say. "What do I strike you as?" She asks.

"You strike me as a city girl bookworm who has a plan for everything. Even her death." I say and she chuckles.

"As if. I do have plans, but not for everything. Just for getting by with Emily. Everything else, I go with the flow. Plus, I haven't ridden a horse since before Emily came to my life." She said.

"Ah." I say. "What about you? You strike me as a baseball player who goes around from girl to girl, breaking hearts and not caring at all." She says.

"Ouch. I do play baseball, but I treat girls right. The longest relationship I've ever had was four months." I say. "Did you break anyone's heart?" She asked curiously.

"Not that I'm aware of. If I did, I would apologize to them. I don't just go around hurting girls." I say.

"Good to know." She said. "Was that your first impression of me?" I ask. "Actually, no. When I first met you, I thought you were kind of cute. That was back in softmore year though. When Michael left me, not a single guy I saw looked trustworthy." She says.

"Not all guys are like that." I say. "I'm starting to remember that." She said, smiling at me.

We sat in silence after that. It was comfortable. "You're beautiful Olivia." I say, tucking her loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Thank you." She said. "You're welcome." I say. I look at her blush. She isn't use to compliments yet I guess. I'll have to change that. All of a sudden, I feel a strong urge to kiss her. I shouldn't though.

"Why do you think I'm beautiful?" She whispered. "Because you are. Inside and out." I whisper back.

"Why do you like Christmas?" I ask after a moment. "I don't know." She says. "I'm sure this is gonna be your favorite Christmas. With Emily and all." I say.

"Yea. It's her first Christmas." She says. "And it's just a few weeks away." I say. "Why do you love photography so much?" I ask curiously after a moment. She looked down for a second before looking back up at me.

"My mom was a photographer back in San Fransisco. She was offered positions from companies in different states and countries, but she never accepted. Her life was with my dad and I." She says.

"If you don't mind me asking, how did she die?" I ask. "She was driving home on the first of December. According to the police officer that came to my house, she had been hit by a drunk driver." She says.

"I'm sorry Olivia." I say. "Thanks, but it's fine. It's been nine years after all." She says.

"There you are Nick." Gracie says when she runs into the room. "What is it Gracie?" I ask, not taking my gaze off of Olivia.

"Daddy needs your help with something in the garage!" She says and I mentally groan. "Alright." I say and stand up.

"I should go to bed anyways." Olivia says. "Night Olivia." I say. "Night Nick." She says.

I then leave the room and head to the garage where dad's building a dollhouse for Gracie's Christmas present. "I take it you came out of the garage and told Gracie to come get me." I say.

"Yea. Help me would you." He said and I started helping him.