Finding Olivia

Chapter 1 | Her Goodbye

Chapter one| Her goodbye.

3rd person POV

Maria Marcelle has worked for the Braverman family since the eldest son of Mr. Braverman was born twenty six years ago. She had watched all of the Braverman children grow, cared for them like her own and loved them unconditionally like their own mother had.

She had know the children's mother years before she had even gotten married to Mr. Braverman and Maria was proud to call each child her Godchild.

Marcia Braverman, Maria's best friend, had been the heart of the Braverman family and ever since her death the once lively home now felt cold and void of life.

Maria knew the reason behind the cold atmosphere was not only caused by Marcia's passing but also by the distance her death caused between the remaining members of the family.

Maria had watched each of the Braverman's downfall and had been watching them try to get back on their feet ever since. Each member of the Braverman family had been through their own personal torment but none suffered as much at the loss of Marcia than the youngest Braverman who had been with her mother the night death came knocking.

Maria saw how much Marcia's death haunted the young girl better than anyone else did, after all she was the only one there for the young child. She had watched how the Braverman's shunned young Olivia, had heard them blame her, and had cried with Olivia over it. It broke her heart every time she would pass Olivia's room and hear her whimpers and sobs.

Maria had made it her mission to help her only God daughter, she loved Olivia too much to watch the child wither away, but nothing she did helped. Maria realized that there was only one person who could help Livy and that was Livy herself. That fact didn't stop Maria from trying to help still.

Maria couldn't help but wonder how Olivia was doing; she had been out all morning shopping for the household and when she returned her focus was set elsewhere. It was now time for Olivia to eat dinner with the staff so she walked upstairs to get her.

Standing in front of Olivia's room, Maria lightly knocks on the door calling out to Olivia, but got no response. Maria opened Olivia's bedroom, peaking her head into the room expecting to see Livy sitting at her desk writing in the leather bound notebook Maria had given her. But what she saw made her blood run cold and dread to settle in the pit of her stomach.

Olivia's once lively room was empty; the walls were stripped of the pictures that once adorned them, her paintings no longer littered the floor, her bed was bare of any linen, her ornaments no longer sat on her chest-of-drawers and her table once packed with books and supplies were cleared off.

Everything that made Livy's room hers was gone, left was an empty shell of a room.

Maria frantically searched Livy's room looking for any of Livy's things only to come up empty handed. Maria collapsed onto Olivia's bed as a sob wracked her body; she paused feeling something underneath her. Getting up Maria picked up the folded piece of paper, and the familiar leather bound notebook and sat back down. With tears still streaming down her face Maria opened the folded piece of paper and began reading.

My dear family,

I can no longer be a shadow of the past,

A regret to those around me,

Or a bitter memory.

I have lived in a past that has tormented me for years,

And now I can finally be free,

I can rid myself of the bad memories,