Introduction

Olivia sat in her car watching people enter and exit The Book Café. She was frozen in place, unable to make herself get out of the car and walk across the street. Her life was in that bookstore. The life she always wanted but never got. Her father was in that bookstore.

It had been over fifteen years since Olivia had seen her father. Now with only a street to cross, she was feeling nervous about being reconnected with the only biological family she had.

Olivia grabbed her cell out of the cup holder and scrolled until she found the number she was looking for. Not long after the phone started ringing she heard his voice.

"How did it go?"

Olivia was silent.

"You didn't go in," he said knowingly.

"Harrison, I can't go in."

"You can."

"I have been sitting out here for twenty-seven minutes. I'm not ready."

"You are ready," he spoke with just enough force to show how certain he was but still strong and nurturing. "We did not move all the way out here to Burlington, Vermont for you to get cold feet."

"I moved out here to work on my next book," she corrected him.

"We moved here so that you could connect with your father."

"You know you didn't have to come," her voice was hesitant. "Quinn is going to get tired of you guys moving every time the wind blows me in another direction."

"Quinn doesn't mind because she knows-"

"Where you go, I go," Olivia finished his statement for him.

Olivia couldn't help but smile after the words left her lips. She had always found Harrison's go to line to be corny and cliché but it was always comforting to hear.

Olivia met Harrison Wright when she was fourteen years old. She had been just placed in her seventh foster home in two years with Ms. Estelle Roberts. Estelle was and older lady who had spent most of her life caring for people. First her parents and her disabled sister, and when they all passed away, she moved on for taking in foster kids.

By the time that Olivia came to stay with Ms. Estelle, she had been bounced around so much because no one wanted the burden of caring for a sick child. Olivia expected more of the same, she would stay for a few months and then have a crisis that would lead to a hospital visit and when she was released from the hospital, it was off to a new foster home. But Ms. Estelle was different. She was older and use to caring for people was what Olivia's caseworker had told her. Olivia was of course skeptic and thought that it was only a matter of time before she be moved somewhere else. Ms. Estelle was already caring for four children ages eight to fifteen when Olivia got there so Olivia was sure that once another crisis happened, Ms. Estelle like the many others before her wouldn't know how to handle it and she would be out.

Ms. Estelle proved her wrong. Olivia ended up staying in her home for three years and over that course of time she bonded most with Harrison who was a year older than her.

When Olivia was seventeen Ms. Estelle passed away. Harrison was already eighteen with a place of his own so when the state couldn't find anyone to take Olivia, she moved in with Harrison. They spent most of their adult life living very close to each other and even sharing places at times. Harrison was her big brother and he was very protective of her.

"Zoe is going to hate me when she reaches school age."

"She is not because we are home now."

"It doesn't feel like it."

"That is because you haven't seen your father."

"What if this isn't meant to be? What if tracking him down was the wrong choice? He probably has a good life and he doesn't need me complicating it."

"Don't do that. Don't psych yourself out before you even give this a chance. You have been talking to him for over a year. He was excited when you told him you were moving here. Don't you go putting up your walls and blocking this relationship before it has a chance."

Harrison was right. She had to go in. She did not uproot her life and move here for nothing. Even if it didn't turn out the way she wanted it to, she had come too far not to see this through.

"Call me when your finish. Quinn, Zoe, and I will stop by for dinner."

"You do know that you don't have to check on me, right?"

"Two birds, one stone, Olivia."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Olivia got out of her car before she could think against it. She was across the street in a matter of seconds but her pace slowed noticeably as she approached the bookstore.

Olivia walked into The Book Café. She was surprised to see how big it was on the inside. The Book Café was her dad's place. The front half of the store was a small café that served breakfast and lunch items while the back half was a book store that a small section of computers. It honestly looked like a library with a poetry bar in the front. Olivia thought it was unique and cute.

"Welcome to The Book Café," a cheerful voice said.

Olivia turned in the direction of the voice.

"Hi. I'm looking for Eli Pope."

Right then, Olivia heard someone call her name in a strong but uncertain voice. She looked up and came face to face with her father. A lot had changed in the time since she had last saw him. His looked older, face more clean shaven. He had put on a few pounds but he was very noticeable as her dad.

"Hi," her voice cracked slightly, betraying her emotions in this moment.

Eli hugged Olivia. It took her arms a minute to work but she hugged him back.

"It is so nice to see you."

He hugged her as if he didn't want to let her go. It was tight but Olivia didn't mind. The last time she had seen her father, she was thirteen and he had lost her for failing to show up in court. Back then she had thought that he didn't love her, that he didn't want her. Her father had lost custody of her after her mother died and he could no longer care for her. What was supposed to be temporary until he got himself together turned into her spending her teen years being bounced around through the foster care system.

"Don't suffocate her."

Eli loosened his grip on Olivia, taking a moment to just look at her.

"Olivia, this is my wife, Maria."

Olivia smiled at the cheerful woman who first greeted her when she entered the store. She didn't mean too but she sized her up, politely of course. Maria was beautiful. Olivia already felt out of place. Like she didn't belong here disrupting her father's life.

"Nice to meet you," Olivia extended her hand but instead was met by another hug.

"I've heard so much about you. It is great to put a face with a name."

Olivia didn't know what to say. She knew that her dad was married and she had a little sister but she tried to stay away from the topic of his family. She would be lying if she said her many years in foster care and being in the hospital alone didn't make her a little bitter. She hated the fact that she had to grow up without a mother or father. Olivia understood why now that she was an adult but her understanding didn't change the past or hurt feelings. Olivia didn't want to hear about his perfect family life because she didn't get that. She had Ms. Estelle who was the closes thing to stability that she had but then she died.

"Belle is going to be so excited to meet you. She talked about you coming all week."

"I wish I would have known she was here, I would have brought her a gift."

"You being here is gift in itself."

Olivia had to refrain from making a face at the 'your presence is a gift' line. She knew that Maria was being nice but Olivia wasn't a fan of the Pleasantville nice. The world wasn't a happy, sunshine and rainbows type of place. She tried to stay away from people who chose to see the world that way because in her mind, they were ignoring reality.

"I'll go get her."

And then Olivia and her father were alone. Or as alone as they could be in the middle of the midday lunch rush.

They were silent for awhile, not a good sign.

"So how long are you in town for?"

She knew that he didn't mean it the way that her mind took the comment.

"I signed a one year lease on my condo so at least a year."

Eli smiled at her.

"You're going to love it here. Hopefully we can get you to stay longer than a year," Eli walked behind the counter, "Would you like something to eat?"

"No thanks."

"We have coffee, tea, water. We have juice if you want."

"Tea is fine."

"Okay," Eli began making her a cup of tea.

Out of the corner of her eye, Olivia saw Maria approaching her.

"Olivia, this is Isabelle," Maria introduced the little girl.

Olivia knelt down so that she was at eye level with her.

"Hi, Isabelle."

Isabelle threw herself into Olivia's arms. Olivia had to balance herself to keep from falling.

"Don't knock her down," Maria said.

"Sorry," Isabelle smiled at her sister, "I have been waiting for you to get here."

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

"That's okay. I made you a picture," she handed Olivia drawing.

"This is beautiful. Thank you."

"Mommy, can I show Olivia around?"

"If Olivia is up to it," Maria said.

"Do you want to see the books?" Isabelle asked excitedly before whispering, "I can show you where daddy keeps your books."

"Lead the way."

Isabelle grabbed her hand and walked with her towards that back of the store where all of the books were held.

Fitz stared at the logo on his computer screen. He felt like he had been staring at the thing for hours. Fitz just wanted to get it done so that he could be through with it for the weekend. He hated that he had to bring this particular project home with him.

The logo that he was working on was for an interior designer who was going through a rebranding of her business. Fitz had dealt with difficult clients before, people who couldn't make up their minds about designs that they wanted but with Ms. Ross, things were different. Being that she worked in interior design, she thought that she knew everything about designing and constantly came in wanting to change the look of her website and her business cards. She had second guessed and questioned everything that everyone on his team had done for the last two months. As the creative director and one of the managing partners of Grant Advertising, all of the designs had been approved by Fitz, as well as Ms. Ross before she decided that she wanted to change something.

The rebranding of her business had been delayed many times because she has went back on designs. She finally requested to have Fitz work on the layout personally and paid his firm a nice size retainer to have him do the work.

"Is she here yet?"

"No, she is not here yet," Fitz didn't look up from his computer screen as his five year old son Teddy came running into the room.

"Maybe we should call her to see if she is still coming," Teddy suggested.

Teddy was eager to see his older sister who he only saw every other weekend because she was busy with school.

Fitz looked at the time on his laptop, deciding that he wasn't going to get any more work done with an eager five year old on his hands, Fitz saved his work where he was at and closed the laptop.

"How about you call Karen while I get dinner started?"

"Yeah," Teddy said excitedly.

Fitz grabbed his phone off of the table and scrolled through his contacts.

"Video or phone?"

"Video."

Fitz FaceTimed his daughter and handed the phone to his son. He stood up and made his way to the kitchen to get dinner started. He moved around the kitchen getting all the ingredients needed to make burgers and fries.

Fitz had the fries going and was about to mix the ground beef when Teddy walked into the kitchen.

"Karen said she is on her way," Teddy said proudly.

He knew that his older sister was coming because she came home every other weekend on the weekends that Fitz had Teddy. She spent the whole weekend with them and would watch Teddy at nights when Fitz went to his other job.

"What's for dinner?"

"Burgers and fries."

"Can I help?"

"Sure. You need to wash your hands first."

Teddy dragged a chair across the room to the skin. Fitz smiled. His son was so independent for a little kid. Teddy always preferred to figure out things on his own, only asking for help when he absolutely needed it.

"You are just in time for your favorite part."

After washing his hands, Teddy dragged the chair over to his father and climbed up in the chair.

"I hope Karen gets here soon. She doesn't believe me when I tell her I can cook. I think she thinks I'm little."

Mixing the ground beef and seasonings wasn't exactly cooking but Fitz would never tell his son that.

"We're going to have to get her eyes checked, bud because clearly you're a big guy."

"I know," Teddy began mixing the meat together, "Girls are just weird. Even sister girls."

After dinner, Fitz ran Teddy a bath so that he could be ready for bed later. He returned downstairs to his daughter who was texting at the table where he had left her.

Now that they had so time to themselves without Teddy, he decided to ask her about her mother. His ex-wife Mellie had called him and asked him to talk to him because apparently, she hadn't talked to Karen in over a year. He tried to stay out of matters between Mellie and Karen but he knew firsthand what it was like to be shut out of Karen's life so he figured he would at least inquire about it.

"Your mother called."

Karen sighed, already knowing where this conversation was going.

"I thought you two were talking."

"Well clearly, we're not."

"Why? Did something happen?"

"You know what happened. She ruined my life. She ruined OUR lives," Karen raised her voice before quickly apologizing. She was silent for awhile and Fitz let her get her thoughts together. "I'm so tired of people acting like because she my mother that she gets a pass when she hurts me. That I'm just supposed to forgive her for all the fucked up things she does."

"I get that but something had to happen. You two talking and building your relationship back up and now she hasn't heard from you in ten months."

Karen opened her mouth to speak but then closed it. She didn't want to hurt her dad or bring back her own hurt feelings.

Seeing her hesitation, Fitz said, "Karen, you know you can tell me anything, right?"

Karen nodded but still said nothing. She got up from the table and started cleaning up the kitchen. She needed something to do, to keep her hands busy and calm herself from the anger she felt building up inside of her.

It was quiet and Fitz let his daughter be. He learned early on not to push her and she would come to him when she was ready.

"We had a disagreement," Karen stated as she began wiping off the counter.

"She wants me to talk to Andrew more and give him a chance," she mocked her mother's voice.

Fitz hated the burning that he felt in his chest still to this day when he heard the name Andrew.

"I told her that wasn't going to happen," Karen continued before pausing again to concentrate on a spot on the counter that she rubbed hard.

"Karen," Fitz called her name gently.

Karen looked up at him.

"I told her that wasn't going to happen and she said that I was being selfish and unreasonable because none of this was Andrew's fault. She said that she didn't understand me because I put so much time and effort trying to fit into a family that wasn't mine while neglecting my real family."

Karen didn't realize that she had tears streaming down her face until Fitz arms went around her and she began to sob into his chest.

As Fitz held Karen and tried to soothe her with reassuring words, he remembered why he hated his ex-wife.

Fitz married young, too young. He was only nineteen when his then hometown girlfriend, Melody Mitchell got pregnant. They dated briefly in high school his senior year but it was nothing too serious because they were just kids and although Fitz loved, what he called his hometown of Burlington, Vermont, he wanted to see more of the world. They hooked up a few times when he was home from school and ended up getting hit by reality when Mellie got pregnant.

They got married at the courthouse when she was six months pregnant. Being as though they were just kids, they knew nothing about love but they both knew they had a strong sense of family. Fitz, growing up the oldest of four kids two parents who had been married for decades and Mellie, a girl who was raised by a single mother after her father left and started a family with another woman. Both valued family for different reasons so they got married and vowed to figure the rest out later. And they did or so Fitz thought.

After graduating from Syracuse University with a degree in Graphic Design and Advertising, Fitz took a job at his family business, Grant Advertising. Back when his father was still in charge, he took a position on the creative team and learned the business while on the job. Mellie was a teacher for seven years before becoming principal at the middle school. All was well with them. They were married for eighteen years. They had a good marriage, that despite not starting out because they were two people in love, turned out to be everything Fitz could ever hope for. Mellie was a good mother and partner but that all came crashing down four years ago.

Four years ago, Karen was in a car accident her senior year of high school. Fitz and Mellie forced with the grim reality that Karen might not make it. As a result of the crash, Karen had a collapsed lung and would need a transplant in order to save her life. Both Fitz and Mellie were tested. Mellie was a match. Fitz was not. Fitz didn't understand why he couldn't help his daughter and was livid. He was emotional and angry because she was his daughter and he was supposed to be able to protect her, to save her when she was in distress. Fitz questioned the doctor who informed him that there was no possible way that Karen was his daughter. Confusion set in, then realization, anger, sadness. Karen, the child who he had helped deliver and raise was not his daughter and because of that she was going to die.

Fitz had no time to process any of this. Mellie had no time to waste if she was going to save Karen's life. She showed up at the hospital one day with some man named Andrew Nichols. They ran test on him. He was a match. He was the man who could save Karen's life. He was her biological father.

Mellie and Andrew both donated parts of their lungs to save Karen's life. It touch and go for a while but Karen eventually pulled through. Mellie introduced Karen to Andrew and confessed that he was her biological father, not Fitz.

Mellie and Fitz separated and later divorced because she was in love with Andrew. Always had been apparently.

Fitz thought nothing would ever hurt like almost watching his daughter die and finding out that she wasn't actually his but after being released from the hospital, Karen shut him out.

A DNA test was done on his son and thankfully, Teddy was his. But that didn't stop the hurt of being lied to for all those years. Mellie gave him custody of Teddy in the divorce.

Karen needed therapy, both physically and emotionally. Two and half years ago she contacted Fitz after a year and a half of silence. They sat down for coffee and Karen explained everything to him. She had caught her mother cheating with Andrew and was upset when she drove off and ended up having her crash. She didn't talk to him for over a year because she thought he wouldn't want anything to do with her since her mother had lied and he wasn't her father. It all made sense then. She was a scared little girl who feared rejection and it hurt him that she thought that way. Fitz told her that he would always be her dad. Blood could not make them or break them. She was his daughter. It was a new fresh start to their relationship. They were even closer than ever now.

Hearing what Mellie said to Karen made Fitz furious. Karen had been through so much and still struggled every day with thinking that she really didn't belong to anyone. Although they reassured her and she knew she would forever be a Grant, she felt the full burden of her mother's lie. She wore that lie with her every day since finding out. It was her biggest insecurity and for Mellie to use that against her, it was low, even for someone like Mellie.

"I ruined your shirt," Karen said softly.

"I have other shirts."

The sound of small footsteps running drew both of their attentions to the doorway.

Karen quickly tried to get herself together but Teddy noticed the sadness in the room.

"Were you crying?"

"I hit my toe," Karen lied.

"Oh man. Grandpa Jerry says that is the second most painful thing. The first is stepping on a lego. He said that's like walking through the hell fires."

Fitz and Karen both laughed.

"Don't say hell," Karen corrected him while maintaining her laughter, "It is a bad word unless you are an adult."

"Like the S word that grandpa yells when he steps on a lego?"

"Exactly like that."

"Okay," his five year old mind making a mental note that the word 'hell' like the S word his grandpa uses and the F word his dad sometimes says, are words that he could not say.

"I was thinking we could watch Monsters Inc tonight for our movie," Teddy said.

"I love that movie," Karen smiled at her little brother.

"Dad, when are you leaving?"

"Ouch," Fitz grabbed his chest feigning hurt.

"Dad," Teddy patted his leg, "You know I love you but I only see Karen on some weekends and you hog all her time."

Karen smiled at her little brother's possessiveness over her. If nothing else, she felt loved in this home.

Olivia looked through her notes, hoping something would come to her. Some idea, something. She knew that she insomnia hadn't hit her for nothing. She wrote better at night or at least that's what she thought.

She had moved into her new place three weeks ago and had not been able to fall asleep before 4am since being here. That would change, eventually, or at least she hoped. She always had problems sleeping when she first moved into a new place but normally her restless nights turned into pages and drafts but not here. It was now week three and she had nothing to show for it.

She wasn't in a rush to push out her next book. There was no pressure but never in her life had she nothing to write. Even if it was an idea or a note, she had something. But here, in this new place, it was different.

Olivia got up and walked to her kitchen. She grabbed a box of ice cream out of the freezer and grabbed a spoon. On her back to the couch, she turned up the stereo that had been on as background noise. She sat down, listening to a song she had never heard before while eating her ice cream.

When the song was over, she heard a deep baritone voice.

On the radio: Welcome back to Matters of the Heart. I'm your host Tommy G and tonight's topic is when is love not enough? Before the break we were reading a letter from a viewer who is currently going through a divorce after discovering that his wife had been cheating and that one of his children belonged to her lover. We were having a very heated debate on the limits of love. Is he wrong for not taking her back? Since he was the one to file for divorce, who was the real person to ruin their marriage? If you would like to voice your opinion on this topic, call 802-215-0520.

Olivia hadn't heard the letter being read but topic did pique her interest.

Tommy G: We have a caller on line one. Caller, what's your name and your comment?

Caller #1: My name is Collin and I think the wife is the one to blame for ruining their marriage and any love is there. It is one thing to have an affair. Even the most prideful man in the word can forgive the woman who he loves for having an affair but bringing another child into the mix? That is unforgivable. She is ruined them.

Tommy G: Thank you for sharing your comment, Collin. We have a caller on line two. Caller, what's your name and your comment?

Caller #2: I'm Danielle. I just want to say that I think it is funny that men cheat all the time and have children outside of their marriage all the time and women stay with them. I think that he didn't really love her to begin with or her children and he used that child as a way out.

Tommy G: It sounds like you blame him for ruining them?

Caller #2: Yeah. He wanted out. He took vows. For better or for worse. There is no way that he could just throw away all of those years without looking back if he didn't already want out.

Tommy G: Well, I want to thank you for sharing your opinion with us, Danielle. We're going to pay some bills and be back to take some more calls. Give us a call at 802-215-0520 and will talk after the break.

Olivia didn't know they had train wreck radio in a place like Burlington, Vermont. Credit it to insomnia or crazy but Olivia picked up her phone and dialed the radio station. She didn't expect to get through because no one ever really gets through. She knew this from countless times trying to win concert tickets in her youth but she waited anyway.

"Hello, you reached WCAT-AM. Can you please hold for line one?"

"Y-yeah, sure," Olivia stuttered through her words. She never really expected to be put through.

She heard a click and then she was put on hold again. She guessed now was the best time to think of something to say.

"How many times have I told you not to bring your personal life into the studio?" Abby scolded him.

"I don't know what you're talking about?"

"Don't be a smart ass, Fitz. And don't take me for an idiot. I've been doing this job longer than you."

Fitz flashed her his signature lopsided grin. With normal women, that smile let him get away with murder but not his good friend and producer of his late night weekend radio show Matters of the Heart, Abigail Whelan.

Fitz first met Abby eight years ago when his firm was trying to buy some ad space for client. She was full of wit and brutally honest. They became instant friends.

"You're so full of shit sometimes. We go live in forty seconds. Make sure you don't sound hostile the next time someone says your wrong."

"I told you this isn't about me."

Abby ignored him as left the room. Fitz put his headphones back on and waited for the signal that they were live again.

"Welcome back to Matters of the Heart. Our topic tonight is when is love not enough? Or should love always be limitless? We have a caller on line one. Caller, what is your name? And what's your take on this topic?" Fitz said once they were live again.

"Hi. I'm Carolyn and I think that fault lies with both parties. Love and marriage is not some tit-for-tat game to be played with to see who can one up the other on hurt, you know?"

"I do know that."

"Sure the wife was wrong for stepping out on her marriage and lying to her husband but the way I see it, their love wasn't strong enough in the first place."

"What makes you say that, Carolyn?"

"If she truly loved him she wouldn't have cheated. There is this saying that you can't love two people at once because if you truly loved the first person, there would have been no room for the second. The love was never there and the man knew it and felt it too or else he wouldn't have been able to walk away without fighting for his marriage."

For moment Fitz wished he wasn't on live radio so that he could have the chance to take in what she was saying. Her answer was different than most that came in on the topic.

"So in your mind, who ruined the marriage?" Fitz asked.

"Neither. They both set each other free."

"Wow, that's a very different perspective," Fitz paused before saying, "Thank you for calling in to share your take on the situation, Carolyn."

"It was my pleasure."

Her voice seemed to paralyze him. He saw the phone lighting up for him to take the next caller but he ignored it.

"They both set each other free," Fitz repeated her statement, "We're going to play some music for you guys and gals and we will be back to finish this discussion in six minutes."

Fitz flipped a switch on the board and song began to play. He sat back in his seat and listened to the song play.