Meeting the parents part II

"Livvie! Hey honey!"

"Hey mom." Olivia hugged Evelyn. "Where's dad?"

"Right here darling." Maurice smiled making his entrance.

Olivia walked into his arms. "Hi daddy."

"Hi sweet girl. To what do we owe this lovely visit?"

"Oh come on, don't you miss me anymore?"

"Of course we do. I take it you've been busy that's why we haven't seen much of you as of late." Maurice said as they all sat down.

"Yeah we're making a few changes at the spa so that's requiring a lot of my time and attention. But what's new with you guys?"

"Oh nothing, we're still just two lonely old people."

Evelyn looked at her husband and scoffed. "Old?"

"You still look as good as the day I met you though." Maurice replied back with a teasing smile.

Olivia snorted laughter. "Smooth dad. Real smooth."

"Don't even encourage him Livvie." Evelyn chuckled. "So how are you? How's life? You look good."

Liv shared a knowing look with her mother. She knew what her mother was really asking was 'how are things with mystery man and are you still together.'

"Life is good ya know. I'm actually seeing someone right now and well what can I say, I'm happy."

"Whoa did you just say you're seeing someone?" Maurice asked taken by surprise.

"Yes. That's mainly why I came here today, to invite you guys to my home for lunch on Sunday. I want you guys to meet him."

"We'll be there." Evelyn answered on behalf of them both. "Should we bring anything?" She asked her daughter.

"No, I've got everything covered."

Liv stayed for about an hour before bidding her parents goodbye.

"Hi handsome." She grinned as Fitz opened the door, pulling her into his arms.

"Hi." He replied and went for a kiss but Liv pushed him away leaving Fitz with a confused frown.

"Move, I see my boy. Heyyy Booger! Hi boy, hi!" She cooed in a high-pitched voice.

The dog ran over to her and he launched himself at Olivia while standing on his two back paws. Like he's giving her a hug.

Olivia held on to him while scratching his head. "Hi boy! You're so cuuute! Yes you are!"

Fitz feigned annoyance as he let out a loud displeasing groan.

He left them to their cuddle fest and settled in front of his laptop to continue the work he was doing before Liv showed up.

Minutes later Olivia came up behind Fitz's chair and ran her hands down his chest until she leaned over to hug him from behind.

"Hi baby." She said then placed a kiss below his ear.

"Oh hello, do you finally have time for me, your boyfriend?"

Olivia chuckled and moved around him. Making her way into his lap. "Aww is my baby jealous?"

"I'm busy with work so you please feel free to go and spend as much time as you want with your boy."

"No thanks, I'd rather sit here with my man." She kissed the top of his nose.

"You ignored me. Pushed me aside for my dog's attention."

"But he's so cute and cuddly."

"And what's up with him giving hugs now? I've had him for so long and never once has he done that with me."

"Will you stop whining?"

"No, you two hurt my feelings." Fitz replied with a pout.

"Can I kiss you to make it better?"

Olivia giggled when all Fitz did was shrug.

"Is that a yes?"

Again Fitz didn't reply, much to her amusement, so Liv leaned in for a kiss. She let her tongue trace the outline of his lips before latching on.

Liv could tell that he was beginning to enjoy their kiss when he kissed her back with force.

She let her hand drift down to the front of his pants and rubbed him through the fabric.

"Livvie.." He warned her and she giggled into his mouth.

"I get it." She said pulling back. "You have work to do, so I'm gonna let you finish."

"No no that's not-- Work can wait." He said quickly.

"You have a presentation on Monday babe, work definitely can't wait."

"But baby..."

She pecked his lips. "Get this done. I'm gonna fix us something to eat."

"But--"

'But nothing." Liv cut him off. "Now get back to work mister."

"Can you at least sit with me?" He asked adorably and she simply couldn't resist.

"Okay but I will make us something to eat first because I'm hungry."

"Don't worry about me, I'm not really that hungry right now. Be quick though."

"You're worse than Booger." She laughed.

Liv returned with her sandwich and a bottle of water.

"Come sit here." He said, carefully pulling her into his lap.

Fitz waited until she was comfortably settled in his lap before he continued working.

"You're impossible you know that?" She said biting into her sandwich. "How can any person work like this?"

"I don't know about other people but I'm quite comfortable getting work done with my girl on my lap." He replied kissing her shoulder.

"Smart ass."

She sat silently watching him work. Olivia quickly realised that she could do this all day. It felt nice.

"Noo why are you changing that?"

"What?"

Liv pointed at the screen. "That section over there."

"Oh." Fitz chuckled. "I'm just trying out some other options."

"Well I liked the first one better."

"Noted. Hey, give me a bite of that sandwich it smells delicious."

"I thought you weren't hungry?"

"Just a bite, come on."

"Okay fine. Here."

She held the sandwich out for him and gasped when he took a bite.

"Stop that's the biggest bite ever! Fitz!"

"What?" He laughed with his mouth full.

"Ugh!"

"Maybe I am hungry after all."

"If you think I'm gonna get up now to make you a sandwich you're crazy."

Fitz chuckled and pinched her thigh. "So I'll make my own sandwich and I'm not sharing any of it with you."

"You owe me a bite since you just about bit off half of mine." Liv said keeping her eyes fixated on the laptop screen.

"But I'll be cooking dinner tonight though so that should make up for it."

"Now that you've mentioned dinner.. I invited my parents over for Sunday lunch. Is that okay? I mean I figured that it would be less stressful than having to go to their place."

"I'm good with that but honestly I didn't mind going there. I just want them to know that I'll take care of you, no matter what."

Olivia molded her body into his and tilted her head to look at him. "You're sweet."

"I love you." He kissed her cheek.

xxx

"That must be your friend." Evelyn said when Liv's doorbell sounded throughout the house.

They were already seated around the table.

Olivia smiled and got up. "Excuse me for a second."

She opened the door to find Fitz looking as handsome as ever. Liv absolutely loved him in a dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up.

"Hi, sorry I'm late."

"You're just in time." Liv placed both hands on his shoulders and pulled herself up to give him a kiss. "Hi."

Confidently she led him through to where her parents were impatiently waiting to be introduced to the new guy in her life.

Evelyn and Maurice looked up with shock and surprise. "Fitz?!?"

"Good afternoon." He replied with a polite smile.

"I-- Are you two-- Liv?"

"Yes mom, Fitz is the guy that I'm seeing."

"Oh..wow um, sorry I'm just..I guess I'm just little surprised." Evelyn chuckled and shot a glance at Fitz. "It's been a while, how are you?"

Fitz tossed the older woman a friendly smile and strided towards her, giving her a small hug. "It's so good to see you Mrs. Pope. I'm doing great thanks for asking. How about you?"

"Aside from me being completely caught off guard right now, I'm great." She joked.

"I'm glad to hear that." Fitz paused and turned to Maurice who has yet to say a word. "Hello Mr. Pope."

An awkward silence fell over the table after the two men exchanged a firm handshake.

"Why don't we sit down, the food is ready to eat." Liv suggested and Fitz followed her lead.

"So Fitz, you're dating my daughter?"

Evelyn and Olivia stopped what they were doing as their eyes bounced back and forth between the two men.

"Yes Sir."

"And you are aware of the fact that she just recently got out of a long term relationship with a man she was about to marry?"

"I am yes. Olivia and I--"

Maurice was quick to cut him off mid sentence. "When Livvie told us she was seeing someone I didn't say anything because I didn't know how she would react if I told her that I thought she was moving on way too fast."

"Dad it's been three months.." Liv quipped.

"I came here expecting to be introduced to just some guy we didn't know but imagine my shock when you walked in. I don't even recall Liv and you being friends..or am I wrong?"

Fitz glanced at Olivia and before he could give her father an answer, she spoke up.

"We actually knew each other before I found out that he was your landscaper."

"Even so.. I still don't understand. Did this just randomly happen? And when did it happen?"

Olivia and her mother never told Maurice the real reason why Liv broke it off with Tyler. Only that things didn't work out and that Olivia wasn't ready for marriage.

"A while ago.."

Maurice arched his eyebrows. "You ended your engagement a while ago Livvie." He deadpanned.

"Yes and I have moved on dad."

"Was it that easy for you? Did you not love Tyler after all those years?"

Maurice obviously liked Tyler.

"No dad it wasn't and I did love him but--"

"He didn't have your heart." Evelyn said in a soft tone.

Liv glanced at her mother and nodded. "I was just comfortable with him. It was easy. He was there and that was it. We never really went through a lot of challenges to test our love so it was easy to believe that we were just meant to be. We accepted that we were it for each other without really knowing how strong our love was and what it meant, so it turned out that we weren't as solid as we thought. We weren't soul mates."

The two Pope women shared a look and came to an unspoken agreement that they had to tell Maurice the truth about the affair.

"There's something that you should know about dad.. I broke off my engagement with Tyler because I fell in love with Fitz." Liv said and felt Fitz's hand squeezing her leg, showing support.

"You fell in love with Fitz?" Confusion etched on his face.

"We um. . We-- I had an affair with him while I was with Tyler and during that time I developed feelings for him."

"You did what!?"

"Look dad I--"

"No, don't explain. I want him to tell me why he seduced you and lured you into having an affair with him when he knew all too well that you were engaged to be married."

Maurice gave Fitz a stern glare but Fitz didn't crumble. He maintained eye contact.

"I was wrong. I was wrong for being attracted to her. I was wrong for allowing myself to feel that way about her while she was in a committed relationship with another man. And I was wrong for not being able to control myself and acting upon those feelings and I hate to say this but I don't regret it. I mean I regret putting her in that situation with the secrets and lies and turning her life upside down but I don't regret how I felt, and still feel, about her and what we shared. Olivia is the best thing that has ever happened to me."

"So you came into my home and pretended to be this good guy all the while you were eyeing up my daughter? You didn't just do a job for us Fitz, we welcomed you into our home. Treated you like a friend! Did you have no respect for her? For her relationship? For her fiancee?"

Evelyn laid a gentle hand on her husband's arm to get him to cool down. "Maurice, we can't control who we fall in love with."

"How are you not even a little bit upset about this?"

"Because there is no reason for either of us to be upset. It's her life. She's our daughter and we might not like or agree with her decisions but we sure aren't going to make her feel terrible for those decisions either. If it turns out to be a mistake than it's her mistake and we'll be here to support her because that's what good parents do. And instead of you accusing Fitz of being the worst person ever, why don't you just give him a chance..give them both a chance and hear their side of the story. We're just outsiders looking in and from that position we don't have the right to judge."

Maurice was silent for a second before turning in his seat to face his wife. "You knew about this didn't you?"

Evelyn perched her lips together and nodded. "I did. Livvie came to me on the day of her wedding and confessed."

"And you didn't think I had a right to know?"

"You know how difficult you can be at times. She had a lot to deal with and the last thing she needed was you arguing with her. She needed our support. And besides, Olivia is an adult, we can't tell her how to live her life anymore."

Maurice was still stubborn though.

"So you two are just planning on living happily ever after knowing you ruined an innocent man's life?" He asked looking at Fitz and Liv.

"We didn't ruin his life dad but do you know what would've ruined his life? If I had gone through with that marriage knowing I couldn't love him with all my heart. That marriage would've been doomed from the start and it would've ruined both of us."

"I just don't get it. How can you be so madly in love with a man you barely knew that you made such drastic decisions? Surely there's no getting to know each other in an affair, am I right?"

"Even if I did explain it to you, I feel like you wouldn't even try to understand dad. Clearly you've already made up your mind. You're disgusted by what I did and you don't approve of me and Fitz's relationship. I get it."

Upon seeing the sadness in his daughter's eyes Maurice demeanour softened. "It's not that Livvie, I just--"

"Fitz didn't seduce me or lure me into anything, we were in it together. When we first met there was an instant spark. I chose to ignore it at first but once I saw him more often around your house and we got to talk, I knew we just connected differently. And we did make time to get to know each other better. The thing between us was never just an affair. It wasn't lust. We were interested in one another and enjoyed each others company." There was a crack in her voice.

Fitz laid his hand on top of Liv's which signalled that he'd like to add to what she said.

"Sir you might not agree with me but I think in life you will meet certain people or a certain someone who you connect with more than anyone else. You understand each other perfectly and you feel as if the other person is moving you chemically. There's just this sort of beautifully authentic rhythm when talking to this person. That was Olivia for me. I fell for your daughter because of the amazing person that she is. She captivated me from the moment I met her. My feelings for her are genuine sir, this isn't some game to me. But if you're going to blame anyone blame me. I really don't want Olivia to lose her father because of me."

"We were both wrong for the affair." Liv added after she had a moment to collect herself. "But we were two grown people who knew exactly what we were doing and what we were getting ourselves into. Yes, I should've broken up with Tyler the minute I started seeing Fitz. I was wrong for dragging him along but I was also confused. I still loved him and there were so many memories that we shared together. That is why Fitz and I ended things and I was supposed to get married."

'But you didn't." Her father reminded her.

"No, I didn't. Because I realised that even though I still loved Tyler I was more in love with Fitz. Fitz lit this fire and desire within me. He made my heart flutter. When I was with him I felt so, alive and oddly confident. Nothing in this world could've prepared me for what his presence brought. He was enigmatic and made me feel a way that I have never felt before. I was so convinced that I knew what love was and what it's supposed to feel like but I didn't until I met Fitz. Dad, this isn't all on him. He's not to blame for the things not working out with Tyler. I decided. I chose. And Fitz was it for me. He makes me happy dad."

When Maurice didn't say anything Evelyn chose to speak up. "I'm happy for you Livvie. Yes, it is sad that things didn't work out between you and Tyler but some things in life just aren't meant to be. He was a really nice man but nonetheless I am happy that you're getting to experience the love you just described. Not a lot of people get to have that."

After downing a good mouthful of wine, Maurice sighed heavily. "Look.. You're my baby girl but as your mother said before, you're a grown woman and I can't tell you what to do and who to love but that doesn't mean that I have to necessarily be okay with the decisions you make. I don't like what you two did. An affair? Cheating on your fiancé? That's not something that I expected from you." Maurice paused, breathing another sigh. "I don't hate Fitz but I just can't give your relationship my full support right now. That doesn't mean that I'll be standing in your way because I won't. I don't want to lose you. I do trust you though and if you say that he makes you happy then I believe you."

"Okay." Liv said.

Nobody really had an appetite left anymore, but seeing as the conversation has died down, they all began to eat to avoid the awkward silence.

After a few minutes however Evelyn had enough and cleared her throat, "So Fitz, how's work? Any exciting new projects?"

"Work's been really great over the last couple of months and yeah we've got a lot of new projects but mostly small scale stuff. Nothing major but exciting nonetheless. Liv has actually been giving me some of her own suggestions on a few of my designs. She's got a good eye for landscaping."

"Oh really?" Evelyn asked. Her face showing humour.

Olivia chuckled. "It's nothing serious. I just give him my opinion here and there but he's the expert so.."

"I appreciate it though." Fitz replied with a smile.

After lunch Olivia and Fitz walked her parents to the door.

Maurice turned to Fitz. "I hope you meant everything you said in there. This is my baby girl and I just want what's best for her."

"I hope one day we can have your blessing sir because I do love your daughter and I want to keep making her happy. She's the most important person in my life right now."

"Like I said, I don't hate you and I will admit that you're not a bad guy. I'm sorry about earlier but I'm just not fond about the whole affair issue. I liked Tyler, a lot. He already became like a son to me so I wasn't just being protective over Livvie but him as well. I'm big on commitment so you can understand why I reacted the way I did. It's not that I don't approve of your relationship but the basis upon which it was build..that's my problem." Maurice glanced between Fitz and Olivia. "What I'm trying to say is that, you're gonna have to give me a little time to come around and wrap my head around..well, everything. I can see that you're both serious about each other and I'm glad. I'm glad that the risk you took on each other wasn't for nothing."

Olivia teared up a little bit and Maurice pulled her into an comforting hug. "I love you sweetheart."

"I love you too dad."

"I'm not mad at you and I'm sorry if it seemed as if though I was trying to make you feel guilty. That wasn't my intention. Finding out about the affair was just a little unexpected."

"And you liked Tyler a lot so I guess you felt like you had to defend him in some way."

"But it wasn't my place to do that and for that I apologize."

"Maybe you and mom should've had another child then you wouldn't have had to worry about me so much."

"I'm always going to worry. You're my princess. So maybe sometimes I look like a crazy overprotective father but I can't help it."

"And I love you for that, for always wanting to protect me but I'm getting a little too old for all that don't you think?" Liv giggled.

"Yeah yeah okay I get it."

So maybe the afternoon wasn't a complete failure after all.