Olivia was preoccupied with getting all their things together. Gerry was playing withe his toys on her bed. Black dress, black tights, black pumps, and diamond studs. Gerry's black suit. His clip on tie, his white shirt and his dress shoes. Make sure I get enough clothes for a week. Georgia in the fall could be quite cold. Make sure I get enough books for Gerry. Check our boarding passes. Thank God Gerry is old enough to handle first class. He's been flying since he was born. She hears her phone ring.

"Liv, how are you?"

She blows out a breath realizing she'd been holding in.

"I'm ok. I don't think it will hit me until I get home to Hampton. It's going to be real when I walk in the house. Or that he didn't pick us up at the airport."

There was silence on the phone, but he gives it to her. He knows how close she is to her family. Her father is her hero and his death is making her retreat into herself. He needs her to tell him what she needs. He can't push her or she'll back farther away from her.

"How's Gerry doing?"

"He's fine but he knows something is wrong with mommy. He either just comes up and sits in my lap or he kisses and hugs me. Your son is the greatest gift you've given me."

Fitz lets a warm smile fill his face and heart. He misses his son, every time they leave him, he feels like his heart is being ripped out.

"That's my sweet boy. What about my sweet baby? Liv is there anything I can do?"

"No, we have everything. I just needed to hear your voice, you know how to calm me. Times like these is when I really miss you."

"Liv, I can be on the next plane to Georgia."

"No, you have an important vote for marriage equality coming up. You have to make sure you have the votes. You know me, I'm tough as nails. Besides my sisters are useless with stuff like this. I'll have to be strong for my mom and get her through this. I'll grieve later."

"Liv, you don' have to be strong all the time. I love you and I want to be there for you."

"It's already going to be a media circus with my dad's passing, you and me showing up together will only make my stress level go up."

"Liv, everything doesn't have to be about appearances. We love each other, for Christ sakes we have a son together. It's times like these that I regret you talking me into keeping our relationship secret. I love you woman and I want everyone to know it!"

"Fitzgerald you know how sexy you are when you become possessive!"

Fitz smiled, but he knew his limits with Olivia.

"Call me when you get to Georgia. I love you Livy."

"I love you to Fitzgerald. Tell Daddy by Gerry."

"By Daddy! Love you this much!"

"He had his arms opened all the way out, so he loves you a lot."

"Bye!"

Liv made it to Atlanta and as she predicted the press was waiting for her. They had no shame with asking about who Gerry's father was, how was she holding up with Gov. Eli Pope passing away two days ago. How was her mother holding up and her sisters. Fitz had arranged some security for her as well as a ride. They rode south to the family home set on forty acres of prime farm land in Hampton. They had grown up on that farm their entire lives. Olivia had fond memories of growing up with animals they had responsibilities to attend before school. Her father wanted to instill a hard work ethic in his girls. Feed the animals before school, clean out horse stalls after school, then homework. If they finished in time they could ride or have friends over. Eli Pope was the first black Governor of Georgia and he taught his girls about politics and the intrigues it took to achieve what you wanted. Olivia was the only one who watched and asked questions. By the time she was in high school she was a force to be reckoned with. Her father was so proud when she won a scholarship to Princeton. He knew that it was a great start to her political career. She would meet some of the people who would shape the country.

When she arrived at the farm, luckily the house was set far off the road, and all the press was left at the gate. She breath a sign of relief when she go closer to the house. All her memories about growing up there started to flood back. She could feel herself starting to tear up. She shook her head and told herself she needed to be strong for her mother, everyone would expect it.

"Hello Mother."

"Livia! I'm so glad your here. Your sister can't make a decision to save their lives. You were so close to your father. You'll know how to handle a political funeral."

"I'll take care of everything Mother. Where are Carol and Elaine?"

"Their inside with all their children. I came out on the porch to get some air and to get away from all that noise. Come here Gerry give Nana a kiss and hug."

Gerry went over and gave his grandmother a good kiss and hug. The only person who knew who Gerry's father was her father and he took that to the grave. She loved her sister's but her children were little monsters. They teased Gerry about not having a father. They would make him cry. She kept his interactions short when she came home. Liv took herself and Gerry to their room. She was staying at the house. Her sisters lived in Atlanta so they would stay at their own houses until they went south to bury their father, and they would all stay at the Tice family farm. Her mother's family owned one hundred acres of a working farm in Worthy County Georgia. Sylvester was the town her dad had grown up in, and where he and her mother knew each other, and that is where he would be laid to rest next to his parents.

Olivia went in and greeted everyone and put Gerry down for a nap. Her sister's went home and Olivia went into her father's office to set up shop. She half expected him to be in his chair. She stood at the door looking around the room taking it all in. She could still smell him in the room. A mix of pipe smoke and scotch. She closed her eyes and let the memories flood over her. She closed the door and sat in his chair and sobbed. She pulled herself together and called her office to get her team on the line.

"Huck, I'm going to need you guys down here after all. The vulchers are all over the farm and I need to control the narrative of my father's life. You, Harrison and Abby get down here by tomorrow. You all can stay here at the house there's plenty of room."

"Liv we're on our way."

She sat back and closed her eyes. She heard the door open, but she saw no one until Gerry came around the desk. She picked him up.

"This place smells like Grandpa."

She smiled at her heart.

"Mama, is daddy coming?"

"No baby, Daddy has something important coming up at his home."

"Mama, is it more important than us?"

"No baby, nothing is more important than you."

"Mama, I miss Daddy. I feel sad when we leave Daddy all alone. He doesn't have anyone to scare monsters from under the bed."

She smiled and pulled her son into a hug.

"You know that monsters are afraid of adults, so Daddy doesn't need anyone to scare them away. It's a Daddy's job to scare away monsters."

"Well, I need him because there is a monster in the room where I was taking a nap!"

"How about you stay here in my lap and I'll keep the monsters away while you sleep."

"Ok Mommy."

She spent the next hour humming to her son as he napped on her lap. She loved times like these, but she also felt guilty about not having Fitz there to share in them. She would let her son call his daddy to tell him about the monsters. In the mean time she stroked his hair and stroked his little hands. He was Fitz's little doppelgänger in every way. He had nothing of her at all, but Fitz said he had her nose. She worked from home most days, but on the odd occasion she would take him to work with her. He was intelligent too. His vocabulary was that of a four-year old, but he was still her two-year old baby. He was keeping the ghost at bay for her. As she sat there, she remembered the day she told her father that she was pregnant and it was Fitz's. She thought he would be disappointed, but her father surprised her as he could on occasion.

"Livia, I'm really happy for you! I thought you were to career driven to have a family."

"Dad, you're not disappointed?"

"This is not how I saw you having a family, but Livia I don't want you ending up alone. Do you love Fitz? Does he not want to marry you?"

"Yes, I love him dad. He is it for me. He wanted to marry me a year ago and with our baby coming he doubly wants to get married, but I don't want to be in the lime light. It will kill my business and I'm not first lady of California material."

"Livia, life is not a job, it's babies, husbands, and life happening. I want you to remember this. When life is to much to bare you need someone to get you through. Don't let your stubbornness keep you from being happy. If he's the love of your life, don' waste a single second not enjoying that. My life everyday has been enjoying that with your mother."

Those words stung now. She could feel the pain pushing its way to the surface and she wasn't sure she could handle the funeral.