27

Olivia screamed as she shot up in bed, her body covered in a thin layer of sweat. Elliot turned on his bedside lamp, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Liv? Are you okay?" Elliot asked as Olivia panted beside him. Her mind was running wild as she kept remembering the nightmare that woke her from a deep sleep.

"Olivia," Elliot spoke again, his hand touching her shoulder. Olivia jumped at the touch before turning to look at her husband. Tears burned her eyes as she tried to focus on the sleep-filled eyes of her soulmate.

"I-I'm sorry," Olivia breathed.

"Don't apologize, Liv. What happened? Did you hear something?" Elliot asked as he tugged his wife closer.

"I-It was just a stupid dream... Nightmare, I guess," Olivia replied.

"What was it about?" Elliot questioned. Olivia swallowed hard as she slid away from her husband and walked towards their bathroom.

"It isn't important," Olivia whispered. Elliot followed his wife to the bathroom, his eyes locked on her body as she washed the sweat from her face.

"It was about Hugo, huh?"

Olivia froze, water dripping through her fingers. The nightmare had been so realistic and terrified her. 

"I was very pregnant and Hugo broke out of jail. He hunted me down and slammed me against the fridge, just like before. Then he cut our baby from my belly and took him. He was laughing as I bled out and screamed for my child, but he did nothing... Then he hurt the baby," Olivia whimpered, her body shaking as she saw the nightmare once more. The worst nightmares were the ones you remembered so well, no matter how long you'd been awake.

"He isn't getting out, Olivia. He will never be a part of our lives again, I promise," Elliot breathed, his arms quickly looping around his wife's shaking body. Olivia clung to Elliot and sobbed.

"I can't believe that!" Olivia sobbed.

///

Olivia couldn't fall back asleep after her nightmare, so she snuck downstairs and finished unpacking a few remaining boxes. At around six, Rory came downstairs with her favorite doll tucked under her arm.

"Good morning, Mama!" Rory exclaimed. Olivia dropped the vase she was holding as a sharp gasp left her throat. She closed her eyes tightly, tears once more slipping down her cheeks.

"Oh, no! Mama!" Rory exclaimed, as she rushed to help her mother. Olivia turned quickly, grabbing her daughter by her waist, and holding her above the broken glass. 

"I can't have you in here, Rory. The glass will cut your feet," Olivia whispered, her arm barely able to support her daughter. Everything felt weak.

"I'm sorry, Mama..." Rory trailed off as she looked up at her mother.

"I-It's okay, Rory. I'm going to sit you on the carpet and I need you to stay in the living room," Olivia whispered.

"Okay, Mama," Rory replied softly. Olivia leaned over the glass and sat her eldest on the carpet before turning and walking to the laundry room where the broom was. When she got back to the mess, Rory was staring at the floor.

"You are bleeding, Mama. Did you step on glass?" The girl asked. Olivia hadn't felt glass under her feet, but bloody footprints were leading to and from the laundry room.

"Can you go wake up Elliot?" Olivia asked.

"Yes, Mama," Rory replied. Olivia sat on the kitchen table as blood dripped from her feet. She stared at the blood drops but didn't do a thing. She felt numb from the nightmare the night before and didn't know if she'd ever feel normal again.

Hugo may be in custody, but she would forever be scared of him and his associates.

///

Elliot cleaned up the glass and then his wife's feet. Once they were bandaged, Elliot helped her into the living room before he cleaned the blood from the kitchen floor.

"Are you feeling fine?" Elliot asked, his hand holding a mug of coffee out to his wife.

"Yeah."

"That doesn't sound convincing, Liv."

"All I remember was Rory scaring me and the vase breaking. I didn't feel the glass at all... Elliot, what the hell is happening with me?" Olivia whispered. 

"You went through hell and it's finally catching up with you. The nightmares are normal and you are on edge. You'll settle again and feel normal," Elliot replied. He sat on the edge of the coffee table and grabbed his wife's hands. He hadn't felt a pair of hands shake as much as his wife's were at this moment.

"I don't know if I'll ever be able to be normal. As long as Hugo is alive, I will be on edge. I can't enjoy life," Olivia whimpered.

Elliot hated hearing how scared his wife was, especially since she had been happy until now. Olivia had been so excited to have the girls back and raise them, but now things were different. She can't enjoy being a mother or Elliot's wife as long as Hugo is alive and a threat. 

"Liv-" Elliot started, but he stopped when Olivia scrambled to her feet and ran to the downstairs bathroom. Flinging open the lid, Olivia heaved painfully into the toilet as hot tears poured down her cheeks.

Elliot ran in behind his wife, his fingers working her brown hair into a ponytail.

"Geez, Liv. You can't catch a break... Your body is tearing you apart," Elliot frowned deeply.

Olivia gasped in between heaves before collapsing onto the cold tiles as she breathed heavily.

"I-I need help," she whimpered.

"We will get you help, Liv. No matter how much it costs or how far I have to drive to get you there. Our girls need you, and so do I."