NINETEEN

Olivia sat on the fire escape outside of her bedroom as hot tears slipped down her cheeks. Seeing her mother after being estranged for years made life so much harder. She had finally adjusted to being without a biological family member and loving every second she spent with her squad. Now Serena was back and looked as if she finally got her life together after being an abusive drunk when Olivia was around.

"Olivia?" Amanda called, as she walked into the bedroom she shares with Olivia. She had kicked her mother and Serena out but didn't know how far they would go. She was certain that they would be besties since they had so much in common.

"Out here," Olivia hiccupped, as she wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"Baby, can you come inside? I'm too pregnant to be climbing through that window," Amanda replied. Olivia frowned deeply but didn't move.

"It's okay, I don't want to talk anyway," Olivia replied. She leaned against the rough brick and took a few slow breaths.

"Liv, please. We need to talk especially since tonight was incredibly difficult for you," Amanda replied. Olivia took a shaky breath before slowly climbing back in the window. Amanda gave her girlfriend a gentle smile, before walking to the bed and patting the spot beside her. 

Olivia hesitantly moved to the bed before flopping down on it. She just wanted to continue to cry, but she knew Amanda wouldn't allow that. Her girlfriend always wanted to help her feel better, even if Olivia wanted to be sad for a bit.

"My mother did something incredibly wrong tonight. She never should have tracked your mother down and brought her here. After the rough childhood you had, she wanted to bring your mother back around to hopefully break us up."

"That is exactly what she tried to do. It makes me so angry to know that my mother now knows what is happening in my life. She knows that I'm bisexual and am going to be a mother in a handful of weeks. I bet she knows I got promoted. She knows things that I never wanted her to know," Olivia whimpered, as tears slipped down her cheeks.

"Serena doesn't need to know about anything else. She is not welcome here anymore, and neither is my mother," Amanda spoke. 

Olivia wiped the tears from her cheeks before sitting up slowly. 

"Can I go back on the fire escape?" Olivia whispered.

"No, you can't. We are going to get in our pajamas and snuggle. Maybe I'll help you relax a little if you are feeling up to it," Amanda replied. She leaned over and kissed Olivia softly before hugging her tightly.

Olivia took a shaky breath before shaking her head.

"I'm not feeling up to it, Mandy. I just want to sleep forever."

///

The next morning, Olivia woke up and got around before Amanda even stirred. She made herself breakfast before heading downstairs and to her vehicle. Sitting on the front steps, Olivia found her mother sitting with a large cup of coffee held between her hands.

"Olivia?" Serena questioned.

"Can't you just go back to being my estranged mother?" Olivia frowned.

"I really don't think I can. After seeing you last night, I realized I don't want to miss out on any more time."

"We haven't seen each other in so many years that coming around now won't make a difference. You missed out on parts of my life that you shouldn't have."

"Yet now you are dating a very beautiful woman and having a baby with her. Beth Anne told me you are the commanding officer of your squad and-"

"You aren't going to be a grandma," Olivia huffed.

"I won't be unless you allow me to."

"And I'm not giving you permission to be a grandmother to my child. Amanda and I don't need you or Beth Anne. We are good with each other and the squad."

Olivia moved down the sidewalk and towards where her vehicle was parked on the corner. Serena fell into the step with her daughter.

"I've changed, Olivia."

"I really doubt that, Serena," Olivia grumbled.

"It's true. I haven't been drunk or high in five years. I have a really good job after going back to school and getting my degree in accounting. There was a man in my life, but he couldn't be with me unless I made amends to you. He didn't like that I was so bogged down by anger and pain."

Olivia stopped walking and turned to look at her mother.

"When did you break up?"

"What?"

"Answer the damn question," Olivia huffed. 

"Three years ago."

"So if it wasn't for Beth Anne tracking you down to try to break Amanda and myself up, we wouldn't be here talking. You had three years to come around, but you never did. It's bullshit!" Olivia spat.

Serena quickly reached out and grabbed her daughter's hands and gave them a tight squeeze.

"Please give me a chance, Olivia. I'm begging you to let me in because I need to be with you. I have wasted so much of my life without you... With being angry at you for something you did not do at all."

Olivia looked at her mother before taking a shaky breath and glanced down the sidewalk.

"I am not in the right place to be letting you back into my life. My girlfriend and I are having life-changing things happening in the next few weeks and I don't want to be distracted. She needs me to hold her hand when she's in pain, and I can't be in pain myself. So please, back off."

"Please reach out when you are ready!" Serena cried.

"Maybe I'll see you in three to fifteen years," Olivia replied with a huff.