18

Olivia knew she couldn't seem eager about going to Florida for their honeymoon, because Agent Ford would find out and put her on lockdown after the wedding. If she wanted to be with her daughters, she had to play things cool until they flew to Florida and she could explain everything to her new husband.

"Olivia?" Bernie asked, from where she sat in front of Olivia. They were standing in the middle of a dress store as Olivia tried to find a sample dress that fit her like a glove.

"I'm sorry, Bernie. Did you say something?" Olivia asked.

"Do you like this one? If not, Dee said she found a few cute ones that might be more your style," Bernie replied. Olivia turned to look at herself in the mirror and didn't see the dress she was currently wearing. 

All she could see was her wedding day with Hugo. She didn't have a say in the wedding planning other than her dress and the colors. Otherwise, Hugo took care of everything and paid for everything. Now Olivia knew why he was controlling, but back then, she thought he didn't want her to be stressed out.

"I don't know if I want to wear a dress, Bernie. It just doesn't feel like me," Olivia frowned.

"You wear dresses to church all the time, Liv. Think about this as just another day at church, but with a fancier dress," Bernie smiled, but it didn't make Olivia feel better. She was rushing to the altar so she could use her honeymoon as an excuse to grab her daughters from their monster of a father. She loved Elliot, but still didn't feel ready for all that was to come.

"I need a few minutes... Is that okay?" Olivia asked.

"Of course, it's okay, sweetie. Go chill out and come out in a dress you are more drawn to. Okay?" Bernie spoke.

"Thank you, Bernie. I'll be out in a bit," Olivia replied.

Olivia lifted the skirt of the wedding dress and retreated to the dressing room. Olivia quickly took the gown off and hung it up, before wrapping herself in a silky white robe and calling Elliot.

"Hey, baby! How's wedding dress shopping going?" Elliot asked.

"Elliot, we are doing a small wedding with friends and your family... It feels weird to spend a lot of money on a dress I'll wear once," Olivia replied.

"It won't be worn once, Liv. I'm sure our daughters will wear it in the future," Elliot spoke. Olivia felt her cheeks grow red at the thought. Would it be Macie or Rory wearing the dress or a baby she had with Elliot?

"El, I want something simple and easy. I could find that at a normal store in the mall."

"If that is what you want, then take my mother and Dee to the mall to grab a dress from Target," Elliot replied coldly.

Olivia closed her eyes tightly as she leaned against the wall.

"I know you are annoyed by this, and I don't appreciate it," Olivia spoke.

"Olivia-"

"No, Elliot. We could've eloped by now, but we are planning a small wedding. I don't know why it's a big deal. I don't want to wear some big dress with a skirt that weighs more than I do," Olivia interrupted.

Elliot didn't respond for a long moment before sighing softly.

"I'm sorry, Olivia. I'm not annoyed with you, and I hope you find something that makes you happy. If some big dress isn't for you, then find something more simple. If we need to push the wedding off a few more months so you can get a dress tailored to fit, then just tell me," Elliot replied.

Olivia opened her eyes and stepped towards one of the many dresses hanging up in front of her.

"I love you," Olivia breathed.

"I love you too, Liv. We can talk more tonight."

///

Olivia was in bed by the time Elliot got home. She opened her eyes when he entered their bedroom.

"Hey, El," Olivia breathed.

"Hey, Liv. How was the rest of your day?" Elliot questioned as he started to undress.

"I found a dress," Olivia replied. Elliot balled his shirt up as he tried to approach this topic.

"Oh, yeah?" He asked plainly.

"It's a sample dress that only needs a few alterations. Dee has it and she's going to adjust it to fit me better." 

Elliot smiled to himself as he walked into the bathroom to get ready for bed.

"I'm glad you found something that you liked, Liv."

"El, I'm sorry for making this a bigger deal than it actually is. The sooner we get married the better, and it's just overwhelming having to wait for simple things to get done before we can tie the knot. I'm looking forward to being your wife and starting a family with you," Olivia replied, as she played with her engagement ring and waited for her fiance to join her in bed.

"The wait will be worth it, Olivia. Before you know it, it'll be May 3rd, and we will be standing together and getting married. Then there is a week-long honeymoon in Florida, and hopefully a positive test not long after," Elliot smiled, leaving the bathroom and walking to the bed.

Olivia nodded slowly as she slipped onto Elliot's side of the bed and snuggled close to him once he climbed in.

"It feels like an eternity, El," Olivia admitted.

"It's going to go by fast, Liv. We still have so much planning to do before we can get married and start a life together."

Olivia stayed wrapped in Elliot's arms as she thought about having put one more day behind her and knowing that seeing her daughters was only thirty-seven days away.