I’m not sure my body can withstand forty-five days of keeping up with Ollie’s definition of love.
14
Oliver
Visiting my mother’s house to learn how to prepare our family’s traditional Thanksgiving fare was not on my weekly schedule. I accompany Olivia anyway because it is the right thing to do. I feel immense guilt that she is still walking with a strange gait even after our bath and lying in bed together for most of the day yesterday.
“You’re here!” Mom smiles with her teeth showing when we enter the kitchen. She throws her arms out for the requisite hug and kiss on the cheek.
I oblige the unspoken demand. “Of course, we are here. Did you not make plans with Liv to teach us how to cook Thanksgiving dinner?”
“Well, yes.” Mom frowns as she rubs a patronizingly soothing circle on my back. “But, it wasn’t on your schedule for the week. I expected her to come alone.”
I am barely able to stop myself from making my tone too harsh. The anger I am currently experiencing makes me feel better about lying. “She is carrying my baby. Why would she go anywhere alone?”
Mom continues fussing over me in ways that do not improve my mood. “Well, you can’t go to work with her, Oliver. She’ll have to go to the library, to doctor’s appointments that you can’t miss work to attend…”
Why does everyone suddenly assume I am so incapable?
“I’m well aware I cannot accompany her to work at the library since I have my own job at Google, which pays me very well. To be clear, I made two-hundred twenty-four thousand, seven-hundred and thirty-six dollars and ninety-eight cents last year before taxes.” I throw that in just to make my point that I am a successful adult. It is not as subtle as I would like, but it will suffice. “I will not, however, miss any doctor’s appointments. If Liv has to take time off work for them, then I can, too.”
Mom shakes her head. “You make all that money and yet you live in a condo in the south hills. When are you two buying a house? A condo with practically no yard is really no place to raise a family.”
It is odd that I am suddenly expected to be more than capable of negotiating real estate transactions which will be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. I glance at Liv. To her credit, the sickly pallor of her skin does make her look like she is suffering from morning sickness. She is a very good actress. I have learned much from her over the years.
“We have not discussed it yet,” I answer since she seems unwilling to speak. “Our first priority is a healthy, safe pregnancy then birth.”
“And how is my sweet little grandbaby?” Mom coos, approaching Liv with obvious intent. Her hands are extended, fingers wriggling, gaze fixed on Liv’s stomach.
My mom rubs Liv’s tummy the way a person would pet a dog. Liv’s eyes are wide, and she sticks her arms out to the side. She resembles a scarecrow decoration like the ones that are in so many yards this time of year.
“Mother, some people do not like to be touched without permission.” It is a rote phrase, dug up from the recesses of my memory. Only it has a different name attached to the reminder.
Mom’s face turns red. She raises her hands like she has been touching fire. “I’m so sorry, dear. I did overstep the bounds of courtesy, didn’t I?” She wraps her arms around Liv in a hug that Liv seems to enjoy much more. “How is my sweet daughter-in-law to be? Are you still sick most days? I got you the ginger I promised you.”
“Thank you,” Liv says, stumbling over her words uncharacteristically. “I’m okay most days.”
Mom smiles again. This one looks like she has a secret she cannot wait to tell. It is easy to guess what that is. “I know we’re keeping everything hush-hush until your big announcement at Thanksgiving, but have you told your mother yet?”
“No.” Liv gulps so loud I can hear it across the room. Her eyes are big and round. “Why? Have you talked to her?”
“Oh, no, no, no, no, no.” There are so many no’s, I lose count. “Ever since your mom and dad retired to Florida, we don’t talk nearly as often as we used to. A phone call here and there. We’ll probably speak closer to the holidays. I just didn’t want to overstep my bounds in a different way if you know what I mean.” She winks at Liv.
I do not know what she means. It is physically impossible for my mother to rub Liv’s mom’s stomach when they are so geographically distant.
“Is your family flying here for Thanksgiving?” This is a question I never thought to ask Liv.
“No.” She sighs. “They’re going to Brent’s house for Thanksgiving. The plan was for me to fly to them for Christmas.”
Olivia’s brother is already married with two children though he is a year younger. This must be a factor in Liv’s concern about turning thirty and still being single and childless. They have always been very competitive siblings. Liv is a senior librarian at the Carnegie. Her brother curates antique books for the Smithsonian. Liv graduated magna cum laude from Pitt. Brent graduated magna sum laude from Penn State. He is what is known as a mama’s boy, but Liv is a daddy’s girl.
I always had good feelings when in Brent’s presence. He never treated me poorly like so many other boys at school. In fact, he aided me many times in gym class. I helped him get better grades in math. A fact we kept secret from Liv.
Mom frowns and washes her hands without any soap or water. “Well, of course, you’ll have to split time between families now, but Oliver isn’t fond of flying. Come to think of it, he doesn’t much care for sand either.”
It is true. I dislike both of those things.
“I’m going for two weeks,” Liv says, suddenly eager to speak. “Ollie doesn’t have that much vacation time left this year.”
That is another untruth. I have exactly twenty-one point eight days of accrued vacation time. I hardly ever take days off from work. Liv knows this, so I must draw the conclusion she does not wish for me to accompany her to visit her family.
I must also draw the conclusion that Liv’s competitive nature with her brother could work in my favor. “Will Brent and his family be there? I miss him. I would like the opportunity to see him.”
She blinks at me with raised eyebrows. This expression is slightly difficult to read, but I err on the side of displeasure. “You can fly to DC to visit Brent anytime you want.”
“True, but I would like to be present when you tell your family our big announcement.”
She glares at me. Strangely, this brings me great joy.
“Oh.” Mom chuckles. “This sounds like a lovers’ spat in the making. Why don’t we go over the grocery list and recipes and keep our mother-to-be calm and in good spirits, yes?”
Of course, it is always my goal to keep Liv calm and in good spirits. However, it is also my goal to make her fall in love with me. I did not realize until now how dirty I am willing to play to achieve this goal.
I pull out a chair at the kitchen table. “Please sit, mother of my unborn child.”
She continues to glare at me even though she follows directions like a good girl. She will receive a reward later for her compliant behavior. Perhaps also a punishment for her insouciance. I have yet to determine if she responds well to that sort of thing. I will have to be very controlled. The idea of causing her even an ounce more of pain sickens me.