Meant to Be

“Mi casa, es su casa,” Brendon said cheerily as he opened the door to his apartment.

Olivia smiled and thanked him as she entered the living room. It had taken a week to finally make it out to California; which Olivia attributed to Brendon being adamant on them driving. He wasn’t too keen on the idea of her flying when she was close to seven months pregnant, but after hearing from the doctor that it would be fine, he finally agreed.

She stood in the middle of the living room and looked around. “So…this is where you and Kayla lived, huh?” she asked.

“She used to live here. I told her to leave the moment I found out she lied to me,” he reminded her.

Olivia glanced at him and traveled to the other end of the apartment, where the bedrooms were. “And this is where you two slept together?” she asked, walking into his bedroom.

Brendon sighed and followed her. He crossed his arms over his and chest, leaning against the doorframe and watched Olivia run her fingers along the bedspread. She couldn’t help the discomforting feeling she had when she thought about Brendon and Kayla sleeping in the same bed and other things she was sure they’d done.

“Liv, trust me when I say this, the only thing Kayla and I ever did in this bed was sleep. And I know that’s hard to believe, but it’s true,” he assured her as he walked towards her.

He took her hands in his and smiled at her. Olivia gave him a half smile, embarrassed that she was feeling jealousy towards a woman who was no longer in Brendon’s life.

“I’m sorry. I feel so stupid for even caring about that. I guess I could get used to living here…” she said looking around the room one last time.

Brendon shook his head. “Liv, I don’t expect us to live here, in fact, I don’t want us to live here.” She looked up at him with confusion. “You see, I was feeling the exact same way you are when I realized you were with Jason. I couldn’t help it. So, I figured you wouldn’t want to live in the same place I had lived with Kayla.”

“So, what are you saying?” she asked.

“Liv, why do you think I brought you up here with me for the weekend?” he asked, taking a seat on the bed and pulling her down with him.

She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know? To show me your place and to sorta get used to California?” she said, unsure of his reasons now.

“Oh, so close. But wrong. You see, we’re starting a family Liv – a new life, a new relationship, a new start. So, I’d think it’d be best if we got a new place.”

Olivia was surprised, not expecting Brendon to announce plans of moving into a new place. “Really?” she asked.

Brendon nodded his head. “I put the apartment on the market and tomorrow morning we’re checking out some places.”

“You’ve been planning this haven’t you?” she questioned.

He smirked and leaned in to kiss her forehead. “Maybe…”

She rolled her eyes and started to get up from the bed. “All right Mr. ‘I have everything planned out’ how about you take your baby momma out to eat?” she asked, placing her hands on her hips.

Brendon laughed and nodded his head. “Okay, okay. And where would my baby momma like to eat?”

Olivia slowly rubbed her stomach as she thought about where to eat. “Hmm…I don’t know. Surprise me. You seem to be doing that a lot lately,” she answered back.



“So, what’s our plan of attack?”

Olivia looked up from her menu and eyed him curiously. “What are you talking about?”

“You know, with telling my family about us,” he said pointing to her and himself. “Not to mention the baby growing in your uterus,” he said, his eyes lowering his eyes to her baby bump.

Olivia had almost forgotten all about that. After telling her family about them before they left, she felt like the worst was over, and a sense of relief had washed over her. Now, Brendon had reminded her of another hurdle they had to overcome.

“Oh, yeah. That,” she frowned.

“Did you seriously forget about it?”

“Well… Yeah.”

He smiled and reached over the table to grab her hand. “I hope everything turns out okay. I mean, it probably won’t be as easy as telling your family…”

“You thought telling my dad and brother was easy?”

“Okay, let me rephrase. It probably won’t turn out as well when we tell them.”

She knew he was right. Telling his family would not be easy in the slightest and as much as she hoped, it probably wouldn’t turn out fine. She was actually surprised on how well her brother and dad had taken the news, at least after everything had sunk in. In fact, she was surprised on how well they had taken every piece of news she had since she had gotten back from Seattle.

One week ago

“So, is this news bad or good?”

Olivia looked up at her dad after checking the roast in the crockpot. “Well, to me it’s good news, but I guess I’ll leave it your opinion after I tell you,” she smiled.

She was a bit nervous about dinner. She had her brother and sister-in-law coming over, as well as Brendon to assist Olivia in telling her family about them and their plans. She only wished Charlotte or Travis had been able to attend dinner to alleviate her anxiety.

“Must be big and important if you’re having your brother come over too. The last time that happened you told us you were pregnant and that you and Jason were over. It’s not anything like that is it?” he questioned.

Olivia laughed and shook her head. “How about you mash the potatoes for me and stop being impatient. You’ll find out soon.”

Olivia’s father glared at her and then smiled, grabbing the potato masher from one of the drawers. Just as Olivia started to grab plates and utensils, the doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it,” her father said.

“No, no. You finish with that. I’ll go answer the door,” she said, walking towards the living room.

Olivia couldn’t take the chance of her dad answering the door and it being Brendon on the other side of it. She peeked through one of the windows near the door and saw it was just her brother and his wife.

“Abel!” she exclaimed as she gave him a hug.

“Dang, Liv. You’ve gotten so much bigger since the last time I saw you,” he commented after breaking the hug.

She gave him a dirty look. “Thanks for pointing that out.”

“Oh, take it as a good thing. That means your little bundle of joy is growing,” her sister-in-law, Amy, said, looking down at the baby in her arms.

“Yeah, you’re right. So, where’s Becca and Mikey?” Olivia asked, closing the door behind them.

“My sister took them to the aquarium with her kids. Where’s your dad?” Amy asked.

“Oh, in the kitchen. Dinner’s ready; you can help yourselves. I’ll be there in a bit.”

Olivia slowly walked towards the front door, keeping an eye in the direction of the kitchen. She heard the low knock on the door and quietly opened it and smiled when she saw it was Brendon. She quietly closed the door behind her and tip-toed to give Brendon a kiss.

“Someone seems way too happy for what we’re about to tell your family,” Brendon commented after Olivia kissed him.

She shrugged her shoulders and leaned up against the wall. “I’m happy to see you and that you’re here.” She sighed, “I just wanna get this over with already,” she admitted.

She was tired of hiding this from her family and just wanted everything out in the open, hoping she’d feel some relief after that.

“Yeah, I know,” he said, glancing at the ground. He looked back at her and asked, “So, you ready or what?” He reached out his hand, waiting for her to take it.

With a sigh and a nod, she took his hand and they both walked back into the house. She could hear her dad’s heavy laugh, along with her brother’s and sister-in-law’s. She was happy they were in a good mood at the moment. Before entering the kitchen, she looked up at Brendon. He smiled and gave a small nod, squeezing her hand to let her know he was ready when she was.

“And where’s your sister?” she heard her father ask.

“Probably in the restroom. You know pregnant women can’t control their bladders,” he laughed.

“Excuse you,” Olivia said, letting go of Brendon’s hand and walking into the kitchen. “You try holding it in when you have someone crushing it,” she retorted.

“Liv, there you are. Come sit and eat – food’s getting cold,” her father pointed out.

Olivia shook her head and breathed in a long breath. “I want to introduce the friend I invited over to join us.” She looked back and motioned for Brendon to come over.

He hesitated a moment and then gathered enough courage to move his feet.

Everyone stared at Brendon as he stood next to Olivia. Were they trying to figure out why he looked so familiar? Or if he was part of the ‘big news’ she had to tell them? She just wanted someone to say something.

“Dang, this guy looks just like the guy you dated in high school. What was his name? Brendon?” her brother asked.

“That’s because it is Brendon.”

Silence. It wasn’t like she wasn’t expecting it; she just didn’t think she’d want yelling or someone’s voice to replace it. She waited for someone to speak, because she didn’t know what else to say.

“Is this the news? That you and Brendon are back together?” Her eyes moved in her father’s direction. He sat with his arms across his chest as they rested on his beer belly.

“Part of it.”

“When did this happen?”

The baby started to kick a little, for some reason, making Olivia feel nervous. She grabbed Brendon’s hand and laced her fingers with his. “About two weeks ago, but all this kinda started seven months ago…” she trailed off.

“Seven months ago? You were still with Jason then.” Her father took a moment to collect his thoughts and then looked up angrily at Brendon. “Wait, are you the reason they broke up?”

“Dad, I told you –,” she stopped when her father held up a hand to her.

“I asked him a question. So?” he asked Brendon, waiting for his answer.

Brendon gulped loudly and licked his lips. “No, I didn’t break them up. Jason did a stupid thing and cheated on her. He was stupid to let an incredible woman walk out of his life.” He looked at Olivia. “I did a stupid thing and let this incredible woman walk out of my life.”

Olivia smiled and squeezed his hand. “Look, Mr. Adams, I never stopped loving your daughter. When we both decided to end our relationship, it was hard, but we thought we’d both be better off without the other. And when I saw Olivia again after five years, I knew it was a sign that her and I were meant to be together.”

Olivia hadn’t noticed she was crying until Brendon wiped a tear from her cheek with his thumb.

“And you’re okay with raising someone else’s child?”

Brendon and Olivia looked at each other for a moment and then back at her family.

“It wouldn’t be what I’d want, but if that were the case I would. I love Liv; I’d do anything for her,” he said honestly.

“Well, that is the case. Are you ready to commit to not only my daughter, but her son too?”

Olivia couldn’t take it anymore. “Dad, Brendon’s the father!” she blurted out. “It’s his son. He wouldn’t be raising another man’s child.” Her father seemed speechless, but she wouldn’t give him the chance to say anything even if he wanted to. “Even before I got pregnant, he wanted to be with me, but things got complicated. Anyways, once he found about the baby he made it clear he wants to be a part of his and my life.”

Her father let out a long breath, raking his fingers through his grey hair. “Is that everything you have to tell us?” he asked.

She shook her head and bit her bottom lip. “I moving to California with him too,” she said in a hushed tone.

“What! You’re gonna leave again and not come back for another five years?”

That hit her hard. Though she’d like to blame Jason, it was as much of her fault as it was his. “I didn’t say I was moving today or tomorrow. Just that I’m planning to; probably several months after the baby’s born. And I promise to visit. Brendon has family here too.”

Her dad rolled his eyes and looked towards her brother. “And you? You haven’t said a damn word about any of this.”

“Oh, like I’ve been given a chance to,” he said sarcastically. “Look, I’ve always liked Brendon. A part of me wished you two would get back together, but then Jason showed up and he seemed to fill that void for her. But you could tell that no one could ever replace you in her heart. She was always yours.”

Brendon smiled at him, mentally thanking him for his kind words. “So, I say, congrats and welcome to the family! Just don’t hurt her or I’ll hurt you,” her brother said, getting up and giving Brendon a hug.

Brendon laughed. “That’s what you said when we started dating and I was only twelve.”

Olivia was elated that her brother was okay with everything. But there was still one person she’d hope would support them. She turned towards her dad and walked up next to him.

“Dad?” she said, placing her hand on his shoulder.

He looked up at her with watery eyes. “I’m not too thrilled on how all this happened, nor am I thrilled about you moving again, but if you’re happy then I’m happy.” He smiled and placed his hand over hers.

“Liv…Liv!”

Olivia shook her head and saw Brendon waving a hand in front of her face. “What?” she asked absentmindedly.

“You gonna order or not?”

She apologized for her spacy behavior and placed her order with the waitress.

“Are you okay?” Brendon asked when the waitress left.

Olivia nodded her head. “Just thinking.”

“About?” he asked curiously.

“A lot of things,” she confessed.

Brendon shook his head. “Liv, you can’t be stressing out. It’s not good for you or the baby.”

“I know; I know. I just can’t help it. I feel like there’s so much to do before the baby’s born and I haven’t done anything to prepare.”

Brendon hated seeing her so stressed out. All he wanted to do was take all her burdens and place them on his shoulders.

“Don’t worry about anything. I’ll figure out a way to tell my family. Once we find a new place, I’ll baby proof it and set up the nursery. I’ll take care of everything. The most important thing is that you’re relaxed and stressed free.”

“What about Lamaze classes?”

“La-what classes?” he asked with a puzzled expression.

Olivia laughed. “Birthing classes. I signed up for them for next week. I was hoping you’d be able to come and be my partner.”

Brendon looked unsure of going. “Seriously? Birthing classes?”

“You know what? It’s okay. I’ll just ask Travis to come,” she said, swirling the straw in her glass.

“No need to be dragging Travis to those classes. I’ll take you.”

Olivia smirked. “If you insist.”



Olivia attempted to flop onto the couch, but with an oversized midsection, all she could do was slowly sit down and put her feet on the coffee table. Their morning and most of their afternoon had consisted of looking at new places they might live in. It was tiring to say the least.

“That was fun, huh?” Brendon asked, taking a seat next to Olivia.

She gave him a look and rolled her eyes. “So much fun,” she said sarcastically.

He patted one of her hands and then rested it on her baby bump. “So, which place did you like the best?”

She placed her hand over his and laid her head on his shoulder. “They were all wonderful. Narrowing it down is going to be tough.”

“Oh, come on Liv. I know you had your favorite. It was the house wasn’t it?”

She got up a little to look at him. “How did –,” she began.

“I saw the way your face lit up when we got there and how your eyes roamed around the house. I knew instantly that you loved it.”

She knew where he was going with this. “Yeah, but Brendon…”

“No ‘buts’ Liv. If you want it, we’ll get it. I think it’s a great place to raise a family,” he said before kissing her temple.

She nudged him on his side. “You need to stop spoiling me or I’ll never go back to work,” she joked.

“Nah, you’d go back to work. You’d get too bored staying home.”

“You wouldn’t care if I went back to work?” she asked in disbelief.

“Liv, you’re a grown woman. If that’s what you want to do, I can’t stop you. I’m sure the hospitals here have daycares or something for when I’m on the road. And when I am home, I’ll watch the baby.”

Before she could say something they both felt a rumble in her stomach, knowing it was the baby kicking. “Either you’re hungry or you have gas,” Brendon said, taking his hand off her stomach.

“I think it’s both. Mind getting us something to eat?” she asked.

He got up and stretched his arms over his head. “Want some take-out?”

“That actually sounds really good.”

“All right, I’ll be back in a bit. Call me if you want or need anything else,” he said, leaning down and placing a kiss on her lips.

After Brendon left, Olivia couldn’t help but smile with the thoughts of living together in the house they had seen earlier. Everything was starting to fall into place, with the exception of telling his family.

She leaned her head back against the couch and felt her eyelids begin to droop, becoming heavier as the minutes passed by. As she was about to doze off she heard a knock at the door. She shook her head, frustrated as she tried to get up.

“Did you forget your key, loser?” she said as she walked towards the door.

She opened it suddenly felt sick to her stomach. “Olivia?”

“Jason?”

It was like déjà vu all over again.