Chapter 45 - Olivia
A s the weeks passed, Olivia busied herself with putting her farm to bed for the winter. Dahlia tubers and tulip bulbs had to be dug up and stored in her basement. Tools needed to be cleaned, oiled, and stored in sheds. The irrigation system that started the whole mess in the first place had to be wound up and put away.
Although those chores and Ms. Darcy got her out of bed, the heavy sadness wouldn’t let go, and the return of her optimism still hadn’t come.
Olivia continued having dinner with her parents on Sundays, and every Sunday, her dad casually mentioned another young, single, or recently divorced farmer. Olivia assumed these comments were for her benefit, but she was also pretty sure her mom had made it clear he was not allowed to explicitly mention dating.
On October first, true to her word, Olivia gave her dad an answer. “I’m going to take over the farm in partnership with Philip. ”
He was thrilled, but his excitement was dampened by Olivia’s next words.
“We know this is going to be a big change for you, and we’re not trying to shut you out by any means, but we have some conditions.”
She handed her father a contract she and Philip had created that detailed a list of conditions her dad would have to agree to for them to take over joint ownership. She forced him to read and initial each bullet point and sign off his total agreement at the bottom.
As he did so, he grumbled under his breath—words like “Unbelievable,” “Oh for god’s sake,” and her personal favorite, “Good grief, already.”
When he was done, Olivia took a photo of the document and emailed it to her dad, copying Philip as a witness.
When it was all said and done, Olivia was relieved a decision had been made. She no longer felt like she was living in ambiguity. She had a plan. She was making project lists, and she and Philip were having weekly farm meetings to discuss where things stood and where they wanted to take the farm. Olivia had some ideas regarding more sustainable farming practices she’d been reading about, and she wanted to start testing a few in their fields.
Throughout this time, she was grateful to have the calmer winter months ahead of her to give her some time to absorb the farm’s current business state and immerse herself in the plan for the year ahead. The deeper she got, the more it became glaringly obvious she wasn’t going to be able to keep running her CSA without help. Maddy immediately came to mind.
The morning the first snow fell in Gresham, Olivia was reviewing some financial plans when she got a call from her mom.
“Olivia?” Her mom’s cautious tone told her something was wrong, and her stomach dropped. Olivia’s first thought was her dad had been injured in a farming accident. She held her breath as her mom continued, “I’m on my way to pick you up. Fiona had a seizure this morning. She was stabilized, but they’re sending her down to the Cities with Cassie in an ambulance. I’ll be there in ten. Pack a bag, honey. We don’t know how long she’s going to be in the hospital.”
This wasn’t Fiona’s first seizure. Epilepsy was a more common occurrence in individuals with Down syndrome, but her doctors had never rushed her in an ambulance to the Cities before.
“Oh my god, Mom, is she going to be okay? Why are they taking her in an ambulance?”
“Honey, we don’t know yet. They’re taking her to the Gillette Children’s Hospital. She’s been unconscious since her seizure.”
“Fuck! No!”
The walls that had been threatening to collapse since she and Aiden broke up were caving in. She didn’t have the strength to hold it all up anymore. Despite her belief she couldn’t keep going, her adrenaline got her moving. She grabbed random clothes and shoved them into a duffle. Olivia didn’t know what to do with Ms. Darcy since she didn’t know how long she was going to be gone, so she packed a bag for her, too.
Her mom pulled up exactly ten minutes later, and Olivia and Ms. Darcy piled into the car. Olivia gave her mom a hug, and her mom took a deep breath as she squeezed Olivia’s arm.
“I know you have your own beliefs, but honey, I just want you to know I’ve alerted the prayer circle, and we are going to get the powers that be intervening. She is going to be okay. I’m sure of it,” her mom said confidently.
The car ride was tense. Her mom silently moved from one rosary bead to the next, and Olivia made to-do lists on her phone. We do what we must to cope .
Twenty minutes later, Olivia’s phone buzzed. It was Aiden. She held her breath as she clicked on the message. Olivia wasn’t sure she had any more willpower left to resist him.
Aiden: I’m sorry if this is inappropriate, but my mom just called and told me Fiona is on her way to Gillette Children’s. I’m here if you need anything.
“Mom.” Olivia looked up. “Is Mrs. Wescott in your prayer circle by chance?”
She squinted at Olivia questioningly. “Of course, honey, why?”
“No reason.”
“Oh-kay.” Then she caught on. “Did Aiden just text you?”
“Yeah.”
“That was sweet of him,” her mom said hesitantly. “I know you might not be ready to hear this, but it would probably be a good idea for you all to make amends because your paths are going to keep crossing."
“I know, Mom. I know you’re right. It’s just hard.”
Her mom nodded and let a beat of silence hang between them .
Olivia's stomach clenched as she thought about how her breakup with Aiden had likely caused her mom a fair bit of stress as well. She’d been so wrapped up in her own feelings and her own wants and needs that she’d never even considered if it had put a strain on her mom’s friendship with Aiden’s mom. She felt like a selfish teenager instead of a grown woman.
“I’m sorry, Mom. I’m sorry if my mess has made your life harder or hurt your friendship with Mrs. Wescott.”
Her mom patted her knee. “Oh you know I’ll be fine, sweetie girl. But…one thing that might be helpful is if Aiden could keep Ms. Darcy at his place while we’re in town.”
Oh crap.
Her mom was right. Hotels didn’t allow dogs, and who knew if they were going to be able to find a vacation home that allowed dogs without having to pay a significant last-minute premium.
Her heart raced at the prospect of asking Aiden for help. Of seeing him.
Then her phone vibrated again.
Aiden : Sorry…again…I was just thinking, do you need me to watch Ms. Darcy?
The text gave Olivia goosebumps. She shook her hands to calm the nervous energy vibrating under her skin.
Olivia’s mom looked over at her questioningly.
“He texted me again and asked if he could watch Ms. Darcy.”
Her mom let out a tiny snort. Olivia looked over, but her mom’s face was unreadable, and her eyes stayed focused on the road.
Olivia was only a little annoyed. “Yeah, yeah.”
Twenty minutes later, her stomach was in knots at the idea of seeing Aiden, or not seeing him, and she caved. Aiden had been brave enough to offer help after all of the rejection she’d put him through. The least she could do was summon a modicum of bravery in herself.
Olivia : Hey, thanks for your texts. I'd really appreciate that. Just for a few days. I can swing by to take care of her. I don’t think a hotel is going to allow us to bring her in.
His response was immediate.
Aiden: Yes! Of course! I’ll be home from work around 5. Does that work?
Olivia: Yes, thank you so much.
Her mother gave her a knowing look. “So, should I just drop you off at Aiden’s then?”
“Very funny, Mom. Really. When did you become a stand-up comic?”
“Hmmm…” her mom said as if she were considering the possibility. “When my kids gave me a lot of material?”
Olivia shook her head. She closed her eyes, trying not to let the joy she felt about seeing Aiden reach her face, but the corners of her mouth had a mind of their own.
She had been trying so hard to move on from him. She’d thrown herself back into work. She’d even downloaded a few dating apps, but she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Aiden.
Her brain kept trying to come up with ways they might still make it work. Through it all, she hadn’t been able to kill the last little flicker of hope they might somehow have another chance at being together. All of these thoughts ran through Olivia’s mind for the zillionth time. Then she’d remember Fiona and feel horrible.
What is wrong with me? Our little girl is in a coma, and I’m sitting here thinking about Aiden .
She was so disgusted with herself that she actually stopped thinking about all things Aiden and instead turned to internet medical advice, which was arguably also a bad idea.
After a bit of research, she asked, “Mom, do you know if Fiona’s coma was induced?”
“No, sweetie, I don’t know. Why do you ask?”
“It looks like, in some cases, they induce a coma after a seizure, so I was just curious if you knew.”
“Well, hopefully, we’ll get some answers once they’ve had a chance to take a look. You said Aiden is a pediatrician, right? Does he work at Gillette?”
“No, he works at Saint Paul Children’s.”
“Okay, well, it’ll be good to have a doctor around to help Cassie and Philip translate all of the medical-speak.”
“I don’t think he’s going to be around, Mom. He’s just watching Ms. Darcy.”
“Right, yes, that’s what I meant.”
Olivia side-eyed her mom and scrunched her face.
Her mom waved her off with a flap of her hand, and Olivia let it lie.
The next ninety minutes of their drive felt like ten hours. Olivia finally dropped her mom off at the hospital and took Ms. Darcy to a dog park to kill time until Aiden was home from work. The air was chilly, and she was grateful she’d grabbed her puffiest coat and mittens while she watched Ms. Darcy run around happily, chasing the other dogs through the light dusting of snow covering the park.
Eventually, they had to hop back in the car to warm up, and her phone pinged .
Unknown: Hey Olivia. This is Aiden’s friend Isaac. He asked me to meet you at his apartment so you don’t have to wait for him to get off work. I’ve got a key I can give you.
Olivia : That would be amazing. Thanks! I can be there in about twenty. Does that work?
Isaac : Yup. See you there
Olivia and Ms. Darcy drove over to Aiden's apartment, and Isaac was waiting for them outside.
“Hey, thank you so much for meeting me here,” she said.
He greeted her with a hug, and she returned it warmly. He reached down to let Ms. Darcy sniff his hands before giving her a quick pet.
“No problem. I’m so sorry to hear about your niece. I'm sure this feels awful, but you should know the doctors at Gillette are excellent. She’ll be well cared for.”
Olivia smiled gratefully. “Thanks, that’s nice to hear right now.”
Isaac nodded. “Anyway, here’s the key. Aiden told me to tell you to make yourself at home but also not to judge him for the state of his apartment because he didn’t know he was going to have company.”
She laughed. “Oh, I’m just lucky he offered to host Missy here.”
“Well, I know he was happy to help. And, for what it’s worth, it’s nice to see you again. June and I were bummed it didn’t work out for you two.”
“Thanks,” Olivia said, letting out a deep breath. She attempted a “tough luck” smile. “Yeah…it’s been hard.”
He nodded. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry. I’ll let you go. I’m sure you’re anxious to get to the hospital. Let June and I know if there is anything we can do. We have a guest bedroom if your cousin and his wife ever need a place to stay.”
“Wow, thanks. That’s so generous. I’ll be sure to pass that along.”
When she and Ms. Darcy got inside, a few dirty dishes sat in the sink, and Aiden’s shoes were strewn about, but it was in no way the mess Olivia thought it might be based on Isaac’s warning.
More than anything, the place smelled like Aiden. She let herself breathe in deeply once before forcing herself to snap out of it. Her inner weirdo was tempted to crawl into Aiden’s bed and take a nap under his covers. Instead, she focused her anxious energy on setting Ms. Darcy up with some water and her bed, making sure she couldn’t get into anything dangerous or delicate. Once she felt safe leaving Ms. Darcy alone, she headed to the hospital.