olivia , tom hiddleston

eighteen

chapter eighteen
that doesn't mean she loves me
Thursday 22nd February 2018

"Tom, can you help Lyra with her boots please?" Olivia stressed only a slight bit when her family went on walks. Lyra and Asher were over-excited from meeting Tom's dog, Bobby, who jumped and licked the kids at every opportunity.

Today was supposed to be a stress free walk with Lizzy, Eric and their dog Bear. A celebratory walk after their newly-engaged state. The couples first mistake was saying they'd take their dog. The second mistake was asking Tom. The third mistake was asking for Bobby to join. These three factors had got the kids into one of the biggest frenzies Olivia had ever seen them in.

"Bobby. Sit. Calm down." Tom grumbled to the dog as he knelt down to squeeze Lyra's walking boots on and tie the laces. "Sorry, Via, I should've left him at home." He sighed but was happy he'd at least trained him enough to sit.

"Forget it. He's here now." Olivia grumbled as she helped Asher put his coat on and zip it up.

"Oh, but you wish he wasn't?" Tom retaliated to her sharp and irritated tone.

"No, of course I don't wish that. I love Bobby." To affirm this, she reached down and petted the dog and scratched under his nose. He nudged her hand softly and breathed heavily.

"So why are you acting like this?" Tom wasn't sure why Olivia was in such an awful mood. He hadn't seen this side of her before, and it was unsettling. The children hadn't misbehaved, nor had Bobby really done anything wrong.

"Mummy, I need the toilet." Asher complained. Tom knew this would push her over the edge.

"Oh man, Ash. I thought mummy asked you earlier to go. I'll help." He spoke before Olivia could even let her anger out on the boy. The mother had just got him into all his walking clothes, only for them to now come back off. Tom could understand her frustration.

"Mummy always gets like this when we go for a walk." Asher admitted as Tom turned away from the toilet to give the boy the privacy he needed.

"Why is that?" Tom asked politely.

"Because me and Lyra are always naughty. We don't like to go on walks, so we misbehave. But we didn't want you to know and upset mummy in front of you." Tom was impressed at his honesty, and turned back round when the toilet flushed to help him back into his coat and shoes.

"But I don't understand why she's still angry when we haven't even been naughty." He spoke quietly and walked over to the sink to wash his hands.

"I think mummy has a lot of emotions going through her head at the moment." Tom answered and picked up the boy after he'd washed his hands. He was too old for it, but the boy appreciated the male figure in his life enough to want it.

"But I thought you made her happy?" Asher asked whilst furrowing his eyebrows.

"I do." Tom smiled, his heart beat beginning to rise as he thought about Olivia laughing. "But that doesn't mean she loves me. She still has to figure that out, whilst trying to be happy for Auntie Lizzy." He tickled Asher quickly as he said: "And I think Bobby is the one misbehaving today."

Asher giggled at the dog comment. But as it died down he thought about Tom's words. "Do you think mummy is jealous of Auntie Lizzy and Uncle Eric?"