Sunset and Vine | Adopted By Elizabeth Olsen

05 | Invisible String

Friday rolled around quickly. After lunch on Thursday, Lizzie couldn't get Via out of her mind. They'd enjoyed lunch together, and she hadn't ended up leaving the cafe until after four in the evening, but it still felt as though they had so much more to discuss and learn about each other. Although adamantly not liking this getting to know each other stage, the mid-twenties woman feels drawn to it with Via. Like it comes so naturally.

After parting ways, Lizzie set out to find a birthday present for the little angel. It wasn't easy, mostly because she felt so compelled to spoil the girl with every thing she saw, but eventually, she found a few books, a few shirts, and a few little notebooks that she thought would really tickle the girls interest without overwhelming her too much. Lizzie knew the possibilities going into this, that Via would shut down, that they'd be back to square one, but she wouldn't even consider not getting a gift at all. Everyone deserves a birthday present, especially at nine.

"Courtney's coming over for dinner." Mary-Kate finishes, the two sisters have spent the majority of the morning on the phone, and neither one has stopped smiling. Both feeling like life is finally back on track for them at this moment. "You think you can manage popping by?"

Lizzie hums, scribbling things down in her calendar for next few months. Shoot days, press junkets, travel information. She's absolutely swamped once mid-June rolls around. "I don't know, MK. I'm supposed to be helping Jay finalize a catering menu, and I'm not sure how long we'll be. Hey, when's that brunch you and Ash were planning? I think I have a free day, then."

"Early July. You wrap filming end of June?" Mary-Kate rustled through some papers, the telling sound of her phone being set down telling Lizzie that she was back in her office at The Row.

"Is that Lizard?" Ashley asks, leaning over Mary-Kate to read the name of her calling ID. Lizzie laughs softly, setting her pen down and moving onto the larger task at hand; wrapping Via's present. She'd gone back and forth between a bag and wrapping paper for hours last night, knowing that the amount of gifts would be overwhelming enough, and the excessive amount of paper at the end would probably weigh on Via's anxiety, but every kid deserves to open presents. So, eventually, she settled on bagging the few t-shirts and shorts (and new pair of sneakers that she felt no shame buying), and wrapping the books and notebooks, throwing the map she found at the bottom of the gift bag after realizing it wasn't an easy thing to wrap in paper.

"It is." Mary-Kate grumbled, most definitely pushing Ashley away from her desk so she wasn't breathing down her neck anymore.

"Is she coming to dinner tonight?" Ashley asks with the same sparkle of excitement in her tone that Mary-Kate had adopted.

"Probably not, sorry Ash. I'm helping Jay set up a menu for catering, and I'm gonna try and convince her to let me help with the prep. It's still only her and Barry running that place." Lizzie explains again, knowing she'll probably receive a call from her younger sister later today and have to explain it all again. Which won't make the splitting guilt any better.

"Really? I would've thought they'd have hired somebody else by now. Good for them." Ashley sounds far away, and the distinct clicking of heels is indicative of her walking away, probably either back to her own office or toward the copying machine. Lizzie sat through a day in their office life once and it was more than enough for her, though having its perks, the mundane tasks of copying and emails weren't exactly comparative to her time on set.

"They've got Via, but they only let her help with cleanup. Hopefully I can get her into the kitchen today, I think that might help her feel a little more comfortable. She's such a sweetheart, I don't know how she's gonna cope with the gift I'm bringing her." Lizzie but at her nails, thankful that her sisters couldn't see her. They'd be on her case, something that never dwindled from childhood. Sometimes, it's amusing, but at other points, Lizzie wishes they'd let her have her coping mechanisms.