Elliot swallowed hard as he pointed at the spot in front of him.
"Join me." Elliot sighed, and Maureen nodded. She moved over and sat cross-legged in front of her father before grabbing a stack of pictures and flipping through them.
"So what is the fight about, Dad? Because Olivia is quiet and she keeps crying randomly. Don't say it's her hormones or lack of sleep. You did this to her, and I know it." Maureen frowned.
"She asked about my therapy session, and I didn't want to talk about it. I had a hard enough morning, and I didn't want to relive it again. I yelled at her, and then Tally started to freak out. Olivia asked if I was going to help, but I said I wasn't. I don't know if we are going to move forward from this, because she doesn't even seem interested in getting married anymore."
"If we lose her, Dad, this time will surely be your fault." Maureen huffed. She tossed the photos down before standing and moving back towards the stairs.
"Would you rather have Olivia? Because I will leave. She can continue being your mom, and I can just climb into a hole and die." Elliot frowned.
"You love her, Dad. Stop being a dick to her and just be the man she fell in love with! You are bitter since Kathy left, and are taking it all out on Olivia! It's dumb, especially because she is our Mom now."
"I am far from the man she fell in love with. I'm a mess."
"I don't know what to say then, Dad. I'm going to help Mom with Tally, since you aren't."
///
Maureen spent her night helping Olivia with the baby. But eventually she had to go to bed, so Olivia was alone with a fussy baby.
"I'm sorry, Tally. I really suck at being your mama." Olivia mumbled, as she walked downstairs. She headed into the kitchen and stopped in the doorway. Elliot was sitting at the kitchen table with a pen in hand.
"What are you doing?" Olivia asked, and Elliot shook when he heard her voice.
"Uh, I'm writing a note." Elliot replied.
"A goodbye note? At least you are letting me know you are leaving." Olivia grumbled as she carried Tally over the fridge. She grabbed herself a water bottle before turning to look at Elliot.
"Liv, I'm not a good man anymore. So I think you and the kids would be better together."
"These kids won't have an actual parent if you leave. Since we can't stop fighting and you seem to not trust or love me anymore... I'll go. I can stay with Fin for a few days until I can find a new place to stay." Olivia sighed.
Elliot watched as Olivia shifted Tally into her other arm before pulling the engagement ring from her finger.
"Liv." Elliot whispered.
"I almost wonder if you actually had a hand in making Kathy leave. You certainly are the reason why I am."
///
Olivia spent the time that Tally was sleeping to pack up. She shoved things into her car and prayed that Elliot and the kids would be okay without her being there.
"Mama?" Lizzie yawned as she came downstairs earlier than the rest of her siblings. She stopped when she saw Olivia putting a bunch of Tally's items into a cardboard box.
"Hey, baby. You should go back to bed. It's really early." Olivia spoke.
"Are you going somewhere?" Lizzie asked quietly. She felt like she knew what was happening. That once again she was losing a Mom, and there was nothing she could do about it.
"I am going to go and stay with Fin for a bit. Once I get a place of my own, I will make sure you can come and see me. Okay?"
"No, Mama. Please don't go." Lizzie whimpered, as tears streamed down her cheeks. Olivia stood before quickly hugging Lizzie tightly.
"Baby, I'm not leaving you. I will always be your Mama, even if your daddy and I aren't together. I'm sorry that this happened again, but there is nothing I can do. I don't want to be unhappy." Olivia explained, before kissing the top of Lizzie's head.
"Do you still love us? Because if it's my fault, I'm so sorry!" Lizzie cried. Olivia shook her head, but didn't tell the girl why she was leaving.
"It isn't your fault and never will be. But now I need you to go back to bed. I'll call you later, okay?"
"I love you." Lizzie sniffled, since Olivia didn't answer her earlier question.
"I love you and your siblings so much. I wish there was more that I could do."
Lizzie went back up to bed, and Olivia finished packing up. She put Tally in her car seat before moving around to the driver's side door.
"Will I be able to see Tally?" Elliot asked. He had been standing on the porch and had watched as Olivia packed up the last items and put their baby in her car seat.
"Yeah, you can. I'm staying with Fin for a few days, but I'll be back in a place of my own soon."
"If you need help with bills, I'll help. Just tell me."
"I'll be okay. Just focus on your kids, because they are probably even more broken now than ever before."
"I said that I'd leave, Liv." Elliot sighed.
"Keep saying that, El. But you know that you can't leave your kids. They need you more than they need me."
///
Elliot didn't really know what to say to the kids when they got up. Lizzie was already heartbroken, but the others didn't know that Olivia had left. That she and Elliot had broken up the night before.
"Is Liv still driving Tally around?" Maureen asked as she came into the kitchen. Elliot shook his head as he sipped his coffee.
"She left this morning."
"Is she coming back soon?" Maureen asked, and Elliot shook his head.
"We are done. She gave me the ring back, so she won't be back tonight or ever." Elliot replied.
"Are you serious?" Maureen frowned.
"Kid-"
"You chased away another mother for us! This one was the best, better than Kathy, and she actually loved and cared for us! Now we will never see her or Tally ever again! Thanks a fucking lot!"