Elliot played with his wedding band as the boat swayed back and forth. He hated when he was forced to be on the ship for months at a time because he was missing every milestone his kid was going through. Elliot got into the small metal box he had and pulled out a piece of paper. He started to write, as he tried to think about his daughter and not his wife.
Dear Olivia,
Hey honey. I know that I've been away for a while, and haven't had a chance to write much, but I needed to write because I can't sleep. It's around midnight here, and I'll spare you the military time because you are only 8 and don't need to learn it quite yet.
I hope that Aunt Alex is taking good care of you while I'm gone. As long as this all goes well, I'll be home before Christmas. Maybe even before Thanksgiving. I know how much you love eating Thanksgiving dinner with the crew, because you absolutely love hearing stories about your mother as we stuff our faces full of food, so I'll try to be there for that. Just for you, my love.
Elliot looked up from the paper and took a slow breath before getting back into the box. He got into the bottom of it and pulled out a love-worn picture. It was of him and his wife a week before she had their daughter. He knew that even if he tried his hardest, he couldn't stop from thinking of his wife.
"Stabler, go to bed." One of the men that Elliot shared the bunk room with sighed. Elliot frowned as he switched the lamp off. He grabbed his metal box and tucked the picture back into it before heading to his bunk. He laid down on it as the ship continued to sway, and he never wanted to be back on land and in Manhattan more than right now.
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After a long day of cleaning and cooking duties, Elliot retired to his room. Everyone else was finishing eating, and he wanted to write before sleeping. He grabbed the box again and pulled the letter out once again. He opened it up and grabbed his pen. He spun it around a few times as he tried to figure out where to start again.
I remember when your mother told me she was pregnant with you. She nearly knocked me down when she sprinted towards me with that pregnancy test in hand. When I look at you, and you are laughing and so excited, I can see her. You are just a mini version of her, completely beautiful no matter what you do or say.
When I get home, I'm going to look into completely ending my run with the Navy. I don't want to miss anything else with you. I missed your first day of school this year, your first art show, your first play that you were actually proud of. I'm sorry, my love. I promise that I'll be there for everything else because you are my only family now.
Okay, Livvie, I'm going to bed now. I'll send you a picture of a shark I saw the other day. I know you'll love it. I love you, honey. No matter what.
Love, Daddy
Elliot tucked the letter into an envelope that he had already filled out, and then he grabbed the picture. He and a bunch of his friends had been on break on deck and saw the shark. They all took pictures to send back to their kids, and Elliot knew that his little girl would adore it, just like his wife would have.
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Elliot got home on Thanksgiving. He took a train from DC to Manhattan, and made it there just after the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade had been cleaned up. He headed to Amanda's apartment, where Thanksgiving was being held this year. He had called her and told her about his arrival, and to not tell Olivia anything about it. He wanted to surprise his daughter, just like he did his wife many years ago.
He had gotten down on one knee while they were cleaning up from the first Thanksgiving they had together, and he asked her to marry him. She was so freaking excited that she started to sob and didn't stop for a while because she had finally gotten the man she wanted.
When Elliot finally arrived at Amanda's house, Olivia was on the front porch with Amanda's daughter and son. Elliot sat his bag down, by the stairs, before swallowing hard. He missed his daughter so much, but he didn't want to ruin the moment. She was having so much fun playing with the kids and helping them with their puzzle, but he had to.
"Olivia." Elliot breathed, and his daughter turned around slowly. Tears sprung into her eyes, as she started to sob.
"Daddy!" She cried, as she ran to the stairs and jumped into his arms. Elliot held his daughter close, as she wrapped her legs around his waist and she kept her arms around his neck as she sobbed.
Olivia had missed her father just as much as he had missed her.
"Why didn't you call me?" She sniffled, as she leaned back to look at her father.
"Because I wanted to surprise you, beautiful! You love surprises just like your Mommy did." Elliot spoke, as he kept one arm wrapped around his daughter, and he pushed her short brown hair away from her face.
"You miss her, don't you?" His little girl asked, and Elliot nodded.
"I do, but that's why I named you Olivia. After your Mommy passed away, she didn't even get to hold you. You are so much like her, and even if I miss her every second of every day, I can just look at you or all of the pictures I have of her, and feel just a bit better." Elliot spoke. He hugged his daughter close, before kissing his soft brown hair.
Being a single father was hard, but being a widower and a father just seemed harder. Knowing that he saw his wife fade away even more with each minute she was in labor with their daughter was hard. But knowing that his wife gave him the best gift possible, made it easier on him. And even if he's on a huge ship in the middle of the ocean, he knows that when he goes home he'll have his little Olivia waiting for him with her dark brown hair and icy blue eyes.
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