So, Shall We Get Married?
Chapter 44

Olivia played with Alma in the backyard. Caleb didn’t want to go to work that day for two reasons; one, because they were just married, and two, because Talia was with her mother. He didn’t trust the woman, Olivia could tell.

And well, who wouldn’t…

-How about we get in the pool? -Alma’s voice snapped the brunette out of her musings.

-Do you want to?

-Yes, let’s go.

-But I’m not going in, I can’t swim, okay?

-I’ve got a lot of flotis, but it’s fine.

They both went upstairs to change clothes, while Alma put on her swimming costume. Olivia went to Caleb’s office, where she found him at his computer. The CEO looks up when he senses her presence.

-Hi,” he smiles at her. I’m sorry I can’t join you, but I’m finishing up as quickly as possible so I can be with you in the garden.

-I came to let you know we’ll be at the pool.

-All right, I promise I’ll be done soon and I’ll catch up with you.

-Olivia smiles at him, but thinks he was working too hard.

She makes to leave, but her husband’s voice stops her….

-Wait,” she turns to look at him, but when she does, he’s only inches away. Where are you going without kissing me first? -Olivia is surprised to be kissed by her husband.

She hadn’t expected a reaction like that, he had taken the initiative. He left work to go and k**s her, that had to be a breakthrough in their relationship.

As soon as they pulled away, Caleb squeezed her body passionately. Instantly, she felt the man’s anatomy awaken. The brunette’s eyes widened in surprise.

-I don’t know how you’ll do tonight, but I don’t expect you to sleep in my daughter’s bed,” she growls into his mouth.

-Caleb, I don’t think I can convince Alma to….

-You will! You put her to sleep, and you come to my bed where you belong, okay? -Olivia smiles mischievously.

-Okay.

-I’ll catch up with you in a bit.

Olivia left her husband’s office as if she were floating on clouds, those outbursts Caleb was giving her drove her crazy, but she loved that he had that kind of initiative with her. It meant she could hope for the best.

Happy, she went to pick up Alma to go to the pool…

[…]

-You know what you have to do, don’t you? -Alina stares at her daughter.

-Mum, but it’s just that….

-Do you know or not?

-Yes, but I don’t think it’s necessary for me to behave like that, if you…

-Daughter,” the blonde interrupts her and caresses her cheek. “You have to do it for your family’s sake, you see that your sister doesn’t love me and it’s all because of that woman. I can’t lose my daughter, let alone your father. Do you understand?

-Yes, I understand… but dad told me he’d send me away, and I don’t want to.

-When I go back to your father, I assure you that won’t happen, my daughter.

The youngest blonde flattened her lips, her mother was asking her to do something her father forbade her to do. But on the other hand, she was protected by her mother. Besides, she wanted her parents to be together again.

-Alina smiles and nods.

Alina smiles and nods, unlocks the car door, gives her daughter a k**s and gestures for her to get out and go home.

From inside the car she watches her daughter drive away….

-This has to work…

[…]

Olivia was soaking her feet in the pool water, while watching Alma swim in the pool like a pro. She was using the flotis, but it looked like she didn’t even need them.

Since she couldn’t swim, and since the pool didn’t have a children’s area, she had to sit on the shore and just dip her feet in. Luckily, Alma could swim perfectly well and wouldn’t have to jump in to save her. Still, she was wearing a float.

-You should try to learn to swim, it’s very easy.

-I guess I’ll learn in time, but for now, I’d rather just watch her.

-Wow! -But look who we have here, are they enjoying the pool?

-You’re very late, Talia. I’m sure daddy is very angry.

-He doesn’t have to be, he was with my mother. Not with a stranger, just like you are.

Olivia didn’t even bother to look at Talia, she knew she was watching her. If she ignored her hints, maybe the girl would get tired of bothering her. Well, she was holding out hope.

-I don’t want that lady, Dad already told you that you can’t make me.

-She’s your mother, you have to love her, she wants to be with you.

-But I don’t.

-Well, you’ll have to accept it, at some point we’ll live with her.

-I won’t.

-You’re a child who doesn’t know anything.

-You don’t know anything either, Talia. -You’re a spoilt child. You’re a spoiled child, you want to do whatever you want, but you can’t. Daddy won’t let you go with that lady.

-SHE’S YOUR MUM!

Talia yells at her sister, the young woman was offended and irritated by the girl’s attitude. She wanted her to do as she asked, but she refused, all because of Olivia. The woman’s presence was ruining their family’s entire future.

Her father just needed to see that her mother felt bad about leaving them, if he understood that, it was possible for them to go back to being a family like before.

-Girls, you shouldn’t be arguing about this.

-She started it,” says the little girl getting out of the water.

-You’re a silly girl who doesn’t love her mommy.

-She’s not my mommy.

-Olivia isn’t either, she might not even stay with us much. So don’t get attached.

-Talia! Why would you say a thing like that? -The brunette scolds her.

It was at that moment that Olivia looked at her, she was staring at her too….

[…]

He finished checking the last reports his secretary sent him, at last he was free from work and could share with his wife and daughter. He looked at the time on his watch, and noticed that it was already past midday, and Talia didn’t seem to have arrived home yet.

If Alina continued to be unpunctual, he would have a talk with her. Besides, he wasn’t sure he’d allow her to take his daughter out of the house. She had no rights, Caleb denied then stood up.

He would forget about his ex-wife for a day, and concentrate on his wife. He didn’t plan to make the same mistakes as in the past.

[…]

-You’re a busybody, and you’re so dumb, you don’t even get in the pool properly. I can tell you’re not a classy woman at all, how can you let a little girl bathe alone?

And with that said, in a quick movement, the blonde pushes the chestnut girl into the pool…

-OLIVIA! NOOOOOOOOOOOO -Yell little Palmer.

Olivia started splashing and swallowing water, she was sinking and trying to rise to the surface, but it was no use, she couldn’t stop sinking. Her whole body weighed like a ton, no matter how much she moved her arms to pull herself up or at least reach the shore and save herself, she couldn’t. She was even touching the bottom of the water. He was even touching the bottom of the pool.

He was losing his sense of direction, and could no longer hold his breath. At least he stopped opening his mouth as he sank. She swallowed so much water, that moments before, she thought about her baby… she didn’t want anything to happen to her.

-SHE CAN’T SWIM, YOU’RE DUMB…-Alma screams at her sister, completely desperate to see her friend drowning -.

The chestnut was drowning in front of the girls’ eyes, while Talia was shocked. Her intention was to get the babysitter wet, not to drown her. She didn’t mean to hurt her, she just wanted to play a joke on her.

-TALÍAAAAAA, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? HELP ME…

The younger sister shouted loudly, and that’s when she realised that the girl had gone into the water and was trying to help the brown girl to the surface, but Alma was drowning too. She was too small, and she didn’t have the strength to pull her out.

At that moment, Talia jumped into the water, and as she sank, she opened her eyes and saw that Olivia was holding her breath but not coming up. She swam towards her and grabbed her, tried to pull her up, but she was too heavy. And the two girls and her, they were sinking with every attempt.

[…]

Caleb was about to reach the pool area, when he hears his daughter Alma call out to him in a desperate tone of voice. Immediately, the CEO runs to the pool and notices that his two daughters are in the water sinking.

He runs towards it, and in an instant, Olivia’s face pops out of the water and then sinks. Caleb dove into the water and just as he entered, he swam over to Olivia and pulled her up.

As tall as he was, the CEO’s body was several inches out of the water when he stood up….

-Olivia, Olivia… for God’s sake, wake up!

He begs her as he carries her to the shore, lays her on the ground and immediately checks her pulse. He starts CPR.

-Call the ambulance, quick.

Caleb continued to give her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, until out of nowhere, she expelled the water… the brunette began to breathe, but then fell unconscious.

-No, no, no, no… Alma, go get some blankets, hurry, daughter.

After a few seconds, her daughter arrived with blankets. They wrapped the brunette in them, and Caleb took her in his arms. She was freezing cold, and her lips were so purple that it worried the man greatly.

-Dad, is she going to be all right?

-Yes, daughter. Don’t worry, she’s going to be fine.

-Talia pushed her out of playfulness, Dad. She didn’t know Olivia couldn’t swim.

That news made her feel a deep knot in her CEO’s stomach, her own daughter did something like that. Well, if Alma was telling him the truth, he couldn’t blame her. But what he did blame her for was that, he told her no more pranks, and that was the first thing she did.

As he left the front of the house, the CEO was planning to take her to the emergency room himself as the ambulance was not coming. But just at that moment, the ambulance showed up. The paramedics rushed to her rescue and took her off his hands.

-What happened?

-She was drowning in the pool. She can’t swim.” The man looks sideways at him. She’s pregnant, please tell me the baby is okay.

-We have to take her to the emergency room, sir.

-Take my daughters in the car, and follow us,” he orders the bodyguard.

Caleb climbs into the ambulance, and immediately takes Olivia’s hand. She was freezing; he was counting on the first aid he gave her to do some good.

If Olivia left, he wouldn’t know what he was going to do… and if he lost the baby, she would be devastated, and he… he didn’t even want to imagine what he was going to feel. The two of them were as important as his daughters.

-She’s very cold, is that normal?

-Calm down, we’ll be at the clinic in a moment.