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Olivia didn't make it a habit to meet Kenny at her school unless there was something very important and Kenny knew not to ask her to come over for the same reason. But they hadn't seen each other in so long that it just seemed to make the most sense for Olivia to go to Kenny instead of the other way around, given the latter being completely swamped by school work.
Kenny had texted her to meet at one of the lounges and now that Olivia was here, she felt stupid not asking Kenny where exactly the lounge is.
Up ahead, there was a woman who looked like an official so Olivia approached her. She seemed vaguely familiar from behind but Olivia didn't think too much of it before clearing her throat to announce her presence.
"Excuse me, do you mind showing me where the lounge is? I'm supposed to meet my niece and..." Olivia's voice trailed off when she realised why the person looked familiar.
There was a decent break between her training sessions, and Natalie found herself with a good chunk of time to kill. Fortunately, it was a warm enough day, and the dogs that walked beside her were itching to go outside. A small tote bag was slung around her shoulder as she locked the door to her office, ready to enjoy the rare Oregon sunshine with a fresh book.
She only made it a few steps down the hallway towards the outdoors when she was called out for. At first, she hadn't thought it was herself, but there was a familiarity in the voice that made her head turn. Natalie certainly hadn't expected to find Olivia in the training wing of the school.
"Hey!" Natalie smiled at the sight of someone she just had learned a few more details on, but it hadn't kept her from being friendly. She turned around completely, taking steps closer to the paralegal, dogs quick to follow with curiosity. "Your niece? I'm guessing you mean the student lounge then."
When Natalie turned with a bright smile, Olivia couldn't help but return it with her own. She was still in her head about the whole Teddy dating other people thing but there was just no denying that Natalie was just an all around sweet person. If Teddy had told her about dating Olivia, Natalie didn't show any signs of it being negative. Maybe she really was just in way over her head with this dating business.
"Yeah, student lounge." She nodded, swallowing inaudibly, her throat suddenly dry. Her dark eyes swept over the dogs and her smile softened before looking back up at Natalie. "Do you mind directing me there? I get mixed up all the time and I should have called Kenny to meet me at the entrance but the girl doesn't really have much time in her hands. I'm really just meeting her in between homework and training."
Olivia realised she was rambling but she couldn't stop. What with her nerves poking at her and the fact that she was just flustered around the beautiful woman. "Are you a teacher here?"
When Natalie approached, her dogs sniffed at Olivia's feet with curiosity, tails wagging. She gave a nod, smile finding a bit of humor in it. The school could be confusing when someone wasn't familiar with it. Olivia had somehow managed to find herself on the most opposite end of Bellefonte.
"Oh, no. I'm a trainer here." She replied. "The campus is pretty large. Let me just take you there." And before Olivia could have the chance to object, she was guiding the paralegal down the hallway. It was easier than trying to offer directions. "Are you and your neice close then?"
Olivia's hand instinctively ran over the tallest dog's head as they came sniffing, scratching it behind it's ears. With Natalie's response came a surprised widening of dark brown eyes before a little nod came after. It was always difficult to pinpoint someone's occupation based on their looks. Was it really Olivia's fault for thinking Natalie was a model?
She found herself following Natalie without kicking up a fuss. Her question had Olivia smiling and nodding. "We grew up together, kind of. I was still a kid when she was born." Olivia offered. "Is the student lounge far? I wouldn't want to put you out, you could just let me know how to get there..." her voice trailed as she looked around.
The school really needed to invest in proper signages.
As Jodie's head was scratched, the German Shepherd tilted her head up as a sort of thanks, quickly drawing the attention of the smaller dog. Oz's tail wagged quixkoy in excitement as they walked, and Natalie had to let out a little laugh at the way her dogs welcomed the woman.
"It's on the other side of campus, but I can take you there. I have plenty of time." Natalie reassured Olivia with a wave of her hand. "It's nice of you to visit, I bet she appreciates it." She carried a thoughtful pause. "Did you attend Bellefonte?" Had she, it would have likely been when it was still located in Montana.
Wincing at the fact that they would be spending a long walk together, Olivia couldn't help but wonder how many awkward silences they would encounter. Natalie may not have any qualms about dating the same woman as Olivia but the paralegal was still coming to terms with it.
Glad for an easy topic to concentrate on, Olivia calmed herself down enough to shift her anxieties to her affection towards her niece. "I think she does. I know she'd rather go home but I guess I'm the next best thing?" She chuckled with a small lift of her shoulders.
"Oh no. I'm not powered. I think the gene might have been passed from her father's side of the family because none of mine are." She admitted. "Have you been training long?"
Natalie didn't want to assume, but it came as no surprise to her to hear that Olivia wasn't powered. It was hard to know everyone in the school, but given their similar age, she was sure she would have seen her around at some point. Still, she smiled. "Hmm, it's been about..." She paused as she counted the years in her mind. "... seven years now." And how that time flew.
It could have easily been awkward between them, but the trainer did her best not to let the idea linger. In part, because it didn't have to be. Just because Teddy was seeing her. "I'm glad to see you're feeling better. Has work been going well for you?" The first and last time she had seen the woman, she had been sick. At least now she looked a little better.
"Jeez, that's a long time." Olivia laughed nervously. She had handled Kenny like a pro when she was younger but Kenny had generally been a really chill baby. She couldn't imagine the kids Natalie had to train day in day out. "I guess you like kids enough to deal with them daily."
The reminder that the last time they had met had been when Olivia was just starting to get sick had her flinching. "Oh thanks. Uh...work's okay. Teddy likes to keep busy so that means I'm busy too. Which is good. My work life balance is for shit though. That's one of the reasons why I have to see Kenny on my day off." She paused and scratched the back of her neck. "We've been seriously neglecting each other and that just won't do."
Honestly, now that they were talking, Olivia wanted to get an actual conversation going. She wanted closure on the whole thing but she felt like it would just make a mess of things. She seemed to be the only one bothered by it and she still didn't know why.
Natalie couldn't stop herself from laughing at Olivia's wording. The idea of having to deal with kids sounded almost like a foreign concept. "I love it," she replied. Though it was work, there was immense satisfaction in knowing she was helping her students find themselves at a balance with their abilities.
And with the subject of work, Olivia hadn't sounded quite as enthusiastic. Though she knew so little about legal work, she knew it involved heavy dedication. Busy was part of it all, and that was heightened knowledge over the past few weeks. "She really does work herself to the bone." Natalie joked lightly, treading softly on the subject of their largest connection. "But balance is important, even if your work is busy there's importance in giving yourself time to breathe." Or in this case, visit family.
She opened up the door, extending a long arm and gesturing for Olivia to step out into the sun first. They hadn't even been in the right building.
It was nice to know that people like Natalie was responsible for the children here. Although Olivia knew Kenny could definitely hold her own wherever she went, it was still a relief that there were people taking care of her as much as possible. "That's good. You know what they say, choose the job you love." Olivia offered a smile.
Olivia simply nodded at Natalie's joke before her previous smile lifted once more. The paralegal did believe that sentiment but she also actually loved her job. It was the part of her life that came easy for her.
When she was led out of the building, Olivia stepped out and waited for Natalie to lead the way again. "Thank you," she smiled at Natalie as she walked out. "Natalie," Olivia started as she composed her thoughts. Now that Natalie was here, she found that she really needed to clear the air. And she wanted some form of confirmation in that she really was the only one who found all this foreign. "Could I...talk to you? About Teddy?"
Once Olivia stepped outside, she allowed her animals to pass the threshold as well before following and closing the door behind her. It only took a few steps to catch up and take the lead again, and as they ventured further from the building, she sucked in a deep breath of the fresh air. Though she didn't mind winter, she was glad to feel the sun on her skin without the need for a heavy jacket.
When her name was offered, a small hum passed her lips, gaze turning towards the shorter woman. Her eyebrows instantly rose at the question. At the name. One that usually brought an instant smile to her features, but in this instance it was lacking. She already had the benefit of knowing Olivia was uncomfortable with the situation the three of them were in, but that hardly prepared her to talk about it.
"Sure." She was never good at saying no. "What about her?"
Part of her still had her doubts about even talking about it and she wanted Natalie to say no, that it was none of her business. But the taller woman did say yes and she was suddenly stuck.
"I'm just...trying hard to wrap my mind around...this situation." She finally breathed out, chewing on her lower lip as she struggled to get more words out. She was still so sure that she was making too big a deal out of this.
"You're...okay with all this?" She asked. She suddenly felt like a young child asking for permission from an adult.
Really, Olivia could have gone in any direction with her question. It wasn't necessarily in relation to herself or her connection with the lawyer. That being said, the woman was being incredibly vague. Her eyebrows furrowed as she kept walking forward, down a path that lead towards other buildings.
She knew that Olivia had been concerned with the apparent lack of transparency, but her wording now made her wonder if it was something else entirely. "I'm sorry; am I okay with what?" She couldn't help but to ask for the clarification. Without having the proper subject, she had no way of answering properly.
Olivia's stomach sank when Natalie asked for a clarification. Immediately, she went on the defensive, wondering whether Teddy had spoken to her at all. She wouldn't have ignored Olivia's request, would she?
She slid her hands into her jeans pocket and pursed her lips as she tried to regain her composure. Why had she just assumed that Natalie knew what she was talking about?
"I'm sorry...I mean...us being...with Teddy." She turned to Natalie with a sheepish grin. "I assume Teddy's told you about me? And her?" She asked, noting that her voice had thinned considerably. This was exactly why Olivia avoided confrontations of any kind.
