SHE DREAMED OF PARADISE

summer: SOOO

summer: plans for what to do with the little ones. seeing as you're the one with the child, tho, i'll be your servant.

summer: buying finger paints? i can bring some things from the bakery and we can set up a station to make little truffles or no-bake treats.

olivia: you sure it's a good idea to let me in charge? i might go a little crazy haha

olivia: that sounds amazing, actually! maybe we could set up a place for them to decorate their treats, too?

↳ @olivia.quinn uploaded a new photo on Instagram

I guess she is my daughter, after all. #shestolemyreadingglasses

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“Next Wednesday?” Spencer thought for a minute trying to remember his schedule. “Yeah. It’s date.” Spencer sat back down with his glass of water and a small smile on his face. “Well, I also have just about every Frozen song in my repertoire if you need a piano to back up your concert.” Spencer took a bite of the plain pancake, shaking his head as he watched her eat the berry one. “I’m glad to hear that one is your favorite -because it’s definitely the best. But you are doing it all wrong.” He reached across to pick up the whipped cream canister and got a forkful of the berry pancake. He put a generous amount of whipped cream on top before popping it in his mouth. “That,” he said through a slightly full mouth, “is the proper way.”

olivia chewed slowly while waiting for a response and swallowed before smiling.   “  yeah? alright, cool. you better prepare a setlist ‘cause you are soooo singing.  ”   she chuckled, taking another sip of the milkshake.   “  you play? that’s awesome. my mom tried giving me classes when i was younger but staying still was not my thing.  ”   liv was just about to reach for another piece of the pancake when spencer spoke up.   “  how can i possibly be doing it wrong?  ”   she asked with a frown even though he was already explaining. olivia burst out laughing and shook her head, reaching for the can to do the same. once her piece had a decent amount of whipped cream, she popped it into her mouth and chewed it extra slow to properly savor it.   “  hmm, okay, i see your point.  ”   she covered her mouth with her hand and chuckled.   “  guess i gotta stock up on whipped cream now.  ”

“It’s okay. I’m honestly going to take the blame here. I’m most definitely the one that hurt her. I told her I loved her–because I do have so much love for her still but, I pushed her away and didn’t stop it.” Olivia was like the sister he never had. Growing up his entire life mostly as an only child definitely deprived him of that feeling of having a sibling close to his age. He always thought if he had someone to grow up with, maybe he wouldn’t be this deep down the rabbit hole of a mess he calls a life. “Absolutely amazing. I fell in love with her all over again just laying my eyes on her.”

olivia set her elbow on the table and propped her chin on her hand, nose wrinkling slightly as she listened to noah.   “  why on earth would you do that?  ”   she asked, eyes widening a fraction.   “  i assume she didn’t take it very well...  ”   liv guessed, hiding her grimace behind the rim of her cup. she understood why noah was confused; a lot of time had passed and maybe he was still in love with the person he knew when he was younger, not the woman he recently saw. still, it must’ve been a lot for the poor woman to wrap her mind around. a gentle smile appeared on the blonde’s lips and she sighed.   “  okay, that’s adorable.  ”   she chuckled softly.   “  you think there’s a chance you might get back together in the future?  ”   she asked,   “  i mean, it’s clear that you still care a lot about her and she must care about you, too. maybe you guys could start over?  ”

“Yes really. You said Wednesday nights, right? Just let me know which one. I can take off here for the night, no problem.” Spencer got himself a glass of water laughing a bit at the mention of Frozen 2 - a movie played almost on repeat since its release on Disney Plus. In his mind, Disney knew exactly what it was doing with that move and he wasn’t sure he could forgive them just yet. “I can actually get Charley to bed almost every time just with singing All is Found. Best thing to come from that movie. She’s out in like two minutes.  Although I would love to hear just the disembodied voice of a toddler calling back. That sounds priceless.” Spencer took a sip of his water, smiling as he listened to her take on each pancake. “Don’t feel bad! There’s nothing better to a chef than seeing someone enjoy their food. It’s like the biggest compliment they can get.” He playfully sighed as he got up to grab his own fork. “Alright. But you keep going down the line. You get first bite of them all.”

“  oh, okay. uh, does next wednesday work for you?  ”   olivia asked in the most casual tone she could muster, busying herself with cutting another piece of the banana pancake to avoid his gaze. which wasn’t all that hard to do considering he got up to get a glass of water, giving her some time to collect herself.   “   awww, that’s adorable! amelia fell asleep the first few times we watched it but then she started singing along and has been obsessed with it ever since.   ”   she said with a chuckle.   “  if she ever calls back, i’ll make sure to record it and show it to you next time i come here.  ”   liv grinned, leading the fork to her mouth and chewing slowly. after swallowing, she took a large sip of the milkshake to hide the pleased smile that threatened to spread across her lips as she watched spencer relent and grab a fork of his own.   “  sure, sure, i can work with that.  ”   to show she was serious, the blonde moved onto the last pancake, cutting up a reasonable piece and sticking into her mouth.   “  oh, okay—this one is definitely my favorite. ”

dexter let out a little yelp as the pillow was thrown, holding their glass up into the air to avoid spilling it (a talent they’d mastered over the years). “i’m not saying you do!” they spluttered with laughter, reching over to lightly pull olivia’s hands away from her beet red face. “it sounds like the start to a great porno, right?” they added, wiggling their brows before tossing their head back with yet another laugh. “because you love me and you know i just want the best for you, so i gotta make sure you’re playing your a game!” taking another swig of wine, dexter then placed their glass onto the table as they took a few breaths to calm the laughter. “okay, let’s be serious now,” although with the pair of them, it would definitely be a feat. “tell me what the current situation is like– i mean, does he know you like him or is it still early stages and you’re figuring it all out?”

olivia flushed even harder - if that’s possible - upon hearing her friend’s words.   “  it really does.  ”   she admitted with a grimace, shoulders shaking from holding her laughter in. the blonde let out a long sigh, reaching for her glass now that she had more or less pulled herself together.   “  i haven’t done this in over four years, i’m not even sure i still have a game, dex.  ”   she said, taking a swig of wine as she raised her brows at dexter. it would be a miracle if they managed to talk for two minutes without one of them bursting into laughter. especially at the expense of love lives.   “  he doesn’t know—i mean, i think he doesn’t. he would’ve said something if he did, right?  ”   oh god, that’s exactly why she’s still single.   “  anyway, i’d say it’s still in the early stages—so, my dearest matchmaker, what should i do?  ”

“You’re very welcome.” Spencer pulled a few plates down from over head before flipping the pancakes to their other sides, smiling as he heard the compliment from the milkshake. “We should go to open mic,” he repeated pausing for only a brief second. “I would love to. And it is in the name of saving the music world as we know it. Because if our voices don’t come together, who’s to say what will happen.” Spencer smiled again as he plated the four different types of pancakes onto their plates. “No. You can never stop singing. That’s how they win and they cannot win. The answer is always sing louder. At least in my household it is.” Spencer balanced three of the plates on his left arm before grabbing the fourth with his right hand. Walking around the kitchen back to the counter, he placed the plates in front of Olivia, all with a single pancake on them. “Okay. Starting from your left, we have the original - the plain pancake. Usually underrated, but a great staple. Literally can do no wrong. Next we have the chocolate chip pancake. Genius. Sneaking in a little dessert with breakfast. I believe a child invented this. Moving on we have the banana pancake. Strawberry and banana - a pair that has proven itself time and time again. And last but not least, the very berry pancake. A whole heap of powdered sugar, strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries piled on top. Enjoy! Oh-” he said before leaning across the counter to grab a bottle of syrup. “Can’t forget syrup. If that’s your thing,” he said with a smile as he placed the bottle next to the plates and pulled the stool from behind the register over to take a seat.

her smile grew as the smell of pancakes filled the ambient and stomach rumbled again.   “  really?  ”   liv asked, just to be sure the alcohol in her system wasn’t affecting her hearing at all. she chuckled lightly and nodded.   “  probably the end of days as we know it, so we can’t let that happen.  ”   she played along, watching him expertly plate the pancakes.   “  always sing louder. okay, got it. i feel like now i’ll have to finally memorize all is found and use the north wind calling as a way to check in on lia when we’re in different rooms.  ”   liv pressed her lips together to hide a smile. frozen 2 played almost daily on the quinn household and the blonde found herself humming into the unknown more times than she cared to admit. not to mention amelia was now sure she wanted a frozen themed party for her third birthday. her eyes drop to the pancakes as spencer begins presenting each one and she chuckled.   “  it’s definitely my thing. they look really good, by the way, like, my mouth is seriously watering right now.   ”   olivia said, reaching for the syrup and pouring some in all four pancakes. she grabs the cutlery and cuts up a small piece of the first one, nearly groaning while chewing.   “  you’re right—you can’t go wrong with plain pancakes.  ”   she says after swallowing, moving onto the next one and repeating the process.   “  oh god, this one would give amelia enough of a sugar high to last an entire day.  ”   liv chuckled, cutting a second piece because the melted chocolate is just too good to resists.   “  i feel so bad right now. i kept you from closing up and now i’m here devouring these like a crazy person—  ”   she covered her mouth with the back of her hand and shook her head slightly.   “  c’mon, grab a fork and help me with these.  ”   olivia jerks her chin towards the plate as she cuts a piece of the banana pancake and smiles.

“In the moment, you think all you need is some peace and quiet. You finally get it, and it’s way too quiet. Loud noise incoming, sorry in advance.” Spencer hit the milkshake mixer. He stared intently at the metal cup in his hand like it was the single most important milkshake he had ever had to make in his career. After the ice cream was blended, he walked the cup over to the counter, picking up one of the whipped cream canisters on the way. Setting both in front of her, he reached under the counter to grab a milkshake glass and straw as well as the cup of cherries. “Have at it while I get those pancakes.” Spencer shook his head. “I have not. I somehow seem to always miss those.” He laughed at the image of the man she was describing. “He sounds wonderful. I think I have to have him as my duet partner. I’m gonna have to find him.” With another laugh and a shake of his head, he poured the batter onto the warm griddle. “Oh, just you wait. In a few years, she won’t hold back. CJ likes to say ‘Poppy sings better than you, you know.’ Little does she know, that just makes me sing louder and more often.”

“  exactly. i manage to enjoy the silence for ten minutes tops, and then i start counting down the hours until i have her back.  ”   she said, waving him off and leaning forward to watch the device do its thing. it looked much cooler than a regular blender and her mouth watered at the thought of getting to drink the milkshake in just a few minutes. liv grinned at the sight of whipped cream and cherries, and obviously, the milkshake.   “  thank you.  ”   she said, pouring the light pink liquid into the glass before attempting to make the fancy whipped cream swirls she saw his dad making whenever she came by. it ended up lopsided but at least nothing fell off the glass and onto the counter. she was counting it as a win. once a cherry was placed on the very top of the cream and the straw was slid into the glass, olivia took a large sip.   “  oh my god, this is amazing.  ”   she said after swallowing, looking up at spencer to offer him a smile.   “  it’s on every wednesday, we should go sometime—uh, i mean, if you want to. who knows, maybe that guy will be there again and you two can have your duet.  ”   she spoke quickly, ducking her head to take another sip of the milkshake and hide her pink cheeks behind a curtain of hair. blue eyes were fixed on the griddle and a laugh escaped her lips at his words.   “  guess i’ll have to enjoy while it lasts, then. that or i’m gonna have to stop singing altogether—though that might be impossible because disney songs are really catchy.  ”

dexter: HEY

dexter: i mean you know what you make a fair point

dexter: it'll be fun though! oh my god, let's get amelia involved and we can have a little pamper night in together and get all dolled up

dexter: let's say tomorrow evening? i can pop over with all my stuff around fourish so it isn't too late for the little one

olivia: of course i do ;)

olivia: awww, that would be absolutely adorable. let's do it!

“he’s just what?” dexter asked, purposely teasing her even more but it was just so funny to them; usually it was dexter going on about another mishap in their own life, but now it was olivia’s turn and it was so exciting. dexter just wanted the best for her and by the sounds of it, this guy was really doing a number on her. “come on, right, let’s roleplay this out and get you prepared to knock his socks off,” dex grinned, reaching for the newly filled glass of wine to take a big gulp before shifing their position on the sofa so they were facing their best friend. “i’m gonna be you, and you’re gonna be spencer,” they teased, before waving their hand across their face to change to a serious composure. “hey big boy,” dex said in the highest pitch voice they could muster, “i bet i could teach you a thing or two… if you’ve been a bad, bad boy then i’ll have to punish you.” dexter couldn’t help but to erupt into a fit of laughter because they couldn’t keep it up, “seductive, right?!”

“  stop it!  ”   liv grabbed a pillow and hurled it towards dexter, momentarily forgetting about the glass in their hand. her entire face felt as though it was in flames and she was sure she looked as red as a freakin’ tomato. her eyes narrowed while watching dex shift around and prepare for whatever it was they had in mind. as soon as the first word was out of their mouth, the blonde was laughing.   “  i do not talk like that!  ”   she said between laughs, setting her glass down on the coffee table to hide her face in her hands.  “  seductive? dex, that sounds like—  ”   her nose wrinkled and she was unable to finish her thoughts.   “  why did i even tell you about him again?  ”  she said, flopping back against the couch and sighing dramatically.

“No, no. You’re not keeping me from anything,” he assured with a smile. “Charley is with her other grandparents for the weekend and she took the pup with her, so I was not really rushing out of here.” Spencer turned on the griddle as he began to mix the pancake batter. “A little bit of everything it is. Open mic night? They still have those around? I haven’t been to one of those since college… Maybe even high school. Did you get up there? Sing an original song audiences won’t soon forget?”

“  trust me, i know the feeling.  ”   olivia let out a long sigh, resting her elbow on the counter and propping her chin on her hand.   “  amelia is staying with my parents and the house feels way too empty without her, y’know? hence why i decided to go out tonight.  ”   her head still felt a bit fuzzy, but the prospect of pancakes and milkshake definitely made her more alert.   “  oh my gosh, you’ve never been to the brewhouse on an open mic night?  ”   she gaped at him.   “  you have to, it’s so fun! some guy sang my heart will go on and tried to full-on belt out the high note. it was both the best and worst thing i’ve heard in quite some time.  ”   liv chuckled, shaking her head at his question.   “  absolutely not. the only singing i do is in the shower or to amelia ‘cause she’s still too young to tell me i have a terrible voice.  ”

“So sorry I left ya for so long Darlin’, but Momma left me no choice. At least you had Dex, right? I’m sure they filled the void of me being gone,” Catie really wished she finished school out here and even went to college out here in San Amore, but then again, what would have happened if she stayed? “Ahhhh, I am so excited to see the little baby girl!” she stated all excited, “Oh I have many little presents for her in my bag. I come prepared!!”

“  it’s okay, i understand. and yes, dex has definitely helped. god knows more than a few of my grey hairs are related to their shenanigans.  ”   liv chuckled, knowing catie knew exactly what she meant.   “  you’re gonna be shocked—she’s not as little anymore.  ”   the blonde pouted slightly, letting out a sigh.   “  i swear she’s growing up way too fast for my liking. soon enough she’ll be off to college and i’ll be all alone.  ”   olivia spoke, rolling her eyes playfully.   “  you spoil her so much, auntie catie.  ”