83. Being missed

 Sooner or later, it was going to happen. Liv's parents were going to have to go home. She felt tired just worrying about it. But it would be a relief too. 

"But it's like we just got here," her mother fretted. Of course, she wanted Oliver to be bottle-fed instead of breast-fed. Oliver would hardly take a bottle, and this worried Trish even more.

"I guess we should have done more, you know, see the sights," Liv knew she felt as if she'd been staying home too much. It didn't feel like it was her life lately, but she was just guest-starring in her mother's show. Naturally, her dad was in the supporting role. Usually, he would smile at anything she said and sometimes give her a hug if something upset her.

Liv didn't know how he did it, but it was clear her father loved her mother very much. Yet Liv felt a bit indifferent. She didn't mean to be so cold. She didn't want Oliver to feel that way about her someday.

Naturally, she was a bag of emotions after having the baby. She was certain she might never sleep again, but Woo told her from time to time, "Oh, you slept through that. You mom thought the game of GO was WAHOO and well, we ended up playing WAHOO, and she yelled it a lot."

Honestly, Liv was glad she missed that. Maybe Oliver took after Woo. He was quite the sleeper lately. It almost worried her, but they went in for a check-up with her mother, and everything was fine.

He seemed content in her mother's arms, and Liv knew those were the best moments. But the end was coming, and as her parents were getting ready to leave that morning, her mother said, "What if I never see you again?"

Liv didn't react other than a quiet, "Oh, Mom." They both cried real tears when they hugged. 

Her mom went into a monologue, "You're my baby, my baby's gotta baby."

Liv was certain her mother might lose breath as she coughed up tears. But Liv did her best not to buy into her mother's drama. 

"We'll see each other. I'll call you," Liv sighed. Now she was actually worried about her mother's breathing problems. She didn't want anything to happen to her. "I love you, Mom."

"Oh baby," she hugged her hard and even kissed her on the lips, which stunned Liv. Then she got a hug from her dad. 

"Honey, we gotta go," he told Liv's mother.

Five minutes later, they were out the door. But Liv waited while Woo tended to the infant. They were back. Her mother had to do her Texas goodbyes all over again. Finally, they left for the third time.

Liv took a few breaths and lay down on the couch. She needed peace, but she'd wait for the text from her mother once they got on the plane.