"Babe?" Jo called out as she opened the door, two grocery bags hanging over her arm.
"Hey! Did you find some?" Alex replied from the kitchen.
"Yep," Jo said as she set the cheese on the counter. "100% authentic parmesan. I got two blocks just in case…you know, so we don't run out next time, forcing me to leave a very tasty-smelling kitchen to get more of the secret ingredient."
"Sorry, babe." Alex apologized as he flipped the eggplant slices on the baking sheet and returned them to the oven.
"Not to worry. Good thing I hadn't started on my beer yet."
Jo walked up to the sparkling new countertops, brushing her fingers along their smooth edges. She glanced up to admire Alex, so concentrated and determined to measure each ingredient just right. He looked so determined as he sliced the fresh basil, swirled the marinara sauce on the stove, and then started grating the rest of the parmesan. Her gaze wandered up the muscles of his upper arms and down his well-defined physique. I sure am a lucky woman.
"Speaking of beer, we really need to stop this," Jo sighed while swiping away Alex's bottle. "Beer in no way goes with eggplant parmesan. It's fine for unwinding after work or socializing at Joe's, but really? We look pretty desperate here."
"Uh, beer goes with everything," Alex chuckled. "But did you have something else in mind?" he added slightly confused, but still focused on preparing dinner. The oven timer rang, and he removed the eggplant, beginning to layer all of the ingredients into a baking dish.
"Yeah, that's actually why I bought this," Jo shared while displaying a bottle of wine in her hands, pausing to pose with it on one side and then the other before popping the cork and setting the bottle on the table. "Select Reserve Pinot Noir."
"Wow, I didn't know you were such as expert," Alex said, half sarcastically and half in awe, as he popped the dish into the oven.
"Oh please, I asked the employee in the wine department for his recommendation," Jo shot back, amused. "Now we can pretend to act like grown-ups." A wide smile spread across both their faces.
Two years had passed since Alex first spilled out his feelings to Jo during the torrential thunderstorm in Seattle. The living room had long since been repaired, he had left Grey-Sloan Memorial and returned again, and Jo was now approaching her 4th year of residency, but everything still felt the same. His heartbeat fluttered when she walked into the room, he got nervous when she complimented him, and he still got protective when another man looked her way. No one had caused him to feel this way before, and he made sure not to take it for granted. Somehow, the most beautiful, smart, hilarious, and talented woman had not only fallen for him and put up with him but accepted, supported, and loved him too. God, I'm lucky, he thought.
"Alex? You okay?" Jo asked, worried at the fog that seemed to have fallen over her boyfriend.
"Yeah…yeah, sorry, I'm great," he smiled, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her tenderly.
"Hmm," Jo voiced her approval, kissing him back, more deeply this time. "We should probably pour ourselves some of that wine before we end up in bed for the rest of the night." She tossed him a playful smirk.
"You sure?" he asked, kissing her again on the lips before moving to her neck.
Ding!
"Ha, yes…I think that delicious dinner you made is trying to tell us something," Jo suggested as she motioned for Alex to remove the dish from the oven, while opening the cupboards to retrieve two wine glasses.
"Wait! Do we seriously not have any wine glasses?" Jo asked incredulously, spinning around to meet eyes with Alex, her mouth gaping open. "You have got to be kidding me! Two years and we haven't had wine once. Told you it was about time."
"That is pretty hilarious," Alex replied. "Here, we can use these," he set two short tumblers down. "I have to say, you chose a good occasion for splurging on this," he added while pouring the wine for both of them. Jo plated the eggplant parmesan and took her seat at their table.
"But, I have to finish this bottle first," Alex said, snapping his half-full beer off the counter before sitting down. "Can't leave him all alone to feel rejected."
"So you like the new kitchen?" Jo asked.
"Yeah, it's fantastic. Mer's house has come a long way, hasn't it?"
"Sure has. Next thing you know we'll be featured in Architectural Digest." Just that morning the remodel had finished, slightly later than planned, leaving the now-gleaming granite counters with a thick layer of dust. It happened to be their anniversary, and with their kitchen still out-of-service, Alex's plan of breakfast in bed had been hampered. So take-out chicken it was. Jo was quite pleased with it, really. She had insisted on nothing more. Spontaneous and fun, their anniversary breakfast matched their relationship, and Jo loved any time she spent with Alex by her side. But despite Jo's reassurance, Alex insisted on making it up to her, and sure enough he had – arriving home early, cleaning the kitchen from top to bottom, and buying all the ingredients for one of Jo's favorite meals (or so he thought – he accidentally purchased only half the cheese for the recipe, but Jo offered to run out for that). Jo was delighted at how thoughtful Alex could be. He even lit candles and presented her with a bouquet of lilies (roses were overrated, she thought) when she first walked through the door. And she needed the special treatment. End-of-year resident exams were approaching the following week, and she had been spending every free minute either quizzing with Stephanie or nonchalantly asking an attending the occasional stumping question as they hurried between patients.
The dinner conversation was easy as always – Jo complimenting Alex on the best eggplant parmesan ever, Alex entertaining Jo with stories about his new position as Chief of Pediatric Surgery, Jo complimenting Alex again "Did you add extra pepper in here? It's sooo good!" and Jo recounting the fascinating adventures of her latest rotation, trauma.
"Have you thought more about what specialty you're going to declare yet?" Alex asked, curious as Jo sounded pretty set on orthopedics a few months ago but now sounded taken away with trauma.
"Actually, I was just thinking about this earlier today. You know, contemplating your future makes all that studying a lot easier." Jo paused, collecting her thoughts, before continuing. "This might surprise you, because I've been raving about trauma lately because Kepner's really more fun than I thought and everything is new and unexpected and the adrenaline rush is almost as good as orthopedics, but then again of course Callie was an amazing teacher and breaking bones on purpose is totally badass, b…"
"Jo, it's alright, you can tell me. I'm not going to judge you based on your specialty. You know that." Alex interrupted, worried Jo was scared to reveal what she was thinking.
"I was just going to say, I really like pediatrics. I like working with kids, they're innocent and non-judgmental and I feel like I'm helping a younger me when I help them. But I also love trauma and orthopedics. So I think I'm going to do a dual specialty. Either pediatric trauma surgery or pediatric orthopedic surgery. What do you think?"
"Pediatrics, huh? I think that's great. I don't want to sound arrogant or anything, but I must have been a freaking awesome teacher to make the best resident in Grey-Sloan history want to join me."
"Thanks, babe. Your humbleness is always appreciated." Jo laughed at the cocky side that occasionally showed itself in Alex, got up from the table and set her plate in the sink. She walked behind Alex, set her hands on his shoulders, and then slid her hands down his chest.
"I hate to leave this beautiful place," she whispered in his ear, noticing the flickering candlelight catching the glimmering surroundings. "But I'm exhausted from a long day and could really use a hot bubble bath." She pulled her head away slightly to look into his eyes, making sure he got the drift.
"Definitely. Count me in. I'll rinse the dishes and blow out these candles, and see you upstairs."
"Can't wait," she whispered again, kissing him on the cheek. The smell of his aftershave drove her wild.
Jo turned to start walking upstairs, but stopped before getting too far. What have I been thinking? I haven't said it, but I mean it. Every day she came home, not just to a place she returned to because it had everything she wanted, but to a place where everything she needed was too – in fact, not everything, but the one thing. Alex was there. Their relationship had its ups and downs, the stressful times when, let's face it, work just wasn't…well, working out… the times when they both acted like moody schoolchildren…the times when everything in life couldn't be going more smoothly…the times when only they seemed to be able to comfort each other. I have to tell him, Jo thought, and reversed her path, walking up to him.
"Alex?" she asked, sounding timid.
"What is it babe?" he inquired, placing his hands on her hips.
"I don't know why it's taken me so long, but I decided I need to tell you something."
"Okay, what is it? You know you can tell me anything." Alex replied, apprehensive because of Jo's seriousness, and starting to become truly concerned.
"I…I love you. I just wanted you to know that." Jo smiled. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her chest. Whatever doubts or insecurities she had been holding onto – whatever fears had started in her childhood – they were all gone. She had always had pity for her mother, but more than anything, she felt bitterness. Anger at how her mother, her only family, could have left her alone. But now, as Jo stared into Alex's eyes, their longing gazes penetrating into each other's souls, she knew it was okay. She had a family now, with him. One day she might find answers about her past or not, but regardless she finally felt a sense of closure that she never had before. And in that moment, she understood completely what Alex's speech had been about the year before. About not needing anyone else. Just them. Jo couldn't agree more.
Their lips smacked together, embracing each other with all the passion of the moment. After it seemed an eternity had passed, they reluctantly pulled away. "I'll be upstairs," Jo said flirtingly. "You know what? Actually, I'll help blow out the candles. That way we can get to dessert a little faster," she said tauntingly, laughing at her own corniness.
"Alright, dishes are all set." Alex smiled, his eyebrows rising with mischief. "Race you upstairs."
"No fair!" Jo called out, running after him.
"Love you," Alex said, submerging his feet into the water.
"Love you," Jo replied, joining him.