My Saving Grace
"If you live long enough, you'll make mistakes. But if you learn from them, you'll be a better person. It's how you handle adversity, not how it affects you. The main thing is never quit, never quit, never quit."- William J. Clinton
She walked through the sliding doors into the hospital, thankful to be out of the rain. Addison Forbs Montgomery did not do rain. She quickly spotted her husband cuddling up to a young women, she assumed it was the intern that Richard had mentioned in their earlier conversation.
A few days earlier in New York City…..
"So what I just pick up Grace up and drop her off like a babysitter now?" Mark said frustrated, as he stood on the steps of the brownstone.
"Mark please lets not get into this again! I'm happy for you to take Grace out, but I need time to deal with everything" Addison tried to reason, she didn't have the energy to fight with Mark anymore.
"How much time? Because this is the most you've said to me in two weeks Addi"
"Mark please…." She was cut off by her 4 year old daughter bounding down the stairs, her brown curls bouncing as she approached Mark, with a piece of paper in hand.
"Look I finished, I put in all the flowers and trees" the little girl beamed passing the drawing of the park to Mark.
"Thank-you Princess" He said bending down pulling Grace into a hug.
"Can you put it on the picture wall?" She asks as they pull apart. Mark had a few of Graces drawings hanging in his apartment, Grace dubbed one of the walls as her picture wall, she drew pictures whenever her and Mark went somewhere.
"Of course! You know kiddo soon you'll be painting for MOMA". He chuckled at the confused look on Graces face. "Ok princess, I have to get going.. but next time we will go to the zoo" He said trying to put a happy spin on the fact that he had to go.
Graces face instantly dropped she didn't want Mark to leave, she loved it when he moved in. "Can you please stay?" she said quietly before looking up to her mother.
Addison couldn't deal with having Mark at the house, but she found it so hard to say no to her daughter especially when she looked up at her with her big beautiful blue eyes. Addison felt guilty, how many times could this little girls family be broken apart before it affected her. Thankfully Addison didn't have to make the decision as Mark intervened.
"Gracie I wish I could stay, but I have to do a surgery at the hospital, how about I stay another time?" he offered hoping to cheer her up.
Grace seemed to think over the proposal "Ok, but you have to pinkie promise" she held out her pinkie. Mark complied with the little girls pinkie promise request knowing she was just as stubborn as her mother. After the pinkie promise Grace ran inside determined to draw more pictures for the 'picture wall'.
"Thank you" Addison said as the little girl disappeared inside the house.
"No problems Addi, listen I know you don't want to be around me right now. But please just call me later ok?"
"Sure" Addison said just wanting him to leave.
Addison closed the door before hearing the phone ring. " Hello Doctor Addison Montgomory-Sheppard speaking" she answered ever so professionally.
"Addison! Its Richard Webber" came the voice of her long time mentor.
"Richard hey, it's been way too long… how's everything going?"
"Everything's good Addison, hope you and my beautiful grand-daughter are going ok"
"We're fine, your granddaughter keeps me on my toes" Addison said with a smile.
"I bet, now other than checking in, I was wondering if you could come to Seattle for a TTTS case, I've already sent the case file to you"
"Yeah, I'll have a look for you, and check my schedule" Addison said walking towards her laptop to check her emails, for the case report.
"Of course, there's something else you need to know. Derek has been out here for a couple of months, I know you probably don't want to here this from me, but I found out he's dating an intern. I'm really sorry Addison." Richard spoke with concern for Addison.
Addison was stumped she had no idea how to respond. Derek had been gone for months without any contact, he hadn't even told his mother Caroline where he had gone. She couldn't deal with this right now, not with everything else going on. She told Richard she would look over the file ASAP and get back to him. She didn't really comment on Derek hoping he would get the message.
The next day Addison asked one of her closest friends Savvy, if she could babysit Grace while she was in Seattle, she didn't want to have to drag her daughter with her, especially with Derek being there. After looking at the case she only thought she would need to be there a few days tops, she would go there see Richard finish her case and come home, were she belonged.
Addison was currently in Graces room packing a travel bag for her daughter.
"Mummy could you please pack the sparkly dress" Grace asked as she continued to fill her backpack with toys.
"Sure baby, are you sure you need all those toys?"
"They'll get lonely if they are not all together" Grace explained as she patted her favourite toy duck before placing it in the bag.
Addison couldn't help but smile at her daughters reasoning, her little girl had the biggest heart. "Grace, just one bag of toys ok? Remember Aunt Sav and Uncle Wes have lots of toys" she tried to reason.
"Okay" the little girl sighed as she tried to cram all the toys into her backpack. "How long will you go for mummy?" Grace asked putting the backpack on and walking to her mother.
"I should be back on Monday, which means you get to spend a few days with Aunt Sav and Wes, is that ok?"
"Yes, but do I get to go to the zoo with Daddy still?" Grace asked. She had called Mark daddy as long as she had talked. At first Addison thought it was because Grace thought that's what all men were called, but as she got older Mark became more like her Dad, especially when her actual father was too busy trying to be the very best neurosurgeon.
"Yeah of course Mar…..Daddy will take you to the zoo, I'll tell him to pick you up from Aunt Sav's ok?"
"Thank-you mummy" Grace said happily as she hugged Addison.
Present time
And now here she was, in rainy Seattle, watching as her husband cozied up to an intern. She walked over to Derek, he must have noticed her because his face turned to one of worry. Addison wanted to keep this conversation to a minimum, but she also wanted to watch the man that abandoned their daughter to squirm.
"Addison what are you doing here?" Derek said angrily
Addison almost rolled her eyes at the tone of his voice "Well you would know if you had bothered to return anyone of my phone calls" She replied back coolly. She turned to the intern wondering if Derek had even told her the truth.
"I'm Addison Sheppard" she extended her hand to the very confused intern who looked like a dear caught in headlights.
"Sheppard" The younger women questioned with a confused look, just like Addison thought Derek hadn't even bothered to mention her.
"You must be the women screwing my husband!" She delivered the statement with Forbs-Montgomery coldness. She did feel a little guilty the poor women had no idea what was going on, but she was doing this to Derek. The intern all but bolted for the door, Addison was glad she could deal with Derek directly.
"Addison, what are you doing here?" He said seeming more irritated then before.
She decided to push his buttons luckily she new how to wind him up "Your hair's different" she comments, deliberately ignoring his question.
"A lot of things are different," He says full of venom.
"It's longer. I like it. It's very Russell Crowe" She attempts to stroke his hair amused by his obvious irritation.
"What Are You Doing Here!" He demands.
"What are you doing here? You just pick up and leave everything? Your house, your practice, your daughter? You had a life in Manhattan" She can't keep up her façade after the mention of their daughter.
"Had" He clarifies.
She was irritated now, it was one thing to pretend she didn't exist, but his daughter hadn't done anything to him, he couldn't pretend she didn't exist. "And now you have a girlfriend in Seattle. She seems sweet" She tries to hide her anger.
"The ice you're on. Thin." Came his half-cocked threat.
"She's young. That whole wide-eyed, ooh he's-a-brain-surgeon thing happening, but still sweet. Which was what you were going for, right? The anti-Addison?"
"If you came out here to try and win me back, forget about it."
She almost laughed at the arrogance Derek had, but instead decide to play along "I did. I flew all the way across the country to reminisce over wedding photos, get drunk, fall into bed, and make you realize you can't live without me." His face remained like a stone, she actually thought he was starting to believe her.
"Relax. Derek, I'm here for work, I'm helping the TTTS case you guys admitted last week and from Richard's briefing, I should be…"
Derek cuts her off shocked "Richard, he knew you were coming out here? "
"He asked me to come. Didn't he tell you?"
"No. He didn't."
"Hmm. Surprise." She dismisses before walking towards the elevator.
"Where's Grace staying while you're here?" Derek asked from behind her.
Addison stopped in her tracks, she wanted to ask if actually cared, but decided to quote his own words.
"Oh so she's not part of that life you HAD?"
"Where is she Addison?" Derek said approaching her.
"With Savvy, I wasn't about to bring her out here to the man who abandoned her. Now if you'll excuse me!" she finishes and gets in the elevator leaving Derek in her wake. She clicked the elevator needing to find Richard. She felt her phone buzz, she quickly read the message.
Hey Ads, hope you had a safe flight. Little munchin went to bed on time for once :) I said she could call you in the morning. Talk then. Luv Sav xxxx
Addison was glad her daughter was able to sleep without her; it wasn't very often that they ever spent time apart. She assumed that the mountain of toys were helping her deal with being separated. The ding of the elevator brought Addison out of her thoughts.
Hey Readers, just testing the waters with this new story its been forever since i posted, i sort of lost my passion for writing due to a number of life challenges but I'm back! please read and review :) I'm happy for any feedback XX