Just want to apologize in advance if there is any confusion in this chapter. This chapter is meant to lay a foundation, to set the stage for the story I plan on telling. I promise it will get better as time progresses.
A/N: I do not own Private Practice, it's characters, or anything else affiliated with the show.
Chapter One
Sam and Addison stepped off the elevator into the practice as soon as the doors opened. They were having another discussion on what seemed to be their favorite subject these days. "Sam, it's been three months for crying out loud. Is she ever going to come back? How am I supposed to explain everything to Naomi if she never comes back?" Addison lamented, biting her lip in distress.
Sam sighed as they walked towards the kitchen. "And what exactly do you plan on explaining that she doesn't already know Addison? We had feelings for each other and decided to act on them and unfortunately Naomi got hurt. No amount of explaining or rewording will change those facts. And if you're going to continue to feel guilty about it, then why are we together"?
"Because, I love you. And I don't feel guilty, I just want her to understand" Addison said softly, kissing Sam on the cheek.
"No, you want her to accept it so you don't have to feel guilty".
"I don't feel guilty" Addison said again, less convincingly.
Sam chuckled. "If you say so" he retorted, as they entered the kitchen and came to a complete stop.
All of their colleagues were standing around drinking their morning coffee and eating breakfast. And in the center of the small crowd, looking radiant, was Naomi. She looked gorgeous in a brightly colored floral print skirt with a vibrant burnt orange fitted blouse. Instead of her signature softly curled tresses, her dark brown hair fell down her back in voluminous waves. In one simple word, she was stunning. As if sensing their arrival, Naomi deliberately turned around, her mesmerizing chocolate brown eyes finding Sam's. He suddenly felt a small lump in his throat. Seeing his ex-wife was the last thing he expected. As fervently as Addison wanted Naomi to come home, Sam equally hoped she stayed away longer. He didn't want to face his conflicting emotions and her not being around let him live in his self-induced denial. Though he refused to admit it, he felt just as guilty about their relationship as Addison. Mainly because he knew Naomi was smart enough to know the love they once shared was real but she was too hurt to believe it. Because of his relationship with Addison, Naomi felt every good memory of their marriage was tainted, that he had settled for her. That wasn't the case; Sam married Naomi because he loved her and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her; not because she was second choice. But no amount of explaining would convince Naomi of that until she was ready to see the truth. And that was the difference between him and Addison. Addison felt like talking and explaining would help Naomi see the truth, and that Naomi would let her off the hook. It wouldn't work. Sam knew his ex-wife better than anyone, knew she needed space to work through her feelings on her own. He also knew that when Naomi finally came to terms with their relationship, things would still not be the same for a long time, if ever. Addison was hoping for a quick fix that would never happen and her stubbornness would force her to learn that the hard way .That lesson would begin today because Naomi was back, looking more beautiful than he remembered. It looked like the time away had been good for her. Noticing how eerily quiet the kitchen had become when he and Addison entered, Sam broke the silence. "Naomi, it's good to see you".
"Hello Sam, hello Addison" Naomi greeted them politely, determined to keep this encounter as nice and normal as humanly possible. No matter what inner struggles she was enduring, this was a place of business and she would act like the professional she was. Besides, she didn't want to be the bitter scorned woman who took her negative feelings out on others, even if deserved. She wanted to be a better person than that.
"Hello" Addison said just as formally, the silence unnerving her. "Well, it looks like we've interrupted the party" Addison half-joked, trying to break the awkward tension that continued to fill the air. She looked around at her coworkers. They were the most talkative people in the world usually, but now they were unexplainably at a loss for words. Addison took the opportunity to keep talking. "Naomi, you look great. I'm glad you're back, we've missed you. How have you been doing"?
Everyone looked back and forth between Addison and Naomi, wondering if their polite conversation would take turn for the worse. Naomi was usually a level-headed and restrained person, but the last couple of years had been difficult for her. She hadn't coped well with the changes in her life, causing her actions and her words to become a little unpredictable. "I'm wonderful, thank you" Naomi responded with a smile to everyone's surprise. "I was just telling everyone else about my travels for the foundation. How fulfilling and inspiring it was. It's given me a new lease on life. I'm really grateful such a wonderful opportunity landed in my lap. How are you doing? Everyone has been catching me up on everything that wasn't in the emails I received. So much has happened in my absence".
Addison was taken aback by how calm and collected Naomi seemed to be. And by the confused look in Sam's eyes, he was surprised too. Whether her appearance was real or a mask, she didn't know, but she was grateful for it. Maybe it was possible to get their friendship back on track. "I'm fine, better than fine actually" she responded, squeezing Sam's hand as they stood side by side. "Why don't we catch up over lunch, my treat" Addison suggested.
"Sorry, but I already have plans" Naomi said. She glanced down at her watch and checked the time. She looked back up and around at all her friends and colleagues. She'd truly missed Pete, Violet, Cooper, Charlotte, Sheldon, and Amelia. And knowing they missed her as well made her heart feel light. Reluctantly, she also silently admitted to herself that she missed Sam and Addison too, more than rest despite her fury at them. They were her best friends, the ones she used to confide in. That was impossible now. She wanted to forgive them but no matter how evolved she was attempting to be, the pain, hurt, and anger would not be dissipating anytime soon. But she was trying, taking it one day at a time, and not for their sake, but hers. She was determined to move on. Looking around at her group of friends helped, it made her feel less alone in a place that used to feel like home. Pushing her thoughts away, Naomi spoke. "I'm sorry to cut this reunion short, but my first appointment should be here any moment. Plus, I have so much paperwork to catch up on. I'll talk to everyone later".
Everyone watched as she left the kitchen and headed for the stairwell to reach her office on the floor below. "Is it me or does she seem fine, like too fine" Cooper asked, speaking aloud what they were all thinking.
"I know" Amelia exclaimed. "She seemed so happy go lucky, all eat pray love. Maybe she is okay with Addison screwing her ex-husband".
"Amelia! Filter" Violet admonished as everyone but Addison and Sam laughed under their breaths. "While I'm inclined to agree she seems to be doing well, there's no way she could've worked through all of her issues in such a short time span. I'm willing to bet she's pretending to be better than she is to make us feel more comfortable around her, so she'll be treated the same. Also, she might not want to discuss how she feels, so by putting on a mask, she's trying to make it harder for us to confront her about her feelings".
"She's been back for five minutes Violet. Why don't you give her a few days before you try to psychoanalyze her" Pete suggested.
"How about we follow Naomi's lead and get to work. This is a place of business contrary to how you people act sometimes. I would never allow this in my hospital" Charlotte ranted as she stormed from the kitchen.
Cooper started to follow her, but Sheldon stopped him. "Let her go. If you push too hard, it could do more harm than good" he advised. Charlotte's rape was still taking a toll on her but the best thing they could do for her was give her space. The same approach they needed to use with Naomi. "She does make a good point though. We should get to work" Sheldon said as he left the kitchen.
Slowly, all the doctors followed suit until Addison was left standing alone in the kitchen, Amelia's words echoing in her head. "Maybe she is okay with Addison screwing her ex-husband". Though Amelia's wording made her cringe, she desperately wished those words were true. As much as she loved Sam, losing her best friend would be a high cost to pay.