So, the idea of a "real" epilogue to Could Be Anything has been nagging me for a while. And so here it is. And this is probably it on the Burke/Addison front for a while. Thanks to all for indulging all of my ridiculousness.
Within a month of living together, Addison and Preston began to learn each other's ways. Addison discovered Preston's need for cleanliness and order. She would come home to find that he had reorganized her books and that he had developed a new system for sorting mail (apparently sorting by name wasn't enough). She was a neat person, but that didn't mean she always made the bed or refilled the ice cube trays. Preston said he didn't mind, and so whenever she came out of her morning shower, the bed was made, and if she desired ice in her drink, she could be sure that the freezer would be stocked.
Preston learned about Addison's obsession with catalogues. She got one almost daily and would sit with a highlighter going through it page by page, marking the things she liked or thought other people would like. She knew her own sizes to a tee and Preston was surprised to find out that she had a list of other people's sizes as well. So whenever a catalogue came, he knew to place it in an obvious place with a neon-colored marker nearby.
They both discovered each other's love for baths. Addison liked to have one on Fridays after a long week of work and Preston liked one on Sundays to relax before the hectic week to come. They compromised by having one on Fridays and on Sundays. It seemed only fair. Often the baths involved, or were followed, by activities that were not restful or particularly relaxing, but neither one minded and so the baths continued.
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Within six months of living together, they had decided to redecorate. Preston insisted they redo the guest bedroom. He said that no person should have to endure what he endured when he slept there. "Maybe the bad sheets were just a ploy to get you into my bed," she suggested. "So then we'd better change it," he said. "We don't want any other houseguests falling in love with you." As a way of showing her appreciation, Addison thought they should redo the mater bedroom so that it wasn't completely modeled after her tastes. Paint samples were analyzed, catalogues filled with bedroom sets began appearing, and old furniture was carried away. The guest bedroom was far improved; it had a large bed, and sheets that had been obtained through legal means. The master bedroom stayed close to the original because Preston had said that he couldn't imagine it any different.
They bought a dog together. Addison had mentioned that she missed having a pet, that she had even enjoyed Doc (when he wasn't eating her shoes). Preston had jumped on the idea and the next thing she knew, they had a Welsh corgi named Blake. Blake enjoyed long walks on the beach and his owners were more than happy to oblige. On warm nights, Preston would grill on the barbecue outside and play catch with their dog. It wasn't exactly the scene that Addison had always pictured for her future, but she loved it just the same.
Preston proposed. It was almost unnecessary; they both knew that they were in this for the long haul and that they were eventually going to end up an old married couple, but Preston had wanted to propose, so he had surprised Addison with a thin silver band embedded with emeralds. "Addison," he said, "before I came here, when I thought about my life, it was nothing like this. Now I can't imagine it any other way." He knew that Addison would accept, but when she said, "Yes," he felt elation on a level rarely felt by man. Addison watched him slip the ring on her finger, then pulled him to her and didn't let him go for quite some time.
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Within a year, they had met each other's parents. The Burkes, especially Preston's 'mama', had fallen in love with Addison. "Congratulations on being fully clothed for the first meeting," his father had said with a smile. Addison shot a confused glance at Preston who had almost imperceptibly shaken his head. Donald and Jane Burke let Preston know that they, without a doubt, supported his choice. Addison's parents, however, had been a little stand-offish; they apparently weren't over losing Derek as an official son-in-law. Once Preston cooked them dinner, though, they warmed to him. "The Montgomerys like anyone who is proficient in the kitchen," Addison had whispered as they washed the dishes together. "Is that how I won you over?" he had asked and she looked at him in surprise. "What did you think it was?"
They had gotten married. Both tried not to think of their previous weddings. Addison instead focused on how thrilled she was to learn that her husband-to-be was actually going to help plan the wedding and Preston was excited to see that his fiancé was as intent to start wedding preparation as he was. As a little girl, Addison had planned and thought out every aspect of her wedding. When she married Derek, she got to make that childhood dream wedding a reality. Now, as an adult, she had a different dream wedding and was getting to make her adulthood dream wedding a reality. Preston was pleased by the fact that everything from the flowers to the wedding party had been a mutual decision, with the exception of the wedding dress and the tuxedo. They both wanted to follow the wedding superstitions of old, and kept their wedding attire a secret until Addison walked through the doors of the sanctuary.
Preston had been left nearly speechless when the doors opened and he saw Addison walking towards him. If Addison had thought Preston looked wonderful at his almost-wedding, it was nothing compared to how he looked when she knew that he was going to be hers. She found herself feeling suddenly shy as he reached out his hand for and she let go of her father's arm to grasp it. She felt full of hope, that this man was who she wanted to be with. He smiled when she looked into his eyes and she knew that this was right. There were no romantic wedding vows said at the church. Addison told Preston one night that she liked the idea of wedding vows, but that, more often than not, they ended up being personal and private. And a wedding was not private. So they saved their vows for when they were alone together in their darkened room, a mess of arms and legs and sheets, whispering to each other words that were only meant for them.
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Within two years, they had successfully adopted a girl, Lauren Jane Montgomery-Burke, and were already apologizing to her for the mouthful of a name they had saddled her with. Addison had wanted to go through pregnancy, but she had wanted a child more. Lauren fulfilled all of Addison's hopes as soon as she opened her big brown eyes and let out a spitty gurgle. Addison had held so many babies in her life, but this one, she was sure, was better than all of them combined. Preston had been a proud father, boasting of her strong grip and her miraculous smile, confident she was already close to talking. He felt a shot of happiness whenever he looked at her, and that was nothing compared to what he felt when Addison let him hold her (which was rare in the first few days). The guest bedroom became a nursery and Addison found herself wishing all bedrooms were on the same floor, what with the number of trips she made up and down the stairs. Addison and Preston shared parenting responsibilities quite well. Addison was in charge of feeding, Preston was in charge of changing diapers. They took turns taking care of her when she cried in the night.
Some nights, Preston would let Addison stay in bed and take care of their daughter for her and she would lie awake thinking how unbelievably lucky she was. Preston never minded comforting the bawling baby. He would cradle her in his arms and sing softly the lullabies he remembered his mother singing to him. Then he would lay her gently in her crib, lean in, kiss her cheek, then return to Addison, who would welcome him with a sleepy smile and take his hand in hers once he was settled. He enjoyed it more than he let on so that he could guilt Addison into giving him a back massage every now and then.
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Within seven years, Addison was watching her daughter go to school for the very first time. Holding hands, they had walked to the bus stop. Addison had kneeled down in front of Lauren, straightened her shirt, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and made sure her bus tag was clipped onto her backpack. Lauren had twisted out of Addison's grasp with an already impish "Mom!" Addison had been near tears when the bus drove away with her child in the front seat. At work that day, Preston called her and let her talk away all of her fears of what could happen to Lauren at school. And then he told her that everything would be all right. She successfully lasted the day without driving to the school, but that wasn't because she didn't try. Naomi, Sam, and Violet all had to intervene.
Preston was the one who waited for Lauren when she got off the bus. He swung her up into his arms and listened to her chatter about her teacher, the other kids, her desk, all the markers, thinking that she had somehow inherited Addison's way of rambling. Once they reached the house, she ran indoors to put her newest drawing up on refrigerator and Preston saw that it was a picture of her family and he felt a tug at his heart and wetness at the corners of his eyes. When Addison came home, she stared at the drawing for a good long time; her hand covering her mouth. Then she moved to let Preston make dinner and told Lauren how much she loved her picture. Lauren merely nodded, as though that was the only conclusion anyone could come to. The next day was easier. Addison still made sure that Lauren's shirt was straight and her hair was neat, but she didn't have to brush at watery eyes when the bus drove away.
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Within eight years, Addison and Preston were able to go to Seattle. After Preston had moved to Los Angeles, Addison had made an attempt to reconnect with her former coworkers. She talked to Callie weekly and Miranda Bailey a little less than that. During one conversation between Addison and Callie, Callie invited Addison to come celebrate her tenth wedding anniversary. Addison accepted the invitation, and broke the news to Preston one night after dinner and he was left in a funk for the rest of the night. He made a comment that he had been respectful of her wishes to not go to Seattle and she had responded with the statement that she had visited him despite her wishes to not go to Seattle.
So a month later, he found himself flying to Seattle. It was not without some trepidation that they walked into the Torres-O'Malley household. All employees of Seattle Grace did their best not to stare at the two surgeons, and especially not at their entwined hands. Derek had spread the news nine years ago that they were involved, but it apparently had not sunk in yet. Addison made a beeline for Callie, finding a sanctuary in the friendly face. There was hugging and there may have been tears. Preston wandered to Derek, feeling some sort of debt to the man who made him realize how much Addison meant to him. They shook hands, ending the contact quickly. George and Preston met with a warm, yet manly hug (Preston made sure Addison knew it was manly because she hadn't been so sure and looked ready to mock). Addison and Preston stayed at the periphery, not wanting to get to close to their past. Addison smiled warmly at Alex Karev, who seemed to go suddenly shy. Addison said obligatory hellos to Meredith and Derek (who were apparently reunited. Again) and they offered her their congratulations, although it seemed a little strained. Miranda Bailey was her usual self, making comments about how no employees of Seattle Grace could keep their hands off of each other, but Addison knew that the short surgeon was happy for them.
Preston was the more uncomfortable one, having made enemies with his actions at Seattle Grace. He stayed close to Addison, using her to break the barriers. Preston scanned the room, noting the faces that were watching him. Meredith. Cristina. Mark. Alex. There was a lot of dislike behind their eyes. When they got back to their hotel room (Preston had booked a room at the Archfield as a way to get back at Addison for making him come), they agreed that another trip to Seattle was probably not in their future and they were both thankful they had decided to leave Lauren in the care of Naomi.
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Within fifteen years, Lauren had passed through her angry teenager phase and Addison and Preston were both relieved. There had been enough stomping and door slamming and silent treatment to last them a life time. She was starting high school and Addison couldn't help but feel like the years had just flown by. When she took the obligatory "First Day of School" picture, she remembered the very first time she had taken Lauren's picture. She had been bubbling over with excitement, bouncing up and down until Addison had laughingly told her to stop moving or the picture wouldn't come out at all.
Now she stood, her hip stuck out, her face clearly saying, "Take the damn picture already," and just waiting to rush out the door. Addison knew it was natural for children to resent their parents, especially during high school (God knows she did), but she wished it would just stop. Her phone rang almost as soon as she arrived at work and Preston was on the other end. He let her talk away her anxiety over their teenaged daughter, her frustration at Lauren's attitude, then told her everything would be all right. He drove to the high school to pick Lauren up, let her complain about the teachers she had just met, gossip about all the changes that had occurred over summer (for someone who was never one for gossip, Preston sure heard a lot of it nowadays), and take control over the radio. The next morning, Addison decided to let Lauren leave in peace and stayed behind her newspaper until she felt two arms snake their way around her, felt a light kiss on her cheek, and heard a quiet, "Bye, Mom." Then she lowered her paper and said, "Have a great day, honey." Lauren stuck her tongue out and walked out of the house.
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Within twenty years, Lauren was heading off to college with the ambition to be a music teacher. Somewhere along the way she had picked up the ability to carry a tune and her high school career had been filled with auditioning for the school musicals and singing in the school choir. Addison and Preston had faithfully attending every concert, every play, buying her a rose for each one. Now Lauren was heading to a school in the East Coast and it seemed to Addison as though she was trying to get as far away from her parents as possible. Lauren assured her that it wasn't the case; it was just an added bonus of the school she picked. Addison said that she didn't know where Lauren got her attitude from. And Preston simply smiled.
Addison had contemplated the idea of a cross-country road trip so that they could bring everything they needed, but Lauren had almost immediately vetoed the idea of three days in a car with her parents. Instead, she packed her things into boxes to be shipped to her later. "She's lucky we're rich," Addison commented when she saw the sheer amount of boxes to be shipped. When Lauren left, the emptiness of the house was keenly felt by both adults. Addison suggested getting a new dog to fill the space (Blake had gone to doggie heaven about seven years ago) and Preston was more than happy to oblige (Preston missed having a running partner) and so a golden retriever named Boomer was introduced to their home. Lauren called every night her first week away from home. Addison had to reassure her that she was just homesick and that college was not a mistake. A month later, Lauren was trying to convince them that she didn't have to come home for spring break, her homesickness long forgotten.
With Lauren gone, however, they could return to their routine before she arrived. Shared baths were reinstated; Preston surprised Addison with fancy breakfasts; Addison occasionally packed a lunch for him. Occasionally there were lulls where Addison would wonder what they did before Lauren came along and then Preston would walk into the kitchen wearing nothing but a towel, and she would remember.
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Within twenty-six years, Addison and Preston were celebrating their twenty-fifth anniversary. They sat at the dining room table, Addison putting on stamps and return address labels as Preston wrote out addresses. "Do we actually know this many people?" he asked, putting the pen down to stretch his hand. Addison peered over her glasses at the list that was sitting in between them. "I don't know. Maybe I just started going through the phone book. It's hard to remember, we've been planning for so long." Preston laughed and picked up his pen again.
Addison was willing to invite Callie, Miranda and Richard and gracious enough to tell them that they could extend the invitation to any other Seattle Grace employees that wanted to be there, but Meredith and George were the only ones remaining from Addison's time there. Preston had said that Bill and his parents were the only ones he really wanted there. "They were already on my list," Addison said. "So does that mean they're your guests? That's not fair." "Fair shmare. I'm already letting you have some of my guests so you don't feel so lonely. But…since they are related to you, I suppose I'll let you have your parents. And I guess Bill can be on your list, too. And you can have the Seattle folks," she added with mock magnanimity. Preston smiled and wrote another address on an envelope and handed it to her. She licked a stamp and placed it perfectly in the corner.
The actual event was a resounding success. Lauren came home from grad school for the occasion, Callie and Miranda came, with their spouses (Richard was on vacation with Adele), and Pete, Violet, Naomi, Sam and Cooper all managed to control their personal lives enough to get themselves to the event.
And it was an event to remember. Preston knew that Addison had the power to look amazing and that she usually put that power to use every day, but the way she looked on that night was better than anything he could have imagined. He watched her walk down the stairs and held his hand out to her, mirroring his movement from so many years earlier. She smiled and grasped it. He pulled her to him and murmured in her ear, "You don't look a day over thirty." She smiled and said, "I know."
There was dancing in the backyard, there was drinking, there was laughing, there were raucous toasts. And when it was all over and the guests had left, Preston and Addison went to bed, leaving the mess for tomorrow. Preston wrapped his arms around Addison, her back pressed up against his chest. He whispered in her ear, "We have had a wonderful twenty-five years." She twisted her neck to face him. "And we have twenty-five more to come," she said softly. And she knew she was right.
So there you have it. And I am going to have a Welsh corgi named Blake some day. I might have a greyhound named Julie (points to anyone who knows where those names are coming from). I think my timeline is right. If it's not, feel free to let me know. It's more than possible that I made a mistake. Thanks again for reading.