Sunday morning Andy awoke, raised herself slightly from her pillow, and then flopped back down with a sigh. Robert, just starting to wake up himself, rolled on his side to look at his wife. She was normally a sound sleeper; she found a comfortable position, oftentimes curled up against him, and didn't move much until her alarm or the morning sun woke her up. Last night, however, she tossed and turned throughout the night.
"You okay?" he asked, his voice still a little hoarse from sleep. He assumed she was nervous about her afternoon coffee date with her mom, but given the events of the last few months, any one of many things could be troubling her.
"Yeah, I'm ok," Andy replied with little confidence. "Just not sure I'm ready for today." Between the storage facility yesterday and seeing her mother today, she was feeling quite uneasy. She had done her best to avoid disturbing Robert overnight, but she had gotten very little sleep.
"Are you sure you don't want me to come along?" Robert asked. He understood her desire to go meet her mother alone, especially while she was still deciding whether or not to make Elena a part of their lives, but he also still felt a little guilty for disregarding Andy's suspicions about her family and wanted to do whatever he could to support her.
"I think I need to do this on my own," Andy replied. While she would enjoy her husband's company, she felt like taking this first step by herself would help her take control of the situation, the same control that she lost when her mother and father decided to fake Elena's death, supposedly to protect her.
"Ok, but if you change your mind, just let me know," Robert said before changing the subject. "What do you say we head over to Discovery Park this morning? We can pick up breakfast along the way and go for a walk on one of the trails." Discovery Park, a beautiful natural park in the city of Seattle, was one of their favorite places to spend their downtime. They had explored the many miles of trails, and it wouldn't be too difficult to find one that Robert could handle even with a cane.
"That sounds great," Andy commented. She and Robert hadn't been out together, except for the trip to see Dr. Shepherd, since before his surgery and she was going a little stir crazy. She could only imagine how Robert felt; she had the distraction of work, but for almost two weeks, Robert's world had been limited to home, physical therapy, and Grey Sloan.
Andy knew, without having to ask, that Robert was probably trying to prevent her from obsessing about her mother all morning, but she didn't mind. "After we get dressed, why don't you go fill up the thermos with coffee, and I'll grab a backpack and a blanket. The North Beach Trail leads right down to the water. We can set up our picnic breakfast there," Andy suggested.
On the way out the door, Andy grabbed some fruit to go along with their coffee, and after they made a quick stop at a local bakery for a chocolate croissant for her and a blueberry muffin for him, Andy tucked everything in her backpack. Once they got to the trail, Robert, with his long legs, was able to move relatively quickly even with his cane, and he was glad to note that there wasn't even a twinge of pain in his leg as he walked.
Before long, they made it to the small beach overlooking Puget Sound and Andy laid out the blanket and their breakfast. It was early enough in the day that the beachfront hadn't yet filled with groups of teens and families with rambunctious children. The weather was gorgeous, with none of the drizzle and clouds common to Seattle. After eating, it didn't take long for them both to stretch out on the blanket, enjoying the feel of the warm sand beneath them and the sun on their bodies. At some point, Andy rested her head on Robert's chest and he wrapped his arm around her, holding her close.
After a few minutes like that, with both of them lost in their own thoughts, Robert spoke, giving voice to the question that had been on his mind lately. "Andy," he asked, "Are we ok?"
Andy moved her head from his chest and propped herself up on her elbow so that she could look at him. "I think we're getting there," she replied honestly. "There's still a lot we have to figure out, but I feel like we're getting better at working together."
Robert remained silent for a moment, thinking about what she had said. Andy wasn't sure how to read his silence and began to get a little nervous. Perhaps he wasn't as happy with their progress as she was. "Is there something that's bothering you?" she asked a little hesitantly.
Robert noticed the change in her tone and reached out to caress her face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to put a damper on this lovely morning. I think things are moving in the right direction, but the last few months have been so rough, I guess I can't help waiting for the other shoe to drop," he explained.
Andy smiled at him. She understood his feelings completely; the list of "stressors," to use Dr. Lopez's term, was long. "You know," Andy said, laying her head back on her husband's chest, "If we had to go through everything that happened the last few months, I'm glad we're doing it together."
"I am too," Robert replied, as he placed a kiss on the back of her head.
As much as they were enjoying their time at the beach together, the arrival of more groups of people served as a reminder that it was almost afternoon, and Andy needed to get home to change before meeting her mother. They packed up their stuff, made the return hike, and drove home. As Andy showered and changed, Robert made them a light lunch, and before long, Andy was on her way out the door carrying a small box of pictures and other mementos she had put aside as she sorted through her father's belongings.
Andy had agreed to meet her mom at a coffee shop in North Bend, figuring the drive would give her a little bit of time to collect her thoughts. She arrived a few minutes early and found herself debating whether to go in or turn around and go home. Instead, she took a deep breath and gave Robert a call.
"I'm here," she said in place of a greeting. "I just can't get myself to go in."
"Oh, Andy," Robert sighed, wishing he could be there with her. He knew she would regret it if she didn't meet her mother, so he decided to try to provide some encouragement. "Remember what Dr. Lopez said; you get to control what happens next. So, take it one step at a time, ok?"
"You're right," Andy agreed. "I'll see you at home in a couple of hours. I love you."
"I love you too," Robert replied and ended the call.
Andy picked up the box and headed into the coffee shop. She ordered herself a decaf, reasoning that she didn't need to be any more jittery than she already was. She waited by the counter for her name to be called, and then found a table in the corner where they could have some privacy. Just as she sat down, she heard the chime on the door and in walked her mother. Elena quickly scanned the room, and when she saw Andy, she quickly hurried over to greet her.
"I was afraid you might not come," Elena said quickly, clearly a bit nervous herself. She moved toward Andy, perhaps to hug her, but then stopped, and settled for patting her on the shoulder instead. Before Andy could reply, Elena continued, "I see you have something to drink. I'm going to go place my order."
The coffee shop wasn't crowded so it was only moments before Elena was sitting at the table with Andy, waiting for her order to be completed.
"I hope you don't mind," Elena said, "I ordered us two chocolate chip cookies. They're really good here. I remember they were one of your favorites when you were a little girl."
The mention of her being a little girl caused an ache in Andy's heart. Her mom had missed so much. However, rather than respond with a hurtful comment, Andy gave her a small, strained smile: "Papi kept trying to make them using your recipe, but they never turned out quite the same."
"Maybe someday we could make them together," Elena suggested. It was a big leap, thinking she and Andy would ever be close enough to make cookies together, but at this point, she was desperate for any hint of connection she could find.
"Yeah, maybe" Andy replied noncommittally. Thankfully, their conversation was interrupted by Elena's name being called, and she stepped away from the table to get her coffee and the cookies.
As Elena returned to the table and set down the plate, she noticed the box Andy had brought. "What's in the box?" she asked.
"I brought some pictures and things," she began. She almost said, "so you could see what you missed," but she managed to keep that thought to herself. Instead, she asked, "Do you want to see them?"
Elena was amenable to looking through the box with Andy, and soon they were chatting companionably about major milestones in Andy's life. She told her mom the story about getting on a plane to find her father in New York after September 11, 2001, and shared pictures from salsa competitions and high school dances. Her mom laughed when she told her how her dad had removed her bedroom door after he found her and Ryan fooling around, and Elena shared that Pruitt had always been a protective father, noting that he said that Andy "wouldn't be allowed to date until she was thirty."
A picture of her and Ryan, both in their uniforms, led Andy to tell the story of how he had died. Her mom reached over to squeeze her hand gently in sympathy, and to Andy's surprise, she didn't feel the urge to pull away. She shared a picture of her and her father from the Medal of Valor ceremony for her work during the aid car accident. "He must have been so proud," Elena commented. "He was always so proud of you. Even when you were a little girl."
The overview of Andy's life ended with a picture of her and Robert, standing with Pruitt, outside the courthouse. "And this is a picture from my wedding day," Andy explained.
"You're married?" Elena exclaimed. "You don't wear a ring."
Andy decided to give Elena a simple explanation, leaving out some of the details, including the fact that Robert was her boss. They could go into that another time. "We got married kind of quickly. We had found out that Papi's cancer had returned and I really wanted him to be there. If he hadn't died in the fire, he would have died from cancer within a few months. It was kind of rushed, and we never got around to getting rings."
Elena seemed to accept the explanation, and she looked more closely at the picture. "You were a beautiful bride," she said, before adding a bit wistfully, almost to herself, "I wish I could have been there."
Now it was Andy's turn to comfort her mother. Much as her mother had done earlier, she reached over and squeezed her mom's hand gently, and at that moment, she knew that she could not cut her mother out of her life. She wasn't sure what their relationship would be, but the mother-daughter bond they had once shared wasn't completely gone.
They chatted a little longer before Andy realized they had been talking for almost two hours. With promises to get together soon, the women said goodbye and when Elena opened her arms to hug her daughter, Andy willingly stepped into them.
After sending a quick text to Robert to let him know she was on her way, Andy began the drive back to Seattle. She was happy with the way the afternoon had gone, but as she got closer to home, she began to worry. "What if she let her mother in and she ran away again? What if her mental health issues weren't as well controlled as she claimed? What if, after thinking she was an orphan and then finding out she wasn't, she went back to being an orphan again?" She and Robert were slowly working their way to a better place. "What would happen if she spiraled out of control again?"
By the time she got home, all she wanted to do was find her husband and lose herself in his embrace. There was something about his long, strong arms wrapped around her that always made her feel better, no matter how stressed or upset she was. After her father's death, that one thing helped her get through the darkest of days.
Entering the house, she slipped out of her shoes and not seeing Robert on the first floor, headed upstairs. She found Robert sitting in bed, his laptop on his lap. She sat down on the bed with a sigh, scooting over so she could rest her head on his shoulder.
Robert closed the computer and slipped his arm around Andy, drawing her close to him. "How'd it go?" he asked quietly, placing a kiss on the top of her head.
"Would it be ok if we didn't talk for a while?" Andy said quietly. Between her anxiety about the storage facility yesterday and her meeting with her mother today, Andy was drained. She didn't want to rehash everything with Robert right now.
"Not talking is ok," Robert agreed. Good or bad, Andy rarely kept her emotions hidden. If she needed some time before sharing what happened with her mother, he wasn't going to push her.
Sitting snuggled up against her husband, Andy's mind quickly turned to other pursuits, and she slipped her hand that was resting on Robert's chest under his t-shirt, wanting to feel the hard planes of his body. As she ran her hands over his chest, he returned the favor, sliding his hands under her shirt, gently running them up her back. Andy soon reached down to encourage Robert to take off his shirt, and as he pulled it over his head and tossed it to the side, Andy did the same with hers. She pulled him close to her as their mouths met, wanting to feel his warm body against hers. At the same time, Robert reached to unhook her bra, and she separated from him long enough to toss it aside.
Robert's mouth found her nipples, kissing and licking as Andy ran her fingernails along his back. His hands weren't idle either, reaching down to unbutton and unzip her shorts. With the added access, he slipped a finger under her panties, finding her clit and fingering her until she moaned his name.
"Robert, please," she begged, and she quickly reached down to remove her panties and shorts, which she shimmied out of and kicked to the side. Completely naked now, Robert took a moment to marvel at her beauty. He lowered his mouth to hers, and as their tongues dueled, he slid one finger into her, using his thumb to massage her most sensitive spot. Her hips bucked against his hand, and she came quickly. Robert shifted his body and she moved to rest her head against his chest. As she relaxed, she stroked her hair, holding her close.
Andy didn't intend to, but she ended up dozing off in Robert's arms. She had gone a few nights without a good night's sleep. On Saturday, she hadn't slept well, still anxious about the storage facility, and uneasy about her meeting with her mother. Friday she had been at the station, and a late call had kept her up later than usual. After a short nap, she awoke, still nestled against her husband.
"Oh, Robert" Andy said, pulling the sheet over herself as she sat up. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep on you." Since they had gotten some suggestions from Dr. Shepherd, they had taken turns attending to each other's physical needs.
Robert smile, and gave Andy a quick kiss. "It's okay, babe. Sometimes it can be just about you. And you clearly needed some sleep."
"Yeah, I guess I did," Andy admitted. "I didn't sleep too well last night."
"While I'm perfectly ok with 'not talking,'" Robert said with a grin, "It seems like there might be some things on your mind."
Andy took a deep breath; if she wanted Robert to let her in, she needed to do the same. "I didn't tell you this yesterday, but I had a bit of a freak-out when I got to the storage facility," she said. "The first one we went to looked a lot like the one from that call."
Even though Andy's words were vague, he didn't need any additional details. He hadn't thought of it ahead of time, or he would have offered to meet her there, or even asked some of the A-shift to take over the task of moving the boxes for her. "Andy, I'm so sorry," Robert began. "I didn't even think about that."
"I didn't either," Andy replied, "Until we got there. It looked so much like the other one. I couldn't even get out of the car."
"So what happened?" Robert asked. He figured they came up with a solution or she would have mentioned needing to go back to Jack's.
"Jack was really helpful. He made some calls and found a place that passed inspection last week and had an open unit close to an exit door. It was still pretty stressful, but I managed to get my boxes stored," Andy explained. "I'm going to talk about it with Dr. Lopez when I see him this week. I can't imagine we'd have another call like that one, but I need to be sure I'm prepared if it ever does happen."
"I guess I need to stop hating Jack," Robert said wryly. "It sounds like he was a good friend to you yesterday."
Andy chuckled. "Yeah, he was," she agreed. "And you really have no reason to hate him."
"Well, there is one reason," Robert rebutted. "But I'll work on letting it go."
"Thank you," Andy said, before switching the conversation away from her past relationship with Jack. "Coffee with my mom went better than expected."
"That's great. Are you going to see her again?" Robert asked.
Andy paused for a moment before answering: "When I left the coffee shop, I thought I definitely would, but then as I drove home, I started to worry. What if she runs again? I don't think I could handle that."
Robert looked at his wife. He, of all people, knew what it was like to push people away out of fear of being hurt. After Claire's death, he hadn't let anyone in until Andy, and even now the thought of losing her sometimes kept him up at night. "I can't tell you what to do," he replied honestly, "But if the last few months have taught us anything, it's that none of us have any guarantees in life. We just need to find love and happiness where we can, and enjoy it for as long as it lasts."
"You're a pretty smart man, Robert Sullivan," Andy said with a small smile as she leaned in to kiss him. As she did, she ran her hand up his leg, and his body reacted quickly to her touch.
"Can we make it about you now?" Andy asked, as her hand found its intended target.
Author's Note: When I was looking for a place for Andy and Robert's picnic, I visited the website for this park. Unfortunately, due to the terrible air quality because of the wildfires in the western part of the United States, it was temporarily closed. So, please keep the real firefighters and all the people impacted by these fires in your thoughts. Other than that little bit of reality, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and as always, thank you for your support and encouragement!