"Last year of college," Owen said as Nikki walked down the driveway with her backpack.
"Finally," Nikki replied, "my teaching applications and global teaching experience applications are due at the end of the month can you help me proofread?"
"After dinner," Owen suggested.
"Sure," Nikki agreed.
"Global teaching experience what is that," Owen asked.
"It's an extra three months on my teachers so I would start in June instead of September. I would do a bunch of my methods courses in the summer and do one of my practicals early then do the last round of courses before spending three months teaching in Kenya or Haiti," Nikki explained.
"Teaching in a third world country," Owen said, "do it. That's your adventure."
"It's my turn for an adventure I'm ready," Nikki said.
"You are," Owen said, "as soon as your accepted to the program we'll do all the vaccinations."
"All," Nikki said, "how many are we talking?"
Owen relied, " I had 7 or 8 before I deployed the first time. So I'd expect that. And a tetanus booster."
"I've got to get my bus, see you after dinner," Nikki said.
"Just come up when you're ready," Owen replied, "last first day of school. Have fun."
"I will. Go fix people," Nikki said.
"I will," Owen replied.
They went their separate ways. Teddy worked later and would take the girls to daycare before she started seeing patients. They tried to have the girls home as much as possible. This was the first semester they wouldn't get an auntie day in their week with Nikki in classes five days a week the girls had to go to daycare every day.
After dinner Nikki texted upstairs to see if it was a good time. Owen told her to come up.
"I'm going to leave this with you to work on my multi variable calc homework," Nikki said, putting the printed application on the table in front of Owen.
"Why," Owen asked.
"Just read it," Nikki replied.
Owen read through the basics until he got to who inspired her to want to go.
"Teddy come read this," Owen said.
"Why," Teddy asked, coming down the stairs from tucking the girls in.
"She wrote about me," Owen said.
"For what," Teddy asked.
"A person who inspired her to want to go," Owen said.
"Read it to me, I still have dishes," Teddy said.
Owen read, "the person that inspires me most to join the global teaching experience program is my older brother Owen. My relationship with my brother is unique in that we are seventeen years apart so beyond being my brother and friend he is my mentor and cheerleader. Growing up with his stories of helping people in the hospital and on the battlefield as a surgeon I was inspired to look beyond my own community. It was Owen's stories of being able to help others and use his skills and what he is passionate about to change the world one person at a time. The stories shared around the dinner table, on runs and camping trips have shaped my view of our role in helping others. Those lessons and examples taught me to always give each person I encounter my best and that by giving each person my absolute best and the utmost care I will be able to change my students lives for the better."
"Wow," Teddy said.
"It keeps going," Owen said.
"Let me see," Teddy said looking over his shoulder.
"She can write," Owen said, "it's well written."
"I like her answer to what she hopes to contribute to the program," Teddy said.
"You stole that sheet," Owen said.
"Just listen," Teddy said, "as an educator I believe that each student is inherently good and exceedingly capable. It is my role to help them see their own goodness and skills. My students are wonderfully talented individuals, they will all make amazing contributions to the world. My goal is to be the type of role model I have had in my older siblings who despite our differences have always encouraged and supported me, seeing my skills and strengths when I could not. As a teacher I can be the person who finds the hidden strengths, skills and talents my students themselves may not see. I can be the person to encourage them to build on those strengths and follow the goals they only dare to dream of in their sleep. I have been lucky to have a fabulous family: my mother and four older siblings who saw my strengths and supported my dreams even when I didn't think it was possible, my hope is that I can be that person for my students. I believe each student that crosses my path is an incredible person with amazing skills to be discovered and nurtured. My goal in this program and in my teaching career is to help my students see the amazingly talented people that they are."
"Four of us," Owen said, "Meghan, You, Me and Riggs?"
"Nathan," Teddy said, "has to be. They have a cool friendship, she told me he's as much her brother as I am her sister."
Nikki came back upstairs, "why are you reading it out loud."
"What you wrote is amazing," Teddy said.
"I just wrote what felt right," Nikki said.
"Your paragraph about me I didn't expect," Owen said, "I'm proud of you squirt."
"Do you think I can do it," Nikki asked.
"I think with the stories you've told and the way you wrote you have a chance," Owen said, "if it was for medical school I'd say your in."
"Thank you," Nikki whispered.
"For what," Owen asked.
"Believing in me when I couldn't believe in myself," Nikki replied.
"Youre the smart one," Owen said, "smarter than either of us, mom saved it all for you."
"We're just different all of us," Nikki said, "we have different talents. I could never do what you do and I don't think I'd want to see you teaching kids."
"I'm good with kids," Owen said.
"Your own or one on one," Nikki said, "I manage groups of 30-40."
"That's too many," Teddy said, "how do you do it?"
"Organization, routines and rules," Nikki said, "and none of them are actively dying."
"True yours are healthy," Owen agreed.
"Is my writing okay," Nikki asked.
"Some grammar and punctuation things a few word choice ideas," Owen said.
"A couple sentences we can make stronger," Teddy said, "but your ideas and what you mean you almost made me cry squirt."
"Can we please drop using squirt," Nikki asked, "I'm 21. And it was her name for me. Everytime you call me squirt it reminds me of Meg. please can you stop."
"I didn't know," Owen said, "I'll really try. She would be so proud of you Nikki. You're going to get into this program and go on your adventure and do amazing things. I'm proud of you."
"Its exciting," Nikki said.
"It will be," Teddy said, "you'll have to write to us and call when you go, not just your mom."
"I will," Nikki said, "you always wrote to me. This feels really grown up."
"It is," Teddy said, "two school years and you're the teacher. Are you ready?"
"I am," Nikki smiled, "I want this. I want this more than I wanted to dance. This excites me more than the thought of a performing career ever did."
"Then you chose well," Owen said.
"How do you know," Nikki asked.
"You're excited and bouncing and talking really fast," Teddy said, "I remember this feeling applying to med school. Getting my dad to help proofread my applications."
"Mom knows I'm applying," Nikki said, "I'm not sure she's sold on Kenya."
"How long is it," Teddy asked.
"Only four months," Nikki replied, "I'm going. I need to go. It's my turn to do my part. You all got to go."
"I think she's worried," Owen said, "you're the baby, her last baby. You've always been so close to mom and she's used to talking to you everyday. You going, that's her letting you go. She's going to have a hard time seeing you go."
"If I go will you come see me off at the airport," Nikki asked.
"You and mom always came," Owen said.
"And you squished me until my ribs would almost break," Nikki said.
"A year at least worth of hugs," Owen said, "you had to know we loved you when we left."
"I'll have to squish my nieces before I go," Nikki said.
"What about us," Teddy teased.
"You two," Nikki said.
"You have to write to mom a few times a week," Owen said.
"I will," Nikki replied, "I'll be better at emailing than you were."
"I wrote back," Owen said.
"Teddy was better," Nikki said, "not the very best but better than you."
"Meghan was the best," Teddy asked.
"She was," Nikki replied, "about once a week Nathan would add a note to her email for me. And we don't know if I'm going, this is just an application. I want to I'm praying I get it but I need my references to come through for me."
"References," Teddy asked.
"My boss, Dr. Bailey because I still babysit for her, Pastor Joe, Dr. Krishna my mentor at school," Nikki said.
"Good choices," Owen encouraged, "you'll get it."
"Jeff was supportive of this," Nikki said.
"You worked things out," Teddy asked.
"We're trying again," Nikki said, "he's making changes. I think he really missed me this summer."
"Sometimes being apart makes you realize how much you love each other," Teddy said.
"He knows I need to do things for myself," Nikki said, "I missed him. I know our relationship looks different from yours but it's going to. We're younger, just figuring out what we want in life. You're comparing 21 and 22 to yourself. "
"Just make sure you're still doing what makes you happy," Teddy said, "don't hold back because of him."
"What do you think applying for this program is," Nikki asked, "he told me to go and to do it. Four months is doable if I get in."
"It is," Owen agreed, "it's a semester."
"We just did four months," Nikki said, "we actually communicated better when he was in New York."
"You had to actually talk and have conversations," Teddy said.
"He had to listen," Nikki agreed, "his class ends at 9:30 and he's coming over."
"Is he staying," Owen asked.
"He might," Nikki said, "we haven't decided yet. Its not like you see him. We haven't had time just the two of us yet and Julie is staying at Andrews after their late class ends at 10."
"Go spend time with your boyfriend," Teddy said, "this application is good."
"Thank you," Nikki smiled, grabbing the papers with the corrections.
"Have a good night," Owen said watching Nikki go down the stairs.
"You two," Nikki called over her shoulder.
Nikki finished her last couple calculus questions before there was a knock on her door. She opened it to let Jeff in.
"How was your class," Nikki asked.
"Materials looks like it will be okay," Jeff said, "yours?"
"Multivariable, teachers math which I can sleep through, caring classrooms meets three times a week but it looks okay," Nikki said.
"Have you eaten," Jeff asked.
"Snacked," Nikki said, "I had lunch then wasn't really hungry for dinner. I was working on my TE and GTE applications."
"You're going for the global one did you pick where," Jeff asked.
"Kenya," Nikki replied, "Haiti second."
"It's late but do we want to order pizza," Jeff suggested.
"Sure," Nikki replied, "we'll have to meet them out front so they don't wake the girls again."
"That was bad," Jeff agreed.
"They know you're here," Nikki said.
"Did you hang out with them tonight," Jeff asked.
"They helped proofread my applications," Nikki said, "only about an hour."
"And they're okay with you going away for four months," Jeff asked.
"5 / 6 years is a lot longer," Nikki said, "it mom that's not sold on me going to Kenya."
"Because it's not the army," Jeff asked.
"Because I'm the youngest and she doesn't like me growing up," Nikki said, "she's trying to baby me and hold me back."
"She has to let you go sometime. You stayed in Seattle for college," Jeff said.
"Exactly," Nikki replied, "she had me home a year longer than she had Owen or Meg. i think she's afraid if I go she'll lose me two. We lost Meg and Owen really changed in a lot of ways. I think for the better because when he came home for good he stopped being an ogre but I don't remember him before."
"He still acts like your dad at times," Jeff said.
"It's a complicated relationship," Nikki said, "the age gap. The age gap between Owen and I is the same as between me and Allison. Owen gets protective sometimes. He feels bad I never knew my dad."
"Why didn't you know your dad," Jeff asked.
"My dad was an alcoholic, he beat Meghan and Owen," Nikki said, "mom kicked him out of the house. I was 4 or 5 months old. We never heard from my dad again. I have no memories and no pictures of him."
"I'm sorry Nik," Jeff said, "why didn't you tell me sooner."
"It's not important," Nikki said, "the only people that stick around or come back for me are mom, Owen and Teddy."
"I will always come," Jeff said, "Nik I love you. This summer appart I realized how much I need you and missed you."
"I missed you two," Nikki said.
"So pizza and a movie," Jeff suggested.
"Sure," Nikki replied, "are you staying?"
"I wanted to," Jeff said, "where's Julie?"
"Andrews," Nikki replied.
"So we're alone," Jeff asked.
"We're alone and the pass door is locked, no random Allison appearances in the morning," Nikki smiled.
"We're truly alone, your niece won't randomly appear," Jeff said.
"No random appearance of Allison," Nikki said, "we need to work on that. She just likes attention."
"Two kids and two very busy parents," Jeff said.
"I don't always get the whole sibling thing," Nikki admitted, "I didn't know mine the way you know yours. Mine were my siblings but with the age gap 14 and 17 years they were half aunt and uncle in a sense. They weren't here day to day. They would come home Meghan would play with me, feed me treats and take me places. Owen would be gruff because that's just him but he taught me to ride my bike without training wheels, to skate and climb trees. It was Teddy who taught me to climb the rocks at the falls. Nathan and Meghan taught me to ski. I was a novelty to them. It wasn't until I was 16 that I spent time with Owen regularly and at first only because mom and Teddy made us. It got better when my history teacher started spouting off about conflicts not being as bad with email and phone calls. I was 17. We had lost Meg 2 and a half years before and I lost it on my teacher. I yelled at him telling him he would never understand and knew nothing about it, that I knew more when I was 14 then he would have in his whole life. Then I ran out of class and called Owen to come get me. He just came and got me, he signed me out of school for the rest of the day, we got hot chocolate and cookies and went up to the crowsnest and really talked for the first time."
"Why haven't you told me any of this before," Jeff asked.
"Didn't come up," Nikki said, "I didn't think you were listening."
"Your family has been through a lot," Jeff agreed.
"Too much," Nikki said, "now were finally moving forward we're happy. Its only Nathan who hasn't found a way to be happy again."
"I still don't fully get how he fits," Jeff said.
"He's been friends with Owen since highschool or college, I've always known Nate," Nikki said, "in Med school Nate and Meg started dating then they got engaged a few days before she was captured. He was supposed to be my brother in law. I think he's still waiting for her. He's uncle Nathan to the kids."
"He likes me less than Owen does," Jeff said.
"If you would talk to him it would help," Nikki replied, "just act like he's my brother. We're trying to convince him that after 7 years it's okay to date. It doesn't mean he loves her any less and what they had wasn't special but Nate should be happy. Maybe if he starts dating he'll stop being a pest."
"Hopefully," Jeff agreed.
"What time is your first class tomorrow," Nikki asked.
"Noon ," Jeff said, "you?"
"10," Nikki replied, "my last stats class."
"I should go meet the pizza," Jeff said.
"You should before we get teased about midnight pizza again," Nikki replied.