Nikki and Owen pulled into the driveway at the same time.
"Owl guess what," Nikki called.
"What," Owen asked.
"I taught all day today," Nikki shouted.
"All day," Owen asked.
"All six periods," Nikki said, "sixth, seventh and eighth grade math."
"Two blocks of each," Owen asked.
"Yes," Nikki said, "I was the teacher today! I actually ran the classes. Gloria was out of the room all day. I did it and she was in the work room across the hall all day."
Owen saw his sister bouncing with excitement. This was her major practicum her residency he thought. This was her moment she was taking the lead, she was moving forward. It amazed him how fast they moved teachers through their training, they spent years training surgeons here they were letting Nikki shape the minds of middle school kids with six months of training.
"How did it go," Owen asked.
"I have to finish marking but my sixth graders can multiply decimals, my seventh graders can follow BEDMAS, and my eighth graders know the rules of exponents," Nikki said.
"Busy day," Owen said.
"I love it," Nikki said, "it's exciting."
"Good," Owen said, "it's Friday so weekend plans?"
"Lesson plans, unit plans, marking," Nikki said, " Jeff is having a party tomorrow so I need to get it all done before 3 tomorrow."
"So your home tonight," Owen said, "want to eat with us?"
"If Teddy is okay with it," Nikki said.
"She was saying this morning she sees you but hasn't talked to you in about three weeks," Owen said.
"Practicum is busy," Nikki said, "all I do is teach or plan to teach."
"Watching you do this remiss of of residency in a sense," Owen said.
"The years you only came home for christmas," Nikki said.
"Yes," Owen replied.
"I haven't gone anywhere," Nikki said.
"Not until April," Owen said.
"It's only four months you went for years," Nikki said, "you'll have to look after mom when I go."
"I will," Owen promised, "go get your work done and I'll call you when dinner's ready."
"See you in a bit," Nikki said walking through the gate and down to the basement.
"Did you actually see squirt," Teddy asked.
"Talked to her," Owen said, "she flew fully solo today."
"How did it go," Teddy asked.
"She's really excited," Owen replied, "I invited her for dinner. We're just ordering pizza. I don't think she's eating much."
"She doesn't eat when she's stressed," Teddy replied.
"She's enjoying this," Owen said, "she was bouncing."
"Bouncing that sounds like Nikki," Teddy smiled.
"She flew solo," Owen said, "all six periods. She taught on her own."
"They move them fast," Teddy said, "could you imagine sending an intern in to do the whole thing after six months."
"That's coursework and experience," Owen said, "she's less likely to kill people but there seems to be as much of a science to teaching as medicine."
"It's an art," Teddy said, "could you imagine treating 30 patients at once."
"No," Owen said, "but she's not cutting into them."
"Just shaping their futures," Teddy replied.
"She's teaching after this year," Owen said.
"She found her way," Teddy replied.
"She has," Owen said, "she figured it out on her own."
"She's had help," Teddy said, "you helped her out a lot."
"We've just listened to her," Owen said, "we haven't told her what to do. We listened and gave advice if she asked."
"Back up what did you do with your sister," Teddy asked.
"Listened," Owen repeated.
"One more time Hunt," Teddy replied.
"I listened," Owen said.
"You learned to listen to your sister," Teddy said, "I'm so proud of you. Only took you 22 years to do that."
"I've listened to her for a while," Owen challenged.
"But this is the first time you've admitted it," Teddy said.
"You look stressed are you okay," Owen asked.
"I lost a patient and I have another that's not doing well," Teddy said, "and I want another baby and it's not working."
"It's been how long," Owen said.
"Eight months," Teddy said, "maybe I'm just too old."
"I think you need to relax," Owen said, "stop over thinking it."
"I'm not over thinking it," Teddy said.
"You are," Owen said, "I can hear you thinking from here."
"You can't," Teddy replied.
"I can," Owen said, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her.
"Daddy," Allison called.
"Hi munchkin," Owen said, crouching to hug the little girl.
"Now can you tell me about auntie Meghan," Allison asked, "mommy and auntie Nikki won't."
"One story," Owen agreed, "one of my favourite memories."
"I was about 8," Owen said, "it was grandma, auntie Meghan my dad and I."
"Where was auntie Nikki," Allison asked.
"She wasn't born yet," Owen said, "the four of us went on this road trip to California. And auntie Meghan left the map in the rest stop bathroom. Grandma and my dad argued the rest of the afternoon, finally we pulled into this beach and auntie Meghan and I played in the waves for hours."
"What about auntie Nikki," Allison asked.
"The day we went to the waterfall," Teddy smiled.
"Can we go to the waterfall," Allison asked.
"Not until you're a lot older," Teddy said, "auntie Nikki was 9 and it was too much for her."
"That was your first trip here," Owen said.
"It was the first time you and Meg brought me home," Teddy smiled.
"What happened," Allison asked.
"We went on this 13 hour hike," Teddy said, "it was 7 hours up hill to this beautiful waterfall, daddy, auntie Nikki, uncle Nathan, auntie Meghan and I. Auntie Nikki was about 9 and she was with auntie Meghan and I all day. We hiked up to the waterfall and had a picnic. The whole way up and down Meghan kept singing."
"What was she singing," Allison asked.
"Opera very badly to bug me," Owen said, "and some of the silly songs auntie Nikki sings with you. 99 Bottles of beer, Funky Chicken, the banan song."
"That was funny," Teddy said, "they were doing the actions."
"So were you," Owen chuckled.
"It was good," Teddy said, "I felt like I had a family. I had sisters."
"Then the three of you fell asleep in a pile in the back of the truck on the way home," Owen laughed.
"She had that cheer," Teddy said.
"Awake, alert, alive," Owen said.
"What was the last word," Teddy asked.
Nikki walked into the kitchen and yelled, "enthusiastic. We also sang the blue bird song. Teddy hated that."
"How do you remember that," Owen said, "the three of us were singing the blue bird song."
"School," Nikki replied, "they used it in a pep rally yesterday. I need to teach your girls blue bird."
"No blue bird song," Teddy groaned, "please Nikki."
"I make no promises," Nikki teased, "what's the point of being auntie if I can't teach them silly songs that annoy their parents."
Teddy started humming the ants go marching.
"Teddy stop," Nikki laughed.
"Then no blue bird," Teddy teased, "promise me and I'll stop."
"I promise," Nikki said with a smirk crossing the fingers of one hand behind her back.
"Why are you up already," Teddy asked.
"Looking for Abbie," Nikki said, "someone came down and left the stair door open."
"Abbie is on my bed," Allison said.
"Allison return my cat," Nikki said, giving her niece the teacher glare.
"But i want one," Allison said.
"Stealing Abbie is not how you show us you're ready for one," Owen said.
"But you got one for auntie Nikki," Allison said.
"I was 12," Nikki said, "she was my Christmas present. Last Christmas Meghan was home."
"But I want a cat," Allison whined.
"No," Owen said, "you're not old enough to take care of it yourself yet.
"Owen mentioned you flew solo today," Teddy said.
"All six periods on my own," Nikki beamed, "I was really the teacher for the first time today. Teddy it felt really good. That's what I should be doing!"
"You look happy," Teddy said.
"I'm really proud of myself," Nikki said, "first in my cohort for full teaching load."
"Julie," Teddy asked.
"Three periods a day," Nikki replied, "we have 3 weeks before we have to be at full immersion but Gloria decided I was ready to fly," Nikki said.
"She would know," Teddy replied, "I'm glad you got a good attending."
"SA," Nikki corrected.
"It's your residency," Teddy said, "the attending makes or breaks it."
"Practicum with a school associate and a faculty advisor," Nikki said, "trust me you would not want us in your OR."
"No I wouldn't," Teddy replied, "but please don't give me a full class of middle schoolers."
"How different from soldiers can they be," Nikki asked, "they don't have weapons."
"You have a point,' Teddy said, "but I have no authority with them."
"You do the bossy pants tone they will," Nikki said, "but I haven't had to do my Owen impression yet."
"Owen impression," Teddy asked.
"Bellowing," Nikki laughed.
"I don't any more," Owen said.
"You've improved," Nikki said, "you have learned to listen. Only took 5 or 6 years."
"Hey," Owen argued.
"Just teasing," Nikki said, "when you came home I couldn't tease you. I like this."
"I know you do," Teddy said.
"Come on I didn't get to growing up," Nikki said, "making up for some missed childhood memories by tormenting my brother now."
"Schools going well," Owen asked.
"So far," Nikki said, "it's a lot of work but I like to work."
"You've always worked hard," Teddy agreed.
"What are you guys doing this weekend," Nikki asked.
"Two birthday parties, swimming lessons, dinner with some work friends tomorrow your mom is babysitting," Teddy replied.
"Mom likes to baby sit," Nikki said.
"She does," Owen agreed.
"Are you still working with Dr. Bailey," Nikki asked.
"She's good,' Teddy replied.
"Tuck was fun to babysit," Nikki said, "and Dr. Bailey always left good snacks."
"Christina is leaving," Teddy said.
"She's been your right hand a long time will you miss her," Nikki asked.
"She was a good student but it's time," Teddy said.
"She was trying to flirt with Nate," Owen said.
"He doesn't date," Nikki replied, "he should."
"We've all said it," Teddy said.
"Mom two," Owen replied.
"Set him up," Nikki said.
"Pierce the new cardio attending," Teddy said.
"Grey," Owen suggested, "Derek passed about a year and a half ago."
"But does he like her," Nikki asked.
"I think he's waiting for a miracle," Teddy said.
"He has to be happy," Nikki said, "he's in the middle east again."
"I know," Teddy replied, "I can't stop him. I could threaten his job but its Nate. he's not going to play hero. He's going to feel close to her."
"I know," Nikki said, "he emailed yesterday."
"You got that one," Owen asked.
"I did," Nikki replied, "it was nice to hear from him."
"Maybe him being gone a third to half the year is why he doesn't settle with someone," Teddy thought out loud.
"No one would go for that," Nikki said, "I wouldn't. Yes we did a few months for Jeff to go to New York and we're doing a few months for Kenya but thats for school. It's not running away."
"Running away," Owen said.
"He does keep going back," Teddy agreed, "looking."
"He'll never get over her," Nikki said.
"We'll always love and miss her," Owen said, "but Nathan has to be happy."
"He'll never introduce anyone to us," Nikki said.
"Probably not," Owen agreed.
"It's not about that," Teddy said, "we need to see him happy."
"He won't let himself," Nikki said.
"He won't," Owen agreed, "I almost didn't. It was only because Teddy showed me I could be happy that I let myself. Because I trusted her."
"What if mom said something," Nikki said.
"Mom wont," Owen said.
"You two have to encourage him," Nikki said, "I'll always be the little sister."
"You've just been hurt so much we want to protect you where we can," Owen said.
"It's because we love you," Teddy said.
"I know," Nikki said, "I appreciate it."
"I'm going to order pizza. Go get your marking done," Owen said, "I'll call you when it's here."
"Thanks Owl," Nikki replied.