"Dr Hunt, Dr Altman," the social worker smiled when they opened the door, "this is Hannah."
"Hello sweetheart," Teddy smiled looking at the one year old.
"Come in," Owen said.
They walked into the family room where Leo and Allison were playing.
"Leo, Allison this is Hannah," Teddy introduced, "she's your little sister."
"Hannah this is your mom," the social worker smiled passing the little girl to Teddy.
"Hi Hannah,' Teddy cooed, "hi."
"She turned one last week," the social worker said, "she's not quite walking yet but she's close. Not quite sleeping through every night from her notes."
"We'll get settled soon enough baby girl," Teddy smiled, "you have a big brother named Leo and Allison is your big sister. Then your cousins Alyssa and Faroke are coming with Auntie Megan tomorrow."
They went over the case file and the paper work and the social worker agreed to pop in again at the end of the week.
Since it was nearly lunch time Owen sat Hannah in a high chair and took the seat beside her, they offered her little bits of what the rest of the family was having for lunch along with a sippy cup of formula. She seemed to enjoy her chicken and sweet potato bits. Owen looked at the little girl who looked so different from his other children with her wavy black hair and brown eyes, honestly the little girl reminded him of Christina.
"Who does she remind you of," Owen asked Teddy once Hannah and Allison were down for naps and Leo was settled for quiet time.
"Christina Yang," Teddy replied, "she looks like Christina."
"She does," Owen replied, "we know her parents were Korean so it makes sense. Teddy are you sure you're okay adopting? I know you wanted to biologically."
"I've adopted three of my four," TEddy smiled, "three girls and one boy poor Leo, he's out numbered."
"He is by little sisters," Owen chuckled.
"I don't care how they come home, they're our kids," Teddy replied.
"Four kids," Owen smiled, "our big family."
"With grandkids now," Teddy agreed, "I'm still worried about her she has to see Matt tonight. It's his birthday and he wanted to see the girls."
"But if she flexes for him on this it could gain her flexibility later," Owen said.
'I guess," Teddy agreed, "I know it's not easy on her and it's not fair because I doubt he would flex for her."
"She's being the bigger person," Owen replied.
"She always is you taught her well," Teddy replied.
Alyssa was driving to Matt's parents when her phone rang she answered it through car play, "Christina!"
"Lyss," Christina greeted, "how are your minions?"
"Perfect," Alyssa said, "asleep in the back seat. They love the books you sent."
"My first great nieces," Christina said, "how are they doing?"
"Growing fast. Sitting, Alex is so close to crawling and Celeste is making really distinctive sounds,``Alyssa replied, "how are you?"
"Good. I'm going to be in Seattle in three weeks to see Mer," Christina said, "can you come down? I would like to see the minions."
"You don't like kids," Alyssa replied.
"I don't want to be a mother," Christina replied, "I love other people's kids. And I have nieces and nephews. I love your girls, they are almost eight months old and I haven't met them."
"My life has been a mess," Alyssa admitted.
"Did you cut an lvad wire," Christina asked.
"Matt and I broke up a few months ago. I'm a single mom and moving home," alyssa said, "the girls and I are going home. I can't stay in BC."
"Go home then," Chrisitina said, 'I know Owen will always let you come home so will Teddy.'
"They adopted another baby girl,' Alyssa said, 'her name's Hannah and she's one."
"He wanted a big family," Chrisitina said, "I was happy with you."
"I will teach the girls to dance it out when they start walking," Alyssa promised.
"And ice cream when they're sad," Christina said.
"I will," Alyssa promised, "we do want to come see you. But I can't really talk now. I have to drop my girls off for two hours with their dad. He's never been alone with them.'
"Do you have to,' Christina asked.
"Yes," Alyssa replied, "the longest he's been with them with out me was 5 minutes so I could wash my hair."
"He hasn't," Chrisitina asked.
"Two weeks after we broke up I fled to my mom's in LA," Alyssa replied.
"You needed your mom," Christina said, "and you hated when we took you to Beverly Hills."
"Your mom scares me," Alyssa said, "I laughed and she got mad."
"I know that house was stifling," Christina agreed, "and between Owen, Teddy, Henry and I we didn't make you be quiet or to give into others my mom had opinions about young girls."
"She scares me," Alyssa replied, "I don't think she liked me."
After naptime Teddy put all two in the car making sure they were buckled in while Owen took Leo to soccer.
"Mommy where are we going," Allison asked.
"We need to get diapers and some clothes for Hannah," Teddy said, "I didn't want to buy her clothes until we met her. We're going to buy her some pajamas, tshirts and leggings. You get to pick out one outfit for yourself as well."
"Alex and Celeste," Allison asked.
"Will come in about two weeks with Alyssa," Teddy said, "we'll have three babies to play with and cuddle."
'Will Hannah eat you," Allison asked.
'Eat me," Teddy asked.
"Like the babies do," Allison said.
"No Hannah will get some formula in a bottle but she eats food like you do," Teddy said, "Hannah isn't going to breastfeed like the twins do."
"Why," Allison asked.
"Because I didn't give birth to her," Teddy said, 'and Hannah is too big to now. She's older than the twins. But I'm going to be home more than I go to work for a while so we can all get to know Hannah."
"Me," Allison asked.
"I took 4 months off when you were born to be with you," Teddy replied.
"Just me," Allison asked.
"Leo stayed home with us some days and went to daycare others," Teddy replied, "but on the days I'm home you and Leo will stay home with me. I like being home with all of you."
"How long is she staying," Allison asked.
"Forever," Teddy said, "she's your sister, she's part of our family."
"Always," Allison asked.
"Always," Teddy assured, "daddy and I have three kids. Allison, Leo and Hannah."
"Did Leo and I come from your tummy," Allison asked.
"You did, Leo is adopted like Hannah is," Teddy replied.
"What's dopted," Allison asked.
"It means that daddy and I said that we wanted a child to come be part of our family because we have so much love to share," Teddy replied.
"Me too," Allison asked.
"We love all of you so much," Teddy assured, "I love you baby girl."
Alyssa walked up to Matt's parent's house and was greeted by Dianne.
"Did you bring everything for the night," Dianne asked, "for them to sleep over."
"No," Alyssa said feeling bewildered, "I agreed to four hours, four to eight pm which is already after their bed time. I made a one time exception on my parenting time for his birthday. I will pick them up at 8:00 pm like was agreed. I have their diaper bags, Celeste's is navy blue and has stars on it, Alex's is black with hearts. Their clothes are not interchangeable. I have them in the same dress in different colours."
"I wanted them to match," Dianne said, "for family pictures."
"They do match," Alyssa replied, "Alex is in the Blue dress and Celeste is in the green one. It's the same dress in different colours, they have matching shoes, headbands and socks."
'They're twins,' Dianne argued.
"They are two different children," Alyssa replied, 'my children. I have 80% custody and power of attorney, I have final decision making for medical care and their education."
"Alyssa this isn't how I wanted this to go," Dianne said, "you two had other choices."
"It wasn't being parents or a difference of opinion," Alyssa said, she hadn't seen or heard Matt yet, "Dianne Matt and I have major philosophical beliefs about relationships and I am not going to show my daughters that they need to be manipulated and belittled or controlled, I will not teach them that their voices do not matter. I will teach my girls that they deserve to be treated with respect and to expect fidelity in their relationships."
"Fedility," Dianne asked, "did you say Matt cheated."
"I'm going to leave you to discuss it with him," Alyssa replied, "I arranged this with him where is he?"
"He's not home yet," Dianne replied, "Alyssa I can watch them. I've been dying for time with my grand babies."
"I'm not sure," Alyssa replied, "they hardly know him, he only lasted 5 hours last weekend before he brought them back. Dianne they don't know you."
"Who do you leave them with," Dianne asked.
"My mom," Alyssa replied, "Uncle Owen and Auntie Teddy. My brother has done an hour while they napped but they know them. The only person Alex will settle for if she's fussy is my mom. Celeste loves Faroke and when he tells her stories."
"Alyssa let me try," Dianne said, "I'll call you if they're not okay. I will be on baby duty tonight. We both know Matt isn't ready yet but I have them. Feeding instructions."
"Both have bottles and baby food," Alyssa replied, "I packed what they can eat. The bottles are in cooler pouches in their bags, it's breast milk so it needs to be heated and shaken.'
Just then Matt came in clearly under the influence.
'We're leaving,' Alyssa said, as soon as she saw him slurring and stumbling, "you're not fit to parent and it's not safe for the girls. You can say hi then we'll go."
"Alyssa join us for dinner,' Dianne offered.
"No thank you,' Alyssa replied, 'We'll go home, I will not expose my daughters to their drunk father."
"You agreed it's my turn,' Matt yelled at Alyssa, Alex began to cry in her arms while Celeste fussed in Dianne's hearing her sister cry.
"No I made a one time exception on the assumption you would be fit to parent," Alyssa replied, "with you drunk this is an unsafe environment, we will go. You have the girls on the weekend and we can try again then."
"I can't I'm going away," Matt said.
"Matt that is your weekend with them," Alyssa replied, "I also made plans because it was your time."
"Can we switch," Matt asked.
"No," Alyssa replied, "because the next time I have them on the weekend Chrsitina is in town and we move to Seattle so no that's not going to work."
"Can you try," Matt asked.
"No," Alyssa replied, "we have an agreement in mediation. You can follow it or I will take you to court."
"Alyssa," Dianne gasped.
"I will do what is best for my daughters, not Matt's ego," Alyssa snapped.
"I'll walk you out," Dianne replied.
Alyssa buckled the girls into their car seats.
"I would have kept them," Dianne said.
"I won't ask you to baby sit," Alyssa said, "Dianne he needs to step up and be the parent. Right now he's a bad as my biological father. I will not let my daughters go through what I did with the dead beat dad. I will be holding him accountable for his time with them."
"I get it," Dianne said, 'he's mourning your relationship as well."
"Should have thought of that before he cheated,' Alyssa muttered.
"I didn't know," Dianne replied, "that's not the boy I raised."
"And that is not how my girls will be raised," Alyssa replied, "they will grow up respecting themselves and expecting respect."
"I agree," Dianne replied, "we both do it differently but I want them to be strong and capable. I just think they need two parents together and their mother at home until they go to school."
"No," Alyssa replied, "they need a happy mom who respects herself. I was raised by a single mom, then for a few years my grandma and then my uncle and aunt. They all taught me to respect myself and demand it from others. And now I will demand my daughters be respected."
"Okay," Dianne replied, 'it was good to see all of you. Can I give them goodbye kisses.'
"Yes then we should go," Alyssa replied.
Dianne said goodbye to the girls, Matt hadn't even come out to help Alyssa being too busy grabbing another drink for himself.
