The weekend before the wedding Annie and Teddy met one more time to look at the photo album. Annie was curious about what photos Leslie had sent over the years, she only knew the ones from her grade 12 graduation. Annie also knew Teddy had taken pictures and kept lots of the ones she had sent through undergrad and med school.

"Mama," Annie called, walking into the house.

"Hey sweetheart," Teddy called, "Ali and Leo just went to bed."

"I brought wine," Annie said, "Josh is picking me up."

"Good," Teddy smiled, "we have your photo album tonight."

"I'm curious," Annie smiled, "I only know which ones you have from my high school grad."

"I have treats and wine glasses," Teddy said, "lets go."

"I want to know what pictures you saw," Annie said, "I read her stories about me but it's weird to see me through their eyes."

"I want to hear your stories about them," Teddy said, "this goes from when you were born until you finished med school. From the time you were 19 it's my photos or ones you sent me."

"What ones did you keep," Annie asked.

"You'll see," Teddy said, "it's your album you take the lead here."

Annie cautiously opened the cover and saw her baby pictures but one she had never seen.

"Mama," Annie whispered, "that's us?"

Teddy nodded, "my mom took it. I was so out of it, exhausted, in pain and it was my 10 minutes with you to give you a lifetime worth of love. I was looking at you and didn't know my mom took that until after she passed away. It was in a box of photos hidden under her bed."

"She kept it," Annie asked.

"They would have helped me," Teddy said, "if I had chosen to keep you. But I needed to make sure you were safe."

"I know," Annie nodded, "that's the first photo anyone took of me."

"Of us," Teddy smiled, "you looked at me once with your huge eyes."

"All babies have big eyes," Annie laughed.

They flipped though a few more pages of Annie's first couple years she told the stories she remembers.

"That's my first dance class," Annie pointed out, "that's Alice and Cassie."

"Look at your little tutu," Teddy smiled.

"I remember those skis," Annie said, "they had Mickey and Minnie Mouse stickers on them to help me learn to turn. I just wanted to go straight because it was faster."

"I loved hearing about your adventures," Teddy said.

They kept turning pages and found Annie's first day of kindergarten.

"This was my absolute favorite for years," Teddy pointed, "with your little pigtails and glasses with your school uniform. That little jumper and the knee socks were beyond precious."

"Kindergarten to grade three," Annie said.

"But the pigtails and purple glasses," Teddy laughed.

"I picked them," Annie said, "they had sparkles on the arms."

"You don't wear them much now," Teddy said.

"I like my glasses but they're not practical at work," Annie said.

"Only in the OR," Teddy said.

" I look like a bug," Annie laughed.

"You've had bug eye glasses," Teddy teased , "these are not it. Your taste in glasses has improved over the years."

They kept flipping through the book.

"That's my first championship," Annie pointed out, "with Alice. We were both premier that day."

"Annie what's this," Teddy said pointing to one of the photos.

"It's the champions that day," Annie said, "and the runners up."

"Meghan should be there," Teddy pointed out.

"Green back row," Annie said, "I'm the center front in red. I'm the shortest."

"Can I share it with her and Evelyn," Teddy asked.

"Please," Annie smiled.

Teddy took a picture with her phone and sent it to Evelyn and Meghan, "looking at Annie's photos we found this of her first championship. Annie is front row center. We think Meg is back row third from the left."

Meghan, "can you copy it for me? Where did you get it?"

Teddy, "it's one Leslie sent me when Annie was little."

Evelyn, "I want to see Annie's little kid photos.i prefer the newspaper picture of Meghan leading Annie."

Teddy, "ask her another time."

Annie turned another page, "that's the year Alice, Cassie and I went to the BC championships with our lyrical trio."

"I loved seeing the photos of you in that costume," Teddy smiled, "it was one of my favourites that blue and purple swirl fabric."

"Our song was The River by Garth Brooks," Annie said, "it's still one of my favourite songs."

"I know that piece," Teddy said.

They kept flipping pages and telling stories, Annie's about the photos and Teddy sharing what she was doing when she got them.

"This is the last one my mom saw," Teddy pointed with tears in her eyes.

"Grade six," Annie said, "that was our trip to DisneyLand."

"You looked happy and those mouse ears are too cute," Teddy said, "we want to do a whole family trip maybe next summer."

"It's nice to see the family photos," Annie said, "she mainly sent school or dance photos."

"She did," Teddy agreed, "I think it was because it was just you. I liked the family photos most and the ones of you skiing, hiking or camping."

"That's my 11th birthday," Annie said, "we went rock climbing. And that's Chris's birthday. It was an amazing race through the neighborhood."

"You had some good birthday parties. I always got pictures of those and the family christmas pictures," Teddy smiled.

"With Jessica and i in matching dresses or all of us in the same colour," Annie said.

"You hate that," Teddy laughed.

"You do it," Annie pointed out.

"I ask for specific colours," Teddy pointed out, "not the same shade."

"True," Annie agreed, "you only did that once."

"My wedding doesn't count," Teddy grinned.

They turned another page.

"This is the first one I showed Meg," Teddy pointed.

"Grade 8," Annie said, "my school photo first year of no uniform."

"The first time I saw you with make up," Teddy said, "that wasn't for dance."

"At first I hated not having my uniform," Annie said, "I didn't know what to wear to school."

"I've had that adjustment both times I left the army," Teddy said, "scrubs eased the transition."

"It was nice to wear pants to school," Annie smiled, "skirts kind of sucked at school."

"Hard to play in skirts or dresses. I dont send Allison to daycare in them," Teddy said.

"What are you going to do for school for them," Annie asked.

"We have another year for Leo," Teddy said, "but the local school is pretty good. We're looking at a smaller private school. I like that you had that smaller school to start."

"Don't do Christian school," Annie said, "too many rules for girls about how to be good girls."

"I like the other grounding it gave you," Teddy said, "that you know and understand the stories. It's an important thing to know."

"But that's what church and Sunday school are for," Annie said, "I wouldn't do it."

"It's less conservative than where you went," Teddy said, "Leo is doing preschool there in the fall so we'll get a good feel for it."

"Will we do this with Allison when she get married," Annie asked.

"I will," Teddy said, "it's up to her if she wants you."

Annie pointed to a picture, "I loved this dress. I felt so grown up in it."

"What was the occasion," Teddy asked.

"My church baptism I was 14," Annie said.

"I never did that. My parents did it when I was a baby," Teddy said.

"They wait until we're old enough to make a choice for ourselves. Usually between 13 and 16," Annie explained, "it was just a right of passage now."

Annie smiled at one picture, "that's the day I got my L. I could drive and Chris couldn't. It was the one thing I could do that he wasn't allowed to. Being in the same grade we were more twins than anything. But I could drive and he couldn't and that felt good."

"What is your L," Teddy asked.

"BC has a few stages to get your driver's license. The L was a year and you have to have a parent or instructor in the car. Then you took a road test to get your N where you could drive on your own or with family but only one friend," Annie explained, "I had my N until the July I was 19 the day before the incident actually. It was a green magnet on the back of my car. When I passed that road test I got my full licence.."

"I remember the green magnet," Teddy said, "and you texting to say you got your full licence."

They looked through more pages.

"That's one of my best memories," Annie said pointing to a picture of herself back stage at the Vancouver Olympics, "we trained for a year for that. "

"We watched that," Teddy smiled, "it was an early morning and quiet, I sat with Meg and Owen. I knew you were dancing."

"Mom told you when I got cast," Annie smiled.

"She did," Teddy agreed, "I was so proud."

"Did you tell them," Annie asked.

"I did," Teddy said, "they were impressed. So was Nathan."

"There were hundreds of us performing, the energy was amazing," Annie said.

"That would be incredible," Teddy smiled.

"You watched," Annie said.

"I would only have missed it for surgery," Teddy laughed.

"When did you take this one," Annie said turning a page.

"You were 19," Teddy said, "the first outdoor competition I went to. Owen actually took it."

"It's me and Evelyn," Annie said.

"She wants you to start calling her nana," Teddy said.

"She's been asking since you moved home," Annie said, "it feels awakard."

"That was our first completion with you," Teddy said, "Evelyn was so happy seeing that outfit again and doing up your vest and shawl."

"Mama it's a plaid," Annie laughed, "she took the vest that night and added Annabeth McKellar to it below Meghan Hunt."

"She did," Teddy smiled, "that was her way of saying you were family."

"Why then," Annie asked.

"You were mine," Teddy replied, "and they had seen you a few times and you were just sweet lovable Annie with them. Evelyn doesn't say much, she's older and was raised to have a stiff upper lip. She shows you she loves you like your vest or dropping off cookies when you've had a busy week."

"She is my nana but it's retraining my brain," Annie said, "like it will always be Uncle Owen even though he's my dad now."

"Have you told him," Teddy asked.

"No," Annie said, "I'm a little afraid to incase he thinks I'm nuts."

"When asked how many kids does he say he has," Teddy asked.

"Three," Annie replied.

"You, Leo, Allison," Teddy said, "most people assume we were both very young with you."

"You were," Annie said, "they just don't know the whole story."

"This is my favourite," Teddy pointed to one of the first time Annie had scrubbed in with Owen, before the otter cap, she had one of Teddy's with the birds on it."

"The first time I came to the hospital it was Seattle Grace Mercy West," Annie smiled, "that was my second day, Uncle Owen let me hold a retractor."

"He was so excited," Teddy said, "told me he was the world's best uncle that night."

"He was right," Annie giggled.

They finished the book of photos which went right to when Annie moved to Seattle for her internship.

"Where are the pictures after graduation," Annie asked.

"In the family album," Teddy smiled.

"Do I get to see that," Annie asked.

"It's on my computer," Teddy replied, "I've only printed the framed photos. I got lazy about it after Allison was born."

"You got busy," Annie said, "but you're only going to get busier."

"I will," Teddy replied, "I just met with the board for my interview today so now they need to do a formal offer."

"How long will that take," Annie asked.

"A couple weeks," Teddy replied, "looking to do a gradual transition between me and Miranda through the fall with me taking over in January."

"Why not just do it," Annie asked.

"I need to get your siblings ready for me to work more," Teddy said, "we need a nanny."

"Try without," Annie said.

"I need someone who can be flexible with us and do overnight in the house," Teddy said, "and I want a peaceful transition that people see coming. I was here when Derek pushed Richard out, they brought Owen in. There was a coup when Derek took the chief job from Richard."

"When will it be public," Annie asked.

"After your wedding," Teddy said, "probably September or October."

"I can't believe I'm getting married this weekend," Annie said.

"My baby bear," Teddy said, "I feel old. Med school, residency I was fine with. You getting married is hard."

"You're not old mama," Annie laughed.

"Tonight I feel it," Teddy sighed, "looking at you, I feel old. I'm 48 sweetie."

"And mom would be 64," Annie said. She started to cry, "I wish they would come."

"I know," Teddy said, "I wish they could be here for this to see you, to know you and Josh. It was hard not having my mom at my wedding but she had been gone 15 years by that point."

"They've made a choice," Annie said, "they chose not to come. They said they would try but they haven't."

"I know, I know," Teddy soothed, "you have me and uncle Owen will walk you down the aisle."

"I was greedy and wanted both," Annie said.

"You should be able to have it," Teddy said, "I called and yelled at them a few weeks ago."

"You yelled at them," Annie asked, "about what?"

"Cancelling on you in Whistler not coming this weekend," Teddy said, "it makes me angry because it hurts you."

"I learned years ago that the family I can count on is you, Chris, and Uncle Owen," Annie said.

"When does your brother come," Teddy asked.

"He's at my house with Josh," Annie said, "he got here today. He brought a letter from mom I haven't opened yet I don't know if I will."

"If you want to you can," Teddy said, "you should read it one day."

"It's just more excuses," Annie said, "but Becky is here with Chris."

"How's Becky," Teddy asked.

"Fake, dumb, annoying," Annie said, "no ambition. She just wants to get married and have babies. It's been 8 years sweetheart he's not proposing anytime soon."

"Is he going to," Teddy asked.

"Not now," Annie said, "he's after a promotion and some more courses. I'm hoping she gets tired of waiting and dumps him."

"Annie," Teddy scolded, "you cant wish that on your brother."

"Meghan told me she did about Beth," Annie laughed.

"You are not learning that lesson from Meghan," Teddy laughed.

"I can deal with my dum dum of a brother how I want to," Annie giggled.

"That one does work," Teddy agreed.

"So does sargent shamoo," Annie giggled.

"Why," Teddy asked.

"He likes Orcas," Annie replied.

Upstairs someone started crying.

"Allison had a nightmare again," Teddy said.

"Go," Annie said, "I should go home save Josh from Becky. Thanks for sharing my album with me mama."

"You're welcome Sweetheart," Teddy said giving Annie a quick hug.

"Night mama," Annie said as Teddy walked up the stairs.

"Night Annie," Teddy called back.