Annie and Josh nervously walked into the restaurant where they were to meet her grandparents. It was only a couple blocks from the hospital because they were both on call and needed to get back quickly if paged. But being a Wednesday night they weren't expecting to be. They had parked at the hospital and walked the two blocks so that her grandparents wouldn't have a chance to see their truck if it didn't go well.
"Reservation for Altman," Annie said to the girl at the hostess stand.
"Right this way," the girl said, leading them to their table.
"My grandparents will be joining us, they may ask for McKellar," Annie said.
Annie sat silently beside Josh pinching the skin between her finger and thumb on both hands. Josh gently pulled her hands apart and held her left hand in his right. He recognized her anxiety behaviors and her triggers sometimes before she did. He had been going to some of her therapy sessions with her learning to understand her ptsd and how it presented. He was also seeing a counselor to deal with the trauma of his parents and was almost ready for her to join the sessions.
"Straight hair tonight," Josh said, "you haven't done that to go out in a long time."
"I always straightened it before I left to blend in," Annie explained, "they wouldn't recognize my curls. The last time they saw me I was 21. It's been almost 8 years I've aged. I don't dress the same, talk the same or act the same."
"You don't," Josh agreed, "your free. Annie you have your voice and I won't leave you. They will respect you."
"Chris talked to them," Annie replied, "he gave them the rules."
"Rules," Josh asked.
"No touching unless I imitate it, if I refuse to talk about a topic leave it alone, no one knows they saw me," Annie said.
"We're keeping this from Leslie and Dan," Josh said.
"We're not," Annie said," they're not talking to me right now so it's easy."
The hostess was leading an elderly couple towards them. Annie knew they were about the same age as Nana, maybe a couple years older. Grandmere and papa had been only 19 when they married.
Annie stood slowly, "grandmere papa?"
"Annie bear," Doug said.
"Bear," grandmere beamed.
"Come sit," Annie invited, "I'd like you to meet my husband dr Josh Riggs."
"It's nice to meet you young man," Doug said.
"It's a pleasure to meet you sir," Josh replied.
"Call me Doug please," Doug smiled, "this is my wife Marie."
"It's nice to meet you Josh," Marie said.
They all took their seats.
"We have to apologize were both on call tonight," Annie said, "if our phones go we have to get back to our paitents."
"Of course," Marie said, "Chris explained it all to us. He said you're quite the pair."
"We were a good team," Josh said, "it was good to see what he does."
"Only person who could get me to run into a helicopter with the rotors moving the first few days," Annie said.
"He makes it sound like your very close," Marie said.
"We are," Josh agreed, "if he's not in the field we see him every couple months."
"Two weeks in a military base camp is the most time we've had since high school," Annie replied, " mom and dad don't know about that."
"They never say much about you or Chris," Doug replied.
"We don't tell them much. I email once a week but only hear back every couple months. Chris and I text all the time and FaceTime once a week," Annie explained, " he needs people. He has me and Josh. "
"He talks a lot about auntie Teddy and uncle Owen," Marie said, "it's your uncle Owen isn't it?"
"Yes," Josh answered, "Chris calls Annie's mama auntie Teddy."
"You still call Teddy mama," Doug asked.
"I tried mom once in med school and it didn't feel right and she didn't respond," Annie replied, "I don't even know why I chose mama to start with but my baby siblings use it as well."
"How old are Leo and Allison," Marie asked.
"Leo is four and Allison is three," Annie replied, "I have four younger siblings."
"Do you have siblings Josh," Doug asked.
"I'm an only child," Josh replied, "we spend a lot of time with Leo, Allison and our cousin Faroke."
"Our cousin," Marie asked.
"Our complicated family tree," Annie laughed.
"Mama married uncle Owen a few years ago, they had Allison and adopted Leo," Annie explained.
"My uncle Nathan married auntie Meghan," Josh added, "they adopted Faroke."
"Uncle Owen and auntie Meghan are siblings," Annie said, "so we share Meghan and Faroke."
"So you have a family here," Doug asked.
"We do," Annie replied.
"Who is nana," Marie asked.
"Uncle Owen's mom," Annie replied, "she wants us to call her nana. She's never questioned me being around. From the first Sunday dinner when I was 19, she used to come to dance competitions with mama if the competition was in the states. My national that mom and dad bought second hand for me was made by nana for auntie Meghan. It's cranberry Hunt."
"There was a name in the back of your vest," Marie said, "what was it?"
"Meghan E Hunt," Annie replied, "the summer I was 19 nana added Annabeth McKellar to it and then Grace Altman when I changed my name. I still have it I used it for Robbie Burns day."
"Laura granger told me at church," Marie said. "She said you looked happy and calm."
The server came by and took their drink orders. Her grandparents smiled seeing the confidence in which Annie interacted with other people. When she left she let others make all the decisions for her to avoid upsetting others. The woman sitting in front of them had confidence.
Annie smiled, "it's been years what have I missed?"
"You know about Chris and Becky," Marie said.
"We do," Annie said, "we helped him plan the proposal. I still think Josh's was better."
"How did you propose," Doug asked, "we know you didn't ask her parents."
"I asked Teddy and Owen for their blessing," Josh said, "I've never met Leslie and Dan. The parents I know for Annie are her mama and step father. The proposal was our first weekend away, just the two of us. We went to Whitbey island for three nights. The first night we walked out to a lighthouse for a picnic dinner."
"We were just hanging out on the beach and he was suddenly on one knee in the sand," Annie said, "it was perfect."
"Did it surprise you," Marie asked.
"It did," Annie beamed, "it was perfect."
"Do you have wedding photos," Marie asked.
Annie nodded, "just on my phone. No one showed you? It would help if you used your email."
"No one has been allowed to," Doug said, "we're not allowed to talk about you."
"We haven't even told your parents we're going to Seattle," Marie said, "your leaving is a sore subject. We've pleaded with your parents to get help for themselves or your sister but they don't listen."
"Jessica blames me," Annie said, "it was always my fault."
"It was never your fault bear," Doug said.
"We were the ones in the wrong. We should have stood up for you, done more to protect you," Marie said, "then we wouldn't have lost you."
"I left for medical school," Annie said, "I had to choose between my life and my family. I didn't choose to for everyone to give up on me. I know I made choices that people didn't understand or agree with but I don't know why they gave up on me."
"We don't either," Doug replied.
"It's wrong," Marie agreed, "we should have pushed sooner. But we were waiting for you to invite us or to come home."
"I didn't think I could," Annie replied.
"Why," Marie asked.
"Because when I left for Boston Jessica told me if I left I couldn't go back that I wouldn't be welcome. Then no one came to see me ever, calls and emails tapered off. I went over a year at one point without a word from mom and dad. It wasn't until uncle Owen reached out after I broke down crying about it that they tried. That was a year and a half ago. They didn't come to our wedding. Dad promised to come visit last Christmas and they still haven't visited," Annie said, "my first year of residency mama and I ran into Jessica and she told me no one wanted to hear from me that they just wanted to forget about me."
Marie reached for Annie's hand but Annie pulled away. Josh placed his hand on Annie's thigh under the table, gently drawing soothing circles with his thumb.
"Annie that was a vicious, vicious lie," Marie said, "we always wanted you and always prayed you would come home."
"Bear, we've missed you," Doug said, "we wanted to see you, we waited for you to come home."
"I won't be going back to Cloverdale," Annie declared, "I can't. It's not home anymore. My home is here in Seattle. This is where I feel safe and loved."
"We understand," Marie said, "but can we come see you?"
Annie nodded suddenly at a loss for words.
"We would like to get to know you," Josh said, "but whatever happens needs to be at Annie's pace. We want you to visit and to keep calling but Annie won't go back to Cloverdale. I know the stories there's nothing we don't tell each other. I've seen the scars and that isn't going to happen again. That's not how families treat each other. "
Doug paused, no one had ever stood up for Annie like that so far the young man was impressing him. He realized he was equally educated and driven and he cared deeply for Annie. This young man had known Annie for years. He probably knew her better than anyone had ever known Annie.
"How long have you known each other," Doug asked.
"We met orientation day at Harvard," Annie replied, "so eight years now. We were friends for a while before it became more our last year of school."
"Friends first is the best way to do it," Marie smiled, "make sure you're compatible."
The server came with their dinners.
"Okay enough about us," Annie said, "tell me all the family news."
Marie and Doug began to fill Annie in on everything she had missed.
The rest of the evening went well. The couples parted after the meal when Josh was called into the hospital. Annie decided to go with him not ready to be alone with her grandparents yet. Annie agreed to her grandparents trying to come down again near her birthday.
"What are you doing here," Teddy asked.
"Josh got called back and I had had enough," Annie said, "that took a lot."
"I bet it did," Teddy agreed, "but you did it. Would you see them again?"
"They want to come down around my birthday," Annie said, "I told them to send me dates and it depends on our work schedules. I still won't be alone with them."
"You don't have to be," Teddy said, "we could invite them for your birthday dinner at my house."
"Maybe," Annie said, "I'm not sure how much to trust. They said the right things but I need to see action."
"What did they say," Teddy asked.
Annie paraphrased the conversation.
"That's positive," Teddy said.
"I don't think Jessica is the lie that they want me to believe," Annie said, "Jessica has more control then we know."
"I agree," Teddy said, "tonight was a start sweetheart."
"They didn't try for years why now," Annie asked.
"I think people are starting to see your sister for what she is," Teddy replied, "the restraining order was a wake up call."
"I hope so," Annie said, "but that expires soon."
"I think you'll be okay," Teddy said, "everyone is aware."
"What if it opens up the door for her to show up and hurt me again," Annie asked.
"Then this time we press charges," Teddy replied, "we should have when she stabbed you. I should have taken you to the hospital and called the police that night."
"Why didn't you," Annie asked.
"Because you were so scared and so upset that I couldn't make it worse for you," Teddy said, "that night it would have caused you more pain to take you. I acted as mama and not a doctor that night. I wanted to take away your pain to make it all better. I had the supplies to do it so I did. In the moment you needed me to take the pain away and make you feel safe. What you don't know is Chris and Henry sat outside your door all night that night just to make sure you were safe."
"Can I choose who I let back in, how much and when," Annie asked.
"You have a choice," Teddy said, "you do what is right for you."
Annie switched the topic, "did you call your cousin?"
"I emailed," Teddy said, "today."
"The intro I don't know if you remember me email," Annie smiled, "the weirdest email I've ever sent."
"I'm glad you did," Teddy smiled.
"So am I," Annie replied, leaning on the catwalk railing beside her.
Owen joined them, "what is this the Queen surveying her kingdom?"
Teddy laughed, "just talking."
"Josh got called in," Annie explained, "it was good timing."
"Why aren't you in the OR," Teddy asked.
"Grey has called a Gunther," Owen said, "she wants to for Meghan's patient. This is Annie's heads up."
"Really," Annie replied.
"Change and go," Teddy commanded, "take the lead. You can be the Gunther."
"I'll worry about cardio," Annie said, "do my part and be awesome at it."
"Go," Owen commanded.
Annie dashed off to change to her scrubs.
"Did she say how their dinner went," Owen asked.
"Some promises she doesn't believe but they showed up," Teddy replied.
"They actually came through," Owen smiled.
"They did and she's cautiously optimistic," Teddy said, "they want to come in October for her birthday. Even if their trips are top secret. They can't tell anyone they were in Seattle or saw Annie but they came."
"They did," Owen replied.
"She wants to try on her terms," Teddy said.
"Josh will make sure it happens," Owen agreed, "but we should go see this Gunther."
"Another tradition I'm not a fan of," Teddy groaned, "but it's not as bad as the appy."
"One thing at a time," Owen said as they walked hand in hand to the OR gallery.