Second Time Around
A Private Practice fic by Gigi
Disclaimer: As much as I wish it weren't so, the only part of Private Practice that I own is what I create in Gigi-land.
Chapter 3: Thanks for the Memories
A/N: Sorry this story sort of fell to the back burner. It's one of those intense, emotion-filled ones that take a lot of effort to write, and I really haven't had enough energy for it. But sitting at Thanksgiving dinner (not that my dinner was an unpleasant experience) gave me idea for another chapter for it so I guess I have the effort today haha. Yes, I've been writing this chapter since November. Enjoy!
A/N2: BTW, I'm making it so every season has been a year, even though in Shondaland, she really doesn't seem to care. Oh, and Maya's not pregnant in this.
Addison stopped loving Thanksgiving the last year she was in New York.
Derek didn't come home. Again. He never came home, but she'd hoped he would at least for Thanksgiving. Wrong. Again.
The next Thanksgiving was very much the same, except she was in Seattle instead of New York. Derek didn't meet her for their picnic, and he didn't come home until it was night and raining and she was sitting outside with a dishtowel and tear-streaked cheeks.
Next Thanksgiving? It consisted of her pining over Alex Karev, but that, too, brought on a whole slew of unhappy memories—especially the priceless "You're not my girlfriend" bit he pulled—so she often avoided thinking about that Thanksgiving.
The Thanksgiving after that was her first one in LA, and it was all right. It wasn't really too eventful, except that Addison constantly wished she still had someone sitting in the chair right next to hers.
The next Thanksgiving was her first one as Dr. Addison Forbes Montgomery-Nelson, and that one and the one after it were actually quite enjoyable. Addison was just beginning to rediscover her love of Thanksgiving, when, just in time for her third one as Kevin's wife, her husband decided to tear her world to shreds and remind her why she hated this stupid, stupid holiday in the first place.
Every year, Violet hosted Thanksgiving dinner at her house, claiming that she had nothing better to do (because she absolutely refused to admit that she was a brilliant cook). This year, Addison and Kevin stood on her doorstep, both loath to ring the doorbell.
"Addison, are you sure you're okay?" Kevin asked concernedly, placing his hand softly on her lower back.
Addison fought the urge to flinch away from his touch, knowing that he has touched her with those same hands. Instead, she dropped her gaze down to the bowl of mashed potatoes that rested in her hands and fought back a few tears. Sure, now he's concerned. When other people might see. "I'm fine, Kevin," she answered succinctly. Stepping forward and out of his touch, she rang the doorbell to excuse the movement.
Violet answered the door promptly, so harried from her day of cooking that she failed to notice the fake smile plastered on Addison's face, the pain in her eyes and the immense tension between the married couple. "Thank God you brought mashed potatoes. Naomi screwed hers up," she exclaimed.
"Hey! I heard that!" yelled Naomi from the kitchen.
Violet waved her off and invited the Nelsons inside. "Forget her. Happy Thanksgiving," she declared, bringing Addison in for a hug.
"Yeah," Addison half-laughed into Violet's brown curls. Her eyes slid out of focus as she forced out a return "Happy Thanksgiving."
8D
"As always," Violet pronounced once they all had gathered around the table, "let us go around the table and tell each other one thing we are thankful for this year."
As soon as those words left the psychiatrist's mouth, Addison's pale blue eyes sought out Pete's darker ones, which happened to be directly across the table from her. Panic flooded Addison's brain. What the hell was she supposed to say? Oh, I'm thankful for the fact that my second husband is having an affair, and I'm also thankful for the fact that I'm sleeping with the man directly across from me just because Kevin has found someone else to screw. That'll blow over really well.
Violet went first. "I'm thankful for Charlotte coming to join the practice," she began, nodding toward the southern blonde woman standing next to Cooper. "I know I wasn't the most enthusiastic about your coming, but now we've gotten to be friends, and I'm truly thankful you came."
A huge smile lit up Charlotte's face, and she nudged her boyfriend in the ribs so he would hurry up with his thanks so that she could go. "Ouch!" Cooper whispered. Surreptitiously rubbing his side, Cooper spoke, "I'm thankful for the recent success our practice has been having." He gestured toward Addison when he said that. "And so I'm very thankful to Addison for playing such a huge role in that success." Cooper raised his glass of wine in salute to the redhead, who allowed herself to smile softly in appreciation.
Now it was Charlotte's turn, and she directed her gaze to the hostess. "I'm thankful that I've been able to become such good friends with everyone at the practice," she declared. "It definitely made the transition much easier and more enjoyable."
At first, Pete didn't say anything. He looked pensively down at his food and contemplated what to say. Finally, he looked up and momentarily locked eyes with the woman sitting across from him before glancing to everyone around the table. "I'm thankful for all the gorgeous women sitting here tonight," he smiled, earning himself a playful slap from the two women flanking him, Charlotte and Naomi.
"I'm thankful for Maya making it another year without getting pregnant," Naomi announced, "especially since two girls in her class have recently become Addison's patients." A fifteen-year-old Maya elbowed her mother in humiliation, and Naomi responded with a good-natured, motherly grin.
"Yeah, I'm thankful for overbearing parents," Maya stated sarcastically. Everyone around the table started laughing. Maya tried her hardest to keep from pouting, because she knew what was going through all the adults' minds: Kids say the darndest things.
Sam's hearty laugh prefaced his statement, and he fought the urge to hug his daughter and lecture her at the same time. "I'm thankful that everybody got to witness that moment," he teased his daughter.
It was Addison's turn now, and as the laughter died down, the room waited for her to say what she was thankful for. Biting her lip, she shifted her eyes to her right hand, which lay on the table a few inches from her husband's left. His golden wedding band glistened on his fourth finger, but Addison felt a strong wave of resentment toward that ring, acting as if it had always been there even though it was taken off twice a week. She looked back up, and she realized that everyone was watching her and wondering why she had been so silent for so long. So she raised her glass and said what she always said.
"I'm thankful for Violet's amazing ability to cook, Cooper's gentle smile, Charlotte's snappy wit, Pete's flirtatiousness, Naomi's incessant mothering, Maya's sarcasm and Sam's bright white teeth," she announced with a smile. The last item on her thanking list was for Kevin, but there was nothing more of a lie this year. She had to say it though – that was one of her rules: no drama on holidays if it could be at all avoided. "And for my husband simply for being here with me." Usually she'd hold his hand, intertwine their fingers and smile lovingly at him. This year, she just said the words and shot him a cursory curving up of the lips.
Kevin didn't seem to notice the hesitation before she thanked him, nor did he notice the difference in body language. Addison could tell he was just ready to eat – he had his hungry face on – and he wasn't going to pay attention to the details until he was full once more. He snapped out of his hunger daze long enough to smile at the table and move his hand over a few inches to grasp his wife's. "I'm thankful to be able to share this day with everyone I love, including my beautiful wife," he said. He could still read Addison enough to realize she would turn her face if he tried to kiss her right then, so settled for squeezing her hand and bringing it up to his lips.
After a few gag sounds from Cooper and Naomi, dinner was served. Addison really didn't feel like talking, so she settled for keeping her eyes trained on her food … and occasionally on Pete, who did the same. Every once in a while, Kevin would lean in and whisper into Addison's ear like he always did, and it killed Addison to realize that Kevin still acted just as sweet and as caring as he always had before. She'd never really wanted to know how long his affair had gone on, but if his behavior hadn't changed one bit … could he have been cheating on her since they got married?
A/N: Alright, so I'm sorry that it took me so long to update, but I feel like this was a pretty well written chapter. But what I feel doesn't matter. How do you feel? Tell me in a REVIEW!!