A/N: Hope you all are doing well! Please let me know what you think! And as always thank you for reading!

Birthdays

Guadalajara, 2008

She was in the library again.

Connor bit the inside of his cheek as he leaned over the second-floor balustrade to get a better glimpse of the mass of curls that was currently buried in a textbook. A notebook lay next to her with neat, printed notes, a pen swayed lazily between her fingers, and as an errant curl had fallen in her face Connor couldn't help but smirk. She was the picture of focus. He was sure she had tunnel vision with how hard she was staring at her book.

Sarah Reese.

It wasn't unusual for the first-year med students to show up a few days before the start of the semester, but she had arrived two weeks early and he was still trying to figure out why. He had caught her observing rounds three days ago during his orientation. She had snuck in with his group, but her silence had been... noticeable, even if her wide-eyed fascination had helped to blend her in with the rest of the newly minted third-year med students and he had been curious. Curious enough to pepper the conversation with a few pointed questions about professors they could have shared. She played a pretty good bluff, he had to admit...

Her annoyed and harried glare still made him smile.

He had gotten her number out of it though. At least he hoped it was her number, she had been so flustered when he had asked for it that he didn't think she had time to come up with a fake one. Biting his cheek, Connor pulled his phone from his pocket and sent her a text.

C: I gotta be honest... That concentration scowl is becoming one of my favorite things you do

A soft chime echoed up to him and Connor peered back over the railing as Sarah absently reached for her phone. The double take she did at her screen made him grin before she stiffened and scanned the library. She didn't think to look up and Connor could practically taste her puzzlement.

His phone vibrated.

S: Where are you?

C: I am looking at the empty spot next to me wondering why you're not occupying it

Her phone chimed again.

Sarah blushed and he could tell her notes had become an afterthought as she scanned the library again.

S: You're incredibly cheesy. Seriously, where are you?

C: I'll tell you if you'll go out with me tonight.

He could see her visibly trying to control herself. Like she wanted to freak out but was completely conscious of the fact that she was being watched.

C: Say yes

C: Say yes and look up

Her caramel eyes shut up so quickly that it stole his breath, but the hesitant nod he received made him beam.

Chicago, 2015

She was going to have to get used to early morning phone calls. Sarah sighed quietly as Connor's name flashed across the screen, she had been hoping to get a bit more into her morning routine before she would have to deal with - well, anyone.

"Hey, did I wake you?"

Sarah bit back a yawn as she poured herself a mug of coffee, "No. I woke up ten minutes ago. Callum's not awake yet if you wanted to talk to him."

"That's alright. I was calling for you." Connor replied, "I'm on my way to the hospital. I've been called in to assist with a surgery."

It was a little after seven-thirty, but that meant little when it came to surgery, especially trauma surgeries. Connor could potentially be operating all day... and today was not a good day for that. Sarah bit the inside of her cheek as she glanced into the bedroom at her sleeping son. Callum was tucked around his stuffed monkey, oblivious to the rising turmoil in his mother. She planned to keep it that way.

"Do you think you'll be able to make it to dinner?" Sarah asked quietly. Callum would be crushed if Connor wasn't there when he blew out the candles on his birthday cake. After having his father's attention all weekend... Oh, God.

"I dunno. I should, but I don't want to jinx anything." Connor murmured, "What time were planning on dinner?"

"Five-thirtyish." Sarah answered, "He has school tomorrow and I need to make sure he winds down before bed."

"As long as I don't get pulled into anything else, then it shouldn't be an issue," Connor said more to himself than to her.

Sarah could practically see him running through the logistics of what he needed to do at the hospital, and it made her uneasy. It hadn't surprised her nor taken her long to notice that Connor was an extremely good surgeon. His determination and devotion to his craft shined through in his confidence. A confidence that she had only seen in its infancy when they had dated. He had come far since their med-school days, but that only meant that he was in high demand now. The minute he stepped foot inside Gaffney there would be an abundance of requests for his attention and Connor was always going to want to help. It was just who he was.

She drew a deep breath as she carefully weighed her words, "Connor, don't - don't make any promises, okay? Just, no matter when you finish, just come over here. I would rather he get to see you for a few minutes today than not at all."

"I'm going to be there, Sarah."

His voice was so firm as not to brook argument, but Sarah could only sigh, "Connor..."

"I'm not missing this. I'm not missing any more birthdays"

Sarah closed her eyes, not missing the desperation that she was sure Connor was trying to control. She didn't know what to say to him. She felt like she was caught in a storm trying to soothe his pain but protect their son all at the same time. Callum took precedence, however, and no matter what came out of her mouth she had a feeling it would just piss Connor off.

"Mommy?"

Speaking of...

She didn't have time to open her eyes before Callum barreled into her. She grunted softly, fingers automatically coming to his hair as he slumped against her. Despite her son's early riser routine the past few days, he was more of a grumpy morning person. He took after her in that regard, "Morning, Bug."

"Callum's up?

"Yeah, hold on a sec." Sarah pulled the phone away from her ear and hit speaker, "Say hi to Daddy, Bug."

"Daddy?" Callum peered at the phone curiously.

"Morning, Bud."

Callum grinned, waking up a little more at the sound of his father's voice. "Morning Daddy. Are you coming over?"

"Uhh... no, Callum. I'm not. I have to go to work."

"Oh... Why?" Callum's shoulders slumped and he fell back against his mother. Sarah rubbed his back soothingly, hating how quickly he had become disappointed.

"Well, there's someone who needs my help, but I promise you'll see me later. I believe someone has a birthday today."

"It's not really today, but Mommy says I have to go to school tomorrow and she has to go to the hospital," Callum stated matter of fact, but a suspicious shine had begun to gloss his sapphires.

"Mommy is usually right about those things." Connor murmured sympathetically, "But you'll see me tomorrow too. So... What are you going to do today?"

Callum hiccupped a small breath and Sarah's heart fairly broke as she started to realize how much Connor not being here was upsetting him, "Mommy's taking me on the seminal wheel. She said Max could come too."

"The seminal wheel?"

"The Centennial Wheel." Sarah clarified, "We're still working on that word."

"Oh, I was gonna say that is not a wheel for five-year-olds -"

Callum looked puzzled at his father's comment while Sarah rolled her eyes, "Connor."

"I'm bummed I'm gonna miss it. Navy Pier is always fun."

"But you'll see us later and Callum can show you all the photos we'll take and tell you all about it," Sarah said, keeping her gaze locked with her son's as she tried to convey that Connor would be coming over... just not yet.

"I can't wait. It'll be the best part of my day."

Callum rocked on his heels, not looking any happier, "Mommy... Can I watch tv?"

Sarah tried not to frown but knew some of her disappointment still made its way to her face, "Sure, Baby. Say bye to Daddy."

"Bye Daddy," Callum mumbled.

"I'll see you later, Bud. Love you."

Callum sniffled and shuffled off to the couch as Sarah took Connor back off speaker. She watched silently for a moment as Callum settled on the pullout, "He already loves you too, you know? Otherwise, he wouldn't be this upset."

Connor sighed raggedly, "I suppose that I should take it as a good sign that he went from crying because I was there to crying because I'm not?"

Sarah closed her eyes at his apparent dejection – father, and son were mirror images right now, she knew it in her gut, "Two days of being in his life and now he hates when you're away? That is a good sign."

"I'd be there if I could," Connor grumbled.

She could almost see him trying to figure out how to get out of this surgery, "I know."

"Sarah -"

"Just show up at some point today. Text me if you get done earlier. I'll let you know where we are." Sarah said softly, "Believe it or not Connor, I know how much you want this... but know he wants it too. Don't disappoint him."

"I already am."

She could only sigh at his bitter tone, "Not as much if you don't show at all. You're going to disappoint him, Connor. You're going to upset him and there are going to be times when he hates you. I can't tell you how many times he's yelled that at me. It's part of this parenting thing, you know?"

"Yeah, well, two days in and I didn't think I'd be failing at it already."

Sarah snorted, "You're not. You're actually doing pretty awesome."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." She said quietly before smiling faintly and teasing, "It's kinda annoying."

There was a quiet huff on the other end and Sarah knew he was amused, even if he didn't want to admit it.

"I just got to the hospital. I'll see you guys later... and Sarah?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"Yeah."

The muted click designating the end of the call reached her ears and she sighed again. Her gaze leveled on the slumped form of her son as he curled around her pillow and watched Thomas the Tank Engine. Sarah puzzled over how quickly Callum had become attached to Connor and wondered if it was a good thing or not. It felt like things were happening too fast, but slowing down didn't seem like an option. She wanted him to love his father because despite everything that had happened between her and Connor – he was still a good man. A good man with a heart too big for his own good sometimes. Even as she thought about it, she realized that her little boy had that same big heart.

Sarah shook her head and moved to soothe her boy. She crouched down next to the pullout and pressed a kiss to his temple, "When did you get so big, Bug?"

"Mommmmy..." Callum whined, wanting to be left alone.

"I used to be able to hold you with one arm." Sarah bemoaned as she recalled how small he used to be... The days of his infancy had been far from easy, but she had always marveled over the little creature she had somehow made.

"Nooo." Callum cried, refusing to believe he had ever been so tiny and intent on remaining sullen.

He wriggled as she tugged him into her arms with a grin, "What? I can't cuddle my Cuddle-Bug?"

He giggled softly as she blew a raspberry against his neck, "Stoppp."

She laughed quietly, but relinquished her hold on him, "Daddy's really excited to see you later."

And just like that, Callum lost the little bit of joy that she had brought him. He pouted and turned big eyes on her, "Why can't he come over now?"

"Because he needs to help save someone. Daddy has a really important job at the hospital." Sarah explained patiently, it was a similar conversation to the one she had with him about her time at the hospital and him starting school. "Daddy can't be with you all the time, but he'll come over whenever he can."

"It's not fair." Callum moaned.

"I know, Baby," Sarah said at a loss. She hated seeing him struggle with this and before she realized what she was doing she offered, "How would you feel if Daddy stayed over tonight? Then he could help take you to school in the morning?"

Callum perked up a little as he stared at her, "Really?"

It was then she began to panic a little.

A voice in the back of her head was screaming bloody murder. What was she doing? She wasn't prepared for this! She had barely made it through the past few days without either crying or biting his head off, but it was like her mouth had disconnected from her brain as she continued, "Yeah, I'll have to talk with Daddy and see if he can do it, but if he can, would you like that?"

Callum nodded shyly, a big smile blooming across his face. It melted Sarah's heart even as her stomach sank to her toes.

Connor strode from the locker room, intent on getting to his patient as quickly as possible. The sooner he could find out what was going on and fix it, the sooner he could leave. He swung by the nurse's station to grab an update first. Four nurses rotated overseeing the ED on the weekends and each had their own style of management. Maggie was off. A woman just barely taller than Goodwin and with a whole lot more attitude occupied the nurses station.

"Rosa? You drew the short straw this weekend, huh?" Connor asked Maggie's counterpart. Rosa was more passive to Maggie's active.

She smiled and shrugged at him, "Gets me away from the kids for a while. Their father thought it would be a good idea to get them an X-Box as an early Christmas gift. Now they won't stop screaming over whose turn it is... he can deal with them today. How was your Thanksgiving, Dr. Rhodes?"

"Busy. I was here." Connor lamented before gesturing for a tablet and firmly blocking out the thought that he would pay for a hundred gaming consoles to be with his kid right now, "Zanetti called me in to assist with a trauma. Is the patient down here or up in the OR already?"

"Two patients." Rosa corrected as she shifted through her paperwork and slid a tablet over, "There was a shootout. I believe Dr. Zanetti wants your assistance with the penetrating neck injury. Sean Ramirez. He has a GSW to the right anterior of his neck...Uhh, zone two. They got him stabilized and he's getting a CT now."

"Christ, he's only seventeen." Connor murmured as he pulled up the case before raising a brow at the medic notes, "He was conscious at the scene?"

Rosa nodded, "Mmhmm, couldn't really speak, but we were able to figure out that he can't feel his arms or legs. Be a real shame if that boy ends up a quadriplegic."

"Well, hopefully, it's just swelling from the injury," Connor murmured, but the sinking feeling in his gut said that it likely wasn't. He noted that a bruit was present in the chart and held in a groan. He needed to get upstairs and do his own physical evaluation of the patient, "Dr. Zanetti with him?"

"No, she's with the other patient. Hollow point to the chest. She's pulling bullet fragments from him right now. The consensus seems to be that he may not make it. Half the trauma department is assisting which is why you were called." Rosa answered. A quiet sadness descended over her, and Connor swallowed.

Just...perfect.

Cases like these sucked. The outcome even if they did end up saving the patient, usually meant that person was living with a disability for the rest of their life.

"How long ago was the shooting?" Connor asked, not seeing the time recorded in the notes.

Rosa hummed and flipped through her paperwork from the medics, "Police arrived on the scene at 6:47... medics allowed to treat ten minutes later. The boys may have been laying there for twenty to thirty minutes before that."

With a nod in Rosa's direction, Connor turned on his heel for the elevators. Barely missing a lab tech with the way his nose was buried in the file... this was not going to be a quick surgery. He looked at his phone... about eight. It had been nearly two hours since the initial injury, and he was still in a good window for operation. The CT would tell him more. Or so he thought.

As Connor stepped back off the elevator he was immediately placed into the path of a patient and Ms. Darcy one of the hospital administrators. He only just recognized the setup for the neck injury to know that this was his patient. He blinked at the sight wondering why the hell he wasn't in CT.

"You can't do this!" Halstead nearly shouted, outrage more than apparent as he held onto Sean's bed railing.

"What's going on? And why is my patient not getting his CT right now?" Connor demanded as he stepped between Will and Darcy. He hadn't been aware that Halstead had taken on the weekend shift. He was beginning to think the ED resident lived in the hospital.

"Mr. Ramirez isn't covered by insurance for a CT, Dr. Rhodes." Ms. Darcy said evenly. Calmer than either of the doctors... if a little irritated, "He can, however, get an x-ray."

And now Connor understood why Halstead was turning that particular shade of red. Hospital bureaucracy at its finest. He hated that at its very core hospitals were businesses, and the bottom line of all businesses was to make a profit. Essentially, he and Halstead were being told they could not treat him because there was no money in it for the hospital. It was absolutely infuriating.

Feeling the same familiar disgusted rage that boiled his veins when his father was around, Connor staunchly began to bully his way toward the imaging room, "Ms. Darcy, look at my patient and then look at his neck and shoulder. Now with all your medical knowledge tell me -"

"Dr. Rhodes -" She began to protest. It was a hollow attempt to save face as both knew that her entire medical knowledge revolved around the medical accounting courses she had taken and the little she had gleaned from working in a hospital for three years. Placing a patient's life in her hands would be impractical and yet she had the authority to cancel medical procedures. Go figure.

"Tell. Me." He continued undeterred and rapidly losing what little patience he had left, "How much an x-ray is going to distinguish with a patient that already has substantial swelling and is presenting with hard signs that demand immediate surgery? Hard signs, which give me the call on what the patient needs to save his life. He gets the CT and goes straight to the operating room. You have a problem with that then take it up with my department head or the board."

Connor didn't wait for a response but helped Halstead and the medical staff quickly maneuver the bed around a fuming Darcy. He didn't have time for this crap.

"Hey there, short-stack."

"Pop-pop!" Callum cried happily as he plowed into the older man.

Marty chuckled as he bent stiffly to give the little boy a hug, "You're a big strong man now. Gonna be my new cane? Let's see if I can put my weight on ya."

He leaned a little stronger into the hug and Callum giggled and pushed hastily against Marty's stomach, "I'm not a cane!"

"Well darn." Marty lamented, "Who's gonna help me get around?"

"Nana will," Callum answered, a cheeky smile blooming across his face as Meredith scoffed from the doorway.

The elderly couple knew well what day it was, and the plans that Sarah had been making for Callum. She had invited them along weeks ago and while they were eager to spend time with their favorite surrogate grandson, both were equally as eager to interrogate Sarah about Connor.

Marty had been less than impressed with the surgeon despite only having a brief interaction with him. Any man that could leave behind a girl like Sarah and a boy like Callum wasn't worth much in his opinion. Though Mer kept telling him that Sarah wasn't entirely blameless in the whole situation. He still found that hard to believe.

Whereas Meredith found it hard to believe that Connor's photos had barely done him justice. It was easy to say she was still charmed by his smile. Sarah had good taste.

"Why not? Help him with everything else." Meredith murmured as she winked at Callum and smiled in greeting at a slightly harried Sarah, "Alright, are we picking Max up or is Charlotte meeting us at the pier?"

"Charlotte is meeting us there." Sarah answered softly, "If I can ever finish getting this one ready."

Callum bounced on his toes as he scowled, "I am ready, Mommy."

Sarah pointed to his bare feet, "Socks and shoes." Then to his hair, "You need to run a comb through your hair, and you need your beanie. It's cold outside, Bug."

"And your coat." Meredith chimed in as she double-checked her purse to make sure she wasn't missing anything.

Marty grinned at the scowl that painted the little boy's face as the women picked at him, "Sounds like you're a right mess, kiddo."

"No!" Callum shouted petulantly.

"Callum!"

Marty snorted, "Come on, let's get your things before your mother decides we aren't going anymore."

Callum's eyes widened as that possibility had never occurred to him. He glanced toward his mother who only arched a brow at him while Meredith hid a smile.

Connor hated neck injuries.

He was reminded of why he didn't go into otolaryngology as he carefully pulled back the flesh surrounding the bullet wound while trying not to disturb the Foley line. There were so many things that the neck contained and of course, this kid had to get shot in the most complicated area.

"Where's my specialist at?" Connor asked lowly, not tearing his eyes away from his work.

A nurse reached around him to suction the blood that was pooling in the cavity he had opened, "Dr. Timmons is scrubbing in now, Dr. Rhodes."

"Good." Connor grunted, "Pass me the probe, please."

The scalpel was taken from his hand and the electrocautery probe slipped into its place. His movements were ginger as he pressed the hot tip down – hands beautifully steady even as the sound of the door to OR opening reached his ears and Dr. Timmons joined the theatre.

"How's it going in here?"

"Alright. Just began to deep dive, you want to come look at this? Make sure I don't cut anything I'm not supposed to." Connor asked, flicking his gaze up briefly as he took in the other doctor studying the CT scans.

"How's his blood pressure?" Timmons asked as he finished reviewing the images.

"He's a little low but holding steady. He's about halfway through his first unit of blood. I expect he'll need four more before we're done." answered Dr. Albert Mackenzie - 'Mac' - as he preferred to be called. The anesthesiologist was more collected than anyone else in the operating theatre, but over twenty years of experience and the quiet confidence of being good at his job was all the knowledge he needed to be calm.

Timmons nodded as he took the place opposite Connor. He gazed critically at the work already done, "Bullet missed the major arteries which is a stroke of luck."

"Didn't miss his spine though." Connor returned, "There's edema around the C-4, pictures are too cloudy to make out how bad the damage is."

"Yeah, I saw that. Don't cut there. Go up to – yeah." Timmons replied as he gestured for a pair of forceps to assist, "One area at a time, right? It's gonna be a long day."

"Don't remind me," Connor muttered.

"What? Got somewhere better to be Rhodes?"

Connor barely hid in a sigh as he shot an aggravated glare to the observation deck. Halstead stood on the other side of the window, scrutinizing everything that was going on. He didn't know what the other doctor's issue with him was, but it sure as shit was getting old. If Will wasn't such a good doctor Connor would never put up with even half of his attitude, "I do actually."

"Yeah... I'm sure they're going to miss you at whatever gala is going on today. Shame you have to save a kid." Will goaded dryly, but there was no denying the subtle anxiety that was coursing through the ED doctor. Connor had heard rumors that the resident's work was being closely scrutinized - it wasn't unusual. Halstead was nearing the end of his residency, but that didn't mean he needed to be a dick.

Will was definitely lucky there was a glass partition between them. Timmons arched a brow as his gaze swung away from their patient to the redhead, "Is there something you need, Dr. Halstead?"

"Mr. Ramirez's parents have arrived. I wanted to give them an update." Will answered as he eyed their progress.

Connor nearly bit his tongue before uttering, "We just got started, it's going to be a while before we can tell them anything definitive. So far he's stable, now get out of my OR."

There was some quiet grumbling from the ED doctor, but Will disappeared with little fanfare and Connor finally felt like he could relax. Timmons did turn curious eyes on him though, "So where did you get called away from?"

"It's my son's birthday. He's turning five." Connor grunted, a pang of guilt welling in his chest as he thought of his little boy. He wanted to be at Sarah's.

"Then let's get these parents' son put back together and get you home," Mac said quietly, he was about to be a grandfather. He knew what it was like to miss a birthday due to work. It was never fun.

Connor glanced appreciatively at his team. Time felt like it was passing too quickly and too slowly and he had a promise to keep.

Despite the sun shining, the wind that blew off the lake was absolutely frigid. Not that anyone would know that with the way the boys were running about. Sarah could only shake her head as she watched the mess that they were making out of the toffee apples they had begged for... Beige splotches already decorated Callum's hands and clothes - that was going to be fun to get out of his jeans. It was so ridiculous that she had been filming the apple destruction for Connor.

"No - Max, don't touch your...hair." Charlotte sighed as Max did just that, spreading the caramel gooeyness into his dark locks. The little boy blinked guilelessly at his mother as his hair stuck up slightly and Callum erupted into a fit of giggles.

Even Sarah couldn't stop a smile from peeking out. Charlotte grumbled lowly as she moved forward, already pulling her water bottle from her bag as she snagged the napkins her kid had been ignoring. Max scowled as his mother tried to get the bulk of the sticky mess from his hair before it could set, dutifully ignoring Callum's amusedly watchful stare.

Meredith and Marty strolled up to the group after taking a little time to explore the surrounding shops as the kids ate their treats. Both looked reasonably nostalgic as they took in the scene. It made Sarah wonder when the last time they had seen their children had been. Their daughter visited on occasion, but she wasn't sure she had ever met their son.

"Alright, your turn, Bug," Sarah murmured as she put her phone away and pulled a pack of wipes from her purse. She had long learned to carry these around – Callum could and would find dirt in the most sterile of environments.

Callum scrunched his nose as his mother wiped the caramel from his face, whining faintly as she rubbed a little too hard. His hands were next and took infinitely longer, but Sarah did her best to get him cleaned up. He, like Max, was going to need a bath later.

"Can we go on the wheel now?" Callum asked plaintively, before registering his mother's patient look and belatedly adding, "...Please?"

Sarah snorted, "Yeah, alright. Let's start heading over that way. We can see if that line has died down any. You guys good to go?"

Marty and Meredith nodded while Charlotte sighed disgustedly at a toothily grinning Max. She gave up trying to get the last stubborn remnant of caramel out of her son's hair. She'd need shampoo and hot water to make that happen. She pulled his beanie from her purse and slapped it over his damp and dirty hair. Hopefully, it would keep his hair from getting into a worse state.

"Mommy -" Max grumbled, reaching for his hat.

"Leave it." Charlotte shared a rueful look with Sarah, "Yeah, we're good."

Sarah bit back an amused snort – she knew the aggrieved look Charlotte was sporting well. It was a look all parents had at one time or another. She nudged Callum to stand as she and Charlotte began to calmly lead the group toward the other side of the pier and to the Ferris wheel.

"Mommy? -Mommy?" Callum tugged on her pants as they walked, and she arched a brow at him.

"Yes, Bug?" Sarah answered patiently.

"Are you – umm...are you gonna take pictures?" Callum asked. A hopeful tint gleamed at her, and she wondered what was playing through her little boy's mind.

"Of course." Sarah answered easily, if a little befuddled, "Why?"

Callum chewed on his lip, not quite meeting her eye. He was the very picture of uncertainty, and it made her worry instinctively.

"Callum?"

He fidgeted, but that hopeful glint only seemed to brighten in those big blue eyes of his. He stalled for a moment longer as they finally made it to the Centennial Wheel, "Can we make a video? I wanna make one for Daddy."

Sarah heard a soft gasp behind her and knew Charlotte was listening intently to their exchange now. Callum had been rather mum about his father since the phone call that morning and she hadn't been sure if she should push him or not. She was taking his desire to make a video as a good thing – he was trying to keep his father included on his fun day in whatever way he could. Connor would definitely appreciate it.

"Yeah, we can do that, Bug." Sarah assured, ruffling his hair, "You want to do it at the top? And tell him where you are?"

Callum nodded eagerly, a flush rising to his cheeks as he noticed his mother's affectionate smile. The look didn't last for long as Max tripped and fell into Callum. A little shoving match ensued, and the boys started laughing as Marty tapped them both with his cane.

"What's all this ruckus?" He tapped Max's leg before pointing the cane mock accusingly at Callum, "You starting a war here, short-stack?"

Meredith rolled her eyes from beside her husband, but Charlotte took the distraction to interrogate Sarah. She sidled closer and lowered her voice, "What's this about Callum's Dad? His actual dad or... you got a guy now?"

"His actual dad. He's in the picture now." Sarah murmured back, reluctant to discuss much of what was going on with her... family? The fact that she wasn't even sure what to call them was enough to make Sarah clam up. She and Callum were family and Connor...Connor was Callum's family. She just didn't feel comfortable considering him her family. At least not anymore. Charlotte nudged her and arched a brow when she became silent for too long, but Sarah only shrugged, "It's all very new for all of us. We're figuring it out. Callum already wants him around all the time and Connor...Connor would like nothing more than to make that happen."

She was confident in saying that, but only because he had been so adamant about his desire to meet and spend time with Callum. He was going to jump at the chance to stay the night with them. Sarah already knew that.

"That's good...right?" Charlotte pressed as she eyed Sarah curiously. She never knew what to make of the budding doctor's hesitance. So many things went through Sarah's mind, hazarding a guess at her thoughts and feelings was a lot like walking a cliffside trail in the fog. One wrong step and...

"Yeah." Sarah said softly, before smiling assuredly, "It's just an adjustment."

Charlotte nodded as if she understood, but she couldn't imagine raising her kids without her husband. For a moment a swell of pity welled in her for Sarah. She had always admired how hard her friend worked at being a mother and chasing her dream, but she wouldn't wish that kind of struggle on anyone.

"Of course, it is... Is he going to meet us here later?" Charlotte prodded, more than a little curious to meet the elusive father and Sarah's ex. She desperately wanted to know what kind of guy Sarah went for... more than that she wanted to know why he wasn't around. It was something she had never been able to get an answer to.

"Maybe." Sarah said, "He's at work right now. As soon as he's finished for the day, he's supposed to call me."

It was the reminder she needed to text him. Sarah pulled her phone out and shot him a message to call her before he left the hospital and not when he was already on his way. She barely finished the message before she was being ushered onto the ride. Her attention was quickly focused on helping Charlotte get the boys settled as they began to squabble over where they wanted to sit. There was enough space in the carriage to accommodate their small group easily, but the bench corner seemed to be the prized spot. As Callum stuck his tongue out at Max, Sarah quietly envied the amused observer role the Schulers were able to take on as they silently slipped onto a bench and waited for the chaos to settle.

"Mommy, look!"

She and Charlotte whipped around instantly at the cry before realizing it came from the chortling Marty. Meredith elbowed him for his joke before smiling cheekily herself. Sarah shook her head and swore to herself - there was never a dull moment when she went out with Callum. That was for sure.

Sarah needn't have worried about Connor reaching out.

The surgery had been tedious, and long, but successful. Mr. Ramierez would require careful monitoring over the next few days, there was a good chance that he would remain paralyzed, however. The conversation with his patient's parents had been... difficult to put it lightly. He had hoped for a better outcome, but until the edema around his spine shrunk it was nearly impossible to tell how much damage had been done to the teenager's spine until he regained consciousness. Connor was equally drained and wired. A small part of him wanted to go home and decompress, but after staring into Mrs. Ramirez's tearful gaze all he wanted to do was drive to Sarah's and put their son in a protective bubble.

It might be a good thing that Sarah's match could take her from Chicago. He was beginning to think that he would rather raise Callum somewhere else.

Connor was signing off on the last of his notes when he called her. His phone was tucked against his shoulder as he scribbled a few quick adjustments. His keys were burning a hole in his pocket as he tried not to drop everything and head for his son. She picked up on the third ring, sounding out of breath. A cheer of laughter and the quiet murmur of chatting in the background let him know that she was not alone.

"Hey, are you done or taking a break?"

"Hey. I'm done, just finishing the paperwork." Connor answered, practically shoving said papers at a startled Zanetti as he dotted his last 'i'. She had been ready to ask him out for a drink. Her surgery had not gone nearly as well and she could use the distraction that he offered, but Connor missed all the signs as he hefted his bag and made for the exit, "I can be there in twenty minutes. I haven't missed the cake yet, have I?"

Sarah snorted, "No. It's barely three-thirty. You have a little time. We just got in. I... uh...I wanted to run something past you before you left."

Connor slowed his stride as he heard the waver in her voice that screamed her uncertainty. His stomach began to drop, and he prayed she wasn't about to tell him not to come, "What's up?"

The colorful gift bag in the back of his car mocked him as he stared blankly through the window. Arguments were already beginning to formulate in his mind but he bit his cheek and waited. He had learned the hard way not to assume with Sarah - assuming had cost him five years with his son.

"So... in an attempt to cheer up Callum this morning, I may have promised that I would..." She broke off and he swore he could see her counting to ten. She always did when things felt out of her control.

"Sarah?"

"You can say no, but – um – I may have promised that I would ask if you would want to stay the night and help bring him to school tomorrow."

Connor nearly dropped his keys in shock before he slid into his car, "Are you serious?"

"You can say no. It's a big ask -"

"It's a big ask for you." Connor corrected, his heart now in his throat as new excitement began to twist with the adrenaline still pumping from his surgery, "Are you sure, Sarah?"

There was a stark silence that seemed to go on forever, but it was really only a few seconds before Sarah sighed, "Yeah. Yeah, I'm - I'm sure. He wants this and it's his birthday. We should both be able to be with him for his birthday."

"Yes, I would love to stay the night," Connor said quietly. The bubble of sharp gratitude that swelled his chest stunned him. He didn't think something like this would happen this soon.

"Then you should head to your place first and get a change of clothes."

A giant grin stole over his face. Connor nodded even though she couldn't see, "Um yeah. Yeah, that would be the smart thing to do. I guess I'll be a little longer than twenty minutes. Thirty–forty tops."

"Don't rush. You don't need to get yourself killed."

Connor snorted at her exasperated censor, "I'll see you in a bit."

"Yeah, see you."

Despite Sarah's well-meaning urging Connor broke more than a few traffic laws to and from his apartment. Callum's watery goodbye had been playing in the back of his mind all day. He had thought leaving Sarah's apartment had been hard on Friday. Her door had clicked behind him and all he had wanted to do was turn around and pester her to let him stay. But hearing how disappointed Callum had been this morning – hit Connor on an entirely different level ... his kid just kept breaking his heart. He didn't know how Sarah was able to do this every day.

He took the stairs to her door, unsurprised by the gentle murmur he could hear through the wood. Connor was suddenly struck with a bout of nervousness. It wasn't quite public, but there were strangers in there... strangers who were about to know him as Callum's dad. It was...surreal.

Swallowing, Connor shook himself and knocked. He didn't have to wait long as Sarah answered the door with a tired smile, "Told you not to rush."

"I missed him." Connor found himself uttering quietly before realizing how true it was.

Sarah softened instantly, "He missed you too. Come on."

She stepped to the side, and it was easy to see how quickly her little space had become packed. Her neighbors were sitting on the couch and a woman he didn't know was tucked up in the kitchenette stirring something in a pot while sipping on a beer.

He nodded an awkward hello before a loud cry from Callum caught his attention, "Daddy!"

Connor whipped around in time to catch the blur rocketing from the bedroom, "Callum. Hey, Bud."

He squeezed him tight and silently relished the way Callum clung to him. He really needed that hug.

They stayed like that for a moment before Callum pulled back with a wide grin and mumbled, "You're here..."

Connor simply smiled, "Happy Birthday."