Chapter 14
Summary: Addison's offer to give Violet a makeover becomes reality when she expresses her nerves over her new book launch. Meanwhile, Cooper goes to Jake for help when the triplets won't stop crying.
After a few months, Amelia eventually found an apartment close to the practice and moved in. Everything went back to quote-unquote normal as work continued steadily. For Violet, however, she'd been hard at work rewriting and editing her next book. It'd been almost a year of edits and it was finally ready to come out to the public. She'd gotten everyone at the office to read it before she sent it to her publisher.
After her last book, Violet wanted to make sure she wasn't crossing any lines, both with any patient details and her co-workers. She also did her best to actually remove anything remotely problematic rather than argue against it and hired a lawyer just in case. She felt bad enough for what she put the practice through last time, so she didn't want a repeat of that situation. Now, the book was finally coming out, and her publisher put together a nice cocktail party to celebrate the book launch. However, because of all the drama that came about from her last book, Violet was a little antsier this time around.
"Violet?" Addison asked, poking her head into her friend's office. She saw her with her head down on the desk.
"Hey," Violet lifted her head and tried to reply in a happier mood, but it wasn't very convincing.
"Is something wrong?" Addison asked, concerned.
"Yeah, just, you know, nervous about the book," Violet said honestly.
"What do you have to be nervous about? It's a great book," Addison insisted, coming into her office. And she meant it; this book was more about the camaraderie of everyone in this office and Violet's struggle with motherhood and grief while being less about their patients.
"That's how I felt about the last book," Violet commented. Addison gave her back a look.
"Everything's gonna be fine. We all read it and you went in and took out everything we had any kind of disagreement with you on. Relax," Addison chucked.
"Look, even…even if this book is great and doesn't land me or anyone else in any more lawsuits, what about Marla Thompkins? Or any other Marla Thompkins out there? I'm a psychologist, Addison; this is what I do. And…and as much as I hated Sheldon at the time for what he said, he was right! I just…don't need any more hits to my ego," Violet said.
"It was one review, Vi," Addison pointed out, sitting down in the seat in front of her desk.
"Yeah, one review that also happens to come from a reputable psychologist in my field!" Violet exclaimed.
"Still. Your first book, minus the lawsuit and the medical board stuff, was a huge success!" Addison said, quickly and quietly getting through the part about the lawsuit.
"Ugh, don't remind me; the lawsuit, the patients being all…weird about me being an author…," Violet started.
"Weird? Is that your psychiatric opinion?" Addison joked sarcastically.
"Shut up," Violet laughed.
"Why did I think writing another book was a good idea?" Violet groaned, resting her head on her desk.
"Because you're a good writer and writing…is therapeutic for you," Addison replied, trying to be supportive. Violet sighed after lifting her head up.
"Yeah, and that's worked out so well for me," Violet said sarcastically.
"It has worked out well for you," Addison pointed out.
"Violet, what's really going on?" Addison asked, suspecting there was more to it.
"Last time, I had Pete. I mean, as…as tumultuous as that relationship became, he was there for me when my first book came out, and as much as that review bothered me and clearly still does, Pete helped me at least try to let it go. And I wouldn't say he failed; I did let it go, as much as I could, anyway. He's not here this time to…quiet the voices and the doubt and just…outright fear of putting myself out there like this," Violet said. Addison bit her lip and thought of the right words to say before she spoke up.
"You have me; you do. And I mean, I can't tell you I can fulfill the same kind of space Pete did because no one can, but that doesn't mean you're alone. You have me, and everyone else in this office, for that matter. So, if you need someone to remind you that you don't need someone like Marla to validate you, or someone to shop with you for a new dress to wear for the party, or someone to hold your hand, you've got me," Addison said.
"Wow. I…I'm shocked - in a good way. Thank you, Addison," Violet said sincerely. Addison smiled.
"Speaking of, I bought this dress for the party, but I think I hate it. I think I actually hate it now. I bought it a few weeks ago to try to, I don't know, better prepare, but it's tight and fits weird, so actually, if you're serious about the shopping offer," Violet started.
"Absolutely! We can go after work today," Addison interrupted her, knowing they only had two days before the book launch party.
"Really?" Violet asked.
"Of course!" Addison said.
"We can get dinner and find something at the mall," Addison said, texting Jake to ask him to get Henry after work so she could go shopping with Violet. He replied almost immediately with a no problem.
"Thank you!" Violet shouted as Addison walked out the door.
At the end of the workday, Violet waited for Addison at the reception desk and double-checked with her sitter about watching Lucas. She heard heels clicking on the wooden floor and was confused; it wasn't just Addison. Violet looked up and saw Addison, along with Amelia and Charlotte.
"Ready to go?" Addison asked.
"You…you're all coming?" Violet asked.
"Yup," Charlotte said simply.
"Really? Even you?" Violet asked, looking directly at Amelia.
"I need a new dress, too. Plus, I'm hungry and Addie said she'd pay," Amelia said jokingly. Addison cracked a smile.
"Now, come on, let's go," Charlotte said before everyone went toward the elevator.
"What about Cooper?" Violet asked, curious as the elevator doors closed on them.
"What about him?" Charlotte asked.
"You just left him alone with Mason and the triplets?" Violet asked. She loved Cooper, but she knew the triplets were a handful for him alone.
"He knows to call if he needs anythin'," Charlotte said.
"Does he?" Amelia asked, half-jokingly. The girls laughed as they rode the elevator down, and Charlotte avoided answering the question.
Meanwhile, Jake had Henry for the night and everything was going smoothly. Jake made mac and cheese while Henry played on his mat in the living room, and they ate dinner together while the Knicks game played on the TV. Henry, thanks to Jake, was very interested in watching the game, even if he didn't get how the game worked.
Even though Jake knew it was unlikely Henry would understand him, Jake explained the game to him as it happened. About halfway through the game, there was a knock at the door and before he got there, he heard babies crying from outside.
"Cooper?" Jake asked, confused.
"Hey, you're good with babies, right? I don't know what's wrong and they won't stop crying," Cooper said, exasperated as he bounced one of the crying girls in his arms while he held a car seat with another triplet, also crying, and Mason held the last crying triplet in her car seat.
"Aren't you a pediatrician?" Jake half-joked as he let them come in, crying babies and all.
"Yeah, and the girls just love making me feel like I don't know anything anymore," Cooper said.
"Dada?" Henry asked, getting up from his spot on his playmat to get a closer look.
"It's okay, Henry, Daddy's just helping Uncle Cooper," Jake said, picking up one of the crying babies from the car seat.
Henry continued watching as Jake, Mason, and Cooper each bounced one triplet each, and slowly, the girls started to settle. They weren't sure what did the trick; maybe they just wanted someone's full attention while being held. Or maybe only one wanted someone's full attention and the crying turned into a domino effect with the other two. Either way, they were just glad they stopped.
"Baby!" Henry said, pointing at the baby in Jake's arms.
"That's right; that is a baby," Jake chuckled, lowering himself so Henry could get a better look. He wasn't too much older than the triplets, but they were younger enough that they fascinated him.
"That's Caroline," Mason said.
"Is that the Knicks game?" Cooper asked.
"Yeah. You like basketball?" Jake asked.
"Uh…yeah. I mean, I don't watch a lot or at all, really, but I like playing," Cooper said a little awkwardly.
Jake chuckled. He kind of missed having someone to watch basketball with who wasn't just his one-year-old son or his wife, who had little to no interest in the game. That person used to be Sam, but they'd stayed pretty distant since everything with Addison, even though Sam was happily with Naomi and Max. Maybe Cooper could be his new basketball buddy.
"Well, since you're already here," Jake said, motioning to the couch.
Cooper and Mason agreed happily and sat on the couch, each holding one of the triplets. Jake did the same and got Henry to follow him. The girls, miraculously, stayed quiet and were tuned into the TV just as much as the guys were. They, like Henry, didn't fully understand the game, but every time someone made a basket, they reacted with a small noise, a smile, or a laugh.
"Hey, you guys hungry? There's mac and cheese left," Jake offered.
"Yes, please!" Mason said. Cooper waved Jake off, letting him know he was good, before Jake chuckled and started getting up to get Mason some food. He still had Caroline in his arms and thought to hand her off to Cooper at first, but saw Henry staring back at him.
"Here, buddy. Sit straight for me," Jake started. Cooper and Mason turned to watch; they had faith Henry could handle holding the baby for a little while.
"Hold out your arms," Jake directed.
"Out all the way like this," Mason demonstrated, holding baby Rachel out with his extended arms.
Henry copied Mason's motion before Jake lowered Caroline into Henry's arms, helping him readjust and lower his small arms to hold the baby.
"Look, Dada! Baby!" Henry giggled. Jake stepped back and watched for a few seconds as Henry watched the baby in his arms intently before remembering to pull his phone out to snap a picture for Addison and Angela.
Henry and Caroline say hi.
"Aww," Addison commented after opening Jake's message.
"What?" Amelia asked as she came closer to her in the parking lot. They had all just gotten to the restaurant for dinner.
"Look," Addison said, showing her the picture on the phone.
"Is that…?" Amelia asked, thinking it was one of Cooper and Charlotte's triplets. Addison had opened the image, so she hadn't seen the message Jake sent along with it.
"Caroline," Addison filled her in.
"What about her?" Charlotte asked as she locked her car door.
Addison showed off the picture as Charlotte and Violet came over for a closer look.
"What's my kid doing with your kid?" Charlotte asked before a text came in on Addison's phone from Angela.
I think someone wants a baby sister.
Aren't you supposed to be at dinner with Addison?
Yeah. I'm getting us a table.
"Wait, Angela's here?" Amelia asked, angling Addison's phone closer to her to make sure she read it correctly.
"Yeah, I asked her to come," Addison said simply, unbothered. She knew the rest of the girls wouldn't mind. Another text came in from Jake.
I think Amelia's sense of humor is rubbing off on you.
The girls all laughed, reading Jake's latest message; Jake wasn't wrong. They didn't necessarily know Angela well, but they couldn't deny her first message sounded a lot like Amelia.
"Come on, let's get inside," Violet said as the laughs subsided.
They all walked into the restaurant and found Angela near the front. She waved them over as the hostess came back, informing them their table was ready. Addison wrapped an arm around her as they walked to the table, asking her about how her test went earlier that day, and Amelia, who hung back, couldn't help but think they reminded her of them. Amelia had always been this weird cross between Addison's younger sister and daughter, and the fact that Addison had an actual daughter now just made it all feel full circle for them.
"So, what's this dress Addie said you hated?" Amelia asked curiously after a minute of silence while they perused the menu. Everyone looked at Violet, who looked at Addison. Addison gave her an apologetic look back before they both giggled.
"I don't know…it's not the worst dress, but it's just…simple. Black, straight, weird creases. Boring," Violet sighed.
"There's nothin' wrong with a little black dress now, is there?" Charlotte asked.
"No, but…I don't know, I'm just…looking for change," Violet replied.
"Does this mean it's makeover time?" Amelia asked, half-joking.
The girls all looked at each other excitedly; giving Violet a makeover sounded like fun.
"You know what? What the hell? Why not?" Violet decided.
She didn't just want a change; she needed one. It'd been almost two years since Pete died, and she thought she made peace with her life. At the time, she meant it; she didn't feel the need to have anything more than what she already had for her life, but now? Now, she missed having a companion and feeling like more than just a boring doctor and a single mom. She didn't want to go on staying the same for the rest of her life. That wasn't what life is supposed to be; life is all about change. Ever since Pete, she wanted to embrace change. Maybe a makeover would be a great place to start.
Back at the Montgomery-Reilly household, Jake had come back to the couch to join everyone after handing Mason some mac and cheese and taking Rachel off his hands. Henry was still holding Caroline in his arms and demonstrated great care with the baby, giggling every time she cooed.
Jake and Cooper talked about work, the game, and the family in between, Cooper telling Jake about how close Georgia was to standing on her own and Jake talking about Angela's honor roll status. When the triplets drifted off to sleep, Cooper and Jake helped place each one in their respective car seats, letting Henry get up to play, which he did by going straight to his toy box full of action figures and vehicles. He invited Mason to play with him, and Mason was happy to teach the little boy all about the world of superheroes.
With the kids all taken care of, it let Jake and Cooper talk more freely, cheering on the Knicks whenever they made a basket and their favorite sports players. They settled into a comfortable rhythm that evening, an impromptu guys' night, while the girls had their fun at the mall giving Violet a makeover.
"Okay, so what first?" Angela asked after they'd all arrived at the mall.
"I don't know, I've never done this before," Violet replied.
"Well, how 'bout over there?" Charlotte suggested, pointing to an upscale women's clothing store.
They all shrugged and agreed, walking into the store. What ensued from there were the girls picking clothes off the rack for both themselves and potentially for Violet. If only a camera followed them, they were practically acting out a makeover montage in a movie. Everyone's style was a little different compared to what Violet was used to; Addison had the effortless designer look down, Charlotte was business-professional chic, and Amelia and Angela had the trendier, laid-back look going for them.
Violet, however, usually had a mix of boho chic, business professional, and comfortable. It was never anything concrete compared to the other girls, and she felt a little out of her depth. She didn't feel like she fit any of their molds, but then again, she wasn't trying to; she was trying to find what her new look would be. It wouldn't do her any good to try to copy one of her friends.
"This is hopeless," Violet sighed, resting on a bench for a minute after they all walked out of the store. Even Amelia and Angela found something already.
"It's only been an hour," Charlotte pointed out.
"Yeah, we just started; we don't even have dresses yet," Addison said, gesturing toward Charlotte, who nodded in agreement.
"Let's just…take a break then," Angela suggested, seeing how frustrated Violet seemed.
"Cupcakes?" Amelia suggested, after looking around to see what else they could do. She saw a cupcake shop near the corner.
"Why not?" Charlotte shrugged as they all made their way there, with Addison offering Violet a hand up from the bench.
After ordering a few cupcakes to try, they discussed some work stuff before getting back to Violet's dilemma.
"So, what's up with you and this outfit, anyway?" Amelia asked, peeling back the paper from her cupcake.
"This is gonna be the first time people see me without Pete," Violet said sadly.
"I mean, I know, it's been…almost two years. God, I can't believe it's been that long," Violet started.
"I'm not the same person I was when I wrote my first book; I mean, I'm not completely different, but I'd like to think I've grown a little, but I just…this book's all about being a mother and moving on after losing Pete and I just don't want everyone to look at me like I'm just…a widow," Violet said.
"But you are one," Amelia commented. The other girls glared back; Amelia could hear them say filter in her head as she backed off.
"I know I am one. I just don't want to be just a widow. My publisher said something about how people love success stories when I came out with my first book. This one is supposed to be another success story, just…different. What kind of success story am I if I'm still stuck in the same place I was a year ago? I thought I was happy with my life, which I'm not saying I'm unhappy; I just…I don't want this to be it anymore," Violet said, trying to vocalize her thoughts.
"You want more," Addison gathered.
She knew exactly where she was coming from. After her divorce, all Addison wanted was change. New York still felt too messy to come back to, as much as she loved it there, and Seattle felt even messier, if that was even possible. Addison needed a fresh start, something that would change her life for the better. Los Angeles happened to be that change for her, and now she had the life she wanted, with Jake and Henry. She could see why Violet wanted the same for herself. The rest of the girls could empathize with her, too, knowing exactly how she felt.
Charlotte moved to Los Angeles for a new start, too. There was only so far she could go if she'd stayed in Atlanta. She wanted to be a doctor, the best one she could be. Now, here she was after becoming one of the youngest chiefs of staff in the country. And that was somehow in addition to her having her own practice, being a mother of four kids now, and finding the love of her life in Cooper.
Amelia was on the right track when she'd stopped here, but it never stopped her from speaking out when she thought she needed to. It's exactly how she ended up here with Addison. And in the almost five years since, Amelia got exactly what she'd needed all those years ago; unconditional love from someone who only wanted the best for her. Addison had always been there for her, but here in Los Angeles, neither fought the barriers Amelia's family put up when they were back in New York. Here, Amelia felt more support from Addison than she had ever felt growing up with her biological family. It never would've happened if she hadn't gotten fired for speaking her mind in trying to save their patient, and as stressful as it had been at the time, it landed her in exactly the right place for her.
"There's nothin' wrong with wantin' change," Charlotte commented, knowing everyone understood what Violet meant.
They sat, trying out each cupcake they'd bought before putting whatever was left in the box and finding another store to shop around in. Charlotte found a simple strapless white dress with a subtle geometric pattern, and Addison got an understated long-sleeve black dress with a revealing slit in the back, all while showing off her long legs. The way they could find something so simple yet stunning made Violet jealous of how easy it was for them.
"Ooh, what about this one?" Addison asked, pulling a jumpsuit off the rack.
It was a pastel blue, wide-legged jumpsuit with a small slit in the center and a skinny black belt that wrapped around the waist. Violet looked intrigued; it wasn't too flashy, but it was a change that still felt like it'd be comfortable for her. Addison handed her the hanger with the jumpsuit before Violet disappeared back into the changing room. When she came back, she was still messing with her bra straps, trying her best to hide them behind the spaghetti straps of the jumpsuit, but failing. It didn't matter to the rest of the girls as they saw her.
"Wow," Amelia commented, impressed. Violet looked up.
"Was that a good wow or a bad wow?" Violet asked.
"A good one," Angela chimed in.
"Really?" Violet asked, unsure.
"Really," Addison insisted.
The girls all walked up behind her, getting a closer look.
"I like it," Angela commented.
"Me, too," Charlotte added. Addison and Amelia nodded in agreement.
"I do, too," Violet said, taking a deep breath and smiling. This was the start of the new Violet, and she couldn't be more excited to see where it took her.
A/N: Since a few of you have commented about how you wanted an update, it's finally here! I'm sorry it's been so long. This isn't a story I work on as much, so it means a lot that you guys are still reading and enjoying it. This really is what I call my fluffier fic - there isn't really too much of a plan story-wise, so it progresses when I have ideas on where it can go. So, if anyone has any ideas for this, please let me know in the comments :)