Columbia University.

New York. 1989.

"Addison! Addie!" Derek shouted down one of the university corridors as he put on a waterproof jacket, Winter was about to begin and the cold was starting to be felt in the city.

She quickly turned around upon hearing her name. She had her Anatomy books in her hands.

"Hey, are you heading to the library?"

"Yes, I was supposed to meet Naomi to study, you know, for the exam before Winter break. How about you?"

"Me? Fine..." Lie. He hadn't even started studying.

There were still two weeks left until the exam and all he could think about was how to spend more time with Addison. He had known her for just over three months and he was already crazy about her.

"If you want, you can join us. Today, we're going to study units II and III..." she smiled kindly. She was a good classmate, always concerned about helping others and sharing her knowledge with everyone.

"I... W-we... " he couldn't articulate the words properly when he was in front of her. He seemed stupid.

Addison's beauty left him speechless. Her cheeks were just slightly blushed, a few freckles on the bridge of her nose, her long auburn hair tied in a ponytail, her bangs perfectly aligned with her eyebrows, her long, upward-curled eyelashes, her eyes... her eyes were a world of their own. They had several shades of green and blue at the same time. It was as if she had chosen to have that color, the blues represented her purity, her calmness, and serenity. Her delicacy and her calm. While closer to the center of the iris, she had a yellow halo that could only be noticed if you looked closely. It represented her energy, her passion, her enthusiasm, her joy, her liveliness, her warmth. The way the light reflected on them made it seem like the sun was shining inside her. He could spend hours looking at the patterns formed within her iris.

"Derek, are you coming or not?" she raised an impatient eyebrow.

"I... Yeah, I am. Sorry. I'm coming with you."

He actually had other plans. He had agreed to play a basketball game with Mark and Sam after class today, but studying –yes, studying– with Addison seemed like a much more interesting Friday plan. He wasn't going to miss that opportunity.

"Then let's go, Nai must already be there waiting," she smiled again and invited him to follow her.

~•~

"The interns have an exam at the end of the month..." Addison said while taking a bite of her sandwich. They were having lunch together in the hospital's backyard.

"Yes, I heard something about it in the kitchen earlier. Bailey must be going crazy organizing the rounds" Derek said.

"The senior residents have to take on the interns' tasks during these weeks, so they have more time to study. Miranda is busy with rectal exams for now," she laughed just imagining it. That kind of unpleasant work was what the interns did.

"I still remember how our internal exam was. You started studying months in advance, as always. And you were super scared, as if you had ever failed anything. Straight-A student."

"It was my first exam as a surgical intern, of course I was scared and I was going to study months in advance. It was one of the most important ones, actually. "

"Yeah, it was. But you did the same with all the exams. Do you not remember the first Anatomy exam at the university? You went crazy studying."

"Oh, that one was a bit more difficult. Not because of the content itself, but because of your distracting presence all the time with that serial stalker look."

"Me looking at you? What are you talking about? I was just studying Anatomy," he laughed.

"Yes, my anatomy."

"Oh, no. That wasn't during the first exam. I was able to study that in detail only after several theoretical exams."

"Derek!"

~•~

"...In young people, one of the most common causes of sudden death is a failure in the electrical signaling within the heart. The presence of very fast heartbeats causes the lower chambers of the heart, the ventricles, to tremble senselessly instead of pumping blood. This irregular rhythm leads to ventricular fibrillation that... Derek, are you listening? Just because Naomi's gone doesn't mean we have to stop studying.

"I'm listening, ventricular fibrillation. Due to an irregular rhythm," he quickly repeated the last thing she said.

"How often does sudden cardiac death occur in young people?"

"In 1 out of 50."

"Fifty thousand! It's not something common in young people, not seen every day. You're not paying attention."

"I'm sorry, it's just... I'm a bit distracted. Don't you want to go for coffee?"

"I'd rather go once we finish, so we don't waste more time on this unit. We still have genetic diseases and congenital heart pathologies to cover."

Derek didn't really care about cardio. Once he had to choose his specialty, he was sure that wouldn't be one of his first options. But seeing her get angry and take everything so seriously made him admire her even more. Addison was going to be the best doctor, no doubt about it. She was already the best student in her class. Her determination and consistency at such a young age were going to take her far.

They stayed a few more hours in the library studying until it got dark. Time had really passed quickly once they both got enthusiastic about the topic. Derek didn't know how, but Addison infected him with the desire to spend his Friday afternoons studying, and it didn't feel burdensome or boring. On the contrary, he felt like he had the energy to study 10 more units if the day allowed it.

Only she could achieve something like that. If he had been with Mark, he probably would have left after half an hour to chase some girl nearby.

They agreed to meet again on Monday to continue with the remaining units that were part of the exam. Derek had offered to walk her to her apartment. She lived a few blocks from the university, and since it was already dark, he didn't want to leave her to go back alone.

"You're the best study partner I've ever had," Derek said at Addison's building's entrance.

"I'm not sure if I could say the same, but... I had a lot of fun today. You made it enjoyable," her cheeks turned slightly rosy.

"Then if I made you have fun, I'm the best study partner," he smiled.

"You could be..."

Their faces were close enough that they could feel each other's breath. They had never been this close before.

"I guess... see you on Monday?" she said nervously.

"After class in the library..." Derek looked at her lips, wanting to taste how they felt. They looked full, soft, with a slight shine. Could it be a fruity gloss? Maybe cherry or tutti frutti.

He didn't make an effort to hide it, and she could feel it.

"Okay..." she leaned in a bit more to give him a kiss on the cheek, but he quickly turned his face and caught her lips by surprise.

Addison closed her eyes and passed her hands behind his neck, prolonging the kiss for a few more moments. Internally, she had been wishing for him to do that.

Derek pulled away after a few seconds to catch his breath, and noticed how she was smiling at him. He took a chance, and luckily, it worked out.

Kissing her was so special and unique, much better than he had imagined. It felt like it was the first kiss he had ever had in his life. All the other kisses he had in the past magically disappeared. He didn't want to kiss any other lips but hers again.

"See you on Monday then..." she said, running her thumb across her lips, removing the excess shine he had passed. She was still somewhat embarrassed.

"1 in every 50,000 young people under 35 can experience sudden cardiac death... the causes can be due to some undiagnosed genetic or congenital disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a heart rhythm disorder, a chest contusion, or... from kissing the most beautiful girl in the universe.

"I doubt that last one is a medically proven cause," she laughed.

"It could be the first recorded case."

"Oh, I hope not... who else would I study anatomy with?"

"Well, you still have Naomi."

"I don't want to kiss Naomi..."

"Then make sure to bring a defibrillator to our next study session."

"I'll keep that in mind. See you, Derek," she continued to smile, feeling foolish.

"See you, Addie."

~•~

"Addie, I don't know if you remember what date is this Friday," he said as he walked alongside her in the hallway of the Archfield Hotel. It had become routine to accompany her to her room after work.

"Of course I remember, August 12th. Our anniversary..."

"August 12th, 12 years... last year we didn't celebrate our eleventh year properly. And I feel like we can't ignore it again this year. My past self would've killed me if an August 12th passed without celebrating with you," he stopped next to her in front of room 2214.

"I suppose so, yes..."

"I'd like to invite you to dinner. What do you say? Would you like to go?"

"Alright..." she gave a shy smile. Twelve years of marriage and she still blushed in front of her husband.

"I'll pick you up at 6 p.m., okay?"

"Okay, see you tomorrow at the hospital then," she said with radiant eyes. They reflected the joy in her soul at that moment.

"Oh, wait..." he said, putting his hand in his pocket and taking out a red braided thread bracelet, "this is for you."

"Why is this?" she smiled as she took the object in her hands.

"Oh, you'll find out soon... Have a good night, Addie," he said, kissing her cheek. Then he bent down enough to be at the level of her belly, "And goodnight to you too, little one. Everyone at the hospital is excited to know of your upcoming arrival. They say that mom looks beautiful with this baby bump, and I think the same. Don't tell her, because I'm embarrassed for her to find out I'm in love with her. Keep this a secret, okay? I hope you're already sleeping, huh? It's not time for little children to be awake."

Addison screamed internally out of excitement. Seeing Derek in the role of a father, being so affectionate with their baby, melted her heart to inexplicable levels. It was much more than she ever imagined living with him.

"Didn't your first-time mom magazines tell you that at sixteen weeks, the baby's hearing hasn't developed yet?" she joked.

"Mom will always ruin the party, Baby Shep. I'm warning you up front," he laughed as he stood up.

"Goodnight, Derek..." she couldn't erase the smile from her face. She felt like that 22-year-old girl standing at the door of her apartment again.

"Goodnight, Addie."

She approached timidly, feeling her heart rate increase. It beat so hard that it seemed like it wanted to jump out of her chest. She looked into his eyes with a mixture of eagerness and desire. He watched her with a smile on his lips, saying nothing and allowing her to take the lead.

Addison cupped his face and captured his lips in a long, deep kiss. Derek responded immediately, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer to his body.

They melted into an embrace, enjoying each other's warmth and the feeling of finally being together. It was a kiss filled with passion and tenderness. A kiss that reminded them how much they loved each other and how important they were to one another. They needed this.

When they finally pulled apart, she looked into his eyes and smiled.

"Will I see you tomorrow at the hospital?" Derek said, trying to catch his breath.

"Stay tonight..."

"Oh, no. Not yet. I have something better planned for Friday. You don't want to spoil the surprise."

"What surprise? Do you have a new tattoo in a place that can't be seen easily?" she teased, running her thumb over his lip, and wiping away the remaining lipstick.

"No, but you wouldn't want to ruin the wedding night, would you?"

Addison raised an eyebrow, somewhat confused.

"Waiting will be worth it, trust me. You won't be disappointed."

"Alright..."

"Goodnight, Addie."

"Goodnight, Derek."