New York City.
July 18, 1993.
Addison was in her apartment, finishing up her eyeliner. She wore soft and delicate makeup on her face, matching her floor-length black satin dress. Her hair was partially tied back with a braid in the center, leaving her waves and bangs loose. Naomi was next to her, also getting ready.
It was one of the most important days in the lives of the senior students. The graduation ceremony at Columbia Medical School was about to take place, in a solemn and emotional event that marked the end of a challenging journey of study and training.
The ceremony would be held at the historic Radio City Music Hall, and it would be attended by all their family, friends, professors, and academic authorities. The two of them, as always, would go together.
"You look stunning, Addie," Naomi said, smiling at her. She wore a golden dress with a slit on her left leg.
"Thank you, Nai. You too! I still can't believe this is actually happening."
"I know, it feels like the first day was just yesterday, and now we're done."
"Do you think my hairstyle will get ruined with the cap? Oh my God, I can't believe I'm thinking about that."
"I think at that moment, the least of our worries will be our hairstyle."
"Hey, I wanna look presentable when I go up to give the speech."
"Addie, you always look impeccable. That won't be a problem for you."
"I think we should leave in ten minutes..." she said, laughing.
On the other hand, Derek, Sam, and Mark were already prepared, waiting for the moment to leave. The three of them wore formal suits; Sam in beige, Mark in navy blue, and Derek in black.
"Derek, are you sure?" Mark said, not very convinced about his friend's plans.
"Of course I am. I've been organizing it for months."
"You're ruining your life."
"Oh, Mark. You'll never understand," he laughed.
"My two partners are leaving me..."
"We haven't abandoned you," Sam said while adjusting his light blue bowtie.
"Of course you have, the idea wasn't to get into relationships in college. You missed out on the best years of being single. And you don't even plan on enjoying residency with the sexy nurses in hospitals..."
"I don't feel like I've missed out on anything, on the contrary, I gained much more than I imagined," Derek said.
"Nope, I've definitely lost you, brother," he closed his eyes, lamenting.
~•~
Addison abruptly opened her eyes when she heard the sound of the landline phone ringing in the room. She didn't understand what it was about or who could be calling her so early. Still groggy, she reached out and answered the call.
"Dr. Montgomery Shepherd."
"Good morning, Mrs. Montgomery Shepherd. There's a package under your name at the reception that was just delivered. Would you like us to bring it to your room?"
"A package?" she asked in a hoarse voice.
"That's correct. The sender of the present is Dr. Derek Shepherd."
"Oh, alright. I'd appreciate it if you could bring it to me."
She hung up the phone and reached for her cell phone. The screen showed that it was 6:25 a.m. on Friday, August 12, 2006. Today was their wedding anniversary. She was eager to find out what surprise Derek had been talking about all week.
~•~
The graduation ceremony began at six in the evening, with the entrance of the graduates walking to the music of the orchestra. They were all dressed in purple gowns and caps, with the university logo embroidered on one side. The audience welcomed them with a standing ovation as the students made their way down the aisle to their seats on the stage. Addison and Derek were seated next to each other.
The dean of Columbia Medical School welcomed the graduates and their guests and delivered a keynote speech on the importance of medicine and the role that the new doctors would play in society from now on.
Next, the diplomas were awarded to the graduates. Each student went up on stage, received their diploma, had their photograph taken, and received congratulations from the academic authorities. Addison was the first, as they were going in alphabetical order. Derek, Mark, Naomi, and finally Sam followed.
After the diploma ceremony, everyone prepared for the speech by a medical student selected by their peers, which in this case was Addison representing her class.
"Esteemed authorities, professors, graduates, and everyone present on this special night, I wanted to express my gratitude on behalf of myself and all my classmates. Thank you for every conversation, for every pat on the back, for every soul-touching gesture. Thank you for nurturing our learning. Thank you for believing in us and never giving up. By sharing the best of yourselves, you have helped us become doctors today."
She paused briefly and continued.
"We are embarking on a long, challenging, and rewarding career. I know it will be filled with soul-enriching moments. Today, we cease being students and become doctors. We venture out into life to offer our service, to save lives, to improve lives. Today, truly marks the beginning of the greatest adventure of our lives."
She took a breath and continued.
"On behalf of myself and my colleagues, I now proceed to make our oath. I, Addison Adrianne Forbes Montgomery, solemnly swear on my honor and conscience to faithfully fulfill the medical profession, dedicating my entire life to the service of humanity. I promise to respect the dignity of every human being, their physical and moral integrity, and to keep the secret of all that is entrusted to me. I commit to always keeping my knowledge and skills up to date, practicing my profession with honesty, impartiality, and humility, and working as a team with other healthcare professionals for the well-being of my patients. I swear never to use my medical knowledge and skills for unethical and immoral purposes, and to always prioritize the health and well-being of my patients above any other interest."
Everyone stood up and applauded.
"Finally, I would like to thank my partner, Derek, for being by my side every step of this journey. To my dear colleagues and friends, Mark, Naomi, and Sam. To my mentors, my professors, my family... thank you. I would not have made it here without you."
Derek looked at her proudly from his seat. He melted with love with every word she spoke. She was there, a general practitioner. And so was he.
They had achieved it.
~•~
"Mmm, have you seen my husband, Miranda?" she asked with a chocolate truffle in her mouth. She knew that if she left them in the hotel, she would be thinking about eating them all day.
"I don't remember seeing him around... having a healthy breakfast?"
"Oh, do you want some?" she offered, but Miranda declined. "It's a gift from Derek, it's our anniversary today."
"Did you get married in the middle of summer?"
"We did... it was exactly five years after the first time we met. Back in 1989, during Anatomy class in the first semester of medical school. It was a Monday, August 12th..."
"So many years... It must have been beautiful to grow together."
"It was... It was a dream ceremony, like a fairy tale, you know, the princess dress, about 200 guests, the venue... everything went perfectly that day. And well... here we are today, 12 years later, with a baby on the way..."
"Do you have any plans for tonight?"
"Derek invited me to dinner. I wanted to find him to ask where we're going, so I know what outfit to choose... but if you say you haven't seen him... should I be worried?"
"I don't think so, he sent you the box of chocolates, right? Maybe he'll arrive later or he's in the operating room."
"Mmm..." she popped another truffle into her mouth. "Probably."
The reality was that Derek had taken the day off, and the only person who knew about it was Richard. He needed this time to carry out the plan he had been making for weeks, so he didn't go to the hospital.
~•~
It was almost 6 p.m. and Addison was standing in front of the mirror in her room, finishing up her hair. Her auburn curls cascaded down her shoulders as she carefully brushed them. Then, she turned around to pick up some jewelry she had on her nightstand.
She took a pair of blue sapphire earrings that matched the color of her eyes and gently placed them in her ears. Derek liked that pair, he had given them to her on Christmas.
She was wearing a delicate knee-length black silk dress with a V-neckline. As she observed her silhouette in the mirror, she couldn't help but notice the changes in her body. The dress hugged her figure, and her baby bump –almost 17 weeks along– was perfectly evident. All her new curves were on display. She was proud of it. She liked the new image she saw of herself, feeling more confident than ever knowing that her baby would be with her every step of the way.
Addison walked to the door as soon as she heard the doorbell and found a well-dressed Derek smiling at her.
"You look radiant tonight," he said as he planted a gentle kiss on her cheek.
"Where were you all day? You didn't go to work, you weren't answering my calls, and Derek was worried."
"When we get there, you'll understand. Shall we?" he said, placing a hand on her back.
"Where are we going?"
"It's a surprise, I told you."
"I hate surprises."
"You'll like this one, I assure you."
~•~
Finally, the ceremony ended with the orchestra's music and the graduates walking down the aisle while the audience applauded and congratulated them.
Once outside the auditorium, Derek knelt in front of Addison, leaving everyone present, including herself, completely surprised.
"Derek!" she whispered with a trembling voice, tears already streaming down her eyes.
"Addie... these four years in college not only gave me the title of a doctor, but they also gave me the most wonderful person in the world. The best study partner, the one who spent long sleepless nights by my side reading piles of books up to the ceiling, the one who came up with the wonderful idea of having a funeral for Mr. Mulligan to thank him for his sacrifice and contribution to our education..."
Addison smiled, unable to contain her tears.
"The most generous and caring girl, always concerned about others, the funniest and most knowledgeable girl I've ever met... Today marks the end of our student life, one that I will always remember with fondness, love, and nostalgia. But I believe it's only logical that our relationship as boyfriend and girlfriend also comes to an end. I want to take the next step, I want to be the first thing you see when you wake up and the last thing you see when you close your eyes. I want to spend every second of my life by your side. What do you say? Dr. Addison Forbes Montgomery, will you marry me?"
She nodded her head. She was as surprised as she was excited at that moment, unable to utter a word.
Derek smiled and slipped a white gold ring with a precious gem onto her ring finger. He stood up, and she cupped his face to give him a heartfelt kiss on his lips.
All their friends and family present shouted and clapped with excitement for the newly engaged couple. They were witnesses to the beginning of one of the greatest love stories.
~•~
"Is it really necessary for me to have my eyes covered?" Addison asked as they were in the car.
"Very necessary."
"And can't you put this ridiculous blindfold on me when we're close to the place? Or can't I even know the way? My makeup will be ruined, Derek," she complained.
"No, it's all a surprise."
"I feel like I'm being kidnapped. Come on, I'm not a child, I promise I'll like your surprise, every part of the night doesn't have to be a surprise," she said, trying to take off the blindfold.
"Addison!" He took her hand and quickly moved it away from her face. "Be a little more patient, God."
"Are we almost there?"
"No, we're almost entering..."
After a few minutes of driving, they finally arrived at their destination. Derek parked the car and went to open the door for Addison.
"It should be illegal to blindfold a pregnant woman," she said as she took his hand and got out of the car.
"Hold onto me, I won't let you fall."
"Is this grass? Did you bring me to the woods? My shoes are sinking in..."
"Addison, please stop complaining, we're almost there."
"If I had known you were going to make me walk blindly through the mud, I wouldn't have worn these heels."
"Okay, we're here. You can look now."
Addison untied the knot of the blindfold and blinked a couple of times until her eyes adjusted to the place. It adjusted too much because it looked very familiar. It was Derek's property.
"I can't believe you brought me to the trailer. This is not a surprise! Is this a joke?"
"Of course not, the surprise is here... come, walk a little with me, we haven't reached it yet."
They walked further into the forest until they started to see some warm lights in the distance. Addison didn't understand what it was, but she was starting to get excited.
"I know you hate the trailer and the country life has never been your thing," he began to say as they approached. "I also know it's not an ideal place to raise a baby. It's barely enough for the two of us, I don't know how we would fit a crib, but... I've been thinking a lot about it and I wanted to show you this."
Throughout the property, there was a path of lit candles on the ground that outlined the plans of a house. Addison's skin tingled as she realized what it was.
"Oh, Derek..." her voice was starting to break with emotion.
"These are the plans for our house. I've been talking to an architect in the past few weeks and he helped me design the spaces of the house. This would be the living room..." he said as he stepped into the silhouette. "And here would be the kitchen, your favorite place..."
She laughed and shook her head.
"There would be the stairs... upstairs would be the master bedroom, and next to it, the baby's room. There would also be several guest rooms to accommodate our family when they come to visit. We could have a playroom here... Oh, and the huge garden for the baby to play outside every day."
"Derek..."
"What do you say? Do you like it?"
"Of course I do, it's perfect." She ran to hug him.
Derek lifted her in the air and spun her around. He was so happy that she was happy.
"I loved the surprise, I can't believe you did all this by yourself. It's beautiful. Thank you for this," she said before kissing his lips repeatedly.
"I have a few more things, actually..."
"Oh, you make me feel bad because I didn't prepare any special gift for you."
"What do you mean? You carry my gift everywhere," he said, wrapping his arms around her belly and leaving a soft kiss on her neck.
Derek reached into his pocket and took out three small velvet boxes. One was crimson, another navy blue, and the last one black.
"Choose a color."
"Oh, wow... I'll pick the blue one."
He opened the box and there was a silver ring with a turquoise stone on top. He took Addison's hand and placed it on her left ring finger.
"Last year we celebrated our steel anniversary, and we didn't even give it the importance it deserved. And it was mostly my fault. I accepted a last-minute surgery instead of going to the restaurant you had booked for us... I'm sorry for that. I said sorry at the time, but it wasn't true. I didn't feel bad leaving you alone, it wasn't even something that concerned me... and now every time I think about it, I regret it so much. I was an idiot who didn't know how to appreciate you."
"It's okay..."
"Steel is a resilient and adaptable material, just like a couple can be after a decade. You adapted to a completely strange city for me. You agreed to build your life from scratch for the love you had for me... I chose this steel ring so you can have an object that symbolizes this new decade we are starting together. It will be very different from the previous one, because a new stage is beginning that will change our lives, but we will face it together. I also have a ring for myself, and I will start wearing it along with my wedding band."
"Oh, Derek... it's beautiful. Thank you."
"Choose another color."
"Oh... the red one."
Derek opened the box, and there was a braided red thread bracelet, just like the one he had given her a few days ago.
"This is our twelfth anniversary. The linen anniversary. An oriental legend tells of a red thread that connects people who are destined to be together. This thread can stretch, tangle, and wear, but never break. Because as long as there is a thread, every small rupture that may arise will be fixed. Addie, I know we've made a mess with our thread, we stretched it to the point of almost breaking it, it tangled with the threads of other people, it made knots, and wore out, but despite everything, it's still there, stronger than ever, and... Oh, Addie, don't cry."
"I can't help it, I'm emotional and you're being so loving in a way I never thought you would be again," she said, wiping her tears with her hands.
"I didn't think I would be like this again either, but hey, be grateful that I didn't write another love song."
She laughed, remembering that unexpected moment at their wedding.
"These bracelets are for us to remember that the thread exists, and it will exist for as long as eternity lasts. And now there's only the black box left, the least symbolic one, actually."
He handed it to her, and Addison took out a key from inside.
"The construction of the house will start at the end of this month, and it will take at least a year until it's ready to be lived in. So the baby will be born before that, and you can't keep living in a hotel, Addie... I talked to Burke, and he helped me get an apartment in the building where he and Cristina live. This would be our temporary home and the baby's first home. What do you say? Do you want to move in with me again?"
Addison quickly nodded her head and hugged him again, excitement filling her.
"I love you," he whispered in her ear.
"I love you, Derek."
