"Mom, Dad can we talk," Leo asked.
"Sure," Owen agreed, "what's going on?"
"I'll just grab Allie," Leo said.
Allison came up with Leo.
"What's going on you two," Owen asked.
"We're tired of being compared to Annie," Leo said, "that Annie's more important, especially to mom."
"No," Teddy gasped, "not at all. Where is this coming from?"
"It's getting better but when we were younger Annie came first," Allison said, "I was in first and you dropped everything to go to BC with Annie. You almost missed my field trip and missed Leo's soccer game."
"Jessica died that night," Teddy said, "I went up after Jessica passed because Leslie was going off on Annie. I wasn't going to then Grandmere, Chris and Josh both told me I needed to come."
"I didn't know," Allison said.
"No we didn't tell you then because you were so young," Teddy replied, "and Dad would have gone on the field trip if I hadn't made it home. Dad went to the soccer game."
"Sometimes we didn't tell you because it wasn't developmentally appropriate," Owen said, "there were times that we've had to prioritise all of you and none of you like it when we do it. The times that I can think of us putting Annie first were when she was nearly hospitalised with anorexia. And right around her due date and when she's given birth to her kids. Allie, we put you first around that time with Ev."
"Anorexia," Leo asked.
"Yes," Teddy replied, "Annie is in a lifelong fight with it. Your sister is recovering and doing well but she has anorexia. It's like an alcoholic, they're always in recovery."
"Why didn't you tell us," Allison asked.
"You were too young to tell then," Teddy replied, "sometimes we got stretched too thin and you two lost out I know that. I know we have a lot of intergenerational trauma. We're really trying to break the cycle. I'm sorry."
"We don't," Allison started.
"I do," Leo said, "how I came to the family, my surgeries."
"You do," Teddy agreed.
"Thats why we had you in counselling and support groups when you started asking," Owen said, "Allie you're not immune."
"Having Everly was hard," Allison said, "watching her surgeries and in pain. But her surgeries are her traumas not mine."
"Why now," Owen questioned.
"I just heard mom on the phone with Annie talking her down about something," Leo said.
"We're allowed to tell you," Teddy replied, "Dan has been diagnosed with Parkinsons. She's finding it hard. She just needed to vent. That's her dad. If it was me or dad?"
"I'd lose it," Allison said, "you're okay?"
"We're good," Owen assured, "mom and I are very healthy. Dan is in his 80s."
"What happens to Uncle Dan," Allison asked.
"It's slow," Teddy replied, "but he'll lose his mobility and balance."
"Dad, remember the time you, Uncle Dan and I took the Old Skool out off Deception Pass and caught those huge Springs," Leo asked.
"Or when he taught all of us to wake surf," Allison said.
"The first time we went fishing and you made a rainbow unicorn fish," Teddy smiled.
"When the four of us went to New York," Leo said, "and saw where mom grew up."
"That was a good trip," Owen agreed, "seeing the house Teddy grew up in."
"Remember when we took down the dead trees in the back yard and used all the branches to make a fort and the four of us spent the night in it," Allison asked.
"We've had fun," Teddy smiled, "I loved those times. I want you two to have all those great memories."
"I want Ev to have them," Allison said, "but mom I don't understand why during COVID lock down you and dad didn't see us."
"We couldn't," Owen said, "that almost killed me. I missed all of you so much. I wanted to be with you and hug my kids and play with them. But we didn't know enough about the virus and had to keep you safe. It was new and terrifying."
"We were scared," Allison said, "that you would never come home. The numbers were scary and Josh wasn't really around. You left us with Annie. Why didn't you take turns with her?"
"Because she was pregnant then nursing a newborn then pregnant again," Teddy said, "you know Matt and Henry are only 15 months apart."
"Annie had a 5 or 6 month old and got pregnant again," Allison said, "I can't imagine. I didn't even feel like myself or being touched at that point."
"I know," Teddy replied, "but she didn't know until she was about 8 or 9 weeks."
"That was scary," Leo said, 'not seeing you or only being able to sit on opposite sides of the path."
"We had to keep you safe," Teddy replied, "we didn't want to. We thought we were doing the best thing for you. There were 3 months that dad and I didn't see each other without PPE on. 3 months that we talked through texts and facetime. Three months where we didn't touch another human without gloves on."
"We have always tried to do our very best for you," Owen said, "we want you to be happy and healthy. And we're just human. "
"It's hard," Allison agreed, "trying to be perfect for her all day every day."
"She's doing well," Teddy assured.
"I think we didn't communicate well," Owen said, "mom and I don't always communicate well."
"Allison you have faced so many challenges already, baby girl," Teddy said, "and overcome them. I'm not good at praise. I'm better at telling you what to do."
"Sometimes that's what I need," Allison said.
"It has been," Teddy agreed, "but you're growing up and I don't like it."
"I think we still need to work on communication," Owen said, "sometimes I don't tell you things thinking I'm protecting you."
"Stop hiding things from us please," Allison said, "dad I haven't been a little girl since my senior year."
"We stopped being kids during the pandemic," Leo said, "knowing our parents could die treating sick people. We worried about you every day and didn't have anyone to talk to."
"Annie and Josh don't count," Allison said, "we needed you. Not on facetime, not through a window. I couldn't imagine not hugging Everly for 6 months, brushing her hair, tucking her in."
"That's why I had a breakdown," Teddy replied, "I was completely catatonic. Dad put an IV in my arm because I was so unresponsive I wouldn't even drink water when he put the straw to my mouth. I knew he was there and I knew he was talking to me and caring for me but I couldn't respond. And all I could think of was losing you two. It was the worst thing that you can imagine. I was trapped in my imagination or memories and it took days to get out."
"We had to keep you two away," Owen said, "you couldn't see mom like that."
"What brought you out of it," Allison asked.
"Your voices," Teddy replied, "Annie brought you by to pick up some clothes and I hard you two bickering in the living room. And it's like the lights went on."
"Why didn't anyone tell us," Allison asked.
"Because I didn't want to scare you," Owen replied, "we wanted to protect you."
"I'm sorry," Teddy replied, "we didn't do it well."
"I get it," Allison replied, "but can you stop protecting us now. We're adults."
"We're trying to let you grow up,' Teddy replied, "I'm finding it really hard. Watching you two go to med school is hard. It makes me feel really old."
"You're not," Allison stated.
"I'm 69, dad's 66," Teddy answered, "we are. When you finish med school I'll be 72 almost 73 by the time your residency is done I'm 78. I'm ageing. I feel it. You all must see it."
"But you're not old," Allison argued, "Uncle Dan is old."
"He's older than dad and I," Teddy agreed.
"Will he die," Leo asked.
"We all do eventually," Teddy replied, "but it's a slow painful disease. It's going to be hard for all of us. We love Dan."
"Just be patient with your sister about it," Owen said, "it's going to be really hard for both Annie and Chris."
"Could you imagine how you would feel if that was dad or I," Teddy asked.
Leo and Allison shook their heads.
"They already lost Leslie," Leo said, "but she said Leslie hadn't been her mom since she started med school."
"Their relationship was complicated and strained for a long time," Teddy agreed, "I didn't help as much as I maybe should have. I thought I was protecting Annie. Sometimes I get really protective and I go about it wrong. I know I hold on too tight and hover or interfere a bit too much."
"Mom we're ready," Allison said, "you keep telling me to let Ev do things and to let my daughter be independent. You need to take your own advice."
"I'm trying," Teddy said, "I know I'm not very good at it. I'm scared too. I'm scared you'll grow up and won't need or want me. And that's for me to deal with. That is my problem to cope with, not yours."
"Why would you lose us," Leo asked.
"You're growing up," Teddy replied, "you wanting to serve scares me. We lost a lot of friends, we lost Megan for 10 years. We've seen it, we've seen combat, i've had dad covering my back while I intubate a patient."
"We know too much about it," Owen said, "it was hell for all of us. I don't want you to go through that."
"Dad I want to," Leo said, "I have to help."
"We know you do," Owen said, "because we felt the same."
"I don't agree with it," Teddy said, "but I am always on your side."
"I don't like it," Allison said, "you don't have to go."
"I do," Leo said, "Allie I have to. I signed the contract. I'll do my residency with the army or in an army hospital."
"I don't like it," Allison replied.
"You don't," Teddy said, "but you have to support him."
"We know you are all very different and have different goals," Teddy said, "we love you."
"We know," Leo said.
"Then why now," Owen asked.
"Because we needed to say it," Leo said, "well I needed to and I dragged Allie into it."
"Allie," Owen asked.
"We talk more," Allison said, "I spend more time with you two then Leo. we've talked about it but I'm still the family let down. I hear how people talk about me."
"Where," Owen asked, "who?"
"At school," Allison shrugged.
"You ignore it," Teddy replied, "ignore and let yourself shine. You're doing well so far. Don't let insecure judgemental people bring you down."
"It's teachers two," Allison admitted.
"Hold your head up and prove them wrong," Owen said, "show them."
"I hate always having to show people I belong," Allison said, "I'm a mom not stupid. Being a mother doesn't make me less capable."
"It doesn't," Teddy agreed, "I think having Everly made you more driven, more focused."
"It did," Allison said, "there were a lot of nights I sat in the rocking chair feeding her trying to figure out who did I want to be. What was I going to show her it means to be a person, a woman, to live a good life."
"You took those hard things, those late exhausting nights and used them for growth," Owen said.
"We are so proud of both of you," Teddy added, "how much you care for and support each other. That you are a team."
"We've always been a team," Leo said.
"Oh you have," Teddy laughed, "you were too young to remember but there was one day the two of you got into the baking cupboard. And oh my god."
"It looked like a blizzard in the house," Owen chuckled, "flour, dried coconut, icing sugar."
"There's the time they iced Annie's cat with royal icing," Teddy laughed.
"Or when Leo put laundry detergent in the dishwasher," Allison giggled.
"You put bubble bath in the pool one time," Leo countered.
"I wanted to swim in bubbles," Allison shrugged.
"When we all decorated the house for mom's 60th," Owen said.
"Or when we got up in the middle of the night to play in the snow," Allison smiled, "because it had just started snowing."
"When we set up the treasure hunt through the house for the Hawaii trip," Teddy smiled.
"We couldn't figure out what the clues meant," Leo remembered.
"Or when we went camping and dad left the tortilla chips out and a chipmunk ate them," Allison giggled.
"The first time we went fishing," Teddy said, "we got so lost and one of you misheard Campbell River as having something to do with soup."
"I remember that we had this whole imagnairy soup world," Allison laughed.
"We've had fun," Teddy smiled.
"Game and cookie nights," Leo remembered, "can we have one while I'm home?"
"We can," Teddy agreed, "tomorrow night? I'm off tomorrow and will bake. So we need oatmeal chocolate chip for Allie, triple chocolate for Leo, shortbread for dad and I want gingerbread."
"Really Teddy," Owen asked.
"I could add Asher's jam jams and Everly's peanut butter," Teddy replied.
"Half batches," Owen asked.
"I'll freeze most of the dough," Teddy agreed.
"I like when you have frozen cookie dough," Allison said.
"Because you cut chunks off and eat it raw," Teddy teased.
"Only since Ev was born," Allison replied.
"I know," Teddy replied, "I made you eggless safe cookie dough when you were pregnant and craving it."
"I wouldn't say no to that," Allison replied.
"You know how to make it," Teddy replied.
"But you have time to," Allison replied.
"Games, cookies and chinese tomorrow night," Leo asked.
"The six of us," Teddy replied, "we'll include Asher and Everly."
"Does Charlotte want to come," Allison asked.
"No," Leo said, "just us."
Teddy checked her watch and got up off the couch, "I'm going to get a massive amount of cookie stuff at costco if anyone is coming with me?"
"I'll come," Leo agreed.
"I should go start dinner," Allison replied, "Leo are you eating with mom and dad or us?"
"What are my choices," Leo asked.
"I'm making burrito bowls and then freezing the left overs for all of our lunches," Allison replied.
"I'm making BBQ chicken and mashed potatoes," Owen replied.
"Burritos," Leo replied, "I'll grab some fresh jalapenos, cilantro and cheese while mom and i are out."
"Sour Cream please," Allison replied, "and guacamole."
"The mini cups," Teddy clarified.
"Yes," Allison replied, "Leo I have the other stuff, it's just the sour cream and guacamole I was going to ask Ash to go get."
"I'll find something to go on the side," Leo replied.
"You're cooking soon," Allison teased.
"I'm home for three more days. I'll cook one of them," Leo agreed, "your just better than me at it."
"More practice,' Allison replied.
"No go back," Everly said joining them.
"I have to go back to school," Leo replied, "but tomorrow I'm taking you out for the day just you and me."
"Where are we going," Everly asked.
"The zoo," Leo replied, "we'll take your wagon so you can walk or ride and we'll go on the carousel and see animals."
"Really," Everly asked.
"Really," Leo promised, "just you and I. An Uncle Leo day."
"Remind us to give you a parking thing in the morning," Allison replied, "you don't have to pay for parking in an accessible stall with it."
"Do you use it," Leo asked.
"On my own no with Everly yes," Allison replied.
"Go now," Everly asked.
"No in the morning after breakfast," Leo replied, "but we will go and have so much fun."