Late August 2011
Chapter 1: Intro
Addison watched as Jake studied the photos on her desk. She filled it with photos of her six-year-old daughter, Olivia Montgomery-Shepherd. Not that he knew who she was. He hadn't asked, and Addison hadn't offered. She knew she had to tell him soon because Olivia would be home soon from her two-month-long stay with her dad in Seattle. Jake and Addison had just agreed to be exclusive a few weeks back, and it'd been bliss since.
Meeting at the grocery store was one thing, but seeing him again at St. Ambrose felt like a sign. Then, getting to know him while working together only made Addison like him even more. When Naomi left the practice, they needed a replacement. And Jake had apparently taken his cases to St. Ambrose enough for Charlotte to trust him, and enough to suggest he join the practice. It also helped that Naomi had heard good things about him over the years as a fellow fertility and IVF specialist.
Addison didn't want to complicate things at the practice, but they had an empty office they needed to fill. And Jake seemed genuinely interested in working at the practice during his interview process. No one knew there was something between them. And honestly, there wasn't anything concrete other than a few dates and a kiss. A good kiss, mind you, but they never said they were exclusive.
Jake told her he liked her, that he wanted to see where their relationship would go, but that even without her, he still wanted to work for her practice. And honestly, the interview process was, quite frankly, exhausting. There wasn't anyone else they interviewed that they liked. Everyone else wanted Jake to take Naomi's office. And Addison did, too. She just wasn't sure how clouded her judgment was.
So, as happy as Addison was, she, like Jake, didn't tell anyone about their blossoming relationship. Not even her best friend or sister-in-law. The last thing she wanted was for them to judge her for hiring him while dating him. Plus, everyone, Naomi and Charlotte included, said he was a great doctor. And his reputation definitely proved that as well.
It'd been a few months, and Jake fit in nicely with the practice and with her. A few weeks ago, they'd gone on this amazing date, complete with flowers and store-bought pizza dough and pizza topping ingredients. She wasn't a very good cook, and she admitted that much. But Jake guided her through it. Jake was a good cook, or so he claimed. But the pizza crust ended up being underdone and doughy, and the toppings burned on top. They laughed about it and got Chinese takeout instead, blaming Addison's uneven oven for the mistake.
As they cleaned up the kitchen, Addison accidentally knocked over the bag of flour, making an even bigger mess. And Jake playfully accused her of doing it on purpose. Their play-fight turned into a make-out session before Addison guided them upstairs to her bedroom. It was their first night together, and it couldn't have been more perfect. In the morning, Jake told her there wasn't anyone else, nor was there ever anyone else. And he didn't want there to be. Addison couldn't say no to that and didn't want to.
They tried to keep things a secret for as long as they could. Jake wanted the rest of the practice to like and respect him. And it'd be a little hard to do if they knew he was technically dating the boss before he started working there. Addison didn't want everyone to think she hired him because they were dating, either. So, they both agreed to keep it a secret for the time being. But the constant glances, blushing, and smiles said it all. Violet was the first to notice, and the first one Addison told. It was either that or Violet would start spreading the word to everyone else. Eventually, they told everyone else, and luckily they were happy for them.
But now, Olivia would be back any minute, and for whatever reason, she hadn't told Jake about her. He'd seen the pictures in his office, but he didn't ask. A week ago, Amelia, who'd pretty much spent all summer with her boyfriend, went to Seattle to spend some time with Derek and to bring Olivia home with her. Going to Seattle would likely end in some sort of argument, one that Addison would likely have to hear about when she got back. Those two were incapable of not arguing whenever they were together.
Amelia, when she moved in with Addison, willingly offered to go back and forth with the young girl. That way, it'd allow her parents to effectively not have to deal with each other in person. She told Addison it was the least she could do for letting her crash in the guest room. Besides, having someone Derek trusted to take over for him was a bonus all around. She got more time in the OR and Derek got uninterrupted time off to spend with his kid.
Amelia took on childcare duties like a champ, something Addison hadn't expected but was grateful for. She and Olivia got along great. Olivia had declared her auntie, or Lia as she was called her, her bestie. It wasn't unusual to come home and find them cuddled on the couch watching a movie, or sound asleep. And Milo, Addison's cat nearby, kept a watchful eye on the young girl he'd taken a liking to.
What Addison wasn't expecting, however, was for her six-year-old to return early, or at least she thought it was days early. She'd been in such a love bubble she forgot the date of her daughter's arrival.
The young girl immediately took off running once they got to the right floor. Olivia burst into Addison's office, completely unaware that her mom's boyfriend was there. But, even if she was, it wouldn't have mattered; she just missed her mommy and wanted to see her.
"Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" Olivia ran straight into her mother's legs.
"I'm home! But you didn't pick me up from the airport," Olivia whined, looking up at Addison with widened puppy-dog eyes.
Addison caved, looking into her eyes, bending down to scoop her up. But before she did, she gave Jake a small and apologetic smile, silently praying he'd understand.
"You're right. I'm so sorry, but you weren't supposed to be home yet. Auntie Amelia wasn't supposed to bring you home for another three days!" Addison matched her daughter's dramatized tone playfully.
"Mommy," Olivia huffed.
"It's already been three days, remember?! We talked on the phone about it lots, like we always do. Daddy always wants me to stay longer 'cause he misses me so, so, so much when I'm gone," Olivia said dramatically.
"But then, I tell him that it's extra special when I do see him 'cause we don't see each other every day. Even though we talk on the phone lots," Olivia added.
"Did you spend a really long time fixing a baby? Is that why you forgot I was coming home? Or did you just forget 'cause you're old?" Olivia asked, being completely serious. She couldn't even stop to let anyone else get a word in. The girl was too excited to see her mom.
Addison frowned at being called "old" in response, and the girl's aunt had to hold back her laughter.
"I didn't forget, silly. You came a whole day earlier than you were supposed to!" Addison reminded her playfully.
"Nuh-uh! I stayed even longer with Daddy. We went out to the land yesterday, and we played in the mud and I got to drive my Barbie jeep. Then he took me fishing, but I got so bored, I fell asleep!" Olivia giggled, telling her mom everything.
Jake had been standing there, silently watching the exchange. He also noticed the younger woman standing back and eyeing him curiously. Suddenly, the pictures and the phone calls all made sense now. Who could he judge? He didn't tell her about his daughter, either.
As if she read his mind, Olivia stopped talking, suddenly remembering she saw someone else in the room. She turned around in her mom's arms and stared at him, almost as if she was sizing him up. She wiggled out of her mom's arms after a minute and went over to him.
"I'm Olivia Montgomery-Shepherd! Who are you? Did you kiss my mommy? 'Cause my daddy kisses Meredeth. She's okay, but she's not as good as Mommy. But Meredeth lets me stay home with her sometimes when she's not working so I don't have to go to daycare," Olivia said, all in one breath.
Addison covered her mouth, horrified by everything her daughter had said, but couldn't help but chuckle at her pronunciation of Meredith's name. Regaining her senses, she pulled Olivia back toward herself, scolding her.
"Olivia! We do not talk that way," Addison said, pulling Olivia back slightly.
"Jake, I'm so, so, so sorry. You do not need to answer her. Sometimes, she lacks a filter. She's been raised with manners," Addison looked sternly at the little girl, who smiled back mischievously.
He couldn't help but think that this little girl looked like a mini version of Addison, which made sense seeing as she was clearly her daughter. Although he could see some other features that reminded him of someone else. Her openness and exaggerations were so different from Addison's more reserved manners. It made him wonder what Addison was like as a child.
He'd heard whispers about her parents and growing up as a WASP. The practice was very gossipy, and Jake remembered when Addison told him about her older brother, Archer. But if the younger Addison was anything like the little girl standing before him, it must've been an interesting childhood. And it would've made sense, considering she also told him she always felt like an outsider.
"No, it's fine. She can ask me anything she wants," Jake replied, winking at the little girl before bending down to her level.
"Well, Miss Olivia…Can I call you that?" Jake started, waiting for Olivia's nod before continuing.
"While you were away, I spent a lot of time with your mommy. And sometimes, we kissed. I'd like to do it again, but only if I get your permission first," Jake stressed the word if, looking her straight in the eye.
Olivia stood there, thinking while looking back and forth between all the adults in the room.
Addison stood there, completely scandalized by her daughter's entire presence today.
Amelia's lip practically started bleeding from how long she'd kept it bitten. She was trying so hard to keep from laughing at the entire exchange. She knew Olivia would say yes in the end, but she was a child with the freedom of expression. And she took advantage of it whenever she could.
"Liv, come on. I have Scooby snacks in my office," Amelia called, wanting to break up the tension.
"Okay!" Olivia skipped over, taking her aunt's hand and leaving the question unanswered.
Addison nearly collapsed on the chair once the little girl was out of the room. She was clearly mortified, but Jake couldn't help but let out a chuckle.
"Jake, I am so sorry about her. She isn't normally like this; she's normally well-behaved, but well…you've met Amelia. They're thick as thieves, so unfortunately, Amelia's rubbed off on her," Addison explained.
"It's okay," Jake reassured her, chuckling.
"Amelia is great, and I'd love to have her around more. But I do have to ask: can I still date you? Or does Olivia make the rules?" Jake asked cheekily.
Addison chuckled, embarrassed.
"Jake, I'm serious! You do not have to play into her…ridiculousness. But we do have to talk. Dinner tomorrow? I'd say tonight, but she's going to want my full attention. Plus, I haven't seen her in almost two months," Addison added.
"Sure. I'll swing by for dinner. Does she eat sushi?" Jake asked easily. He knew sushi was one of Addison's favorite foods.
Addison shook her head, frowning.
"Not at all. Her dad likes to fish, and she found out what happens after you catch your new friends," Addison explained. Jake chuckled loudly, causing Addison to laugh along.
"I take it things didn't go well?" Jake asked. Addison shook her head.
"No. We can't have sushi around her or she gets upset cause we betrayed her friends. She likes Chinese food, though; she doesn't get it with her dad, I don't think. I heard his girlfriend doesn't like it," Addison said, thinking aloud.
"So, what you're saying is, I can come for dinner with Chinese food? Enough for three people to get her permission to date her lovely mother?" Jake asked playfully. Addison grinned, unable to hold back. He was just so dang charming.
"Dinner for four. If you want me, I come with a child and a grown-up child," Addison joked, referring to Amelia as her "grown-up child".
"Is that grown-up child the one that distracted your daughter with Scooby snacks?" Jake guessed playfully, assuming he was correct. After all, Amelia and the little one shared the same last name.
"Hmm…That would be the one. She's Olivia's aunt. My ex-husband's sister. I kept her in the divorce," Addison cracked a joke, knowing Amelia would find it hysterical.
"What else did you get in the divorce?" Jake asked curiously, hoping he wasn't overstepping.
Addison thought back for a moment, recalling the signing.
"Everything but the land in Seattle. And like…75% of Liv," Addison joked.
"She lives with me full time. He tries to see her as often as he can, but it's never enough. He's a doctor too, but he still works at a trauma one hospital. So, my schedule just works better for her," Addison explained.
"Sometimes he'll try to snag a case or a conference out here so he can see her. He calls almost every day if he can, or we call him. We do get along great, so you need to know that before you get serious with me, Jake," Addison stated. She liked him. A lot. And it scared her. But she needed to know that if they were going to do this, he'd need to know all the facts.
"We're friends. It's not like we'll be holding hands or anything, but we still drink from the same glass sometimes. I'm still close with his family. I see them on holidays or if we happen to be in the same city," Addison explained, hoping it wouldn't be a deal breaker. She needed him to know how important it was to keep in good contact with her ex-husband.
"I think that's great," Jake said.
If he was completely honest, the fact that Addison and her ex had a good relationship was a good sign. He'd hate to see it be the opposite. Olivia seemed like a good kid, and she deserved both of her parents. And her parents getting along despite not being together anymore would be good for her.
"Really?" Addison asked hesitantly. She may have been giving him an out, but she needed him to be sure before not only letting him into her life, but into her daughter's as well.
"Really," Jake insisted, smiling as his hand reached out to touch her arm.
"Thank you," Addison smiled as Jake's hand lingered on her arm before he pulled away.
"I do actually have to get back to work," Addison said, eventually pushing away.
"I'd like to get home early to spend time with Liv. She starts school the day after tomorrow, so we don't have a lot of time," Addison sighed, wishing she had more time to spend with her girl. But, unfortunately, school was starting earlier this year, so she had no choice.
"I understand," Jake agreed, letting her go.
Addison went through the rest of the day, making sure she had tomorrow clear so she could spend the day with Liv. Thankfully, her school clothes were already taken care of.
She arrived home shortly before dinner, just to be attacked by a ball of energy named Olivia. Addison smiled, scooping her girl up and moving fully into the house.
"I missed you too, kiddo," Addison squeezed her tight, the full weight of how much she really missed her during these past two months hitting her.
"We've got all day tomorrow. Just us. We can do whatever you want," Addison said.
"Lia's making waffles for dinner," Olivia announced, beaming.
"Is she now?" Addison smiled as she let the girl back down. When she did, she saw the smoke coming from the waffle maker as Amelia lifts the top off.
"Alright, Livvy. Ice cream or whipped cream?" Amelia asked, holding one can of whipped cream in one hand and a pint of ice cream in the other. Olivia's eyes lit up.
"How about we have some mac and cheese first?" Addison butted in before Olivia could answer.
She knew she had a box in the pantry and that it'd cook quickly. The only part that would take longer would be boiling the water, which would give Addison time to find some kind of vegetable in the fridge to cook quickly. The last time she went grocery shopping was with Jake, which she was grateful for because he was much better at it than she was.
He was also a much better cook, as she learned over the past week when he taught her how to make fajitas. And since Jake and Addison agreed it probably wouldn't be the best idea to deep fry anything, Jake took her to his favorite small Mexican joint for churros. All she could think about that night was how much Olivia would've loved the churros they got. So she made a mental note to come back with her when she got back from her dad's.
"But Mommy," Olivia whined.
"Auntie made waffles. They'll be ruined," Olivia sighed dramatically.
"There's plenty of waffle batter left. I will make you new ones after you eat your mac and cheese," Amelia added, realizing it probably wasn't the best idea to load Olivia with sugar this late in the evening.
"But what if I'm not hungry anymore? Then I won't get waffles," Olivia's lip wobbled at the prospect of losing out on waffles. She hasn't had them in forever and she really, really, really wanted them.
"Then, I promise you can have some for breakfast tomorrow," Addison said, hoping Olivia wouldn't completely meltdown over these waffles. She missed her so much and would hate for this to be her experience on her first night back.
"But Lia cooked them and everything!" Olivia exclaimed, getting worked up.
"And we never have time for breakfast," Olivia started crying, which was exactly what Addison was trying to avoid.
"I just want waffles!" Olivia exclaimed.
"Livvy! It's okay! You'll get waffles! But I need you to have some mac and cheese and veggies first, okay? I know you like waffles, and I know you love your auntie for making them for you, but you're not gonna get big and strong if you just eat waffles for dinner. And we don't want that, do we?" Addison asked, just hoping her little six-year-old would understand.
"But then, I won't get the waffles," Olivia just cried harder. She just really, really wanted the waffles because Lia made them.
Olivia knew that she'd eat what Mommy cooked, but then she'd be too full to eat the waffles. She wasn't a big eater; she never finished her lunch at school or camp, and she was always called a baby because she ate like one.
The only time she got something really good to eat was when she was at Daddy's house, when Uncle Mark or one of Meredith's friends cooked because Meredith couldn't and Daddy was always too busy to make good meals. If it wasn't fish. At least that's what he always said.
"Addie," Amelia interrupted. Normally, she wasn't one to get involved in Addison's parenting, but she thought she might be able to help.
"How about we skip the mac and cheese and veggies tonight? We've got a ton of fruit we can add to the waffles," Amelia bit her lip, nodding toward the fruit bowl.
"And the ice cream is sugar-free," Amelia noticed.
"So, what do you think?" Amelia asked, letting the mom decide.
"Fine," Addison conceded.
"But no dessert. And you have to eat extra veggies tomorrow," Addison added, trying to get at least some of her authority back.
Olivia sniffled, upset that her mommy was upset. She didn't mean to cause problems. She just really wanted the waffles that her aunt went out of the way to make.
"I'm sorry. I'll eat the mac and cheese," Olivia said quietly, hoping to no longer make a fuss.
"We're gonna skip it tonight," Addison explained, holding her.
"Mommy didn't realize how much you wanted them. We can have mac and cheese tomorrow, okay?" Addison added, putting her down when she wiggled.
She climbed up to her seat at the table, waiting patiently. She thought she'd caused enough problems.
Amelia served the girl, putting a bowl of cut-up fruit beside her. It wasn't the healthiest, but it was a decent meal, in her opinion. Besides, she didn't have sweets very often, as Addison tried to keep her healthy. It wasn't easy, but she made a good effort.
"Eat up, baby. It's okay," Amelia said softly as she rubbed her back.
Maybe she should've brought the girl home a few days ago to settle in more like she originally planned, but Derek had stuck her with a patient and wanted more time with Olivia before she went back to L.A.
The adults shared a look as they joined her for dinner. To neither's surprise, she only ate about a third of the waffle before declaring she was full.
"Go wash up and get into some PJs. You can play for a bit and we can watch a movie before bed. How does that sound?" Addison asked the girl, who was in the process of getting out of her chair.
"Okay," Olivia ran off to do as told. She was happy to spend the evening with her mommy, even though she wished she could've had more time.
"Sorry," Amelia apologized as she started wiping down the waffle maker now that it'd cooled off.
"It's fine, Ames. I know you meant well," Addison insisted, taking some plates from the table to the sink.
After rinsing the plates and scrubbing any sticky residue left on them, they loaded them into the dishwasher. Then Addison and Amelia heard little footsteps coming back down the stairs. When Olivia appeared before them, she was wearing her My Little Pony pajama set that Amelia got her last Christmas.
"Is that your very subtle way of telling us you wanna watch the new Pony movie?" Addison asked, giggling.
"Yeah!" Olivia exclaimed excitedly, her prior outburst almost completely forgotten.
"I'll grab the DVD," Amelia added as Addison moved to grab a throw blanket from the coat closet before sitting beside Olivia on the couch.
After she sat down, Addison unfolded the blanket and draped it over them as Olivia climbed over to cuddle closer to her mom. Amelia put the DVD into the disc player and turned off the lights, finding her place on the couch next to Olivia. She knew that if she sat on the other side of the couch, Olivia would've insisted she move so she could sit in between her mommy and her favorite auntie.
One thing Amelia did note, though, was that sometime in the last two months, her PJs had gotten just a tad small on the girl. Derek always bought her new clothes, "more suited for Seattle", as he put it. So Addison usually never sent her with more than what she was wearing at the time. Anything Derek deemed too fancy got sent back.
The three snuggled while watching the movie. The girl was obsessed. It forced Addison to buy a second copy to send to Seattle because Olivia loved it so much. She always said it was her favorite and that she never wanted to watch anything different. Very rarely could someone convince her to watch something else.
By the end of the movie, the girl fought to stay awake. It was still a bit early, but it'd been a long day.
"Ready for bed, Liv?" Addison asked softly, playing with her hair.
"No. Another movie," Olivia said stubbornly, sitting up straighter to show she was awake.
"Please?" Olivia added as an afterthought.
"I guess one more movie wouldn't hurt," Addison reasoned.
Amelia chuckled quietly to herself without a word as her sister found something else to put on.
The three all ended up falling asleep during the second movie. At some point, Addison woke up and took Olivia to bed. But not before waking Amelia and sending her off to bed as well.
A/N: Ideas/suggestions are always welcome, but may not necessarily be taken into consideration. Discussion is great and we're also open to constructive reviews.
Fic title: Chosen Family by Rina Sawayama and Elton John
First chapter title is inspired by the song, intro by Ariana Grande
