Owen piggy backed Everly across the sand at the beach.
"Faster," Everly giggled, "grandpa faster!"
"He's going as fast as he can missy," Teddy laughed. She was happy they had four of the five grandchildren camping this weekend.
"Teddy," Owen asked.
"We just need Ellie," Teddy said.
"She's coming later," Matt replied, "on her way home from school."
"I know," Teddy agreed, "I just like having all of you together."
"Grandma," Matt asked.
"I'm getting older Matt," Teddy said, "what makes me happy has changed."
"Really," Matt asked.
"I just want to be with my kids and grandkids," Teddy said, "I miss all of you when you're away. A camping trip with the five of you makes me happy."
"Camping," Matt said, "we have that cabin."
"Beds, a bathroom, a sink and a mini fridge," Teddy said, "rustic, it's good for all of us."
"Did you bring cinnamon buns," Matt asked.
"I've baked a lot," Teddy assured, "we have lots of food Matty I never starve you."
"I know I just like when you bake," Matt said.
"I will bake for you until I'm too frail to hold a wooden spoon," Teddy promised.
"It wouldn't be a birthday if you didn't make our cake," Matt said.
"Always," Teddy promised, "Always, Always, Always."
"Why doesn't Everly try to walk," Henry asked.
"The sand and rocks are too unstable still," Owen replied, "right Ev it's too slippy."
"No rocks," Everly pouted.
"We won't make you," Owen promised, "but are you going to go swimming?"
"Yes," Everly said, "the raft?"
"We will swim to the raft," Owen promised, "Henry?"
"Yes," Henry agreed.
Heather skipped a long happily, at ten she was a happy go lucky child who floated through life as if nothing could shake her or bother her. Annie often worried about Heather's lackadaisical attitude towards everything except ballet. The only thing that motivated her was dancing, she was a weak reader and struggled with math. They had done the testing and her abilities were in the normal range but she lacked motivation for school work. The only thing Heather loved was dancing. She danced down the beach ahead of the group leaping and spinning.
"Heather," Owen called, "that's far enough ahead."
"Hurry up," Heather called, "I want to swim."
"We all do," Owen said.
"I don't," Teddy laughed, "I'll watch the towels and be ready to dry everyone off."
"Grandma please," Everly begged.
"Please Grandma," Matt tried.
"Ya come on grandma," Henry added.
"Really," Teddy asked.
"Yes," Matt said, "we like when you hang out with us."
"I guess," Teddy agreed.
They reached an open spot on the beach and spread out towels and toys using rocks to hold down the corners of their towels. Teddy lathered all of the kids in sunscreen, even 14 year old Matt.
"Yucky," Everly groaned.
"You need sunscreen," Teddy said, "we all do."
"It doesn't smell good," Everly complained.
"I agree," Heather replied, "why do my friends get coconut scented or strawberry and we get plain."
"Because it's better sun protection," Teddy answered.
Sunscreen on they waded into the water, Everly still had to wear a life jacket because of the uneven surface of the ocean floor. She held Owen and Teddy's hands as they waded into the water. Even though she was almost six now they were still very cautious with her and her balance.
Allison and Asher were home alone for the two nights Teddy and Owen had taken all of the grandkids to the beach.
"You are not going all summer again," Allison screached.
"Allie we need the money," Asher argued, "I thought you would work this summer but you're in class all summer this year and next."
"I can't do this," Allison screamed.
"We have to," Asher snapped, "do you think I like going for weeks on end. Do you think it's easy for me to be gone all summer? To be solely responsible for supporting our family while you spend more than ever on school shit."
"We knew medical school would be expensive," Allison yelled, "we knew it would be hard but you agreed. You said we would make it work."
"This is me making it fucking work," Asher yelled, "I work out of town for 8 weeks at 16 or 17 hour days. Or you go back to work. One or the other, you go back to work or I go out of town."
"Why won't you consider me taking a student loan," Allison yelled, "just to keep our heads above the water for now."
"We don't need to," Asher said.
"I can't handle you going," Allison whined, "Ash I'm at my breaking point. I have all I can handle on my plate right now. You going adds to my plate. I can't handle it mentally."
"Allie," Asher groaned.
"Ash is this about needing time to not be here day in day out with Ev and I needing a break from us," Allison snapped.
"No," Asher gasped, "Allie never."
"You've done this since she was a baby," Allison complained, "Ash summer semester is supposed to be lighter. Let's see if I can go from my one shift a week to three. Would that help?"
"For the summer," Asher said, "but long term. We save that and use it for things like Christmas and her activities."
"What do we pull her from," Allison asked.
"Nothing," Asher said, "but we can't afford two days of music class and riding every week."
"She loves both," Allison said, "her swimming lessons are through the community centre. We pay $100 for 12 weeks because she's in the adaptive program. It's a discounted rate."
"Could we pull riding to every other and one music class a week," Asher suggested.
"She wants piano lessons," Allison said, "the music school does them starting in 1st grade and we can do group classes."
"Then we need a piano," Asher groaned.
"Mom's been trying to teach herself on the keyboard in the family room for years," Allison said, "she can go up and use moms for the 10 minutes of practice. And there's a children's choir she's old enough for that's only $200 for the whole school year."
"I need you to work or to cut your spending," Asher said, "Allie I can't feel like the money is going out faster than I make it and then I see huge purchases at UW."
"I had to buy some equipment for clinicals last week," Allison said, "it was more than we thought. I get my scholarship from Grey Sloan in three weeks for the summer semester and it should cover the books and equipment I just bought plus some left over. Ash we need to look at student loans before it destroys us. We can for living expenses if I'm eligible or there are lines of credit at the bank for med students. Let's look into our options."
"Allison I don't want any more debt," Asher said.
"I think our mental health is worth it," Allison argured, "to not stress about groceries. I'm tired of fighting about money. It's the only thing we ever fight about."
"If I go work on the dam," Asher asked, "it's done after this summer."
"Ash I can't," Allison replied, "it worked in college and last summer because I wasn't in classes but now I don't think I can. This year has been hard with Ev starting kindergarten and this being the end of my pre clinical phase, yes I've observed but now I start spending more time actually doing medicine and research. I feel like I'm at my breaking point. My medication isn't helping and I want to switch it but with you out of town I can't."
"What if I did 4 weeks instead of 8," Asher asked, "went the first half, the second half of your classes is always harder than the first half. "
"Not this year please," Allison begged, "Ash Ev is getting too old for you to do this. She doesn't understand why you have to go and gets really argumentative with me. It's not good for Everly for you to be gone either. Is there over time here you can pick up?"
"Always," Asher said.
"Can you do that," Allison asked, "do local overtime but don't go out of town. Even if you work 6 days a week?"
"I'd do 7 out of town," Asher said.
"But you get charged room and board that's like half a day's pay each week," Allison said, "we'd only be losing half a day's pay. Take more overtime on in town projects. I'm looking at what I have to do this summer with peds classes and observations."
"Can you pull back with Olivia," Asher asked, "you're there all the time helping her but where was she when you were melting down?"
"Travelling," Allison said, "Max has almost died twice. Ash we know how hard it is to watch Ev have surgery. Liv pushed everyone away. She lost everyone. She's still not on good terms with Ava but I can't leave her because I know how it feels to be left behind."
"Can you pull back," Asher asked, "don't stop being her friend but do you have to babysit like once a week for free?"
"I have a hard time saying no," Allison argued, "she has no one. And Max can't be left with any babysitter. Ava has never let us pay her to babysit. I'm paying it forward to Liv."
"No, when the time comes we owe Ava," Asher said.
"Both," Allison said, "Liv has me that will baby sit and her mom. You've seen Max's medical needs and thank god he was here last week when he kept having apnea and stopped breathing. He was in V fib. I had to scream for mom. Mom went with them in the ambulance."
"Thank god Ev isn't sick like that," Asher said.
"I know," Allison replied, "Max has surgery the first week you want to be away. I need to be there to support Liv. I know it's going to be triggering for me but I can't not support her. Feeling alone when Ev was in the hospital and having surgery. I'm still terrified it'll happen again that she'll need more surgery and we'll have complications."
"So am I," Asher agreed.
"Ash what if she got really hurt or sick while you're away," Allison asked, "her heart we don't know."
"We saw Dr McKidd last week and he said it all looked good," Asher said, "you were there."
"Her echo and EKG were great," Allison said, "it was funny trying to make her laugh so they could get her heart rate up."
"I want the money in our savings," Asher said, "Allie we're not quite paycheck to paycheck but we're close. I do this for even a month and we have a buffer so we don't stress about books or equipment or when you need specific clothes."
"I need scrubs," Allison admitted, "but we're going to order some through GSM. Mom's going to use her scrub budget for the year to get mine. She's only operating twice a week now and says she doesn't need new ones; she has too many pairs of navy scrubs. She's going to order my grey ones from her budget. She gets four pairs and I need two so we're getting three pairs of grey."
"How much to buy them," Asher asked.
"On campus it's expensive, paying Grey Sloan is cheaper but this is free," Allison said, "dads ordering Leo's with his budget."
"Okay," Asher agreed, "Allie, when can we move out? I can't do this much longer."
"When I graduate," Allison assured, "I can't be a doctor and live with my parents. We will move out when I get my MD. Where I don't know."
"Do we have any say," Asher asked.
"I apply for my top choices and will do, GS and Seattle Pryesbetarian as my top two," Allison said, "but we don't control where I match."
"If we want to buy," Asher asked, "I need to work more. We need a down payment."
"We have one," Allison said.
"How," Asher asked.
"The money in nana's will," Allison said, "nana and opa never combined their money. She had a ton of savings. Dad and I talked today. There's about 80 grand coming to us. The same with Leo, Faroke, Annie and Catrina. You don't want to know what's going to dad and auntie Meg. But we save it. We keep the money put away and it's our down payment. And there's a share for us when her house is sold."
"So not saving for a down payment," Asher said, "how long have you known?"
"Dad told me at lunch," Allison replied, "I've known for all of 4 hours. But if we can keep it put away and not touch it it'll grow and it's our down payment wherever we go."
"That feels better," Asher agreed.
"It does," Allison echoed, "we need to get through two more years of living expenses. Can we do that without you going away?"
"We can try," Asher said, "I hate feeling like we owe your parents."
"So do I," Allison agreed, "I want to move out and have our own house. I want another baby or two."
"I want one more for sure," Asher said, "see how two goes. You were miserable half the time with Ev."
"I didn't know," Allison said, "I was terrified and young and stupid."
"We were but you were still physically not well," Asher said, "Allie you puked daily for months."
"I did," Allison agreed.
"Can we look soon," Asher asked.
"I don't know how," Allison said, "Ash if we move out we need to take out loans."
"Lets look into minimal loans," Asher said, "I'm not saying we do it I'm saying we get the information."
"It's time," Allison replied.
Back at the beach Ellie flopped on the sand beside Teddy.
"You made it Ellie Bug," Teddy smiled.
"I did," Ellie smiled, "we haven't done this before I wasn't missing it."
"We needed Ev to be old enough," Teddy replied.
"You needed Allie to chill," Ellie laughed.
"That two," Teddy agreed, "you'll see one day Ellie."
"When I'm ready you'll be here to meet them," Ellie questioned.
"I will," Teddy promised, "and I want to. I'll feel impossibly old but I will want to meet and hold your baby when it's time. Do you think you want kids?"
"I do," Ellie said, "not 4 my parents are nuts."
"Your parents wanted a big family," Teddy said.
"But four of us," Ellie said, "my mom is insane."
"It makes her happy," Teddy said, "she loves you and being a mom."
"I need a real boyfriend first," Ellie said.
"What happened to Duncan," Teddy asked.
"Summer break and me coming home," Ellie said, "I got a job at Grey Sloan amusing kids in peds but it's a job and it's in the hospital."
"It is," Teddy said, "you're still thinking about medicine?"
"I do my MCAT in January," Ellie said, "I joined a study group at UBC. I don't want to stay at UBC though I want a new adventure."
"Where are you thinking," Teddy asked.
"Not Harvard, UW or Texas," Ellie said, "I want my own adventure."
"So ideas," Teddy asked, "Columbia, Stanford, Hopkins?"
"All," Allison said, "Oregon, Queens in Ontario, UNBC."
"You have time," Teddy assured, "I told your mom this and Allison and Leo. Apply everywhere and see what comes up."
"Ellie," Everly yelled as Owen carried her over.
"Hi Ev," Ellie smiled.
"Can we have lunch," Everly asked.
"We can have our lunch," Teddy agreed.
Ellie helped Teddy take the stuff for sandwiches out of the cooler.
After lunch Henry began to plan and build an elaborate sand city.
"Can I help," Everly asked.
"You can," Henry smiled, "lets do the castle together."
"Can we put shells on it," Everly asked.
"We can," Henry agreed.
Everly filled buckets with sand and dug deeper in the sand, she made a hole that was big enough for her to sit in, she wiggled into the hole. Henry saw it and laughed before burying Everly's legs in the sand, with help from Heather he sculpted a mermaid tail for Everly. The little girl giggled. Teddy quickly took a picture of the three and sent it to Annie and Allison. Ellie and Matt both stretched out on their towels reading.
That night they all sat around the camp fire and Owen pulled out his guitar.
"Grandpa's going to play," Matt smiled.
"What do you want to hear," Owen asked.
"Johnny Cash," Matt asked.
"I can do that," Owen smiled, "if you sing."
After singing for awhile Heather asked, "Grandma, can you tell us a story?"
"What type of story," Teddy replied.
"How did you and grandpa meet," Heather asked.
"We've told you that one," Teddy said.
"No," Ellie said, "I don't think I've heard you tell it."
"Okay," Teddy said, "Owen?"
"I guess," Owen agreed, "so about 40 years ago."
"That long," Henry gasped.
"2002," Owen replied.
"So 36 years ago," Matt corrected.
"As I was saying it was 2002 and the world was a very different place," Owen said, "it was just after 9/11 which you've pretty much all learned about at school."
"I haven't," Everly said.
"So 9/11 was a very, very, scary day," Teddy said hugging Everly, "some very bad people crashed planes into two towers and and a few other buildings because they were from a group of bad people called al-quadea and they wanted to start a war."
"It did start a war," Owen said, "and auntie Meg and I had already joined the army and a few weeks after that happend I went to a country called Iraq to be a trauma surgon helping other soldiers. A few months later auntie Megan joined me and so did this beautiful blonde woman with green eyes, who I was told was to be my partner and help me lead a group of doctors and medical staff."
"Who was she," Heather asked.
"Grandma," Owen smiled.
"Then you got married," Everly guessed.
"Not for a long time yet," Teddy said.
"Where was mom," Ellie asked.
"With grandude and granny," Teddy replied, "she was 11 and I wouldn't get to see her in person until she was 19."
"So what happened," Heather asked.
"We became really good friends," Teddy smiled, "he was my best friend over there and is still my best friend."
"Your person," Ellie asked.
"My person," Teddy and Owen agreed at once.
"But when did you fall in love," Heather asked.
"I loved her for a long time before I told her," Owen said, "I knew for sure that I was in love with grandma when I was in a really dangerous situation and I thought no one would ever find me in the desert and she came and she was leaning out of the helicopter calling my name and as soon as it touched down she leapt out and ran to me and hugged me. And I knew I wasn't lost anymore grandma had found me. My best friend had found me."
"We were really good friends for a long time after that," Teddy said, "I moved to Seattle and we both married other people but grandpa was my best friend and the person I went to when I needed help."
"Like when mom got her big scar," Ellie asked.
"That night grandpa drove me to her and stayed with us until she was out of ICU and on the mend," Teddy said, "and we were still best friends."
"But when did you get together," Ellie asked.
"About 5 years after that," Owen said, "I decided I missed Teddy and finally realized how in love with her I was so I got on a plane to Germany where she was living and working at the time."
"Where was mommy," Everly asked.
"She hadn't been born yet," Teddy said, "she would be born almost a year later."
"What," Ellie asked.
"Grandpa flew to see me and we had a weekend I'll never forget then he had to go back to Seattle," Teddy said, choosing not to reveal the entrity of what had happened that weekend, no one other than her and Owen knew what happened.
"But mommy," Everly asked.
"That summer I found out I was having a baby," Teddy said, "so I flew to Seattle and told Grandpa that I was having a baby and we decided that it was time we were a family."
"A couple months later we found out it the baby was going to be a little girl and we named her Allison," Owen said.
"Then on New Years eve at mid night he asked me to marry him," Teddy smiled, "we had Allison about a month later."
"Then we got married that summer," Teddy said, "Allison was about 7 months old."
"But mom," Henry asked.
"I met her when she was 19," Owen said, "Grandma met her about an hour before I did. And she was family right away."
"Can we have smores," Everly interrupted.
"No you've had three," Teddy said, "you can have fruit or veggies."
"One more please," Everly begged.
"Owen," Teddy asked.
"One," Owen agreed, "let's all have one more then it's bedtime."
"It's late," Teddy agreed.
"Can we do this again," Matt asked.
"We will," Teddy agreed.