How to raise a family
Author's Note:
Dear readers,
I am thrilled to present to you the continuation of the story of Hope House and her family. For those of you who have been following along since the beginning, thank you for your continued support. And for those who are just joining us, welcome!
Please note that this story is a continuation of "Hope," which consists of 14 chapters written by me in 2017. While my English skills have improved since then, I hope you'll give this story a chance as it takes a different direction from Chapter 14 onward.
Thank you for embarking on this journey with me, and I hope you enjoy the adventures that lie ahead for Hope and her family.
SofiaBellatrixBlack
Chapter 1
It was early September, and Cuddy had Rachel and Paige with the their nanny while Hope was away at a gymnastics camp in Texas for the all week, returning later that afternoon. House was engrossed in a complex case, and Cuddy had a pile of paperwork in front of her to review, mainly department budgets. She should have been paying attention to each file, carefully reading through all the documents in front of her, maybe even checking on her patients who were waiting for discharge notes.
"Hey Cuddles," House walked in without knocking, snapping her out of her thoughts. "I need a consult."
It wasn't common for him to ask for her help on a case, but it did happen occasionally. He handed her a file, and she quickly scanned the symptoms. "There's not much to go on, but…" she said, looking at the test results. "Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Syndromes."
"Aldosterone and renin levels are normal," he told her. "But it fits, except for that, that's why I came here."
"How old is the patient?" she inquired.
"10 years," he replied, meeting her gaze. "Female, 10 years old, blonde, and loves to read."
She immediately understood why this case was affecting House so deeply. "It's possible that because she's so young, the levels are still within normal range."
He took a deep breath, knowing that if he didn't figure out what was wrong with that girl in the next few hours, she would die.
"Stay," she said, smiling sadly. "Do whatever it takes. I will autorize any procedure"
He nodded sadly. "I don't think there is much more I can do"
-/-
She left the hospital at 4 pm and headed straight to Nassau Gymnastic Center where her daughter trained. Hope had called her, saying she would arrive in New Jersey at 4 pm and would be at the gym around 4:30 pm.
Hope was going to be 10 years old in a couple of weeks, her childlike features starting to fade and give way to those of a soon to be teenager girl. She looked more and more like her mother every day—a stellar student, a promising athlete, a polite and sweet girl. She was the daughter every parent dreamed of having.
The bus stopped in front of the gym, and Cuddy immediately recognized her daughter—blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail, dressed in a Team USA sweatshirt. Cuddy got out of the car and saw her daughter pick up her dark blue duffle bag. Their eyes met, and Cuddy smiled at her daughter. Hope ran to her and hugged her tightly.
"Hi, baby," Cuddy said, smiling as she hugged her daughter. "I missed you so much."
"Missed you too, Mom," Hope said, still smiling as she hugged her mother tightly.
"Ready to go home?" Cuddy helped Hope put her bag in the trunk of the car. "Paige and Rachel are waiting for us at home."
"And Dad?" Hope asked Cuddy as she took the front seat of the car next to her mother.
"He's got a complicated case," her mother explained. "But if it improves, he'll come for dinner."
"Oh, okay," Hope said, but then she asked, "But tell me, how was the first practice with the national team?"
"Oh, Mom, I loved it!" she said, very excited. "It was fantastic. I met a girl, Gracie Bristow; she's from LA and she's fantastic. I was sharing the bedroom with her and Maddie, you know, from New York. I've competed with her before, she's fantastic too."
-/-
Rachel sat at the living room table, diligently drawing a picture for Hope. She would soon be starting primary school, moving on from preschool to join her big sister in the world of elementary education. All Rachel knew was that she would be going to "Hope's school," and she couldn't have been happier about it.
Another thing Rachel adored was her baby sister, Paige. Despite thinking that Paige cried a lot, Rachel found her to be incredibly beautiful and adorable, much like the doll Daddy had bought her on their last trip to the supermarket—a true American Doll, just like she had always wanted.
Rachel loved playing in the backyard with Hope, engaging in games like lacrosse and jump rope. Hope was so much fun, and Rachel aspired to be just like her. She cherished their playtime together every day, so it was always a disappointment when Hope had gymnastics practice and Rachel felt alone. However, she knew Daddy would often play with her when he came home from the hospital, so she eagerly awaited his return.
Mama was usually busy taking care of baby Paige, but she always made time for movie nights or playing animal games with Rachel.
"Rachel!?" Hope's voice echoed through the room, and the blue eyes of both sisters met. Rachel hurriedly got down from her chair and ran to embrace Hope, squeezing her tightly. "HOPE!"
"Quiet down, Rach," Mom requested, knowing that Paige might be asleep at that hour. But Rachel didn't hear her; she just hugged Hope tightly.
With visible effort, Hope picked Rachel up, her small stature struggling with her sister's weight. "Be careful, Hope; you might both get hurt," Mom cautioned.
"I can do it, Mama," Hope said with a smile, planting a kiss on Rachel's forehead. "Show me your drawing, Rach."
Rachel wriggled out of Hope's arms and eagerly presented her colorful creation to her sister. Hope studied the drawing, recognizing the figures of their parents in the center, with the three of them standing beside them, in front of their house.
"It's beautiful, Rach," Hope said, smiling. "I'm going to put it up on my board."
She took the drawing from Rachel, who beamed with pride at her accomplishment.
"What about Marina?" Hope asked her younger sister.
"She's with baby Paige," Rachel replied, smiling. "Can I sleep with you tonight, Hope?"
Hope smiled back at her sister and nodded. "And can we read the book again?"
"Do you want to read the one about the human body?" Hope asked, her eyes shining with excitement. Rachel's face lit up with joy – bingo!
"Deal," Hope assured her, smiling. "Shall we go see the baby?"
Rachel nodded eagerly, and the two sisters made their way to the nursery. Their mother already had Paige in her arms, chatting with Marina. Paige was clearly awake, squirming in her mother's embrace.
"Hi, Marina," Hope greeted the nanny, who smiled warmly.
"Mi hija," Marina replied, returning Hope's hug. "How were your practices?"
"Really good," Hope replied simply. "Hello, baby Paige."
Hope peered into her mother's arms, and Cuddy lowered her arms so that Hope could see her little sister and give her a kiss, smiling.
"Mommy," Rachel interjected, eager to see the baby too. Once again, Cuddy bent down so that Rachel could kiss her younger sister.
As Cuddy watched her three daughters together, a deep sense of contentment washed over her. Seeing Hope, Rachel, and Paige interacting filled her with gratitude for the blessings life had bestowed upon her. In that moment, surrounded by her precious girls, Cuddy couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the simple beauty of their family bond. With a soft smile, she savored the sight, feeling truly fortunate for the love and joy they brought into her life.
-/-
"Hi, how did it go?" Cuddy asked gently when she saw her husband walk into the house, still na hour away from dinner. Hope was reading to Rachel, and Paige was in the portable crib beside her in the kitchen.
"She passed at 19:11," he said, defeated. "I'll proceed with the autopsy tomorrow; but for now the parents deserve a chance to say goodbye."
"I'm sorry," she offered, but House remained silent. He simply picked up the baby daughter and cradled her in his arms without a word. He kissed her forehead gently, and the baby squirmed happily in his embrace. At five months old, she already recognized her parents' voices easily and attempted yto babble some sounds that resembled words, but with little success.
"Has Hope arrived yet?" he asked, and she smiled.
"She's in her room with Rachel; she must be reading her the Netter again."
He chuckled lightly and placed Paige back in the crib. He kissed Cuddy lightly and headed upstairs to Hope's room.
The slightly ajar door revealed the two daughters lying on the bed, eagerly flipping through the medical book. It was almost comical to see two such young children so enthralled by images from a medical textbook.
"Oh, marvelous," House muttered sarcastically, his tone dripping with irony. "One spends the day in the hospital, dealing with actual patients, and yet doesn't get a warm welcome from his own daughters?! How heartwarming."
"Daddy!" Rachel exclaimed happily and jumped off the bed into her father's arms, who welcomed her gladly.
"Dad," Hope said, hugging her father. "Miss you."
"I miss you too, Hope," he said, kissing the top of her head.
"Shall we head downstairs?" he said, smiling at his daughters. "Mom almost has dinner ready."
-/-
"Are you sure it's a good idea for us to go to Hawaii with such a young baby?" Cuddy heard House question her for the thousandth time.
"We need a vacation," she reiterated. "We chose Hawaii because it's American territory; we're not even leaving the country. Plus, you lived there..."
"I was 8 years old," he defended himself once more.
"Anyway," she interrupted him again, "we're staying at an all-inclusive hotel. We don't have to worry about a thing, and Paige will stay with your mom. And we promised Hope and Rachel that we'd go on vacation—it's only 7 days."
"If you say so..."
"Paige will stay here, with your mom, for a week," she repeated, reminding him that House's father, John, would be attending a military ceremony in Connecticut for a week, and Blythe would be staying at their house while they went on vacation.
"It's all set," she declared.
"We leave on Monday," she informed her husband. "We'll spend the weekend as a family and then depart on Monday."
She was in administrative mode. "Our vacation days have been approved, and I started packing yesterday. You need to buy some shorts to take with you; you only have one pair," she stated matter-of-factly.
"Can't you buy everything?" he questioned, smiling.
"I already have to worry about the girls' stuff and mine. I'm sure you can manage to buy your own clothes," she replied once more. "But I can go with you to the mall tomorrow, we can look for some clothes for you and the girls. Hope needs beachwear, and Rachel's clothes barely fit her anymore," Cuddy said, smiling at her husband.
"But I can go with you to the mall tomorrow; we can look for some clothes for you and the girls. Hope needs beachwear, and Rachel's barely fits her," Cuddy said, smiling at her husband.
She continued to pack things into the open suitcase on one of the chairs in their bedroom. "I've already packed shirts and t-shirts for you, and some clothes. I need to buy a swimsuit for myself," she commented, tucking their bikinis into a drawer.
"A swimsuit? I like those bikinis," he said seriously, watching her as she stored her bikinis away in a high drawer.
"I don't have the same body anymore," she said. "I won't wear these anymore."
"Why?" he said seriously. "If you tell me you don't like how you look in them, or if you prefer a different pattern or color, that's okay with me," he said seriously. "But if you're telling me you won't wear them because your body isn't the same, that's ridiculous," he said, standing up and hugging her waist. "And I know what I'm saying because you know I know your measurements. I know your body; it's the same as it was before Paige."
"But..." she started, but he turned her toward the mirror, still holding her in his embrace. "Cuddy, look," he lifted her shirt just enough for her to see her toned belly, flawless skin. He gently traced her waistline. "Cuddy, it's your choice, but your body is perfect, just as it always was," he kissed the top of her head, leaving her to observe her own body. After some time, she saw her opening the drawer again and taking out the bikinis. "But you're not getting away with not buying me a new bikini."
"Woman, I will even choose the model," he said, laughing loudly, and she left the room, still needing to pack the girls' suitcases.
-/-
As the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting a warm glow over the neighborhood, Blythe House arrived at her son's doorstep. House greeted her politely at the door, a rare smile gracing his lips as he welcomed his mother into their home.
"Mom, it's great to see you," House said, embracing his mother warmly.
"It's wonderful to be here, dear," Blythe replied, returning the hug.
Hope and Rachel bounded over to greet their grandmother, their laughter echoing through the house. "Grandma!" they exclaimed in unison, enveloping her in tight hugs.
"It's been too long since I've seen my favorite granddaughters," Blythe said, kissing their hair affectionately.
Cuddy followed closely behind, cradling baby Paige in her arms. She smiled warmly at her mother-in-law, a sense of contentment washing over her as she watched Blythe interact with her granddaughters. "Blythe, it's so good to see you," Cuddy said, her voice filled with genuine affection.
Blythe's eyes sparkled with delight as she reached out to take Paige into her arms. "Oh, she's just precious," Blythe murmured, holding the baby close and planting gentle kisses on her forehead.
As the family gathered around the dinner table, the atmosphere was filled with warmth and joy. They chatted animatedly, catching up on each other's lives and sharing stories from the past week.
"Hope, how was gymnastics camp?" Blythe asked, her eyes twinkling with interest.
"It was amazing, Grandma!" Hope replied eagerly, launching into tales of her adventures at camp.
Meanwhile, Rachel eagerly shared stories of her latest art projects with her grandmother, her eyes shining with excitement.
Plans were made for a leisurely stroll through Princeton the following day, and final preparations were discussed for their upcoming trip to Hawaii on Monday.
"We can't wait to show you around Princeton, Mom," House said, his voice filled with enthusiasm.
"And I'm looking forward to spending some quality time with my granddaughters," Blythe replied, her heart swelling with love for her family.
Amidst the laughter and chatter, there was a sense of deep connection and love that bound them together as a family. They knew that no matter where life took them, they would always have each other's love and support to rely on. And as they sat together, basking in the glow of their shared happiness, they couldn't help but feel grateful for the precious moments they were able to share.