Asher sat in his room grumbling. He missed home, he missed Allison and Everly he even missed Allison's cat Josie. He was sick of the drinking and partying around him but still had a week left.
Allison lay alone in their bed trying to fall asleep but failing badly she texted Asher. They had talked earlier and face-timed so he could see Everly but she wanted him home. She wanted him to hold her.
Allison, "I wish you were here."
Asher, "I miss you two. I want to be home with you."
Allison ,"I want you home. I want to be in your arms."
Asher, "I want to hold you and kiss you and hear the sounds you make when I kiss that spot on your shoulder."
Allison, "Now I want you kissing me all over."
Asher, "do you?"
Allison, "yes. I want you to kiss me everywhere. I want to kiss you everywhere."
Asher, "do you want to do this?"
Allison, "do you? We've never."
Asher, "we could."
Allison, "well then I'm wearing pink pj shorts and a black tank top."
Asher, "the really tight one?"
Allison, "yes."
Asher, "I like that one."
Allison sat up in the bed and fluffed her hair making sure she didn't have a bed head and snapped a picture sending it to Asher.
Asher, "hot. I miss you. I just want to kiss you and take that top off you."
Allison, "do I get a picture of you?"
Asher sent Allison a shirtless picture.
Allison, "you've been working out."
Asher, "just working. If I was home what would we be doing?"
Allison, "I'd be kissing you."
Asher, "I'll slip my tongue into your mouth and slide my hands under your top."
Allison, "I'll run my fingers through your hair."
Asher, "kiss your neck and suck on that spot between your neck and shoulder."
They continued sending dirty messages.
"We haven't both been on the same weekend nights in a while," Teddy commented sitting down with Megan.
"No," Megan agreed, "no kids either."
"All four are off," Teddy said, "you were pretty protective of Nisha in the OR today what's going on? She's done that a few times with us."
"I finally have their permission to share," Megan smiled, "she's 12 weeks."
"Pregnant," Teddy asked.
"Yes," Megan said, "I'm going to be a grandma."
"Faroke and Nisha," Teddy said, "will be great parents. She's so go with Everly. She's been babysitting a bit with Asher out of town."
"I feel old," Megan said, "absolutely ancient!"
"I did when both girls told me," Teddy said, "I was 50 when Ellie was born."
"I'm 60 so it's not young," Megan said, "you were a young grandma when Ellie was born."
"Have your first at 21," Teddy said, "it's good. How's Nisha doing?"
"She's good," Megan said, "I just want to hug her and feel her bump."
"Too soon," Teddy said, "but it's fun to meet your grandkids like that. But it's been my girls. Annie came to me most and I felt Ellie more than her other kids. Ev I got to feel the most."
"Allison is still at home," Megan said.
"She is. Annie was in the cottage," Teddy replied, "this will be the fourth baby to come home there. Ellie, Matt, Henry."
"When Annie was first around didn't you have her at the cottage," Megan asked.
"I did," Teddy said, "in a sense Annie two. She was 19 but it's the first place I had her come stay. Is Nisha talking to you?"
"A bit about being a mom but she calls her mom a lot," Megan said, "her parents will be here for the wedding."
"They're going through with it," Teddy confirmed.
"Yes," Megan said, "the civil service and the party. They want to be before the baby is born."
"What is her due date," Teddy asked.
"March 26," Megan replied, "I'm excited. I've known for a month."
"They waited that long," Teddy said, "my girls I knew as soon as they did."
"It's my son though," Megan replied.
"True," Teddy said, "I know it'll be different when Leo meets someone and has kids because she'll have her mom. I was way more involved with Allison's pregnancy then any of Annie's because Allie needed me to guide her. Annie was emotional support, listening to her freak outs. Allison it was everything."
"I wonder if Nisha isn't talking to me because I wasn't able to have kids that way," Megan said, "I love my kids. Adore them. My two are my world and my whole heart. I wonder if I hadn't been injured if I could have."
"I don't know," Teddy said, "I didn't think I could have more until Allison even then when I first missed my period with her I thought I was getting old and it was early menopause. Henry and I had tried for about a year and never so much as a late period. I thought I would have Annie."
"How do I support her," Megan asked, "I watched you and your girls but this is different."
"Make her favourite meals, go shopping with her if she asks, spoil her," Teddy said, "my girls both loved going for pedicures especially when the baby gets bigger."
"I will suggest that soon," Megan agreed, "I need a pedicure before the Vancouver conference."
"It's in October," Teddy said, "you're having me step in as chief for that week."
"Hayes is going," Megan said, "we're going together."
"Hayes," Teddy smiled, "since when?"
"A couple months," Megan said, "we go fo dinner, hang out but we've never spent that type of time together."
"Rooms," Teddy asked.
"Same hotel but not together," Megan said, "I don't know I'm not ready for that. My divorce has only been final a few months and I've only been with one man in my life. Teddy I've only been with Nathan. I don't know if I would know what to do with someone else and I'm 60. 60 year old bodies are not as attractive as 20 year old ones. My big scar I don't know if he knows the whole story."
"It's your story to tell," Teddy said, "years ago Annie and I talked about it and she said she's the only one that notices her scars."
"I did when she was younger," Megan said, "her shoulder one."
"That gets seen more than her other ones," Teddy said.
"She has the one on her abdomen from when she was 19," Megan said.
"C section as well," Teddy said, "from Matt."
"I forgot about that," Megan said.
"Four kids to have one is pretty good," Teddy smiled, "he was her biggest and I think Ellie was the smallest. Ellie is the smallest of the five at birth."
"But Annie's boys are close to outgrowing her," Megan pointed out.
"I know," Teddy said, "you and Hayes?"
"We're both single Cat is younger then his boys," Megan said, "he makes me laugh. He's easy. It's easy with him. We can talk and joke."
Teddys phone buzzed on the table.
"I'm scared to read this," Teddy gulped.
"What's going on," Megan asked.
"We think we found Leo's biological family," Teddy said, "grandparents."
"Only took 20 years," Megan said.
"I'm glad he's 20," Teddy agreed, "if he was younger it could be a mess."
"Legally," Megan asked.
"We went through the processes with child protection and the state we legally adopted him after a two year search. We fostered him for the first two and a half years," Teddy said, "but he needs to do this. Annie was a bit younger, Cat knows hers, Faroke knows his story. Leo should have the same privilege."
"Just read it Teddy," Megan said, "you won't lose him. He's your son, he knows you're his mom. The one that's always been there."
"Annie," Teddy said, "she ran to me and shut the McKellars out at Leo's age."
"Because Jessica was hurting her," Megan said, "the situation was different. Leo's sisters love him. His parents understand him."
"I thought they loved and understood her two," Teddy said.
"Leslie and Jessica were ill," Megan said, "Dan was manipulated into following. Just open the email."
Teddy opened the email
Dear Dr. Altman and Dr Hunt,
We were surprised to get Leo's email and would like to connect after we make sure he is our grandson and are hoping you two can answer some questions for us. Your email sounds like Brittney has passed away do you know what happened? We've been looking for almost 19 years for her and Leon. We've never given up hope. Do you have pictures of him growing up or when he first came to live with you?
We were surprised to hear he is at UCLA and is pre med, that's impressive and your influence for sure. He mentioned that he has sisters and nieces and nephews, it sounds like he has a full family. We're wondering how you came to adopt him? When he was brought to the hospital how did he come to be in your care? How can we confirm he is our grandson?
If he is our grandson we would like to meet all of you. Thank you for giving us a shred of hope and reaching out.
Sincerely,
John and Carol Dickinson
"They want proof," Teddy said.
"So what are you going to do," Megan asked.
"I need to talk to Leo and Owen first but I think the DNA test should be the next step," Teddy said.
"Did you with Annie," Megan asked.
"No," Teddy said, "we had the paperwork for her adoption. I had been seeing pictures of her as she grew up. And when I walked up to that table in the UBC library I knew. I knew it was her walking in front of me on the path to the library. I just knew, I have no way to explain it 26 years later I just knew she was my Annie. She was my baby, the little bean that never stayed still and liked to beat up my right side more than my left. Who did summersaults when I was studying and played soccer when I wanted to sleep. She's 45 in a couple weeks, Allison turns 20 this year and Leo is 21. My kids aren't kids anymore. My girls are moms Leo wants to follow Owen and I into the Army."
"One out of 5 is pretty good," Megan said, "between all of us."
"People tried to convince Annie when I was in Germany to join," Teddy said, "I would have to tell them to back off and let her decide. Someone even tried to bring her recruitment papers one time."
"Annie," Megan said, "your Annie. She's a damn good surgeon and an amazing teacher but she is not military."
"No she knew that," Teddy said, "I think Leo is our one its a good fit for. He's talked to us and to Chris."
"Will you be okay with him meeting the other family," Megan asked.
"I think he should if he wants to," Teddy said, "I was the one waiting 19 years to see my baby. It was hard though I had seen photos and read updates but the last time I had held her she was barely 6 pounds then she was a young lady. It took me a while to wrap my head around that. I think it was hard for her because I had been a story or imagined but no real information."
"Have Leo talk to her," Megan suggested.
"I will," Teddy said, "but are you ready grandma?"
"I am," Megan beamed, "I've watched you be one for 15 years now I'm ready."
"That was a fun fall when Ellie was a baby and you had just adopted Catrina," Teddy smiled, "grandma is fun. I know Everly better because I get way more time with her. Allison needs me so much more than Annie did. I go down and play with Ev while Allie studies or snuggle her so they can make and clean up dinner. I get those little moments with Ev that I didn't get with Annie's kids the same way."
"You used to go up and steal Annie's kids from daycare," Megan said, "I think it was Henry you would hold in department head meetings."
"Or Matt," Teddy said, "it was the boys that came to those with them peds cardio and peds trauma."
"I want to expand our peds programs," Megan said, "we're a destination for neuro and cardio with Annie and Jenna. Josh has built a great peds trauma program but they're one strong surgeon in those departments with a few fellows and residents. I want to do a true peds wing. Not a floor, the billion dollars for a new wing is going to create a peds wing."
"True peds," Teddy asked.
"A children's hospital within the hospital," Megan replied, "my mark on this place. Teddy, you reorganized us to make it work better and have more communication across departments and brought in the women's clinic and specialty programs. You expanded the free clinic to include so much. Bailey started hiring and promoting women in a way no other hospital had at the time. Our residents are 70% female in a specialty that is stil 70% male. We're looking at adults holistically but there isn't a holistic program for children on our scale in the state. The nearest one is BC Childrens. I'm talking to them we're going to expand. The foundation supports it. A full peds hospital on the new property next door."
"Who will run it," Teddy asked.
"Hayes as chief of surgery," Megan said, "then we'll hire a peds general chief. I have my chiefs of neuro cardio and trauma. I'm in talks with Addison Montgomery to do the neonatal. We have them in the main building while the new one is built then move them all to the peds building. A peds ER and trauma rooms set up for kids. Not Josh's peds cart that gets moved."
"Megan, it's brilliant," Teddy said, "why peds? Now?"
"Faroke gave me an idea," Megan said, "he wants to do more reconstructive work with kids from war torn areas, cleft palates and that's great in plastics but we need wrap around supports in one place. I need peds ortho but I'm thinking of training Schmidt for peds he's great with kids."
"He was glasses," Teddy laughed, "but he's good. When Leo broke his arm when he was 8 Schmidt was excellent. He's done a lot with Josh. This also means I need a dedicated research program and coordinator for research."
"You also don't have a head of the residency program," Teddy said, "Owen and I have been filling in but it's not permanent."
"I want you to run research and there's a raise to be discussed Monday on my office and I want Owen to run residency but let me offer it to dumb dumb," Megan said.
"I have a project to start that the foundation is looking for a home for," Teddy said.
"The CP program," Megan asked.
"Bring it here," Teddy said, "it's a selfish reason but if it's here for Ev. We're using their expertise, bring their experts here."
"Do it," Megan cheered, "let's do it."
"Are you prepared to worry about another kid as much as you worry about your own," Teddy asked, "to love another baby as much as you loved yours the first moment they were in your arms?"
"Yes," Megan said, "I'm excited."
"But have no say in how they raise that child," Teddy said.
"You have influence," Megan replied.
"Yes and no," Teddy said, "more with Everly because Allison is so young. Even then I wait to be asked. Annie asks when she needs my advice or if I notice something with her kids I'll tell her but she goes in phases. Allison asks daily for help in some way or another."
"She's your baby and I think she's most attached to you," Megan said.
"I think so," Teddy said, "there's been very few days I haven't talked to her."
"When," Megan asked.
"Haiti," Teddy replied, "was the only time I haven't talked to her every day. Even when she goes camping with friends she checks in."
Owen came up and joined them in the lounge.
"What's happening in the pit," Megan asked.
"Calm before the storm," Owen said, "Teddy did you see that email?"
"I did," Teddy said, "I think we get the DNA results first before moving forward."
"Send the first photos we have, maybe they'll recognize him," Owen suggested.
"We can at home," Teddy said, "Owen if we lose him."
"We are his family," Owen said, "have you talked to him?"
"It was sent to us," Teddy replied.
"Share it with him," Owen said, "no secrets from him. We raised him, we have loved him every day and he knows that."
"I worry he'll run to them like Annie ran to us and we'll lose him," Teddy said.
"Why did she run," Owen said, "was that her original plan?"
"No she wanted both," Teddy said, "but the more she was hurt the more the scars built up she clung to me more. The less her calls were returned the more she leaned on me."
"But we will answer his calls and go see him and be there no matter where he goes," Owen said, "teddy we are physically and mentally healthy, so are the girls."
"Depression, anxiety," Teddy said.
"But they both get help and don't lash out at people," Owen said, "
"I'll call him but it's Friday night," Teddy said, "and I know he has a fake ID."
"We can't stop him," Owen said, "he's almost 21. We know all of ours have drank and been drunk."
"I've only seen the oldest drunk," Teddy said, "and it's been years."
"Before she had kids," Megan agreed.
"More recently than that," Teddy said, "her and I went to a cardio conference when Heather was about 1 and our flight was cancelled so we had a few bottles in a hotel room. It was just after Leslie had been diagnosed. She was close fishing this summer."
"She okay," Megan asked, "your girls had a huge fight last week."
"She'll tell me if she isn't," Teddy said, "both needed to do that. The girls have never really fought. They have to find an adult relationship. It'll take time. It'll happen again. You and I fought as roommates."
"Because you were protective and overbearing," Megan said.
"You were my roommate and people were being mean to you and you weren't making good decisions about men and I wanted to protect you," Teddy justified, "same thing trying to be a big sister."
"Did either talk to you," Megan asked.
"Annie asked me to stay out of it and let them work it out," Teddy replied, "Allison has vented but I'm staying out of it. It's part of teaching Allie to be an adult."
"Let's call Leo," Owen said.
"In the morning it's 10:45," Teddy said, "we call now he'll think someone died."
"First thing," Owen agreed.
Allison lay in bed still texting with Asher.
Allison, "should we delete those?"
Asher, "what?"
Allison, "we were sexting."
Asher, "we've been together 2 years and live together. We have done much dirtier things."
Allison, "but if anyone read our messages."
Asher, "who looks at your phone?"
Allison, "my mom sometimes."
Asher, " you let your mom look at your phone?"
Allison, "if my hands are full and it goes off. But were we really sexting?"
Asher, "it was different."
Allison, "I'd like you home and in our bed. I want you to actually hold me and touch me."
Asher, "one more week."
Allison, "next saturday night."
Asher, "I leave here at noon so will be home around nine."
Allison, "can you leave earlier?"
Asher, "no we have a wrap up meeting from 10-11:30 then we can go. You'll wait up for me?"
Allison, "I will. I don't know about Ev. it's pushing it for her. We need to talk about changing her nap schedule."
Asher, "stop rushing it! We can drop the morning nap when she's ready."
Allison, "we will and I talked to Nisha a bit this week. She's having a baby in March."
Asher, "Ev won't be the baby."
Allison, "I know but she's still princess Everly."
Asher, "she is. But Megan babysitting?"
Allison, "we'll see. Nisha has offered to watch Ev while I'm in school during her maternity leave. She gets 9 months."
Asher, "we'll figure out the fall in the fall. How was school this week?"
Allison, "group projects suck but my group is coming here tomorrow. It's easier."
Asher, "what time?"
Allison, "1:15 she goes down at 12:45 or 1. So I gave myself half an hour and I can give her a bottle when she wakes up. She's pretty happy in her bouncer still."
Asher, "is she getting big for it?"
Allison," she's getting close. We need to look at the adaptive ones for bigger kids but they're so expensive. The jolly jumper will go up to 30 pounds she's 20 so we have time with it and she's happy in it for about half an hour. Ava is part of this group so I have help."
Asher, "what else are you doing tomorrow?"
Allison, "swimming lessons then I work 4-12. I hate the night shift but when your away it's best for Ev. Ava is babysitting and sleeping over."
Asher, "I have to go to sleep I'm up at 4. I love you. Have fun tomorrow."
Allison, "I love you two. Sleep well."
Asher, "good night sleep tight."
Allison, "don't let the bed bugs bite."