After the visit to meet Arleth, Amelia took her mother and sister to lunch at a popular restaurant in the city. They spent the whole time talking about how beautiful the baby was, her resemblance to her father, how the birth had gone, etc., etc., etc. Olive was already tired of these one-topic conversations, and Amelia noticed that.

Although she didn't have children nor younger siblings, she could understand how her niece felt. She had known her since before she was born and had lived almost every day of her life by her side. She had seen her grow and become the girl she was today. And she would probably do the same with Arleth, as she had no short-term plans to move out on her own. She liked living with Addison and Derek, and Olive was almost like her daughter.

"I have an idea for you, Ols," said Amelia as they walked hand in hand out of the restaurant.

"What?"

"We can organize a party at home."

"A party?"

"Yes. A party to welcome Arleth. Do you like the idea?"

"Yes!"

"We can stop by the mall to buy balloons and streamers."

"And a cake?"

"Yes, a cake too. I'm sure Grandma wants to bake one with you. We'll decorate the whole house to welcome her tomorrow. Do you want to?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" she said, jumping with excitement. She always did that when she was happy.

"Well, let's get to work then. We have only one day to organize the best welcome party in history."

"Yes!"

~•~

"Are you okay?" Derek asked as he saw Addison squeezing her eyes in pain.

"Arleth is not latching on properly, and it hurts."

"Do you want me to go get a bottle?"

"No, I can bear it for now."

"Addie, you don't have to bear the pain."

"It's just until she learns to latch properly," she said, changing her position.

The door to the room sounded twice and Derek got up to see who it was.

"Dr. Shepherd," said Jo Wilson, one of the interns who had started that year.

"What's wrong? I'm off duty."

"Dr. Grey asked me to call you. It's about the chief."

"What's wrong with Richard?"

"She'll explain. She's waiting for you in the chief's office."

"Alright, I'll be there in a few minutes, thanks Wilson."

The intern nodded and left the way she came. Derek walked back to where Addison was struggling with breastfeeding.

"Who was it?"

"Wilson... listen, Meredith's calling me for something urgent. I'll go see what it is and come back. Can you stay alone?"

"Of course I can, I wish I were home right now," she complained.

"Addie, if it hurts a lot, give her a bottle. The important thing is for her to regain the weight she lost at birth, then we'll see if we continue with breastfeeding or switch to formula."

"I already told you I can bear it, go see what's going on."

"Alright. I love you, you know?"

"Mmm."

"Don't make Mommy suffer," he said, kissing the baby on the head. "I'll be back soon."

Addison gave a half smile with closed lips and Derek went to Richard's office.

~•~

"Do your parents allow you to give him that?" Carolyn asked, surprised.

"Milo also eats tuna and cheese crackers. And vanilla yogurt," Olive said as she gave a little of her ice cream to her cat.

"Mmm ... I think it's better not to give him your ice cream, dear. It could upset his stomach."

"We always share food."

"But animals have to eat their balanced food, they can't eat human food."

"He likes everything."

"Olive, stop fattening up that cat and come help me with the streamers," Amelia said, entering the room.

"I want to make hearts and paper butterflies."

"Okay, but come quickly. It's almost dinner time and I don't want you to fall asleep too late."

"Okay," she said, following her aunt.

"Finish the ice cream first, you'll make a mess if you don't."

"I'm almost done," she said, putting the entire ice cream cone in her mouth.

"Hey girl, slow down, you'll choke."

"Mmm- mthgin,"

"If your mother saw you like this, she'd kill me," she said, wiping her face with a paper napkin.

"We can put glitter stars on the ceiling of the living room!"

"Good idea."

"Yeah, I love stars. When I grow up, I'm going to live in space."

"Really? I thought you wanted to be a doctor."

"I'm going to be a doctor. And an astronaut. And a chef."

"All of that? Wow."

"Yes. On Mondays, I'll operate on babies like my mom, on Tuesdays I'll operate on brains like Dad, and on Fridays, I'll live on the moon."

"And will you cook on the moon?"

"No, Aunty," she said, laughing.

"Because you said you were going to be a chef..."

"Yes, because I'm going to make cakes and pizzas."

"Do you want to make the cake for tomorrow, Ollie?" Carolyn asked, hearing the end of the conversation.

"Yes, yes, yes!"

"Okay, go with Grandma to make the cake, Nancy and I'll hang the streamers and balloons. Later you'll have to come help cut out the stars, ok?"

"Yes!"

~•~

"Derek...," said Meredith as soon as she saw him enter. She had a worried look on her face.

"What's going on? Where's Richard?"

"Richard... he's having issues."

"What kind of issues?"

"You can't say anything."

"Is this serious?"

"No... Promise you won't say anything."

"What's happening?"

"It's not that serious..."

"If it's not serious, then why can't you look me in the eye while you're talking to me?"

"He's drinking again."

"How do you know?"

"He... has stopped operating. If he does, it's only with me. I do all the procedures because he's too drunk to do them himself. I've been covering for him all these months but I feel like it's gotten even more complicated now. He needs our help."

"You have to report him to the medical board."

"No!"

"He's an alcoholic!"

"If I report him, it will be the end of his career. You can't do this to him for one mistake."

"This is no longer just a mistake."

"Derek, don't act like a jerk."

"He's using alcohol to operate! How long has he been drinking? Since this year? Was he doing it before?"

"Are you going to write it down to show the board and offer to take his job? Because I know you want his position."

"I'm the head of neurosurgery. I'm responsible for the hospital."

"And you have a newborn baby!"

"I'm ending this discussion, Meredith. If you don't report him, I will."

"This is confidential!"

"Why?"

"Because I told you my secret, a confidential secret, so that you could help me. So that you could act as a friend, not as the head of neurosurgery."

"I don't care what you say or your friendship pact, I care about the patients he puts at risk every time he operates. I will call the medical board and they will decide what to do. Excuse me."

~•~

Derek went back to Addison's room after making the phone call. It was already too late, and seeing her sleeping so peacefully, he didn't want to wake her up. He knew she would be against this decision, so he chose to remain silent. He'd keep that secret until they were at home and could discuss it calmly.

The next day, Alex checked on Arleth in the morning, and since everything was fine, he discharged her. Derek sent a message to Amelia letting her know they were on their way. They gathered their things, dressed the baby in the cutest outfit to leave the hospital, and placed her in the car seat.

As they walked through the hospital corridors, they inevitably crossed paths with several colleagues who congratulated them on the baby's birth. Both parents were brimming with joy and pride as everyone approached to greet the little one.

At one point, Derek's phone started ringing, and he stepped away to take the call, surprising Addison with his attitude. Who could he be speaking to with such urgency and why couldn't it be in her presence? What was he hiding? If he was off duty...

After a few minutes, he returned, took the baby's car seat, placed it in the back seat, and fastened their seatbelts. Addison sat in the back next to Arleth.

She occasionally glanced at Derek through the rearview mirror. He was acting strange. She couldn't decipher what was happening from his face, but she knew he was hiding something. Having been married to him for seventeen years had taught her all, or almost all, of his tricks. And the look he had now was suspicious.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, noticing Addison's gaze on him. He was afraid she might be suspecting something.

"Yes, everything's fine."

"Is Arley sleeping?"

"Yes, she hasn't woken up at all."

"Good. Nice day, isn't it?"

Yes, clearly he was hiding something. It could be related to the meeting he had with Meredith yesterday afternoon. Would it be very impolite to ask him at this moment what was going on? What had he been doing yesterday? Why didn't he tell her anything last night and avoid the subject when she asked in the early morning? Would talking about it ruin the peace in the air?

"Do you feel okay, Addie?" he asked, looking back when they stopped at a traffic light.

"Why do you always ask me the same thing? Yes, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be? Is there something I don't know that would upset me?" she said defensively. It was clear from her tone of voice that she was annoyed with him.

"I can tell something's up with you. That's all. There's no need to get like that. Do your breasts still hurt?"

"A little."

"If it continues like this, you'll have to give her a bottle. It doesn't make sense for you to suffer so much if..."

"Okay, spare me the advice. You decide what to do when it's your turn to breastfeed."

"Is something wrong, Addison? Why are you being passive-aggressive again?"

"I wonder the same, Derek. Has something happened? Is there something you're hiding?" she asked, making a sarcastic smile.

"Nothing's wrong."

"Who were you talking to on the phone?"

"A patient," he lied.

"A patient calling your personal number on a Sunday at noon when you're on paternity leave?"

"It was a quick consultation."

"What happened between Meredith and you yesterday?"

"We're here," he said, parking the car and relieved that his family was at home so he didn't have to talk about it with his wife.

~•~

"Quick, Olive! Hide behind the sofa. Your parents must be arriving soon," said Amelia, turning off all the lights in the main room.

"My dress skirt won't close!" she complained, uncomfortable.

"Come here, let me fix it for you, be careful not to fall," said Amelia.

"And the stars are coming off! Everything is breaking!" exclaimed Olive, on the verge of tears.

"It's okay," said Amelia as she zipped up Olive's skirt and adjusted it. "I'll stick them back on. Mark, help me with this."

"I'm coming," he replied.

"Milo is playing with that balloon string!" Olive yelled again.

"Nancy, get the cat out of here," Carolyn said, looking at her daughter.

"No! He also wants to surprise my mom and dad!" Olive objected.

"But he will break the decoration, sweetheart..."

"He's not breaking it, he's playing. That's how he plays," said Olive as she lifted the cat in her arms.

"Okay, the stars are stuck. The welcome sign is up, and the cake is on the table. Now we just have to wait for them to arrive," said Amelia nervously.

"To your places, quickly," Nancy exclaimed when she heard noises outside.

They heard Derek inserting the key in the lock and seconds later, the front door opened.

"SURPRISE!" everyone shouted in unison as he turned on the light.

"Oh," Addison said confused, holding the baby and clearly not expecting that kind of welcome. She had always hated surprises of any kind. They made her uncomfortable, and she didn't know what to do or how to react, especially after arguing with Derek on the way. But seeing her daughter in her princess dress with a trumpet in her mouth, jumping with enthusiasm, softened her heart and brought tears to her eyes. Damn hormones, how much longer were they going to torture her?

"Welcome home, Arley," Amelia said, placing a toy crown on the baby's head.

"Wow, this is..." murmured Addison, still dazed.

"Mommy!" Olive ran to hug her legs with enthusiasm.

"Hello, my love. Did you organize this party?"

"Yes! Do you like it?"

"I do. I love it. It's very nice, honey."

"I made the stars on the ceiling!"

"Really? Wow, they're beautiful."

"Did you organize all this, Ols?" Derek asked with a smile from ear to ear, feeling that Olive was much bigger than he had seen her in previous days. Maybe because he had spent a lot of time alone with the baby.

"And with Grandma, we made a cake!"

"I can't wait to try it! Come here and hug me," he said, opening his arms.

Olive ran to her father, and he lifted her in the air. Addison smiled as she watched the scene. She might be angry with Derek, but seeing him interact with her daughters would always melt her heart.

"Olive forced you to organize this party, didn't she?" Addison whispered to Amelia and Nancy, laughing.

"Maybe, but it's a nice welcome. How have you been? Any changes?" Nancy asked.

"She's fine, her bilirubin levels have dropped a bit and she has been discharged, but we have to take her for a checkup in a few days. I'm a little worried that she's not latching on properly and I'm afraid she's not eating enough... but everything else is fine."

"I'm glad to hear that... don't get upset; some babies take time to get the hang of it. It was torture for me with Lucas at first," Nancy said. "But it got better with time. You don't have to give up at the beginning."

"I know, I was lucky that Olive latched on quickly and well... but it's been a little different with her," she sighed. "Derek wants me to bottle-feed her."

"Derek doesn't know shit," Amelia said.

Addison shook her head, laughing. The sibling dynamic would always be like that.

"She's only three days old, Addie. Don't worry so early, she'll improve. I have some tips that might make it easier for you," said Nancy.

"Mommy, Milo ate a fly!" Olive interrupted.

"Oh, well... take him outside."

"But he'll miss the party!"

"How is the jealousy going?" Addison asked Amelia quietly.

"Well, they're there. Wanting attention for now..."

"I figured..."

Arleth started to wake up and make little noises.

"Oh, no, baby. Don't cry," said Addison.

"Mommy! Did you see the sign? We painted it with Grandma!"

"Yes? It's very nice, Ollie... shh, shh," she said, not taking her eyes off the baby, who was beginning to cry.

"You didn't see it, Mom!"

"Yes, I did, it's beautiful."

"And did you like the balloons? I chose them in this color."

"WAAAHHHHH!" Arleth started crying.

"Mom!" Olive said louder.

"Oh, God... Olive, I'm coming. Nancy, can you hold her for a second?" she asked, handing the baby to her sister-in-law.

"Is she hungry?" Derek asked as he arrived, having been talking with his mother.

"Daddy! Did you see the sign?"

"Yes, Ols. It's a great sign; your sister will surely love it."

"And you?"

"I love it too. Why is she crying, Addie?"

"I don't know, Derek. Do I look like a mind reader?" she exclaimed, annoyed.

Nancy and Amelia looked at each other without saying anything, knowing that something internal was happening between the couple.

"Come..." he said, taking her arm and leading her to the kitchen.

"What are you doing? Let go of me!"

"What's wrong with you? And don't tell me "nothing", because I know you. Is it the surprise party? I know you don't like surprise parties, but it was our daughter who planned it."

"I know, I like the party."

"Then what's wrong? People notice your sour face."

"What happened yesterday between you and Meredith? Why have you been distant and cold since you came back? What are you hiding from me?"

"Addie... it's nothing..."

"Tell me! Because imagining the worst scenarios is giving me a headache. Why did she ask you out knowing you're on paternity leave? Why did you keep avoiding the subject when I asked you this morning? Are you sleeping with her again? The hospital's on-call rooms always were your thing with her..." she said with a look of disgust.

"What? Of course not. I told you, we are just friends! I would never cheat on you, God!"

"If you are friends, then why can't you tell me why she called you privately yesterday afternoon and evening?"

"Addie... now is not the time to talk about that. There are people at home."

"Tell me, Derek! Because avoiding the issue, leaving, or changing the subject only makes it worse, it just confirms my fears," she exclaimed, increasingly angry.

"I'm not cheating on you! Stop thinking about that!"

"Then what's going on?!"

"I'm the new chief of surgery. I had to do what's best for the hospital."

"You did what?"