Martha's anger erupted immediately. "You what?" she said, disbelief mixed with fury.
Meredith barely acknowledged her, her gaze fixed on Rick. "I bought a house in Atherton," she said casually, as if the news she was delivering wasn't devastating. "It's not as grand as this loft, but it'll be perfect for us."
Rick's breath hitched as the reality of what Meredith was saying sank in. "You're... moving her? You're moving her across the country?"
Meredith nodded, her smile unwavering. "I secured Alexis a spot at Atherton Prep," she added.
Alexis's eyes widened. "Atherton Prep? That's one of the best schools in the country. They only take geniuses!"
"And you are a genius, Sweetheart," Meredith said, her tone almost patronizing.
"Wait, you're not even in LA anymore?" Rick asked, his mind racing, struggling to keep up.
Meredith shrugged, almost disinterested. "I can travel for work," she said nonchalantly. "I wanted to be somewhere that would be good for Alexis."
"So you've been planning this all along," Rick said, his anger starting to simmer again. "And you didn't think to discuss it with me first?"
"Because you always discuss everything with me," Meredith said sharply, her voice laced with sarcasm.
"When it comes to Alexis, I do!" Rick retorted, his voice rising. "I consult with you on her school, her extracurriculars, hell—I even ask for your permission before she goes away for the weekend. And you didn't think to mention that you were planning to move her across the country?"
"You would have shut me down immediately," Meredith said dismissively.
"Damn right I would have!" Rick snapped.
"Well, it's not your choice anymore, Rick!" Meredith's voice was cold, final. "I've spoken to a lawyer," she added quietly. "You've kept me from my daughter for too long."
"Kept you?" Rick's voice broke, disbelief flooding him. "I never kept you from her, Mer," he said, his voice pleading. "Please, don't do this."
Meredith's expression hardened, her eyes dark. "She's old enough to make her own decision," she said, turning to Alexis. She smiled at her daughter, though the smile didn't reach her eyes. "I miss you, Lex. I've missed you for too much of your life. You're about to go to Stanford, and I want to do my part in making that dream come true."
"Meredith," Rick said, his voice low but urgent.
She ignored him, her gaze fixed on Alexis. "Atherton Prep will give you the boost you need," she said, her voice smooth and coaxing. "And once you're there, things will be so much easier. You won't have to deal with all this stress."
"Meredith," he said again, this time louder.
She still ignored him. "And a little bonus is you'll have me and that cutie boyfriend of yours - I know you were devastated about being apart."
Rick could no longer hold it in. "Meredith!" he shouted, stepping forward and grabbing her arm, pulling her away from their daughter. His grip was too tight - too much - and he immediately released it, his face pale with realization. He released his grip on her immediately, but he'd already gone too far.
"Please," he said quietly, his voice barely a whisper. "Please don't do this to me."
But Meredith wasn't backing down. "I'm not doing this to you, Rick. I'm doing it for her. You've worked her into the ground all summer. She deserves to enjoy her senior year."
Rick, still reeling, tried to hold on to one last thread of hope. "All her friends are here," he argued, though the words felt weak even as he said them.
Meredith waved him off. "Friends she'll be leaving behind in less than a year anyway. And she'll make new ones. Smart, ambitious friends, just like her. Admit it, Rick—you'd be thrilled if you'd gotten her into a school like this."
"I'm not saying it's not a good school-"
"Great school," Meredith corrected quickly.
Rick's frustration reached it's peak and he had to bite his tongue to hold back.
"You just don't want her with me." Meredith's eyes darkened. "What have I done, Rick? Why do you hate me?"
Alexis shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "He doesn't hate you, Mum."
But Rick's silence was the loudest answer of all.
Alexis looked at her father, her voice breaking. "Dad?"
"I- I don't-" Rick's words faltered, his face a picture of helplessness.
And that was all it took. Alexis let out a gut-wrenching sob and rushed upstairs, her broken heart audible in her footsteps.
"Now look what you've done," Meredith spat under her breath, her voice dripping with venom.
"Are you kidding me, Mer?"
Kate didn't need to witness any more. She followed Alexis upstairs, her heart heavy with a mixture of sympathy and helplessness. She didn't know what she could do - if she could do anything - but she couldn't leave the teen alone in the midst of this storm.
Kate knocked softly on the door just moments after it slammed shut.
"Alexis?" she called quietly, her ear pressed against the wooden door, straining to hear over the muffled sounds of the ongoing argument downstairs.
The girl's soft sobs filtered through the wood, only deepening Kate's concern.
She sighed, her hand resting on the door handle, ready to leave. But just as she turned, the door cracked open, revealing Alexis's tear-streaked face.
"I'm sorry about what I said," Alexis hiccupped, her voice a mixture of shame and regret. "I didn't mean it. I just... I wanted to hurt Dad, I guess."
The sound of Rick's angry voice boomed from downstairs, harsh words cutting through the air. "School starts in three weeks!"
Kate winced at the tension that clung to every syllable. Her heart ached for both of them, caught in a storm of emotions they couldn't control. "Mind if I come in?" she asked, her voice gentle.
Alexis stepped back, silently opening the door wider, inviting Kate into her room.
As Kate entered, her gaze fell on the familiar chaos of a teenager's space—posters, photographs, string lights, and bookshelves stacked with textbooks and novels. It was a room filled with a mixture of youth and dreams, and it felt like Alexis herself.
"Are you okay?" Kate asked softly, eager to break the silence.
Alexis shrugged, her eyes clouded with a distant kind of sadness. "Not the first time they've fought," she said, her voice carrying a quiet weight. Then her expression shifted, as though realizing the gravity of what had just unfolded. "It's not usually like this, though."
Kate offered her a sympathetic smile, but inside, the ache only deepened.
"Seriously," Alexis began again, her voice cracking slightly. "I'm sorry."
Kate shook her head. "It's fine, Alexis."
The girl's voice lowered, barely a whisper. "I like it when you're here. I like you." She paused, her fingers twisting in her lap. "And it's nice to see my dad so happy. Please don't punish him for what I said."
Kate blinked, confusion flashing across her face. "Punish him?" she repeated, her brow furrowed.
Alexis met her gaze, her eyes wide with earnestness. "I just mean... don't stop coming around, because you think you're not wanted here. You are."
A door slammed downstairs, the sound jolting them both. Kate looked toward the door, as if she could somehow peer through it.
"Don't get too excited," Alexis muttered, her voice tinged with dry humour. "It's probably just Gram. She tends to disappear the moment Mum enters the building. I'm surprised she stuck around as long as she did tonight, actually. It was probably only because you were here, and she didn't want you to have to suffer alone."
Kate's heart twisted at the casual pain Alexis spoke with. She couldn't fathom the weight of being used to such brokenness, to this constant dance of tension between the people she loved most. It was too much for anyone to bear, let alone a teenager.
"It's okay," Alexis said, snapping Kate from her thoughts. "You don't have to stay. I'll be fine. I'll just work on my case note, make those final adjustments you recommended."
Kate raised an eyebrow. "Need help?"
Alexis looked at her in surprise, as though unsure Kate was sincere. "You want to help me?"
Kate shrugged, her tone light. "Your dad teased me mercilessly for it, but I actually enjoyed helping you," she admitted with a soft chuckle. "Besides, it sure beats going back down there." She motioned toward the door, where the argument still lingered.
Alexis smiled, her posture relaxing for the first time. "Oh, so really you're just using me to hide," she teased, her voice lighter.
Kate let out a relieved breath as the tension eased from her shoulders. She didn't need Alexis to say more—just seeing that smile was enough to reassure her that, in some small way, she had made a difference.
The assignment turned out to be the perfect distraction. Both Alexis and Kate became so absorbed in the work that time slipped away unnoticed, the arguments from downstairs slowly fading into the background. They didn't realize how much had passed until a soft knock at Alexis's bedroom door broke their concentration.
They looked up, still sitting side by side on the edge of the bed, the laptop balanced between them.
"Hey, Pumpkin," Rick's voice was soft, tentative, as he poked his head through the door.
"Hey, Dad," Alexis responded quietly, her voice carrying a hint of the heaviness that had lingered even after the tears had stopped. Her eyes were no longer red, but there was an unmistakable weight to her words.
"May I come in?" Rick asked.
Alexis nodded, her eyes flicking briefly to Kate. Without a word, Kate stood, deciding to give them the space they needed.
"I'll give you guys some privacy," she said, offering a soft smile before making her way toward the door. As she passed Rick, she reached out and gave his hand a gentle squeeze.
He smiled at her, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. The exhaustion in his face was palpable, and Kate could see how deeply the weight of the evening had settled into him.
Downstairs, Kate quietly packed away the half-prepared food. She doubted anyone would have an appetite right now. She cleaned the dishes, wiped down the countertops, and busied herself with small, mindless tasks, hoping to fill the time. She wasn't sure what else to do. The thought crossed her mind that maybe it was time for her to leave — give Rick and Alexis the space they needed to process everything.
The loft felt unnaturally still, like the eerie quiet that follows a storm. There was a heaviness in the air, a silent aftermath that made Kate feel hollow inside. She looked around, unsure whether to stay or go. She grabbed her keys, her fingers trailing over the cold metal as she made her way toward the door.
"You're leaving?"
Rick's voice startled her, and she looked up to see him standing at the top of the stairs. His gaze held a sadness that caught in Kate's chest like a weight she couldn't quite carry.
"I just…" Kate trailed off, her heart sinking. "I wasn't sure if you'd want me to stick around. I thought maybe you'd need privacy or something." She shrugged, trying to mask her uncertainty. "I didn't want to impose."
Rick descended the stairs, his footsteps slow and heavy, until he stood in front of her. The silence between them felt thick, but it was his question that caught her off guard.
"Do you want to leave?"
Kate shook her head slowly. She didn't want to leave. Not now, not like this. She wanted to stay, to hold him, to erase the exhaustion and the heartache that had clouded his eyes. She wanted to make it better, even though she knew she couldn't.
Rick cupped her face with one hand, his thumb brushing over her cheek. He rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes, taking a long, steady breath. In that moment, everything else faded away. There was just him, just them.
Kate gripped his shirt, her hands tight at his waist, as though she could hold him together. She whispered softly, "Talk to me, Rick."
"I just…" His voice cracked as he spoke, the words heavy with frustration. "I just don't understand. After everything, how can she do this? And why do I keep letting her? For years, I let her walk all over me and now she's…" His breath hitched. "It's like I'm stuck in this never-ending cycle with her, and I'm… I'm so tired."
Kate ran her fingers through his hair, soothing him, though she knew her touch couldn't solve the storm inside him. All she could offer was her presence, her patience. No judgment, no expectations — just space to be whatever he needed in that moment.
"I never wanted to be the parent who belittles the other, but-" His voice faltered. "She can't do this. Not full-time. For short visits, yeah, but… Meredith is… unreliable. There's a reason Alexis stayed in New York with me. I know my daughter. Meredith's right: Alexis is old enough to make her own decisions. But what if she makes the wrong one?"
"Alexis is smart," Kate whispered, the words a quiet reassurance.
Rick shook his head, the frustration still raw. "Alexis is just a kid who loves her mother," he said bluntly. "I don't know what to do, Kate. I don't know how to protect her from all of this."
Kate softened, understanding the weight of his words. She knew how much he loved his daughter, and how helpless he must have felt watching everything unravel. She closed her eyes, leaning into him as his hands cradled her face, their breaths slow, steady.
"I'm sorry," he muttered, pulling back slightly, his voice heavy with guilt. "I know this isn't your problem."
"It is my problem," Kate replied softly, her heart aching for him. "You're upset. That's my problem. Always."
Rick's expression softened, and despite the heaviness of the moment, he managed a tired, but genuine smile. "I love you."
Kate smiled back, feeling the weight of his words settle inside her. "I love you, too."
They stood there, just a little longer, sharing the silence. Neither of them knew what came next, but in that moment, they had each other.