Imperfect Dinner

chapter 3

"And it's one more since you two adopted your tiny boy.", she happily addressed Jo and Alex, who were going with the lie of Eddie lawfully belonging to them already.

Maybe they shouldn't have, because right in that moment, Jo got a call from the social worker.

"Oh no...not now...", she whispered, throwing her husband a worried glance. Alex just smiled, trying to reassure his nervous wife.

"Speaker!", Owen reminded his colleague, before taking another bite.

"How could I ever forget about that?", Jo asked, very tense. This call had the ability to change their lives forever. It could mean everything or nothing at all. "Hello, Dr. Karev here.", she finally answered the phone in a fake confident voice.

"Dr. Karev, it is great to catch you this late in the evening. Things were a little rushed back when you got the allowance to take Eddie home, don't you agree?", the social worker wanted to know.

"What does she mean?", Amelia mumbled to Maggie, not quite understanding the woman's intentions yet.

"I don't know either.", her sister shrugged.

"Do you?", the brunette addressed Teddy, who was sitting next to Owen, whose place was right across from his ex-wife. The blonde simply shook her head, definitely looking as confused as her friends did.

"Yeah, probably.", Jo replied, reaching out for Alex to support her by holding her hand. "Are there any problems? Because we are handling the situation very we-"

"Dr. Karev, I have no doubt that you and your husband are fine candidates for taking the roles as Eddie's parents, but we haven't even been to your home yet. Therefore I am calling to make an urgently needed appointment with you about the baby's living situation, your time consuming jobs and all the other new matters this adoption is bringing along.", the social worker explained, keeping her voice serious but sounding nice.

"Huh?", Link wondered. He, besides Alex, was the closest person to Jo. The couple had told him that they already adopted Eddie. "Something is not adding up.", he said to his colleagues.

"Oh wow, first secret exposed I'd guess.", Carina replied.

"Yeah, sure. We can do that! Maybe tomorrow, though. Now is really not the best time.", Jo answered.

"I understand. The baby's evening routine probably started a few minutes ago. Glad to know that you two care so much for the sweet little boy. He deserves such amazing people in his life.", the social worker noticed. "Call me tomorrow, whenever it works for you, Dr. Karev! Have a good night.", she said and hung up.

"What did she mean? You haven't adopted Eddie yet?", Atticus asked as soon as his best friend put her phone back onto the table and before anyone else could have said anything.

"No, we haven't.", Alex meddled, replying for his wife, who was looking into her person's surprised and somehow disappointed looking face. "But we want to and we will.", he added, already feeling like a dad to the baby.

"So, you lied to me?", Link wondered as he frowned. Amelia put her hand onto his thigh to support her boyfriend. "Did you truly think it was necessary to lie to me? After all these years?"

"Link...", his girlfriend softly tried to calm him down.

"Amelia, I love you, but please stay out of this, because when it comes to adoption-", the ortho surgeon started.

"Then what?", Tom, always on Amelia's team, no matter what, interrupted the conversation.

"No...it's not you, who I am disappointed in. Sorry, babe!", Link immediately apologized as he realized who he was taking his anger out on. He gently took his girlfriend's chin into his hand and gave her a sweet kiss to show her he was truly sorry.

"Then what?! Did you not hear the question?", Owen eagerly repeated the words of the man he hated the most.

"Owen, stop it!", Amelia ordered, throwing him a glance of appreciation for trying to help but also signaling that this wasn't his fight. She didn't miss the confused look Teddy inspected him with.

"How about we all calm down again?", Meredith suggested. "For the record, as Alex' best friend and person, I can assure you that I got a false information too. But they don't need to explain why, because maybe it was to protect their babyboy."

"Exactly!", Jo finally found her voice again. "This was the easiest and safest way to go with. And I am sorry we lied to all of you, but Eddie is our son and we don't want to risk losing him at any chance. I am truly sorry, Link. This was not because I don't trust you or anything. I simply wanted to keep my baby safe."

"I understand. Would do the same thing, I guess. I didn't want to get so angry.", Atticus apologized, smiling kindly. "I am really sorry, Amelia.", he whispered to his girlfriend and kissed her cheek gently.

"I know.", she forgave him, not ever going to talk about how much his word's had hurt her. She regretted not adopting Leo with Owen back then and now having lost him to another woman.

"Time for the second gear, I believe.", Maggie cheerfully announced to get back to the comfortable atmosphere they were having before and stood up.

"I'll help this time.", Andrew offered and got up too. He brought all the empty plates over into the kitchen, while the brunette took care of the next gear. Meanwhile Maggie's phone made a noise, informing the group that she had gotten a message.

"Oh God...", she sighed. "Amelia, please read it out loud if it isn't too bad.", she yelled threw the open door, which divided both rooms.

"Hey, how is dinner going? Have a good night, Richard.", the neurosurgeon read, happy that her sister didn't seem to have anything else but her resignation to hide.

"Boriiiing!", Tom mimicked Teddy from before and made her laugh. Alex chuckled too.

"Can you answer?", Maggie asked.

"Yes, I am physically able to do so.", her best friend made fun of her question. "What should I reply?", she added more seriously, after giggling at her own mischievousness.

"Anything. I don't care as long as it is not another one of your terrible jokes.", the ex surgeon shouted, annoyed.

"She laughed at your response, no worries. Just acting like it's not funny enough for Ms. Pierce.", Andrew meddled and grinned.

"So is she supposed to answer 'anything'?", Teddy joined the group of friends making boring jokes.

"Probably.", Amelia chuckled at the blonde's idea.

"Oh shut up!", Maggie growled in amusement as she came back into the kitchen. "Don't act like you're stupid, you two!", she ordered.

"First gear aka pesto chicken in paste with beans and baked tomatoes.", Andrew announced as he put the sheet with the meat into the middle of the table, while his ex-girlfriend added the beans and tomatoes.

"Buon appetito!", Carina wished, waiting for her brother and colleague to take their seats again before she started eating.

"I hope peanut likes pesto.", Link mused, winking at his girlfriend.

"Well, does daddy like pesto? Because mom seems to enjoy it.", Tom wondered.

"Oh, daddy loves pesto!", Jo let the group know. "I remember how we could eat pesto sauce with pasta for every day of a whole week together.

"Whoops, seems like daddy's phone is ringing!", Amelia grinned mischievously, when her boyfriend's screen lit up with an unknown number on the display.

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This is so much fun, you guys! I swear, it's like watching a sitcom while writing it haha. :D Because I feel like it's easy to imagine this whole group of people sitting at Meredith's table, having their imperfect dinner.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Another big secret was exposed. Let's see what Link has to hide, shall we?