Addison POV:
Well, I was certainly bold last night asking Mer to move in with me. Honestly, I have wanted her to live with me ever since she arrived, but I thought I would never admit it. I almost can't believe she actually agreed.
Now, she won't be moving in right away. We discussed it a bit more last night, and decided that it would be best to start the move in after the trial is over, to give us some more time and to give Clara some time to adjust to the idea so it doesn't feel sprung on her.
Also, there's just so many things to work out with the trial right now. I still have to figure out how to prepare Clara so she doesn't panic in court, because the talk of the hearing has been making her very worried. Luckily, we have an appointment with Violet in a few days so that should be helpful.
Anyway, I messaged Jonathan last night to go ahead and add Mer to the "Living with" section of the papers. Safe to say, he was very excited.
Jonathan:
//HOLY SHIT\\
//Sorry, what I meant to say was, that's amazing Dr. Montgomery! I'll add it to the papers right away. Stupid autocorrect.\\
//I may have gotten a bit excited there. Please excuse my language.\\
He's definitely one of the more interesting attorney's I've ever worked with. I have to love him though.
As I was getting changed out of my pajamas, I heard the door swing open and the sounds of a bag being sat down on the bench.
"Auntie Amelia!" I heard Clara call from downstairs as her small footsteps bounced across the hardwood.
"Hey my love bug," Amelia said, picking her up onto her hip as I walked down the stairs and into the living room. "You got coffee, Addie? I had a late shift last night," she yawned, making her way to the kitchen and settling down on the barstool, Clara still sitting on her lap.
"Of course," I laughed, going into the kitchen to pour from the pot that I had made earlier in the morning. "Any good stories?"
"Actually yea- I was covering the pit when this one dude walked in with a zucchini so far up his a-"
"Okayyy, that's enough," I interrupted. I could tell where that was going.
"What's wrong? You want me to cover her ears or something? Cause I can!"
"Amy," I laughed. "Cora should be calling in about five minutes. I made some pancakes and fruit so help yourselves."
"Nice!" Amelia answered.
"Cora's calling?" Clara asked.
"Yea honey, she's calling with Joanna to set up her first appointment with Amelia," I replied.
"Oh, ok," she said, a bit less excited that she was calling to talk about medical stuff.
"As long as it's okay with Joanna, I could get her in as soon as next week," Amelia added.
"Perfect," I replied. "I'll be there too since I'm driving her to and from."
My phone started ringing on the table, so I picked it up and propped it up against the paper towel roll before answering.
"Hi Clara bug," Cora said once her face had popped onto the screen, along with Amelia's and Clara's in the small window in the corner.
"Cora!" she smiled, waving at the phone.
"How are you feeling sweetie?" I asked, setting Amelia's coffee down in front of her and taking a seat beside the two.
"About the same," she replied. "I'm still really tired, but the dizziness hasn't gotten as bad as the day I fainted so far."
"We're going to get this figured out," I replied, trying to offer comfort.
"So, I have an opening on Tuesday the 22nd at noon if that's a good time," Amelia stated.
"Would I leave early from school?" She asked.
"Yea, I would pick you up at around 11:00 so we have enough time to get to St. Ambrose. We will get you a doctor's note so it will be excused," I replied.
"Does that work?" Cora said off to the side, to ask who'd I assume to be Joanna. "Yea that works," Cora confirmed. "So uh- what exactly is the appointment going to be like?"
"So the main thing we'll do is called a tilt table test. I'll hook you up to an ekg, pulse ox, and blood pressure monitor when you're laying down. Then, the table will slowly bring you up to a standing position where you'll stay for twenty minutes, and we'll monitor your vitals and symptoms when you're upright. It can be a taxing test, so make sure you bring a lot of water with you, along with some salty snacks. I'll also be sending you home with a heart monitor that will record your heart rate changes for 48 hours. These tests will get us a definitive diagnosis if your heart rate and blood pressure change as we are expecting," Amelia explained.
"That sounds like a lot," Cora replied.
"It is," Amelia confirmed. "I wish the diagnostic process were simpler. But Addison and I are here to support you."
"Addison, are you gonna stay during the appointment?" Cora asked.
"Only if you want me to. Would you?"
"Yes please," she replied, a bit softer.
"Of course."
*
Clara POV:
It made me sad to hear about Cora's condition. Mama and Amelia assured me that she would be fine, but what if she's not? I remember my old foster brother went into the hospital, and he had to stay for months. I didn't see him much after that.
I'm not sure if I want to tell mom about it though. She already has a lot to worry about, and I don't want her to worry about me.
After the call with Cora, the three of us all went out to get lunch at Amelia's favorite Thai restaurant. We all ordered noodles called ramen, and she helped me pick what kind I wanted. I wanted to try hers too, but she said it would be too spicy. Amy also slurped really loud, and mama laughed at her. When I tried to do it, I almost choked so I wasn't allowed to try again after that.
Once Auntie Amy went home, mommy and I went back home to have our regular Saturday afternoon. Saturdays were special since she was always off work. Our Saturdays consisted of a mix of beach time, movies, books, and lots of ice cream. They were by far the best day of the week.
Later in the afternoon, we sat up at my desk in my room. I was teaching her how to use paint to make a big sunset. She told me that she wasn't Bob Ross, but I'm not really sure who that is. She told me that he was a painter with big curly hair. She promised that we would watch an episode of him painting before bed. Mom was very excited to see his pocket squirrel. His name was peapod.
"So, have you noticed that Mer's been coming around more often lately?" Mom asked, as I finished up the buildings I was working on.
"Yea," I replied. "You really like her," I smiled.
"I do," she laughed a bit. "How about you? What do you think about Meredith?"
"She's a lot like you," I began. "She's a really good listener. I like going to the beach with her. She even promised she would teach me how to swim! She says it's very important. I trust her too. She did pick me up on the side of the road after all," I smiled.
"Thank God for that," she laughed a bit, referencing my last comment. "Well, Mer and I have grown a really strong connection over the years. We're in a relationship. A romantic one," she began to explain.
I began to laugh.
"What's so funny?" she asked, smiling.
"Well, I know that already. I've known for months!"
"How would you have possibly known for months?" she insisted.
"Auntie Amy," I laughed a bit, looking down.
"What about Auntie Amy?"
"Nothin," I laughed.
"Clara!" She exclaimed. "Tell me!"
"We have been on a mission together ever since she came around to spot clues as to how much you liked each other. We tried to guess who would tell who first. Amy guessed Mer, but I guessed you. I was right," I explained.
"She told you about that?!" she laughed, trying to act mad.
"Maybe," I smirked.
"Oh she is so dead," she laughed. "Anyway, Mer and I have been talking about maybe the two of us living together," she began to explain. "Instead of living in the hotel, she would come live here with us. We haven't made any set plans yet. I wanted to ask you about it first, because you will always come first in my life, no matter what. What do you think about that?"
To be honest, I wasn't really expecting that. I took a second to think.
"Yea," I replied. "I like Mer a lot. I feel safe with her. And she makes you feel safe and happy too. So I think it would be good if she lived here."
"You're sure?" She confirmed.
"I'm sure. Pinky Promise," I smiled, holding up my pinky before crossing it with hers.
"Okay then, sweet pea," she smiled, giving me a kiss on the top of my head. "Now show me again how to paint the clouds. I'm lost!"
A/N: Hey guys! We are just one more chapter away from the trial and things are going to heat up a bit! Thanks for sticking it out through the wait for this chapter. I hope you guys are all still enjoying the story! Let me know any suggestions you may have for moving forward. I hope you all are well (: