Meredith's sister

23

Mia's POV

I woke up to an empty bed, reaching out instinctively for Teddy, but she wasn't there. Instead, I found a note resting on her pillow.

I'm going to the hospital for a trauma case. I'll call you later. I love you so much – Teddy.

I smiled softly at her words before letting out a sigh and sinking back into the pillows for a moment. After a few more minutes of lingering in bed, I got up, took a shower, and headed to the hospital. Taking a deep breath, I prepared myself for the day ahead. I focused on my cases, tackling them one by one, and by the time I finished my shift, exhaustion settled in.

When I got home, I found Teddy sitting on the couch, sipping tea. A warm feeling spread through my chest as I sat down in front of her. I reached out, placing my hand gently on her growing belly. She smiled at me.

"I can't wait for this little one to get here," I murmured. "I'll treat them like royalty."

Teddy let out a soft laugh, her eyes filled with warmth. "Okay," she whispered, leaning into my touch.

16 Weeks Later

Today, Teddy and I decided it was finally time to tell everyone about the baby—our little soldier, as Teddy liked to call them. We still didn't know if we were having a girl or a boy, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that this baby was already so loved.

At the hospital, we agreed to tell Amelia and Owen first. Once we arrived, we paged them to the attendings' lounge. They walked in a few minutes later, curiosity written all over their faces.

"What's up?" Owen asked.

Teddy exchanged a glance with me before taking a deep breath. "We have something to tell you before anyone else finds out," she said.

Owen's brow furrowed. "Teddy?"

"I'm pregnant," she announced. "And Mia is going to be this baby's other mom."

I squeezed her hand, grounding both of us in the moment.

"You're having a baby?" Owen asked, his voice laced with surprise.

Teddy nodded, and Amelia's face lit up. "That's amazing! Congratulations!" she said before pulling Teddy into a hug. Then she turned to me and did the same. Owen hugged Teddy next, then me.

"I'm really happy for you both," he said sincerely, and I smiled, nodding in appreciation.

After that, we shared the news with everyone else, and to my relief, they all took it well—including Meredith, which meant a lot to me.

Later that day, I found Meredith sitting in the attendings' lounge, staring off into the distance.

"Hey, Meredith," I greeted, sitting down next to her. She glanced at me, offering a small smile.

"You okay?" I asked.

She nodded. "Yeah. I just wanted to say I'm really happy for you and Teddy."

Her words warmed my heart. "Thank you," I said softly.

When I got home, Teddy was curled up on the couch watching TV. I sat down beside her and placed my hand on her knee.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

"My feet are killing me, but other than that, I'm good," she said, sighing.

I smirked and lifted her legs onto my lap, starting to massage her feet. She let out a contented moan.

"Oh, that feels so good," she murmured, her head lolling back against the couch.

I chuckled. "Glad to be of service."

Teddy peeked at me and grinned. "This might be better than sex."

I gasped dramatically. "Ouch! That's just rude."

She laughed, her eyes shining with affection. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," I said before leaning in to kiss her.

7 Months Later

Teddy's baby bump was now impossible to miss. I had taken the day off to set up the nursery, wanting everything to be perfect before the baby arrived. After hours of assembling furniture and decorating, I stepped back to admire my work. The nursery was warm and inviting, a mix of modern and bohemian styles with soft earthy tones.

It featured a light wooden crib, a cozy glider chair with a matching ottoman, a small round side table, a wooden baby rocker, and a stunning woven rattan pendant light hanging from the ceiling. Two floating wooden shelves displayed little decorative pieces—wooden toys, minimalist house ornaments, and a framed name board that read Willow Marie Magnolia. A large window let in natural light, covered with woven shades that added to the cozy ambiance. A patterned area rug tied everything together beautifully.

As I finished cleaning up, I heard the front door open.

"Hi, how was your day?" I asked as I met Teddy at the door, kissing her softly.

"It was good," she said, smiling against my lips.

"I have something to show you," I said, taking her hand.

Curiosity flickered in her eyes as I led her upstairs. I stopped in front of the nursery door. "Go ahead, open it."

She hesitated for a second before pushing the door open. Her eyes widened as she took in the room.

"Oh my God, Mia..." she whispered, turning to me with tears in her eyes.

"I took the day off to do this," I said softly. "I wanted to make sure we had everything we need."

Teddy let out a shaky breath before pulling me into a hug. When we pulled back, she kissed me deeply.

"I love you so much," she murmured.

I smiled. "I love you too." I placed a hand on her belly. "I love both of you."

Teddy wiped her tears, smiling. Then her expression turned hesitant. "What if I'm a bad mother?" she whispered.

I cupped her face gently. "You won't be," I reassured her. "There might be things you don't know at first, but that's why I'm here—to figure it all out with you."

Teddy nodded, leaning into my touch as I kissed her forehead.

A knock at the door interrupted us. "I'll get it," I said, pressing one last kiss to her lips before heading downstairs. When I opened the door, a familiar face greeted me.

"Callie!" I exclaimed, pulling her into a hug.

She hugged me back before glancing over my shoulder. Teddy had made her way downstairs, her face lighting up. "Callie, hi!" she said, embracing her as well.

"Wow, I've missed a lot," Callie said, shaking her head in amusement.

We all sat down in the living room to catch up. But then Teddy's phone rang.

"I'm getting paged," she said, standing up.

"Good luck," I said, kissing her.

"See you later," Callie added.

Teddy smiled. "I love you, Mia."

"Love you too," I called after her as she left.

Callie turned to me, her expression curious. "Okay, catch me up on everything."

I took a deep breath. "I hit rock bottom. Amelia was there for me, but no one else was."

"What do you mean?" Callie asked, concern evident in her voice.

"I became an addict," I admitted. "Amelia, Teddy, and Addison saved me."

"Wait—Addison?" Callie asked, surprised.

I nodded. "Amelia called her."

"Wow. That's... a lot," Callie said, processing it all.

I sighed. "Yeah. But now, Teddy and I are back together, and we're having a baby."

Callie smiled. "Well, that's amazing."

And for the first time in a long time, I truly believed it was.