You're Mine

chapter 80

Wednesday, 23rd March:

Logan: 12; Layla: 6; Leo: 3; Twins: 8 months old; Eleanor: 1,5

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"Amelia...can we talk?", Miranda asked when the brunette had told her to come into her office after she had knocked. The neurosurgeon was sitting on her desk, working on some files with her son attached to her in a carrier.

"Sure.", she answered and nodded, turning to her boss, who looked rather serious. "Are you going to fire me? Because if so, I think this is the point where I will have to give up on my children and send them to social services. I won't be able to provide for them anymore."

"Of course not, do I look like I just fire mothers?", her colleague questioned softly and took a seat on her couch. "I understand that Lucas is a special-needs baby. But you are a surgeon with patients. And they might be happy about seeing your son, but once you're operating, he cannot be there."

"I tried to leave him in daycare, but he won't...he wouldn't...I don't really know what to do.", the brunette sighed and teared up. She was so overwhelmed with everything. "I am the only one who is allowed to touch him, Bailey."

"Then let's change this. I am not here to throw you under the bus, Amelia. I am your boss and I see that you're struggling, so I wanna help. I can watch him in my office, but first you have to let me bond with him.", her counterpart informed her. "Maybe you can get yourself some coffee and take a bathroom break, leaving me alone with him for about ten minutes? He will cry, he will not like it at first...but he needs to learn that he can trust others and I know that this is kinda harsh on a kid who is suffering from selective mutism, but he is still a baby, and he can't do anything by himself. But you can't either. So, if you trust me, hand Lucas to me."

"I...", the neurosurgeon protectively glanced down at her son before she looked back up at the other woman. "Page me as soon as he can't take it anymore, please!", she begged, loosening the carrier to hand her the baby, whose eyes widened. He immediately started crying, letting the tears silently fall, the pain evident in his face. "I love you, honey. I will be right back, I promise!", she said and left, feeling her heart break.

"Look, there's your mama.", Miranda told the boy once her employee walked back into her office ten minutes later. The eight-month-old immediately reached for her but he wasn't crying anymore. "I think we can do this. Let's practice a few more times. I'll come back in an hour."

"Thank you, Bailey.", Amelia gratefully told the general surgeon, who nodded before she left the room. "You did so so so well, my little angel. I know it's not easy. But we are a great team. We can do this.", she realized.

---

"Hi, babies!", Owen beamed at his three oldest children, who facetimed him. They were sitting on the couch, Leo in Logan's lap. "How are you? Where's your mama?", he asked. "I miss you!"

"We miss you too, dad.", his eldest son replied. "She's upstairs, bringing the twins to bed.", he shared. "We're pretty good.", he smiled at his father. "How is Iraq?", he wondered curiously.

"A little hectic, but it's good to be back here for a while.", the redhead answered. "Layls, Leo-bear, what have you guys been up to?", he addressed the two younger ones. "Are you alright?"

"We fine, daddy.", Leo informed him softly and started grinning. "You sawin (saving) lives?", he wanted to know, his eyes widening at the thought of his father being a hero over there.

"I am. That's why I am here.", the trauma surgeon chuckled at his sweet kid. "Is mommy going to join us?", he desperately asked. He missed his wife so much, but she was barely responding to his texts, and he knew it wasn't a coincidence that she had let the kids call him while she was upstairs.

"Daddy, I was the very best in my spelling test today.", his daughter proudly let him know and beamed, waiting to be praised. "And she probably will if the twins fall asleep easily.", she responded to his former question.

"Wow! That's amazing, my little smarty queen!", Owen told her happily. "Logan, Leo, what did you guys do today?", he wondered, noticing Amelia come downstairs when the children looked at her.

"Daddy wants to talk to you.", Layla innocently said and expected her mother to come over to the couch to join them, but she didn't. Instead, she found an excuse and said it loud enough for her husband to hear.

"Daddy doesn't have much time, so you guys get to spend it with him, and I have to let Eleanor outside before I start doing the dishes. Then it's bedtime for Leo, after that it's your turn and then it's Logan's.", the brunette denied the request. After all, it wasn't a lie. She didn't have time for this.

"We started working on a new project in drama class today.", the twelve-year-old took over, not realizing that something was going on between his parents. "It's lots of fun since I get to perform the leading role."

"And we drawed (drew) today in daycare.", his little brother answered the question as well. "I drawed Ella in a field of flowers.", he added excitedly pointing to the table for Logan to grab the picture and show it to his father. "See?"

"That sounds perfect, angel.", the redhead replied to his older son before he moved on to the younger one. "You're so good at painting, baby!", he proudly smiled. "All of my kids are so creative.", he praised them, internally heartbroken about Amelia's reaction earlier. "Well, I gotta go. I'll talk to you in two days, sweeties. Give mama big kisses from me and to the twins, too. I love you all so so so much!", he shared, waving at the children, and letting them say goodbye to him before he ended the call.