Cut to the beat

Contact

Days began to drag on longer than either thought they ever would. So process began. A brown moving truck pulled up to Patrick's house at the end of the street.

Ellen turned herself away from the nursery window, cursing herself for choosing this room with that particular view. She hated it. All of it. Her heart longed to hear him talk once more. The show was over for that season. Ellen was on a media shut down. No interviews. No talk shows. No magazines. Not even a damn paparazzi was supposed to come within 100 yards and speak to her. All to avoid scandals with Patrick gone. It wasn't fair.

"Ellen, hey-" Harry poked his head in, "Are we still on for lunch?"

"Shshhh," Ellen shooed him out and walked into the hallway. She smoothed down her blouse. "Sorry. It's just she's finally napping."

Harry nodded and leaned against the wall.

"Ells...you were watching the Dempsey moving truck. What's going on?" Harry asked her. Ellen paled, thinking back to moments ago. Was she that noticeable?

"It's sad. I'll miss him. This neighborhood was nice." Ellen just bullshitted as she tried to dodge the questions. Her entire life was dodging now. She was missing this or that in order to avoid him.

"The neighborhood was nice? Ellen Kathleen...you loved him." Harry led her downstairs and to his car. Ellen slipped into the passenger side seat. She saw a little blonde girl from down the street wave her arm goodbye. Poor Talulah had no idea what had happened between them.

Harry drove away from the house, giving Ellen one last look over. She was someone in mourning. You could see it in her eyes. She had lost love.

Patrick watched Ellen's car go as he loaded the back of the moving van. Everything felt heavy. Like his world was in slow motion. That was the last time he would see her. No more late nights walking from house to house. He wouldn't see her struggle with the grocery bags that were just a little too heavy. Or watch as she clipped the roses. See the breeze blow back her hair as fall hit. Help her rake those leaves into piles. Living next to Ellen was a simple love of life. He had taken it for granted.
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"Patrick, hurry up. I'm going with the truck so we can be sure it gets there. I'm taking T you get the boys." Jill barked as she went to close the truck. They were done. Patrick closed it, taking a deep breath. He waited until Jill was gone with it before darting inside. There was a notepad of blue post its in his drawer. He picked one out and scribbled a message. It wasn't good enough.
Soon there were piles of blue post its in the trash bin by his desk. Nothing he wrote was good enough for her. Nothing at all. Until he was down to the last post it. A hastily scribbled,
'I'm sorry- love Patrick' did he feel confident in what he's leaving behind. He walked down to her house and left it on the doorway. He was very sorry at how life turned out. Patrick could smell the geraniums as they began to walk away and his eyes watered. Ellen always smelt like them. Freshly blossomed geraniums.
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The post it note didn't last long on Ellen's doorstep. The adhesive stick didn't enjoy the LA heat and fell to the ground. The wind picked it up and it was never seen again. Ellen returned to her house after lunch with Harry only to see an empty house for sale at the end of her street. She hurried inside her house and went straight up to Stella's nursery. Chris was sitting in the rocking chair writing while Stella napped. He looked up when Ellen walked in, raising a finger to his lips. Ellen nodded, taking quiet steps in. Despite all the hurt in her heart this was one of the joys. She looked down at sleeping Stella and took a deep breath. Maybe...just maybe this was how life was supposed to turn out. Maybe she didn't need a love in her life, but just love itself. Her mother only had one love. That was enough for her life.

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Years had passed. Greys was still a thing, falling down slightly over the time. Not directly related to Patrick's exit but more so just the writing. Things got messy. Ellen was struggling to find a reason to renew. Chris and her were the same boring old parents focused on Stella more than anything in the world. She was three now and toddling all around. It gave her happiness each morning.

"El there's a call for you on the house line!" Chris yelled up the staircase for Ellen as she got Stella dressed for the day.

"I'm coming, tell them to hold!" Ellen yelled back, kissing Stella's forehead as she picked her up and took her downstairs. Life was pretty well adjusted in their house.

"Hello is this Ellen Pompeo?" A man asked firmly. Ellen sat down on the couch with Stella in her lap.

"Yes, who's calling may I ask?" Ellen replied. Something felt off. There was this dark out inside of her tearing away the stitches that sealed it up.

"UCLA children's hospital. There's a bit of a situation. You signed a closed adoption for your son at birth however his parents are opening that adoption now. Everett, he has Pediatric Leukodystrophy. More about this can be discussed if you come in for a visit." The man explained slowly. Ellen's world collapsed. She didn't even know what that disease was but it shook her to her core. Her son was sick. Open adoption? This means he's hospital bound.

"Momma?! Why you have frowny face?" Stella giggled, poking at Ellen's cheeks. Stella.

"When can I come visit? Has his father been contacted?" Ellen asked, hugging Stella with her left arm.

"Patrick has been contacted yes. He's staying in the hospital for observation. Sclerosis is part of the disease which means his motor ability is delayed and failing. He can't function much right now. I'd say the best open time would be tonight or tomorrow." The doctor said, pulling out a pen to write down times.

"Tonight. I want to be there tonight." Ellen said firmly.

"I'll call Patrick and you'll receive a message relaying the exact time of the appointment. Have a good day Ms. Pompeo."

Ellen hung up as fast as she could. Her heart was racing. What did this all mean? Was he going to die? Was that an option?

"Momma!" Stella giggled, clapping her hands for attention. Ellen wrapped her arms around her body, holding her close. She never wanted to loose her daughter.

"Stella. I love you," Ellen kissed her forehead again as Chris walked in.

"Who was it? It looked like UCLA-"

"It's Everett. He has a Leukodystrophy? I don't know what's going on. I'm meeting my son for the first time in 3 years in a hospital bed tonight. With Patrick there." Ellen said, getting frazzled. Chris sat down beside her, taking Stella into his arms.

Ellen sat watching the world move around her. Seeing Patrick for the first time in three years tonight was making her feel like they were fresh faces again. Worried about revealing their feelings. She would give anything to go do a DVD release with him and not visit their son.

Their son.