Always been you//Jolex

Chapter 14

Sadie is post op day 19, and doing great. We went home last night to shower and sleep after Sadie was out cold, and in the morning, we drive to the hospital before Sadie is up, round on our patients and meet back in Sadie's room in time for Maggie to round on her. When we walk in, Sadie is awake and reading a book as always. Sitting beside her is Chelsea, and I worry about why she's there.
We walk inside and say a good morning to Sadie, giving her a hug and talking about how she slept. We brought her breakfast from downstairs, and then the residents come in to round.
"Jo, Alex, I'd like to talk to you outside, please?" She says.
"Sure, can we wait until they round on her?" I say, and she nods in response.
"Dr.Helm, present." Maggie asks, entering the room.
"Sadie Wilson, age 7, post-op day 19 from a heart transplant performed by Doctors Pierce and Karev. Her vitals are holding steady and labs show no sign of rejection. She was given her anti rejection meds this morning and her incision site was cleaned and dressed."
"Very good. Sadie, you are doing excellent and you should be out of here any day now." Maggie says with a smile before proceeding to the next patient.
"You needed to speak with us?" Alex says once they're gone. We step outside the room and she begins talking right away.
"I've been making some phone calls since I last saw you, and everything is going great. Upon
her discharge, the two of you are being granted temporary custody of Sadie Wilson until a hearing date can be set to legalize the adoption."
My hand flies to my mouth and Alex laughs in a relieved sort of way. We pull each other into a hug and stay there for a moment, and it's not until a few seconds later that I realize I'm crying. Chelsea smiles and gives us some more information, none of which registers in my mind since I'm so overjoyed.
I wipe my face and take a breath before re-entering the room.
"You want to tell her?" I whisper to Alex. He nods and sits at the foot of her bed, still beaming.
"Why are you guys so happy?" She asks, clearly having had seen us through the window. We pause a moment and I take her hand.
"Jo and I really want you to be part of our family. So you're gonna come home with us until we can legally adopt you. Is that okay with you?"
"Like...you're gonna be my parents?"
"Yeah, how does that sound?" I chime in.
"So we don't have to say goodbye?" She starts crying, probably overcome with everything from excitement to fear.
"No saying goodbye, sweetie. You're staying with us." I say, scooping her into my arms as a tear slides down my cheek.
"We have a big house with a pool and a swing set, and your own room. You'll get to go to a big school and make friends, and no more moving between houses." Alex adds.
She leans in to give me a hug and I let her rest her head on my shoulder as I run my fingers through her hair.
Just then, Mer walks in with Zola.
"Hey Sadie! What are you up to?" She says.
"I'm getting adopted!" She exclaims, beaming. Meredith looks to us, then back to her with her "Oh my god that's amazing" face.
"That's great!" She says, before moving her attention to us. "Can you guys watch Zo for an hour or two? I hate to ask, but the daycare is closed and Maggie already took Bailey and Ellis home."
"Of course!" I say, motioning for Zola to come sit with us. "We've got her, do your thing."
"Zo, this is Sadie. Jo and I are adopting her, which means she's your new cousin." Alex says. The two of them hit it off right away.
"Hi Sadie, I'm Zola." She says. "My mommy adopted me too, when I was a baby."
"Hi. I wish we could play but I have to rest since I just got a new heart."
"That's so cool! Did my aunt Maggie put it in? She's a cardiothoracic surgeon."
"Yeah! She made a cut right here and took the sick one out and put in a new one." She says, tracing down her gown where her scar lies beneath it.
"Do you know how to play go fish?" Zola says.
"No."
"I can teach you! Uncle Alex, do you have some cards?"
Alex runs and grabs a deck, and they play cards together while Alex and I sit on the couch having a conversation of our own. His arm is wrapped around me, and he just holds me. I feel safest in his arms. I speak quietly so that the girls don't hear.
"Do you think I'm ready to be a mom?" I ask. He pulls me in closer, if possible, and kisses me on the cheek.
"Jo, you're already amazing with Sadie. It always makes me smile whenever I see you with her, because the both of you are always laughing. I love how you hold her at bedtime and talk about your surgeries like a bedtime story. I've had a lot of crappy parents, and I've seen a lot of patients with crappy parents, but you and I? Jo, we are gonna kick ass at this parenting thing."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."