sgmwesters

[sgmwesters]

"what?" ryleigh's words took a moment to register with his as to exactly what she'd said. not helped by the fact that he was carrying a heavy box, either. look of confusion rushed across his face as nathan moved to put the box down on a nearby surface, hands reaching to rest on the top of her arms as he did his best to calm her down. "ry, we've been together for –– for ages. what's changed your mind? is it the xbox? because i can get rid of that ––"

Seeing him with the boxes her eyes widened even more. Nodding as he spoke. Ry hadn't truly heard what he said just that he was talking. When she saw him staring at her she sighed. "I can't do this. It's too much." Ryleigh looked at him. "It's a lot. We haven't been together that long. It feels so fast. I can't do it." She knew she was overreacting but it felt scary. The whole thing was a lot for her. For someone who never wanted this life or rather was afraid of this life.

[sgmwesters]

"i know i don't need to." but the truth was, there was a part of her that thought that she did. josh was her best friend, the one she could lean in when a lot of her family were far away. and it was a gesture of thanks, and of appreciation, in the best way she knew how to –– a perfectly wrapped gift. "i've had a lot of practice, okay! i don't give things that don't look absolutely pristine. you should know that by now." she gave a fake roll of her eyes with a slight laugh. "now open it. and if you don't like it, i can exchange it."

He shook his head at her. "Come on Gab. You know you never need to get me anything." Sitting down at the table setting the present down in front of him. Looking down at the present he sighed but started to open it anyways. "I still don't understand how you can wrap things this well. Who are you?" He laughed.

[sgmwesters]

planning a wedding was far more intense than yazmin thought it would have been. they weren't going for something big and fancy, but it was still a lot. she couldn't just let justin's offer of help just go without taking advantage of it. "okay, it's super easy," she started, pointing to the boxes of items she'd ordered for their favors, "just take one of these little bags, the clear ones," holding it up for a moment, "and then one thing from each box. tie it with a ribbon, stick a sticker on it, and voila! wedding favor."

"Oh, come on. I can handle it." He wanted to help her. It was his day, too. This meant the world to him. If only his mom could be there to see him. She would've loved this. "I knew there were things I could help with." Justin grinned. "Absolutely, where you need me. Show me what to do." Justin just wanted to make things easier for her.

[sgmwesters]

if there was one thing that as doctors they could count on, it was that most of the time there was always someone willing to join you for whatever caffeine fix it was that you were craving. "normally, i don't. but for some reason the or is all backed up, and it's buying me a little more time." hours without proper sustenance was just part of being a surgeon. she'd gotten used to it over the years. "so while i have the chance, i need to grab it. who knows how long it might be before the next proper meal." she laughed, shoulders shrugging as she spoke. "you look like you're deep into something not as fun?"

Charlotte barely looked up when she heard the knock on the door. Knowing the voice that was coming from behind the door already. When Addison opened the door she nodded. "Coffee would be great right now." Charlotte had been so deep in financials she wanted to scream. It was that time of year to get everything over to the board. Getting all the departments to give her what she needed was like pulling hair. "I'm impressed that you have time to eat."

[sgmwesters]

GROUP SECRET SANTA

spotify wrapped makes an appearance once again –– merry christmas, @brokenrollercoaster, here's your top five songs from 2023, and the ladies you love who embody them. love you! ©

[sgmwesters]

"plastics guy, christian?" april asked, a slight look of confusion washing over her face. she didn't know the surgeon well, but she knew well enough to question it somewhat. "are you two ––? is he why you moved here?" now the questions were piling up, and kepner was able to start reeling them off without as much hesitance.

"this looks fancy." she chuckled, holding the business card in her fingers carefully, as if it might shatter, or disappear, if she didn't take enough care with it. it had been long enough since she'd seen her cousin, and she didn't want to risk upsetting that if she could help it. "i will try and keep all emergencies within daylight hours." she confirmed with a slight smile. "thank you, colette. you really didn't have to."

“much better than a hospital room. well, christian’s taste in decoration leaves a lot to be desired but i’ll be sure to have that fixed by the time you’re ready.” colette smiles warmly - or at least, in a way that is supposed to be warm. there’s a genuine worry behind her eyes, not for april, but for her own situation.

finally, she clears her throat and gets to her feet. “i’ll come by again tomorrow to check in.” such a strange concept all things considered. to care for someone she barely knew. april had always been sweet, the child colette had known her as still lingered in the way she spoke. despite being in pain, there was a clinging hope that seemed to be attached to her.

“oh, if you need anything in the mean time.” she pulls a neatly embossed business card out of her bag. “any time. day or night. preferably day, but you never know.”

[sgmwesters]

nathan walked into the apartment with a big grin on his face, the first box of several in his arms. it was a strange feeling for him, having spent so much time in this apartment before, but now it was going to be their place, together. "home sweet home." he teased, placing the box down on the counter before he turned to face her. there was a moment that made him pause though. "are you okay? you don't quite look as happy as i hoped you'd be. i didn't forget the bubbly, it's in another box downstairs ––"

Starter for @sgmwesters

They were finally doing it. The whole moving in together thing. It was about to happen. There was a lot of nervousness behind it. Ryleigh was excited for him to be here officially but she was nervous. Walking back and forth in her kitchen. Taking in her apartment before it became their apartment. She bit her cheek. Hearing Nathan at the door she walked over and unlocked it. Letting him into the apartment.

[sgmwesters]

━━ ✦ CLOSED STARTER                             ft. josh goldmann @brokenrollercoaster

"don't look at me like that." the lawyer practically demanded, as she held out a present wrapped in red sparkly paper, tied up with a gold ribbon. gabriela's need for perfection extended further out of her professional life than she might like to admit, as evidenced by just how exact her wrapping of the gift had been. "you didn't think i'd forgotten to get you something, did you? come on, you know me better than that."

[sgmwesters]

there was no denying that there was a little bit more stress than yazmin had anticipated when it came to the wedding. she'd thought that by doing something on the simple side, it would have been easier –– but there was still plenty left for her to do, with only a week to go. "exactly. you are raising a child and becoming a surgeon, you really want me to add more to that pile?" she asked, leaning into him as his arm wrapped around her. there was a pause though, as she thought about all the things on her to do list. "but i do have some things you can help me with." it didn't exactly take long for her to cave. "i have our wedding favors that we need to put together. we can put on a movie, do it together?"

Starter for @sgmwesters

Justin was worrying about the upcoming wedding. Yazmin seemed to be doing fine but he knew deep down there was a lot of stress. They were only a week away from the wedding. Justin found her in the kitchen and smiled. Kissing her on the cheek. "Okay, what do you need from me. I know we all think I'm in capable of things. I am however raising a child and becoming a doctor. Give me things to do. I want to take some stress off of you. This day is supposed to be for us. The best day." Justin wrapped an arm around her waist giving her a kiss.

[sgmwesters]

━━ ✦ CLOSED STARTER                             ft. charlotte king @brokenrollercoaster

"knock knock." words accompanied a light rap of her knuckles on the doorframe, before addison poked her head around the door to charlotte's office. "you have time for some coffee?" she asked, head cocking slightly to one side as she put the question to charlotte. "my surgery has been pushed a couple of hours, figure i might as well make the most of it and eat something."

[sgmwesters]

there were times where addison spent more time than perhaps she'd openly admit thinking about the choices she'd made, and how different things might have ended up for her if she'd gone down a different path. at the core of most, if not all, of those journey's down memory lane had an element of mark sloane attached. "god help if she'd been exactly like me." she joked, a slight deflection from just how deep of a turn their conversation had taken. surprising somewhat, but equally as necessary, it seemed. "you really mean that, don't you?" though the look on his face meant that her question didn't need an answer. not a spoken one, at least. "i don't know. i think that ship might have sailed for me." a sensitive topic, but if she couldn't speak to mark about it, then who could she? "had my chance, and missed it. i don't know if i'll get the chance to have a sofia of my own." sofia covering what she really meant –– a second chance at being a parent.

continued from here. @sgmwesters

"definitely me." he answers truthfully. as much as he'd like to deny it, mark wasn't the best partner back then. or person, even. there were lots of things he had to work on himself before he could give himself fully to someone and not sabotage it. he dares to look addie in the eye. he knows what she means. given the choice, mark wouldn't go back in time. he loves his life and his family as it is right now. he wouldn't trade it for the world. "i always imagined she'd be just like you." part of him wondered if they could have it all, then, and now. he didn't entertain this thought often but anytime he was around addison with sofia, or any kid, it felt like a dream he once had. "i don't know about that. sofia makes it easy." he said with a smile, thinking of his child. her mothers also had a part in the matter, there was no denying it. "she'll make a great big sister." his blue eyes lingered on addie's for a little too long before he added, "and you'll make an amazing mom some day. i've always known it."

[sgmwesters]

family had always been of utmost importance to april. maybe it was the fact that a sense of guilt was embedding itself in her the more she spoke to colette, or perhaps it was a need to make up for the harshness of other members of her family now that she had the chance. either way, she pleased to be there for colette now, no matter how long the journey might have to take for them.

"really?" she asked, eyebrows raising. the redhead welcomed the offer of dinner, albeit if not slightly surprised. "i'd like that." she confirmed, gentle smile spreading across her face. "better than a hospital room, right?" she offered as a joke, gesturing to the room around them.

colette waves a dismissive hand. “it’s in the past now.” at least, it was supposed to be. her mind seemed intent on dredging up the past now more than ever. now she is staying with christian, it seems impossible to escape. perhaps she had made a mistake moving, but there was no turning back now.

the gentle offer of a hand takes her by surprise. she stares at it for a moment - the first act of such sincere warmth she has received in a long time. she always believed she had a coldness built into her. angelica was the only one that ever disproved that.

colette retracts her hand, clasping them together in her lap. “you should come for dinner. when you’re… better. i’ll cook.”

[sgmwesters]

@seattlite, continued from here.

damn, her need to be right all the time. the need to make sure that everything was perfect for everyone else meant that she couldn't quite refuse to help diego. and he knew it, and was capitalising on it. "you're leaving me with this, with this little time too? this is poor, even from you." gabriela teased, heavy sigh causing her shoulders to rise and fall as she let it free from her lungs. "fine. you'll have it in less than a week. i guarantee it." her mind was already buzzing with ideas, knowing she'd be able to knock it out of the park. "you owe me one, you know that right? a favour that i can call it any time, and you cannot refuse. you might never know when it's coming, but as soon as it does, boom! you're gab's bitch for a day."

[sgmwesters]

diego's voice had her taken by surprise –– of all the people to run into, she didn't think that her ex-husband would once again be at the top of that list. it took her perhaps a moment longer than it should have for her to look up towards him, an awkward laugh unable to stop itself from her lips. "hi."

sofia didn't like just how awkward it felt. years ago, there was no awkwardness between them at all. now, paths crossing more times than she might consider to be a normal amount, she never quite knew how she was supposed to act. "surprise?" she offered, shoulders lifting slightly as she spoke.

"i'm okay, you know, trying to get in the christmas spirit as much as i can." she explained, hand gesturing to the rack of alcohol behind her. it wasn't as easy when she wasn't spending it with her family, but sometimes you just had to make do. "you too?"

christmas had become a weird time for diego ever since the divorce. what was once a celebratory holiday had turned into a reminder of what life could've been and what it had turned out to be. when he first left for LA, it was easy to leave the holiday aside. it had been easier to not only pretend it didn't exist but also to walk away from his faith that was so heavy around christmas. only recently, with going back to his home city and celebrating with his family, had made diego try to reconnect with god. that was what christmas was all about. the essence of it all.

seattle had been a fresh start for him. and with it, some old traditions came back to life. one of them was setting up the christmas tree and have all the presents that he'd either take or mail to his nephews and niece. another one he couldn't shake off was sofia's christmas cocktail. the two go hand in hand regardless.

diego was already at the line to pay for his groceries when he realized he was missing the key ingredient. he excused himself and ran to the alcoholic bevareges aisle like an alcoholic. "sorry, may i? they're waiting for me-" he started as he reached a hand above the woman's head until his body froze on the spot.

there was no such thing as a coincidence, only god doing its work. that's what his cousin camila used to tell him growing up. "oh, hi." suddenly the firefighter didn't know how to speak. last time they had ran into each other had been at the hospital's christmas gala. he held his breath, giving up on taking the vodka bottle. "didn't realize it was you. how, uh, how've you been?"

[sgmwesters]

there was a pang of sadness from the younger redhead, hearing about what colette had had to face on her own. she felt guilty, for not trying harder, for just going along with the kepner party line about her cousin. perhaps if she had tried more as an adult, then the other kepner wouldn't have had to face these things without the sort of support that april could give.

"i'm so sorry to hear that." the apology was genuine, a hand reaching for colette's in a gesture of comfort, and support. "i'm sure they're happy to see you." ever the optimist, even in times like this. "and you know –– you can always talk to me, too." even if they had long since been estranged, there was a side of april that really did want to know colette.

"oh, that's good. i think. not that the residency program needs fixing, obviously, but that you can be the person to do it." she could feel herself babbling. "i didn't think it was too bad." said the only resident in her class to fail the boards the first time she'd taken them.

“i know some of it.” the people in this hospital seemed more than willing to talk about other people’s business, especially when it involved professional failures of any capacity. colette wishes she had reassuring words, but there’s nothing she can say that will change the past. the important thing was that she’d gotten through it all - on her own.

the question holds a heavier weight than she’s sure april intended. the decision to be honest surprises her, even when she starts to speak. “i lost someone.” she clasps her hands together and fidgets with her thumbs. “i lost someone and the only person that could understand what that was like came here. so i did too. which… i hadn’t really admitted to myself yet.” she lets out a deep sigh.

“anyway. the residency program needs shaping up. that’s what i’m here to do. that’s… my purpose.”

[sgmwesters]

"oh that's so fun!" it didn't take much for april to get excited about things. she just enjoyed when people were happy, and hearing derek talk about zola the way that he did, how could she not join in the excitement that he clearly had. "do you think she'll come with you on fishing trips soon? my dad used to take me out on the farm from almost the moment i could walk, it was hands on, right away when you're a kepner."

for @sgmwesters - april kepner bestie!

"i just got zola her first fishing pole," a fishing pole. a fishing pole for a kid who could barely sit up on her own, but it was her first fishing pole. next thing derek knew, she would be old enough to actually fish. "it's pink." april kepner wasn't his usual person to disclose this type of information to, but she was the one in the room.

[sgmwesters]

━━ ✦ CLOSED STARTER                             ft. diego rivera @seattlites

sofia’s hands pushed deep into the pockets of her coat, body bracing for the cold chill that the seattle air brought with it at this time of year. she was a woman on a mission, for one of her most important tasks of the year.

she was putting up her christmas tree.

and that meant that she needed some particular supplies. her mother had always drunk the same christmas cocktail for the ceremonial putting up of the tree, one that she’d also adopted as soon as she was able. she’d always made them for her and diego as soon as she moved out of her family home, and had continued to make them even while she dressed her tree alone. unfortunately, she’d come to the realisation that she was missing a key ingredient, and feeling like her tree couldn’t go up without it, she was having to pop to the store to pick it up before any baubles could be hung in place.

bell rang out over the frame of the store as she pushed her way in, sending the clerk a polite smile as she moved to browse the shelves. be quick, sofia, she told herself, eyes scanning the shelves for the exact brand of vodka her mother had always told her to use for this exact purpose.