The name, of course, had been Anna’s idea.
He was a German Shepherd mix we’d adopted from a shelter two months prior. We’d gone intending to get a puppy, but the girls fell in love with Blue, a fully-grown, enormous dog. We brought him home thatday, and he’d become a beloved member of the family who brightened our days, even when he was chewing on shoes (Logan’s were his favorite).
The girls ran inside to play with Blue, while Logan and I hung our coats by the door, falling into a very serious and important debate.
“I’m telling you, Evy, it’s a complete pile of nonsense.”
“I don’t believe you, Logan.”
“How can you not believe me?”
“I think you’re exaggerating.”
“Me?They use the defibrillator thirty times an episode, andI’mthe one exaggerating?”
I had finally convinced him to binge-watchGrey’s Anatomywith me, and now he was contesting everything. We were debating the episodes we’d watched the night before.
“That’s what you do when a patient is in cardiac arrest,” I countered.
“No! For cardiac arrest, you do chest compressions and resuscitation maneuvers. Defibrillators are for arrhythmias—to restore a regular rhythm, not to bring people back from the dead!”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Maybe because I’m a doctor. Arealdoctor.”
“The problem is you complain about everything. Just wait until you see today’s episode. It’s one of my favorites. A patient arrives with a bomb inside his body, and the paramedic who treated him has her hand stuck in his wound to stop the bleeding. If she pulls it out, the bomb goes off.”
As I spoke, Logan looked at me with an expression of pure, professional distress. “Seriously, Evelyn? I don’t think you need a medical degree to see the absurdity in that.”
“Fine. If you’re going to be like that, we won’t watch it.”
“No way. I need to know if Meredith and Derek will work things out.”
I couldn’t help but laugh, and he joined me, the playful argument dissolving into shared amusement. We shared a kiss and walked into the living room to find Anna and Aurora standing right in the middle, waiting for us. Blue sat dutifully by their side.
“What’s up, you two?” I asked curiously.
They nudged each other, silently debating who should speak. Finally, Anna began, “So, Evy… It’s just…Rory and I… We wanted to ask you something really important.”
“You can ask me anything.”
“Yes!” Anna continued, her words tumbling out. “It’s just that… We wanted to know if… if… if you…”
Impatiently, Aurora stepped forward and finished for her sister, her hands moving with clear intent:
Do
You
Accept
To be
Our
Second
Mommy?
