The rain fell in slow, steady sheets, painting the windows of the car with blurred city lights. The familiar scent of coffee and damp pavement filled the air as Addison gripped the steering wheel, her gaze shifting to the looming structure of Seattle Grace Hospital. She had been here before—years ago, in medical school—but now it was different. This was her new beginning. Their new beginning.

She glanced at the passenger seat, where her teenager sat, earphones in, gaze locked on the passing streets. The move had been sudden. From New York to Seattle, from private schools and brownstones to unfamiliar hallways and an entirely new rhythm of life. Addison knew this wasn’t easy for them. The adjustment. The change. But it was necessary.

“You sure you don’t want to come inside?” she asked, voice softer than usual.

Her child barely looked up. “I’ll wait here.”

Addison sighed, brushing a strand of red hair behind her ear before nodding. “Okay. I won’t be long.” But they both knew she would be.

Seattle Grace was a far cry from the polished halls of Mount Sinai or the pristine corridors of her old life. Inside, doctors in blue scrubs rushed past, the smell of antiseptic clinging to the air. Richard greeted her with a knowing smile, his presence steady as ever.

“Addison. Welcome to Seattle.”

She managed a smile, shaking off the weight of the morning. “Thanks, Richard. It’s good to be here.” A lie, perhaps, but one she needed to believe.

The hospital was alive with the hum of controlled chaos—interns scrambling to impress, attendings barking orders, and the constant murmur of beeping monitors. Somewhere in the mix, her soon-to-be-ex-husband was likely brooding in an on-call room, avoiding this moment as much as possible. But Addison wasn’t here for Derek. Not anymore.

She had bigger things to focus on. A new job, a new hospital, and most importantly—the person waiting in the car outside.