You were mid-sentence when Mrs. Whitaker, your elderly patient, gasped.

“Oh, I knew it,” she said, beaming.

“Knew what?” Addison asked, arms crossed.

“That you two are married! The way you bicker—it’s adorable.”

You nearly choked. “Oh—no, we’re not—”

But Addison, smirking, cut in smoothly. “Oh, come on, darling. No need to be shy.”

Your eyes widened as she casually draped an arm around your shoulders. Warm. Solid. Smug.

“Dr. Montgomery—”

“Addison,” she corrected sweetly. “Honestly, sweetheart, how many times do I have to remind you?”

Mrs. Whitaker sighed. “Oh, I just love seeing strong, successful women in love. How long have you been married?”

Before you could speak, Addison said, “Two years.”

You clenched your jaw. Fine. Two can play this game.

You leaned in slightly. “Actually, three,” you corrected, catching the flicker in her expression.

“Right,” she recovered, fingers ghosting over your back in retaliation. “Time flies when you’re married to this one.”

Mrs. Whitaker giggled. “And I bet you two are wonderful parents.”

You stiffened, but Addison didn’t miss a beat. “The best,” she said airily.

“Of course,” you added. “Our… daughter is just like her.”

Addison’s gaze flickered with amusement. “And our son takes after you.”

Mrs. Whitaker sighed dreamily. “Such a perfect family.”

After wrapping up the exam, you barely made it out of the room before rounding on Addison.

“What the hell was that?”

She shrugged. “She was happy. Who am I to ruin her fun?”

“You lied.”

“Harmlessly,” she said. “And hey, you played along.”

“You told her we had kids!”

Addison grinned. “What? You don’t like the idea of little versions of us running around?”

You groaned, rubbing your temples. “You are unbelievable.”

“Adorable, actually,” she quipped. “Which, apparently, is what makes us such a great couple.”

Your face burned as she winked and strolled away, leaving you questioning if you were mad—or just flustered.