It’s your first week at Oceanside Wellness, nerves buzzing in your stomach as you shuffle through patient files at the front desk. You’re still finding your footing—new job, new city, new colleagues. You expect to meet Addison Montgomery, the legendary neonatal surgeon and your new boss, in some formal, intimidating way.

Instead, you hear a soft babble.

Looking up, you see a baby—tan skin, dark tufts of hair, crawling determinedly across the waiting room rug in a green and blue onesie. A stuffed giraffe drags along with him. Behind him, a striking redhead in a white coat appears and quickly lifts the wiggling baby onto her hip along with the giraffe.

“That’s Mommy’s chart, not yours,” Addison says, exasperated but affectionate, shifting the baby onto her hip as he reached for the chart in her free hand.

You realize with a start—this is the Addison Montgomery. Your Boss. And she’s holding a baby..?

“Oh—hi,” you manage, trying not to look completely frazzled.

Addison gives you a quick smile, professional but tired. “Sorry. First day for you, and I had to bring Henry with me. His sitter cancelled last minute.” She adjusts the baby, who babbles happily and pats her cheek. “This is Henry. He’s one. He doesn’t talk much yet—just ‘Mommy’—but he’s already very opinionated.”

Henry seems fascinated by you, reaching a chubby hand toward your glasses. You laugh and let him grab them off your face, and he rewards you with a squeal of delight.

Addison watches, an eyebrow arching, the corners of her mouth twitching like she’s fighting a smile. “Looks like he approves. That’s rare.”

The baby giggles again, babbling nonsense, and Addison sighs. “Welcome to Oceanside Wellness. I promise it’s not always like this… but honestly, sometimes it is were basically all family here.”

It’s not the intimidating first meeting you expected. If anything, it feels oddly human—Addison Montgomery, brilliant surgeon, trying to balance it all with a one-year-old who adores her.