Do you want to live this way? (CROWEN)

Chapter 19

Ever since Cristina was featured in the cardiothoracic medical journal, she received various phone calls around the globe for interviews, lectures and seminars. She was scheduled to fly around Europe and attend cardiothoracic medicine gatherings in some parts of Asia as well.

Owen and she have constant communication over the phone and emails. They are talking about their surgeries, what are the recent gossips and even about their kids.  But there are also times that they got caught up with their respective jobs.

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Theo and Morgan are settled on the couch on their father’s office. Owen usually starts his weekend shift, by checking his emails and ER department reports that he usually send on weekly basis to the Chief of Surgery and the board.

While checking his inbox, he then see an email from Theo’s preschool teacher – who asked him for a one-on-one meeting for the child’s performance in the first month in pre-school. It is the a school  few blocks from the hospital, Cristina wants Theo to be familiarize in a school setting in an early age so he started schooling by the age 3 – although most of the time it was just for the child’s behavioral skills and not yet for formal schooling. It is just a month ago that Theo started the classroom setting.   Owen then looks at Theo who is busy watching a cartoon on his IPad while drinking his apple juice.

For these past weeks, He notices how Theo behaved – he did not speak much nor he never did ask anything about his mom when Owen arrived from Zurich. He also does not feel excited when he handed him his gift from Cristina – it was on a blue box and it is a small silver watch for kids. Theo just said thank you and said he loves it because it was given by his mom.

Unbeknownst to Owen, Theo does not often participate in school activities unlike when he was in the younger class which he was so active and energetic. The same teacher handles the class when Theo was 3 years old and she was surprised that the child now distant himself to others when he entered the classroom setting. She is also needs to discuss Theo’s academic performance and social behavior to his parents. She then scheduled for a one-on-one meeting.

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Callie and Arizona are often Theo and Morgan’s caretakers when Owen is busy in the hospital. They love to cook for them and play games with them since they both wanted to have a son and with Theo and Morgan around they embodied their wish to have boys in their house. Callie often cooks for them since Theo and Morgan eats a lot and she is so happy if they finished their food.  It was just this past few weeks that when she asked Theo what meal does he want for Aunt Callie to cook – he surprisingly declines and just request his favorite apple juice.

Arizona notices how the Theo changed too. During one Saturday, when she visits the hospital daycare and ask Sofia to have lunch with her – she saw Theo on the far end of the room just busy doing his puzzles, which he loves to do. She went to his side, with her usual smile on her face and look at what he’s doing.

Arizona: Oh that’s so cool, Theo. You can complete puzzles.

Theo just nods to agree that he can.

Arizona: Do you want to go with me and Sofia?

Theo: No. I will just stay here.

Arizona: We will have Ice cream. You like Ice Cream, right?

Theo: No. I will just wait for my dad. Thank you Aunt Arizona.

Arizona: Are you sure, you don’t want to go?

Theo answered again with just a nod. She tried to entice him with his favorite dessert which she usually offers him and he was always excited then.  Before going out the daycare and holding her daughter’s hand, she takes a glimpse of Theo who is now busy completing another set of puzzles.