yours [m.s]

i.

- - -
i'm not big into change. in oncology, when a normal cell changes into something malignant, it's called cellular transformation. the damn cells turn toxic right in front of your eyes.
- - -

pacing up and down her living room, mallory exhales deeply before she dials a number on the phone she is clutching tightly in her hand, which she then brings up to her ear, listening to it ring.

"hello?" ryan's voice sounds out after a few moments, but mallory freezes, not responding. "hello? mallory, you have to stop calling here. i'm married now."

mallory then clenches her empty hand into a fist as she aggressively ends the call, bringing the phone away from her ear, and in against her chest.

- - -
so, as far as i am concerned, transformation sucks. change is a funny thing and not everyone can handle it. it can sneak up on you.
- - -

addison is stood at the reception desk of oceanside wellness, watching sam and naomi fight through the widow of naomi's office when violet walks through the lobby, stopping when she notices the redhead.

"addison! hi," violet smiles, cautiously, as she walks over to her.

"hi. hello," addison shakes the psychiatrist's hand.

"nice to see you. hey," violet, awkwardly pulls her in, neither one of them knowing if they should hug or kiss each other on the cheek, so they awkwardly laugh and pull apart.

"so..." addison exhales deeply as they both lean on the front desk, turning back to watch sam and naomi. "what happened to the amicable divorce?"

"progressive decompensation of repressed rage secondary to feelings of abandonment," violet shrugs and addison furrows her brow. "it's shrink talk. for naomi finally getting pissed off sam left her. what are they mad about now?"

"naomi didn't tell sam that she hired me," addison reveals and violet's eyes bulge.

"to work here?" violet's eyes remain wide and her voice raises an octave. "does- does mal know?"

before addison gets the opportunity to respond, cooper bursts into the lobby, carrying a giggling boy under his arm.

"here he his. all good," cooper tells the boy's parents before lifting him up to address him quietly. "next time you want to hide your vegetables, feed them to the dog. you can't shove them up your nose. your nose is off limit as a hiding place, okay?"

the little boy nods, and so does cooper before he puts him down, allowing him to take hold of his mother's hand and leave the practice. cooper then proceeds over to violet and addison, watching sam and naomi as he does so.

"ooh, mommy and daddy are fighting again," cooper jokes before his eyes land on addison. "addison! cooper. remember me?"

"cooper, yeah," addison nods, holding her hand out to him.

"handsome," cooper gestures to his face.

"hi, cooper," addison chuckles, shaking his hand as mallory and pete appear behind cooper.

pete leans one arm on the reception desk, a slight smirk playing on his lips, whereas mallory is almost frozen in shock at her sister's unexpected and unwanted return.