βOh, sorry. Β I was starving,β Betsey said with a smile as she looked up at Caroline. Β "I just wish you guys had some ice cream.β Β Although that was beyond the scope of a simple snack. Β She had thrown away excuses after she started showing. Β The twins want what the twins want. Β No matter where she found herself.Β Β βHelp yourself,β she slid the plate a little closer to the blonde.
Caroline smirked, remembering when she was pregnant with Lilly and her dad running out and getting her mint chocolate chip ice cream at all hours.Β βYou should have asked.β Caroline went to the fridge, pushing aside the bags of broccoli and cauliflower and tugging out a pint of that very same ice cream.Β βI hide it from Justin and Lilly. May not earn me brownie points but at 2am with a glass of wine, it hits the spot.β
βI delivered a premie this morninβ and I think sheβs the smallest one Iβd have ever delivered with my own hands. She weighed about 900 grams, looks no bigger than a minnow in a fishing pond when you hold her in your hands. So little but so strong. A little fighter, she is.β
βThatβs amazing Mase. Is she doing okay now? I mean with a little one that small, thereβs gotta be a lot of worry.β
Betsey had excused herself from the group to run to the restroom. Β On her way back she just walked into the kitchen. Β She was a guest in their house but she was starving. Β She grabbed a cheese block and grapes from the fridge.Β She had been there a few times so she knew where the knives were and started slicing up the cheese a little bit to snack on.
Caroline rested on the arm of the couch, laughing at something her mom had just said before standing up, gesturing to her empty glass when her boyfriend turned his head in question. She walked into the kitchen and smiled at Betsey.Β βWell now I see why you left. If youβve got fruit and cheese, I want in.β she teased, popping a grape in her mouth.
Caroline walked into Georgiaβs apartment, not even bothering to knock or even scream that she was there. She instead, walked into her sisterβs bedroom, seeing the lump piled under the covers and silently slipped off her shoes. This had always been her favorite thing to do. While Caroline was typically up before the sun, Georgia slept until around 8 or 9am and so when she needed to wake her younger sister up, she would do so by throwing herself on the bed next to her or if her aim was bad that day, on top of her. So thatβs exactly what she did, landing half on top of her and half on the bed, laughing as she went.Β βWake up, Georgie.β
βI hung up my Mamaβs phone call once and now she wonβt talk to me.β He sighed. βWhy did Mama have to be so dramatic?β
βSo youβre the reason that Mama called me and yelled at me for an hour about why and how and god does that boy not remember I helped raise him. At this point, Iβm mad at you and Iβm not even involved.β
Thatβs how Caroline King - Freedman would explain her life. You see, at 27, most people were starting a family, trying to find their place in the world or getting married but with the exception of that last bit, Caroline had done all of that 10 years prior. She was in her last year of residency before she could go on and do what sheβd always wanted and be a pediatrician like her father. So when she walked through the door, her feet hurt but her mind was on overtime. All she could think about was helping Lilly with her science project before it was due on Friday, or the laundry or what she should cook for dinner.
But when she tossed her bag on the floor and saw Justin sitting on the couch, her mind calmed at least for the moment and she half-limped over to him, throwing herself on the couch before placing her head gently in his lap.Β βIs it possible to die of exhaustion? Cause Iβm just about there.β
was that ( LILI REINHART ) i just saw? no wait thatβs just ( CAROLINE ) from the ( KING-FREEDMAN ) family the ( 27 ) year old ( FEMALE ). i heard she could be ( + NURTURING ) but also ( - BOSSY ). when i think of them i think of ( LOLLIPOPS & PEDS SCRUBS ). i hope they donβt cause any problems here in seattle.
caroline is the oldest of the triplets and takes this role very seriously. she makes sure to try to set an example for her sisters and do right by them, sometimes a little too much.
caroline is particularly close to betsy, violetβs adopted daughter and even though sheβs 7 years older than her, they hang out all the time, going to the movies every tuesday after carolineβs classes.
when caroline was younger, all she wanted to do was be like her mom but now she is starting to go more toward her dadβs specialty. she loves kids and always helps her dad with his patients as much as she can.
caroline writes music in her spare time. no lyrics, just plays her ukulele and writes or records melodies.
when she was in grade 11, she and her boyfriend at the time slept together and unknowingly to them, the condom broke. caroline ended up pregnant. the two tried to stay together but caroline broke up with him so he could go off to college without her and not feel held down. they were amicable with each other and share custody of theirΒ daughter, lilly charlotte freedman.
when their parentβs decided to move to seattle, caroline decided to go with them, starting her first year of residency.
a month into the move, justin found her and they rekindledΒ things and are happily together and in love.
lilly is 10 years old and will be 11 on January 2nd.
carolineβs main goal in life is to make her family proud and her daughter to be as happy as possible.
Rebekah was surprised by Caroline saying that, she knew Cooper was in peds and of course she was too; but she was shocked that Caroline wanted to do it too.Β βIt is definitely a good career choice Caroline, I think you would be fantastic at it,β she smiled a little watching Caroline with the little boy. She seemed to be a good mother to Lilly, she didnβt doubt any of that and the way she talked to Andrew made her feel good about Justin having a relationship with the other. The little boy was amazed by what she was saying, it was like she spoke magic to him because he was stuffing his face with broccoli.Β βIβll give you props for that Caroline, he never buys when I say things like that.β
Caroline looked over at her mother and was surprised to find a smile on the older blondes face. She always hoped that she could make her mama proud of her but the look on the womanβs face said it all.Β βThank you, maβam. I appreciate that.β She smiled as the boy as he began to eat all of his broccoli, giving him a thumbs up before answering her childβs grandmother again.Β βNeither does Lilly unless Justin is saying it. Kids never listen to their mothers...well unless youβre a King-Freedman.Β βCause Mama scared us all into line.β She teased, laughing as her mother mushed her daughter slightly.
βOh, Iβve always wanted to visitΒ Chiang Mai. It looks so pretty, and it has an elephant sanctuary which sounds so cool. Who wouldnβt want to spend time around elephants?β She rambled, before biting down on the inside of her lip to get herself to shut up.Β βI can forget you said anything, butβ¦ I mean, I feel like I should say itβs pretty freaking obvious you care about your daughter with the way you speak about her. Everyone strings together some words that donβt come across the way they wanted them to, and intent is always more important than what was literally said.βΒ
βFor me it was always Tokyo. I have always wanted to see Japan but that city in particular has always stood out to me. But elephants? I donβt know, I might have to change my answer now if somebody else ever asks.β Caroline chuckled before her face sobered again and she spoke.Β βI just...I love my daughter. But I canβt give her the kinda life I could if I had waited until after I was finished med school.β
It seems as if the world would still be a stranger to me, if not for you. Iβm so thankful that our paths intertwined to form this beautiful adventure.
Β Β Β Β βIt was all worth it in the end, though, right? Like, youβre glad you did it and wouldnβt trade a minute, even though it was incredibly tough sometimes?β
βYeah, but at the same time, Iβm not screaming for every teenage girl to go out and get pregnant.β
βDid you have a list of places that you wanted to go? I always flicker between wanting to plan it, and wanting to just throw a dart at a picture of the world. You can still travel though! Maybe justβ¦ Later than initially planned.βΒ
βNew York, London. Iβd love to see at least a bit of Asia. I just donβt see doing that with my career and Lilly...Itβs living proof of why you shouldnβt get pregnant at 16...β She quickly realized what that sounded like and backtracked.Β βThat sounded wrong. I donβt regret having Lilly. Sheβs the best thing in my life. Just...ya know forget I said anything.β
Of course Rebekah wasnβt the biggest fan of the blonde, she knew that what happened between her mother and her son, was something that happened often; but in all honesty she was worried about her sonβs future in that moment. The doctor grinned listening closely to Caroline talk about school.βWell thatβs fantastic, are you going to be a Psychiatrist when you finished school or do you want to do something else?β She asked trying to keep the conversation going as she watched Andrew played around with the broccoli.Β
Caroline shook her head, trying a smile at Rebekah.Β βNo, Iβm thinking about Peds, like my dad. I mean, Iβve always had an affinity for it.β She explained, turning her attention back to Andrew.Β βYou wanna know a secret? Broccoli is just what grownups call this stuff. But itβs actually magical trees. And if you eat enough of it, the magic just takes to you. But you have to eat it to get that magic. So what do you say Andy?β She made the same story up for the kids she baby sat in high school, who where pretty amazed when their kids actually asked for broccoli at dinner time.
