8.07

"I'm home, honey. What're you up to?" Mark asked entering his living room, Helena in the couch and Alice sitting by her, pillows all around her.

"Hi, !" She smiled up from her book. "I'm just reading this really interesting book out to Ali, she seems to like it when I read to her. Don't you, ?"

"The baby babbled, clapping her hands against each other.

"Yeah, she does, just like her daddy." Mark agreed, sitting by his wife a pressing kissed to both his girls' foreheads. "What are you reading right now?"

"Well, this passage talks about the butterfly effect. You know, how little actions can lead to huge consequences over time." She told him, nuzzling against her husband's chest. "It's sort of fun to think about, about how things could be so different if we hadn't made certain decisions, if we had of hadn't done certain things..."

"You mean the ?" Mark confirmed.

"Exactly." She nodded. "?"

——

Helena woke up in the morning, her alarm blasting by her as she rubbed her eyes. Her hand shot out to turn it off, as she swung her legs off of her bed.

Moving to leave her small room, she knocked on the door that led to the one next to hers, calling out. "Camilla, honey? Time for school, get up."

She moved into the kitchen and began buttering two toasts, yawning, as she heard a little voice call out. "I'm up!"

Making her coffee, Helena moved to water the plant in her countertop, as her seven year old daughter entered the kitchen. "Morning, mama. Oh, can I be the one to water Shrek?"

"Of course, pequenina. Just eat your breakfast after, and don't forget to get your backpack again." The doctor told her, pressing a kiss to her forehead, as she sat down and took a sip of her coffee.

"We should get another plant, so that I can call her Fiona." The girl scrunched up her nose as she watered the plant. "Shrek looks lonely..."

"Or maybe we should give them names that don't come from cartoons." Helena chuckled, taking a bite of her food. As she remembered something, she let out. "Oh, Millie, and don't forget the cardboard you have to take with you today, for the school project. What is it about, after all?"

"I wanted to ask you about that, mama." Camilla told her, sitting on one of the kitchen chairs. "It's a family tree, and Mrs. Miller says we have to draw our mommy, daddy and grandparents. So I was thinking, do you have pictures of daddy?"

At that, Helena chocked in her food, coughing as her eyes widened. "No, honey, I don't think I do. But why don't we talk about it after school? It's getting late."

"Ok, mama. I'll go brush my teeth." The short girl accepted, leaving for the bathroom as Helena buried her head between her hands.

She had made up a whole story about who Camilla's father was, to avoid telling her she was the product of such a traumatic experience. How was she supposed to justify not having any pictures of him?

——

Helena walked into the resident's lounge, holding a stack of papers, she walked over to her cubby, barely noticed by her fellow residents.

Meredith and April chatted with each other, the redhead telling her. "No, I'm thrilled that you're engaged! Have you told anyone else?"

Helena couldn't stand Meredith and April. The blond walked around the hospital as if she owned the place, simply the because she was the Chief's daughter, believing she was superior. The short girl couldn't care less that she was Ellis Grey's daughter. To her, the woman was a manipulative, power hungry woman.

As for April, she never got down from her moral high horse. She constantly judged her for having had a kid so young, not knowing the story behind it. Rather, most of the other residents did: it was rare that they ever had a kind word for the small girl.

At first, Helena had tried being polite and professional, she really had. But, eventually, one gets tired of being mistreated.

"Besides my parents, no. You're my person! Ok, so last night we went out to dinner and-" Meredith began telling her. However, as Cristina walked into the room, it feel silent, the duo throwing her dirty looks as she walked over to her cubby.

"Good morning." Jackson greeted, Helena's head buried on the paperwork in her hands.

"Are you talking to me?" Cristina scoffed.

"Jackson, don't feed the animals." Meredith told her, her face with a slight look of disgust.

"Mesquinhez já de manhã.." Helena whispered to herself. ("Pettiness first thing in the morning...")

"This is America, sweetheart. Speak English of not at all." Meredith shot at her, making Helena roll her eyes.

"And this is a hospital, not a daycare. Yet you still go running to mommy at every minor inconvenience. Guess we can't all have what we want, can we?" Helena shot back, her voice harsh, but not tired than mean.

"Every single one of you can go suck-" Cristina started, Alex walking straight into the room.

"Hey, how's everybody doing this morning!" He greeted cheerfully, his glasses on. "Ready to kick some butt? Let's run the board, guys."

"I'm covering the pit." Jackson announced.

"Noble work. Yang?"

"Solo thoracic aortic aneurysm." She answered.

"I guess that means I'm doing Torres post ops, since I gotta be in cardio." Meredith nodded.

"Kepner?"

"I'm on Shepherd's service. Good Shepherd." The redhead told him, referring to Addison.