blondexhurricane:

“I was actually talking about my job at the hospital,
but I guess you’re kind of important as well,” Delia
half teased with a soft shrug of her shoulders. Her
decision to leave hadn’t been an easy one, to say
the least, but deep down, she knew it was for the
best. It was the right thing to do. Those people in
that third world country needed her help, and she
needed to be reminded that her life had purpose.
Besides, wouldn’t trying to make the world a bit
brighter be one of the best ways to honor Henry
and his memory? “Please don’t ask me to stay
when we both know I’ll end up regretting it and
hating myself if I do. You might be the Chief of
Staff, and you might be my mom, but I’m not a
little girl anymore. I’m all grown up now, and I
can make my own decisions. You can respect
that, can’t you?”

To see Delia choose a life Teddy swore she’d never
return to was the hardest thing of all. Not a day had
gone by where Teddy hadn’t wondered at just how
much like her Delia was growing up to be — god
only knew how much it scared her. But because
she’d known pain, the last thing Teddy wanted was
to have her daughter know the same. 

“Delia, I do respect it. More than you know, love. 
You’re right — you’re not a little girl anymore, but
you’ll always be mine. And I love you too much to
see you get hurt.” The look in Teddy’s eyes was
one of wistfulness, but somehow her pride shone
through. “I needed you to hear that.”