Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own Grey's Anatomy. Sigh.
Author's Note: This is my first GA fic. Constructive criticism is welcome!
Chapter 1: Bittersweet Memories
Meredith Grey woke with a start as her alarm pierced through the silence of her modest home. A thick layer of rain and dismal clouds shielded the sun from hitting her bedroom windows. Reluctantly, she pulled herself out of bed. Her room was too quiet; she had never adjusted to solitude very well. She walked quietly to the adjoining bedroom.
"Patrick?" she called gently, entering the room and crossing to the bed where her son lay, sleeping soundly. "Honey, I know it's early, but it's time to get up." Patrick opened his sleep-ridden, bright green eyes and mumbled, not wanting to get up. Meredith ruffled her son's dark brown, wavy hair and said, "Come on honey. Time to get up."
After much convincing on Meredith's part, Patrick got out of bed and dressed. Meredith dashed back to her room and dressed for another busy day of work at Boston General Hospital, where she was a third year resident. A few minutes later, she poured Patrick a bowl of cereal while helping herself to some Muesli. She sighed as she peered at the Muesli box.
"Mommy," Patrick asked innocently, "why do you look so sad?"
"No reason," Meredith answered, placing the Muesli back on the table. "Eat up, or else we'll be late."
Meredith pulled into the parking lot of Patrick's pre-school and walked him inside the building, still reminiscing about the past. It's not like she disliked her life now; she loved Patrick very much and was wholly determined to be a much better mother than her own mother had been. It had been four entire years since she had begun this new life, but it was still hard. Burying the past is not as easy as it sounds. Boston wasn't her favorite place, she thought as she drove to work, but it was home. At least, it was the only place left that she could call home.
There was nothing left for her in Seattle. Derek had decided to stay with Addison and Meredith's mother passed away not too long after that. Her father still refused to admit to her existence, so there wasn't much point in staying for him. Still, even with Patrick filling many of the holes in her life, she felt very alone. It was extremely difficult, even four years later, not to think about Derek, especially since Patrick was a spitting image of him. But, Meredith held her head high nonetheless and took each day in stride, hoping for the best.
Meredith rushed into the automatic doors of Boston General and prepared herself for a busy day. Several surgeries were scheduled, so she had a lot to keep her mind busy throughout the morning. Early afternoon, after successful operating on three patients, Dr. Griffiths, an attending and the BGH's head of cardio, approached her.
"Grey," Dr. Griffiths said, "do you have any more surgeries scheduled this afternoon?"
"No," Meredith answered.
"Great. Dr. Cane is out today, so I need someone to fly out for a heart recovery. It has to be done today."
"Ok, I'm free, but I'll have to bring my son with me, if that's okay."
"That should be fine, as long as you're ready to leave in a few hours."
"Ok," Meredith answered, "Where am I headed?"
"Seattle Grace," Griffiths answered.
A/N: Ok, I know this was a very short chapter, but if I get some reviews, I'll update quickly. Thanks for reading!
