I'm sorry." Just doesn't seem to have the meaning to it that it used to. She had heard that phrase thousands of times in her life. She'd heard him utter those same words to her throughout their marriage. Oh, he'd never physically hurt her or anything like that, but he'd destroyed her trust in him. He'd crushed her spirit.
Soon, I'm sorry didn't have any meaning anymore. I'm sorry was supposed to mean you'd never to it again. Unfortunately, the same mistakes were repeated and she couldn't take it any longer. She needed something that he couldn't provide for her any longer. She needed someone who wasn't going to take her for granted. Someone who wasn't going to hand out false apologies and know she would be there when they returned. She had more faith in herself than that.
She thought about everything she had given up to be with him. She had broken up with her high school sweetheart after one huge fight. Well, looking back, it wasn't that big a fight and she was honestly kicking herself for not going back to him.
She'd watched her friends go on to marry and have families. Something she desperately wanted. She'd seen Tommy move on with his life. Getting his degree and finding happiness in digging up dinosaur bones. He was thriving as a high school teacher, but most of that could be attributed to Kimberly's reappearance back in his life.
She supposed that's why she was thinking the way she was. She remembered all the times they had been a foursome. Not her and her husband, but her and HIM.
She wanted to have a family. She wanted to be secure in her life. She didn't have what she wanted. She couldn't because he wasn't ready for that. Like her brother, he felt an obligation to the 'ranger code,' and felt he had to be ready whenever he was needed. Having a family didn't fit in with that plan right now. Well, it didn't fit into HIS plan at the moment.
She had had enough. She was going to go after what she wanted. She had sacrificed much of her teenage years to defending the universe against evil as a power ranger. She had wielded incredible vehicles and held an immense power, but she felt powerless at this stage of her life. She wanted to stay, wanted to believe this was the last time he'd rush off and leave her alone. The last time he would hold her in his arms and say 'I'm sorry.' She hoped it would be. She was an optimist and loved with her whole self, but she wasn't naïve. She knew nothing was going to change, so she had to.
She sat her bag on the bed and started putting her clothes into it. She didn't have any idea where she was going or what she was going to do, but she knew if she heard one more 'I'm sorry' she was going to lose it. She put another suitcase on the bed and started putting more of her clothes into it. When she'd emptied the drawers and the closets, she had five suitcases full of stuff.
She threw her toiletries into another bag. She carried all the bags out to her Jeep, loading them in the back, one-by-one.
She walked back into the house and went to the guest room. She removed a loose panel from the closet and withdrew a scrapbook and a shoe box. She carried those things to her car and put them on the passenger seat. She got in the driver's side and backed out of her driveway. She still didn't have a destination in mind, but she was getting away.
She called her brother, just to tell him what she had done so he wouldn't worry.
"You did, WHAT," he said.
"I left, Tommy. I can't take it anymore. This stupid ranger business is the other woman in my marriage. I won't have it. I gave up so much for him, but I can't do it any more," I said.
Tommy continued his questioning before finally telling her to come to his place and stay with him and Kimberly. They'd deal with the fallout of what happened later.
She felt better when she pulled into Tommy's driveway. Her brother met her at the door and took her things out of the back of the Jeep.
"You were serious," he said.
"It's not a decision I took lightly. I've been debating this move for a year. Probably longer," she said.
She entered Tommy's house. A place that had become a refuge to her during her times of struggle. Through their teen years, Tommy was the tormented one, now adults, she seemed to be catching the brunt of it.
Kimberly was waiting in the kitchen. She had a look of concern on her face. She couldn't tell if it was for her or for her soon-to-be-ex-husband.
"Meri, I'm so sorry. I told him he needed to stop taking you for granted or you were going to leave. I was right and I hate that," Kimberly said.
She accepted her hug and then another from her brother. "You can stay as long as you would like. The guest room is just the way you left it the last time," he said.
She thanked him and headed upstairs. She knew it wouldn't be long before her cell phone and Tommy's house phone would be ringing. She ignored her ringing cell phone 15 minutes later and wasn't surprised when Tommy's phone started ringing. She heard her brother's baritone voice answering the phone. She was surprised when she heard him say, "No man, I haven't seen her. She told me she was going away for a while. I'm sure she's fine. I'll try to call her. Oh, she won't answer her cell, well maybe she wanted to get away," he said.
Tommy hung up the phone as she came down the stairs.
"He's looking for you. I told him I hadn't seen you, but I talked to you. I give him a few hours before he comes over here," he said.
"I'll go outside and call him. I just want to move on from this," she said.
She stepped outside and pulled out her cell phone. She ignored the number of messages her phone displayed and dialed her soon-to-be-exes number.
"Meredith, where in the hell are you? I'm worried sick," he said.
"I came to Tommy's. I'm leaving, Jason. It's time for me to move on," she said.
"You're leaving? Why would you even think of doing that? We have a wonderful marriage. You have anything you could want," he said.
"I do not have everything I ever wanted. Where are the children I wanted? Where is the house in the country? What about my career? I've had several offers to be on the faculty at several other hospitals. I can't even entertain them because of you and your stupid code. I've had it, Jason. I'm going to find my own place and, when I do, I'm sending you divorce papers. I can't do this anymore," she said before hanging up the phone. Tommy, who'd been standing by the door, immediately wrapped her in a hug and held her why she cried.
"Meri, why didn't you tell me," he asked.
"Because it's embarrassing. I mean, I honestly loved Jason with all my heart when we got married, but I don't feel that way anymore. I think he was filling a space that was open in my heart when he left," she said.
Tommy knew who 'he' was and it killed him that he knew they were suffering as much as his sister.
"Mer, maybe you should take a vacation," Tommy suggested.
"Where am I going to go," she said.
"Well, Tanya opened that little resort in the mountains. It's on the lake and she and Adam have extended an invitation to all of us to come and see them at any time. You should go up there. Jason won't bother you if let them know about what happened. He probably won't even think of looking for you there," he said.
She started thinking about it. She had heard the way Kimberly had described the resort and it sounded heavenly. She could have the quiet she wanted without anyone prying.
"Will you call and set it up for me," she asked.
"Already did. Adam and Tanya said you can come up at any time. They've got a beautiful suite with private veranda and hot tub all ready for you. All you have to do is get in the car," he said.
"When do I leave," she asked.
"First thing in the morning. Kimberly has already taken the liberty of going through your stuff and she's packing your bag for you little vacation," he said.
"Are you going to drive the car there, too," I she asked.
Tommy laughed and we headed back into his house. Kimberly had prepared pork chops for dinner and we enjoyed a great meal together. Meredith remembered all the times she had sat at this table with Tommy before Kimberly had re-entered his life. Tommy had been the third one at the table, much like Meredith felt this evening. 'Maybe staying a the resort for a few days will do me some good,' she thought to herself. After Kim's refusal to allow her to help with the dishes, Meredith went to the guest room where she booted up her computer. She was going to send some resumes to some larger hospitals in the hopes of securing another job away from Jason.
She sent out several resumes and closed her computer. She saw two of her suitcases by the door proving that Kimberly had, indeed, packed her clothes for her trip. She smiled at her sister-in-law. Kim loved Tommy without question and she was the best friend Meredith had ever had.
Meredith went into the bathroom and turned on the shower.
Tommy sat at the counter with Kimberly, drinking tea.
"Are you surprised by what happened," she asked him.
"No. I told Jason he needed to tell Meredith when he would go off on those missions. I always told you. I know you didn't like it, but at least you knew where I was. Jason told Meri, but he never asked her what she thought. He also put family on the back burner for them. He knew how much she wanted a family. I knew when he said he wasn't ready, Meredith was going to leave. She had to. She gave up too much," Tommy said.
He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and placed a call.
"Hey, Adam. I have an idea. I think Meredith needs to be reunited with a certain someone. You agree. Well, what if you were to call him and tell him he could stay there for a while, just like you're doing for Meredith. Now, they could see each other, but I think we need to push them. Uh, huh. Exactly. As many 'chance encounters' as possible. That's right and I'll owe you one. Thanks, man. What, okay you got it. You can pilot the zord on your next visit. I'll let Andros know and you can go and fly around space. Work for you? Great. Take care of my sister and make sure the two of them have at least one romantic dinner. Don't let him ruin it, either. Bye," he said, ending the call.
Kimberly looked at Tommy. "What are you doing, Oliver," she asked.
"Giving Meredith what she wants and doesn't know she needs. She's going to get a second chance. One she doesn't think she deserves," he said.
"But what about her marriage. She's still married until the divorce is final," Kim said.
"Look, Meredith is going to file. She's leaving Jason. As much as I hate to admit that, she's not happy and she needs this to be happy," he said.
"OK. What are you going to tell Jason? You know he's going to be here in the morning.""Meri will be gone by that time. I'll make sure she leaves early. When he gets here we won't know where she went. She woke up and took off. She said she would call. She left her cell and took a different one that she had with her," he said. He held up another phone.
"What is that," Kimberly asked him.
"It's another cell phone. I always have an extra one in case I misplace mine. When I signed up for the plan I got four lines for the price of one. I have the other downstairs. I always have a back up plan, Beautiful. This number is only in your phone and mine. I'll give it to Adam when she leaves so he can get a hold of her, but this way she won't be reminded of anything while she's gone," he said
Kimberly looked at him in awe. Once again the man she loved with all her heart had surprised her.
"Have you been planning this for very long," she asked him.
"No. I had an idea that Meri would need to get away when she finally realized Jason wasn't the right man for her. This whole cell phone thing can be blamed on my forgetfulness," he said.
He gave Kim a kiss and heard Meredith come down the stairs.
"Hey sis. I want you to have this," he said, handing her the phone.
"Why? I have a perfectly good phone," she said.
"This one Jason doesn't have the number to and you can go away and he won't be able to bother you every five minutes. When he arrives looking for you tomorrow, you'll have left yours here and he'll assume you bought one of those prepaids. This is a line on my cell bill," he said.
"I feel like I'm running from the law or someone out to kill me. Jason's never done anything to hurt me, at least not physically. I feel like I'm running for my life," Meredith said.
"You are, in a way. You're trying to get your life back. You need to get away. As a matter of fact, Tommy won't even call you. He won't even bother you. It'll be just you and you can call us when YOU want," Kimberly said.
"You and Tommy could never bother me," Meredith said.
"Still, it's a good idea. Now, I'll program the route into the GPS in my Jeep," he said.
"I have a good car, too, bro," she said.
"Yeah, but this way you have a new phone and a different car. You can enter the world as Meredith Oliver again, not Meredith Scott."
"Fine. I guess I should get some sleep if I'm supposed to leave first thing in the morning for an unknown resort," Meredith said. She kissed her brother good night and headed upstairs to bed.
***I don't know, really, where this is going, but the idea hit me in the middle of writing my other story and it wouldn't leave me alone. I had to start writing it in an attempt to get back to my original story. Hope you like the next chapter.*** -mereditholiver