Author's Note: I do not own any part of Grey's Anatomy, and I am starting a new story, despite the fact that I have numerous stories unfinished. This is set in the future, and is a bit different than other future stories.
"Could this day get any worse already?" Meredith thought to herself, driving in her car, the rain pounding the roof of the car. She was late for an appointment, and she had two sick children in the back of the car, who she had to drop off at her husband, Hayden's mother's house. "It's another glorious Seattle day," Meredith thought sarcastically
"Mommy, I'm hot!" A whiney voice in the backseat broke Meredith's thoughts. Meredith looked through the rear view mirrors, and looked at her two children, Caleb who was the oldest and five years old, and Kaela, the youngest who was three.
"Kaela, we're almost at Grandma's, and then you can snuggle up on the couch and watch TV okay?" Her attention was now brought to the squirming Caleb. "Caleb, are you buckled in properly?"
Caleb, with his fair hair and blue eyes like his Mother nodded obediently, and then sat still. Kaela took after her father, with green eyes and curly chestnut brown hair.
Meredith continued driving, until she pulled into a large Tudor-Style house, and then took Kaela out of her car seat, and resting her on her hip, picked up the toy bag she had packed, and held Caleb's hand and walked up to the giant house.
She knocked on the door, and an older lady, with black hair speckled with grey answered.
"Oh, hello Meredith!" The lady welcomed Meredith into her house, and then bent down so se was eye-level with Caleb. "How's my Caleb doing?" She ruffled his hair, and Caleb just smiled adoringly.
"Thanks so much for this Adriane, I couldn't miss work today, and you know your son better than I do, he's a work-a-holic." Meredith and Adriane chuckled, and Meredith handed over the sick Kaela to her grandmother.
"You know where you can call me, and if their fever gets any worse, make sure you call me okay? My afternoon isn't that full, so I will be home early okay? Bye guys!" Meredith gave Caleb a hug, and kissed Kaela on her head. "See you later!"
Meredith got back into her car, and thought again of her life. Lately, after seeing a ghost of her past in a magazine, she thought of her decision of leaving the surgical program at Seattle Grace Hospital, and opening her own practice after the blow-up with Derek and Addison Shepard, ten years ago.
FLASHBACK
"Meredith, I love you!" Derek said passionately, running his hands through his hair. "I just can't get over you! I've tried our marriage Addison," he said, switching his focus to his estranged wife. "You know just as well as I do that this just isn't working."
Addison's eyes were filling with tears. "But Derek, why did you choose me over her? What happened to trying? We were happy!"
Derek shook his head. "You are so ignorant then Addison. I'm distant, we don't talk, I don't get mad, and we hardly spend any time together. This was coming. How can you just stand there and look so shocked? The warning signs were there!"
Meredith just stood there confused and shocked. Was this just a dream? Or was this really happening? Could Derek possibly be dumping his wife for her? Meredith's eyes started to tear up, because she had so many thoughts in her head, and she just couldn't make sense of it.
Derek was looking at Meredith, his eyes begging her to say "Yes, yes Derek! I love you too!" But Meredith had had enough of Derek's games. He had said he loved her, but then he chose Addison. She still loved him yes, but she had to get over him. It was just too much drama for her. He had led her on, and he had led his own wife on. He had both women thinking that he loved them, and he would never leave them. But, as the scene unfolded, Meredith realized that Derek had left them both. It was always going to be a tug-of-war with him. He shouldn't get either of them. Derek didn't deserve Addison or Meredith. He deserves to be alone. And I won't be able to get over him, unless I move away from this, and forget about him, let him become a memory, a memory of a fling that could have been something more, if he hadn't been such an idiot.
Meredith shook her head, her heart breaking, and turned and ran. Ran away from Derek, ran away from her job at Seattle Grace, and ran away from the sound of her breaking heart.
END OF FLASHBACK
It was the right decision, Meredith told herself, her eyes brimming with tears. My heart needed to be broken. It hurt, but it was the only way I could ever get over him. In the end it was okay though. I have my own practice, a great husband, Hayden, and two wonderful children. I have a nice house, a horse Sam, and two dogs, Doc II and Teddy. This is all so great. Sure, I miss my old friends, Izzy, George, Christina, heck, even Alex. But it was what had to be done. Right? But, if it was such a great decision, then why do I miss my old life so much?
