Remember the Love
The day before Valentine's Day, Miranda stood in her patient's room. "So, Dr. Bailey, what are your plans for Valentine's Day?" Jamie Kates asked her as she watched Meredith perform a post-op exam on Tom. Miranda had operated on him the day before and he was doing very well.
"Baby, Dr. Bailey doesn't want you prying into her love life," Tom said. "Do you, Dr. Bailey?"
"It's fine. I'm supposed to be having dinner with my boyfriend," Miranda told the woman with a smile.
"Supposed to be?" Jamie asked.
"Well…," Miranda started. How was she going to explain that she hadn't celebrated Valentine's Day for the last five years despite being married for three of them because her career just didn't allow for her to keep dates properly? She didn't know what would pop up in her schedule that would force her to cancel.
"We're not really Valentine's Day people around here," Meredith said looking from Miranda to the patient.
"I'm imposing a new rule," Jamie said.
"And, uh, what would that be?" Miranda asked as she received some scans from an intern.
"More than likely, I will be in this hospital with my husband or at home pretending to celebrate, but it won't be the same. He'll be in pain and annoying—"
"Hey!" Tom said making the room laugh.
"So the rule is that I need for you to enjoy dinner with your boyfriend and come back and give me all of the details."
"Basically you want to live vicariously through me?" Miranda asked.
"Yes!" The woman said smiling. "Please do! And if there's sex, please tell me!" She put her arms together, pleading.
Miranda blushed and heard her interns giggle. "Out!" She said glaring at them.
"Sorry! Oh! I'm so sorry!" Jamie said coming up to Miranda as the young doctors left the room.
"It's fine. Don't even worry about it." She waved the woman back to her seat.
"Dr. Bailey, don't indulge my wife," Tom said shaking his head. "I've told her that we'll have our own romantic evening when I get better. So don't pity her."
"I'm not asking for pity, Thomas."
"Uh-oh. She called me 'Thomas,' now she's pissed," he said. Miranda shook her head and laughed at the two of them.
"Like I said: I'm not asking for pity," Jamie repeated. "I just want hot and juicy details."
Tom sighed and closed his eyes. "I'll see what I can do," Miranda mouthed.
Miranda left the patient's room. Her last patient of the day. She was so tired she could barely move. In the locker room, she was glad that there was only one other person in it. They exchanged nods as Miranda got ready to go home. Before she did, she had to pick Tuck up from school. The way he ran to her made her so happy. She began grinning from ear to ear. She hugged her son tightly and kissed the top of his head. "How was school?" She asked as they made their way to the car. Miranda listened to her five year old ramble about his day. Everything little thing excited him. She smiled as they headed home. She'd admit to anyone that she was really in love with their house, the house she, Tuck and Ben shared; the place where they'd combined their lives. It had fallen into their laps and it was so perfect for their little family. After she fixed dinner, she put her son to bed. Ben was on-call and Miranda relaxed in their bed and fell asleep soundly. In the middle of the night, she woke up to see that Ben had called her three times. She called him back and listened to the rings for what seemed like forever before he picked up.
"Hello?" His voice was like music to her ears.
She smiled to herself and tried not to let it show in her voice as she said: "Hi."
"Couldn't be bothered to answer my calls, I see?"
"I was sleeping."
"You have some nerve," he said making her chuckle.
"What do you want?"
"What makes you think I want anything?"
"You called me three times."
"Maybe it was an accident."
"What do you want, Ben Warren?" Miranda asked softly.
"I just wanted to talk to you."
"I saw you this morning," she whined.
"So?" She rolled her eyes. "I miss you, woman."
Her heart leapt. The statement was so simple, but it meant so much to her. His admission. "I miss you, too."
"Do you?" She nodded as if he could see her. "Are you ready for our very romantic night tomorrow?"
"Yes."
"C'mon on now, baby. You can sound more enthusiastic than that."
"Bennn! It's four in the morning."
"Okay. Okay. But I want you to know that I'm excited."
"Really? I couldn't tell."
"You know what?" Ben said laughing. "I don't mind you ribbing me."
"Good. There's more where that came from," she said yawning.
"I want you to get ready for our date because, baby, I'm going to show you just how much I love you."
"You're going to pack all your love in one night?"
"No, of course not. Just a lil' bit," he said laughing.
"Sounds like you're setting yourself up for failure, hon."
"O Miranda of little faith," Ben responded. She could hear his smile through the phone and it pushed a smile across her own face.
"You know you could just show me by letting me control the remote every once in a while or rinsing the sink after you brush." Miranda closed her eyes and stretched.
"I do those things." She was silent. "Mostly."
"Right," she said sarcastically.
"Just know that it will be an amazing night."
"Okay," she yawned. "I'm pumped."
"Good!"
"How is your night g—"
"Shit, sorry, Miranda, I have to go. I'm being paged."
"Oh okay. Are you going to be home before we leave in the morning?"
"I don't even know, but I will see you later, yeah?"
"Yes." She knew what he was about to ask and cut him off. "And, yes, I will be done in time."
"Good. I love you."
"I love you," she said and the call was disconnected. Miranda lay in bed and yawned again. She didn't tell Ben, but the closer it got to her dinner with him, the more excited she became about Valentine's Day. And for the first time in a long time, she was actually glad that it was going to work out. She didn't know what Ben had up his sleeve, but she was ready to get dressed up and have a romantic evening with her man. She'd cancelled so much in the past and even recently, there were times when she had to leave their lunches early or abandon their dates altogether because of her patients. She wanted to use Valentine's Day to show him that she was really focused on him and their relationship. She was tired of just telling him. She wanted to show him. In the quiet room, Miranda went back to sleep.
