Fourth Of July

They left after dinner and Meredith had neither seen nor heard from the boys since she went down to get Dennis. Nina tried to get them to come up from the basement so they could at least see Meredith, Richard, Ellis, and Dennis, but they wouldn't come. Dennis stayed down there with them off and on which Meredith found ironic remembering what they used to say about her when she was Dennis's age. They headed back to the hotel and Meredith put Dennis to sleep in one of the twin beds in the room before changing and climbing into another. She could hear the muffled sounds of New York streets and car alarms or horns going off.

She had lost her city girl attitude since she left New York. Having spent ten years a Miller's Academy for girls in Connecticut and a year at Stanford in California, she wasn't around the city often. Miller's was located pretty much in the middle of no where only school run places and a few fast food places populated the area. While Stanford is a little more urban than Miller's, it wasn't located in a big city like she lived in, in New York.

Rolling over, she blocked out the sound and shut her eyes.

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The next day started early. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up as Dennis bounced on her bed. Giving him a soft smile, she stood up.

"Are Mom and Dad up?" She yawned.

"Yep." He chirped. "Dad said to wake you up."

"I'll be sure to kill him later." She rubbed her eye and stretched her back. "I'm going to take a shower."

He nodded as he tried to tie his shoes. Meredith quickly helped him before disappearing into the bathroom.

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She pulled the sundress down as she climbed out of the cab. She could smell the grill warming up and could see a faint puff of smoke rising from behind the house. Richard led them towards the front steps. She watched the smoke disappear against the sun and another puff make its way up into the sky.

"Good Morning, Everyone." Richard smiled at the people rushing around the house in preparation for the cookout.

"Good Morning." Larry and Steven said in unison before heading out back. Nina appeared in the doorway to the kitchen.

"Hey guys." She smiled. "Come on in."

Richard headed out to help the guys outside. Dennis followed close behind as Meredith and Ellis made their way to the kitchen. Nina kissed Meredith's cheek.

"You look so pretty today." She said.

"Thanks." She smiled back.

The five women talked among themselves for a few minutes as Carol and Nina continued to prepare food. Ellis helped by cutting up vegetables as Meredith put different types of dips into little ceramic bowls.

"So, Mer, how's Stanford?" Jane asked.

"It's good." She shrugged.

"Tell us about it." Carol said.

"Uh, I live with my best friend, Christina. She's going into the medical school too. Classes are going well."

"Do you have a boyfriend?" Nina asked as everyone else laughed. Meredith blushed.

"Come on, Mer. Tell us." Carol laughed.

"There's nothing to tell." She giggled. "I don't have a boyfriend right now."

"Right now? So you've had boyfriends?" Nina asked raising her eyebrows.

Meredith laughed. "Yes. Not for the last couple of months though."

"Did you break up with someone?" Jane asked.

"I really don't want to talk about it." Meredith sighed.

"Aw, what happened?" Carol asked giving her sympathetic eyes.

"Nothing. We were dating. He cheated. I broke up with him." She shrugged helping her mother cut celery. "I'm fine. It was a few months ago."

"You're better off without him, Sweetie." Jane said.

Meredith giggled. "I know."

"Mer, will you be a dear and take this out to my husband?" Jane asked handing her a platter of hamburgers. She smiled.

"Of course." She took the platter and headed towards the door. Her cell phone started ringing. She grabbed it and looked at the ID. "Hey Christina." She answered opening the phone.

"Are you drowning in jackasses?" She asked as Meredith opened the door.

Giggling, Meredith shook her head. "No. I've barely seen them. How's the apartment? Have you trashed it yet?"

"Not exactly." Christina said.

"Uh-huh. Yeah right."

She walked down the deck to the lower part that sat only a foot off the ground. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see who the guys walking around the corner of the house. They stopped noticing her walking towards the grill.

"Hold on." She said into the phone. "This is from your wife." She said handing Steven the hamburgers.

"Thanks. Do you know how to grill?" He asked.

"Yeah." She nodded.

"Watch the grill for a second while I run in."

"Do you want me to put on the hamburgers?"

"That's fine." He called back heading up the steps. She could still see the three guys and Dennis out of the corner of her eye. Dennis hurried over.

"Hey, Mer." He smiled at her.

"Hey. I'm on the phone so hold on a second." She said before going back to the phone. "Christina, call me back in ten minutes."

"Why can't you call me?"

"Because I won't be able to get away long enough to call you. Alright? Bye." She said shutting her phone. "What are you up to?" She asked turning towards her brother.

"Nothing. Derek and Mark and Preston are letting me hang out with them."

She shook her head remembering the last time she was at a Fourth of July cookout and they wanted nothing to do with her. "That's great." She mumbled putting the patties on the grill.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"Grilling." She answered.

"Do you want to meet Mark and Derek and Preston?" He asked looking at the guys talking among themselves.

"I've met them before. A long time ago and they don't really like me. So, I think it would be best if we just avoid each other. Go have fun." She kissed his cheek and continued grilling as Dennis ran off.