A week had passed in near silence. Both needed the other, but neither felt the need to say much. Finally, Mark breaks the silence.
"Look, Meredith. I am not going to leave you if you don't open up about this, but we really need to talk about this. It's just not healthy to keep it all to yourself."
She glances up briefly before looking back down at the pamphlet from the funeral.
"To tell you the truth, I'm not blaming myself anymore. It was a tragedy. Despite all he did to me, Derek was a good man. You were right in saying he must have had some deeper issues that nobody knew about."
"Okay…so….if you're not blaming yourself anymore…why are you still so…I don't know…depressed about it? Oh, that came out wrong. Of course you'd be upset that he…you know…passed away. We all are…but you seem more depressed about it than seems healthy. I just want to make sure you're handling it okay."
"Not depressed. Just thinking."
"About Derek?"
"Actually, no. I mean, yes, I still am mourning the loss of a good friend, but what happened to him made me re-evaluate that day in the Sound."
For once, Mark is speechless. He doesn't know the right thing to say at the moment. He just creeps his arm around her and draws her closer so that her head is on his shoulder. She continues.
"Derek must have been feeling so much pain inside to do what he did. I don't want my life to come to that. I don't want to be that dark and twisty anymore. I am not saying that I want to try to be 'bright and shiny Meredith' again, but I don't want my life to slip through my fingers. The day of the accident in the Sound, I was woken up to how much my friends really care about me and what I have to contribute to the world. Then, Derek broke up with me, and I let that all slip from my mind again. I mean…don't get me wrong…these past few months with you have been wonderful. You…you have been my buoy among the icy waters…my friends, my life vest. In a way, Derek's…well, passing…reminded me of that."
"I guess they always do say sometimes it takes a tragedy to turn your life around."
"Well...something like that, anyways. I just don't want life to pass me by anymore, you know, because it's so precious. This past week…I've been using each day to appreciate the things in my life more and more…even though I might not have shown it."
"Wow! What a relief. I mean, yes, I have been doing a lot of mourning myself. Derek was my best friend, but part of my silence has been worry for you. I was so worried about you."
"I know, and that's the thing. You have been so wonderful to me. Mark. I don't want you to question what you mean to me. You have helped me in more ways then you know…just by refusing to leave. And…"
"And?"
"…and I don't want to lose you..."
"Hey, I haven't left you yet, have I?"
"…Marry me."