Chapter 13
Present time
When Derek arrives at the trailer he doesn't feel like going to sleep. Too much is turning in his mind. He decides to go fishing.
Meredith sleeps through the night. She wakes up when the sun bothers her face. In the first moments she looks around confused but it is her bedroom and she is in bed. She is only wearing her bra and panties and her dress is hanging on the closet door with her shoes beneath. How did she get in bed? The last thing she remembers is crying and hugging Derek in his car. It doesn't look like he's been sleeping in her bed. Is he downstairs? She sneaks down but the coach is empty but there is a smell of coffee from the kitchen. Owen is sitting there reading the paper.
"Good morning sleepy head" he greets her. "How was your date?"
She sees his smirk and realizes that he knows something.
"You tell me."
"Oh, you looked satisfied when Dr Shepherd carried you upstairs."
"He carried me?"
"Yeah, you were sound asleep, but we had an interesting talk about you snoring, moaning and earplugs with him and Alex."
"I don't snore or moan anymore so no one needs earplugs."
"I can get you to moan."
"You can not."
"Yes I can and I have. It is just to give you a hand, foot and backrub" he laughs.
"What else did you talk about?"
"Sexual favors"
"The hospital gossip?" she asked with a laugh and he nods in return. "What do you guys want to do today?" she continues.
"I want to go sightseeing. Cristina has promised to take me to the sights."
"Want any company?"
"I'm going to force a decision out of her so if you don't mind."
"No problem. I have my own decisions to make." She finds a piece of cold pizza and walks to her bathroom. She enjoys a soaking in her bathtub and plans her day. Well, she makes one plan.
Rose is also making plans. She feels that Derek needs to be put into a situation to accept it. Like she did when she wanted them to move in together, she picked an apartment and told him to buy it. So if she wants to get engaged she has to throw an engagement party. She contacts the printing office and orders invitations to be sent the next day. The party is in six days. Since the party is only six days away she can't get the hotel she wants but her second choice is free. For the party to be perfect she needs their families to be there. Her parents and Derek's mother and sisters need personal invitations. She takes a deep breath and dials a number she collected from Derek's cell phone months ago.
"Mrs Shepherd, this is Rose. Derek's soon to be fiancé. We would be honored if you could come to our engagement party on friday."
Derek is sleeping and he has made up his mind. Now he only has to execute his plan.
Meredith is driving Izzy's car off the ferryboat with butterflies in her stomach. Will she be able to decide about her feelings and is she ready for the consequences? When she arrives to the trailer his car is parked in its usually spot. OK, she thinks, he is here. Usually he walks out when a car drives up, but not today. She wonders if he is fishing and walks down to the lake. He is not there. When she returns to the trailer she sees his fishing pole in its place in the back of the porch. He still keeps his surroundings neat. She knocks on the door. He could have been in the shower when she drove up. Still no answer so she decides to sit in the sun on the porch and wait for him. Sooner or later he will be back. It doesn't take long before she falls asleep in the sun.
Owen is riding behind Cristina on a rented bike. They have been sightseeing downtown Seattle and kissed at the top of the Space Needle. Now Cristina is cruising south along the coastline with Owen riding shotgun.
"Cristina, can we please stop soon?" Owen is begging in her ear grasping her biker jacket with white fingers. The ride is a little too fast for his preferences. She nods in response makes a ninety degrees turn in high speed, the wheels sliding on the gravel before she pulls the bike to a complete stop.
"Scared" she asks Owen with a teasing smirk.
"Yeah" he admits climbing off the bike on shaky legs. Cristina just laughs at him.
"Come here" he says and pulls her into his arms for a lingering kiss before wrapping an arm around her shoulder and leading her towards the beach.
They sit in the sun enjoying the view, the sun and each others company.
"We need to talk" Owen says after a while.
"Yeah, we do" Cristina answers looking down at their connected hands, they fit perfectly together.
Derek finally wakes up, its is his phone that is playing a phone signal, one of his nieces programmed for him the last time he was home on the east coast. He can't let his mum talk to voicemail and he really wants to tell her about his decision.
"Hi mum."
"Hello my dear boy."
"How is everyone?"
"Not as fine as you."
"What do you mean?"
"Have you got something you want to tell me?"
"Yes, but how do you know? I just made my mind up." He is fully awake now and on his way out the door when he sees Meredith sleeping in his lawn chair. When did she arrive? Why hasn't she wakened him? He really doesn't care because she is at his trailer sleeping in the sun.
"I know everything, it doesn't matter that I'm on the east coast and you are on the west coast. My children can never hide anything from me."
"It is about a girl, mum. A girl that makes my heart beat faster. My eyes can't get enough of her. I'm happy just seeing her walking past me in the hall of the hospital. She is everything… She is the one that understands me… The one I want to have a family with and the one I want to marry."
"So you will get engaged?"
"Yes, if and when she says yes."
"Are you planning to ask her anytime soon?"
"If it feels right I'll do it within a week."
"Are you sure she doesn't suspect anything?"
"Yeah, I hope she wants what I want, but it has been so many years so it will need something special to get her to say yes."
"Like a big party?"
"No, she isn't a big party girl. She likes simple things. A nice party for her is her friends meeting at Joe's or a barbeque here at the trailer."
"Are you sure about that?"
"Yeah, why? I would do whatever makes her happy. If she wants me to move half way around the world, change my specialty from neuro to what ever I'll do it."
"You don't have to exaggerate. I understand. You love her. I can hear it in your voice. You sound like when you just moved to Seattle and meet that intern."
"Yeah, you are right mum. I'm as happy as then for good reasons. I have to go. This beautiful girl is sleeping in my lawn chair. I love you, talk to you again soon."
"Bye my dear son. I love to hear you this happy."
