The next morning Meredith woke by herself. She quickly looked around for some sort of evidence she hadn't once again imagined a reunion with Derek. She rolled over in bed and caught sight o the shirt he had shed before they had fallen asleep together. She picked it up, holding it close to her, smelling his cologne on the blue button down. She pulled it on over the tank top she had slept in and climbed out of bed. She stuffed her feet into her favorite slippers before she made her way downstairs
"G'morning sleepy head." He smiled as she wrapped her arms around his waist and settled her cheek against his back. "I owe you a birthday present." He turned around to hug her close.
"Don't worry about it." She said softly, wanting to forget about their wasted time together. Her birthday had been just after their fight began and it was on of the worst. She bought a bottle of champagne and cried in her room all day. Derek had been on a retreat for the weekend so he wasn't even home. Not that it would have mattered anyway.
"I can't just ignore your birthday Princess." He said planting a kiss on her nose. "Will you be home this evening? Do you work today?"
"I don't have work." She replied.
"Then come with me." He offered enticingly, kissing her nose once more.
"I can't. I don't have work, but it's Mom's birthday. I have to go home."
Derek sighed knowing the outcome of this situation before it even took place. He wished he could relieve her anxiety or prevent this altogether. "Do you want me to go with you?" He offered.
"No you'll just make her worse. She said as delicately as she could. She still saw the pain flash in his eyes. He wanted so badly to help and for once she wanted to let him. But this just wasn't the place or the time for that. "I'm sorry." She whispered, biting her lip anxiously.
"Hey now. You stop that." He ordered lightly, pressing his thumb against her lip, pulling it from between her teeth, quickly kissing her. "I'm okay with your mom's intense hatred. I'll survive, but only if you promise to come home to me tonight."
"I promise. But only if I get a bedtime story."
"We'll see." He said.
Meredith left not much later and Derek quickly got ready knowing he had a long day ahead of him. He was excited for the evening when he could give Meredith her present.
Meredith gathered her phone, purse, keys, cake, and birthday present and got our of the car. She took a deep breath and let herself into the house. "Mom?" She called as she walked through the foyer into the den.
"I'm in the kitchen." Ellis called.
"Happy birthday Mom." She said happily, hugging her mother who stiffened at the physical contact. She pressed the wrapped gift into her mother's arms.
"Meredith I don't have time for this.: She argued sternly, refusing to accept the gifts, pushing past her daughter.
"You said you had today off." Meredith countered trying to corner her mother into sitting down. Ellis sighed pulling out on of the stools in the kitchen. She gave Meredith a look. Meredith quickly lit the candles and began to sing 'Happy Birthday' to her mother. But Ellie blew out the candles before Meredith go to the first 'to you.'
"Are you going to have any cake because I'm not hungry." Ellis asked in a no-nonsense manner as the smoke wafted up between them. Meredith quietly shook her head no, silently passing her mother a card and a wrapped present. Ellis opened the envelope, slipping the card open. She glanced at it without reading it and set it aside on the counter. She ripped the paper off her gift, setting it beside the card.
"Thank you." Ellis said distantly.
"You're welcome Mom." Meredith answered quietly.
"How is life?"
"Good. Charlottesville is a good place for me. I'm still with Derek. Still interpreting."
"How's school." Ellis asked, ignoring the mention of Derek.
"Summer session starts soon. I'll graduate next spring I believe."
"Then…"
"Divinity school." Meredith answered. Ellie replied with a sigh, once again voicing her displeasure and disappointment of Meredith's decision to be in the church. Ellis believed religion was for the weak and undirected who needed a scapegoat to blame and a crutch to lean on. She hated she had raised a daughter who clung so tightly to foolish ideals.
They sat in silence together for a while longer. Ellis checked her pager multiple times, but it remained silent. Finally she stood and walked out the front door. "Goodbye Meredith." She said in that gruff voice of hers before she shut the front door behind her and drove off.
Meredith remained seated for quite some time. She cleaned the kitchen and turned the television on in the den. She didn't feel like dealing with Derek right now. He would be upset because she was upset. But she couldn't help feeling that he would secretly be aggravated. He had often said he didn't understand why she allowed her mother's actions to affect her. After all the result was always the same. She couldn't help it. Or maybe she didn't want to give up hope. She would go home in a few hours and Derek wouldn't suspect anything.
"Meredith?" Derek called opening the front door.
"I'm right here." She said softly, curled up on the couch with a pint of ice cream.
"Princess." He said with a soft smile. "Missed you today. How was your mom?"
"She was mom." She admitted. Derek slipping onto the couch beside her offering her an arm. She buried her face in his neck and he cuddled her to his body.
"I'm sorry sweetie." He murmured against her hair. "I have a present for you. Do you want it?"
"Yeah…" She sighed, not moving her head.
"Can you promise to sit here with your eyes closed until I tell you to open them?" He asked pressing a kiss to her forehead.
"I can."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
"I need more enthusiasm than this." He said with a smart grin.
Meredith smirked back at him, grabbing a fistful of his shirt. "Derek fork over my present so I can kiss you!" He laughed and walked to the door.
"Close your eyes." He reminded her. "Keep 'em closed!"
While Meredith sat on the couch with her eyes closed Derek ran out to his car. He returned with a caked and ice cream and ran out to his car again.
"Are your eyes close?" He asked as he brought in an arm load.
"Yes." She answered, fidgeting anxiously.
"Keep 'em that way because I have one last thing to get.
"Hurry!" She whined impatiently. Derek smiled to himself as he picked up Meredith's gift, carefully cuddling the fluffy puppy to his chest.
"Okay I'm ready. I want you to hold out your hands and keep your eyes closed still! Alright?"
Meredith nodded and Derek sat beside her on the couch and placed the puppy in her lap. Then he buried her hands in the puppy's fur. "Open your eyes." He said softly.
He watched her face as she realized what was in her lap. A tiny black Pomeranian puppy with brown yes. Meredith carefully lifted the puppy, burying her face in her fur, breathing in the safe puppy scent. She kissed her head and received the sweetest little lick from the pinkest little tongue. She was melting into the puppy, falling into a puddle of mush as she stroked the furry little ball.
"So she's six weeks old. AKC registered. Under two pounds. First round of shots and stuff." He said pausing to allow her to say something, but she continued to quietly pet the puppy. "Mer? Sweetie? Is it the wrong dog? Is this okay."
"I've never had a dog of my own before. How did you…" "John's wife was a handler years ago. She helped me pick her out." He explained. Meredith quietly rested her head on his shoulder sighing as she continued to pet her new dog. "She's beautiful." She smiled "I love her." The small dog started to get restless so Meredith picked her up and took her outside. "Time to potty." She announced happily as she set the puppy on the grass. Derek followed her outside, wrapping his arms around her from behind. She leaned into his body nestling her head under his chin as they watched the dog play in the yard. "Derek?" "Hmm?" "Thank you." "You're welcome Princess." He murmured pressing a kiss to her hair. "Are we going to make it?" She whispered. "Do what?" He asked confused. "Are we going to last?" "Do you want to?" He asked. "Do you?" She asked turning to face him. She leaned against him, grasping his shirt in her hands as he wrapped his arms around her. He held her for a long time outside enjoying the warm breeze around them.
