Andrew's suspension had weighed heavy on Meredith's mind over the past week. For a lot of reasons. She knew that there was no getting through to him right now, he wasn't ready to listen. There was only so much you could push a person, she would know. With Richard in hospital after his turn at the convention two days ago, Meredith was also contending with Maggie's panic as well as her own worry about him. It had made her reassess a lot of things. What she'd had with Andrew was great and she had loved him. In some ways she still did, it just wasn't romantic love anymore. Because as much joy as he had brought her, she didn't know if she could keep being a punching bag for him. She had three young kids that deserved to have the extra attention that she was giving Andrew and there was so much more in her career she wanted to focus on. Especially since she was organising the monthly pro-bono days. Over the past week, Meredith Grey had been letting Andrew go. Even if he had dumped her ages ago. Even if he didn't care. She was doing this for her and for her family. And she was okay about it, it hadn't hurt as much as she thought it was going to. Then again, her and Andrew hadn't really been together properly in a very long time. So, it wasn't really a fresh wound anymore.
After dropping her kids off to school, Meredith drove to the hospital and made a beeline for the coffee cart. Having to wrestle with getting three kids ready in the morning was a task. There was a consent form that Zola couldn't find, Bailey had managed to spill orange juice on his shirt and Ellis refused to have her hair brushed. All that hadn't let Meredith enough time to get her morning cup of coffee that she needed to function. So, the stop at the coffee cart was most definitely needed. If only the line wasn't so long.
"Grey!" That thick Irish accent was unmistakable and one that Meredith had grown accustomed to.
Meredith turned to look behind her, hair moving with the light breeze and smiled when she saw Hayes walking up to her./
"Hayes, I haven't seen you since you left for LA." He stood next to her in the line and they slowly shuffled forward.
Normally before her first cup of the day, Meredith hated talking to anyone that she hadn't given birth to. Surprisingly today she didn't actually mind Hayes' company. she even welcomed it.
"Aye, I got back late last night with the boys. I'm sorry about what happened with Dr Webber, I hear you two are close." A sympathetic smile was placed on his face. He thought about placing a hand on her arm but decided that maybe that would be overstepping a line. The last thing he wanted to do was make Meredith feel uncomfortable.
As they made the front of the queue Meredith made her order in and Cormac ordered straight after, "I've got these!" He paid the barista before Meredith even had a chance to pull her purse out.
Usually, Meredith didn't like things to be bought for her. Her mother had always taught her to stand on her own two feet but when it came to coffee, she definitely did not mind. "Thanks, for the coffee and Richard." They both moved aside whilst they waited for their drinks. "What you did for Richard and Maggie, I know you went up there to help them out and I really appreciate it. They both mean a lot to me and I'm glad that there was someone there for them when I couldn't be."
Cormac shook his head, "I just did what any decent person would do."
The two of them grabbed for the coffees placed in front of them and headed towards the hospital entrance. "Well, you were the only one in that lecture that got up to help..."
Mere couldn't help the small smile on her face. Cormac was easy to talk to and not as egotistical as she had initially thought. And she was very thankful to be proven wrong in this case. As the days went on, Meredith found herself looking more and more forward to her talks with Cormac. Even the short conversations they had, she found that she was always learning something new about him. Cormac was intriguing and Meredith wanted to find out everything she could.
"Are your boys in school today?" Meredith asked, turning the conversation to him.
Cormac let out a free laugh, "A fire couldn't get them out of bed today." Meredith laughed with him. "No, not today. I've said they can stay home today but the same rules do not apply for me."
The elevator doors opened revealing Jo and a smug look crossed her face when she saw Cormac and Meredith stepping into the elevator together. "Good morning, Mere, Dr Hayes."
"Please, call me Cormac."
Hayes pulled out of his phone and began texting someone which gave Jo the perfect opportunity to elbow Meredith and wink at her. Meredith had completely forgotten that all the doctors here were in fact a bunch of teenagers.
"Stop that!" Meredith tried to whisper tell but Cormac had already heard.
"Stop what? He looked up from his phone amused.
"Nothing!" Meredith tried to be as inconspicuous as possible.
"She wanted to know if you wanted to go for drinks with her. Tonight. After work." Jo quickly blurted out.
Cormac raised an eyebrow at Meredith, smirking a little. The elevator doors slid open and Jo quickly left without saying another word but a grin was on her face. Meredith was too stunned to say anything, she had not expected Jo to just come out with that. What did she think she was playing at?
"For drinks you say? Alright then, I'll meet you in the Attending Lounge at seven."
Meredith's eyes just grew wider, her mouth opening and closing trying to figure out what to say. But the door slid open again and Cormac left. He turned around just before the door closed.