Chapter 11: Shopping

"Mom!" Dawsyn yelled, as she ran down the end of the grocery aisle, holding up a red box. "Can we get these?"

"No..." Meredith replied, putting her cell phone back in her purse. Derek still hadn't called.

"Please?" Please...please..."

"Dawsyn no." Meredith groaned, pushing the cart down the aisle. "We have that other chocolate cereal at home and we're getting oatmeal."

"It said on sale!"

"We can't get everything that's on sale Daws."

"But… I like these." Dawsyn sighed, still holding the box of Fruit Loops.

"Put them back." Meredith replied.

"I promise I'll eat them."

"Do you want apple cinnamon, Peach, Strawberry or maple. Or do you want the variety pack?" Meredith turned around, holding up one of the boxes.

"Neither." Dawsyn replied, her hand on her hip, still holding the cereal box.

"Dawsyn... we're sticking to the list."

"Fine." Dawsyn groaned, stomping down the aisle.

"You're so dramatic."

"Whatever."

"What flavor?"

"Strawberry." Dawsyn sighed.

"Okay..." Meredith sighed, tossing a box into the cart.

"Can we get brownies?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"We can't just buy everything." Meredith rolled her eyes.

"We didn't get the fruit loops." Dawsyn said.

"I'm sure if you ask Izzie, she'll make you some when you're at her house tomorrow night."

"Why am I going there?"

"Because I have a shift until close...Izzie and Alex had a fight, so she needs a Disney movie night." Meredith replied, searching the shelf for pop tarts.

"Great. Now I get to hear her complain all night." Dawsyn rolled her eyes.

"Better you then me this time."

"I hate when you work until close."

"At least you get a lot of junk food and cavity inducers."

"Then, I don't get to watch TV with you."

"It's a rerun."

"So..."

"So, it doesn't matter...oh and she's going to take you to school the next morning too."

"Can we go out for ice cream after school when you pick me up?"

"Daws..."

"Fine." Dawsyn groaned. "Can we at least watch a movie?"

"Tonight?"

"Yeah."

"We...if your homework is done."

"Can we stay up and have popcorn?"

"Fine."

"Thank you!" Dawsyn grinned

"You're welcome." Meredith rolled her eyes.

"Now, can I get fruit loops?"

"No."

"Maybe Derek can make them next time he comes over."

"What?" Meredith turned around quickly.

"Maybe he can make fruit loops." Dawsyn shrugged.

"I...no he can't make fruit loops."

"What about brownies?"

"I don't know..."

"I don't know...I wouldn't know."

"I'll ask him next time he comes."

"Maybe he won't come over again."

"He will."

"He might not." Meredith shrugged as they turned down a different aisle. "Crackers..."

"He said he would." Dawsyn replied, skipping in front of the cart.

"People have said that before..."

"But he likes...He'll come."

"You don't actually know that, Dawsyn." She said as she tossed a box into the cart.

"I hope he does." Dawsyn sighed. "Those tacos were so good."

"Yes, they were."

"Even better than Taco Bell."

"Hey...that was your favorite when you were little." Meredith giggled.

"I like Derek's better." Dawsyn giggled.

"Why the hell is peanut butter expensive?" Meredith frowned, looking around the shelf. "We're going to get off brand. Is that okay?"

"Do we have to?" Dawsyn scrunched up her nose.

"Its a whole dollar difference."

"I'll give you a dollar from my piggy bank. I don't want the gross kind."

"You'll survive." Meredith rolled her eyes as she tossed the container into the cart.

"I don't want peanut butter and jelly for lunch this week."

"What do you want?"

"Tacos."

"How the hell am I going to get tacos in your lunch?"

"Fine. I'll have peanut butter." Dawsyn said, holding her hands up in surrender.

"I'll buy you a Lunchable for one of the days." Meredith bit her lip.

"Really?" Dawsyn's face lit up.

"Yes." Meredith groaned. "I have a coupon."

"I love you Mommy."

"Yeah yeah yeah..."

"Why else would I want to eat popcorn with you?" Dawsyn asked, standing in front of her mother with her hands on her hips.

"You're sucking up now."

"I want pretzel sticks."

"We have half a bag at home."

"I ate them." Dawsyn grinned.

"Off brand."

"Why?"

"Because Daws... You see my eleven-year-old decided to go against what I said. I had to go get her at the hospital where I had this accident. Now, I missed a few days of work. So… I have to be careful on how much I spend at the grocery store."

"Which daughter are you talking about?"

"Very funny."

"You love me." Dawsyn smiled.

"Unfortunately." Meredith giggled finally, wrapping her arms around her daughter.

"I love you Mommy." Dawsyn giggled, pressing a kiss on Meredith's cheek.

"You take the prize Dawsyn." Meredith whispered.

"Is the prize Fruit Loops?"

"Not a chance."

"Fine." Dawsyn rolled her eyes.

"Okay." Meredith stood.

"Are we done?"

"Done with what?" Meredith asked, reaching for a bottle of mustard.

"Grocery shopping. Duh."

"Almost."

"Can I go get the bread?"

"Yeah... go ahead." Meredith replied, the sound of her cell phone ringing.

"Be right back!" Dawsyn called as she ran off.

Meredith smiled as she looked at the caller ID, knowing she probably looked silly standing there, smiling at her phone. "Hello?"

"Hey." Derek replied.

"Hi." Meredith smiled, looking around her, relieved that there wasn't anyone watching her.

"How are you?"

"I'm good...grocery shopping."

"Sounds like fun."

"Oh Yes...loads."

"Did you get strawberry ice cream?"

"No..."Meredith giggled.

"Well why not?" Derek laughed.

"I um...might already have some at home."

"Ohh...Secret stash?"

"Maybe." Meredith said into the phone.

"Okay." Derek laughed.

"So um..."

"When are we having coffee?"

"Oh um...when do you want to have coffee?" Meredith asked, playing with the purse handle.

"What about tomorrow?" Derek asked.

"Tomorrow?"

"The day after today."

"I know what it is..." Meredith laughed, looking around again. "Sure...I drop Dawsyn off at school around a quarter to eight."

"How's nine o'clock sound?"

"That would be fine...I don't work until noon so that would be...nine is good." Meredith smiled.

"It's a date."

"Yeah..."

"Do you want to meet me or...I can pick you up..."

"Oh...sure." Meredith replied, tossing a roll of paper towels into the cart.

"Which one?" Derek laughed.

"Oh um...you can pick me up. Or you don't have to..."

"I'll be there at nine."

"Okay." Meredith couldn't resist giggling.

"I'm looking forward to it." Derek replied, unable to keep from smiling.

"Okay..." Meredith readjusted the phone.

"How's Dawsyn?"

"She's good...fighting the urge to toss anything and everything into the cart."

"Sugary cereals?"

"Unfortunately."

"What can you say? She's a kid." Derek chuckled.

"She is." Meredith breathed, clearing her throat. "Listen about our lunch today. I shouldn't have just..."

"Just what?"

"I shouldn't have just kissed you like that...and then again."

"I'm glad you did."

"Oh..."

"I mean...I wanted to kiss you when I met you and...I'm going to shut up now."

"We just keep...kissing."

"Yeah."

"I don't actually know why I said that but..." Meredith bit her lip, stopping in the aisle.

"Because it's true..."

"It might not actually happen this time though."

"Maybe."

"I'm not kissing you."

"Okay."

"Okay then." Meredith replied.

"I'll see you for our non-kissing coffee date at nine o'clock."

"Okay then."

"Okay."

"I'm still not kissing you."

"I didn't say anything about kissing you except that we're having a non-kissing date."

"Right." Meredith replied, "I was just...pointing that out."

"Alright." Derek chuckled.

"I should go find my daughter."

"Before she finds all the sugary cereals."

"Oh God...I can only imagine."

"I'll see you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow."

"Have a good night, Meredith."

"You too Derek." Meredith smiled into her phone.

"Bye."

"Bye Derek." Meredith giggled, closing her phone, and tossing it back into her purse. Idiot. She was an idiot, and she wasn't sure why she acted that way. She brought up the kissing and she was just...Idiot.