Chapter 55:

May 5, 2026- Seattle, Washington

Meredith walked into her bedroom and looked at her husband who had deposited himself on their bed. She smiled at him and crawled on to the bed next to him. His arms wrapped around her and he sighed.

"I'm sorry about that," she whispered.

"It wasn't your fault."

"I know, but I know that wasn't what you wanted to come home too," she said.

"Sometimes I wonder why we had kids."

Meredith rolled her eyes, "Oh shut up, you know you love them."

"I never doubt loving them. It's the liking them and the ability to tolerate them that I tend to doubt. Especially Aimee. What has gotten into that girl?" he asked.

"This whole thing has taken a toll on all of us, Derek," Meredith said as she slowly got up.

"Don't blame our daughter's attitude problem on me," he said, obviously offended.

"I wasn't Derek. All I'm saying is that being without a father can put stress on a teenage girl: especially for one who has had her father around looking out for her all of her life. We know Aimee gets an attitude when she's stressed. It's who she is," Meredith continued as she began to unpack Derek's small bag from the hospital.

"Well she needs to get her act straight or she's going to get herself in trouble."

Meredith rolled her eyes, "Did you miss Celine's part in that?"

"Celine was right. Aimee shouldn't be hanging out with that guy, let alone dating him," Derek said as he too stood up.

"But she was still yelling at her like she was her mother or something. That isn't her job."

"Well I'm glad someone did it while I was away."

Meredith stopped what she was doing and looked at Derek, "What was that supposed to mean?"

"It's obvious you haven't been disciplining her while I've been in the hospital. Otherwise that boy wouldn't have been on our couch!"

"She hasn't done anything that she needed to be disciplined for until today, Derek. Don't tell me how to be a mother. I'd like to think I do it very well while you are at the hospital until ungodly hours of the night."

"Oh cause you never work late," Derek said sarcastically.

"I know I do work too, but I'm around for Aimee's volleyball games. I know her friends and I know her. All you know is how to yell at her and send her up to her room so next time you feel like critiquing parenting's skills, maybe you should evaluate your own!" Meredith yelled before hurrying out of the room and slamming the door behind her.

Meredith and Celine sat eating dinner in silence. Aimee wouldn't talk to anyone and Meredith didn't even bother with Derek. She knew he was the same way. Him and his daughter were more alike then either one of them cared to admit. It was a very awkward silence. Partly because Celine knew that Aimee wasn't the only one who was on thin ice in this house.

"How's Dad?" Celine asked, deciding that that was pretty leveled ground.

"Go ask him," Meredith said not taking her eyes off of the newspaper she was reading.

"Where is he?"

"In my room," Meredith said emphasizing the 'my' in that statement.

"Can I go see him?" Celine asked hesitantly.

"I don't care, but if you do, maybe you should tell him to get the hell out of there and sit his ass on the couch because that's where he will be spending the rest of the night," Meredith said lightly as if she was discussing the weather.

"Maybe you should talk to him," Celine suggested, praying she hadn't crossed the line.

Meredith placed the paper down and looked at Celine, "I've known your father for twenty years. I know how to deal with him and giving in to his attitude isn't the right way."