After talking to Morgan, Matt went in search of Derek. He felt like the two of them needed to have a conversation. Matt found Derek sitting in the cafeteria eating lunch with a woman with dirty blonde hair. To him, the two seemed very close and Matt assumed the woman was his wife. He didn't want to disturb what looked like an intimate lunch, but he needed to talk with Derek.

Matt walked up to the couple and cleared his throat. Both the woman and Derek turned and looked at Matt.

"Matt," Derek said surprised to see the man outside of Addison's room. "This is my wife Meredith."

Meredith stuck out her hand and Matt shook it. "It's nice to meet you Meredith."

Meredith smiled, "Thanks."

"Derek, if you don't mind could we talk?" Matt asked.

Derek looked to Meredith who had already stood up. "It's okay Derek, I've got patients anyway. I'll see you later." Meredith then left the table.

Matt sat in one of the chairs across from Derek who stared at the other man with a grimace. The two men sat in silence, Derek wondering what Matt wanted to talk about and Matt trying to figure out how to start the conversation.

"Hailey is stressed," Matt said.

"I can see that," Derek responded.

"When she gets stressed she says things she doesn't mean," Matt explained.

"So you heard our conversation?" Derek asked.

"Yeah I heard the last part."

"I thought you would be happy she doesn't want me in her life, especially since she calls you 'dad.' How long has that been going on?" Derek spat. It wasn't that he didn't like Matt. He was sure if under different circumstances the two could be friends. But the man sitting across the table from him had the unconditional love that he wanted from his daughter and he was green with envy.

"Is that what you really think Derek?" Matt asked surprised that he would say something like that considering they had just met each other only hours before. "Hailey didn't start calling me that until last night. I didn't ask her to, she just did. I have no problem with that because I love Hailey. She is the daughter I never had. I want her to have a relationship with you because she will regret it if she doesn't. I know. I've been in Hailey's situation myself. Derek you don't know me, so don't make assumptions. If you must know I've been on your side since the day Addi informed me that you had no clue she was pregnant when she left Seattle almost nineteen years ago. You don't even know the number of times I suggested she tell you about Hailey since we started dating. But if this is how you act when you're with Hailey, I can see why she said the things she did."

Derek sat quietly with his head bent and eyes focused on his hands. He was only a little ashamed of his behavior. He had taken in everything Matt was saying but he could not come up with a response.

Matt continued with his speech when he realized the man across from him had nothing to say. "Hailey's got to learn how to juggle the relationship she has with me and the one she will have with you. You need to understand that you can't expect her to just love you because you helped give her life. It doesn't work that way. It takes time for that bond to be built. At the moment, you're just another person in her life who wants her attention."

Derek looked up for the first time and looked at Matt. "You said you'd been in Hailey's situation?" Derek asked.

"Yeah, my mom remarried when I was fifteen. My biological father never knew about me until I looked him up. I was the same age that Hailey is now and considered not looking for him at all. My step-dad, to whom I'd given the title 'dad,' convinced me otherwise. I'm glad he did."

"Why are you doing this?" Derek asked.

"I told you already. I love Hailey, and it's what's best for her. Don't let her push you away. She needs her space right now." Matt explained once more.

"Now what do I do?" Derek asked.

"You wait, but not too long. The best time to talk to her may be tomorrow. It all depends whether or not Morgan found a studio."

Derek looked at the man confused.

"Don't ask," Matt smiled as he stood up. "I'm going to check on Addi. Think about everything I said alright."

Matt left the cafeteria, and Derek watched him go. How could he be so supportive of this relationship? Derek asked himself. I know if Laura or Jake's biological parents came back into their lives, asking for a relationship with them, I'd say there is no chance in hell. Derek thought. He continued to sit at the table with his head in his hands. He envied Matt more than ever at that moment, because he was so accepting of the situation they were in.