Some have asked me if Mer and Derek are divorced...no they're just separated. This chapter is based around something very important! Mer is trying her best to be a single mom, but is finding it more difficult than she expected!! Stay with me though, it will be a rollercoaster of emotions!!

I walked over to the oven to take a peek in at the pasta bake I had been cooking for nearly an hour an a half that day. For some odd reason, Mia was only eating red pasta this week which was so typical to a nine year old and Riley, who usually ate anything, was extremely insistent that cheese accompanied his dinner that evening. Charlie, on the other hand, had decided that there was no way she was eating the carbs I was supposedly loading her with.

"I can't eat it mom!" she cried in the most dramatic of tones I had heard all week. "I'll never fit into my Spring Fling dress!"

I whipped around while still holding the pasta spoon.

"Since when are you going to the Spring Fling, Charlie?" I asked with every ounce of disbelief that my fifteen year old daughter would be attending an event that held the same reputation as prom.

"Since Jeremy Mitchell asked me to go, mom," Charlie replied flippantly as she casually flicked through a Teen Vogue.

I frowned at the idea and tried my best to remain a cool mom.

"Honey…I don't know…I mean, for one, I don't know this Jeremy Mitchell…how old is he?" I asked her as I put a plate of pasta in front of Riley and then one if front of Mia as they sat there patiently. I pushed Mia's crayons and colouring books out of the way.

"He's…um…seventeen…" Charlie said; as my eyes widened she covered her story with the best excuse yet. "But I am nearly sixteen!"

"Seventeen?" I cried. Yeah, cool mom went out the window when the age flew through the door. "Oh, no way Charlie…he is way too old!"

"Mom!" she exclaimed.

"I'm sorry babe, but I just do not think that going to the Spring Fling with a seventeen year old is a good idea…" I sighed. "I really, really hate to be the bad guy here but I have to assume some kind of responsibility…" I tried my best to sound slightly sympathetic, but I didn't care, because there was no way some seventeen year old little creep was going to get his hands on my daughter. "And I'm sorry, but letting you go to the Spring Fling with a seventeen year old boy is well…you know your father and Mark would kill him with scalpels Charlie!" I tried not to bring Derek into but I couldn't help myself. "And believe me, that could be a whole lot more painful than a shot gun!"

Charlie groaned and put her head down on the bench as she poked at her food lazily.

"I have to set an example for the little kids Charlie…" I sighed. "So that they see the right thing from their big sister…" at that point, I turned to look at Mia and Riley and gasped. Mia was holding a crayon between her index and middle finger and pretending it was a cigarette. "Mia Jasmine Shepherd!" I cried as I snatched it out from her hands. "Don't you dare do that again!"

"But Charlie did it!" Mia whined in the most horribly excusing tone I had ever heard.

"That's because Charlie is very stupid…" Riley muttered under his breath; but everyone heard him as his intentions were.

"Riley James!" I warned.

Riley shrugged.

I groaned to myself and looked at Charlie as my eyes darted across her face and desperately pleaded for her to listen to me.

"Just finish your dinner please honey," I pleaded. "And then can you go up to your room and bring me down any laundry you need to be washed…?"

She nodded and continued to eat her dinner sullenly while I tried my best to excuse her behaviour to Mia.

Later that night, I was stacking dishes in the dishwasher so that when Izzie and George and the twins came home that night, I wouldn't have to face the wrath of Izzie from the dirty dishes. I looked up momentarily to see Charlie enter the kitchen.

"Mom…" she said quietly.

"Yeah honey?" I replied quickly.

"I'm sorry about today…"

I looked up to see her eyes fill with tears and begin their journey down her beautifully high cheekbones that were usually raised with a smile…not today though.

"I just…I didn't think…and I just…" she sobbed.

I felt my heart beginning to melt as though someone had come and ripped it from my chest and held it to an open flame. A gut wrenching feeling that existed with only one other moment – the day I moved out.

"I know you are sweetie…" I pulled her over to me and hugged her tightly as I felt her grip strengthen on me. "Sweetheart, I know this whole separation has been hard for you…it's hard for all of us…"

Charlie nodded through her tears.

"I miss dad so much…" her sobs grew louder as she broke down in my arms and trembled with her tears. "I just wish that…" she sobbed.

"I know honey…me too…" I sighed heavily with the known fact that Derek and I had a very big problem.

It wasn't before too long that Charlie made her way upstairs. On her way past Riley's room that Mia sometimes shared with him, she poked her head in to say goodnight to them.

"Night Mia…" she said softly as she saw Mia laying on the spare bed in the room flicking through a set of sheet music, as it appeared.

Mia looked up and smiled.

"Night Charlie…"

Charlie looked around.

"Where's Riley?"

Mia shrugged.

"Mia…" Charlie said.

"Yeah?"

"Don't smoke, okay?"

"Okay…"

"It makes mom and dad really, really mad…"

Mia nodded at the wise words coming from her big sister.

"Is dad coming home soon Charlie?" Mia asked innocently with all hope in her eyes.

"No Mia…he isn't…" Charlie sighed as she sat down next to Mia on the bed and tried to comfort her baby sister with her arms. "But you know…he's still dad… and he always will be…"

Mia hugged Charlie.

"Not if he isn't with mommy…" she said softly.

"I know," Charlie agreed.

She got up quickly and smiled.

"Wanna come and sleep in my bed tonight?" she asked.

Mia nodded just as Riley walked in.

"Are you in big trouble with mom and dad?" he asked as his big blue eyes searched his sister's vacant facial expression that usually told him so much about what she was feeling.

"Oh yeah…" Charlie answered. At that point, however, she realised that at least if she couldn't see her dad every day…Riley was enough of a resemblance to remind her of him.

Riley laughed.

"Night Riley…" Charlie and Mia left the room and went into Charlie's bed as they both fell asleep.

Riley closed his door and did the same.

That night, my cell phone buzzed incessantly and I flicked it open to read,

Text Message

From

DEREK

My heart skipped a beat when I fumbled with the buttons to open the message as it flashed in front of me; it read,

-We need to talk

I felt my heart do a double back flip as I tried desperately to respond as calmly as I could.

-I know

I waited momentarily for a response and then it came.

-Now?

My stomach fluttered in a combination of excitement and nervousness.

­-It's late

-I know – open the front door, it's freezing.

I drew in a sharp breath as I realised that he was here; at my house – what used to be our house…but now he is at his own house…the one that he designed and build for us.

Great! Now my thoughts are rambling; get a grip of yourself Meredith and go down and open the freaking door!

I tried my best to fight the urge to run down the stairs and straight into his arms. I looked over at the clock and read 11:45pm, I knew that all children would be asleep. So in my best attempt to compose myself, I neatened my hair in the mirror and made my way down the stairs.

Yes, he is here to talk!! The next chapter will reveal the marriage breakdown at it's best...

Be prepared!!

AND PLEASE REVIEW!!