About a month later, Megan finally ran into her mother at a trial she was called in to as an expert witness. The last time they saw each other, Joan refused Megan's petition to exhume her father's body. She had wanted to investigate whether or not he actually committed suicide, but her mother callously told her to "get over it" and move on with her life. So Megan did just that, leaving her mother behind as well.
Nevertheless, she knew their paths would cross eventually, so rather than continue to pretend she didn't exist, Megan decided to at least acknowledge her presence.
"Well, you're alive. Good to know," Joan huffed.
"Hello, mother. How have you been?"
"Suddenly you care? I could have been stricken with illness all these months and you would have been none the wiser."
"Let's not get into it, alright? I just wanted to say hello." Megan started to walk away.
"Megan, please! I know we don't see eye to eye on things, but you're crazy if you think I don't miss you. I worry about you."
"I'm fine. More than fine."
"Really? That's good to hear. How's my granddaughter?"
"Amazing. Can you believe she'll be in high school next year?"
"No, I can't. It's incredible how time has flown."
"That it has." Megan swallowed as she thought about all the things that had changed in her life over the past few months, none of which she felt she could share with her mother. Deep down, she wished she could. "Well…see you around."
"Wait! Please come to dinner next Tuesday night. I'm just inviting a few close friends. Tabitha West, Dr. Frank, you know, the usual. They'd love to see you, as would I."
"I really don't think…"
"Let's just try. Once. Please? I want so desperately to make up for whatever it is I've done to you."
Megan thought about listing everything she had done, including her latest and most egregious offense, but couldn't be bothered at the moment. She was tired of fighting.
"Okay, once. We'll try."
"Excellent! See you Tuesday then, at seven."
Megan smiled, hesitant but hopeful, and they went their separate ways.
"You want me to what?" Kate whispered loudly the next morning in the break room.
"Please, Kate. All I'm asking is for two hours. It will make it so much less painful."
"For you. I've never met your mother, and now you want me to come with you to her house for dinner, even though I wasn't invited and she has no idea we're together?"
Megan put on her most innocent and adoring smile as she strutted towards where Kate was sitting. She stroked the coffee mug in her hands seductively, and stopped with her knees right in front of Kate's crossed legs, so that they were just barely touching. She bent one knee forward slightly, and Kate looked up at her, practically unaffected, except for the noticeable rise of color in her cheeks.
"Please," Megan batted her eyelashes. Kate could only resist so long and eventually cracked a smile.
"Thank you," Megan bent her knee again to brush their legs together, just as Curtis was rounding the corner.
"Ya'll better behave yourselves," he teased.
"I'm not sure what you're referring to Dr. Brumfield," Megan smirked. Curtis looked back at her, stunned that she had called him doctor. Then he turned to Kate.
"I don't know what it is you're doin'…"
"Curtis!" Kate warned, though her eyes gave away that she was not deeply offended. At this point their relationship was sort of an open secret among the colleagues they were close to.
"Just sayin'. See you in the lab, Dr. Hunt" he mimicked as he left with his coffee.
Kate rolled her eyes and looked back up at Megan, who was still grinning. She didn't know who she was kidding. With that smile, she could never turn her down.