January 6, 2014
This Afternoon-Nickleback (4:35)
Grey's Anatomy
Suturing a Heart
Meredith and the gang
Meredith had never considered her mother's house as a good spot for a friends and family barbeque. It had always seemed far too stiff to house the rowdy, eclectic bunch that she hung out with. Sure they were all there off and on but never all at the same time and never for something as simple and innocuous as a barbeque.
It was strange. Seriously. It felt really strange. But strange in a good way. Strange in a way that she could really get used to.
She leaned her back against the side of the house and stared around her with a small smile. Lexi, Jackson, April and George were all sitting with their backs to the same tree as they laughed at Cristina and Izzie trying to spray each other with cans of beer and soda. Cristina seemed to be winning.
Alex and Mark suddenly laughed loudly distracting her. She cut her gaze to them and laughed quietly to herself. Owen was staring down at the grill before him with soot lining his face. She turned away to try and preserve his manly image.
Her eyes caught on Bailey and Tucker lying side by side in the grass with little Tuck crawling happily over them as he babbled away. They shared a smile that seemed to say everything they needed to hear from each other.
Her gaze swept away again and caught on Adele and Richard. They were sitting at one of the many picnic tables whispering to each other and laughing at the antics of the group around them.
Meredith suddenly wished that Susan was here. Sometimes these moments of missing her stepmother hit her hard. This time though it was a gentle blow. Susan would have had fun with them today but Thatcher would have sat confused and aloof.
A loud ringing echoed from inside the house and Meredith straightened. "I got it!" Addie yelled from the kitchen where she'd been mixing daiquiris. Meredith leaned back against the house and shook her head.
"Hey Meredith," a hesitant voice said from next to her a few moments later. "Lexi said…is it okay that we came?" Molly asked.
Meredith turned to her youngest sister and smiled. "Hey Molly," she greeted and stretched her arms out for Laura. Her attention turned to the man standing next to Molly. "You must be Eric," she smiled at him and he nodded. "Of course it's okay that you came. I told Lexi to tell you that you could." Molly seemed to sag with relief and passed the baby over to Meredith. "She's getting so big." She swung her chin towards the crowd in her backyard. "Go find something to drink and eat. We're just hanging out for now. Hamburgers and stuff later I think…if Owen doesn't blow up the grill anyway."
Molly and Eric made their way to one of the tables and then to the tree where Lexi was. Meredith grinned down at the baby in her arms. This was a good afternoon.