Meredith sat and smiled as she watched Zola playing with Sofia. They were playing tea party with the day care's toy kitchen. Zola was pouring tea for Sofia, and Sofia was arranging toy cookies for them to eat with the tea. The two girls played together so well; they were the best of friends. She didn't want to interrupt them, and she wasn't ready to go home. She just kept thinking about how right it was for Zola to be here playing with Sofia. She didn't want to uproot her child from the only home she's ever known. Of course, she didn't really want to tear her from her father either. She thought for a moment, was it really better for Zola to stay here in Seattle with her friend than to move to DC and be with her dad?
Callie sat down next to her. "Mark always loved watching Sofia play with Zola. He said it was great to see the Sloan/Shepherd friendship 2.0, second generation."
"They are great together." said Meredith. "Sloan/Shepherd the first generation was amazing, too. We both miss Mark a lot."
"Me, too. And Lexie, too."
"That's for sure." Meredith's phone vibrated, and the latest text message appeared on the screen. It was from Derek: "I'm booked on the red eye to DC. Please bring Zola and Bailey home so I can say goodbye. D." Meredith smiled. Derek was no Thatcher Grey; no matter what happened between them, he would always be a devoted dad for Zola and Bailey.
"Sorry, Callie, I've got to go." Meredith said. "Zola," she called, "Time to go."
"Can Sofia sleep over, Mommy?" asked Zola. Meredith sighed. It was always hard to get Zola to leave Sofia. She loved the month that Sofia and Callie lived with them. She kept asking why they couldn't move back.
"Not tonight, but maybe one night this weekend if it's okay with her moms." She smiled at Callie. "Please check with Arizona and see if a sleepover at our house works for either Friday or Saturday. I have this week-end off." Silently she thought to herself that the week-end would be much more challenging with two children and no husband at home, assuming Derek wasn't planning on coming home.
"Saturday is my night, so that night should work. Although maybe Zola can sleepover at my house. Since Arizona and I are splitting our time with Sofia, I don't like missing time with her. If you want, you and Bailey could come over for dinner with Zola, so we could all eat together."
"That should work," said Meredith. Now she'd solved the dinner problem for Saturday; Callie was a great cook. She thought for a moment about Callie and Arizona and how hard it must be with sharing custody; at least Derek agreed the children would stay with her in Seattle, and she would at least have Bailey at home with her if Zola went to Callie's house overnight. Some mom and baby boy bonding would be nice.
Meredith enjoyed listening to Zola talk to Bailey, both kids in the back seat, while she drove. She hadn't mentioned Derek leaving to them yet; she was going to let Derek break the news to them. She was nervous about seeing Derek again. She knew he was mad that she was pushing him to go to DC, but Meredith didn't see any option if he was going to be happy with his work. But she was worried he didn't understand her and things could go from bad to worse. She remember the last time she felt so strongly that he didn't understand her. She thought back to the time he had withdrawn his offer of a weekend, 48 interrupted hours, in wine country. He had explained that he wanted to a lifetime with her, not just a weekend. She had told him she was not ready right now, but that she could get ready. Thinking back, she thinks that he didn't understand her. For her, sex and mockery was a phase, and she had been serious when she asked to wait for her, but, looking back, she knew he didn't think that she was serious about getting ready. He said he would wait until he was ready, but that he might meet someone who was ready for what he wanted while he was waiting for her. And then he started dating other women. And really, to be fair, his dating Rose had been a real inspiration for her to get ready. She wondered what would have happened if she had been able to communicate better with Derek; could she have gotten ready for Derek without him dating Rose? And was there a risk of a new Rose if Derek was mad at her when he went to DC? She knew her husband was an attractive man and that there would be plenty of women in DC who would be interested in him. She remembered April's crush on Derek with a smile. They were happy then, in the days before the shooting. Maybe she should figure out something to say before he left. But her mind was blank.