He's sorry he's been gone so long

Meredith swings her bag over her shoulder completely exasperated from her day. After losing a record of three patients today. Deciding that the sitter could handle the kids for a couple more hours she heads across the street to JOE'S. The warm inviting atmosphere of the bar is a comfort to her as she walks in. She takes a sit on an empty barstool. "Haven't seen you in here in awhile" the familiar friendly voice say. She looks up and sees Joe's smiling face behind the bar, already pouring her a first shot of tequila.

"You remember" Meredith can't help the small smile spreading across her face. "Of course, I do" Joe laughs sliding a row of three more shot towards her. Meredith downs the three shots of the clear liquid and then observes the interactions going on around her. Focusing in on a young couple a good looking guy with pretty eyes and an equally beautiful blonde girl. Maybe they are on a first date, or maybe he's just a guy in a bar and she's just a girl in a bar. The thought while it brings a smile to her face; the thought of him makes her heart throb with a deep sadness. Thinking of the night almost thirteen years ago she was restless from the anticipation of starting as an intern, overwhelmed by the enormity of trying to pack up her mother's house. The house that was filled with cold memories with very few memories of warmth. She came in for a drink to settle her nerves she never expected to meet a guy in a bar she never expected to become a girl in a bar.

The guy in the bar in the bar in the nice red shirt first became a one night stand. The next day he became her boss, and the annoying yet slightly charming Doctor that wouldn't stop flirting with her all at once. Slowly he became hers her knight and whatever her McDreamy. They survived a wife, a bomb ferryboat crashes the loss of patients a shooting, and a plane crash.

They got to give an adorable little girl a home. They got lucky with having Bailey, and then she got lucky again by having another little girl. It breaks her heart that Ellis will never know her daddy that Bailey maybe won't remember him at all, and that the memories that Zola has of him will get fuzzier as the years continue to pass. 13 years ago she met Derek Shepherd in this bar. They met they fought they fell in love, they fought. She built him a house of candles, and he built her a house in the woods. They promised to love each other even when they hated each other. They had kids. They built a life together.

But now the life that they built together no longer exists, because he is gone. Now she has built a life without him because she had to. Because no matter how bad she may want it to happen she knows that he won't walk through the front door apologizing for being gone so long.

Meredith may have loss the love she had with Derek, but she smiles to herself thinking of her three kids at home asleep. Each one of them a product of their love. Each one of them has a part of Derek inside of them.

Meredith grabs her bag, "see you soon Joe" Meredith calls leaving money down on the bar. "Don't be a stranger" Joe smiles. As she walks out of the bar.

Meredith heads home to her kids, because life may change but it never stops

AN HAVE A GOOD NIGHT LOVELIES REVIEW IF YOU WANT.