"Iz, we're here." Meredith said turning the engine off in the car. She looked over at Izzie who hadn't said a word the entire drive over. She was gazing out the window, staring at her front door. "Iz?" Meredith said again.
"I just need a moment." Izzie said letting out a long slow breath.
It had been over a week since Izzie had been home. She'd left the night before the wedding and slept at Meredith's. The last person who'd been inside the house was Alex. The house was going to be exactly like he'd left it and even though she'd told him to leave it clean she knew there would be indications of his presence everywhere. Little things which in other circumstances might have been annoying, a cup left on the sink, the bed not made completely. But the thought of them terrified her. She didn't know how it would make her feel, she'd been trying to tell herself the entire ride over that she'd be okay with it, but she wasn't okay. Inside she was shaking.
"Iz." Meredith whispered again reaching out and touching her arm.
"I'm okay." She said trying to convince herself as well as Meredith. A shiver ran over her body and she breathed in. She could do this she told herself, and she opened the door and started walking towards the house. At the front door she stopped, she didn't have the key for it. Behind her she felt Meredith move, she was reaching into her bag and pulling out keys. Her keys, with the key chain holding the photo of her and Alex at a carnival. Meredith reached over her shoulder and unlocked the door. She pushed the door open and Izzie stood in the open doorway. From here she could see inside the house, from where she stood it didn't look so bad. She tried to brace herself mentally and stepped inside.
She looked around and at first it wasn't so bad, the things she saw she was expecting but then she saw inside her front room. It had been completely empty when she'd left but it wasn't now what she saw knocked her shook her and she suddenly felt ill. She ran to the bathroom and started vomiting. Meredith walked into the house behind her. She looked into the front room and swore quietly under her breath. She'd completely forgotten about the wedding presents.