They had decided to walk through the park on their way home, Ellyse holding onto Meredith's hand and telling her about a new doll that she wanted that one of the girls in her class had.
"And it even has a doo!" She said looking up at Meredith.
Ever since Ellyse starting talking and finding the meaning of words, the pacifier had become a doo
"No way!" Meredith feigned excitement for her daughter.
"Yeah! Olivia let me pay with her but I had to pay with a different doll." She sighed, Meredith loved the words that she struggled to say.
"Well maybe you could take in one of your dolls."
"Olivia's is still better."
Meredith just nodded and rolled her eyes internally, she wasn't ready for when Ellyse would be a teenager. This happened every-time she made a new friend but in a few days she would have totally forgot about it like it never happened.
"Maybe I could get it for Christmas?" Ellyse asked.
"Maybe, only if your good though because Santa watches you all the time." She raises her eyebrows.
"I'm always good." The girl frowned.
"Hm." Meredith quietly muttered before pointing to the park area and watching Ellyse run.
She sat down on a bench where she could keep an eye on her daughter, there was a few other children there with their parents. Sitting there she pulled out her phone to check her new hospital schedule. Meredith was so happy to have finished her intern year because it meant she had a little more time with Ellyse because she was not on intern hours.
She got a message from Alex.
"I know your off work but I have no idea what is wrong with this patient, I've sent you a picture of his chart, can you see anything?"
She read the chart and quickly noticed that the patient had a hormone imbalance, her thyroid was not producing enough thyroxine. She quickly text back.
"Under active thyroid. Look at the numbers."
"How did I not notice that. Thanks Mer, I'm running on no sleep." He sent back.
"Shift nearly over?" He had been on a 48 hour shift.
"I'm on hour 46."
"That's good. I'm at the park with Ell."
"Sounds better than my day."
Before she could sent her reply he sent another text.
"Sorry Mer I have to go, I'll talk to you later."
She smiled and went back to her schedule.
"Hey there." A male voice startled her.
She looked up not recognising the man quickly looking to her daughter who was by the monkey bars. The man looked older, early 40's she'd say, he had a rugged beard and dressed in a dark grey t-shirt and dark blue jeans.
"Uhm, hi." She said awkwardly.
"You look lonely." He said taking the seat next to her.
"No, I'm good." She breathed moving further along the bench.
She could feel his eyes trained on her as she looked at the floor, her eyes moving to the side to glance at him.
"Your very pretty." He said.
Meredith gulped, her throat becoming dry and she felt his hand on her thigh, his fingers stroking the inside, she stood up quickly and ran to her daughter. She felt sick and scared.
"Come on baby, we have to go." She said in a panic.
Ellyse must have picked up on her mother's tension because usually she'd throw a fit having to leave the park but today she did as she was told. Meredith picked her up and started walking quicker.
"Momma, who's that man?" Her daughter asked, her head looking over her shoulder.
"What man?"
"The man you talked to at the park, that one." She said as she pointed. Meredith quickly turned and noticed the man following her and her heart beat quickened as she walked faster, practically running.
"I don't know sweetie." She gulped.
She was in such a panicked state that she didn't see anyone, until she ran into a chest.
"Meredith?" She heated and when she looked up, relief flooded her.
"Derek." She breathed her eyes flooding with tears.
"Are you okay?" He frowned.
"I-he-I don't know." She jittered, looking back to see the man standing next to a post looking at her.
"Breathe." He told her with a smile as he looked at Ellyse looking back at him.
"Hi." She said.
"Hi there." He said as he released a breath he didn't know he was holding.
"What happened Mer?" His eyes flickering back and forth from her to his daughter.
"That man, behind me by the post-"
She watched as he looked up and then nodded at her.
"He- he touched me. I was in the park with Ell and I sat on the bench, he touched me." Her eyes filling with tears again.
"What do you mean he touched you?" Anger rising in him.
"He told me I was pretty and put his hand on the inside of my thigh." She managed to get out as her voice cracked.
"Did he follow you here?" He frowned.
"Yeah." Her breath quickened.
"Okay, come in here with me." He pulled her into a coffee shop.
"Is she- did- I mean is she okay?" He nodded at Ellyse.
"Yeah, she's fine, she was in the park." She said as she began to calm down.
"Derek, I'm over here." They heard and Meredith looked over to see Addison sitting at a table.
"Oh, yeah I'm here with Addie." Derek said.
"It's fine, I'm gonna go." She said.
"No your not. Your staying here." He told her.
"What, no. I can walk home from here Derek, I'm an adult." Deep inside she was terrified of walking home.
"That may be but your not going anywhere alone right now after that man... especially with my daughter." He added with a whisper.
Meredith looked at him in shock and slightly frowned.
"I- I can't stay here." She whispered back looking at Addison and back to him.
"You don't have a choice." He said and walked her over to where Addison was.
"Meredith." Addison said and Meredith couldn't quite tell if she was angry or happy to see her.
"Hi Addie." She said with a small smile as she held Ellyse on her lap, the small girl had fallen asleep with her head on her moms shoulder.
"I didn't think I'd see you again." She said sipping her coffee.
"I'm sorry." She said looking down at her hands that we're still shaking.
"Yeah well." Addison said nastily.
"You should call Scott to pick you up Meredith, I don't want you walking home on your own." Derek said.
He watched as Addison rolled her eyes.
"She's a big girl Derek, I'm sure she can get herself from A to B." Addison spat.
Meredith looked at Addison in shock, she couldn't believe how much she had changed, this wasn't how she remembered her. They used to be best friends and now she was a total stranger. It was then that Meredith took in her appearance, her black skinny jeans paired with black heels, a white blouse and a red tweed jacket. She looked preppy for being on an intern salary. She looked back up at her face to see her looking back at her.
"I- I should go." She said awkwardly her hold tightening on her daughter.
"No, Meredith. Your staying here, you don't know where he went." Derek said sternly.
"I'll be fine Derek, I'm sure i- I was probably overreacting." Her finger nails scratching the inside of her hand which Derek noticed.
"No, Mer. I'm not arguing with you."
"Am I missing something here?" Addison gestured her finger to the two of them.
"I'm going to the bathroom." Meredith said removing herself from the situation.
"Can you watch her for me please?" She asked Derek hesitantly.
"Of course I will." He smiled at her and she nodded before walking off.
"Some guy followed Mer here from the park." He said to Addison.
"Okay? It was probably nothing." She rolled her eyes.
"He sat next to her and touched the inside of her thigh at the park. It's not nothing Addison." He snapped.
"How do you know she's not lying?" She asked.
"Why would she lie about that?" He looked at her and frowned.
"I don't know, maybe to get your attention." She rolled her eyes again, "I mean come on Derek she took away your child and never let you see her, she's probably making it up to get you to feel sorry for her."
"Don't be ridiculous Addison." He said harshly as Ellyse began to stir in the chair.
"I'm not, I'm just saying she isn't exactly a good per-" she began before he interrupted him.
"Addison just shut up." He snapped back.
"Um, Scott is on his way to pick me up." Meredith said as she approached them awkwardly, she had obviously witnessed their confrontation.
"That's good." He breathed.
The next 15 minutes we're filled with silence and small pieces of small talk until Scott entered the coffee shop.
"Hey, you okay?" He asked as he hugged her.
"Yeah, I'll tell you when we get home. Let's go." She stood up quickly.
"Oh, okay." He frowned at her eagerness to leave.
"Thank you Derek, I'll um- I'll talk you soon and maybe we can meet up or something." She said turning around.
"I'd like that." He said looking back at his daughter whilst she was still there in front of him.
"It waa good to see you Addison." Meredith said and turned around when Addison scoffed in response.
Scott picked up a sleeping Ellyse and grabbed Meredith's hand before they left and headed home.