Chapter 2

Everyone was quiet on the way back to the Forest house. Michael didn't say a single word after his dad caught him smoking marijuana at his grandmother's house. At first, he thought about taking the blame for everything so as not to harm his friends, but surprisingly, they all accepted responsibility for their actions to avoid making Michael look bad.

In a matter of minutes, the Grey-Shepherd family arrived home, the same house that Derek built years ago after learning about the arrival of his second son, Michael Nicolás Shepherd, his little boy with silky hair and eyes that reflected the image of his wife—that boy who, now at 15 years old and transformed into a teenager, had just disappointed him.

Derek opened the front door, and behind him came Michael, followed by his mother.

To avoid giving his parents the chance to lecture him for the rest of the night, Michael quickly headed to his bedroom. Sometimes, during moments like these, the best option was to run away.

Hearing the sound of Michael's door closing, Derek let out a sigh.

"Finally."

"You didn't like the party, did you?" Meredith said with a smile on her face.

She knew her husband very well, and if there was one thing she had learned about him over the years, it was that Derek was not a party man; loud music could irritate him, and dancing was not his strong suit.

"It's not just that, you know it."

"I'm just saying we need to take it easy. He's a teenager and…"

"I know," he replied, his tone calmer. "I know, Meredith. It's just that I didn't expect it." Derek lowered his head, searching for the right words to express his feelings as a father. "Sometimes we believe that those kinds of addictions are beyond our children's reach, and you realize they are also vulnerable."

After an uncomfortable silence, Meredith managed to say, "I understand you."

Derek lifted his face to meet his wife's eyes. "We were teenagers and all that," he said, again lowering his head. "But as a father, I have to stand firm."

"That's what we'll do, but without threatening him or anything like that. We'll just talk," Meredith said as she moved closer to Derek, leaning her body against his. "I don't want my son to be afraid. I just want him to know how to differentiate between right and wrong. That's our job as parents."

"Wow," Derek said, with a notable degree of astonishment.

"What did I do now?" Meredith tensed up.

"No, no. Nothing wrong. I just love how sexy you sound when you talk like that."

"Like what?"

"Like a worried mother," he smiled at her.

"Where did my hot intern go?"

"Come on, Derek," Meredith said, frowning. "We're supposed to be serious right now." She made a small gesture with her hands that made Derek chuckle.

That woman was still his bar girl, so beautiful, so herself, even as the years went by. Meredith preserved every aspect of her personality that drove Derek crazy.

"Anyway, we've strayed off topic. Well done, McDreamy," Meredith crossed her arms over her chest, trying to hide the slight smile forming on her lips.

"Are you upset?"

"Maybe."

"Can I do something to make that upset go away?" He gave her a flirtatious look and pulled her closer to him, to the point where they could feel every movement of each other's bodies; everything was perfect, as it always had been.

And soon, the two of them headed to the master bedroom without making much noise; Michael was still in his room.

"You know… I can be a worried mother too," Meredith said before lying down in her bed with Derek on top of her, kissing her neck.

"I know, sweetheart, I know."

Tonight, there was no doubt they wouldn't be sleeping at the Grey-Shepherd house.