Endless Summer Nights

46.

Meredith groans as a soft tap on her door begins to recall her towards reality. She doesn't want this day to happen. She doesn't want to have to see what a normal family looks like on a holiday. She doesn't want to see everything she has missed for over twenty years. Most of all, she doesn't want to see him. His angry eyes had glared at her last night over her bowl of black olives and those eyes had continued to haunt her fitful dreams.

"Meredith?" the soft voice of Mrs. Shepherd calls as she cracks the door open.

Meredith slowly sits up, her hair messy and her eyes still heavy with sleep. "Yeah?" she asks in a horse voice.

Mrs. Shepherd smiles warmly as she takes a step into the room, the door opening further. "I was just wondering if you wanted to come downstairs and help me get started on Thanksgiving dinner. You don't have to, but I know you said you had never been able to help before," she says kindly.

Meredith's eyes widen a bit as she realizes that Mrs. Shepherd is asking her to step foot in a kitchen and help cook. The last thing she had cooked was mac and cheese and she had somehow managed to burn that.

"I...you...you probably don't want me in your kitchen. I might burn it down...and with this neighborhood and the houses being so close together it could result in a disaster on the scale of the Great Chicago fire," Meredith rambles as she plays with the edge of the comforter.

Mrs. Shepherd chortles as she sits down on the end of the bed. "Nonsense. I will be right there, and beside, we keep a fire extinguisher next to the stove just in case," she adds with a wink.

Meredith blinks. "Are you sure?" she asks, uncertainty causing her voice to quiver.

Mrs. Shepherd smiles warmly as she stands up. "I'm sure. Why don't we have a quick breakfast first? I'm guessing if my grandson is anything like Derek, he will be demanding food as soon as he is awake."

Meredith giggles as she throws the comforter off of her body and climbs out of the bed. She pauses as her feet hit the soft carpet.

"Everything okay?" Mrs. Shepherd asks as she notices Meredith's wide eyes.

Meredith nods as she bites down on her bottom lip and she moves from left to right foot. "He just found a comfy spot on my bladder."

Mrs. Shepherd smiles as she moves to the side to allow Meredith to rush past her to the bathroom.

As Meredith looks in the mirror over the sink, the luke warm water pouring over her hands, she can see the red rims around her eyes. She sighs as she splashes some water in her face, hoping to erase the traces of her minor melt down last night.

What if he never forgives her?

She places her hand on the doorknob, inhaling deeply before bravely facing the long day in her Spongebob pajama pants and her black tank. Although the temperature outside is below freezing, her body feels warm.

She slowly makes her way downstairs, the voices from the kitchen filtering down the hallway and into her ears.

"You look horrible," she hears Mrs. Shepherd say in a disapproving voice.

"Thanks. That was just what I wanted to hear," she can hear a gruff Derek respond.

She pauses in the doorway, not wanting to intrude, but not knowing where else to go. She can see that Derek is still in his clothes from the night before and his eyes are blood shot. She doesn't want to interrupt, but her son and stomach have a different idea as he kicks her just as her stomach growls loudly. Both Mrs. Shepherd and Derek turn to face her.

"Ah, just like his father as I expected," Mrs. Shepherd says in an immediately lighter tone.

She glances at Derek apprehensively and notices a look of concern as well as a small smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

"Apparently," she says softly as she runs her hand over her abdomen.

"And what would he like for breakfast?" Mrs. Shepherd asks as she pulls out a couple of pans from a cabinet.

Meredith chews on her bottom lip. "An omelet?" she says uncertainly.

Mrs. Shepherd smiles warmly. "An omelet it is," she smiles as she takes the carton of eggs out of the refridgerator.

"With black olives," Meredith adds as she moves forward to the balls of her feet.

"Of course," Mrs. Shepherd laughs. "Would you like some orange juice?" she asks Meredith as she pours a glass.

"Thanks," Meredith smiles as Mrs. Shepherd sits the glass down on the bar.

Meredith takes a seat on the stool next to Derek, avoiding eye contact as she stares at her glass. "Is there anything you would like me to get started on?" she asks Mrs. Shepherd before she takes a long swig of her juice.

Mama Shepherd smiles at her. "Not yet. Let's get you two fed and then the rest of the girls should be here and we can start chopping vegetables," she smiles as she continues to fix breakfast.

"You are allowing her in the kitchen?" Derek asks with an amused expression.

His mother narrows her eyes at him. "Yes, I am. And you need to go get a shower. You smell like scotch."

Derek mumbles under his breath as he pushes himself off of his stool. He turns to look at Meredith. "How are you feeling today?" he asks sincerely.

Meredith is taken aback by his question. She blinks a couple of times before answering. "Fine," she responds as Mrs. Shepherd places the omelet in front of her.

Derek nods his head, accepting her response before turning and leaving the kitchen.

-------------------------

Derek walks down the stairs after his shower, his hair still slightly wet from his shower. He feels better. He feels a bit happier. He feels determined. He walks into the kitchen, the myriad of female voices that he heard on the stairs alerting him to his sisters' presence.

"Well, if it isn't the jackass," Kathleen says as she smiles at him.

"Hello to you as well, Kat," he says with a frown as he walks over to where Meredith stands chopping celery. He leans towards her, his after shave wafting up her nose and further increasing the temperature of her body. "We need to talk," he whispers next to her ear.

His words startle her, causing her to jerk and the sharp knife she is holding to glide over her index finger, slicing the skin and causing the blood to immediately begin to flow.

"Shit!" she exclaims as she drops the knife and immediately clutches her finger.

Derek grabs a nearby towel and instantly rushes to her aid. "Let me see," he says softly as he pries her uninjured hand away to examine the injury.

"This is why I should not be allowed in kitchens," she mutters under her breath.

"It was my fault," Derek responds softly. "Let's go to the bathroom and I will fix this," he says as he places his free hand on the small of her back and begins to lead her away.

His family looks on in awe at the way Derek is caring for her. His mother is surprised by the sudden change in his attitude and is unaware of the resolve he formed in the shower. As the two disappear down the hallway, a small smile of hope creeps onto Mrs. Shepherd's face. She has a feeling that there will be even more to give thanks for at the dinner table tonight as the family feasts on the holiday dinner.