You've got a Way

33.

She couldn't sleep anymore. She really couldn't and it wasn't because she hadn't tried, it was just because after staying in her room two hours after initially waking up she couldn't try anymore. Derek was gone or at least not in their bed and she remembered the fight. She had had trouble sleeping and every bit of the fight played in her head. He couldn't forgive her even when he had said he did, he couldn't and now, she was standing in the doorway of her kitchen, watching his mother feed Emma. "Um...hi.:"

"Good morning Dear." Mrs. Shepherd smiled, looking up from her granddaughter who had cereal all over her face.

"Ma!"

"Hi Emma." Meredith breathed, looking around the apartment. He was gone.

"There's some hot coffee if you'd like."

"No thank you." Meredith whispered, watching Emma put another cheerio in her mouth.

"I was going to make French toast...it used to be Derek's favorite but I wasn't sure he'd want it."

"Oh."

"Where is he by the way?" Mrs. Shepherd asked, looking down the hall.

"He is um...." Meredith looked around again, then at Emma who seemed to pause at Derek's name being mentioned. "I don't know."

"You don't know?" The older woman frowned.

"He um....he left last night...I think he had something to do." Meredith said quickly, avoiding eye contact with his mother.

"I see." Mrs. Shepherd nodded reluctantly.

"Na!" Emma screamed, pointing to the warm cereal.

"I heard you two last night." She said, putting another spoonful of cereal into her granddaughter's mouth.

"You heard us." Meredith nodded, looking around once more. He had really left and he actually didn't forgive her. "Sorry...about that."

"Me too Dear."

"We don't...we haven't fought like that in a while and things have been...they've been good until last night and....I didn't mean for you to hear that.'

"I assume that's why my son isn't here."

"I think you're right." She whispered, as Emma put her hands in her hair.

"He's just like his father." Mrs. Shepherd sighed. "I'm just surprised he hasn't come back yet."

"I'm not. At least not right now." She breathed, leaning against the wall.

"May I ask what...." Mrs. Shepherd began, only to be interrupted by the sound of the front door opening and closing.

"Na....Da...." Emma smiled, as his mother gave her another bite.

"Good morning Derek." His mother said when he finally came into the kitchen.

"Hi Mom." Derek replied quietly, picking Emma up out of the high chair. "Hi Noodle."

'I...Hi." Meredith said, as Derek focused solely on his daughter.

"Derek Christopher...Meredith is speaking to you."

"Is that cereal good?" Derek whispered, making faces at Emma.

"Dada!"

"I'm going to go back to my room." Meredith rolled her eyes, pushing her body off the wall and turning around.

"No...Stay." Mrs. Shepherd demanded.

"We don't have anything to say to each other." Derek breathed bouncing Emma who was giggling in his arms.