We've Got To Stop Meeting Like This

Chapter 29

The vomiting had developed its own routine. 11:50am, on the dot, she was hunched over the toilet in the attending's lounge, throwing up the small breakfast she had eaten only a few hours earlier. If anything, today it was just a reminder that she needed to call her mother.

After cleaning herself up and brushing her teeth, she pulled her phone out of her lab coat to find a message from Derek.

I hope it's not too bad this morning. I wish I was there with you. I love you.

I'm okay, I love you too. Going to call Ellis now.

She double checked no one else was in the attending's lounge before pulling up her mother's phone number, hesitating only a moment before pressing dial. She paced as she listened to the ringing tone.

"Meredith?"

"Hey, Mom. How are you?"

"I'm fine, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, I just... you're in New York?"

"Till Friday and then I'm back in Seattle, why?"

"Can we meet? For dinner, or something? I can come to you, tomorrow night?"

"That's not a good time for me. I can be in Boston tonight, we'll go to dinner."

"Oh, okay, yeah, I'll get us reservations at the place we always used to go."

"Don't bother, I'll have my assistant do it. See you there at 7pm."

"Okay, see you later, Mom."

The line went dead. She thought she had at least have had 24 hours to prepare herself, and now she had less than 7 hours. And then her pager went off.

****

She walked into the restaurant, her eyes scanning the room for her mother who was sat at their usual table. She took a breath before walking over, plastering a smile on her face, "Hey, Mom."

"Meredith, you're late," her mother chastised as she sat down, even though it was only by ten minutes.

"I was stuck in surgery, Mom. I'm here now," she said, picking up the menu.

"Hm, okay. I've ordered wine for the table," she said, as she usually did and Meredith found herself biting her tongue, not sure what to say.

"I'm not drinking," she said in a quiet voice, using the menu almost as a shield between Ellis and herself.

"That's a first," her mother said with a scoff just as Meredith's phone lit up with a message.

She picked it up and checked to see a message from Derek.

Everything will be okay. Call me when you're heading home.

Her Mother spoke again when Meredith didn't respond, "Did Richard call you?

"You know he called me," Meredith rose an eyebrow at her as she set her phone back down on the table.

"Well ,have you called him back?" Ellis said, putting the menu down and holding her hands on the table in front of her as she spoke, "It's a great opportunity for you, Meredith."

"I know, I just... I have to tell you something. I didn't want to tell Richard and then have you find out through him," she watched as Ellis' face looked at her with intrigue and the waiter came over to take their orders.

After both giving their orders, Ellis looked back to Meredith.

"Well, what is it?"

Meredith found herself fidgeting with her fingers as she took a deep breath before speaking

"I'm pregnant."

She watched as Ellis' eyes widened in surprise before she regained her composure and nodded.

"Okay, and what do you plan to do?"

"Well, I need to discuss details with Richard ..." she started before her mother cut her off.

"No, that's not what I mean. The pregnancy, Meredith. What are you planning to do with the pregnancy?" Ellis asked her bluntly.

"Oh," Meredith was slightly taken aback by the question, "Well, I'm going to keep the baby."

"Good, good," her mother muttered, clearing her throat, "And it is Derek's baby, yes?"

"Yes, Mom, of course it is," she responded, furrowing her brow at the insinuation.

"Good. Okay, then," she said with a nod taking a sip of her drink.

The evening continued with their normal limited conversation, and the pregnancy wasn't brought up again as they ate. It was only at the end of the meal when they had stood to leave did Ellis refer again to the situation.

"I expect regular updates. Speak with Richard, I'm sure you can both come to an arrangement regarding the job he has offered," Ellis told her before pulling her into a hug, "Thank you for telling me. Look after yourself."

"Okay, I will. I'll send over the first scan picture," she found herself smiling as she returned the hug, "Thank you for being okay with this."

"I just want the best for you, Meredith," Ellis said as she pulled back, "I have to get going. Make sure to send me the sonogram."

Meredith nodded before her mother turned to walk out the restaurant ahead of her, and she waited a moment before heading out herself, straight to her car in the parking lot. She sat in the driver's seat and pulled out her phone, dialling Derek's number.

"Hey, how did it go?"

She heard his voice on the other end of the phone after a single ring, as though he had been waiting, phone in hand, for her call.

"Hey," she breathed out, "It went surprisingly well. Like, really well."

"Good, I'm glad. She's happy for you?"

"She's happy for us," Meredith said with a grin as she vocalised the words, still in slight shock from her mother's unexpected reaction, "I honestly thought she'd never speak to me again."

"I've told you this before, she does care about you, Meredith. Just in her own way."

He was right, he had told her this before.

"I know, it's just very... surreal," she tried to explain, a soft sigh escaping her lips as she went quiet., her eyes welling up a little with emotion.

"Meredith?"

"Yeah?"

"Everything is going to be okay. I love you. Let me know when you get home."

"I will. I love you too," she responded before hanging up the phone.

Having her mom on her side meant more to her than she could have ever thought. She took a deep breath, finishing the water in front of her before heading out. This was going to be good, for all of them. And now they knew where they would be after all. Seattle.