"I'm grateful that you're here." Season 18 | Mernick

mother daughter time (18×13 AU)

Another one-shot... It takes place at some point in the future... After Nick met Mer's kids for the first time 💕

...

Nick had officially been over for the first time that day. Amelia was visiting Kai in Minnesota. Meredith wasn't completely sure what Kai and Amelia were to each other, but she surely noticed their looks. And Maggie was with Winston to give her the evening to be alone with the kids and Nick.

And to say that she had been nervous was a big understatement. She had talked to the kids before, they had seemed to be okay with her telling them about Nick, but actually having them meeting for the first time had still been another big step. But they seemed to like him, they adored the dinner and his humor, telling some jokes. She had noticed that Zola was a little quieter than usually, but after her daughter assured her that everything was fine, she decided to let it go for the moment and would talk to her with more time the next day.

And now they were sitting on the couch, Nick and Meredith, both having a glass of wine. She made herself comfortable as she leaned against the back of the couch, noticing Nick looking at her with that smile he had, feeling how a smile formed on her lips as well.

"What?" Meredith asked as she looked at him.

"Nothing. Just..." He started while he put his glass on the small table in front of the couch and then reached out towards her, putting a strand of hair behind her ear, caressing through her hair, before he leaned in to kiss her.

"Nick..." Meredith whispered while she had to chuckle slightly.

He put another kiss on her lips before he pulled a little farther away again.

"I like to kiss you." He stated after another moment.

"Me too." She whispered in return before they heard some noise from upstairs.

"It's one of my kids probably on their way down here." Meredith explained, noticing that Nick heard it as well. "I will see who it is." She added with a small smile.

She put her glass of wine on the table when she saw Zola already coming around the corner before she could stand up to see who it was.

"Everything okay, Zozo?" Meredith asked, now a little concerned, knowing now that whatever had bothered her earlier was probably still on her mind.

She saw her daughter looking at Nick for a moment before she turned towards her again.

"I didn't know he was still here..." Zola answered as she stopped, seeming as if she was deciding whether to stay or not.

"Hey..." Meredith started softly, indicating Zola to come to her, embracing her as she did, putting a small kiss in her hair.

"I just wanted to talk to you..." Zola answered quietly.

"I'll come with you, okay?" Meredith asked, getting a small smile and a nod in response.

Meredith got up from the couch, whispering to her daughter "I'll be there in a second."

As Zola was already on her way upstairs, she turned towards Nick.

"I can go if..." Nick started and if she wasn't a little worried herself right now, she would smile at his nervousness.

"Stay?" She asked quietly before she went upstairs. She hoped he would stay.

.

As she went into her daughter's room, she saw Zola sitting on her bed; she quickly made her way over there, sitting down there as well, leaning against the headrest as she took her daughter in her embrace. And for a moment she just stayed silent, holding her daughter, waiting for her to speak.