Surviving the truth

15| look who came to dinner

I can't believe I'm doing this. Derek convinced me to invite Lexie over to my house so I can get to know her. Don't even ask how, but he told me I should give her a chance, so I guess that's what I'm doing. I invited Lexie over for dinner. I told her not to expect anything special or extravagant to eat. She'd be lucky if I don't order pizza, I told her.

On the way home after my shift, I stopped at the store and bought a package of chicken breasts. I was only willing to cook something easy, so that's how I decided on chicken, a salad, rice, and corn. Immediately when I got home, I placed Emma's car seat on top of the table so I'd be able to watch her. I then turned the oven on, and prepped my food. Lexie would be over in an hour or so, so I needed to start cooking.

I did not have enough time to change clothes because as if it was perfect timing, Lexie arrived right when the food was done. Also, if it wasn't perfect timing, Emma began to cry because either she needs her diaper change, she's hungry, or both. I offered Lexie inside with a fake smile on my face. She followed me into the kitchen and I offered her one of Derek's beer or something else to drink.

"Derek won't mind, trust me." I said as I grabbed a cold beer from the fridge. "My friends' always steal his beer. Never complained once, though he probably thinks I'll kick him out if he does." I slammed the door shut and turned around seeing Lexie playing with Emma's hand. "She'll go right to sleep once I give her a bottle."

Lexie turned to me and I handed her the beer. "How old is she?"

"About four months." I smiled. "She, um, was not supposed to happen, but she did, and I'm happy I have her; Derek too, but it wasn't good timing for either of us."

"I just want to clear something up. If I knew about you and Derek, I would had never flirted with him at Joe's. Hell, I wouldn't have flirted if I knew he was my attending."

"You and me both."

"But for the record, he didn't flirt back. So are you two together?"

I sighed as I tested Emma's milk on my skin. "No, but we act like we are, don't we; living and raising a child together? He wants us to be, but... I'm having trust issues with him at the moment, but he keeps proving me otherwise, so who knows."

"Is it because of me you're having trust issues?" Lexie asked.

"No, no. It's... complicated. If you were an intern a year ago, you'd understand, but you weren't, so I'd rather not get into that long, complicated story; especially now that I have somewhat forgiven him for it, but still holds it against him when hep pisses me off or want him to do something for me. It's good leveraged on him."

Lexie chuckled. "Okay."

I picked Emma up out of her car seat and began to feed her her bottle. "Um, let's go eat."

Lexie followed me into the dinning room where I had the food set up. She served herself and I stopped feeding Emma for a minute to make myself a plate. I sat across from Lexie at the table. There was an awkward silence, but I managed to think of a question that would end it.

"So, have you lived here in Seattle your whole life?" I asked.

Stupid question.

"Yeah; mom, me, dad, and Molly."

"Who's Molly? Your dog?" I asked.

"Actually, my- our sister."

Stupid, Meredith.

"She actually just had a baby too; a girl name Laura. You should definitely meet Molly; have a baby play date. I mean, obviously only if you want to."

"I'll think about it." I smiled.

About an hour later Derek came home. Lexie and I were still in the dinning room talking, but I had put Emma to bed about a half hour earlier. Derek entered the dinning room and greeted us and then looked at the leftover food from dinner that was on the table.

"Do I get any of that?" Derek asked.

"Depends if you want to risk eating my food." I teased. "I'm an awful cook, Lexie, ask anyone."

"That is true." Derek said, grabbing a plate. "Dr. Stevens made Meredith a month worth of meals and froze it when Emma was born."

"Well I wouldn't had guessed. The meal was fine."

"Is Emma upstairs?" Derek asked, pulling out the chair beside me.

I nodded once. "She's asleep so don't bother her."

Lexie's pager went off and she groaned. "Please tell me being an intern gets easier."

"Unfortunately, I can't."

"I have no idea how you did it while pregnant."

"I don't know either, honestly."

I walked Lexie to my front door, thanked her for coming, and said by to her. I'm surprised the dinner went better than it did. I found out we have some things in common, besides both having interests in being doctors. Also, Lexie seems like a nice girl and I guess Derek was right and I just have to give her a chance and not hold a grudge against her since she's the innocent one in my whole daddy issue thing.

I returned into the dinning room and began to clean the table.

"So how did it go?" Derek asked. "I tried my best not to come home early; give you two some time to get to know one another."

I looked at him as I reached for the dirty plates. "I thought you had a surgery."

"Yeah, but I actually took my time teaching a pretty simple procedure."

"Well, for your information, the dinner went fine. And I hate to admit this, but you were right."

"When am I ever wrong?" Derek grinned.

"Oh, don't even go there, Derek Shepherd."

"So it went well. That's good, Meredith. I'm happy for you."

"Turns out I have another sister; Molly. She also just had a baby a few months ago; a girl. Lexie thinks we should have a baby play date and meet. I don't know about that."

"Want my opinion on that?"

I looked at him and smiled. "No, but you could help me with this mess. I'm exhausted; worked all day, came home to entertain, and be a mom all at once."

"You go to bed, I'll clean up."

"Are you sure? Because I-"

"You do too much, Meredith. I'll clean up since I told you to do this and you go relax or do whatever you do."

I walked around the table and gave Derek a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you."