Perfect strangers

Chapter 44

The house was too quiet. It felt like the walls were closing in around her as she sat there staring ahead, hoping and waiting for Derek to come home. But then reality would smack her in the face and remind her why he hadn't stepped through the door in over 2 weeks now.

He hadn't even come to collect his stuff, Mark had been the one to come and collect his bag, giving her a half smile before leaving her alone yet again.

"Ma ma ma." Noah cooed from his spot on the carpet as he chewed on one of his toys.

"Mama is right here Noah." Lexie said as she stepped back into the living room with a fresh bottle in her hand. She leaned down and picked Noah up before moving to sit next to Meredith. "Have you spoke to Derek?"

"No, I just..." Meredith shook her head. "Every time I think of him, I just see him kissing Abi and it makes me sick to my stomach and my heart ache...why did he do this to me Lexie?" She asked as she turned to Lexie with tears in her eyes.

"I don't know Mer." Lexie reached out and squeezed her shoulder. "But you need to speak to each other, I mean I'm not his biggest fan right now but you're having a baby, your daughter. He is always going to be in your life..."

"Don't you think I know that." Meredith exclaimed, cutting Meredith off. "I just feel like I would have saved myself a lot of heartache if we had never got back together..."

"Don't say that, you know you don't mean it." Lexie shook her head and adjusted Noah in his arms. "Look, you need to go and get ready, you're appointment is in an hour."

"Yeah." She pushed herself up and headed for the stairs, her body swaying slightly as she gripped the rail tightly in her hand before slowly making her way up the stairs.

Before she knew it, she was sat in the passenger seat of Lexies car on the way to the hospital.

"So me and Mark are planning Noah's first birthday." Lexie said, trying to start up a conversation. "We want the whole family there, it's probably going to be cars themed but I think it's more for Mark than Noah at this point."

"Well Mark really is just a big kid." Meredith laughed as she shook her hand, her hands resting comfortably on her stomach.

"He is." Lexie pulled into a parking spot before they both climbed out.

Lexie took a now sleeping Noah out of his car seat and placed him in his stroller before walking round to stand with Meredith. They slowly made their way into the hospital and up to the OB floor where Lexie moved to the toilets to change Noah who was starting to fidget. Meredith walked over to the nurses station and checked herself in before turning to take a seat.

"Hey." She stopped in her tracks when she heard Derek's voice as she looked up and met his eyes. His hair was overgrown and not styled as a beard now sat on his face, his eyes dark from lack of sleep and his hand in a cast.

"You're here." Meredith gave him a half smile as she moved to stand in front of him. "What happened to your hand?" She pointed to the hand that was in a cast.

"Oh." He sighed. "I broke it." He shrugged.

She took the time to really look at him and she could see how much he was struggling.

"How..." Meredith opened her mouth to speak but was stopped when she heard her name being called out.

"Come on." Meredith smiled at Derek as he pushed himself up and walked behind her as she stepped into the exam room.

She stumbled slightly as she reached out and placed her hand on the wall as she felt Derek's hand grip her other arm to stop her from falling.

"Mer, are you alright?" Derek asked with genuine concern in his eyes and voice.