❝𝐅𝐎𝐎𝐋'𝐒 𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃❞ ɢʀᴇʏ·s ᴀɴᴀᴛᴏᴍʏ

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.

Outside it's a nice, warm night, the kind that promises a spontaneous outing, the kind we plan the least but remember the best, but inside Meredith's house —and the rest of the interns, and more and more people, why deny it— the mood is very different. The writing of Cristina's vows for her wedding turns out to be a disaster, relying on Cristina's reluctance to have a big wedding and Izzie's odd interruption about something about 'being lucky enough to love a person and having that person love you back and cherish your love'. Maddox thinks she has detected a few glances focus on Izzie, and she looks away uncomfortably, so, to avoid further discussion, the brunette assumes that the blonde is talking about Denny, and Meredith confirms it seconds later, although the tension is already chewing in the air for reasons that no one quite understands.

As Maddox plops down next to Callie, who unintelligibly writes down some ideas for Cristina, the brunette thinks she seems to really know little of what's been going on in her friends' lives the past few days. She detects more nervousness in Cristina than usual, but assumes it's because she's getting married in less than twenty-four hours, and someone like the young surgeon is not ready to move on to be what her parents expect of a wife. She doesn't know what's going on in Meredith's head after the afternoon they've spent, and especially after retaking the exam to become a resident. She has decided not to ask any questions about it and, as she has promised before, to wait as long as necessary. And what about Izzie's outburst, Maddox thinks as she rubs her forehead, interspersed with glances directed at the blonde and Callie, who brainstorms, though not too much in Cristina's style.

"How's your love life going?" Maddox decides to ask Callie quietly as the others wrap Meredith in a white cloth that pretends to be the wedding dress.

Callie shrugs, still not looking up from the paper. "To tell you the truth, I don't know myself. Sometimes I get the feeling we're rushing into things. I love George, but between the doubts and that he's decided to transfer to Mercy West's program..."

"What?" Maddox frowns. Callie's wine glass is too tempting at that moment to refuse to take a sip. "George is leaving Seattle Grace?"

"Didn't he tell you guys? I thought..." Callie's gaze drifts momentarily, and Maddox can see it end on Izzie, who at that moment laughs heartily as Mer spins around on herself. "Well, surprise then. He got his acceptance letter the other day, and I don't think Bailey liked it one bit. She says that trading Seattle Grace for Mercy West is an ungrateful gesture."

"But why is he leaving?"

The young ortho girl just shakes her head, so Maddox leaves it at that. The news has caught her by surprise, so that just sends her mind racing forward, lucubrating different theories as to why the boy would want to leave the hospital. The first thought that pops into her head is because his father's death is still fresh, and perhaps walking those halls still brings back bad memories. However, the look on Callie's face tells her that there is something else behind all this, and Maddox wonders if it is possible that Callie's doubts are based on something George has said or done.

However, as she promises herself, she drops the subject. She pours Callie another glass of wine because she has inadvertently finished hers, and returns to sit beside her to scribble phrases that would be too cheesy for Cristina but the greatest of loves for Izzie. Maddox notices the other surgeon's gaze is on her paper and covers it with her hand when she notices in an amused gesture.

"How's your love life going?" Callie asks this time, smiling and raising her eyebrows playfully.

"It's going well, thank you so much for asking"

"Come on! Tell me details."

"You don't want to know details," Maddox turns to answer, sending her a subtle look.