The Luckiest

31

Meredith sighed as she wiped down the last table before folding up the tablecloth and putting it in the box with all the others. Meg wasn't working anymore, as it was impossible for someone who was six and a half months pregnant to work in a restaurant for hours on end. Sophie had left early to meet Brian for dinner, and Katherine and Nancy had both left early that evening. She had volunteered to stay late though, much later than everyone else.

Work at the hospital had been stressful today, and she had needed the much easier restaurant to unwind. Had desperately needed it and now she wasn't ready to go home and collapse in her bed. Not that that didn't sound tempting but it was nice having the restaurant to herself. It was peaceful and felt like...home or something. She as happy with the quiet.

Mrs. Shepherd had even made her a key. Which was...big. She felt like it was really big. She loved the restaurant, completely loved it, and she entirely understood why all the Shepherd kids had given up whatever they had been doing to help run it. The restaurant was...home. Or something. She grabbed the box of silverware and moved towards the kitchen, almost dropping the box when she saw Derek still there, eating. "Oh...uh...I thought you had gone," she stammered.

"Oh," he murmured, smiling slightly at her. "I thought you were gone too."

"Why are you still here?" she asked, setting the box down and moving to sit across from him.

"Not really quite sure," Derek shrugged. "Took my time cleaning than decided to grab something to eat."

"Oh," she nodded, grabbing a tomato off his salad.

"Why are you still here?" he asked, gesturing for her to sit down.

"I have no idea," she sighed. "I'm exhausted. I should be sleeping but...I like it here. The quiet. I like it."

"It's nice, isn't it?" he grinned.

"Yeah, it is," she smiled back, reaching to grab a cucumber.

"Do you want me to make you one of your own?"

"Make one what?"

"A salad."

"Oh," she giggled. "If you...I mean, you don't have to."

"It's fine," he grinned. "I'll throw one together for you."

"You're the best, Derbear."

"Sophie is the only one that gets to call me that."

"How'd that even start?" she asked, smiling as he turned to throw together her salad and she grabbed one of his tomatoes.

"I honestly don't know. She was really little, three I think and she was sad. I don't remember why now but she was sad and I went to take care of her, it's always been my job. And when she was hugging me she called me Derbear and it stuck."

"Okay, that?" Meredith grinned. "That's too damn cute, Der."

"Sophie was a cute kid," Derek laughed. "Wish I knew what happened."

"Oh you love her."

"I do," Derek laughed.

"And you love the nickname."

"Only from her," he shrugged.

"Fine," she rolled her eyes. "I'll just call you Der. Or McDreamy."

"Stick with Der."

"Don't like McDreamy?"

"It's not bad...but Der is a lot better."

"Fine," she nodded. "Der."

"I have a question."

"Yeah?" she sighed.

"Sophie's out with Brian tonight. How well do you know him?"