We have started the fire

Night of Missed Opportunities

Andrew's POV:

So many opportunities tonight to make things right when Carina drops a bomb in my doorstep. Not literal but all the same.

"Papa e aqui," Dad is here.

Like really, Carina. You couldn't wait one more day, one more month, one more never.

As I take Meredith back home, we drive in silence. Her face full of curiosity and questions I'm not ready to answer. We pull up to the house and as I walk her to the door the night of missed opportunities flood through my mind.

"Andrew, are you ok?" Mer asks, concern etched in her face.

"I'm sorry about tonight."

"Hey, don't worry about it. Go deal with your family. There are more opportunities in the future."

"Really?" A smile creeps slowly across my face at the word "future". One of my arms wrap around her waist as my hand caress her face. "So you see a future for us?"

"I did not say that Andrew." Mer says teasingly wrapping her arms around my neck.

"I'm pretty sure that's what I heard Dr. Grey." I lean down and kiss her. "And I'm glad you do because I don't see this" peck "stopping" peck.

I look into her eyes, seeing a beautiful woman staring back at me. I kiss her once more. More deeply than before, holding her right to my body.

"We need to stop." Meredith pulls away briefly.

I proceed to kiss her, not wanting to stop, wanting to take advantage of an empty house.

"Carina and your dad are waiting for you back home." I kiss her on the lips trying hard to ignore the words coming out of her mouth. "Andrew."

"The last thing I want to do is go home right now. My dad and my sister is too much to handle."

"I know. But he flew all the way from Italy to see you. Don't worry. It will happen. We will happen." We kiss once more. "And yes I see a future, too. But first go deal with your past, Deluca." She begins to extricate herself from my arms. "Good night."

"Good night, Meredith." I watch as she opens her front door, looks back to me and with a wave of her hand disappears into the house.

I turn to get into my car, bracing for a night of surprises I didn't sign up for.

******

I pull up to my apartment, looking at the front door where just minutes ago I stood with Meredith searching for keys I never fished out of my pocket, dreading what's waiting for me inside. As I park my car thoughts race through my mind about the possible explanations as to why my father is in my house with my sister instead of Italy.

"Papa, Carina?" I call out hoping beyond hope they had disappeared.

"Andrea, dove è Meredith?" (Andrew, where's Meredith?) Carina walks towards me from the living room.

"I'Ho portata a casa. Ora perché sei tu e papà qui?" (I took her home. Now why are you and dad here.) I go to my closet and take off my jacket and put away my keys. As I do so, I turn to see my dad standing next to my sister.

People have always said we look alike. I never saw the similarities. He's taller, lost weight with illness, and a different nose. But those eyes. I can't deny I have his eyes. I see them when I look in the mirror.

"Mio figlio." (My son) He reaches out to give me a hug. His hands wrinkled with age, but still strong.

"Perchei sei qui?" (Why are you here?)

"I can't come and visit my only son." His words thick with an accent.

"You haven't been here for years to visit me so why now. Why all of sudden?" My eyes travel to my sisters face, wanting an explanation.

"Papa é malato. Voleva vederti." (Dad is sick. He wanted to see you.)

"Look it's getting late. Do you have a hotel you can check into? Or Carina, what about your place?"

"My lease expired but yeah. We can go get a hotel. Papa, andiamo." Carina reaches for dad's hands but my father steps towards me.

"Andrea, tu sei felice. Posso vederlo ora. Questo è quello che volevo vedere prima di morire." (Andrew you are happy. I can see that now. That's what I wanted to see before dying). With some tears in his eyes, he grabs me for a hug, one that took awhile to return. "Ti amo."

As my father and sister walk out the door, I call out to his back. "Ti amo anch'io, Papa."

As I close the door behind them I realize this is a night of many missed opportunities