You're Like Coming Home

70.

Meredith sighed as she walked into the coffee shop on campus. The first week of classes for the second semester of med school were finally over, and now all she wanted to do was curl up and bed in cry. It was going to be harder than last semester, even if all her professors were completely normal and didn't have psychotic inappropriate crushes on her. She knew she was going to have to work hard, and although she was willing to do that for the ultimate goal of becoming a doctor...she was completely exhausted and all she wanted to do was sleep.

She stood in line impatiently for her coffee, opening a textbook and glancing through it as she anticipated how boring her ortho class was going to be. As she finally reached the counter, she ordered quickly, then looked around the shop as she heard the familiar warm laughter of her husband. She sighed in relief as she took her coffee, looking around the shop for the source of one of her favorite sounds of the world. Today had just been a long, crappy day, and all she wanted was her husband.

She smiled as she finally set eyes on him, sitting in a corner with a cup clutched in his hands. She started to walk over to him, frowning when she saw who was sitting across from him.

Meredith normally didn't get jealous. Girls swooned over her husband all the time, and she usually rolled her eyes and told him if they knew how much of an idiot he was, they would definitely stop swooning.

But now, she was staring at her husband as he laughed loudly with a smiling, petite brunette who sat across from them. She swallowed hard as she looked closely at the girl She could barely be out of high school, but her eyes were sparkling as she looked at Derek, and...Meredith turned her attention back to her husband, her heart dropping when she saw the sparkle in his eyes that he had only ever seen when he looked at her. She felt hot tears quickly rush to her eyes and she blinked rapidly as she tried to stop them. She made a run for the door, hoping that Derek wouldn't see her as she slipped outside and quickly started making her way towards her apartment, wondering what she could possibly do with her life now.

Her husband was cheating on her.

XXXXX

Derek sighed as he looked down at his watch. "I've got to get going," he said. "Mer just got out of class and if I don't get home soon, she'll burn the building down trying to cook."

"Well, she and I have that in common at least," the girl smiled as she moved to stand with Derek.

"It was nice to meet you, Lexie," Derek said, holding out his hand. "I know it's a difficult situation, but I'm sure Mer will eventually come around and want to meet you."

"I hope so," Lexie sighed. "I'm really sorry if it was awkward or...not normal. Me showing up at your apartment and rambling about my long lost sister, I mean."

Derek laughed. "I'm used to the rambling," he smiled. "Don't worry about it. I'll try to talk to her tonight."

"Thanks," Lexie breathed. "I guess I'm just...I don't know how to do this."

"We'll figure it out," Derek nodded. "Listen, good luck starting your classes next week. I'm sure I'll see you around."

"Sure," Lexie smiled. "Bye, Derek."

Derek nodded to her as he made his way out of the coffee shop, wincing slightly as he looked down at his watch. He definitely hadn't been expecting to stay out this long.

Earlier that afternoon, when a young girl looking strangely like his wife had shown up asking to see her, he'd been confused. Until she'd explained that they had the same father, and Lexie had decided to come to New York for medical school. She'd only found out about Meredith over Christmas, and now she wanted to meet her.