Say when

40

Meredith stepped out of the building late that evening, night had fallen on Seattle and she was grateful to have finally finished her last final...

She was happy to be going home to Derek and find out how he felt about his last final he had earlier that day... she reached their car and started to dig in her purse for the keys...

"Meredith!" she heard behind her and looked up started to see one of her classmates running up to her..

"Ty?" she asked...

"Hey.. glad I caught you.. I was just gonna tell you that I'm having an end of the semester party at my dad's yacht and I'd love it if you came."

"Oh." Meredith mumbled... "Thanks but I really need to get home."

"What to your boyfriend?" he laughed... "Come on baby you're passing up the time of your life here."

"Really." She said raising an eyebrow "In 10 years from now.. will it make THAT much of a difference if I'm there or not?"

"Well I don't know but-" he mumbled out...

"I've done the party scene, I've been higher than a kite at a 4th of July picnic, I've given lap dances to Donald Trump's assistants, you know what it means to me right now?" she gritted out angrily "Nothing! But when I go home every night to see a man that loves me, waiting for me and I walk in, I sit my ass down between his legs and rest my head that fits so perfectly on his chest, wait for him to wrap his arms around me and listen to every heartbeat.. and that is when.. that's when I have the time of my life... so thanks, but I'll pass."

She left him speechless standing there in awe of what to say as she got in the car and started up the engine.. she pulled out of the parking lot knowing she'd made the right decision... the partying, the trouble, the everything that went with it wasn't a part of her life anymore... but Derek.. was her life...

She parked in the garage of the apartment building and took the elevator up to her floor.. she walked down the hallway and turned the knob of the door smiling knowing that he always left it unlocked for her... she walked in and saw him laying on the couch waiting up for her watching TV..

She put her stuff down on the table and walked over to him taking her shoes off at the foot of the couch and the sat her ass down between his legs and turned to lay her head that fit so perfectly against his chest...

He automatically wrapped his arms around her and ran his fingers up and down the length of her back placing a kiss on the top of her head..

"Got invited to a party tonight." She said softly as she listened to his heart beating...

"Oh yeah?" He asked in a tired voice "Why didn't you want to go?"

"Because." She smiled as she closed her eyes and nuzzled her cheek into him "I'm already having the time of my life."

He smiled and clutched her tightly to his body as he placed a lingering kiss on the top of her head and whispered..

"Me too."