Unexpected Connections

Four Months

Meredith and Derek sat at Carolyn's kitchen counter, watching their mothers bond. It was weird. Very, very weird. They were laughing. Like they had been friends for more than twenty years. They were getting along. Smiling, and giggling like children. To say the least, Meredith felt very uncomfortable. She never thought in a million years that her mother would get along with someone like Carolyn Shepherd. Not that there was anything wrong with her... It's just that they're so different. Ellis was career oriented while Carolyn was family oriented. Ellis was a republican while Carolyn was a democrat. Ellis was detatched while Carolyn showed love and kindness through every interaction. They practically lived in different worlds and here they were, doing more than coexisting peacefully.

"This is weird, right?" Meredith whispered over to Derek.

"Yes. Very strange." Derek responded in bewilderment.

"Derek, dear." Carolyn addressed her son. "Could you get the crock pot out please?"

"Yeah, sure." He reached for the large pot on the bottom shelf of the bottom cupboard, aware that it would be difficult and possibly painful for his mother to bend down and get the heavy item.

As he returned to his seat, Meredith started talking to him again. ''I didn't expect this at all. I thought there would be fire and harsh words or something. Instead it's like rainbows and sparkles. My mom isn't bright and shiny. She's dark and twisty. I mean, she's a lot happier now because she actually lives with Richard and got that chief position at Mass Gen but none of that changes who she is. She's still the woman who cheated on her husband with a married man than kicked said husband out to be with said married man then raise her daughter under the roof of a hospital while also finding time to win two of the most prestigious awards in the medical field. She's still Ellis Grey. I don't think I've ever seen her smile this much. Not even at my graduation ceremonies. I think our moms are like... girlfriends." Meredith scrunched up her nose at the last word, like she was slightly disturbed by the notion of it.

Derek's eyes had widened throughout the course of Meredith's ramble. He knew his mom was good at bringing out the good in people but this... He didn't know very much about Meredith's childhood but the way it sounded, Ellis was not the warm, motherly type. Maybe her heart attack messed up some of the neurons in her brain and they're misfiring causing more endorphins to be released or something. Whatever it was, it was scaring the hell out of Meredith.

The sound of the doorbell halted Ellis and Carolyn's discussion on what type of flowers would look best in Carolyn's kitchen. Putting the wooden spoon down and removing the kitchen towel from her shoulder, Carolyn made her way to the front door, wondering who it could be. Ellis, Derek, and Meredith stayed in the kitchen as Carolyn opened the front door.

"Nancy? What are you doing here?" Carolyn looked at her daughter and granddaughter confused. She was not expecting them and Sammy could not see her fifth grade teacher sitting at her counter.

"I just got off my 36 hour shift. You said you'd take Sammy for the night." Sam stood on the stoop with her cute little pink purse hanging off her shoulder.

Carolyn was even more confused than before. "I thought I was taking her Sunday night." She stated simply.

"Isn't today Sunday?" Nancy asked, the exhaustion evident in her voice.

"No dear, it's Saturday." Carolyn responded, empathy thick in her tone, seeing how tired her daughter was.

Sam stood there quietly, fiddling with the frills of her skirt. "Could you take her tonight? I've delivered seven babies in the last 36 hours and three of them were high risk and had complications. Peter and I got in a fight and I just need a break."