What She Needs

30. For The Love Of A Daughter

For The Love Of A Daughter- Demi Lovato- have y'all watched her documentary? So moving!

As always, take caution reading the story xx

Meredith Grey

"Hey kiddo!" Thatcher exclaims as I sit opposite him at a dainty table, outside a cafe I haven't been to before. We're in a town outside Seattle, I'm not entirely sure where.

"Hi Thatcher!"

"You really should be calling me Dad."

"Right, of course, I'm sorry."

After meeting my Dad at the nursing home we've grown to form a relationship. With my leave of absence from work, I've been spending more and more time with Thatcher and less time with my sisters. It's different with him. I've never had a father-daughter relationship. All my friends, all my sisters- have no relationship with their fathers. There's no example of how a father should be.

"Eat your scone, Meredith. I didn't buy it for you to just waste it!" Thatcher grumbles. He's halfway through his coffee and scone.

"I-I'm not terribly hungry." I stare into my coffee. As much as I'm doing so much better since I was discharged from hospital, I still find it worrying to veer off my meal plan. I eat what I'm told... but no more.

"God! Did that woman really raise you to be such an ungrateful cow? Eat the damn scone, Meredith!" He roars, and to avoid embarrassment in public i stuff the food into my mouth, trying to imagine Addison is there holding my hand, or Amelia is the one forcing me to eat. I can take it from her.

"I don't want to shout at you. But you need to learn to do as I say." He holds his hand out for me to hold, and I revel in the comfort of a parent genuinely wanted to spend time with me.

"I'm sorry Dad. I'll be better."

I'm useful. I'm worth something. My father wants to know me. He wants to parent me. I need to tell myself that.

The next few days are spent in the skills lab. I'm desperately trying to get some revision in. The intern exams are in 2 months, and I've already missed so much this year.

"Hey Mer! Do you wanna come over to mine and Callie's tonight? We're having games night!" Arizona bumbles through the door with a bright smile that engulfs her whole being.

"I can't Zona. I'm sorry." I look to down, refocusing on the whip stitch I'm trying to perfect.

"Here, let me help you with that stitch."

"NO!" I shout. Surprising myself.
"Sorry, I mean.. it's okay. I need to learn to do things on my own."

"Meredith...." Arizona warns as she sits next to me, attempting to pull my hands away from the sutures.

"Get off me!" I squeak.

"What's going on, huh? You're never like this!" She sighs.

"I don't need to tell you everything! Let me be! I'm fed up of everyone thinking they have a right to my mind."

"I'm trying to look after you" she argues back.

"Well don't. I've got my Dad now. He doesn't want you guys trying to parent me anymore. And besides... I ate breakfast with him the other day and I ate more than I have in months, so his rules are obviously working. Time for you to go."

I don't mean to be a total bitch. But my dad expressed how much he hates me spending time with my sisters. They're not my real sisters after all. Dad said I should spend all my free time with him. To make up for all the years we lost. He said it's my fault he left, I wasn't enough to keep Ellis happy. But now she's in a home, he said he's willing to forgive my behaviour as a child.