Meet me in the Middle

Chapter 7

I spot Amelia waiting for me at the main gate as I turn into our apartment complex. I open the gate for her and wave at Borris, our security guard. I park next to her in Maya's usual parking space and reach behind me when I see the note from Maya next to my bag. It must have fallen out when I shoved my suitcases into my car after checking myself out of the hotel as soon as my shift ended.

I was still too mad at her to accept the flowers and the nurses were more than happy in sharing the massive bouquet amongst themselves. I only wanted the note anyway. For a second when I received it, I believed that Maya had changed. She would never have taken time from work to run an errand like this and it gave me hope. Until I read the note which was no subtle reminder that I was legally hers through marriage.

The way she kept showing up to my work irritated me beyond belief. If I had done the same at her work, I would be looking for a divorce lawyer by now. I ignore the fact that during the time we were trying to get pregnant, and I was still begging her to get help, I used every opportunity to go to the station. It felt like the only time I could be in the same room as my wife.

She's probably doing the same at Grey Sloan because now I'm the one avoiding her. How did we get here? I shove the note into my pocket and get out of the car to greet Amelia. "Amelia, grazie cara. This means the world to me." She tells me that this is what you do for friends, and we make our way up to my apartment.

"The nurses can't stop talking about the special delivery you received today. Want to talk about why that pushed you to do this?" She rattles the boxes she's carrying out of the elevator, and I hit her with mine. "Scusi, did you not ask me to move in with you?" I put the key in the lock.

"Oui Oui, but under a few conditions Deluca." She mocks my use of Italian by speaking in French. "Touché Dr. Shepard." I poke her in the side and she side steps me to get away from the tickle. "I've lived out of a suitcase for weeks and I don't want to come to this place and see her just to get my own stuff. I want to feel safe and comfortable again, and I do not feel that with her right now." I shove open the door, irked by the way my life has turned out.

I stop in my tracks in the doorframe and Amelia walks right into me "Oemph" She comes around me and lets out a gasp. The whole apartment is illuminated with the soft glow of dozens of scented candles. Walking into the kitchen I see another bouquet of flowers. This time my favorites, orchids with lilies, bearded iris and amaryllis.

Next to it is a takeaway bag from my favorite Italian restaurant, and I can only guess that there is a container in there with some kind of heavenly pasta, if my growling stomach is anything to go by. She stapled a note to the brown packet.

Our love story is beautiful and I don't want to lose it.
I don't want to lose you.

"Oh come on! This is so sweet." Amelia has been admiring the picturesque scene, and was in complete disbelieve when she saw my disapproving scowl. "No, this is so manipulative from Maya!" I start moving around the apartment to blow out the candles before her idiotic attempt at forgiveness burns down the whole building.

"Maybe that's what she wants. If the apartment burns down, then she'll get to come here and be the hero and I'll have no choice but to see her again. Even after I explicitly told her to leave me alone!" I share my intrusive thoughts out loud and rant in Italian as I open the first box and start throwing things in it.

How dare she recycle my homecoming serenade!? She decorated the apartment the exact same way I did when she finally decided to come home after Halloween. The candles, the rose petals, our favorite foods. All designed to bring her back to me, not the other way around. I was all in from the first time I saw her running into the hospital with a nose. I never needed a romantic reminder that I still had someone to come home to.