Looking Series Book 1

Chapter 2

Sixteen years later…

She was tired. No, that was an understatement. She was exhausted. She had worked ER last night and could barely believe all of the cases that had ended up being surgical. She wearily carried her feet to the steps of her brownstone. Her day was nowhere near over. She unlocked the front door and let herself in. She instantly collapsed on the chaise in the living room but didn't allow herself to stay there for long. She reluctantly got up and headed towards the kitchen so she could cook breakfast. After all, it was the most important meal of the day—especially for a teenage girl. Andria Susan Grey or Andy as her family and friends called her had dark brown hair like her mother, she had inherited Lexie's nose and intellect but that was where the similarities between mother and daughter ended. She was more like her father—the one she didn't know anything about. She had blue eyes, was extremely popular and well liked by the opposite sex, she was charming, and fun. Andy was a Sloan through and through, last name or not. It had always been just mother and daughter. Sure Lexie dated a few guys here and there but it never went anywhere because Lexie would never love another man the way she loved Mark. She had thought about telling Mark about Andy a thousand times but once when Derek and Meredith came to visit, Derek let it slip that Mark had a girlfriend named Julia. Lexie was sure that they were probably married by now and he might've had more children besides Sloane and Sofia. Derek and Meredith were just too polite to tell her.

Through Meredith, Lexie was able to stay on top of all of the Seattle Grace-Mercy West gossip. She had heard about Callie's car accident and how she and Sofia almost died. Alex and Lucy had broken up after Lucy accepted a job in Africa but returned because she discovered she was pregnant. Their daughter Jennifer helped them grow close again and finally after two years of ups and downs, they got married. In addition to Jennifer, they have a boy named Dylan. April and Jackson had become a couple shortly after Lexie left and they'd left Seattle after their residencies. Cristina had also left Seattle due to Owen cheating on her and she called their marriage quits. Of course she and Meredith kept in regular contact and saw each other when they could.

Things had looked up for Meredith and Derek after Lexie had moved to Boston. Meredith had given birth to a daughter named Kylie five months after Lexie had given birth to Andy but it was a rough delivery and left Meredith infertile. Meredith, Derek, Thatcher, Molly and her family were the only people who knew Andy existed. However, none of them were aware that Mark was the father. The story Lexie told was that she had hooked up with an ex-boyfriend from med school, had gotten pregnant, and then the guy skipped town when Lexie told him she was pregnant. She hated lying to her family but Mark was happy and she didn't want to interrupt his happily perfect life with a kid. Andy and Kylie kept in frequent contact with each other via video chatting. The Shepherds always came to Boston once and sometimes twice a year but Lexie hadn't been to Seattle in all of these years and hoped she'd never have to.

"Mom!" Andy shouted from upstairs.

"Yes?"

"Have you seen my peach dress with the…"

"Andy?"

"Never mind," Andy shouted back happily. "I found it!"

"Breakfast should be ready soon."

"Okay." Andy said cheerily. Lexie smirked. She could tell that her daughter was definitely having a good day and it hadn't even really started. Lexie shook her head as she listened to the teen sing very loudly and off key to some pop song. She loved Andy and even though being a single mother had been hard, she wouldn't take back any of it. Lexie placed her's and Andy's plate on the table just as her daughter came down the steps.

"Morning mom." Andy smiled brightly at her mother before she kissed her cheek.

"You're in a really good mood." Lexie commented as they both sat down and started to eat.