Bright and Shiny

Chapter 62

"Is it safe?" Meredith called out as she ventured out from the trailer to bring out the salad and some plates and set it on their patio table. She was watching them talk from inside and from what she could tell Mark seemed more at ease that he had all afternoon since he got his offer.

"Yes, it's safe. Come over here." Derek called over to her as Mark snickered. She gracefully sat down in Derek's lap curling into him, taking his beer out of his hands and brought to her lips for a sip, while glancing over at Mark.

"Something you want to say Dr. Sloan?" she teased. "Nice home you have here Dr. Shepherd and I use the word home loosely."

"Ha ha." She sarcastically laughed as she rolled her eyes. Mark and Derek both laughed at her reaction until Mark got quiet again. Just staring out at the water. Meredith glanced at Derek, who just nodded his head that Mark was okay. Derek realized Mark needed a female's perspective so decided he'd go check the grill, he slowly lifted Meredith up and placed her back on the chair, despite her pouting at the loss of contact. He tilted his head towards Mark, letting her know that they needed to talk alone.

"Do you think she'd come out here?" Mark asked Meredith after a few minutes of them just sitting in silence.

In her head Meredith had asked herself the same question over and over again since Derek had told her the news. She still didn't know, but obviously this was weighing heavily on Mark. He just reached a point where he could see a marriage, a lifelong commitment and now he has a job offer all the way across the country to think about.

Addison was Park Avenue. She was happy in New York, it's all she's ever known. Would she be happy here? Putting herself in Addison's shoes, Meredith thinks she knows the answer.

"I think she'd come here for you, she'd be happy anywhere you are." Meredith truthfully believed. She knew Addison loved Mark, she knew Addison has put so much of herself on the line to wait for Mark. Mark stiffened and got an angered look on his face.

"No, no, no. She's not you. She's Addison. She might not be happy here with just me."

"I know she's Addison, Mark." she gently told him trying to get him calmer. " I know she's not me. However, I also know that this woman has waited years for you to marry her and she has sat by settling for the love that you could give her because she has loved you so much. Packing a suitcase and moving is nothing compared to all that."

"She does like packing." Mark joked, breaking his own internal tension. Meredith giggled nodding her head. "Yes, she does."

"Say she says no, no to moving. What do I do?" Asking Meredith the question that weighed the most heavily on his mind.

"You do, what will make you happy. You do what you know you won't regret doing 2 or 20 years from now. What ever it is, you know you have a family to support you." She shrugged trying to make light of the question she knew was going through his head right now, his wondering if she said no, would he come out here alone leaving her behind. Was he strong enough to let her go if she didn't want to move.

"You want some advice?"

"Since when do you ask first?"

"True, here it is. Propose first, let her know you mean business. Then let her know about the job offer."

"You mean butter her up and then drop the bomb?" Mark laughed.

"You can look at it like that yes." She laughed.

"Sounds like a plan." Mark smiled.