Can't Help Falling in Love

40

"Meredith," Lexie gasped as she and Izzie stumbled into her apartment. "What's wrong?"

"What's the big emergency?" Izzie asked.

"Is Derek okay?"

"This!" Meredith cried, holding up a small black velvet box, her eyes wide. "This is what's wrong."

"Oh my God," Lexie breathed.

"Is that..." Izzie stepped closer, her eyes wide.

"An engagement ring?" Meredith cried. "Yes, yes, it is an engagement ring. And you know why I found it? Because my boyfriend is a complete idiot and hid it in his underwear drawer. I found it when I was putting laundry away. Last time I ever try to be domestic."

"You were doing laundry?" Lexie asked. Meredith shot her an annoyed look, and she nodded. "Right, not the point here. Sorry. Um...why are we freaking out? Cause I don't..."

"What the hell does this mean?" Meredith asked, her hands flying in the air as she paced the living room, Lexie and Izzie sitting down on the couch. "We've been dating for less than a year. And I don't even really know how long we've been dating because we broke up for a million completely miserable years, and now he's going to propose? Seriously? Seriously."

"Well...Mer, I don't really get why this is a bad thing," Izzie said. "I mean you're living together."

"Right," Meredith nodded. "We're living together and I barely see him. Because he's a stupid intern. I really hope I never need medical attention from the people who gave that man a license to practice medicine, because they're obviously insane. Who gives a man without a brain a medical degree?"

Lexie frowned. "Mer...you're going to need to spell this one out for me," she said. "Because you want to marry Derek, right?"

"Yes," Meredith sighed, collapsing into his armchair. "I do, a long time from now. When he's a resident and we can have time to spend together. Because right now I barely see him, and I hate that. How am I supposed to plan a wedding with a man that I spend a total of less than thirty waking hours with a week?"

"Meredith," Izzie said, leaning forward. "You love Derek. You know that you're going to be with him forever. I honestly don't see what the problem is. Marriage is forever. What's wrong with that?"

"I'm not ready," Meredith sighed. "I...he can't propose. I can't say no, but I'm not ready."

"Why aren't you ready?" Lexie asked.

"What?" Meredith asked.

"Why aren't you ready to get married?"

"Because...I've barely even known him a year."

"So?"

"So...people don't do that."

"People do it all the time, Mer," Izzie said softly.

Meredith sighed as she leaned back in the chair, arms crossed over her chest and a pout on her face.

"Okay," Lexie sighed, moving to sit on the arm of chair and looking down at Meredith. "How will marriage change things?"

"What?" Meredith asked, looking up at her sister with wide eyes. "It will change everything."

"How will you and Derek getting married change your relationship?" Lexie asked. "Or your everday life?"

"I..." Meredith frowned as she fumbled for a response. "I guess it wouldn't. We're kind of married."

"So what's the big deal?" Lexie asked.