Why me? ~ mark sloan

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

*A FEW MONTHS LATER*

Vanessa pulled her hair up into a bun and pinned it to her head, making sure there were no stray pieces of hair in her mirror. She fixed her black dress and decided against wearing mascara, knowing she was going to be crying today.

"Amy, Charlie!" She called and the twins came running into her room. They stopped in front of her and she looked them over. Amelia was wearing a black dress with a purple collar and Charlie was wearing the cutest black suit with a little purple flower in it. 

"You both look amazing. Okay, go downstairs and get your shoes on." She ordered and they both ran away and presumably downstairs to put their shoes on. Vanessa tied the purple ribbon in her hair and sighed, leaning on her vanity.

She heard a cry from the nursery and walked out of her room and into the room where her youngest daughter was crying in her crib. 

"Oh, honey, it's okay. Grandma is coming soon." She cooed as she picked up the baby and bounced her in her arms lightly. Her crying stated to quieten down until she finally stopped and Vanessa placed her back in her crib gently.

"Mommy!" She heard Charlie call and she walked down the stairs, looking for her son.

"What's up?" She asked him and he pointed outside the living room window. Vanessa felt herself stiffen as she remembered the day Mark had been stabbed but she forced herself to move - the same way she had been for the past couple of months. 

She looked out of the window and saw her mother pulling into the driveway. She smiled as both Charlie and Amelia waited at the door for her. They both totally adored their grandmother as she always had an interesting story to tell them about the war.

When the door opened they bombarded Evelyn, clinging onto her legs as she chuckled and placed both of her hands on their backs, supporting them.

"Mom." Vanessa breathed, reaching over the kids and hugging her tightly.

"I'm sorry." Her mother whispered in her ear and Vanessa nodded as she pulled away and sent the kids to go someplace else. 

"How's the little one?" She asked and Vanessa smiled as she led her mother upstairs and into the nursery. Evelyn scooped up the baby and spoke to it softly, swinging her gently in her arms.

"You go, we'll be okay here." She assured Vanessa and Vanessa nodded, waving goodbye and kissing her daughter on the head before walking downstairs and gathering her other two children into the car. 

"Mommy?" Amelia asked and Vanessa lifted her head up slowly, keeping her eyes on the road but still showing that she was listening.

"Where's daddy?" Vanessa felt a pang in her heart and her eyes were beginning to become clouded with her tears.

"He's, uh, just on a little holiday." She swallowed the lump in her throat and blinked back her tears, she would not be crying in front of her children.

---

Vanessa held each of her children's hands as they walked up to the church and was greeted by Meredith and Derek. 

"Hey, little guy."Meredith greeted Charlie while Derek fussed over Amelia. 

"Vanessa." She turned and smiled at Jackson as he walked up behind her. Her smiled grew slightly as she noted his purple tie and she pulled him in for a hug as she saw the tears forming in his eyes. 

"Everything's gonna turn out okay, everything is going to turn out fine." She soothed him, rubbing his back as he sniffed and pulled away.

"I'm sorry, about Mark." He looked down at the floor and Vanessa looked over at her children who were playing with the adults, completely unaware of the situation.