“I’m sorry if I scared you,” a nurse said. He didn’t look much older than Jax’s own thirty-seven, but she was also terrible at guessing people’s ages. “I’m just making my rounds.” He looked at her meekly. “Visiting hours are just about over.”

Jax checked the time on her phone and couldn’t believe how late it had gotten. She also had three messages from Meredith. She looked from the nurse to Gretchen and back again.

“I’ll give you a minute,” he said kindly, stepping out in the hallway.

She shook her head. “I guess that’s my cue to say good night.” She stood, pulled on her jacket, and grabbed her messenger bag. But she couldn’t leave. Not yet. She just had to do one more thing. Jax leaned over the bed and kissed Gretchen’s forehead. She lingered, feeling her warmth and softness. She pulled back and said, “I’ll see you tomorrow.” She said good-bye to the nurse on her way out.

* * *

Jax was surprised to see Meredith waiting in the lobby of her apartment building. Her cheery smile brightened Jax’s spirits a bit, but she couldn’t shake her gloom.

“Hey there,” Meredith said as she approached her and kissed Jax on the cheek.

“Hey. What are you doing here?” They waited for the elevator.

“You weren’t answering my messages, and I wanted to see if you were okay. I don’t have to stay.”

She took Meredith’s hand, feeling bad. “No, I mean yes, stay.”

When they got up to Jax’s apartment, Meredith commented on the state of the place. Jax waved it off. “Do you want a beer or anything to drink?”

“Did you eat anything today?”

“I had a bagel and some chips at the hospital.”

Meredith took the bottle from her hand and popped the cap off with an opener she must’ve grabbed when Jax wasn’t looking. Meredith handed it back to her with a smirk. “Why don’t you change into something comfortable, drink that, and I’ll cook you something.”

Jax was too tired from her emotional up and down to protest anything. “I’m not in the best mood.”

“You think I’ve only seen you in your best moods?” Meredith took her shoulders and turned her toward the bedroom. “Go, change, drink.” She swatted Jax’s butt.

Jax smiled and started for the bedroom. She thought back to the letter and how she had taken care of Gretchen. Maybe she’d be able to let Meredith take care of her now.

“You have no food,” Meredith called out from the kitchen.

She laughed against the mouth of her beer bottle. “Check the drawer next to the sink. All the takeout menus are in there.”

Meredith popped her head into the bedroom a minute later, a dramatic pout weighing down her gorgeous face. “But I wanted to cook for you.”

“You can order for me—does that work? Anything you want.”

“Anything?” Meredith looked devilish.

“Anything but seafood.”

Meredith bounced from the room.

By the time Jax cleaned herself up and changed, Meredith had set the table and their mystery meal was on its way. Jax sat in one of her simple wooden kitchen chairs and sighed. “So, what are we having?”