Ellis was not sure why she was in the old house. Hadn't it been seven years ago that she had divorced Thatcher? She didn't think that she had a conference in Seattle, but maybe so. Maybe that was why Meredith was putting her clothes in a suitcase for her, although she didn't trust Meredith to choose the clothes that she really needed. She'd have to double check and make sure that there was at least one decent looking suit.

"Okay Mom, all set," Meredith said, with a smile. Ellis did not say anything, just sat on her bed trying to figure out exactly what was going on. Meredith closed the suitcase and sat on it. "Mom? Are you okay?"

"Of course Meredith, why wouldn't I be? Did you do your math homework? Your teacher expressed concern to me about your grades in there when I picked you up last week."

Meredith's face fell a little, which made Ellis think that she was lying when she said, "Of course I did, Mom. Now are you ready to go to Roseridge?"

Roseridge. Yes. That was the name of the extended care facility that she was going to be moving to. Meredith was in her final year of med school, but the doctors had decided that Ellis was not capable of caring for herself. She hated that she agreed with them.

Meredith looked more put-together now than Ellis had ever seen. She was dressed nicely, in a long-sleeved shirt and slacks, and her hair was all the same length and blonde. She smiled at her mother as she explained that she was going to take the suitcase to the car and she would be right back.

"Go ahead. You don't need my permission, for God's sake."

Meredith's smile did not falter.

It felt oddly cold for July, but that was what it must have been, if she and Meredith were in Seattle. After that disaster of a birthday party, she had insisted that Meredith come with her. Where was that girl? If she thought that Ellis did not know about her escape route from the house, she had another thing coming to her.

Ellis went to the door of her bedroom, she did not like being back in Seattle, there were too many memories. Of course, Richard was in New York, but Thatcher was here somewhere. She did not want to see Thatcher, or worse, have Meredith see Thatcher. Thank God that this dreadful conference would be over soon and they could go back to Boston. Meredith would be grounded there, too, of course.

"Are you that eager to leave, Mom?" Meredith asked her sadly, and Ellis noted that she was in the living room, with boxes surrounding her. She wondered how much of her past was in those boxes. "Hey Mom?" Meredith said, and they were nearly outside. "Would you like it, or mind, I guess, if I accepted the residency at Seattle Grace? Richard Webber took the chief job, after you said no. This way I could be close to you. I wouldn't tell, of course, I mean you signed those papers, but… but Roseridge wants me nearby and I want to be."

Ellis nodded, looking back at the house from the bottom of the porch. She had an odd feeling that she would not see it again. She'd like Meredith nearby; at least now that she was actually going to medical school she had a purpose. She was spending her first summer holidays in Seattle with her mother, which was nice for Ellis. Her book was nearly ready to be published.

Meredith was driving; she was a good driver, although Ellis would never tell her that. She had passed Driver's Ed with a 100, in the end, because she had had plenty of time alone in her room to study.

After Renée they had had Tiffani, and then Leondra, and then Florence before Meredith went to college and Ellis no longer hired a housekeeper.

She liked the view of the Space Needle. Thatcher never understood it, but he had grown up in Seattle. Richard was transplant, like she was, and he understood. They had lunch up there last week, on her day off when Thatcher had taken Meredith to visit his mother.

"Jane called me the other day. She's got her Master's in Art Therapy."

Jane Arden was such a sweet girl. Ellis often hoped that Meredith would emulate her rather than the other way around, but she had her suspicions that this would not be the case. Meredith influenced people some times, just as she did.

"That resident you hate, Carter, quit last week. He lost a patient that he had been treating since his internship. The weenie cracked. You were right about that."

"Mom…. That was years ago, remember? It's 2004."

"Oh. Yes, of course. Watch out Meredith, that light is turning red."

Where had the time gone?

"I could take the internship in New York, I guess. It's at the same place that Dr. Webber transferred from, and it begins in July, but I think I want to come back to Seattle."

"Richard's in New York. At Manhattan Memorial. He's teaching there."

"That's right. I forgot. Okay, Mom. Stay there, I'll come around and get you."

Meredith opened the car door after they left the Seattle house. Her eyes were sad, poor thing. She still did not understand why they were leaving their old lives behind. Ellis took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. She still had so much growing to do, and had her whole life in front of her.

Meredith was walking straight ahead, but Ellis pulled her back a little. She looked closely and she could see herself reflected back in her daughter's eyes. Meredith smiled and pulled her onwards. They walked together into new lives.

A/N Review please. This last part was really sad to write.