As they finally got home, Mark and Lexie settled onto the couch, exhaustion settling over them after the chaotic day. Mark had pulled Lexie close, her head resting on his chest as his fingers idly stroked through her hair. The simple, comforting motion seemed to soothe them both. He was feeling a little better now, the rage from earlier simmering down to a manageable level.
“I still can’t believe it,” Mark muttered, breaking the comfortable silence.
“Me neither,” Lexie agreed softly, her voice slightly muffled against his chest. “But we’ll figure it out. Together.”
Their phones buzzed incessantly from the coffee table, the group chat absolutely blowing up. With a groan, Mark reached for his phone, scrolling through the flood of messages while keeping his other arm wrapped around Lexie.
Group Chat: “Seattle Chaos Crew”
McSteamy (Mark): Can’t believe that coward. Almost lost Lexie because of him.
Mini Grey (Lexie): He knew. I still can’t wrap my head around it.
Evil Spawn (Alex): Can I punch him? Please?
Lizzie Lou (Lizzie): Right after me. I’m first in line.
007 (George): I still can’t believe Owen did this. Like, what the hell was he thinking?
The messages came in rapid succession, everyone venting their anger. Lexie glanced at Mark’s phone and smiled softly. “They’re really going in,” she murmured.
“Let ‘em,” Mark replied, his tone still slightly bitter. “Owen deserves it.”
Lizzie chimed in again:
Lizzie Lou: Okay, enough about Owen. Let’s talk weddings. Mark, Lex, where are we on the planning?
McSteamy: Dresses, tuxes, first dance song, officiant, cake tasting, vows... pick one.
Lexie sighed dramatically. “I’m stuck on my vows,” she admitted. “How do I put everything I feel for you into words without sounding like a Hallmark card?”
Mark chuckled, tilting her chin up to look at him. “You’ll figure it out. Just speak from the heart. That’s all you need to do.”
Their phones buzzed again, and Alex was in full rant mode now.
Evil Spawn: Forget vows. Let’s talk about the cake tasting. When is it, and how much can I steal before anyone notices?
Lizzie Lou: Speaking of stealing… Alex, your sandwich? Gone. Cravings. Sorry, not sorry.
Mark laughed, shaking his head. “Poor Alex. Lizzie’s got him wrapped around her finger.”
Lexie smiled, her eyes lighting up. “She deserves it. Pregnancy cravings are no joke.”
The chat continued to explode:
Mini Grey: We still need an officiant. Suggestions?
007: I could do it. Or we could ask Bailey.
Lizzie Lou: Bailey would make us cry. In the best way.
Evil Spawn: Bailey’s a solid choice. And can we have waffles at this wedding? Asking for a friend.
Mark typed back quickly:
McSteamy: No waffles, Karev. Stick to sandwiches.
Lexie leaned into him with a smile, scrolling through Pinterest for dress ideas. “We still need to schedule a dress appointment,” she said. “And tuxes. And the first dance song.”
Mark rested his chin on her head, glancing at her phone. “Pick the song, Pookie—uh, Lex. I’ll be happy with whatever you choose.”
Lexie smirked. “You almost said it again.”
Mark groaned playfully. “Old habits die hard.”
As the chat began to calm, Lexie yawned, cuddling closer. “We’ve got a lot to do,” she murmured. “But it’ll all come together, right?”
Mark kissed the top of her head, stroking her hair again. “It will. One thing at a time. We’ve got this.”
As the night went on, the group chat kept buzzing, and Mark and Lexie stayed cuddled up on the couch, scrolling through the messages. Mark had his arm securely wrapped around her, and Lexie leaned into him, still laughing softly at Alex’s ongoing complaints about Lizzie stealing his food.
Group Chat: “Seattle Chaos Crew”
Evil Spawn: I don’t know why I even try. She steals everything.
Lizzie Lou: Maybe if you didn’t have such good snacks, I wouldn’t have to!
Mini Grey: It’s true. Alex always has the best snacks.
McSteamy: Alex, consider this training for fatherhood. Lizzie’s just getting you ready.
007: He’s got a point, man. Baby snacks will always go missing.
Lizzie responded with a dramatic string of laughing emojis while Alex sent a series of gifs expressing his mock outrage.
Lexie sighed happily and glanced at Mark. “I love them,” she said, her voice soft.
“They’re alright,” Mark replied with a smirk. “But let’s not tell them that, or they’ll get big heads.”
Lexie laughed, then turned her focus back to the chat as it shifted back to wedding planning.
Lizzie Lou: So, officiant—Bailey’s the frontrunner?
Mini Grey: I think so. She’s perfect. She’s seen us through everything.
Evil Spawn: Just don’t let her make it all about hospital metaphors.
Lizzie Lou: She’s absolutely going to.
McSteamy: Better her than Alex.
Evil Spawn: I can officiate! "Do you take this overly sarcastic, extremely hot guy to be your husband?"
Mini Grey: Hard pass, Alex.
Mark chuckled, shaking his head as he typed.
McSteamy: Sorry, Karev. Bailey it is.
Lexie stretched, resting her head against Mark’s chest again. “What about the first dance song?” she asked.
“I told you,” Mark said, stroking her hair again, “you pick, and I’ll dance to anything. Even Taylor Swift if that’s what you want.”
Lexie raised her eyebrows. “You’d dance to Taylor Swift?”
Mark sighed dramatically. “For you, Pookie Bear, anything.”
She nudged him in the ribs, grinning. “Stop calling me that! I’m serious. We need a song.”
Mark thought for a moment, then said, “What about something classic? Sinatra? Nat King Cole? Or do you want something more modern?”
“I’ll make a list,” Lexie said, pulling out her phone. “We can narrow it down together.”
The group chat lit up again as Lexie typed.
Mini Grey: Cake tasting is in two weeks. Mark, be ready to eat a lot of frosting.
McSteamy: I was born ready.
Lizzie Lou: If Alex doesn’t get to taste-test, he might riot.
Evil Spawn: I demand a taste. This is a group wedding effort.
007: Pretty sure it’s not a group wedding, Alex.
Lexie laughed, tossing her phone onto the coffee table and snuggling deeper into Mark’s arms. “This is going to be a lot of work,” she admitted. “But it’s kind of fun, too.”
Mark kissed her temple. “It’ll all be worth it. The important thing is that we’re doing it together.”
She smiled up at him, her heart full. “Together,” she echoed.
It was a quiet Friday morning, and the weight of the week seemed to lift just a little for Lexie. She sat at Meredith's kitchen table, surrounded by papers and her phone, trying desperately to write her wedding vows. She could hear the soft sound of Zola’s giggles coming from the other room, but Lexie couldn’t seem to focus. The words she wanted to say to Mark—the vows she wanted to make—felt just out of reach, like they were hiding from her.
Meredith walked by, glancing at her with a knowing smile. "Still struggling with the vows?" she asked, leaning against the doorframe.
Lexie sighed, looking up. "Yeah. It's just... I don’t know how to say all the things I feel for Mark. It’s so much. How do I put all of that into a few words?"
"Well," Meredith said thoughtfully, "I don’t think you have to. I think he’ll know. But if you’re looking for words... start with the things that are most important to you about him. What makes him the one for you?"
Lexie bit her lip, thinking. “That’s just it. It’s everything. He’s been my best friend, my rock, my partner... and I never imagined we’d end up here. So much has happened, but every moment with him feels like the right one.”
Meredith smiled softly. "That’s the stuff you need to say. It doesn’t have to be perfect, Lex. It just has to be real."
Before Lexie could reply, she heard footsteps behind her, and Zola suddenly popped up from the hallway, her curly hair bouncing with each step. "Aunt Lexie, are you going to marry Uncle Mark today?"
Lexie smiled, reaching down to ruffle Zola's hair. “Not today, sweetie. But soon. Mommy and I are getting everything ready for the wedding.”
Zola tilted her head. “You and Uncle Mark are going to be like mommy and daddy, right? They kiss all the time.”
Lexie chuckled, her heart swelling. “Yes, just like your mommy and daddy.”
Mark’s voice came from the doorway just then. "And that's a very good thing, kiddo," he said with a grin. He was holding Sofia in his arms, bouncing her gently. Callie stood beside him, looking over at Lexie with a soft smile.
Lexie’s face lit up as she stood up, walking over to Mark. “Hey, what are you two doing here?” she asked, reaching out to take Sofia from Mark's arms.
"We were just dropping Sofia off," Callie said with a teasing smile. "Figured you'd need some distraction from all the vow writing."
Lexie laughed, gently holding Sofia as the baby cooed happily in her arms. "Honestly, a little distraction sounds perfect right about now."
Mark walked over and sat next to her, running a hand over Sofia's soft hair. “You’ve got this, Lex. I know you’re going to find the perfect words. And if you need help, I’m here.”
Lexie smiled at him, her heart beating a little faster. “Thanks, Mark. I know. I just want them to be perfect.”
Meredith, watching them interact, chuckled softly. “You two are already perfect. But I get it. It’s a big day. You’ll get the words when the time is right.”
Zola, having been silently observing the exchange, suddenly piped up, her voice full of seriousness. "When you get married, do you have to wear a crown? Like in the princess stories?"
Lexie laughed, her worries momentarily forgotten. "No crown, Zola. But I think I’ll wear something pretty, and Mark will wear a tuxedo."
Zola’s eyes lit up. "Tuxedos are fancy," she said with a grin, as if she had just figured out the key to wedding success.
Mark laughed and ruffled her hair. "Yeah, but I’m still not sure I look as good in one as your mom does."
Callie smirked, leaning over to kiss his cheek. "You’re right, you don’t. But you still look pretty good, for an old guy."
"I’m not that old," Mark said, looking at Callie with mock outrage.
Meredith, seeing the banter between the group, smiled and gave Lexie a reassuring look. "See? You’re surrounded by love. The vows are just one small part of this. Just speak from the heart, and it’ll be perfect."
Lexie nodded, finally feeling the pressure begin to ease. She leaned against Mark, holding Sofia a little tighter as the little girl giggled in her arms. "Thanks, Meredith," she said softly.
"No problem," Meredith replied with a wink. "Now, I’m off to wrangle Zola. You two get some work done, okay?"
As Meredith and Zola headed out of the room, Lexie turned back to Mark, who was still sitting beside her, his hand resting on her knee. "You know," she said softly, "I think I finally have a few words in mind."
Mark smiled, looking at her with pride. "I’m not worried, Lex. Whatever you say will be perfect."