Why Grey's Anatomy Saved Derek and Meredith's Post-it Notes

When her house burned down, Meredith lost all but one of her possessions: the iconic Post-it note on which she and Derek wrote their vows.

When Meredith's house burns down in the Grey's Anatomy season 19 fall finale, only one item survives: Meredith and Derek's post-its. The shocking fire ended the episode and started a four-month hiatus for the series, which returns on Feb. 23. Fortunately, the three children of Maggie, Winston and Meredith, who were all in the house at the time, escaped unharmed, but the same cannot be said for their belongings. Which begs the question: why are post-it notes saved from everything in the house?

Throughout the episode, Maggie and Winston are in the attic of Meredith's home, helping her pack for her upcoming move to Boston. Here, they found the famous post-it note, also known as Meredith and Derek's wedding note. In the Grey's Anatomy season 5 finale, after abandoning their planned wedding to Alex and Izzie, who were dying of cancer at the time, Meredith and Derek decided to write their oath. It was a sweet moment that symbolized their love for each other above all else, and they framed it to mark their "wedding".

The Post-It Was Saved To Honor Derek & Meredith's Relationship

Meredith and Derek are core Several seasons later in their marriage and their on-and-off relationship before that. Even when they're apart, it's clear they're meant to be, both to the audience and to the other characters. As Arizona once said, "They were a great love story." Despite theories that Derek is alive, Derek died at the end of season 11, but their love story lives on in people's memory .

While Meredith has moved on romantically, Derek is never far from her heart or mind. In Grey's Anatomy season 17, when Meredith falls into a coma from COVID-19, she begins hallucinating herself and Derek (among others) on the beach. It was on this beach that they finally got married, but the post-its were tangible proof of their love. Even though Derek has been gone for years, Grey's Anatomy continues to honor him and his relationship with Meredith, and rescuing the post-it from the fire is just one of many examples of how the show has done just that.

Where Does This Leave Amelia?

Meredith and her children had planned to move to Boston when the house burned down, but opposed House Amelia in Grey's Anatomy, Live there too and have no plans to move out. This leaves Amelia currently homeless, as Meredith's house has also been her home since she joined Grey's Anatomy from private practice in season 10. Also, while she has a son with ex-boyfriend Link, he is already living with Joe, making it unlikely that she will move in with him.

This makes her partner Kai the next obvious roommate choice. However, Kai lives in Minnesota and they work at The Gray Center. Kay is listed as a major cameo in season 19, and has appeared in an episode so far. Amelia's current predicament could be the catalyst for Kay and Amelia to take the next step together in their shared home, which will likely lead to Kay's move to Seattle, where Grey's Anatomy is set.