Ahead of Grey’s Anatomy‘s return on Thursday, Jan. 19, I put in a request to speak to series creator Shonda Rhimes about the second half of the ABC drama’s 13th season. She was unable to hop on the phone with me due to her busy schedule, but she agreed to answer a handful of questions via email. What follows are her unedited answers.

TVLINE | Nathan and Meredith: How will their relationship – or lack thereof – evolve during the second half of the season?

SHONDA RHIMES | Meredith’s journey is always interesting and complex. There are so many aspects to her as woman, a surgeon, a sister and a mother.

TVLINE | As close as Meredith and Alex are, and as romantically lost as they are, why haven’t they considered possibly becoming more than friends by now?

That’s like asking me why haven’t I had a certain kind of cheese. The answer is, ‘Because I haven’t had that kind of cheese.’

TVLINE | Are you interested in finding a way to bring Callie back into the fold this season, even if just for an episode or two? Have you had discussions with Sara?

I love Sara Ramirez and I love Callie Torres.

TVLINE | How will the dynamic between Arizona and Eliza (Marika Dominczyk) differ from the one between Arizona and Callie?

I don’t look at it in terms of dynamics and I can’t possibly compare Arizona and Callie’s marriage with what is currently barely a flirtation. The fun comes with waiting to see what unfolds.

TVLINE | If DeLuca were to drop the charges against Alex, what would be his motivation — DeLuca’s feelings for Jo (and what are those, anyway?), his sense of Alex’s actual remorse?

[Rhimes declined to answer]

TVLINE | How have DeLuca’s feelings toward Jo been developing over the course of this season, and how do you foresee them developing?

I think we’ve all had a chance to watch what’s happened between Jo and Andrew. I am not sure that it’s mature to put a name on what’s going on at the moment. Grey's Season 13: 10 Most Heartbreaking Moments

TVLINE | How will co-parenting impact Jackson and April’s separation? And what’s the possibility of Harriet bringing them together again as an actual couple?

This isn’t a new issue so we’ve already seen any and all issues that this might entail. It’s such a positive thing to watch our characters behave as fully formed adults who know how to co-parent. What’s great is that parenting has nothing to do with their storyline this season — it gets much more interesting than you’d imagine…

TVLINE | If Megan (Bridget Reagan) were to turn out to be alive, where could you imagine her fitting into the world of Grey’s, professionally and romantically?

I don’t even know how to answer this question as it confuses me deeply.

TVLINE | Will there be a wedding before the season is up?

Weddings do not define my characters. I thought we all learned that when Meredith nailed a Post-It note to her wall.