A/N: So before GA shoots another hole into my ship I wanted to share. I spent too much time walking my dog the other weekend while there were families everywhere...so I got this. Lyrics and cut text belong to Joshua Radin (who thinks that sundrenched is one word without a hyphen, whatever) and thanks to escapismrocks for helping a gal out. Enjoy-
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Sundrenched World
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Four years ago, if you would have asked Derek Shepherd, head of neurosurgery at Mt. Sinai located on the bustling streets of New York City where exactly he thought he would be in his life at this moment, this wouldn't have even registered as a possibility. He inhales deeply as the warm morning air pushes through the light yellow drapes to his right and smiles when it gives way to the brilliant rays of heat peaking through fluffy off-white clouds. Not even the impending look of rain can ruin today; Sunday.
Five years ago Derek was a self-important and equally impressive surgeon with a marriage that was beginning to weigh heavy on his endurance. Just gradual changes eventually led to staying the night at the hospital and leaving his impatient and infuriating wife at home waiting. A little under five years ago, at the tender growing age of 33, she changed his life more than he thought possible when he promised to love, hold and cherish her until the end of time. There was probably dinner scheduled or maybe an afternoon out, of that much he was certain, but clearly it had fallen through and resulted in her finally cornering him in an elevator to announce she was moving out.
They were done. Addison was tired of standing still in time for the hope that her husband would notice her and short of doing something drastic she gathered the many little boxes of shoes and repacked them into a better place. With the help of a few bottles of wine and the occasional rational thought rattling around during hangovers she decided it was for the best- Derek, unknowingly, had other plans in mind.
So almost five years to this day he looked back at her with shocked eyes and a saddened heart and asked for another chance (in front of a group of people he has never seen again); a chance to change the things that they overlooked, the things that were thrown by the wayside in favor of clocking a few more hours here and learning a new technique there. He wanted a do over. A shot to earn her love and through every ounce of sweat and blood he'd know that he deserved to keep her because he fought as hard as he could. She was weary at first but gave in and to this day he has determined that to be the best move of his life. It was hard and given the opportunity to counsel a friend stuck in this situation one way or the other he's not sure what he would say but they made it and now that's all that matters.
--
"Derek!" Addison's reedy tone bellows from the bottom of the stairs, "Hurry up!"
"I'm hurrying as fast as I can." He replies sweetly and bites the inside of his cheek in an effort not to get frustrated and angry at his pregnant wife. Normally she drives him insane but with the hormones flying and hot flashes wavering he spends nights, days, mornings and every time in between trying not to snap in her general direction. It's his fault anyway, as she likes to remind him frequently.
"Well hurry faster." She huffs and digs her heel into ground hoping that when she looks down she will still be able to see if her shoe is tied. She swore she wasn't going to have any more children. She was done at two. Derek wanted four. Three seemed like a compromise, albeit a total accident, until the ultrasound last week told them it was without a doubt (though at four and a half months, you would think she would have believed someone before now) twins this time. She's been angry for five days and she doesn't see it disappearing anytime soon. It's irrational but she doesn't care in the slightest. It's her pregnancy and she'll be pissed off if she wants to.
"Ok. Ready." Derek announces drifting down with one little girl on each hip. The clothes Addison laid out for their oldest daughter, age three and a few months, were apparently not to her liking so the new outfit consists of her tiny purple bikini top and her dress-up white ballet tutu (that she screamed about in the store until Derek just gave in and bought it) over a pair of black shorts that she assumes Derek demanded be on (she's in the stage where the less clothes possible, the better). The ensemble, with her slightly pudgy little stomach proudly displayed for the world to see and the sun to crisp is complimented with Derek's lackadaisical attempt at a ponytail and mismatched shoes.
"No." Addison replies and points to the red head clinging to her father.
"Addie, it's fine. She wanted to dress herself. I think she looks cute." He pats the top of his daughter's wild, unruly red spirals poking out of his hairstyle with a grin. It's a wonder her shoulder length afro does anything.
"Derek she looks like she will get sunburned. Could you at least try to be productive when you're dressing them?" She lifts the nineteen month old out of her father's arms and then taps her feet on the ground impatiently until Derek escorts Aurora back into her room for round two. Addison has always thought, and will always think, that he is too lenient with them and that sometimes it would be really nice to play good cop to his bad but she knows just as well that he is wrapped around her finger and that they'll just have to make it work.
"Hello, Miss Elysia." She coos, kisses the toddler's cheek and lets the girl down on the ground to run off as much energy as possible before they have to leave. She has an adversity to sitting still in the stroller unless she is half awake and with the metaphoric ball of sugar Derek chose to feed the girls for breakfast, Addison is foreseeing problems. If he did more than one thing right in a day then she would be surprised but she loves him anyway. For better and more often than not for worse he is her one and only.
Nearly two minutes later she hears the screams and wails that she was fully expecting. She climbs the stairs slowly (E occupied with a stack of thick paged books) knowing full well that Derek will never get the situation resolved on his own but she can't help but grin when she appears in the doorway and Aurora is throwing the most ridiculous tantrum she has seen in a few days. Naked save her awesome new pink ballerina underwear (and honestly potty training was the only thing that has gone over smoothly with this child) she stands with a huge scowl and her arms crossed against her chest.
"Mommy!" She screeches and takes off from her spot, eyes full of huge fake tears, daring to drip down at any moment and it takes everything in Addison not to double over laughing or to just do it herself.
"No. No." She corrects as the girl claws at her legs to get lifted up. "What did Daddy tell you to do?"
"Get dressed." She replies earnestly. She's not one to concoct stories, at least not yet, but with her passion and stubborn streak they both know that's coming (Mark often tells them that she is their worst qualities all rolled into one human being and even though he is wrong a lot, he nailed that one on the head). Derek has already contemplated boarding schools for the teenage years because everyone knows she is just going to be one of those kids.
"Yes, so do it and then we can go to the park."
"I don't want to!" She yells back.
"Do you want to go to the park?"
"Yes." She shakes her head violently, strands of hair falling out of Derek's handy-work every time.
"Well, you can't go looking like that so put your clothes on and we'll go."
"Unless you just want to stay home and take a nap today instead." Derek supplies weakly. He'd rather buy her ice cream and bribe her than threaten her.
"No! No…." She drones out pitifully, the tears finally edging over and forcing her to throw herself to the ground in full protest. Addison nods to Derek who picks her up and plops her on the bed while she does her best to push him away. He gets her head through the hole at the top of the polka dotted sage and lavender dress quickly but the arms are a struggle that take a few minutes to get sorted out. By the time he slips the white sandals on her feet and pulls the Velcro straps tight she is down to sniffles and wiping her face.
"Now that wasn't so hard was it?" She shakes her head, flinging the rubber band across the room in the process and throws her arms into the air for a hug. He grunts when he lifts her and replies, "You are getting too big for this."
Ever since Elysia was born Aurora has had the need to be coddled more fearing more attention may go to the baby if she isn't needy enough. It's annoying even though they understand it, fear keeps them from mentioning why Mommy's tummy is getting round again. She probably already knows that there will at least be more babies but they figure they can at least wait until she is interested enough to ask. So far she couldn't care less.
"Come on before your sister gets into something." Addison steals the girl from Derek and calls out for him to find the barrettes in the bathroom that she set out last night. The hair she can do.
--
"I want to push!" Aurora squeals trying to wriggle out of Derek's grasp, after she insisted on walking like a big girl half a block into the jaunt. She finally gets her hand out of her father's and rushes three little steps ahead to wedge herself in between the stroller and her mother. Her hands reach into the rapidly heating air for the bar and Addison is happy that she is trying to help because Aurora seems to only enjoy being a big sister approximately ten times a year and shows genuine interest in the snoozing toddler below her even less. Maybe it's a phase, maybe it's her personality. Whatever it is, they hope she changes because having four kids and one that refuses to care about her siblings will be enough to send Addison into an emotional puddle every single day.
When they arrive, small plastic lime green tricycle hanging over Derek's left shoulder and the picnic blanket and Sunday paper under the brown double stroller, both parents are already exhausted. Addison spreads the blanket out, smoothing the wrinkles meticulously even though they are on grass and no one cares but her while the fiery redhead to her left jumps up and down until Derek puts her toy on the ground and the redhead in front of her groggily awakens from the short nap more than ready for snack time. She digs into her purse and produces a bag of cheerios; carefully surrendering a few that will turn into a grimy mess within seconds. She swears if half of the food she fed these kids actually ended up in their stomachs instead of on their face or hair or her shiny wood floors than she wouldn't have to be at the grocery store every other two days feeling like she should buy stock in General Mills and Proctor & Gamble instead of Microsoft and Exxon.
"Go now?" Aurora asks excitedly, learning again for the week that peddling on grass is kind of futile unless you put some serious effort in.
"In a minute sweetie." Derek replies looking over at Addison leaning against the shade of a large tree with vibrant green leaves in the early summer heat. "Mommy needs to rest a minute."
"Why?"
"Because she needs to. You want a cheerio?" He replies quickly trying to switch the subject off of what could become a burning list of "whys?" over and over. He hates that game more than anything in the world, except maybe cutting the crusts off of sandwiches. To this day he is not certain what the big deal is. It's just a crust.
"Yes!"
"And what do you say?" He remarks stealing the bag from his wife.
"Please." She grins and sways back and forth softly. Her charm is bubbly and infectious and Derek is leery of how quickly she can turn it on and off when she wants something.
"Ok," He drops two into her hands, "How many cheerios do you have?"'
"T-two!" She giggles.
"Very good." He drops one more into the small hand opened in front of him, "What about now, how many do you have baby?"
"One, T-Two, Free!"
"That's my girl." He turns back to Addison with a smug grin. "Our daughter is brilliant."
"Just like you honey." She quips sarcastically but is silently grateful that Derek has a real interest in his children and their progress because she is too damn tired to care right now. She figures that they'll be paying good money for that ridiculous private school next year for something.
He rolls his eyes but smiles just the same anyway as he spots their long time friends slowly edging down the path. Savvy and Weiss' daughter Sophia is a little older than Aurora and insists on treating her like a baby but for the most part they get along (even though their daughter refuses to share anything for longer than two seconds) and Savvy and Weiss' blonde haired son, Zachary, is two months younger than Elysia. Addison keeps teasing Savvy telling her that she must be pregnant again because they do everything together and it is time again. Savvy informed her, that if it was true, then she was going to give Weiss a vasectomy by herself. Derek cringed during the entire exchange. He knows he is next.
"Hey, who is that?" Derek asks.
"Sofa!" She takes off before Derek can stop her and it takes him full three strides to catch up with the 'blistering' pace. He's thinking that if she were a boy she could totally pull off this running back thing but he'll have to settle for an Olympic sprinter. "Hey." Derek greets.
"I can't believe we are out here instead of at the game." Weiss moans instead of saying hello.
"But it's the Rangers, not like we are missing anything."
"Thank you!" Savvy retorts. Weiss knows as well as Derek that Sundays are meant to be their days in the park but sometimes, rarely, the women folk let them loose to watch the Yankees either kick ass or get spanked. Either way they drink, eat and enjoy themselves and occasionally bring along Zach because he deserves a break from the estrogen party.
"It's not like they have any playoff hope this year anyway. It's a waste of time." Addison fills in looking up from her spot under the tree as the group slowly stumbles forward, Sophia and Aurora hand in hand. They'll be fighting in three minutes but as of right now it's the cutest thing she has seen all day. The little things redeem her efforts and remind her that the constant back aches and weight gains are worth it for the most part.
"It's June Addison you don't know that." Derek defends feebly. He hates that she will end up being completely right and he'll owe her something but secretly he loves that she understands and is a rather enthusiastic watcher of at least one sport. She claims that it is all about the cute little baseball pants and men strutting around but he knows she honestly loves the game. He kisses the top of her head and leans against the small portion of the tree trunk that is available.
"Please…" She huffs and raises her brow. He stops the debate before it can even begin.
"So lunch today?"
"You know it." Weiss replies eagerly. "If we have to sit out in the sun someone had better feed us." Technically they end up feeding themselves but it's still nice to tease the girls when they drag everyone into the small deli a few blocks south of the park. By the time they get there, Sophia is groggy, Aurora is cranky and both Zach and Elysia are asleep but they go anyway because it's Sunday tradition and it's nice to have something constant in the mess of busy work weeks and toddlers with insane activities schedules. Once, Derek complained that having a three year old in ballet was the stupidest thing he had ever heard of and Addison didn't speak to him for four whole days. Evidently, it was a family thing and it doesn't matter if their feet scream for relief during the recital and their eyes beg to close during the third dance, it's about being involved and getting Aurora around other children…blah, blah, blah. He stopped listening about there and kissed her to end the whole argument. He was met with a firm slap to the chest and then the twins were conceived. Guess who won that round. He smirks freely and Savvy eyes him oddly.
"What's his deal?" She points.
Addison glances at her watch, "If you want to squeeze lunch in before…the next thirty years happen I don't have the time to explain."
"Well, let's get to it shall we?" Savvy bends down and checks on Zach, happily chewing on some toy that will land on the ground and get run over in a few steps. "Sophia, you ready?"
"Yes." She replies sweetly, the polar opposite of her pseudo cousin. This blonde child is calm and tolerant of others and her brother. She shares without being asked and is genuinely kind to everyone she meets. Aurora is some of those things on a good day. Addison places a hand over her growing stomach working her way upright and sends up a small prayer that these children will be a nice balance of their parents because she can't handle another free spirited child. No matter how much she loves the spunky up incoming kindergartener she is more than enough to test her patience day in and day out.
"Aurora?"
"What?" She laughs as she peddles around slowly, grass ripping from its roots as she inches forward.
"Come on, we're going now."
"Bye Daddy!" She squeals and makes sure to stay at Addison's side. She is, though glued to her mother at present, unafraid of strangers as experienced one late day this winter when she jolted away from Derek and nearly gave him a heart attack until he found her half a block up talking to a dirty homeless man. From then on out, when he's alone, he walks with her on a cute little leash. A monkey backpack with an extra long tail to help him keep an eye on her. It clasps around the front of her chest and he always tells her that 'Monkey Moe' will only keep giving her hugs if she doesn't tell Mommy. Because he has a feeling if Addison ever found Moe in his trunk, they wouldn't talk for weeks. What she doesn't know only keeps him in the clear for a few more minutes. He smiles again to himself and waves the little party away before lounging on his stomach across the blanket and tossing Weiss the sports section because Mark is, as always, late. Sundays are the best.
--
"Oh you are not going to believe what Weiss did last night." Savvy starts. Sunday is the day they get together and bitch about men and as a byproduct get some much needed exercise. They used to run but with the infrequency of pregnancies they have just taken up speed walking like the other half of the stroller chained moms in the park.
"Try me." Addison grins, "I can beat whatever you've got this week."
"Oh really?" Savvy quirks her eyebrows questioningly. "I'm not even sure I should go if you are just going to wipe me out."
"No, no. Go ahead. I need the feeling of a victory today." Addison watches as the two little girls in their stable tricycles peddle furiously and slowly crawl along.
"Ok, so you know how we are supposed to go to the Hamptons for Fourth of July?"
"Yeah. Like every year."
"Yeah, except Weiss just committed us to his mother and step-father's house for three whole days and you know these people. I'm going to be committing suicide and they are going to ship my kids off behind my back."
"Savvy your children are very well behaved. If anything they'll send you out for etiquette classes and buy Sophia a pony."
"Uh," she sighs exasperated, "You're right. I have to think of a way to get out of this. What an idiot I married." She grumbles and bouncing red curls in the distance beg her attention, "Aurora Renée Shepherd!"
Addison watches as her daughter creeps back toward them after straying too far while "chasing" a chocolate lab just ahead of them on the trail. "Thanks Sav. That child is going to be the death of me."
"Nah…she just knows what she wants out of life. She's…passionate."
"Annoying." Addison corrects. She wants a kid who has mid-life crises' at age twenty six when they graduate from med school and realize they don't actually want to be a doctor like the rest of the world has under their care. But oh no, she's got the strong willed, do-it-yourself entrepreneur.
"You're just stretched too thin. I think you should look into a nanny Addison. We've only had Kara two weeks and I'm already convinced she's God. I can give you the company card…you don't even have to use them regularly because I know you think you're fine and are invincible but twins, Addie? You must have a death wish."
"I didn't even want any more." She grumbles watching the large green leaves pass by overhead. She's always enjoyed being able to get her heart rate up while venting to Savvy on Sundays. It's quite possibly the best part of her week. When she's finished she feels renewed, although exhausted like she completed a marathon, but mostly renewed like having had the best therapy breakthrough ever. Friends can do wonders for the soul and Savvy is an amazing listener. "And it's not like I was on my hands and knees praying to maybe get two this go around." She spews angrily. "Please, oh please let me have two more temperamental, challenging, vomiting, screaming infants with colic….please, it's all I ever wanted." She mimics and takes a deep breath. Yeah, the anger isn't going away anytime soon.
"You would." Savvy jabs her in the ribs and starts laughing, "Only you." They fall silent for a moment. Tight shoelaces tapping against walking shoes, soles pounding the trail hard, plastic wheels catching on the grimy trail New York inhabitants leave behind. "Look at us." Savvy shakes her head. "Can you imagine where we were five years ago, childless and blissfully unaware of diaper follies and the importance of pacifiers?"
Five years ago Addison was filing for a divorce and packing her bags but no one knows that except Derek and even he has no idea about the papers hidden in the top box of their closet. It's her deep burning secret and sometimes in the middle of the night when Elysia refuses to be calmed and Aurora cries along because she has been woken up Addison thinks about the blank lines hiding in her room. Even on days when everything lines up with the right moon and sun and Aurora is pleasant and takes a nap when asked and no one throws up in her hair, she isn't sure she made the right choice. She frowns, "Yeah."
"Oh, you were going to tell me about what Derek did." Savvy chimes in sensing discomfort.
"I found a leash in his trunk." She chuckles recalling four days ago when they had to trade cars because it was his turn to shuffle kids from daycare.
"A leash? Did you guys add a dog into the mix?"
"No, no. A leash for my child."
Savvy shakes her head but smiles anyway looking ahead of her as the two girls bump into one another accidentally. "You win."
"Told you." When she found it she was mad and then she took a second and it kind of makes sense, not that she will ever admit to needing to leash her child in order to maintain control.
--
"Ok sixteen letters. Clue is Stanley Cup finalists of 1982 and 1994." Derek sighs rolling the pen between his fingers while Weiss pretends to ignore him.
"Vancouver Canucks." Sitting up Mark fills in and takes a sip of his coffee. His feet rest flat against the dark tree bark and he lies down on his back staring at the glimmering gray clouds. "It's going to rain."
"Yeah, we know." Derek replies. "Four letters. Long-legged wader."
"Ibis." Weiss answer half heartedly and then crosses his legs Indian style the other way when one foot begins to fall asleep.
"Eighteen letters. Head of special government inquiry."
"I hate that you do crosswords. Do you even try before asking us?" Weiss complains.
"Independent counsel." Mark retorts, gears turning. He likes when Derek does crosswords. It keeps his mind sharp and it's like the big kid version of go! fish…or something. He's waiting on the day Derek has some sons and Zach is old enough to play tag football or soccer out in the grassy field to his left. Until then, this will do. Mark loves Sundays even if they don't involve getting in anyone's pants. It's a different kind of satisfying.
"Six letters. Lover in 'The Merchant of Venice'."
"Portia." Mark quips.
"You know, I'm not sure if I am more sad about the fact that Derek has to cheat on everyday of a crossword except Monday-"
"I did Tuesday last week." He retorts.
"You mean Addison did it…" Weiss clears his throat and finishes his sentence, "Or the fact that Mark actually knows these answers."
"I'm a genius." Mark grins cockily.
"He is. It's annoying." Addison smirks returning with four kids and one friend in tow.
"Hey honey." Derek grins warmly. She glows even when she's angry and though he's excited about the progressing pregnancy, he's also a little concerned with her behavior. She brushes him away every time he tries to talk to her so he has arranged to have Weiss take the girls next weekend so they can get some quality time. The mother version of Addison needs a break and Derek misses his smiling, witty wife who isn't constantly covered in snacks and reduced to telling stories about brightly colored marker tips smushed into her ivory carpet or how she saved another baby today. They need to connect before he loses her again. He brushes a few strands of red hair back behind her ear and kisses her lips gently.
She pulls back confused and blushes when everyone stares at her, "What?"
"We don't do shows for free." Derek quips as Addison's eyes widen in horror. Mark chuckles behind them biting back all snarky comments. He doesn't need her wrath.
"Lunch?" Derek questions when Addison's cheek start to dim down.
He hoists the green bike back up onto his shoulders as Addison struggles to get both girls situated comfortably. Eventually she gives up and decides to let them both walk for as long as they can in hope that they'll exhaust themselves. She could really use a late Sunday afternoon nap snuggled under a soft blanket with one girl next to her and one on her chest while Derek rubs her feet.
As they make their way out of the park, Mark swings the little redhead onto his back and takes off galloping as she squeals and Sophia calls for her turn to please be next. When they reach the desired crosswalk Derek looks over at Weiss and Mark who now has alternated to one child on his back this block, the next on the other. It's almost the same routine every week and he never tires of it. "Hey guys, would you mind taking the girls and we'll go drop off the bikes at the house so they don't take up space?"
"Uh…why?" Weiss answers before Savvy glares at him.
"Yeah, go ahead." Savvy counters and nods for her husband to take over Addison's stroller.
"Derek-" Addison objects.
"Take a walk with me Addie." He smiles coyly.
She shrugs and turns away from the group carefully keeping an eye on her youngest daughter to make sure she doesn't notice her mother has been replaced. They reach the house still in their chosen silence, though mostly unnoticed because the streets fill their eardrums. He tucks the toys away in the garage and tugs her up the stairs and into the house. Wordlessly he presses her against the counter and attacks her neck with his warm, moist lips. "What are you doing?" She hums throatily when he reaches her ear.
"Getting some alone time with my beautiful wife."
"Derek! Derek, come on." She pushes him away and puts a few feet of space in between their yearning bodies. It's been far too long in between morning sickness, early morning children and unpredictable schedules. "We did not just leave our children to come home and have sex…and then what just show up, obviously late?"
"Sounds like a plan." He steps closer and boxes her in.
"No." It's futile as he moves closer again and brushes a few fingers under her white tank top. "Wait, no. Derek we are not these parents."
"We could be these parents. I don't mind kitchen sex, do you?"
"No." Surprised she answered so quick she relaxes for a minute while he fiddles with the strings dangling off her navy yoga pants. "We can't do this."
"I figure if you stop fighting me on it and enjoy yourself then we will make it back a whole lot sooner…and we both know you'll give in eventually." He whispers.
She purses her lips in thought while he moves up to her collar bone and lightly alternates sucking and blowing. "Wait-"
"Alright I wasn't going to tell you this." He announces, stepping back, "But I think you need a little present after this week so…I got Savvy and Weiss to take the girls next weekend and you and I are going away."
"Really?" She her voice cracks, eyes glistening in the unnaturally lit blue room.
"Yup." He nods and moves ahead with plan A only to realize there are tears rolling down her face. "Addie?"
"I'm good. I'm good." She wipes her eyes and sighs. "Carry on." She sniffles congested.
"You're kind of killing it for me."
"Sorry. Hormones." She whimpers weakly and tries to stop herself from growing more flustered. He resumes action on her neck and slowly lifts the ribbed material over her head and tosses it across the room, landing in he sink full of dirty cereal covered bowls much to her displeasure. Her crinkled nose soon turns into a guttural moan when his thumbs brush over her nipples lightly. This is the nicest thing he has done in weeks. Just when she starts to feel beat down by life he always finds a way to stir it up. She lifts her hips when he tugs impatiently on her tight pants. Maybe if she can get one Sunday like this every few months then life won't be so bad.
--
"Nice…hair." Savvy chuckles as Addison and Derek find the table hand in hand. Her red strands are conveniently pulled back into a ponytail but his partner's hair is a dead give away, not that it wasn't obvious anyway with Addison's completely new outfit of jeans and a loose blue top that ties just over the children she's growing.
"Oh what ever could they have been doing?" Weiss says softly as they grow closer.
"Hey Derek hasn't gotten laid in weeks. Desperate times call for desperate measures, right E?" He pokes the one year old's tummy and she giggles at her crazy uncle Mark. She's his biggest fan and even though he really enjoys his other niece, it seems that this one will be his true buddy of the bunch. "I fully support his actions."
"You would." Savvy and Weiss reply at the same time and then laugh.
"You better not be schooling my girls on safe sex practices." Derek warns finally within earshot.
Weiss points to Addison's pronounced stomach. "Yeah, I don't think you should be given the right to talk either."
"Sex." Sophia says quietly. The adults look over at her in shock, laugh and turn back to each other deciding that she was simply imitating the sound of a new word and there's no need to explain. Yet.
They fall into a pattern of wit and banter over soggy sandwiches and crunchy chips while the younger kids daze in and out of consciousness and the older two fight over whose lap they want every other ten minutes. Two hours later, after losing Mark at the second intersection and Savvy and Weiss at the fourth they finally continue on alone, hands tangled, smiles permanent and drowsy kids silent both safely secured in the stroller that has clocked too many miles to count.
When Addison's eyes catch Derek's three blocks from their home she knows for certain that while she may question her mothering abilities she should never question being with a man that makes her feel so loved and whole. She may not have any control over what happens in the many tomorrows of their future but as long as she has him to complain about and to hold close on Sunday afternoons everything will be mostly alright, at least until she gets to do it again next week.
She rests her head on his shoulder as he pushes their small family through the masses of people. In her head it's just them on a lone sidewalk in the warm sun as the rain gently begins to splatter onto the dirty concrete. She grins to herself and starts in, "So I found an interesting looking monkey in your trunk the other day…"
--