-1
Derek
arrived at Ava's school just after she had woken from nap. It was an
early surprise for the teacher's who were used to having Ava until at
least 5:00. According to her teacher, Miss, Heather, Ava had had a
wonderful day...a certain surprise from the last couple weeks.
"Daddy, I made you a picture!" She exclaimed from the backseat as they drove away from the large brick building. The school was closer to the hospital than to their actual house and for once he was glad for the extra 20 minutes of driving. It would give him time to assess Ava's mood, and talk her out of her Meredith hating.
"Did you draw one for mommy too?" He tried...not knowing what the answer would be. "Yeah silly! Can you turn my songs on now?" Derek smiled but shook his head no, knowing he had to talk to her first. 'At least she drew her a picture!' He thought as he pondered ways to best bring up the subject.
"What did you do while you were at Aunt Addison's?" He asked, hoping it would be a good casual way in. "I dunno...I forget..can I please have my songs?" She was getting antsy now, kicking her legs against the back of his seat.
"Ava we have to talk first...then you can listen to your songs." "My teacher says that when I get in trouble..." She almost whispered, and he instantly felt bad. "No, you're not in trouble...I just..I need to know why you don't like your mommy anymore.."
He had said it..and it felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Ava was silent and he thought she was going to ignore him completely, but then a cheerful voice replied, "I don't hate mommy silly." She sounded as sincere as a 4 year old could sound and Derek almost choked in shock.
He was confused...and not sure how she made a complete turn around in just 48 hours. "Oh...ok good..because mommy loves you very much...and she would be sad if you didn't like her anymore."
After laughed, an infectious giggle like her mothers, that made Derek's heart tingle each time he heard it. "That's what uncle Mark said too!" Derek found that funny...yet odd considering his advice was never anything a 4 year old could hear.
"Oh yeah, what else did Uncle Mark tell you?" He was sort of curious to know what they had talked about. He had asked Mark..and he refused to telling him simply saying, "That's between the monster and Me." Before walking away. It made Derek kind of nervous, and a little jealous at the fact that Mark had a chance to talk one on one with his daughter.
"Um...I dunno. I forget. Oh yeah, he told me mommy didn't do anything bad and you did! That wasn't nice daddy, I even told my teacher and she said you needed a time out!" The car almost came to a complete stop as Derek listened to her talking. He could not beieve what had just come out of her mouth.
True, it was his fault, but that was a little much for her to know...and Ava was telling people...no wonder the teachers were looking at him funny. He was caught off guard and was sure his cheeks were a rosy shade of pink. Still...he couldn't be mad. No matter what Mark said, it seemed to have worked...and to the best of his knowledge his daughter had come back without knowing the birds and the bees so he was thankful for that.
Meredith sat in the kitchen devouring the rest of her lunch nervously awaiting Derek to return home. She was full of nervous anticipation waiting to see her daughter. Finally the door opened and the sound of Ava calling out ot her was music to her ears.
In a flash Ava was in her arms and nothing felt better. "I made you a picture!" She said loudly, trying to wiggle out of Meredith tight grasp. Meredith let her go so that Ava could display her picture proudly.
Looking at the picture with a smile on her face Ava rattled off the names of each member of their family. It was a family portrait to include all the members of her "Seattle family" as she called them...even though she was well aware they weren't her real family like the Shepherds.
"And this is you...and daddy...and me.." Meredith pointed to a small person next to Derek. "Is that you?" "Oh no! That's my new baby!" Meredith gasped and looked sharply at Derek who was standing in the doorway.
He gave her the same confused look before walking over to the pair. "Ava, what new baby?" He knew neither of them had even brought up the subject with her...and he really hoped Mark hadn't told her by accident.
"Oh well I told Aunt Addy I wanted a baby and she said if I wished really really hard then it would come!" Derek smiled and took the picture from Ava to hang on the fridge.
He gave Meredith a questioning look that she understood without him having to say anything and in one swoop he had picked Ava up and sat her on her mother's lap. "Ava, you are going to have a baby. Soon, you will have a new baby brother or sister." Derek told her, looking at Meredith for conformation.
Ava sat wide eyed staring back and forth between her parents. "Actually, you are going to have two babies to play with." Ava eyes widened and she seemed to ponder this for a moment.
Meredith grew nervous when Ava did not respond and looked to Derek in alarm. Just before Derek was going to step in Ava clapped her hands and let out a loud squeal. "Can their names be Cinderella!!?" Derek laughed and grabbed Ava off Meredith's lap.
"Princess, what if they're boys? We can't name them Cinderella if they are boys!" Ava laughed as he tickled her and told her father, in a very stern voice..."They wont be boys! Boys are silly." Meredith gave Derek a "I told you so" look and they set off for the living room. Neither had even brought up the topic of sexes...or baby names...or even how Ava would react, but in that moment, it didn't matter.
