-1Meredith awoke to the end credits of The Little Mermaid playing on the TV. Groggy from sleep she was confused until she remembered how her and Derek had been watching the movie with Ava.
She tried to move her arm, but couldn't, and soon realized it was because Ava was sound asleep at her side. Looking over she found Derek sprawled on the other side of Ava and staring at her with a far away look in his eyes.
She jumped a little, not expecting to see him watching her. "Were you watching me sleep again?" She asked, only partially annoyed. She shifted her now numb arm out from under Ava and used it to brush the stray hairs out of her daughter's face.
"Well...I haven't watched in awhile, I figure I've got a lot of times time to make up for." Meredith nodded in agreement and avoided his strong gaze. She felt like he bore deep into her soul with those eyes and after not seeing that look for so long, it almost scared her now.
"I should get Ava upstairs...I had no idea it was this late..." She said, after checked the clock above the mantel and then moving to get up. With a flick of his rest Derek had stopped her movements and interrupted her abrupt attempts to change the subject.
"You're supposed to be resting remember? I'll take her up." He chuckled, knowing Meredith was going to hate being idle for the next few days. Rolling her eyes as a reply they were thrown back into an uncomfortable silence.
"Is it always going to be this awkward?" She asked, in a timid voice. A slight blush crept over her face and she kicked herself for feeling so awkward and shy around her own husband.
Making a sound in the back of his throat he considered her question before replying, "I hope not...I can't imagine it will be." Meredith was ok with his answer, the comforting sound of his voice could make anything he said sound ok.
"So...I was thinking earlier about some things.." He started, and she held her breath not knowing where he was going. "Ava's really been taking this hard and I was thinking maybe I should move back in." Meredith wasn't expecting that at all and looked at him not able to say anything.
She had words, but they wouldn't come out. She wanted him there, but then would things really get fixed? Or, would they just slip back into their old habits of sweeping it all under the rug? Derek was getting nervous at her lack of opinion, so he began to ramble on about the topic.
"Ava's just not herself...and I think me moving out was too hard on her, I'm not blaming you at all, and I know you need space and we need to work things out, so I was thinking...I could just stay in the spare room while we get things together..."
Meredith nodded...taking it all in and still stared at him with a blank look on her face. She would have him back, family meals, tucking Ava in...a normal routine...it all sounded so nice and she kept thinking of the scenarios over and over in her head.
Finally, she looked at Derek, really looked at him and saw how nervous and borderline panicked his features were. His brows were creased and his hands were running nervously through his hair.
"Yes, yes I think Ava would love that...and you can stay in the guest room your mom uses...I'd like that..I mean Ava would..." She was fumbling over her words nervously and he laughed and stopped her chatter when he put his index finger to her lips.
It took him some skill to lean over Ava without waking her up, but somehow he managed and kissed Meredith lightly on the lips. "Ok then, he replied, not being able to keep the grin off his face.
"Let's get this one up to bed." Meredith agreed and he picked up Ava and whispered soothing words into her ear as she began to stir in his arms. As she followed Derek up the steps with their daughter, Meredith was the one who couldn't stop smiling.
