Chapter 5

1 day later

When Meredith stood up the next day, she helped her kids to get up in the morning, made them breakfast – at least she tried to make something eatable for them – and then she helped them with their online schoolwork before the kids started to play in the backyard.

She went inside again and tried to clean some things in the living room and kitchen and then went to take a nap, still exhausted from her covid infection by the smallest things she did around the house. The only thing keeping her going right now were her kids. And today, knowing that she would see Andrew again.

She had no idea where they were standing in their relationship. She had no idea if she was ready for all that again. And yet, she couldn't stop smiling at the thought of being closer to him again.

She laid down on her bed, leaving the door to her room ajar, so she could hear the kids if they needed something, and tried to get a few more moments to rest.

...

Meredith hadn't realized how long she had been asleep until she heard her phone next to her, indicating that she had gotten a new message. She quickly turned over to see who it was when she noticed how much time had already passed since she laid down.

She immediately opened the message when she saw that it was from Andrew, making her already feel more awake than she was just minutes ago.

'I would come over now. Is your offer still standing?' – Andrew

'If you're tested negative.' – Meredith

'Of course.' – Andrew

And then she felt herself panic slightly. She took a few deep breaths – as good as it was possible – and then changed into some better-looking clothes than the ones she had just slept in before she went downstairs. She quickly looked after her kids who were still playing in the backyard, and she wondered how they somehow always found something to do; but she wouldn't complain. She went inside again when she already heard someone knocking on her door.

"Hey." She opened the door with a warm smile when she saw that it was Andrew and Carina.

"Hi." They answered. And just for a few seconds she got lost in that moment, when she saw Andrew smiling at her like this again. He had such a contagious smile, especially when he looked at her like he used to do so often, that she couldn't help herself.

And only when she reminded herself again that they weren't alone – and still had a lot to talk about before they could try all this again – she opened the door a little wider to let them get inside.

"I am actually only here to drop him off. Because no driving or lifting heavy things for him until he gets better." Carina stated with an over amused smile still looking at both of them, obviously having noticed that they had gotten lost in their moment for a while. And at the same time Meredith had to laugh at Andrew rolling his eyes at his sisters' comment.

Once his sister left, they went over into the living room, sitting down on the couch together. Meredith on one side and Andrew somewhere in the middle of the other side, letting himself lean sideways against the back of the couch, so he was able to look at her.

"So, that's why you're escaping your sister?" Meredith started chuckling slightly.

"Maybe." He joined her and laughed slightly as well.

"You know that she is just trying to protect you. That she was scared to lose you." She tried to say it with a slight lightness not wanting herself to be reminded how everything could have gone but at the same time not able to keep the emotions out of her voice.

"I know." He answered more sincere, reaching out for her hand, hesitating for a moment as if he wasn't sure if he was allowed to touch her like this, but if anything, she wanted the contact, and then he let his thump caress over the back of her hand a few times.

"I'm glad you woke up again." Meredith added quietly after looking down at their hands for a moment.

Andrew caressed her hand one more time, squeezing it slightly before he let go of her again.

"How are the kids?" He asked trying to lighten the conversation a little bit more again, making a smile appear on Meredith's lips.

"Ellis is still a little mad that you didn't bring her gelato for her half-birthday." She chuckled slightly before she added a bit more sincerely "But otherwise they are fine."

"Then it's a good thing that I brought gelato today." Andrew answered with a big smile.

"You did?" She asked slightly surprised, which he answered with a nod, making both their smiles grow a little wider "You know that they will demand gelato on their half-birthdays for the rest of their lives from now on, right?"

"I know, that's the whole point."

"What exactly?" She chuckled a little.

"To give them something that makes them happy."

Meredith shook her head slightly while having a big smile on her face. She couldn't help herself, she loved to see Andrew with her kids. She loved how he cared about them and to see how everything he wanted was to put a smile on their faces.

"They're outside actually." She added after a moment, inviting him to go outside with her.

They both stood up on their way to join the kids. But before Meredith went towards the door to her backyard, she turned around to Andrew again, wanting to get a chance for them to talk as well.

"We talk later when the kids are in bed?"

"I would like that." He gave her a small smile before they both went outside to see the kids again.

...

"Zola, Bailey, Ellis, there is someone who wants to see you." Mer called her kids, looking at Andrew with a smile.

"Andreww!" They heard Ellis excitedly, joined by Zola and Bailey.

"Okay carefully." Meredith tried to interfere at their enthusiasm "Andrew has been injured and his wound still needs to heal. You can hug him but carefully, okay?" She explained them.

"What happened?" Zola asked with a mixture of curiousness and worry.

Andrew quickly looked at Meredith, hoping for her to tell him what to answer – because clearly, he didn't want to tell them the hard truth of having been stabbed by a trafficker – but in this moment Meredith seemed to look for the right words just like him.

"Sometimes..." He started slowly "Sometimes bad people do bad things and hurt people... but I'm okay again." He tried to tell what happened not wanting to go into details, but not wanting to lie to them either "I'm okay, okay?" He asked gently after seeing their worried faces.

Andrew kept looking at them for a moment, trying to reassure them before he added more lightly, wanting to change the subject again "I have heard someone has had their birthday?" He turned towards Bailey. "I know I'm a little late, but you still want that gelato?"

"Yes." Bailey exclaimed excitedly.

.

Meredith went inside to get a few bowls and the gelato for her kids and then they sat down at the table outside the house.

"Are you staying?" Zola asked curiously, turning towards Andrew

"I... will be staying on the couch for now..." He answered a bit hesitantly not quite sure where Meredith's and his relationship was right now.

"Are you sad again?" Ellis asked worried, when she remembered when he stayed at the couch the last time.

"You don't need to be sad, we are here."

"We don't want you to be sad."

"Why are you sleeping on the couch?"

Meredith had to chuckle and smile at the scene in front of her, her three kids not letting Andrew get to say something while at the same time being worried about him. And Andrew trying to figure out what to answer all of them while being reminded of a slightly embarrassing chapter of his life.

"Okay, kids." Meredith tried to jump in after observing the scene for a moment with an amused smile, seeing how Andrew helplessly tried to find an answer that would satisfy her kids without promising something they hadn't talked about yet. "Andrew will be sleeping on the couch for now and I don't think he is sad right now." She added with a small smile towards Andrew.

"But why isn't he sleeping in your room? The last time he was here he was sleeping in your room." Ellis asked again.

"Because now he will be sleeping on the couch." Meredith raised her eyebrows trying to sound more convincing than her answer was.

"That isn't an answer, mommy." Ellis answered looking angrily at her mother, making the others chuckle slightly.

"Well, your mommy needs to have some secrets too, right?" This time Andrew jumped in, helping Meredith out, making her give him another smile.

End of chapter 5

So, where will Andrew sleep now?

Meredith is still a little apprehensive, despite wanting to be close to Andrew... But it will all make sense in the end... :)

Thank you to everyone who reads this story!