Epilogue: Two Years Later
It's been two years since Aubrey was born and to be honest, Meredith couldn't believe how great those two years were. There were long nights where she wouldn't sleep and teething that was horrible to deal with, but Meredith wouldn't have had it any other way. There were moments she thought she was too lucky. That maybe she didn't deserve the whole happy thing. She wouldn't trade it for the world though. Derek was amazing and one year ago on this date, November 8, 2019, they had exchanged vows on their land. Only their family and close friends had attended, and Meredith loved every moment. From Aubrey's steps down the aisle to the flower she wore in her long hair.
There was a time when she thought her life was going in another direction. She was married to Will and rather content with her life. Then, he drowned, and life had changed. She came to Seattle and tried her best to not look back. Only forward and at the man who had changed her life and given her the best things she had ever had. She smiled to herself as she ran her fingers over the pendant on her chest. Derek had given her the necklace when Aubrey had been born and soon, they would add another pendant. They still had a while. But today, she was just happy. She couldn't stop smiling as she rocked on the porch and stared up at the sky.
"Look who's all clean." Derek grinned, walking out onto the large front porch, carrying his daughter.
"Aubrey!" Meredith gasped, looking at their two-year-old whose hair was starting to curl from the bath she had.
"Mommy!" Aubrey giggled, pointing to Meredith.
"Are you all ready for bed?" Meredith took her daughter in her arms as Derek joined them.
"She is." Derek laughed, running his hand over Aubrey's head. "In her favorite pajamas."
"Her elmo pajamas." Meredith giggled, kissing her little girl's cheeks.
"Aubrey...tell Mommy what you played with in the tub."
"Bubbas!" Aubrey clapped.
"Bubbles?" Meredith gasped.
"Did you put the bubbles in Daddy's hair?" Derek laughed.
"Yeah." Aubrey nodded, before putting her pacifier in her mouth.
"I thought we quit that." Meredith frowned.
"She has a way with me." Derek held his hands up.
"Derek..."
"I'm sorry."
"Aubrey." Meredith rolled her eyes, pulling the pacifier away.
"No!"
"Big girls don't need their pacifiers." Meredith kissed Aubrey's cheek.
"Mommy!" Aubrey kicked her legs.
"Look what you started." Meredith nudged his arm.
"We'll work on it." He couldn't help but laugh.
"Aubrey went three days without it."
"She wanted it..."
"Mine!" Aubrey screamed.
"Aubrey...just for tonight, okay?" Derek ran his hand over his little girl's head.
"My Daddy!" Aubrey giggled as Meredith rolled her eyes.
"Your Daddy is a sucker."
"What can I say?" He smiled.
"Mommy pwetty." Aubrey grinned.
"You...did you teach her to say that to get away with stuff?"
"I did no such thing."
"Yeah...okay." Meredith sighed.
"Aubs...tell Mommy what you told me earlier." Derek laughed.
"No!" Aubrey giggled.
"Come on Aubs..." Meredith smiled.
"What did you say about Uncle Mark?"
"Uncle Mak no pwetty!"
"I did not make her say that either." Derek laughed, taking Aubrey onto his lap.
"Aubrey did Daddy teach you to say that?" Meredith giggled, knowing her child would be honest.
"No." Aubrey shook her head up and down.
"Did Daddy tell you to say no?" Meredith breathed.
"No." Aubrey giggled, putting her hands on Derek's face.
"I might have helped her out a little bit." Derek admitted.
"I thought so." Meredith laughed, moving her hand to Aubrey's back.
"Thanks for giving me away Aubs."
"Kisses Daddy."
"Kisses?" Derek smiled, lifting up her pajama top and blowing on her stomach.
"No!' Aubrey began to laugh, her head flying back.
"Derek she is going to be exhausted."
"Which means she'll sleep through the night..."
"Ooh...I like the sound of that."
"I thought you would."
"It's been a week...since we..."
"I know." Derek breathed.
"So...fun for us." Meredith winked, before snatching Aubrey from his arms.
"Play?" Aubrey's eyes lit up.
"It's bed time soon Aubs." Meredith ran her hand over her little girl's hair.
"No seeps."
"Yes sleep...soon."
"No Mommy."
"Why not Miss. Aubrey?" Meredith asked. She had spent the whole day with Aubrey and she knew her little girl would want to sleep soon. Although the little girl would never let anyone know she was sleepy.
"Tings to do."
"What could you possibly have to do?" Meredith giggled.
"Um..." Aubrey looked at Derek.
"Don't ask me, Aubs. Daddy is going to bed."
"I have an idea...do you want to cuddle with Mommy and Daddy until you fall asleep?" Meredith asked, kissing Aubrey's cheek.
"Big bed?"
"While we watch Elmo." Meredith giggled. She loved those moments before they put Aubrey to bed where they cuddled her and read books or watched her favorite video of the week. She was pretty sure she had seen this particular Elmo video at least ten times this week and it was only Tuesday.
"Elmos!"
"Yes." Meredith kissed her cheek.
"Mommy?" Aubrey looked up at Meredith.
"What Sweet Pea?"
"Mommy...kisses Daddy." The little girl whispered.
"Oh okay." Meredith leaned over, kissing Derek's cheek. "Happy Anniversary."
"Thank you." Derek laughed.
"Mine Daddy." Aubrey pointed to her pacifier.
"Only for tonight, Aubrey."
"Mine." Aubrey grinned as Derek gave it to her.
"She does look pretty stinkin' cute with it." Meredith replied.
"That's how she gets you." He laughed.
"I refuse to have another baby until we get her off the pacifier and potty trained."
"Aubs do you want a brother or a sister?"
"Baby." Aubrey said through her pacifier as she tried to get down.
"Where are you going?" Derek laughed.
"Play!"
"Be careful."
"I love her." Meredith breathed, leaning into him.
"It doesn't make you want another one?" Derek whispered.
"It does...but I'm home with her all day. I mean I tutor now which gives me time away but I need her to be ready for another baby too." Meredith explained. "I want another..."
"By the time another one was born she'd be 3...almost 4."
"Or maybe I'm pregnant already."
"Mer..."
"I don't know for sure." She grinned.
"Meredith." Derek whispered.
"Don't get excited."
"You can't tell me not to be excited." He laughed.
"I'm a little late but not enough to be concerned. Either way...you need to help me get her off the pacifier."
"We will." Derek grinned.
"I could start my period tomorrow...so we don't know."
"Or you could be pregnant."
"I could."
"Aubrey...Aubrey be careful." Derek stood up as his little girl got close to the edge of the porch.
"Daddy doll!" Aubrey pointed.
"What?"
"Aubrey your doll baby is inside...we'll get it when we go watch Elmo."
"Come back over here, okay?" Derek lifted her up.
"Kay." Aubrey listened.
"Thank you." He kissed the top of her head.
"Aubrey show Daddy how you dance."
"Oh I want to see."
"Come on Aubs." Meredith took her little girls hand. "Dance."
"No." Aubrey stood still.
"Why not?" Meredith giggled.
"Music."
"Oh Aubs...you don't need music."
"No?" She looked up at Meredith.
"Do you want me to dance with you?" Meredith stood.
"Dance mommy!"
"Come on...dance!" Meredith stood, taking the little girl's other hand and she began to dance. "Shake your bottom Aubrey."
"Daddy dance!" Aubrey giggled, shaking her little bottom.
"You want me to do dance too?" He laughed.
"Dance!" Aubrey grinned.
"Daddy doesn't dance."
"Daddy is no fun." Meredith teased before looking at Derek. "You don't mind the Horizontal Mambo."
"That's a different story." He laughed.
"I have an idea." Meredith stopped, lifting Aubrey up in her arms.
"Chocky milk?" Aubrey asked.
"No...lets go watch Elmo in the big bed!"
"I think that sounds like a good idea." Derek laughed, opening the front door.
"Elmo!" Aubrey clapped.
"What does Elmo sing Aubs?" Derek asked.
"Elmo sings his song."
"What does Elmo say?"
"Lalalala!" Aubrey sang loudly.
"You're so smart Aubrey." Meredith giggled, trying to snatch the pacifier.
"Elmo song!" She continued
"Lalalala..." Derek sang after her.
"Der..." Meredith stopped as they made it to the top of the steps.
"Hmm?"
"I'm really happy."
"Me too." He smiled.
"Hopefully she goes to S-L-E-E-P quickly." Meredith winked.
"Elmo song!"
"Alright..." Meredith breathed, kissing Aubrey's cheek again. She couldn't wait for alone time with her husband but she loved the evening moments with their daughter.
"I don't think that will be happening." Derek laughed.
"It might." She smiled as they opened the door to their room. "Aubrey are you ready?"
"Seep with Mommy?" Aubrey asked.
"Yep." Meredith agreed, knowing they would move her into the crib once she fell asleep.
"Where go Daddy seep?"
"With us." Meredith answered.
"Oh."
"But its time to calm down." Meredith replied as Derek turned her movie on.
"Juicie?"
"Water." Meredith reached for the sippy cup she had prepared while Aubrey was taking her bath.
"Kay." Aubrey sighed, taking the cup.
"Come on." Meredith pulled Aubrey onto her lap as Derek sat next to them.
"We're going to go to sleep now." Derek whispered.
"Daddy shh...Elmo!" Aubrey bounced on her mother's lap.
"Yes ma'am."
"She's bossy." Meredith leaned over, kissing him softly.
"Like her mother." Derek teased.
"Oh I plan to be very bossy later."
"Mommy! Shh!" Aubrey put her finger to Meredith's mouth.
"Okay!" Meredith giggled, kissing her daughter's head again. She loved the smell of her baby girl's hair especially once it was clean.
"Can we lie down and watch?" Derek asked, covering Aubrey with the blankets.
"I think so." Meredith leaned back, Aubrey curling up in the middle of them.
"Good girl."
"Love you Aubrey." Meredith whispered.
"Love you Mommy." Aubrey breathed.
"Goodnight Aubrey." Derek whispered, kissing her head.
"Goodnight." Aubrey replied, popping her pacifier back in her mouth.
"Tomorrow." Derek laughed, looking over at Meredith.
"I'll hold you to that." Meredith whispered, kissing him again.
"Love you."
"I love you too." Meredith grinned, feeling happier than she had ever felt. They were the perfect family, and it would eventually grow. Meredith never realized just how much love she had to give and now she wanted to just keep spreading it. She wasn't this girl...or she was now, but she hadn't been at one point. She loved Derek and Aubrey so much. Life without them wasn't an option. From the moment they woke up to the moment they closed their eyes, she wanted to let them know how much she loved them. Derek and Aubrey were amazing at returning the favor. She just knew for the first time in her life that she had a purpose. It wasn't to be dark and twisty; it was to love and be loved and Meredith was okay with that.