"Hunter focus." Meredith laughed as she sat at the table helping Hunter with his Social Studies homework. Her son would rather be playing with his toys then sitting and studying about the pioneers. She laughed when he rolled his eyes then returned to work. He was a great kid and they had always been so lucky to have him. All the kids were great and Meredith loved her family. "Ava how is coloring?"
"I don't know what color to use for the princess dress." Ava sighed, lying on the living room with her coloring books and crayons.
"What about blue or pink?" Meredith suggested, reaching for her bottle of water. Ava had come home from school today and taken a nap. It was rare she slept for long but today school had worn her little girl out. She had managed to sneak into Ava's room and cuddle with her while Zola slept for her after lunch nap. Now, Zola was taking her second nap of the day and she used this time to help her
other children.
"No..."
"What about yellow?" Meredith asked, looking over at Hunter's paper. "Ohio needs a big O not a little one."
"Can you read this?" Hunter pushed his homework over to Meredith.
"Hunter it says you need to find the names of our founding fathers and the thirteen original colonies in the word search."
"I don't want to." He groaned.
"Mommy?"
"What Pumpkin?" Meredith looked up at Ava who was now next to her.
"Can I take another nap?" Ava asked, rubbing her eyes.
"Another one?" Meredith frowned, lifting Ava onto her lap. "Do you feel okay?"
"I'm sleepy."
"Ava you won't be able to sleep tonight if you take a nap now." Meredith replied, running her hand over her daughter's hair.
"Okay." Ava sighed, rubbing her eyes again and resting her had on Meredith's shoulder.
"This means you're growing Ava...when you get extra sleepy it means your little body wants to grow." Meredith kissed her daughter's head before turning to Hunter. "Focus Bud."
"When's Daddy going to be home?" Hunter asked, putting down his pencil. "I'm hungry."
"Any minute." Meredith replied.
"Can I finish later?"
"When Daddy gets home you can take a break." Meredith stood, with Ava on her hip. "Do you want down?"
"No." Ava whispered.
"Why are you so sleepy?"
"I dunno..."
"Well then..." Meredith stopped hearing the front door open. "Daddy's home Ava!"
"Hey guys..." Derek smiled, coming into the living room a few seconds later.
"Hi Daddy." Ava yawned.
"Hey you." Meredith tilt her head up as she kissed him.
"Hey." Derek smiled against her lips.
"Eww!" Hunter gasped.
"Hi Princess." Derek laughed, kissing Ava's cheek.
"Hi Daddy." Ava kept her head on Meredith's shoulder.
"What's wrong?" He frowned, looking at Ava and then back at Meredith.
"She's really tired...she just asked to take another nap." Meredith replied. "Which reminds me if you go upstairs be quiet because it was hard to get Zola to go to sleep."
"Okay." Derek said, taking Ava from Meredith and patting Hunter on the head. "Hey buddy."
"Hi Dad!" Hunter replied, closing his school book.
"You have to come back and finish after dinner." Meredith laughed.
"I'll help you after dinner, okay?" Derek promised.
"Thanks Dad." Hunter ran off towards his toys.
"How was your surgery?" Meredith asked.
"It went smoothly."
"That's great."
"Ava, are you hungry?" Derek asked, rubbing her back.
"No." Ava shook her head. "Ice cream."
"You can't have ice cream unless you eat dinner."
"No." Ava whined.
"Is she okay?" Derek mouthed to Meredith.
"I think so." Meredith mouthed right back.
"How about we have macaroni and cheese, Aves?"
"No!"
"Feel her head." Meredith suggested.
"She feels okay to me..." Derek put his hand on Ava's forehead.
"I really think it's a growth spurt."
"What about fish sticks?" Derek suggested, as Hunter ran past them with a toy truck.
"I wanna go to sleep." Ava shouted.
"You know what...just let her lay on the couch." Meredith rolled her eyes. "She's cranky...she wants to sleep so let's just let her sleep and...I'm sure she'll be up all night."
"No ice cream unless you eat dinner." Derek sighed, putting Ava down.
"Daddy..." Ava began to pout.
"You know the rules."
"Fine." Ava walked away, not even fighting him as she walked to the couch.
"Maybe she's coming down with something." Derek sighed.
"Probably." Meredith walked over to the cabinets. "She's taken a nap every day this week."
"How was your day?" Derek asked, starting to take things out for dinner.
"I ran labs all day." Meredith hopped up on the counter.
"Like being an intern again." He chuckled.
"Exactly!"
"Macaroni and cheese for the kids and steak for us?"
"Perfect...and baby cereal for Zola...with juice."
"Is dinner almost ready?" Hunter asked, walking into the kitchen.
"It won't be long." Derek smiled, putting on a pot of water to boil for the macaroni and taking the steaks from the fridge.
"Hunter...tell Dad where you think he should take us." Meredith giggled.
"Florida." Hunter grinned.
"Our son has the right idea." Meredith replied.
"Maybe for winter vacation." Derek laughed.
"Yes!" Hunter jumped in the air before taking off out of the room.
"That might not be a bad idea." Derek shrugged, tossing the steaks onto the stove top grill.
"I agree." Meredith grinned. "We can get Zo one of those baby bikinis."
"Maybe my mom could meet us there."
"Ooh...and maybe we could have a night alone." Meredith added.
"A night alone? What is that?"
"Be nice...you're not neglected at all on the Sex front."
"I'm not complaining." Derek laughed, kissing her quickly.
"I...she's really asleep." Meredith looked over into the other room with the long couch.
"Has she been like that all afternoon?"
"She slept for four hours after lunch and she barely ate her soup."
"Hmm..." He frowned, pouring the noodles into the boiling water.
"She hasn't been a good eater lately."
"She's probably going through a picky phase."
"I don't know where she gets it." Meredith laughed.
"Once everyone else is eating she'll want some too."
"Probably."
"I have a patient tomorrow that I want your help with."
"Oh?"
"Forty two year old with chronic headaches and dizziness but nothing showed when he visited his regular doctor." Derek explained as he cooked their food.
"Did they do an MRI?"
"It's being sent over."
"Well as long as I'm not home with a sick little girl."
"She'll be fine."
"Oh...I need to go get Zola."
"Once you bring her down dinner will be ready." He smiled.
"I'll pour us some wine when I get back down."
"Sounds great."
"Kiss..." Meredith jumped off the counter.
"Kiss." Derek smiled against her lips. "Mmm..."
"I'll be back." Meredith smacked his ass before she left the room, passing by her sweet daughter. Meredith felt bad because chances were that Ava had a virus and now it would probably make its way through the house. She knew to prepare herself to deal with sick kids for a few days. She could do it and unlike her mother, she planned on taking care of her children when they didn't feel their very best. Ava wasn't hungry and if she didn't eat dinner, Meredith contemplated sneaking her some ice cream in bed. Surely that would cheer her little girl up and have her feeling good as new.
Just Another Day In Paradise...