Meredith was making progress, it was obvious to everyone that she was. She seemed a lot more comfortable in herself, she had stopped being so jumpy and nervous, sure she had times when she would curl up in herself but for the most part, she was better. She had been going to therapy sessions for three months now and Derek had supported her right the way through it as she broke down the walls she'd built up around the attack, he never pressured her and she never felt like she had to give him anything, they were completely content, unofficial but content.
Derek wanted to have a sit down conversation with Meredith about what was happening between them because neither of them could deny that there was still something there, especially as he watched her interact with their daughter and vice versa. They were co-parenting to perfection, as young as they were, they both really stood up to be the people their daughter needed them to be. Today, they were spending quality time together as the three of them bounced through the mall, Ellyse's birthday was coming up in the next few weeks and she wanted a new outfit to wear for her birthday party at school. In their daughter's eyes, turning six was a huge deal.
"Mommy can I get some pink shoes to match my dress?" Ellyse asked as they walked through the shopping mall.
"Don't you think white ones would look better Ells? Your dress is pink." Meredith giggled holding her right hand as Derek held her right.
"Pink dress, pink socks, pink shoes, pink headband, pink hair-tie, pink, pink, pink!" she said excitedly.
"Wow, someone would really think you like the colour pink." Derek rubbed her brown hair.
"I do daddy! I want pink everything." she smiled sweetly.
"If you want pink shoes, you can have pink shoes." he looked down at her smiling.
"Derek.." she started but an excited squeal interrupted her.
"Thank you daddy. Love you." she snuggle into his side as they walked.
Derek chuckled and looked up to see Meredith rolling her eyes, she caught him looking at her and stuck her tongue out to him, her nose scrunching as she did.
"Don't be jealous that you didn't get your own way." he joked.
"If she wants to look like a fairy cake then she can." she muttered as she smirked.
"She won't look like a fairy cake!" he laughed and caught his daughters attention.
"Who look like a fairy cake? I like cake!" she looked up at her parents.
"You will look like a pink fairy cake Ells." Meredith giggled.
Ellyse watched both her parents laugh and joined in with them as they swung her up by her arms. Once they reached the busy shop she lifted her arms up for Derek to carry her, which he did.
"You spoil her." Meredith muttered, her eyes rolling once again.
Derek smirked.
"She's my princess." he said kissing Ellyse's head as they reached the elevator.
"Princess daddy." Ellyse smiled.
"You are, a very cute one."
"I can't say I disagree." Meredith smiled as she leaned her head on Derek's shoulder in the elevator.
Half an hour later, they were still inside the shop looking at shoes. Ellyse was spoiled for choice and couldn't decide which ones she wanted. Her three favourites currently were light pink converse, a high top and a low top or a pink Mary Jane styler shoe.
"I look like mommy." she said as she twirled her ankle wearing the low top converse.
"You do look like me." Meredith chuckled wearing her one navy converse.
"I like them both mommy. I can't choose." she sighed.
"Which ones honey?" Meredith crouched.
She held up the low top pink converse and the Mary Jane style shoe as she looked at them both.
Meredith watched her daughter as she played out the pro's and con's of the shoes, her small lip caught between her teeth as she looked back at forth between the two pairs making Meredith smile. Ellyse looked up at her through her long eyelashes with puppy eyes, Derek laughed watching her knowing exactly what she was doing.
"Why don't we get both." Meredith gave in quickly.
"Thank you momma." she ran into her legs, hugging them tightly. Meredith wrapped her arms around the small body.
"She got you good." Derek whispered with a chuckle.
"Shut up. It's her birthday." she blushed knowing that she really was a push over for her daughter.
They asked the sales assistant for the right size and paid at the till. Derek also grabbed a navy pair of low top converse for Ellyse to match with Meredith, he kept them for her birthday to surprise her. He knew how much she liked to dress like her mom.
That night they were at Meredith's apartment, Derek was giving Ellyse a bath whilst Meredith was preparing their dinner.
"Boo." Derek came up behind her. She jumped forcibly as she cut a carrot.
"Derek!" she cried as she got a fright. He soon realised what he did.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry Mer." he held her shoulders and hugged her.
Her breathing slowed down and she relaxed in his arms.
"You scared me." she muttered.
"I know, I shouldn't have. Im sorry." he apologised.
"It's okay." she smiled.
He felt something hit his toe and looked down to see some drops of blood. Looking back up he noticed she had cut her finger with the knife when he scared her.
"Mer, you're bleeding." He grabbed some kitchen roll and wrapped it around her finger.
"Do you have a first aid kit?" he asked as he looked around the kitchen.
"Yeah, in the cupboard under the sink." she nodded her head towards the cupboard.
He grabbed the kit and sat her down on the counter.
"Let me see." he said as he took off the kitchen roll.
"Ouch." she winced.
"I don't think you need stitches, maybe a butterfly stitch."
I'm sorry." he looked at her.
She stroked his face with her free hand, "it's okay. It was an accident."
He nodded and began cleaning her finger and put a butterfly stitch over the cut.
"Mommy, you got a boo boo?" Ellyse asked as she held her finger up.
"Just a little one baby." she smiled.
The three of them sat on the sofa together watching the little mermaid, it was Ellyse's favourite Disney film this week. Derek looked at his girls snuggled closely together, Meredith's arms wrapped tightly around their daughter as she buried her face into her moms chest. Tonight they would talk. He knew that he wanted that much, they had to talk because he wanted his daughter to have the best childhood with both her parents present everyday.
40 minutes into the film he could hear soft snores, expecting them to be from Meredith he looked over and smiled as he realised that they were in fact coming from the small girl cuddled up close to her.
"Like mother, like daughter." he whispered, smiling as Meredith smiled at him.
"I don't snore." she grinned, rolling her eyes.
"Seriously? You snore like a trucker." he teased.
"I do not!" she hissed.
"You keep believing that."
"I will." she smirked
Shortly after she stood up with Ellyse's head resting on her shoulder as she carried her to bed. She came back into the living room, this time sitting closer to Derek than before. They sat in a comfortable silence before she broke it, clearing her throat.
"We should talk." She said as she looked in his eyes.
"We need to talk." he whispered as he brushed one of her bangs away from her face.