(Shattered...) Dreams Fulfilled

Tiny Miracles - Part 2

"Meredith," Jenna said, as she saw Meredith's eyes welled up with tears, "I thought you'd like it... but you're crying...I'm sorry...I should have put the other one on her, the one you brought for her, but it was too big for her still...and I got this the minute she was born...and I knew her weight...so she could wear it when you first met her...but I didn't think it would upset you."

"Jenna," Meredith looked up at her sister in law, "I love that she's wearing it...it's just...she's my first godchild...and it's emotional and sentimental...and I was afraid she was not going to like me...I've never been around babies...this is the first time...and it's amazing..."

Jenna sighed in relief and went to sit on the other side of Meredith, the reflection of tears in her own eyes, "thank God," she said, and hugged her, "I thought you were upset."

"No," Meredith said, "I'm not...I just...you have no idea how special this is...that you trusted me," she said, trying to divert any attention from the real emotions, "even when you hardly knew me...to be her godmother..."

"Derek loves you," Jenna told her, "and Kathleen and Mom...they told me how special you were...and by talking with you, I also knew...and the minute we met, there were no doubts you'd be her godmother."

"Thank you," Meredith met her gaze, "for letting me be part of her life...you have no idea how much it means to me...how much it means to us..." she said, as both she and Jenna lived up to the apt description of water faucets.

"Aunty M," Meghan said, "don't you think my baby sister is beautiful...I told you...when we talk on the phone..."

"You did," Meredith said, as she examined every inch of the baby in her arms, taking off her socks and looking at her tiny feet, exchanging glances with Derek, "and she is."

"She's a good baby," Meghan told her, "right Granma..."

"She is a very good baby," Carolyn said, "who may be getting fussy pretty soon."

"Mer," Jenna said, "Mom's right, she's about to suck her thumb and not a lot of patience to get fed after that. Do you want to feed her?"

"I thought you were breast feeding." Meredith said.

"I am, but after the first week, started with one or two bottles a day so Rob can feed her, or one of her many aunts that stop by."

"Mommy," Meghan said, as she rested her elbows on her mother's legs, "I gets to feed her too."

"Yes, you have helped me feed her too," Jenna said, as she lifted the little girl on her lap, and hugged her, "you've been a great help to Mommy."

"Aunty M," Meghan continued, "Mommy has to use this machine...so she can put milk in the bottle so my baby sister can eat..."

"Derek," Jenna teased as she noticed her brother's coloring, "you've got to be kidding, you're blushing, Mer what have you done to him?"

"Jenna Patricia," Carolyn said, "stop teasing your brother, you know he's not comfortable about some things..."

"Ma," Jenna said, "he grew up around four women...he's not an idiot."

"Oh oh...Granma...Mommy said a bad word..."

"Yes, sweetie, she did," Carolyn agreed with her.

"Meggie," Jenna kissed her daughter's cheek, "will you go and ask Mrs. Jane to give you a bottle for Kerry and bring it to me?"

"Cause I a big girl...and I help you with my baby sister?"

"Yes, sweetie..." Jenna said as her daughter ran off toward the kitchen.

"Who is Mrs. Jane?" Meredith asked.

"Jane Wilson, our housekeeper," Jenna told her, "she's been with us since right before Katie was born. Rob insisted we needed help, and you know what...we did. Mer, when you guys have kids, make sure you don't try to do it all yourself. It's bad enough with our busy schedules, so you need to make it easier, and when you're home...you don't have anything else but them to worry about...quality time."

"That's good advice," Meredith winked at her, "I'll just have to worry about the kids, not the husband."

"Husband," Jenna joked, "that becomes completely secondary," and both women laughed.

"Secondary," Derek said, and reached to take the baby from Meredith's arms, "we'll have to have a talk with your Dad about that, won't we Kerry?"

"What," Meredith said, "are you doing?"

"I want to hold her, and I can feed her, I know how. Ask Mom, I've fed lots of ..."

"You can burp her," Meredith said, and snuggled the baby closer to her, and both Derek and Carolyn exchanged tender smiles. Everything was going to be just fine.

"That doesn't seem fair," he told Meredith, "I'm the godfather you know..."

"You really want to hold her," she met his gaze softly, "I can share her..."

"I'm teasing you," he put his arm around her and she settled against him, "you can feed her...and hold her as long as you want," he said, and knew without any doubts, that each moment the baby was in his wife's arms was helping her heart to heal.

The next couple hours seemed to fly as they both took turns holding, feeding and burping the baby, though they allowed Jenna and Carolyn to change her. Carolyn joked that she had to agree with Rob's comment about the little piglet, as Kerry was making her on demand request less than two hours after Meredith had fed her a bottle.

"You are going to be one very spoiled baby," Meredith cooed to her goddaughter, "aren't you," when she took her back after Jenna breastfed her.

"I wonder why," Derek chuckled.

"Sweetie, that's your godfather, and he is going to try to blame me...but we know...he's going to be just as bad."

"Uncle D," Meghan climbed on his lap, "you gets to be my baby sister's grandfather and Aunt M is the grandmother..."

"Meghan," he explained patiently, "Granma and your Nana Maeve are grandparents; your Aunt Meredith and I are her godparents."

"Cause you went away to Seattle...right Uncle D...that's where you live and there's lots of water and you gets to ride a big big boat with cars in them...and you gots to meet God?"

"Mom," Derek looked over to his mother.

"Meghan, sweetie, do you remember what Granma told you about the baby having a godmother and a godfather...and how they always help to take care of the baby..."

"Uh huh...cause they take the baby to church and throw water over her head and the baby cries and cries like my baby cousin."

Meredith, Derek and Jenna exchanged glances and looked away to keep from laughing, as Carolyn talked to her granddaughter about godparents, and shortly thereafter, the housekeeper would bring Katie home from school and ballet lessons.

"Granma," Meghan wanted her grandmother's attention, "can we go back to the park and take my baby sister?"

"Meghan," Carolyn said, "we already went to the park this morning."

"But Granma," the little girl stood by Carolyn, "we was only there like five minutes cause of my baby sister is not supposed to be out in the sun..."

"Meghan," Carolyn said, "we were there much longer than five minutes...and we stayed after Jane brought Kerry home."

"I forgots," the little girl said, "Granma, will you go outside with me... to the swings?"

"Yes," Carolyn said with an indulgent smile. "We can do that."

"I love you Granma," the little girl hugged her, "even if you don't take me to the park."

Meredith and Derek smiled at each other and she placed the baby in his arms, "she has her wrapped around her little finger," Meredith whispered to him as she let the baby wrap her tiny hand around her own finger, "I hope...one day our kids will have that..."

"The doting...indulgent grandmother," he said, fully comprehending her feelings, "that will ignore us completely ...in favor of spoiling them rotten."

"Yes..." Meredith said and then she leaned in and kissed the baby's cheek, and whispered words that broke his heart, "everything I didn't have."

"Uncle Derek," Katie rushed in the house and ran to her uncle, "we missed you so much...and you got to meet my baby sister..." she hugged him, and turned to Meredith who was holding her sister, "Aunt Merdith, Mommy says she looks like a doll, isn't that funny...I think she's beautiful."

"She is Katie," Meredith smiled as the little girl kissed the top of her sister's head, "but you want to know something?"

"What?" Katie asked as her eyes grew wide with anticipation.

"She has two beautiful older sisters too."

"That's what my Daddy says," Katie told her, "and my Mommy...cause they love us all the same."

"That's right," Meredith told her, "they do."

"Aunt Merdith, I have to go wash my hands and clean up so I can hold Kerry...cause there's all sorts of germs in school and ballet classes," she said, "I'll be back," she said and ran up the stairs, and not long after they were all sitting in Jenna's kitchen enjoying a very late lunch for Meredith and Derek and snack for the girls. Kerry lay sleeping peacefully in the nursery.

"Uncle Derek," Katie said after she was back downstairs, her sister Meghan in tow, "is it true...you and Aunt Merdith are gonna be here lots and lots of days?"

"Katie," Derek said, "we're only here for a couple of days, and we're going to spend the night here tonight, and then stay at Granma's tomorrow."

"See Meggie," the older sister said, "told you."

"Uncle D," Meghan said, "but you gots a suitcase and a big box and Aunty M had a big big shopping bag."

"You did?" Jenna laughed, "Meredith, you packed all that for two days?"

"We brought gifts," Meredith said, as she sipped her coffee. "For the girls."

"You brought presents," Katie said, full of excitement, "we get presents again?"

"Told you," Derek mumbled, "shouldn't have."

"You do," Meredith ignored him, "both you and Meghan...and then, we bought presents for your baby sister, and she gets quite a few presents, just like you do for birthdays."

"Cause of the day she got born was her birthday," Meghan said, "right Granma?"

"That's right Meggie," Carolyn smiled at her until very recently, youngest grandchild.

"Aunty M," Meghan said, "do we gets to open the gifts now..."

"I think," Meredith smiled, "we can do that...maybe we can get Uncle Derek to bring them to us."

"Uncle Derek," Katie said, "can you get them please..."

"Yes, we can," Derek told them.

"Can we go with you...Uncle D...we help get them," Meghan was literally bouncing off the chair, and Derek picked her up and walked with them to the first floor guest room where he'd placed their things.

"Jenna," Meredith said, "I wanted to make sure they didn't feel left out...you know, and create sibling rivalry and all...I read about it and all the advice said it would be wise to bring older siblings presents too..."

"Meredith," Carolyn said, and placed her hand over her daughter in law's, "my granddaughters are very lucky to have you as an aunt and godmother."

"Mom," she met her gaze, "I'm the one who's lucky...to have a family...now."

"Ok," Jenna sniffled, "stop it...you are going to get me going..."

"But, I do feel that way," Meredith told her, "about your family."

"Mer," Jenna sniffled again, "it's our family...you're part of our family."

"Aunt Merdith," Katie came running in the kitchen. "Uncle Derek said that he needs you, cause he has no idea what he's supposed to bring."

"Tell him I'll be right there," Meredith said and the little girl raced out of the kitchen.

"How hard can it be Mer," Jenna laughed.

"Brainless," Meredith rolled her eyes, "you girls had it right years before me. He just has no common sense when it comes to certain things. Jenna, I'm giving them their things, but I don't want them to see all I got for the baby...so they don't feel..."

"All you got for the baby," Carolyn said. "Sweetheart, you left so many gift for the shower when you were here."

"Mom," Meredith smiled at her, "she's my first goddaughter...and the first niece I get to spoil...and there were such adorable..."

"Aunty M," Meghan came in the kitchen, and pulled on Meredith's hand, "we're waiting and waiting..."

Kerry's whimpers were heard over the monitor, "I'm going to get her," Carolyn said.

"Mom," Jenna said, "you're as bad as the girls," she said referring to her sisters, "she can whimper a bit, she'll settle back down again."

"That's," Meredith said, "well...just mean."

"It is not," Jenna laughed, "believe me...she's perfectly fine."

"Aunty M," Meghan pulled on her, "come on...please..."

The girls loved their presents. Katie was enthralled with a big box that combined a playhouse and paper doll set of ballerina's, and told her aunt and uncle all about her upcoming dance recital in the Nutcracker where she didn't get to wear her ballerina tutu, but would get to dance as a mouse, and Jenna explained later it would likely be less than two minutes on stage, a bit longer than a ballet company's performance, as this was specifically orchestrated so the children taking ballet lessons could participate.

"You can well imagine," Carolyn told her, "half the audience is made up of relatives, and in our case, we have plenty of them to fill those seats, especially since Emma and Rebecca and some of Rob's nieces are also participating."

"Granma," Meghan had cried out with excitement, "I gets to cook...just like you...cause you're the bestest cook ...even bestest than Mrs. Jane," as she unpacked her gift, a set for a young chef, complete with wooden cook top, apron, frying pan, pot with lid and salt and pepper shakers.

They also loved the set of matching outfits for all three sisters, which they wanted to wear immediately, but Jenna told them it would have to wait for later, when Kerry was just a few weeks older, and the girls, given all the attention focused on their role as big sisters were surprisingly mature in their understanding and accepting of Jenna's explanation.

The evening plans had been decided almost immediately upon learning of their visit, and the sisters began to arrive late in the afternoon; husbands relegated to kid duty for this one night; the family would all come together the following day.

The housekeeper took the older girls upstairs for their baths while Carolyn volunteered to help, and Jenna took the time to show Meredith around the house, and when they heard Kerry's soft cries, Meredith was determined to get her. "Come on," Jenna said, "mother hen...you're worse than I am," and both she and Derek followed her to the nursery.

"Jenna," Meredith said when she walked in, "it's beautiful...it's perfect..."

"I decided to let the girls pick what they wanted," she referred to the extremely girly décor, a combination of their favorite themes, "make them feel they were part of it all."

"Derek," Meredith said, "will you get the rest of the things? Bring them up?"

"You mean the suitcase and shopping bag and..." his wife ignored him.

"She's asleep," Meredith said as she stood by the crib.

"I told you," Jenna smiled, "she fusses a little and goes back to sleep. Until she's hungry, and then, if you haven't fed her, she'll scream bloody murder."

"She does not," Meredith said as she looked at the baby. "You've already said she's a good baby."

"Doesn't mean she doesn't have her moments of temper," Jenna told her. "Mer, you said more things? What have you done?"

"I thought it would be better if I the girls didn't see everything," Meredith said, and as soon as Derek came upstairs with the small overnight bag, Jenna was taken completely by surprise.

"Mer, there are enough outfits here to last for the next six months."

"She's already gained almost two pounds Jenna, she's going to outgrow things...and they were so adorable, and these are all organic materials especially for now while she's a newborn...they say it's supposed to be really good for them...and they were cute...and well...I wanted to..." she told her sister in law, and glanced at Derek with a shy smile.

"Jenna," Derek said, "she'd determined to spoil her...and I don't think I'm going to have anything to say about it," he smiled, as he wrapped his arms around Meredith, and rested his chin on the crook of her neck, both looking down on the sleeping baby.

"I may have gone a bit overboard," Meredith smiled, "but, we're not back for months."

"Mer," Derek reminded her, "we'll be here in three weeks."

"Yes," Meredith said, "but I brought all the gifts now."

"Well that's good," he joked, "we won't have tons more suitcase to bring on that trip."

"Jerk," she mumbled.

"What," he teased, "not an ass anymore."

"Derek," Meredith turned to him and glared, "the baby..."

"Has no idea," Jenna laughed, "what he said. Do you sweetheart," she looked down as her infant daughter slowly awakened, and lifted her out of the moses basket.

"Jenna," Derek asked, "why is she sleeping in basket, if she has a crib?"

"You have so much to learn," Jenna laughed softly, "my dear brother, it makes them feel safer...being in a smaller space, they're used to that...and as newborns..."

"It's a basket," he said.

"A moses basket," Jenna told him, "one of the newest ones too, all organic materials, and I use it when I have her downstairs as well."

"You have a beautiful bassinet in your room," Meredith referred to the very girly and traditional bedding she'd seen in her sister in law's bedroom when Jenna had shown her around the house. "She can't use that?"

"Yes, but in the daytime, I put her in here sometimes so she gets used to sleeping in the crib, but in the basket she has a bit smaller and confined space," Jenna explained. "Plus, I'm too lazy to try to move the bassinet back and forth, so it stays in my room and we use this for everywhere else."

"Makes sense," Meredith said, "she'd feel safer..."

"Babies do," she snuggled her daughter close and kissed her, "Kerry, I think it's time your godmother changed your diaper."

"No," Meredith said, "I don't ...I haven't done that before..."

"Time you learn," Jenna said, "first time for everything," and walked over to the
changing table and the three of them had a good laugh over Meredith's first baby diapering training, and then, the baby was safely in Meredith's arms again.

"Next time," Meredith cooed to the baby, "your uncle Derek is going to do all the changing...so he can stop laughing at me," she smiled at him, and he smiled back; we're going to be ok they communicated silently, "and see how much better he does getting your little arms to cooperate and undress you and then dress you again."

"Kerry," Derek said, as he put his arms around Meredith, looking at the baby over her shoulder, "your aunt Meredith has very special gift for you...she insisted on carrying all the way here to make sure it didn't get lost...and I hope one day you'll think it's just as special as she did when she saw it..."

"I can't believe you have more things," Jenna said. "Meredith...I love everything you've gotten for her...but...you really are going to spoil her rotten..."

"She's a newborn," Meredith told Jenna, "she can't be spoiled just yet..."

"God help me," Jenna laughed, "if she ever wants to get her way...she'll know exactly where she needs to turn to..." she smiled at the way her brother and sister in law were completely enthralled with her daughter, especially as she'd worried a few times over Meredith's comments the last few days of her pregnancy.

"Kerry," Meredith spoke gently and quietly, the tenderness in her voice bringing joy to Derek's heart, and he closed his eyes briefly, thanking God for the way she was reacting, and for the soothing healing effect Kerry seemed to have on his wife. "I'm glad you don't really understand what I'm saying," the baby snuggled closer to her, "but your Uncle Derek...thought I was crazy getting you a gift that is much bigger than you, but when I saw it...I thought it would be something special...your very first doll," she said.

"A doll," Jenna smiled, "she doesn't have one...Meghan and Katie each had one."

"I asked your Mom...and Meghan told me she didn't have a doll...and I didn't just want to get clothes...I wanted her to have something from us that she could keep...a special gift..."

"You got her the small lamb," Jenna reminded her, "and that was precious..."

"I know...but that was before she was born, this was for my goddaughter...when I already knew what she looked like," Meredith smiled as Derek handed the bag to Jenna.

"Meredith," Jenna said as she lifted the doll from the bag and took the wrapping paper off, "she is absolutely precious...what a beautiful face...and these pigtails, it's beautiful..."

"It reminded me of her, what she may look like...a beautiful face...a perfect doll...except the eyes...but the hair..."

"It's one of the prettiest dolls I've ever seen," Jenna said and got all sentimental, "and it's her first one...and she's going to know how special it is because it's the first gift her godmother brought when you first saw her, and...the baby bear...Mer...it's..."

"Jenna," Meredith said, "do not make me all sentimental..."

"It's your fault," Jenna told her, "you can't blame me..."

"Looks like we got here just in time," Kathleen said quietly as she stood at the door, "to stop the floodgates."

"I think you're too late," Derek turned and hugged his sister, letting her know that all was fine, he whispered, "she's been just fine."

"Kat," Jenna said, "look at this..." she held the doll out to her, "isn't she beautiful?"

"She is," Kathleen said, and her heart felt a bit of sadness as she imagined how difficult these moments must be for Meredith. "She even looks like her," she said referring to the chubby face doll with black hair and pigtails wearing seersucker shorts with multi-colored strips repeated on the collar, cuffs, and blouse ruffle, the same print found on the sun suit of a tiny bear she held and keeping with the bear theme was a tiny appliquéd bear dancing across the front of the sweet little sun suit. **

"Kathleen," Meredith met her sister in law's gaze, and allowed herself to be embraced, "you were right, Kerry is beautiful...and she doesn't seem to mind my total lack of experience with babies..."

"I can see that," Kathleen met the warmth of her gaze, "and that I'm unlikely to have any chance of holding her with you around," she said as she smiled.

Meredith spoke to the baby, "Kerry...you have such smart aunts, they know I'm not about to hand you over so easily...they're almost as smart as your uncle Derek..."

"Are you kidding?" Kathleen raised her voice and the baby snuggled closer to Meredith.

"I know baby," Meredith smiled, "that's your aunt Kat...finding it hard to believe your godfather has been anything but brainless," she turned to Kathleen, and used words to reassure her of her emotional well being, "but ever since you were born...I haven't been able to call him that...not even once."

Jenna snorted very unladylike, "I find that hard to believe," and then they heard Meghan's and Katie's voices as they ran downstairs to see greet their father. "Hold that thought, I'll be right back."

"Meredith," Kathleen hugged her tight the minute Jenna was gone, "it's amazing...isn't it...how they sneak their way into your heart..."

"Kat," Meredith, "I didn't know how this would feel...how I'd react...but...seeing her, holding her...Kathleen," she said, her voice filled with deep emotion, "she's...just...a tiny miracle...and it feels so right...to be here and be her godmother."

"I know," Kathleen told her, "they are...each one of them...tiny miracles of love."

"I have so much to tell you," Meredith said, "so many things...that have touched my heart...and made this week...these days...just..." she paused, "we'll talk...later..."

"We will," Kathleen said, and hugged her sister in law again, and then kissed the top of her niece's head, "and I won't even attempt to fight you for her," she said, taking the baby's small hand in hers.

"I'm shocked," Jenna said, as she and Rob walked in the room together, "Kat didn't take her from you."

"We get her all the time," Kathleen said, "so her godmother has first dibs tonight."

"How about her Dad?" Rob said as he too bent down to kiss his daughter, who turned toward him as soon as she heard her voice, and Meredith voluntarily placed her in his arms. "Hey princess, were you a good girl today?"

"Kat," Derek said, "I take it Maggie and Nancy are on their way? How about the guys?"

"Kid duty," Kathleen said, "no husbands tonight, just women."

"Kat," Rob laughed, "I think Shep and I may take offense to that."

"You don't count...you live here, and they're staying here tonight."

"Daddy counted for something," Rob chuckled, "isn't that right Kerry...about ten months ago," he said and winked at Jenna.

"Moron," Kathleen teased, "see Derek, it's not just you."

"Thanks Kathleen," Derek laughed and hugged his sister. "I love you too."

"Of course you do," Kathleen said, "I'm your favorite."

"Oh, no," Carolyn said, "not the favorites argument again."

"Mom," Jenna said, "there's no argument, she's just jealous cause I am," she said, and walked over to her siblings and hugged them both. "Derek, I am so happy you are here, you and Meredith...you have no idea what it means to me to me..."

"We do," Derek told her, "because it means just as much to us," he said, and drew Meredith close to his side and held her.

"Jen," Rob said, "did they help you decide on the middle name?"

"What are you talking about?" Meredith asked.

"She can't decide," Rob said, "thank God, we were finally able to agree on the first name. It took going over 10,000 names and their meanings."

"Ten thousand names," Derek chuckled, "you're joking right?"

"Actually," Rob started to say, but Jenna interrupted.

"Rob, where are the girls? They didn't follow us."

"Jane has them, convinced them to play together a bit, and they could have extra dessert."

"Rob," Meredith laughed, "ten thousand names?"

"You're to blame actually."

"I'm to blame," Meredith said, "just how is that possible," she said and the baby turned toward her voice.

"While she was in the hospital, after you consented to have her keep you up in the middle of the night, it seems you mentioned you could find everything on Google...and she did... a website with that many names. By the time we got to the K, I'd given up, and then we found Kerry."

"What does it mean?" Derek asked. "That Jenna agreed to it."

"Literally, dark haired," Rob said, and then proudly added, "but it also said it was the name of the most beautiful county in Ireland...and that was it, I told Jenna she was certainly one of the three most beautiful babies I'd ever seen...so...after she cried a bit over that," he walked over to his wife and she took the baby from him, "it was settled. The first name at least, the middle name has been another matter altogether...and it's now up to the two of you to decide."

"The middle name," Meredith said, "that's important...you should..."

"Meredith," Rob said, "we narrowed it down to ten names...and now we're down to two...after almost two weeks..."

"Mer," Jenna said, "you're the godparents...we want you to pick..."

"What are the choices?" Derek asked, and did not miss the glances exchanged between Carolyn and Kathleen.

"We actually discarded a lot more than 30, tried to see if it fit with the first name...but then, Kerry fit her perfectly I thought," Jenna said, "and it's not like anyone we'll know exactly why we picked it...the description of dark hair was obvious, but her middle name...I wanted something more significant...more depth, I'm not sure if that makes sense."

"So tell us," Meredith said.

"Angela and Beatrice," Jenna said, "I know they won't be used, but...whichever one we pick...I want her to understand it meant a lot to us to give her a name that ..."

"Angela," Meredith said softly, "almost like an angel...old fashioned too..."

"Mer," Jenna said, "it actually means just that...angel or messenger," she missed Meredith's soft gasp, and Derek's immediate reaction to hold her closer, "and she's just like an angel...but, Beatrice I loved too, it was described as happy or one that blesses and I loved when I read that it can also mean bringer of joy," she said as she kissed the baby, "and she has done all those things..."

"Kerry Angela," Meredith repeated and squeezed Derek's hand tightly, and pulled him along to stand next to Jenna, "or Kerry Beatrice...Derek, what do you think," she said, and he extended his arms to take the baby from Jenna.

"I think," Derek said, as the baby lay nestled between him and Meredith, "you should decide, both names," he held her gaze, "would be very special," he told her, "but...what does it mean to you?"

"Beatrice," she reached for the baby's tiny hand holding it lovingly, and caressed her face tenderly with the other, "bringer of joy..." Meredith's eyes sparkled with unshed tears and never left her husband's gaze, "Kerry Beatrice...is a very beautiful...fitting name."

"Bringer of joy," Derek said, "very fitting," he whispered.

"Kerry Beatrice," Jenna said, "Rob...it sounds perfect...don't you think..."

"It does," he said, holding his wife in a loving embrace, "our little one has her full name."

"Kerry Beatrice," Derek spoke softly to the baby, almost inaudibly to anyone but his wife, "I know...you have brought joy to our lives...since the day you were born...and since the moment we saw you."

"You have," Meredith kissed her cheek, "little one...you have brought so much joy to our hearts," she said, "and we're going to love you so much...so very very much."

Kathleen walked over to her mother and hugged her, "Mom...don't you dare cry."

"I'm not," Carolyn smiled through her tears.

"Neither am I," Kathleen did the same. "They've healed...so much."

"Babies...Kathleen," her mother said, "always...a blessing...always have a way of making us see the miracles of life."

"Meredith," Nancy greeted them shortly after Kathleen had arrived, "you've been on our minds, but you amaze me," she said, as gently caressed the baby's head. "I'm so happy that you decided to come early, this was good...I think...for both of you."

"She," Meredith said, and handed the baby to Nancy, "is perfect, and you are right, it was very good...for both of us. Your brother has been...I could not have done it without him or you...our family here thinking of us, and offering support...across the distance."

"You'll always have it," Nancy said, "you can count on it."

"I know we can," Meredith smiled, "thank you."

"Nancy," Maggie said as she walked in the room, and saw the tender looks both women bestowed on the baby, "Meredith...the way you both look right now...I'd remember what aunt Pat said...there's six more of these to come along."

"And," Nancy cooed to the baby, "your Aunt Maggie is defying Aunt Pat's gift...but we know better, don't we sweetie," her voice as soft and gentle as Meredith had ever heard, "how about we say hello to your Aunt Maggie...maybe even let her hold you...so she remembers how wonderful it is to have a little one in her arms...and not just a beautiful niece like you...right..."

"You know Nance," Maggie said, "you're not off the hook..."

"Maybe not," her sister shrugged, "but...if that happens...I'm having one...you on the other hand," she said, and Jenna, Kathleen, Meredith and Jenna laughed.

"What are you laughing at?" Maggie turned to them.

"Nancy," Carolyn said, "and Kathleen with one more baby," and her older daughters saw the mischief in her eyes, and remained silent.

"See," Maggie said, "you don't like it anymore than..."

"Kerry Beatrice," Meredith said, taking the baby back from Nancy and smiling at her sister in law, "I think...your aunt Maggie does protest too much. Even I know, your Uncle Derek and I have to contribute to some of those additional grandchildren."

"Kerry Beatrice," Maggie turned to Jenna, "finally...you picked her middle name."

"No," Jenna said, "Meredith and Derek did," she smiled. "Wait," Jenna said suddenly, "you just said, Meredith...that you know...does that mean, are you..."

Derek interrupted, "it means...we are planning on having kids some day, but according to Aunt Pat, if we believe her, there's a total of six...and we're not having six kids."

"We may help make it easier for you," Meredith said, "and have two or three...but not for a while; one of you needs to do that," she smiled at Maggie and placed the baby in her arms and went to sit next to Derek, and the small family gathering continued to deeply entwine symbolical familial bonds amongst Carolyn Shepherd's five daughters.

"Derek," Meredith said as she lay in his arms later that night; door securely closed behind them when they retired, certain of early morning visitors. "Are you sleeping?"

"No," he said softly, kissing the top of her head.

"Today was amazing, I know I keep using that word, but, it was...I never imagined I would feel the way I do...about a baby...our goddaughter. Kerry Beatrice, that name Derek it's so special...I didn't think I'd be able to keep from blubbering all over you."

"I'm in awe of you," he told her, "how strong you are...how you dealt with so many emotions...how you took her in your arms...and never let all you were feeling show."

"I'm totally in love with her," Meredith told him, "the minute I saw her...aren't you..."

"Hard not to be," he admitted, "she's very content...and all those rolls..."

"Over ten pounds already," Meredith giggled, "she is a little piglet."

"She does love to eat," Derek chuckled, "like her mother and...godmother."

"Derek," she turned to look at him, "Jenna and Rob have made it so special...having us choose her middle name, and..." she did sniffle this time, "their meanings...just..."

"Kerry Beatrice..." he said softly, "a beautiful dark haired child...bringing joy to our lives," and kissed his wife.

"I love you Derek," Meredith kissed him back tenderly, "thank you...for going along with me...even when you thought you were protecting me and didn't want to come, it feels so right...being here...spending this time here..."

"Mer," he said, "I'm the one that has to thank you...for making me deal with this...helping us get through what you knew would be inevitably painful...but, you were right about not avoiding and dealing with things...together..."

"Progress," she smiled, "we've done a lot of that...remember those 100 steps..."

"I do..." he said. "We've made it past that..."

"We did," she said, "a long while ago..."

"I love you," Derek told her, "more than you can possibly imagine."

"But I can," Meredith told him, "because I know...it's just as much as I love you."

"Meredith," he told her as he cupped her face and leaned in to capture her mouth, "I need you...tonight...I need you..."

"I need you too," she said, "desperately," and the night witnessed the passion unleashed between two lovers fated to be together for a lifetime.

Kerry Beatrice was, indisputably, a night owl, and at almost three weeks old, her most alert time was her parent's dinner time, followed by feeding and a nap; which most nights of her first seventeen days of life had been spent from aunt to aunt (all eleven of them), but today was reserved for her godparents, ultimate resting in her godmother's arms. She seemed to love listening to people talk, and was not fazed by the various levels of noise either asleep or awake, as her grandmother, parents, sisters, aunts and godparents spent several hours enjoying each other's company. Then, she would be up between two and three in the morning, bright as the morning sun, before she would decide it was time to sleep, and then would sleep for four hours straight.

Kerry Beatrice's sister Meghan, however, was mostly up at the crack of dawn, and even earlier as the excitement over getting to cuddle with her aunt and uncle had her up before six in the morning when they heard a persistent knock on the guest bedroom door, and quickly reached for the discarded clothing they'd wisely placed near the bed.

Derek opened the bedroom door to find a smiling three year old with a bear, "he likes to cuddle too," and lifted her into his arms and brought her to the bed.

"Aunty M," Meghan whispered over Meredith, who'd pretended to be sleeping. "Wake up cause you said we can cuddle...and I bring Mr. Bear..."

"Maybe we can let her sleep a little more," Derek suggested, "and cuddle with me."

"I want to cuddle with both of you," she pouted, "she tolds me...she was going to spend time with me...not just my baby sister...and Aunty M spent lots and lots of time cuddling my baby sister..."

Meredith immediately turned to her and opened her eyes, not wanting to risk any sibling jealousies. "Meggie," Meredith said, "I was just teasing...pretending to be sleeping...of course I want to cuddle with you...and I got to spend time with Kerry...but I knew I'd be cuddling with you lots more this morning..."

"Cause you love me?"

"Because I love you very much," Meredith told her.

"Even if you're not my grandmother," Derek wanted to laugh at his niece's insistence they were grandparents instead of godparents, "wait...Granma tolds me...I need to remember it's godparents...cause of...Kerry gets to have water on her head at church...and Granma says God loves Kerry and Katie and me and all the little children...and I know God lives there cause it's God's house... so you gets to hold her when they throw water on her head...so I remember now...only grandma and Nana are grandmother...but you and Aunty M are her godmother and godfather, right...Uncle D?"

"That's right," he smiled, "and you are a very smart little girl."

"Cause Kerry is a little baby and Katie is my big sister, so I'm just little but not a baby."

"That's right," Meredith said and smiled as she hugged the little girl close to her. "Do you want to cuddle with me, and we get some more sleep...at least till the sun comes out?"

"We can do that," the little girl smiled and hugged Meredith, "Uncle D...you gots to leave the door open...Katie has to wake up and come cuddle too," she said and closed her eyes as Derek embraced both his wife and niece.

"Mer," he said a little while later, "can you imagine...one more rambler visiting," he chuckled quietly, referring to Meghan's three year old ramblings.

"Derek," Meredith giggled, "did you learn nothing last time," and felt his arms hold her closer, and his lips on her hair.

"I did," he told her, "that's why I'm going to sleep now," and they did, until an hour later, she felt the touch of a small hand on her face.

"Aunt Merdith," Katie said, "you have to wake up please," and she did and helped the little girl get in bed with them, and go back to sleep, surprisingly until nine in the morning, and while the four adults and two young girls enjoyed breakfast; the youngest member of the family was blissfully content in her father's arms.

"You know," Meredith said, "you keep saying we're spoiling her, but Rob, you haven't put her down at all."

"We're not having any more kids," he grinned at Jenna, "so I have to enjoy this one."

"Why," Jenna said, "are you grinning at me, like the cat that swallowed the canary?"

"Because," he winked at her, "I happen to believe Aunt Pat, and maybe..."

"You are one brave," she mouthed idiot, making Meredith and Derek laugh, "to even suggest the idea of it...when this one is 18 days old."

"I'm not suggesting anything," he said simply as he held his newborn daughter, but not long after she began to whimper indicating it was time for eating.

"Mommy," Katie said, "Daddy is right, Kerry is a little piglet," she giggled, "she loves to eat all the time."

"Honey," Jenna said, "that's what all babies do...they eat and sleep..."

"And get dirty diapers," Meghan said, "don't forget that Mommy..."

"I'll take her up," Jenna said, "she's been up two hours, this is her morning nap time."

Kathleen was the first to arrive with her youngest, followed almost immediately by Maggie as both their husbands and teenage sons were attending a baseball game where Nancy's son was one of the star players. Derek had joined them to watch his godson play. Nancy arrived shortly after with her four girls, all of whom wanted time holding their newest cousin, and their aunt Jenna allowed it once the baby had her morning nap.

"Meredith," Kathleen walked up to her in the kitchen and linked her arms through hers, "join me for a walk?"

"Yes," she smiled at her sister in law, "I have so much I want to tell you," she said, and they were gone for almost an hour that included a sentimental and tearful embrace when Meredith told her about all she'd experienced the day of Brianna's due date, and Kelly's continued source of healing in their lives.

"Mer," Kathleen hugged her, "when I saw you with Kerry, I just knew that you were going to be just fine, you and Derek. That I didn't have to worry as much."

"You don't," Meredith told her. "I'm not going to tell you there haven't been moments when I felt I was going to break down and cry...thinking of what could have been, but Kathleen since I've been here, since I held her...and then...her middle name, that we picked it. Beatrice...it is truly the way I feel, she has brought joy to our life, and I know that one day...Derek and I will have our children...our very own tiny miracles that will be welcomed so lovingly into our family."

"When that happens," Kathleen told her, "you can count on us...all of us...to be there, with you and Derek to welcome your babies...and I know it can be overwhelming, having so many of us there...but...figure out how to cope with it, because you are not going to keep me away...just like I've been there for all of my sisters...you are stuck with me and Mom...and I won't speak for the rest of them, but I'm pretty sure that first baby...you won't keep us away."

"You," Meredith took a deep breath, "you...would really want to do that...travel...and be there...I told Derek it wasn't something he should expect...Mom, yes...I know she will...but you all have families, so I didn't want him to be disappointed."

"What about you?" Kathleen asked her, "Would you want us there?"

"Yes," Meredith said without pause, "oh...yes, I'd want you there, but you... especially you...my older sister."

"Count on it," Kathleen said, "whenever you need me."

Kathleen and Meredith walked back in the house to the Jenna's pouting face, "you know Meredith...you can't play favorites."

"I'm not playing favorites," Meredith said and exchanged a brief glance with Kathleen. "It's Kathleen's fault, I can't help it...she's older."

"Oh my God," Nancy laughed, "Mom, she's become an expert...at dealing with the favorites dilemma."

"It's not very nice," Jenna actually sniffled, "she's supposed to spend time here, not with you Kathleen...for a whole hour."

"Oh stop pouting and sniffling," Kathleen went to sit next to her sister and hugged her, "you know you have a captive audience...her godparents are totally enthralled with my youngest niece, and I brought one of your favorite desserts...got up at the crack of dawn...this morning."

"Your fudge brownies..." Jenna smiled.

"Yes," Kathleen smiled indulgently at her youngest sister. "Take advantage while I know hormones are still playing a bit of havoc..."

"I love you Kathleen," Jenna hugged her back.

"Food...always a guarantee," Kathleen laughed.

"No," Jenna told her, "because I'm lucky to have you," she said, "all of you," and hormones did in fact have something to do with the sentimental conversation that followed between the sisters and their mother.

"Where's Kerry?" Meredith asked. "Is she sleeping?"

"No," Jenna said, "Jennifer is with her and the girls," she referred to the six youngest cousins. "She's letting them have turns holding her ...their half hour is just about up."

"You think that's ok," Meredith said, "she's just a newborn and the girls are so young..."

"Mer," Nancy said, "in a family like ours...they all learn to be around babies, whether they want to or not...they become experts at holding and feeding and changing diapers..."

"But," Meredith insisted, "Kerry is so little...she's very fragile still..."

Carolyn put her hand over Meredith's, "Jennifer has 3 younger sisters, she's an old hand at it, don't worry she's fine."

"Ok," Meredith smiled at her mother in law, "if you say so..."

"The boys will be just as bad," Maggie said, "when they get here they'll want to hog the baby as well."

"You mean even the teenage boys want to hold her...and...." Meredith said.

"Not just the teenage boys," Nancy laughed, "the big boys too...you watch, they're worse than we are in spoiling the babies."

"Aren't they supposed to be here soon?" Meredith asked.

"Kevin just texted," Kathleen said, "they won the game and they're at one of the boys favorite pizza places, as they were all starving and they all need to get out of sweaty clothes if they want to get anywhere near the baby, so they should start getting here in about an hour."

"Jenna," Meredith said, "can I get Kerry...do you think the girls...will mind?"

"They'll mind," Jenna said, "they think she's a doll...but...she's yours all weekend, everyone knows that...they get to see her whenever they want," she said, and Nancy, Carolyn and Kathleen smiled as they saw Meredith get up and make her way quickly up the stairs.