Dear Derek

Chapter 87 (Derek)

"Aren't you gonna use the instructions?" Zola asked, handing me a glass of lemonade.

Meredith and the kids decided it would be a good idea to buy a swing set and not hire a handy man to put it together. "Zola I'm a neurosurgeon, I think I can handle it." I smiled.

"Really? You have been out here since noon and you've only got the base part done and it doesn't even look like the picture." she claimed, holding up the paper to take a look.

"Can I see it?"

She handed me the paper and sure enough it looked nothing like the picture. I sat back and sighed. "Stay here Dad. I think I might have something that will help you."

Before I could say anything back, she ran inside. After a few minutes she brought Bailey, Link, and Winston out. "Zola why did you bring me out here I was watching a movie with Ellis." Bailey whined.

"Yea Zola honey, why are we outside?" Winston asked.

"As you can see my dad has no building skills what so ever. Now, you are all men and you can all read, therefore, you can all sit here and build this swing set because it's supposed to rain tomorrow and I know it will never be built." she smiled.

Amelia came outside holding some popcorn. "What's going on out here?"

"Well according to Zola, we are building a swing set." Link laughed.

"Oh thank god someone is helping Derek. I've been watching him for the past three hours doing who knows what."

Amelia and Zola burst out into laughter. Winston rolled his eyes. "See you guys at dinner time." Zola smiled as her and Amelia headed back inside.

The summer sun shined on us as we got to work. "Derek, why did you think it was a good idea to not use the instructions?" Link asked.

"I've put brains back together...so how would putting a swing set together be any different?"

"Derek, fixing brains and building a swing set are two totally different things." Winston laughed.

I handed Winston the instructions and sent Link into the house to get us so beers. Bailey asked to go back inside. I nodded and he ran through the doors. Link came outside and handed everyone a drink. "Seems like we lost a builder."

"Haha yea, he was hot and wanted to go watch T.V."

After a few hours of devoted worked, we finally finished the swing set. "Wow it doesn't look that bad." Amelia said as her and the kids came outside.

"Wow Daddy, it looks so good." Ellis smiled, hugging me.

The kids all ran to play before it got too dark to see anything. Maggie poked her head out the door and said, "Meredith just told me she's on her way home and she's going to pick up dinner. Oh and also, Bailey and Ben are coming over."

Winston gave her a thumbs up and she smiled at him.

Meredith arrived home with hotdogs and hamburgers. She claimed it was a gorgeous night and we should take advantage of it. Amelia set the table as I tried to turn the grill on. We hadn't used it ages. We sat around the big table outside and enjoyed the nice summer evening.

After the sun went down, Link made a fire and as the children played, the adults sat around it and talked.

Meredith sat close to me and I wrapped both of us in a blanket I found inside. The night was chilly, but the stars aided the moon in lighting up the sky. "So Derek, have you decided on going back to work or not?" Ben asked.