Confide in Me

Chapter 7

"Daddy, we going to get Mer from airport?" Maddie asked, stood beside the arm of the chair he sat in.

They were currently at his parent's house, and the plane Meredith had supposed to get last night had been cancelled, and she had gone to the extreme of renting a car and driving back instead of waiting for the next plane. Maddie had already asked him this question earlier today, but she'd started repeating her questions, particularly when it came to see Meredith again.

He loved that Meredith and his daughter got on so well, and Maddie seemed very attached to her. But it made things harder when Maddie was expecting her back and something, like a cancelled flight, held her up.

It may have been made worse that today was Maddie's birthday, and it wasn't only Maddie who was upset that Meredith wasn't back yet. The tone of Meredith's voice had indicated just how annoyed she was at herself for not being back in time. They had wanted to do a birthday breakfast with her that morning, and it had ended up being only Derek and Maddie, while Meredith was stuck on her plane.

"Meredith is going to meet us here, remember?" He told her.

She nodded silently and climbed into his lap. Her legs kicked out in front of her, a sure sign of her impatience. "When is she here?"

"Really soon, baby," he chuckled softly. "She's getting here as quick as she can. She doesn't want to miss your special birthday dinner."

"Missed birthday breakfast," Maddie pouted, leant against his side.

"I know, but you know she wanted to be there, and tomorrow you're going to have another birthday breakfast with just Meredith," Derek reassured her, his around her and rubbed the top of her arm in an attempt at comfort.

"No day care?"

"Nope, you're going to spend the whole with Meredith."

His daughter looked up at him with a wide grin. "Yes!"

Derek chuckled with a shake of his head. His father copied him, stood in the doorway from the kitchen.

"You really like Meredith, don't you, Mads?" The older man asked rhetorically, and took a seat on the couch opposite them.

"Mer is the best," Maddie nodded, a grin still on her face. "She's pretty, and funny, and she gives better cuddles than Daddy."

"Oh, wow," Christopher chuckled. "That's a very high compliment."

The doorbell rang, and when Maddie made to leap off his lap he kept a hold on her. His mom went to answer the door.

"Daddy! Let me!"

"In a minute, baby girl, let Meredith get in the house first."

"Where's the birthday girl?" Meredith's voice sounded from the hallway, almost as though she were singing the words.

"Here! Daddy trapped me!" Maddie called out.

"What now?" Meredith appeared in the doorway, a hand on her hip and her brow furrowed in confusion.

Derek laughed and set Maddie on her feet, where she ran straight to Meredith who embraced for the impact. She crouched and lifted Maddie up into a hug, squeezing her back just as tight as Maddie was holding on to her.

"Happy Birthday, little bug," Meredith murmured to her, and Derek just watched their interaction, his heart tightened in his chest.

Derek stood from the armchair, and crossed the room himself to greet his girlfriend. He pressed a quick kiss to her cheek. "Go sit down, I'll grab you a drink. Coffee?"