A Healing Heart

Chapter 6

Meredith walked out of the bedroom, Ellyse following tightly behind her. When she opened the door, she saw him standing with a bouquet of flowers, lavender to be specific, her favourite.

"Hey, come in." She said as she stood next to the door.

She noticed that somewhere along the way to the door Ellyse had stopped following her and she was now stood at the door that led to the bedrooms, chewing on her lip. Meredith know a sudden wave of neves had come over here when Derek had walked in.

"These are for you, well for both of you, but I know you like these ones. You do still like them right because if not then I can get-"

"Derek, there great, there still my favourites so thank you." She smiled as she placed them on the counter.

"Okay." Derek breathed rubbing his hands together, not yet noticing the small girl.

"Ells, come here." Meredith said and Derek's head snapped in the direction she spoke.

She walked over nervously and stood holding Meredith's leg tightly, her mom stroking her hair calmly.

"Hi Ellyse." Derek said as he crouched down in front of her.

She looked up to Meredith who nodded before she spoke, "hi."

"Your dress is very pretty." He smiled.

"Thanks. I picked it for you." She said slowly coming out from behind Meredith's leg.

"You did? For me?" He acted shocked.

"Yeah." She chewed the inside of her mouth, something that Derek noticed Meredith also did.

He stood up to Meredith, "does she... does she know who I am?"

"She picked her dress for you didn't she." She smiled."

"Right." He shook his head, his nerves were getting the best of him but he didn't want to ruin this moment.

"You my daddy?" Ellyse asked.

"I am. I'm your daddy and I'm sorry that I haven't been here before." He said looking into her green eyes, his own eyes burning with tears.

To both his and Meredith's surprise, the girl jumped into his arms and he hugged her tightly, stroking the back of her brown hair. He looked to Meredith and smiled.

"I missed you daddy." She muttered into his neck.

"I missed you too baby girl." He sniffled.

Meredith watched the two as her own tears left their pockets, she had kept them apart for so long. It was cruel and she couldn't imagine if someone had take away Ellyse when she was born, never letting her see her until years later. It would have broke her.

"Do you want to pay surgeoner on my dolls?" She asked Derek.

He looked at his daughter and laughed, "if course."

"She's definitely your daughter." He said to Meredith.

"Our daughter. She's definitely our daughter." She corrected.

"She is." He smiled proudly as he watched his daughter get her toys out of the box.

Hours passed and Ellyse was beyond happy and excited to have her father around, she had really warmed up to him; she had played dolls with him, done his makeup and his hair, played kitchen and now she was asleep, her head resting in his lap as Beauty and the Beast was ending on the tv, leaving both Meredith and Derek together in the silence.

"Thank you Meredith." He broke the silence.

"For what?" She frowned.

"For her. For letting me be here, you did an amazing job on your own with her." He smiled as he stroked his daughters head.