Confide in Me

EPILOGUE

Meredith figured that waking up at six in the morning was completely worth it for the gummy-smile she received from the toddler reaching up at her. She reached into the cot, lifting her son into her arms and grabbing his favourite blanket to wrap around him. She pressed a kiss against the top of his head.

"Good morning," she laughed at her child's babbling, quickly checking his sister was still asleep before slipping out of the room with him.

His small hand smacked against her cheek with not a lot of force, and only served to make her grin. He laughed in response and repeated the action.

"Now why is mommy being beaten up this morning?" Derek said. He was sat up in the bed, against the pillows, fingers attempting to tame his hair.

"I believe it is hilarious," Meredith said, climbing onto the bed beside him and letting Theo roam in the sheets, crawling his way over to his father. "But maybe it's your turn now."

"Oh no, my little boy is here to give me morning cuddles, I do believe," he chuckled and opened his arms wide as their toddler approached. "Good morning."

"Ah! Ba!" Theo giggled with a squeal. His face nuzzled against Derek's chest, who held him close, pressing multiple kisses to the top of his head.

"You're right, it is very early, isn't it?" Derek chuckled, playing along.

Meredith watched, as she normally found herself doing, while Derek fussed over Theo. She heard a sound of rustling over the baby monitor and frowned, hoping Maddie hadn't been woken up.

Maddie had insisted on staying in the same room as Theo. Even though they knew this was exactly what would happen, that there's be late nights and early mornings that would upset Maddie's sleep routine.

Meredith climbed off the bed and went into the kids' bedroom again, finding Maddie sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes. She approached and knelt beside her daughter's bed, running her hand over the back of her head.

"You can go back to sleep, little bug," she murmured, pressing a kiss to the side of Maddie's head. "It's really early."

"Theo's with Daddy?" She asked with a yawn, leaning toward Meredith, half-asleep.

"Yeah, he woke up very early just like Daddy does," Meredith laughed softly and wrapped her arm around Maddie.

"I wanna help, Mommy," Maddie said, looking up at her with sleepy eyes. "I can wake up now."

"Are you sure?" Meredith asked, rubbing her back.

Maddie nodded and made to climb out of the bed. Meredith rose to her feet again and made space, waiting for Maddie to pull on her dressing gown and put her slippers on. "Theo needs milk."

"He does," Meredith nodded and held her hand out to Maddie who took it with a tight grip. "Come here, Princess. I want a cuddle."

Meredith lifted Maddie up onto her hip, holding her securely there. Maddie giggled and cringed on with her arms around Meredith's neck. She was almost seven years old now, and Meredith was sure she was growing up far too fast. Gone was toddler who couldn't pronounce her name right, and in her place a smart, amazing little girl who called her mommy.

Everything was making her a little emotional this morning.

They went down to the kitchen and Meredith sat Maddie down on a stool. "Juice, water, or milk for you?"

"Milk too, please," Maddie said with another yawn, her small hand covering her mouth.

Meredith poured Maddie a cup of milk and set it in front of her before putting together a mixture of fresh milk and formula milk for Theo. She couldn't believe they were already weaning him off the formula milk.

Theo had been brought into the hospital at only a few months old. Brought in as part of the safe haven programme and taken to Addison. Somehow, Meredith had gotten involved in staying with the baby while they waited for social services, and something had just... clicked. The little boy had stolen her heart and she watched that click happen with Derek when she introduced them. A lot of paperwork later and here they were. They had a son, and Maddie was a big sister - a role she took a lot of pride in.

Meredith smiled over at Maddie, watching her drink her milk for a moment. She never imagined for a moment this would be her life. The number of times things had gone wrong for her, and the number of times she had almost given up... sometimes she didn't even think she deserved any of this.

She didn't deserve to have Derek in her life. The one person who felt like home, who had her back, who supported her through everything. And then to have Maddie in her life, to be accepted into Maddie's life, to be able to call herself her mother. Even all of that felt like too much. And now they had Theo as well, and it felt like their family was complete.

All the tears she had cried, when she realised she would probably never bear children of her own, what had all that been for? She didn't need biology to have children of her own. Maddie and Theo were her children, just as much as any biological child would have been.

And she would never forget Noah. There would always be a special spot in her heart for him.

Now she had a family, a future. They made plans, and they had days out. And they weren't perfect, not by a long shot. But they were hers and she loved them with everything she had.

"Help me down, Mommy?" Maddie asked.

Meredith nodded, pulling herself out of her thoughts and setting Maddie onto her feet. "There you go. Theo's milk is ready. Are you coming back upstairs or watching cartoons before breakfast?"

"Can we have a little nap in yours and daddy's bed?" Maddie asked, a cheeky grin on her face, much more awake now.

"Of course. Go on up, I'll be right behind you," Meredith said.

She laughed a little to herself, watching Maddie go on up ahead of her. She grabbed Theo's bottle before heading up herself.

"Here," she said, passing the bottle to Derek.

Derek smiled at her before turning back to their children, Maddie already talking away to Theo who watched her with fascination. Theo was ultimately distracted by the bottle of milk and Meredith joined all three of them on the bed.

She grabbed Maddie around the middle and pulled her in for a cuddle. Maddie just laughed and curled into her, enjoying the attention.

They were her family. And they mattered above anything else.