What Life Holds

40

It didn't take Meredith and Arizona long to get home. As Meredith saw the house she froze for a minute, it was the same house but somehow it looked different.
"You on Meri?" Arizona coed, as she helped Meredith out of the car and into her wheelchair.
"Yeah I'm fine, it's just the house looks slightly different." Meredith sighed looking up at Arizona.
As Arizona saw her wife's eyes she couldn't help but feel sad, she knew what Meredith meant there had been changes she had started making the changes the second Meredith woke up but she also knew that the house just looked different it had been so long since Meredith had seen this house. Prior to her coma they had been in the apartment.
"I understand well to ease some of that heart ache your feeling; there has been changes; when we found out you would be in a wheel chair for a bit I had a proper ramp installed over the stairs in the front of the house, and I flattened some of the front yard. It was something we had been planning to do for ages anyway cause of my leg but I figured we might as well do it now." Arizona explained, smiling at Meredith.
"Oh thanks zona," Meredith smiled before making her way towards the front door. They hadn't told the kids she was coming home for the night so they where very excited. They stopped at the front door.
"You go in first then I'll follow then we can tell them the good news." Meredith suggested beaming at the idea of surprising her kids
"Sounds good to me." Arizona smiled carefully opening the door.
"Kids I'm home!" Arizona yelled, followed by the sound of footsteps running towards the door.
"Mamma" Ellis yelled jumping into Arizona's arms nearly knocking her over,
"Hey munchkin, how was your day?" Arizona coed cuddling her youngest daughter.
"Good I had lots of fun with Auntie Maggie." She said smiling,
"That's great Elli," Arizona smiled putting Ellis down as her older kids appeared in front of her.
"Mamma, what did the judge say?" Sofia asked cautiously.
"Well honey I think there is someone you might like to see first," Arizona smiled opening the door again so the kids could see Meredith.
"MUMMY!" The kids cheered all running towards Meredith.
"Hey munchkins," Meredith said smiling, it killed her that she couldn't hug her kids back but she tried to enjoy their embrace anywhere.
"Hi Arizona, how was..." Maggie started to ask checking on the kids as they answered the door.
"Meredith?" She asked surprised.
"Hey Maggie," Meredith smiled,
"Your..your home?" Maggie asked, she wasn't expecting Meredith to get to come home yet.
"Just for tonight." Meredith said wheeling the chair into the house, Ellis sitting on her lap.
"Well what was the decision?" Maggie asked once they had made it to the lounge. The other kids had run off the play again leaving only the adults and Sofia.
"The judge decided on joint custody" Arizona said, trying to hold back her smile.
"Oh Ari" Maggie coed,
"Joint custody between Myself and Meredith." Arizona completed smiling.
"Wait what?" Sofia asked shocked,
"The judge decided that you get to live with me and Mummy full time." Arizona explained pulling her daughter into her lap. "She also made the decision that Callie had lost all parent rights." Arizona explained, but the little girl just looked at her confused.
"So, before when your mamma had full custody of you, Callie still had her parents rights which is what meant that she could go to the judge and say she didn't think that you should live with us full time but because of how she acted in the trial, she isn't allowed to say that anymore. You get to live with Mamma full time." Meredith explained smiling at her daughter.
"Really?" Sofia asked excited,
"Yes really," Arizona said smiling,
"You said joint custody though what does that mean?" Sofia asked,
"Well it's a bit complicated to explain but it means that legally your mummy also had custody of you, which mean she can legally adopt you." Arizona explained.
"Adopt me?" Sofia asked confused.
"You know what adoption is don't you?" Meredith asked,
"Yeah like Zozo or auntie Maggie." Sofia answered.
"Right," Maggie said smiling, "so sometimes adoption means that a child goes to live with a new mummy and daddy but sometime is can also mean that if one of your parents gets married after your born your step-mummy or daddy can adopt you officially." Maggie explained.
"So mummy can adopt me? And be really my mummy?" Sofia asked
"If that's what you'd like baby," Meredith said smiling.
"You would do that?" Sofia asked shyly
"Oh baby girl come here," Meredith cooed and Sofia climbed into her lap. "I've always been your mummy ever since I started dating your mamma and before that I was your auntie mer, not that you would remember that but nothing would make me happier then to adopt you my baby." She cooed, kissing Sofia on the top of the head.
"Thank you mummy." Sofia said hugging Meredith. As she felt her daughter hug her Meredith fought every muscle in her body evenly being able to lift one arm enough that she could hug her daughter back at least a little, it was more just an arm across her daughter back but it was progress.
After hugging her mummy Sofia jumped off Meredith's lap hugging Arizona before running to tell her siblings the great news.
Once she was out of the room Meredith let out a sigh.
"Everything ok Mer?" Maggie asked immediately switching into doctor mode.
"Yeah I'm fine, it's just I've used a lot of energy today I'm tired." Meredith said softly, she hated how weak she felt, she wanted to spend time with her kids but she could feel her eyes starting to droop.
"Oh Meri honey, how about you go for a nap and you can have one of your feeds then I'll wake you after the kids and I have had dinner and we can watch a movie or something." Arizona suggested knowing what was going on in her wife's mind.
"Yeah that sounds good." Meredith said, before realising getting to her bed may be an issue. But before she could even bring up the issue Arizona beat her to it.
"I had a stair lift installed on the stairs, I figured you'd want to stay here and not the apartment when you got home and we where going to need one eventually anyway, then I can push you to the room I bought another chair for just upstairs it's not as fancy as your main one but it's got the strap to help you stay up, and I can push you..." Arizona rambled hoping that she had done the right thing.
"Thank you Zona,it's perfect, you are perfect." Meredith cut Arizona off, "come here I want to kiss you."
Arizona laughed leaning down to kiss Meredith.
"You two are so cheesy sometimes." Maggie joked smiling at the couple, as Meredith and Arizona made their way towards the bedroom.

Authors Note,
Hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Sorry for the delay, I was just trying to decide where to take this story next. I think I have some ideas but if you have any suggestions please let me know I am often to suggestions.

If you like this story please check out my other two Grey's Anatomy fan fictions.