Bright and Shiny

Chapter 125

"Are you nervous?" Meredith asked as Derek silently drove them to the hospital. A few more days had passed, days of the house coming along and now the day was here. By this afternoon they would be handed over the keys, baring the house passed its inspection today while Derek and Meredith were at work. They'd be able to spend their upcoming holidays in their house, get a big tree, string lights outside, and decorate everywhere.

"No." Derek answered, too quickly and quietly for Meredith to believe him. Meredith knew they had nothing to worry about. Derek had chosen one of the best architects and construction companies on the entire west coast. They've never failed an inspection before and they weren't going to fail now. However, Meredith knew Derek was just being apprehensive because of the rushing to get the house interior done, he just wanted everything to go off without a hitch.

They had dreamed of their house for so long. After living for years in the busy city of Manhattan in an overpriced apartment that gave them no space, no land, no peace and quiet. This had been something Derek always wanted.

"Der…" Meredith responded in that tone of voice that made him know she knew he wasn't being truthful.

Derek took a deep breath and sighed, looking over at her while they sat at the red light in traffic. "We've wanted this for so long, I just want everything to be perfect for you and the baby." He smiled as he looked down to see Meredith's hand resting across her stomach, the protecting their baby habit she'd picked up since she found out she was pregnant.

"It will be" she whispered back. His sincerity of concern and love for their family always touched her, as she tried to blink back the unfallen tears in her eyes. "All we need is you, remember I'd live in a box." She giggled trying to make him lighten up a bit and remembering that Christmas morning he proposed and she freaked out about their future.

He laughed finally breaking out of his solemn contemplating of worry. "I remember, you freaked out." He teased.

"Hey!" she swatted his arm. "I was a an engaged teenager heading off to college having no idea how to plan a wedding or what my mother would say when she found out I was going to marry an intern. I had the right to a freak out," she pouted as he pulled into his attending parking space at the hospital and turned the car off.

"You did, and who would have thought that all these years later we'd be hours away from moving into our dream house. The one that we dreamed about that day, before you had even step foot in college and I had no idea if I'd make it as a doctor." He let out quietly remembering the insecurities he himself had back then when so much of his life was changing at the same time and he didn't want to disappoint her or himself then either.

"Me, I would have thought it. I never doubted it and I never doubted you." She smiled as she reached over and took his hand in hers, caressing it in a soothing motion and looking up at him like he was her world. Because he was and he had been since the moment she met him. "You've never let me down, even when you're being stupid like getting drunk with Mark and coming home at four in the morning banging on the door waking me up because you thought your car key was the house key. You've never failed me."

They laughed as he nodded and quickly kissed her lips. Running his hand in her hair, staring right at her before whispering. "I'm okay."

"You're okay," she whispered back smiling. Knowing that his insecurities about the house were gone now or at least shoved further down.

They both emerged into the hospital together both realizing that when they left together that night they'd not be going home to the trailer but to their house. Meredith heard him groan as they reached the elevators.

"What is it?"

"This is going to be the longest day ever isn't it?" he moaned.

"Yup, like the last day of school before summer holidays." She laughed at him.

"Just think about that nice big comfy bed will be waiting at the end of this day. It will help." she smiled brightly at him as he nodded.