You've got a Way

20.

This felt completely normal and just like they had been doing it every night since Emma was born. Meredith had filled up the bathtub a little bit and Emma was sitting in it, splashing around and playing with a few bath toys while they attempted to get her clean for bed. Derek had come over a few hours before and made dinner while Meredith made him up a bed on the couch. And now it was bath time for Emma before bed.

"Ba baba ba ta may!" Emma babbled as she clutched a heart shaped sponge in her hand. Her other hand splashed in the water as Meredith tried to wash her back with a square shaped purple sponge.

"Emma...Sit still." Derek laughed, putting a small rubber duck in the tub with his daughter.

"She's splashing everywhere." Meredith giggled, as Emma put the sponge in her mouth. "Ew Emma...."

"Mmm ba!" Emma smiled, the sponge in her mouth.

"That's disgusting Emma." Derek laughed. "You're too young to have your mouth washed out with soap."

"Or so we think." Meredith pushed her daughter back, so the baby was lying down in the tub.

"Ba."

"The sweater I got...did it fit?" Derek asked, referring to the green sweater he had brought for Meredith.

"Oh um....yeah." Meredith said, cleaning her baby's stomach as Emma squirmed around. "Thanks again."

"You're welcome." Derek smiled. "I was trying to find one that was similar to it for Emma."

"I love the jeans you got for her." Meredith replied with a weak giggle. They had managed to completely put the fight about his mother and Addison at the party behind him, mostly because they didn't want to fight over Emma anymore. "And the dress..."

"I'm glad they fit her. I was afraid they'd be too big."

"Da Ma!"

"So...."

"My mom is sending some things...more clothes and toys...I think you should probably expect a package from her every week." Derek laughed.

"Oh um....she sent me a letter apologizing."

"She did?"

"Yeah and she wants to come next month for a weekend." Meredith said as Emma splashed them both. "Emma Carolyn...."

"Oh...You can say no. She won't be upset."

"No....maybe she should. I mean...she already knows now and...maybe she should."

"Really?"

"I think Emma would like it." Meredith breathed, as Emma tried to stand up in the tub. "Emma...."

"Ba....hi!"

"Careful Noodle." Derek breathed, holding Emma's hand.

"Okay...she's done." Meredith giggled, reaching for a towel as Emma fell on her small bottom.

"I um...I need your advice." Derek said quietly, as he picked Emma up and Meredith wrapped a small towel around her.

"About what?" Meredith asked, taking Emma into her arms as Derek let the water out of the bathtub.

"The land...I told you about the land I bought."

"Oh okay."

"I got a trailer...on the land."

"Oh."

"And I haven't told Addison...about either of them."

"Oh well....Addison doesn't strike me as the trailer type of girl." Meredith said, sitting down on her bed with Emma who had already kicked her towel off.