Chasing Cars

Chapter 25

Meredith wakes up to footsteps racing into her room.

"Mommy! Mommy! Wake up! Wake up! I'm four!!! I a big girl!" Maddie yells, reaching up and shaking her mom's shoulder.

Despite being exhausted even though she slept the entire night, Meredith forced herself to wake up.

"Hi baby girl! Happy birthday to my favorite girl." Meredith said smiling. "Wanna cuddle with Mommy for a while?"

"Uh huh!" Maddie squeals excitedly and climbs up onto the bed with her mom's help. She curls up next to her mom.

"Mama wanna know a secwet?" Maddie whispers.

"What's that baby?" Meredith asks.

"Daddy's making chocowate chip pancakes!!!" Maddie says with a big grin. "That's your favowite too!"

"It is my favorite!" Meredith agrees, even though she doesn't have an appetite at all. She doesn't want to think about food right now or else she may throw up. The past few days have been very rough on her with all of the multiple chemo treatments. She has the day off from treatment today luckily.

Meredith feels very weak and sick but ignores it so she can spend the day celebrating her daughter's birthday. She will do anything she can to make the day amazing for her baby girl.

Around fifteen minutes later, Derek comes into the room. "I have found my favorite girls! I was wondering where you two were hiding!" Derek says, going over to tickle Maddie.

"We're here Daddy!" Maddie giggles. "That tickles Daddy! Mommy! Daddy's tickling me!"

"Is he? Are you ticklish?" Meredith giggles and tickles Maddie as well.

"Mommy!!!!" Maddie giggles.

"Okay, who's hungry?" Derek asks.

"Me! Me! Me!" Maddie yells.

"Okay, guess we should go feed the birthday girl! Come on my three year old." Derek jokes, knowing Maddie will correct him.

"I four Daddy! Not Thwee! I Thwee yesterday! Today four!"

"Oh that's right! My bad!" Derek smiles. Maddie jumps into his outstretched arms.

"Come on Mama! Gotsa have birfday pancakes!" Maddie says excitedly.

"Okay sweetie. I'm getting up." Meredith says softly, her head starting to pound but she doesn't show the pain that she's in.

Meredith slowly sits up and starts to stand and wobbles which Derek instantly notices and quickly steadies her with one hand.

"Woah, Mer. Sit back down." Derek says with a frown.

"I'm okay." She whispers, but she's feeling very dizzy. She doesn't want to ruin Maddie's birthday.

"Are you sure? You look pale." Derek says.

"You otay mama?" Maddie asks.

"I'm good baby. Come on, let's go get some pancakes into you." Meredith says.

Maddie claps excitedly. "Pancakes, pancakes, pancakes!" She sings.

Meredith stands up slowly and is still feeling dizzy but is able to make her way to the kitchen with Derek gripping her arm to help support her.

"Okay Miss Maddie. One chocolate chip pancake for you!" Derek says. He puts the plate in front of her and pours some syrup on top of it.

"Yummy!" Maddie squeals and takes a big bite. "Mmmm yummy! Mommy you gots to try some!"

"I'm saving them for you sweetie." Meredith says softly. The truth was her stomach just couldn't handle it. She still feels extremely nauseas but at least hasn't thrown up since she went to bed the night before.