"Your Mom's here," one of the new girls poked her head around the corner and into my office. I really didn't know her name yet and I didn't feel as bad about that as I should have. The work ethic today had taken a major fall, and I was running out of cage cleaners faster than I was able to find them. But Jane seemed to be up for the challenge of finding me a good staff.

"Send her back," I barely looked up from the chart in my hands. I was getting ready for surgery, and I always took time to check over the patients records one more time to make sure that I was doing the right thing before putting them under.

"Mason," my mom's voice momentarily distracted me. "Don't you ever clean up in here? It looks like a tornado came through and destroyed my beautiful office."

I couldn't help but chuckle, "Mom, it's my office now, remember? And honestly, I was looking for something. I'll put it back together right now." With exaggeration, I picked up the two books that had fallen to the floor and put them back into their places and looked at my mother who nodded happily. The office had to be immaculate. She could probably tell me if I'd moved one of her books and where it was supposed to go without even looking at the shelves. I suppose that's what happens when you work in the same office for over thirty years.

"Now, what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" I said, already knowing the answer.

She shrugged, "Your father kicked me out. He said that my pacing was making him antsy."

I shook my head. My father hadn't actually kicked her out. He'd lovingly suggested that she come back to the clinic, like he'd done every day for the past three weeks. We'd thrown her an official retirement party and I'd become the sole vet here, but she couldn't stay away. She'd loved her job, and she couldn't stand sitting around at home. And I think she secretly missed spending every moment of the day with me.

"You could have gone and checked on Nessie. She gets cranky all by herself these days." I made the suggestion in joke. Getting her to go anywhere besides the clinic was near impossible. She'd always been proud of her practice, and I loved that she'd passed it onto me.

I bit my cheek to keep from laughing when she scrunched up her nose, "She's cranky because she's pregnant. Thank you very much, but after dealing with your aunts and myself, I don't think I can do pregnant again."

"I'm sure my dear sister would love to hear that you're avoiding her in her time of need." I said as I watched her scan the books on the shelves.

"She doesn't need me," she waved me off before making her way out of the office, knowing that I would follow her. And like the loyal puppy that I am, I followed my Mommy to her destination. "Between all of your cousins and your father, she's never alone." She stopped in front of the cage where my ferrets stayed. After Jake had passed on, I hadn't been able to get another dog. He'd lived for nineteen years. I knew that one day I'd be able to, but Jake was my dog, and it would take some time to get over him.

She reached in and plucked out my silver mitt. I didn't understand why, but she was her favorite. She'd let her climb up on her shoulders, and she'd just stay there. It was actually kind of incredible. "She needs her Mom. I'm sure this is a really hard time for her." I loved Nessie, and I knew that being eight months pregnant had to be killer. Bree and I hadn't been blessed with children and I didn't know if we ever would,so I couldn't even begin to imagine how Riley was handling her.

"Oh don't be silly, Mason," Mom set off and began searching my cabinets making sure that Jane was keeping me well stocked. I didn't know why she would second guess her. She'd been working here for as long as I could remember. "I go see your sister every day. Is it so bad that I want to see you too?"

I chuckled, squeezing her shoulder gently, "Mom, don't piss Jane off. You trained her and I don't think she'd like to see that you don't trust her."

"Me?" my mother looked up at me innocently. "Whatever do you mean?"

Shaking my head, I left her to continue her investigation. "I'll be in surgery. Make yourself at home." It was a joke, she was more at home here than she was anywhere else, even with Dad.

Their thirtieth wedding anniversary was coming up in the next few weeks. Dad was going to surprise her with another cruise, but this time they would be going to Greece. Of course, when he'd purchased the room, Nessie hadn't been pregnant. He was still trying to decide whether to trade the rooms for a different time. Even though Mom was being blasé about Nessie having their first grandchild, I knew that she was ecstatic, though she wished that Nessie had waited a little longer to start a family.

Nessie was a Kindergarten teacher, though, and she wanted a little baby of her own. At twenty eight years old, she had somehow managed to snag her dream job, marry her high school sweetheart, and was now working to make a family. Like mother like daughter.

As I prepared Snoopy to go under, I couldn't help but smile. We had been really blessed, Nessie and I. We had two parents who loved us dearly and had supported us as we'd worked toward our dreams. According to my mom, I'd always wanted to be a vet, even before she came into our lives. I couldn't remember as I was only three years old, but she always told me that was one of the first things that I ever said to her.

Yes, I hadn't met my mother until I was three years old, but that didn't change anything for me. She was my mom, and I loved her. From time to time I'd hear from my biological mother, but she rarely ever came to visit. I knew that she was allowed visitation rights, but she'd basically refused them, and I'd come to terms with that. Tanya, my biological mother, had never really wanted to be a mom. I know she loved me, in her own way, but it was nothing like the way that my Mom did.

I can't honestly say that I really remember a time before she was in my life, but I know the story of my parents' romance well. It was a bit Serendipitous, them losing each other, then ending up in the same place years later. It made me believe in fate. And it had made me strive for a better relationship with Bree. I wasn't willing to settle into a loveless relationship like my father had, and I knew that they never would have let me.

Thirty minutes later, I was back in my office when Aunt Alice slipped in. She smiled at me, that look in her eyes that told me something big was coming. It scared me when she got that look in her eyes, because I knew that my life was never the same after she told me what she was here for.

I stood up and hugged her cautiously. "Hey Aunt Alice. What are you doing here? I thought we were all meeting for supper tonight for a final time before Dad puts Nessie on bed rest." She wouldn't be able to get away from it. Edward Cullen was far too over protective of his baby girl.

Aunt Alice smiled and bounced on her toes excitedly, "I just wanted to be the first to tell you congratulations, and to let you know that your Dad will be okay with you asking him to cancel the cruise all together."

My brow furrowed, "What are you talking about Alice. I think it's a great idea for Mom and Dad to go on a cruise. They would love Greece."

"Don't worry about why," Alice waved me off. "I just wanted to tell you."

I chuckled. To be honest, I knew it didn't matter. All of this would make sense eventually, it was just irritating that she had to be so cryptic. Now it would be in the back of my mind for the rest of the day.

After my last appointment, I said goodbye to my staff and my mom, promising that Bree and I would see her in a few hours. Alice's visit was still on my mind and I wanted to ask Mom if she knew anything about it, but I didn't want her to know about Greece if she wasn't going to get to go. So instead, I simply kissed her cheek and headed home.

"Bree?" I called out as I hung my keys in the place by the door. "Baby where are you?"

"Bathroom," I heard her voice call from across the house.

Curiously, I followed it to the master bathroom to find her sitting on the lip of the tub, looking slightly dazed. I dropped to my knees in front of her and stroked the apple of her cheek trying to read her eyes, "Sweetheart. What's the matter?"

She shook her head slightly before holding something up for my inspection. My heart beat rapidly as I realized what it was that she was trying to tell me. "Are you sure?" I whispered quietly. She held up three more pregnancy tests, letting me know that she was positive about it.

I couldn't hold it in, I lifted her up and crushed my lips to hers. After a few years of trying and being told that our likelihood of getting pregnant was low, we'd simply left it up to fate. "A baby," I whispered against my wife's lips.

Bree smiled and reached up to brush a few happy tears from my cheek. "Do you think Nessie would care if we told everyone tonight?"

"God no," I hugged Bree to me more tightly, knowing that with my family this may be the last time I had her in my arms tonight. She was going to be passed around until it was time to go home again. "She's going to be so happy that some of the attention is off of her."

Bree giggled, "It's not going to get any of Dr. Cullen's attention away from her, she might as well get over that."

"I love you so much." I whispered into her hair. This felt like a dream, and I never wanted to wake up. "I am the luckiest man that ever existed."

The End