"It's very nice to meet you, Jessica. Michael has told me a lot about you."

"Oh really? Michael! What did you say?" Jessica laughs.

"Oh don't worry, it was nothing but good things, I promise." Daniel smiles.

"Ah! *Nods* Well good!"

"And this must be Grayson." Daniel smiles and touches Grayson's hand.

"Yes it it. Say hi, Gray." Jessica smiles at the baby.

"Hi!" He smiles and waves.

Daniel chuckles and Michael asks, "Mom, the team is going out for some pizza, can I go?"

"Uh sure. You need some money?"

"Don't worry about it, I've got it." Michael's coach says.

"No, let me give him money."

"Mrs. Shepard, I've got it. I can't let my best player pay!"

"Heh! Isn't your son on the team?"

"Yeah, but he doesn't play like Michael."

Jessica laughs.

"Alright, well thank you very much."

"No problem!" Daniel smiles.

"I'll let you guys go. Michael, call me when you get there and when you want me to come pick you up, okay?"

"Okay."

"It was very nice meeting you, Mrs. Shepard." Daniel smiles and shakes her hand.

"Nice meeting you as well." Jessica smiles.

"Bye Grayson." He waves.

"Bye bye!" Grayson smiles and waves back.

Jessica chuckles and walks back to Sarah and Evan.

"Is that Michael's new coach?" Sarah asks.

"Yeah. Daniel.. He seems nice."

"He seems cute too."

"Oh God, Sarah!" Jessica rolls her eyes.

"What?! He does!"

"Alright."

Sarah smiles and says, "So what are we doing for lunch?"

"I don't know. Whatever you guys want. Michael's going out with the team, so it's just Gray and I."

"Okay, how does Magiano's sound?"

"Expensive!"

"Don't worry about it, I've got it, Jess." Evan says.

"No don't do that!"

"Just think of it as an early birthday present."

"Evan no." Jessica sternly says.

"Jessica, will you just stop! We're going!" Sarah says.

"Alright! Thank you guys." She smiles.

***

Once Jessica was finished eating, she got a text from Michael.

*Coach is gonna take me home, is that alright?*

*Yeah, that's fine.  I'm about to leave here, so I'll see you in a bit.*

"Ready to go home, Gray?" Jessica asks putting her phone in her purse.

"Ya!  Nap!"

Jessica chuckles and gently grazes her hand down his forehead and eyes.

"Are you sleepy?"

"I sweepy!" He looks at her with tired little eyes.

"Awe." Jessica melts just looking at his cute little face.

"We better go.  Thank you guys again!  I owe you!"

"Don't worry about it!" Evan brushes it off.

"Yeah!  It was nice getting to see you today, Jess.  You look great!" Sarah smiles.

"Well thank you!  I feel pretty great too."

***

Jessica got home at the same time Michael did.

Daniel made his son get out to say hello.

"Mrs. Shepard!  This is my boy, Zachary." He smiles and pats his back.

"Hello Mrs. Shepard." He holds his hand out to shake.

"Hi Zachary!  Very nice to meet you." Jessica smiles.

"Nice to meet you as well, Mrs. Shepard."

"You're very polite!  Your mom and dad have raised you right!"

"Mom.." Michael gives her a signal to stop talking.

"It's okay, Mike.  My mom past away when I was two years old." Zachary says.

"Oh no!  I'm so sorry!  I had no idea!" Jessica looks at Daniel.

"It's okay.. I'm sorry for your loss as well.

Michael's told me all about Sam... He seemed a good guy."

"The best." Jessica smiles softly and suddenly gets a little upset.

Daniel clears his throat and takes a deep breath.

"We better go.  Nice seeing you."

"Nice seeing you too!  Take care." 

"You too."

Daniel and his son drive off and Jessica sighs.

"I didn't know his mom died!  Gosh I'm so stupid!"

"It's okay, you didn't know!"

"Yeah.. I just feel bad."

***

One week later.

Michael's POV.

"What are you doing for spring break?" He asks Zachary.

"Every year my dad takes me on a camping trip.

It's kinda dorky, but it's nice just to be with him.."

"I bet.."

"I'm sorry.."

"It's okay... You know, before my dad died, he told me that he would take me and my brothers on a trip.. It was going to be my first time going with them... The day after he said that was the day we found out he had cancer.. He was gone two weeks later."

"Wow.. I am so sorry.  I can't imagine going through that.  I don't have my mom here, but I don't really remember her that much.  What I do remember is she always had a big bright smile.. and I remember I loved playing.. or pulling her hair.. That's about all I remember.."

"I'm sorry.  I don't know what I'd do without my mom.  She's the best."

Zachary nods and sighs.

"Well don't we know how to ruin the excitement of spring break?" He jokes.

"Heh!  Right?" Michael chuckles.

***

Zachary and Daniel's POV.

"Is something bothering you?" Daniel asks.

"Well.. I was talking to Michael today, and I just feel bad.  I lost mom, but I don't remember her very well.  Mike had his dad for fourteen years of his life!  I can't even imagine that.. I can't imagine what it'd be like if I lost you."

"That's tough.. Poor kid."

"Yeah.. Dad?"

"Hm?"

"Do you think he could come camping with us this year?"

"Well I don't know, I'll have to ask his mom."

"Could you?  If you don't mind!  It's just, he was telling me that his dad was planning on taking him and his brothers somewhere, and then he died.  I just feel bad.. He might not even want to go, but I want to at least ask."

Daniel smiles softly and says, "You're a good kid.  I'll call his mom and maybe we could all go to dinner tonight and get to know each other a little more so that she won't feel like she's sending her son with a total stranger."

"Thank dad!  Are you sure you don't mind?"

"Not at all!"

***

Jessica's POV.

*Phone rings*

"Hello?"

"Hello.. Mrs. Shepard?"

"Yes?  May I ask who's speaking?"

"Yes, this is Michael's coach."

"Oh coach Daniel!  Uhm, hi!" She chuckles unsure of why he was calling.

"Hi, I was just wondering if you and your boys wanted to have dinner with my son and I? 

Zachary and I go camping every spring break for the weekend, and Zach wanted to know if Michael could join us this year.  I thought if you got to know us a little better, it might make the decision a little easier." He chuckles.

"Oh!  Okay!  Yeah, of course we could have dinner!  Where do you have in mind?"

"Well something baby, teen and adult friendly.. How about Dave and Busters around six?"

"Hah!  Sounds fun!  We'll be there."

"Great!  See you then!"

***

When they got there, they ordered their food and started talking.

"So your other two boys are in college?"

"Yeah, they're at OU."

"Oh wow!  That's far, it must be tough!"

"Oh it's horrible!  But they're doing really well, so that's good."

"That's great."

"Yeah!  So besides coaching basketball, what else do you do?"

"Well I'm actually a dentist." He chuckles.

"Wow!  A basketball playing dentist?  That's pretty cool."

Daniel laughs and says, "Right?  I've coached my son's team for years, so when he transferred and they needed a new coach, I was like why not?!"

"That's awesome!"

"My dad coached my brother's teams from beginning to end.. He coached mine till my last game in Jr. High... then well.." Michael looks down and Jessica rubs his back.

"That's awesome that your dad did that.  You're very lucky, Michael." Daniel smiles.

***

After dinner, the boys go off and play games.

"Mikey!" Grayson cries and reaches the direction his brother ran off too."

"No, you're gonna stay with mama."

Grayson pouts and reaches for Jessica.

"Hold!"

"Okay!" She laughs and takes him out of the highchair.

"He's a cutie." Daniel smiles.

"Thanks!  He looks just like my husband, it's crazy!"

"Really?  Zach looks a lot like his mother!"

"Wow, really?  That's cool!"

"Yeah.. Funny how that works out.

So, did Sam ever get to meet Grayson?  Or did he know about him before he passed?"

"No.. Well, we decided to have another baby right before he was diagnosed, but he passed before I found out I was pregnant.

Grayson was actually born on his birthday." Jessica smiles.

"Really?!  How cool is that?"'

"I know.. Grayson.. He's my little light.  Isn't that right, baby?" Jessica smiles and pokes his stomach.

"Light?"

"Yeah!" She giggles.

Daniel chuckles and Jessica looks at him.

"So um.. How did your wife pass?  If you don't mind me asking!"

"Not at all!"

"It was suicide.."

"Oh my gosh!  I'm so sorry!"

"After Zach was born she went into this deep depression.. I blame myself everyday for her death."

"Daniel, don't blame yourself for that.. We've just met, but I want to talk to you about something..

After Grayson, I got really depressed.  I was taking pills.. I got into alcohol a bit.. and I um.. I almost took my life."

Daniel looks at her with a shocked and sad expression.

"I went through therapy and I had my parents watch Grayson until I was able to trust myself.

The way I felt.. It was no ones fault.. So don't blame yourself, because it wasn't your fault."

"Wow... Thank you for sharing your story.

I just.. I think about Camille every single day.. What I could have and should have done.

We were together since we were fourteen."

"So we're my husband and I.  I got pregnant and a very young age, I'm sure you've figured out *Chuckles* I was fourteen when I had the twins and nineteen when I had Michael."

"Camille was nineteen and I was twenty when Zach was born.

Being a young mom was tough on her.. I don't know how you did it with three!"

It was hard.  Sam and I had a lot of support though."

"Well that's good.  Camille's family totally turned their backs on us, and still to this day will not call to see how Zachary is doing."

"Wow.. That's gotta be hard."

"It is.  When she died.. Ah man, that was the worst.  I was twenty two years old with a two year old who constantly asked me why his mother was shaking on the ground before she fell asleep."

"Oh gosh!" Jessica gets tears in her eyes.

"Yeah.. Zach never talks about that part.. It it really really damage d him.  We went through years of therapy..

He just couldn't get the image of his mother dying out of his mind."

"Oh gosh, that gets me!" Jessica quickly wipes her tears.

"Your poor son!"

"Years I spent just being angry at her.

How could she leave me?  Leave her son.. How could she take her own life in front of our child?!" Daniel's eyes tear up a little more.

"But then I realized that she was sick.. She was sick and couldn't help that.. Deep down under all of that was this woman that I loved more than anything.. The mother of my child.. How could I be angry?"

"That's heartbreaking." Jessica says with tears as the boys walk up to ask for more money.

"What happened over here?" Michael asks watching them wipe their tears.

"Heh!  Just talking about your grades!" Daniel jokes.

"Right?" Jessica laughs.

"Hey Mikey, Zachary wanted to ask you something." Jessica says.

"Are you sure, Jessica?" Daniel asks.

Jessica smiles and nods.

"What?" Michael asks confused.

"I was wondering if you'd like to come camping with my dad and I this weekend?"

"Yeah!  Mom, I can go?!" Michael gets a big smile on his face.

"Yes!  Have fun, baby." Jessica smiles.

"Thank you!  I've never been camping before!"

"Really?  It's a lot of fun!"

"I'm excited!  Thank you for inviting me."

"No problem!  We're happy to have you." Daniel smiles.