I woke in the morning and immediately reached for my phone. I swipe to my messages and smile all over again. So, it wasn't a dream.

I came down the steps to a delicious smell of apple crisp pancakes. I walked into the kitchen and kissed my Mom's cheek.

"Someone is in a better mood this morning..." she teases and hands me a plate and I'm already salivating realizing I went to bed with out dinner and now am instantly starving.

"Nothing get's by you, Mom," I tease back, joining my Father who was already polishing off his batch, but not before adding some more maple syrup.

"Hey, Kiddo. Get a good's night's rest?"

I just shoveled in a forkful so held my finger up to pause his thought so I could get a moment to answer him. There are some foods you can eat quickly... pancakes are not one of them. I swallow and say,

"Best night's sleep in days."

"We've got a doctor's appointment to follow up on that foot of yours today. Actually in about 30 minutes we will need to leave."

"I'll be ready," I tell him. I'm eager to find out when I can get this darn thing off my foot.

Mom joins us at the table. It is a shame she's always the last to join us. We really should make more of an effort to wait until she's done cooking before eating. We usually do for dinner but it seems all bets are off for breakfast or lunch.

She looks happy.

"Glad you got your appetite back, Finn. It's really good seeing you smile again."

I beam a huge smile at her before taking another forkful.

"These are really good, Mom."

She knows they are my favorite. She most likely had planned to use them as bait to get me out of my room, but was happy that it wasn't necessary.

My parents fall into easy conversation. I'm always amazed that after all these years they haven't run out things to talk about. I just enjoy my pancakes, the second helping my Mom put on my plate and then excused myself to get ready for the foot specialist.

My Dad and I make it to the appointment right on time.

I never understand the point of this. They tell you, you have to be there at a particular time. That if you're late they will give your appointment to someone else and you will need to reschedule. That you will be forced to pay for any appointment that you miss without prior notification and then you get there only to wait 45 minutes to an hour before anyone sees you. Obviously, they don't keep their doctors to the same strict regiment that they impose on their patients.

Dad and I chat it up. I bring him up to date on school and the team. He surprises me by asking about Brynn.

"So, how's it going?"

"It's a rollercoaster ride, but I'm not ready to get off," I inform him.

"That good, huh?"

"I spend most of my time being baffled and confused. Why did God make women so complicated?"

My Dad laughs. "Don't know but I'll be sure to ask him on that fateful day when I finally meet him."

The assistant calls us back to sit in another room for ten more minutes, before the specialist finally arrives.

Now, if you or I show up to work or school 55 minutes after our appointed time we'd be fired or get a demerit. This guy doesn't even give you an apology or an explanation. Instead he jumps into conversation, as if he's been there the entire time, and we just somehow didn't notice.

"You did yourself a number on that foot, Finn, but as it's a sprain and nothing broken you should be in good shape in a few weeks."

I want to say, "Nooooo, really?" This much I already knew before I left the hospital.

"Lets take a look shall we?"

He takes the boot and my sock off and pokes and prods my foot, turning it this way and that saying things like, "Uh-huh, okay, yep." I have no idea who he's talking to but he hands me my sock and the boot and then says,

"It's looking good, seems to be healing up well. I'll see you back here in a week. You can make an appointment with the office staff on your way out."

I look at my Dad. My Dad is frowning.

"So that's it?" he says to the Doctor.

"Yep," the Doctor says back to him.

I'm thinking - You've got to be kidding me... I wait an hour for five minutes worth of this guys precious time and he's got nothing... just see ya in a week!!!

My Dad asks, the question I really want to know.

"How long will he be in the boot?"

The Doctor shrugs... actually shrugs. "Can't say. It's healing up good. If he continues to take the same care with it, a week maybe two, barring he doesn't do anything to re-injure it. Would be my guess?"

Guess...? This guy is specialist right. He didn't graduate from veterinary school did he? What is the point of going through 8 plus years of college and testing if you just have to look at a patient and guess?

"How long before he can play ball again?"

The Doctor looks annoyed with all these questions my Dad is throwing at him and by all ... I mean two. He even looks briefly at his watch before answering. "We'll know more next week."

His hand is on the doorknob, he's waiting patiently to see if my Dad has any further questions but looks like he wants to bolt. When no further questions came he wraps it up with...

"Okay, then. Thanks for dropping by. See you next week, Finn." And he quickly darts out the door.

I put my sock and boot back on. My Dad mumbles something under his breath about the visit costing $500 for 5 minutes and that he was in the wrong line of work and we both head out of the office together.

It took another 5 minutes to make a new appointment. My Dad's gets one of those nifty cards telling him when to be back and what time he should be there and the fine print of what happens if he doesn't make it and he shoves it in his wallet after handing the woman $50 for the privilege of coming here today.

I bump my Dad's shoulder and say, "Treat you to a shake at the Diner?"

My Dad smiles at me. "Sounds great, Kiddo but I have to work this afternoon. Rain check?"

"Sure," I tell him. He's been working a lot since this new client has come onboard. I miss spending time with him but it looks like I'll need to find something else to do today.

We get back to the house and I hear giggling coming from the kitchen. My Dad looks and me and I at him, he gives me that pressed lip, followed by a head shake shrug that says he hasn't a clue.

We walk into the kitchen together and I'm shocked to find Brynn and my Mom in deep conversation about something. They guiltily break apart when they see us standing there, and begin giggling again.

I see my Mom quickly stash something behind her back and my stomach drops as it looked suspiciously like a photo album. OH, No Mom... you didn't.

My Dad looks at me sympathetically and steps further into the room. "Well, the visit went well. Have to go back next week. Hopefully he'll get the boot off then but it may be another week or two."

"Well that's good news," my Mom says, stashing the book in with her recipe books under the counter island.

"Look who's here?" she adds, presenting Brynn with a Vanna White like flair.

Brynn is standing there grinning at me. I'm still shocked she's really here.

"It's Saturday!" I say.

"It's great to see you too?" she says cheekily, "I'm not interrupting any plans am I?"

"No," I say all to quickly, "Just didn't expect to see you, or at least I didn't expect it until possibly tomorrow."

"I can come back if you want," she challenges by pretending to leave.

"Oh, no you don't!" I say grabbing her by the waist as she tries to walk by.

"We'll be upstairs," I say and start dragging Brynn with me towards the steps.

"Ahem!" my Mom says, standing in the kitchen doorway with a hand on her hip. "I don't think so."

"Seriously, Mom! What do you expect to happen?" I say exasperated.

"Don't know. Don't plan to find out," she says.

"Let him go," Dad defends, taking my side.

My Mom's eyebrows shoot to the heavens. Her word is law around here and it isn't often challenged.

"Fine," she says but not before shooting my Dad a look that says he will be getting a talking to later, "but I expect that door to be kept open. At all times."

"Done," I say and drag Brynn up the steps before Mom changes her mind.

"Wow!" Brynn says once we are out of earshot. "So, that's what it's like?"

"What, what's like?" I ask opening the door to my room.

"Having parents who are... well, parents?" she says.

"I guess..." I tell her. "Don't have another point of reference, so really can't say."

She steps through the door to my room and I close it to within about an inch.

She laughs. "You rebel."

"Hey, she just said open she didn't say how much. And now that gives me the chance to do this..."

I immediately pull her into my arms and capture her face with my hands.

"God, I missed you," and we kiss, well I should say I kissed her, she just stood there and surrendered to it.

We break apart and she laughs. "I can tell," she says, right before she tip toes and pulls my mouth back to hers and is now kissing me. We surface quite breathless.

"Missed you, too," she says, grinning.

"Really, I couldn't tell," I tease and she shoves me, nearly knocking me off my feet.

"Ooo! Sorry!" She makes a grab for my arm to steady me and we both laugh.

"So, how did you manage to get the weekend off from your Dad?"

"I told him the truth."

"Really, you told him about me?"

"In a manner of speaking," she says cryptically.

I just raise an eyebrow, waiting for the rest of the explanation to come, and wasn't entirely sure I was going to get it as I watch her eyes drift around my room.

"So this is the inner sanctum, huh?"

Knew it. The not so subtle subject change. So, Brynn.

"Yeah, something like that."

I'll let it go...for now.

"So where is he?"

"Who?" I ask, not surprised once again I am lost.

"Cuddles?"

I spy him on the floor next to my bed and nonchalantly mosey on over to move him with my foot out of view.

"I'm not sure I'm ready for you two to meet just yet."

"Oh, really?" she says, smirking. "Is there a reason why you think we won't get along?"

"No, not really, but he is the jealous type."

"Should I be concerned that you're sleeping around on me? With a boy, no less?"

Leave it to Brynn to come up with something like that.

"Our relationship is purely platonic," I tell her, "He just needs a place to crash and well you know how it is... some roommates are nearly impossible to get rid of once they get settled in."

"You hear that, Cuddles? He's trying to get rid of you...I'd keep you forever, wherever you are!" she calls out.

"Oh, I see how it is... You're just getting close to me, so you can get with him. I should have known."

I pick Cuddles up off the floor, "You can't have her, Buddy!" I say to my bear, "And I'm willing to fight for her. It won't be pretty with those little arms of yours, you don't stand a chance."

"Awww!" Brynn says, immediately springing up from the bed she grabs Cuddles from my hands and crushes him into a hug.

I look upon them both with a mixture of humor and jealousy. "Damn, Cuddles you won her over without a fight and even after my impassioned speech and everything. Darn you and your cute, squishy ways."

"Tell me?" I say to Brynn who's now spying me with those huge chocolate brown eyes over Cuddles head obviously trying to smoother her laughter in his fur. "Did I even have a chance?"

She turns Cuddles around in her arms and looks into his eyes and back at me. She shakes her head sadly, "I'm afraid not."

"That's it!" I say pouncing on her and Cuddles in the bed and the squeals begin as I show no mercy, tickling the heck out of her.