The day has come for Robert, Arvilla, and the twins to go back home.

"I gonna miss my new fwiends.." Joseph pouts.

"Yeah me too." Heidi looks down.
"I jus so sad. They come lib wih us, mama?" She says reaching up to her mother.

"Aw you're so sweet! We'll visit again soon.  Plus Mr. and Mrs. Abrego are always welcomed in our home." Arvilla turns to them with a beautiful smile.

"Thank you! We'll miss you and kiddos so much. I'm so happy you had a good time here." Maria smiles.

"Thanks for everything mom and dad."

"Of course, Robby. Y'all don't be strangers!"

"We won't." Robert smiles.

***

A few days later.

"Hey Arv?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I take the twins somewhere? Without you?"

"Uh sure." Arvilla chuckles.

"It's a surprise for you, I'm not just being rude."

"Aww! Cause it's almost my birthday?" Arvilla smiles cutely.

"That's right!" Robert taps her nose.

"You don't have to do anything special for me.
.. I just want some cake, that's all."

"There will be cake and lots of surprises, my dear."

"You're too sweet! Man what should I do while I'm kid free?"

"Rest!"

"Rest is for the weak. I think I'll call my big babies and see if they want to spend some time with me." Arvilla chuckles.

"Y'all have fun."

"Thanks, you too."

**

Arvilla called the boys and they decided on a place to eat.

"Alan, I wanna do some stuff in my garden, but I need your help."

"Of course!  Just let me know what you need me to do."

"I'm gonna pay you of course and you'll get tons of home cooked meals while you're at the house."

"You don't have to do anything or pay me.  We're family!"

"I know we're family but you're not going to work for free Alan Gutierrez.  You'll never work for free."

"You're like my mom, and I'd never charge my mother."

"My boy!" Arvilla pouts and leans over to hug him. "That's the sweetest thing, honey!"

Alan chuckles.

"You are like our mom." Miguel says.

"You boys just want to make me cry today!"

"We just love you." Miguel shrugs.

"Stop, I'm seriously about to cry in this Applebee's."

Alan chuckles and rubs her arm.
"You had to have known you're like a second mother to us."

"Well I know I love you just as if you were my own!  I just.. hearing you two say you love me like a mother just makes me so happy.  I love you boys so so much.  We've been through a lot together, and I want you to know that I'll always be here for you."

"We love you. We'll always be here for you as well. That's what family is for." Alan smiles.

Arvilla then bursts into tears. "You boys better stand up and come hug me!"

The boys chuckle and stand up to hug Arvilla.

**

"We home, mommy and we Did Not Make Any Surpwises for you!" Heidi says.

"Good to know!" Arvilla laughs.

"She only knows half of the surprise. I'm sure she'll tell you the part she knows before your birthday." Robert says.

"I'm sure she will!"

"HEY! I WON'T!" Heidi rolls her eyes.

"You lie, you lie!" Arvilla chuckles.

***

Arvilla's birthday.

Robert had slept over the night before so he was there to start celebrating from the moment Arvilla opened her eyes.

"We help!  We help!" Heidi says.

"Here Heidi, you hold the fruit, and Joe you hold the bacon."

"I helping!" Joseph smiles.

"You are!  You're both big helpers!"

"I SO a big helper!" Heidi jumps.

The two then follow Robert to the bedroom.

"There she is.  Sleeping Beauty." Robert says quietly with a smile on his face.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY!" Heidi screamed on the top of her lungs, scaring Arvilla.

She gasped loudly and jumped up.

"Sorry! Everything's okay! We're just saying Happy Birthday." Robert smiles.

"Happy Birthday my beautiful mommy!" Joseph says.

"Aw little little loves.. and my big love!" Arvilla giggles. "I love you guys, thank you!"

"We love you too, mommy!" The three shout.

Arvilla giggles.

Robert then places her tray of food down and leaves to grab her present.

"Here's your frwuit, mama." Heidi holds the bowl up.

"Here you bacon, birfday girl!" Joseph says cutely.

"Aw thank you! Ooh, yummy!"

"Bobby? Bobby what you doing, guy?" Heidi leaves the room to find him.

"I'm coming, sweet pea. I'm grabbing mommy's present."

"Ooooh! I see it!"

"No, no, go with mommy. It's a surprise for you and Joe too."

"What! A surpwise for Me too?!"

"Yeah!"

"Oh YAY!" Heidi claps her hands and runs back to the bedroom.

Arvilla chuckles and helps her and Joe onto the bed.

"Okay." Robert walks in and takes a deep breath.

"I love you and I know this something you'd give anything to have so.. I hope you like it."

Arvilla smiles. She had no clue as to what it could be.

Robert moves the tray over and hands her the large gift.

Arvilla opens it and is immediately brought to tears.

"Oh my gosh! Oh.. Bobby.. How did you do this? This is so.. so beautiful. Oh it's gorgeous!" She cries.

Robert had taken the twins to get their picture taken. He then took that photo to a place that created beautiful paintings. He chose a stunning photo of Arvilla, and a photo of Joe. The artist then painted them all into one family photo.

"This is incredible. I.. I always felt bad the twins didn't have a picture with their father.. There are no family photos.. but now. Wow! Robert, thank you so much!"

"You're welcome, honey! I'm so happy you like it."

"This is beautiful!" Heidi smiles.

"Isn't it gorgeous?"

"That's daddy!" Joseph's smiles and points.

"That's daddy. That's all of us! That's our little family.." Arvilla stared down to Joe and softly touched his smiling face. "Gosh I miss this man. I love you, Joe." Arvilla leans forward and kisses his picture.

"Me kiss dada too!"

"Me too!" Joseph shouts.

Arvilla giggles and looks to Robert.
"This is the most incredible gift I have ever received. Thank you, thank you, thank you. So much."

Robert smiles. "You're welcome, Arvilla."

**

The four met Margene, Carol and the boys for lunch. They were planning on having a date night alone later this evening.

Of course Arvilla told them all about Robert's gift, and she cried all over again. Before leaving the house Robert surprised the twins with a couple he had made a while back of them with their father. Arvilla was so grateful for such a thoughtful gift.

"Well we can't beat what Mr. Abrego did, but Miguel and I have something for you, Mrs. Holden."

"Yeah, Tia Villa! Open it!" Miguel smiles.

"Aw you boys! You really didn't have to buy me anything!"

"Oh stop! Read the card first." Alan says.

Arvilla chuckles and opens the card.

"Family isn't always blood.
It's the people in your life who want you in theirs. It's the ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything in the world for you. The ones who love you more than anything." Arvilla reads to herself.

She then looked up in tears.
"Aw boys!"

"Keep reading! Keep reading!" Miguel smiles.

"Okay, okay!" Arvilla laughs.

"Thank you for everything you've done for us. Thank you for coming into our lives and completely changing our world.
We love you, Mom."

Arvilla looks up with tears in her eyes.

"Mom?"

"I realized why I could never call you Arvilla." Alan says. "We're so much closer than that.
.. And you never call your mother by their first name." He smiles softly.

"Oh my gosh.." Arvilla breathed a little heavier. She was so surprised.

"You've done so much for us. Loosing our mother, and me having to drop out of school and start working to support Miguel and I.. I felt like I'd never be able to accomplish anything in life. It was just to hard. But you saw us and helped us more than anyone else ever has. And we didn't ask you to do anything for us. You wanted to help. Because you have a kind heart. You cared for us like we were your own since day one. We had no one.. and then we had everything we've ever needed. You were sent by my mother, I know that. She chose you to finish what she couldn't." Alan was now in tears. In fact, everyone was in tears.

"I love you so much, mom."

"I love you too, son." Arvilla stood up and so did the boys. She wrapped her arms around them and cried.

"I love you too, mom!" Miguel looks up and smiles.

Arvilla giggles and kisses his forehead.

"I love you too, baby."

"You didn't open the present."

"Oh yes! Sorry." She laughs.

Arvilla opens the box and sees a beautiful necklace that says, Mom.

"This is so perfect. It's beautiful. I'll wear it everyday." She smiles.

Arvilla then looks around. "Wow. So this is forty three? It's not bad at all." Arvilla smiles.