For Mrs. Twombly, the date on her calendar was not one of significance. It was the second Sunday of May, which everyone knew was Mother's Day. That would most likely mean her day camp would be busier than ever, as many pet owners would be leaving their fury companions behind while they entertained family members (or went out to eat).

All the usual daycampers were there as she conducted her morning inspection of Littlest Pet Shop: Zoe, Russell, Vinnie, Sunil, Pepper, Penny, and Minka. They were all chattering excitedly, undoubtedly due to the lovely Spring weather Downtown City was enjoying.

"Good morning, campers," Mrs. Twombly cheerfully greeted. "Yes, I know it's a beautiful day. I'm sure Blythe will be along shortly to take you out for your walks. It's funny, she seems to know what you guys need long before I do. It's almost like she has a way of communicating with you all."

The pets all exchanged various glances and winks. Blythe still hadn't told Mrs. Twombly her secret yet. She talked to pets, but not in the way you usually thought. For an inexplicable reason, she could understand them and hold full conversations with them. A fact that only two other individuals knew about at the moment: Her best friend, Youngme, and her dad, Roger Baxter. Both of whom had sworn to secrecy.

Mrs. Twombly exited the daycamp and as was custom for her at this point, conducted a morning inspection of the pet shop to make sure everything was as it should be. To her, Littlest Pet Shop (now part of her realized dream project of Littlest Pet Street) was her home away from home. It helped to take her mind off the fact that she had no living relatives that were visiting her today.

Mr. Twombly decided he didn't like life in the big city and left long ago, it had been year since anyone had heard back from him. And he and Anna had never gotten around to starting a family. Not that it mattered, the pets of Littlest Pet Shop were like the children Mrs. Twombly had always wanted. And of course, there were Blythe and Madison, her two co-workers that frequented the shop. Blythe especially held a special place in Mrs. Twombly's heart, she couldn't imagine life with the cheerful and energetic teenager.

Just then, the door of the day camp swung open, announcing the arrival of Blythe Baxter via her not so secret dumbwaiter. Mrs. Twombly didn't mind, she'd been at a loss as to what to do with that old dumbwaiter before Blythe moved in and discovered it was a convenient access to the day camp itself.

But was it the old woman's imagination, or did Blythe seem to have an extra bright smile on her face today for some reason?

"Good morning, Mrs. T," Blythe cheerfully greeted. "Lovely day, isn't it?"

"It sure is, Blythe. The pets are just itching to go outside and enjoy it," Mrs. Twombly nodded in reply. "They're all waiting for you. Want me to go get their leashes for you?"

"Actually, there's a little something I wanted to give you first," Blythe informed, blushing a tiny bit. "It was sort of a last minute decision."

Mrs. Twombly arched an eyebrow upward. "Blythe, you know my birthday's not for several weeks still. Or are you planning to move away?"

Blythe firmly shook her head. "No, no, no, it's not a birthday present or anything. But it is something special," The girl untucked her arm, revealing a hastily wrapped box covered in green wrapping paper, and topped with a beautiful yellow bow. "Go ahead, Mrs. T, open it up. I think you're going to like what's inside."

Mrs. Twombly accepted the gift and torn apart the wrapping paper with little effort. Lifting the lid off the small cardboard box, her heart nearly melted at what she saw. Inside was a framed picture of Blythe Baxter, holding her guitar and gazing up at the clouds, smiling as the sun shone down on her face.

"Happy Mother's Day, Mrs. Twombly!" Blythe proudly declared, and embraced the elderly woman in a massive hug.

Mrs. Twombly took the declaration surprisingly well. "Blythe, not that I don't appreciate your gift or anything, but you do know I'm not your mother, right?" She asked the teenage girl.

Blythe nodded in confirmation. "Yeah yeah, of course I know, Mrs. T. But you're kind of like a mother to me. In fact, you're the closest thing I've ever had to one."

"Come to think of it, I've never heard any mention of a Mrs. Baxter." Mrs. Twombly pondered.

Blythe's tone of voice took on one of sorrow as she explained. "I don't know much about her, Dad says she died when I was really little, barely a year old. All I have to remember her by are a few pictures, and most of them I had to leave behind when Dad and I moved here. She was a veterinarian though, a really good one from what I hear."

"Well, I can see her love of animals got passed down to you," Mrs. Twombly commented. "I'm sorry to hear about your mother. I'm sure she was a wonderful woman, and I would've loved the chance to meet her."

"It's okay, I made peace with that fact long ago," Blythe admitted. "It does still hurt sometimes, especially on today of all days. But moving to Downtown City and meeting you, it's one of the best things that's ever happened to me. You've been part of my life for so long now, that I feel like you're my mom. And I knew I had to get my new mom a special gift for her special day."

"Oh Blythe, it's absolutely perfect," Mrs. Twombly smiled, setting the framed picture down on her desk. "I'm thrilled that you think of me in such a way. This day camp wouldn't be the same without you."

Blythe blushed. "Aw shucks," Then she asked Mrs. Twombly. "Do you think maybe you could give me some more Kung Fu Quilting Lessons? My old blanket's starting to show its age."

Mrs. Twombly laughed. "Blythe, if you really wanted to see the master of Kung Fu Quilting, all you had to do was ask."