LEAH:

My brother looked at me.

"If Dr. Grant prescribed you medical marijuana, I know just the person you can get it from."

This I knew all too well.

"Trish?"

"Yeah."

"I thought she was on maternity leave."

"She came back. She's also going to medical school to learn to become a nurse."

I said,

"Wow. I remember when she got laid off from all those jobs. But now she seems to have stepped up- a job selling high-grade medical pot, a medical degree and medical license to obtain, and caring for a baby all at once."

Austin told me,

"Ever since she moved in with her boyfriend Jace, she's been a lot more work-conscious. Especially since she has baby Isabella. They're both good parents."

I liked Jace and I had known him since I was about four. He was good-natured and fun to hang out with. Sometimes, before Austin moved out, him and/or Dez would sleep over here and sometimes I went to his roller rink with Summer, Quinn, Claire and Amaya, and he had given me a discount because I was his friend's little sister. He had been one of the best men in Austin and Ally's wedding and was the one, along with Dez, who helped plan Austin's bachelor party.

I asked him,

"How is she doing?"

"She's doing academically great. I know because she's posted her report cards on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and she's a straight A student."

Austin asked me,

"Want to see pictures of Isabella?"

I smiled.

"Sure."

He pulled out his black iPhone six that was covered by a red Otterbox case and turned it on. The first photo was of Trish lying in the hospital bed, clad in a pink hospital gown and cradling a sleeping Isabella, wearing a pink hat and swaddled up in a white blanket with blue and pink horizontal stripes. The second was of Jace holding her and kissing her forehead. The third one was of Ally holding her. The fourth one was of Austin holding her.

The fifth one had Carrie holding her. The sixth one was of Dez holding her. The seventh one was at the Corpus Christi Catholic Church with Trish and Jace on the night of her baptism. Isabella was half-asleep, and she was just looking at the camera and clad in a white puffy sleeveless dress and a white flower headband. Apparently, Trish and Jace had both grown up extremely catholic.

The eighth picture had Austin and Ally on the pastor's left and Trish and Jace, Jace holding the baby. Another one had Ally holding Bella on their home couch. Another one had Bella and Gabby staring at each other at him and Ally's house. Another one had Gabby licking Bella's face at their house.

"Bella is a cute baby,"

I smiled.

"I know, right?"

Gabby was just sniffing everything in my bedroom. I asked my brother for one of her dog treats. I patted my legs and said,

"Gabby, Gabby. Come here, Gabby,"

I made kissing noises and Gabby came trotting over and ate the treat right from my hand. She started to lick my face. I saw my mom through my partially opened door and she walked in.

"Leah?"

"Mom?"

She smiled at the sight of Austin and I.

"Awww, you kids are so sweet together."

She took out her gold iPhone 5s, covered by a case that looked like the painting Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh and snapped a photo of my brother and I.

My brother laughed.

"What can I say? I've loved her since you got pregnant with her and she's my baby sister."

I grabbed onto him.

"And he's my brother. I've always loved him."

My mother smiled. I snuggled up into his arms.

"I love the relationship between you two. Anyway, Leah, I just wanted to let you know that earlier, I called Cosmic Kratom and they'd like you to come in at one fifteen today. Unfortunately, I have to go grocery shopping today."

Austin stepped in.

"Mom, if you want, I can take her. You remember my friend Trish?"

"Yeah."

"She works at Cosmic Kratom and I can take Leah to get her medication."

My mom looked relieved.

"Thanks, son. You're a lifesaver. I do think though that because Leah's a minor, she might need a note. Let me go run downstairs and write a note real fast."

She ran downstairs and came back in three minutes. She handed my brother a note.

"I'll see you at home later, Leah. Austin, I really appreciate that you're running my errand for me."

"No problem, Mom. Leah, you should probably get a layer and shoes on."

"Yeah."

I slid off my yellow slippers with red Minnie Mouse bows, stood up too fast and got dizzy again. But fortunately my brother caught me. I walked to my closet and grabbed my white sneakers and my white hoodie and my phone. My brother called,

"Gabby, come."

The little Black and Tan cavapoo puppy darted toward her father (her human father). He said to her,

"You've got a lot of energy for a three month old puppy. Come on, you little monster."

He picked his dog up and said,

"Come on, little sis."

He got me into his car and I sat shotgun with Gabby on my lap. She was licking my face rapidly.

"You're a sweetie. Yes, you are."

Dogs are adorable. Am I right? When I was going into sixth grade, I went to the Miami ASPCA camp with Summer and Quinn and played with cats, dogs, rabbits, rodents and birds. I loved furry animals, dogs especially, and I thought Gabby was the sweetest and cutest one I had ever met.

I also loved Summer's cats. The Alvarez-Evans family were total cat people. They had four cats. A white persian cat named Henry, a black, brown and white calico one named Luna, a black bombay named Bruja (which was spanish for witch, oh and Bruja was a girl) and an orange tabby named Cheddar (and Cheddar was a boy).