Michaela woke the next morning, a little regretful that she hadn't warned Sully about Sunday. Sure, she told him to pick her up at her house, but she failed to warn him about her mother, who would probably question him when he came to pick her up. Figuring it would be best to inform him before her day became hectic, she decided she would call him.

Sully woke up to the phone instead of his alarm. Turning over to look at it, 7:30 in bright red numbers stared back at him instead of 8:30 as he had hoped. "Just a minute Loren.", he moaned to himself as he got out of bed to answer it.

"Morning Loren, I thought we agreed I would come in at 9."

"Good morning, it's Dr. Mike."

"Uh, Dr. Mike, good morning, I thought you were Loren. "

"Sully about Sunday."

"You're getting cold feet?"

"No, it's not that. I forgot to warn you about my mother."

"What about her?"

"She's flying in on Saturday, and will be here when you come to pick me up on Sunday."

"I take it you're not wanting us to meet so soon. That's completely understandable."

"I don't care if you meet her or not, I just don't want her to interrogate you like she has with every other guy I have been with."

"Interrogate me? What are you talking about?"

"My mother has been trying to make a woman out of me since I was sixteen." Well, maybe not try. But she has tried to coax every guy I've gone out with into doing so.

"Make a woman out of you? I don't understand"

"She said it would be best if I had experience before I got married."

"I think I might understand what you're telling me, but just so I'm clear, explain."

She asked the last guy she saw me with if he was going to use protection. She told him she wanted me to lose my virginity without me catching anything"

"Whoa! I was right about the losing your virginity part. I just didn't know that one's mother would go to such great lengths to encourage her daughter to lose hers. And she's been this way since you were 16?"

"Yes, now do you see my problem?"

"No, I don't see a problem at all."

"You don't?"

"Listen, if I could endure a year and a half of two older people trying to set me up with every living thing in a skirt, then I could most definitely endure a few moments of an older woman trying to coax me into sleeping with her daughter, which I've gathered will not happen anytime soon."

"But that's different. They weren't your parents."

"They were close enough to be my parents. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Tell you what, why don't we discuss all of this on Sunday or whenever the time is right. I want to let you go before you're needed elsewhere."

"We've got another ten minutes. So you mean you don't mind?"

"No, I could not care less. Although it leaves me with questions. That I'm pretty sure will get answered if this… What are we calling this? A non-date?"

"I could settle on calling it that."

"If this non-date leads to an actual date."

"I think our time is up. She's awake. So, Sunday at noon?"

"Yes. See you then."

"See you then."

"Are you going to just sit there and stare into space all day, or are you going to actually do some work? I know you're doing this as a favor, but favor or not, the shelves need to be stocked."

"I'm sorry Loren, I was just thinking that's all."

"Do you mind me asking about what?"

"Her. Dr. Mike. Everything was fine until this morning."

"What happened?"

"We talked." "That's it you talked?"

"She called me. There was something that she wanted to give me a heads up on before Sunday. But that's not the point. I think I'm beginning for her. I woke up Saturday not knowing that she existed, and by the end of the day she was Wolf's vet. His temporary vet, but still his vet. Fast forward to today, and here I am developing feelings for her. I think."

"I see that you have finally come to your senses. Well, the little that you had left I should say."

"It's that until this morning I thought nothing more of her. Did I think she was beautiful? She was kind of pretty. Did I think I had a shot with her? No. Us being together was never a thought. And it still isn't."

"How come you're noticing her now? She is still Wolf's vet, so according to your rule, which I might say is downright idiotic, you can't ask her out.

You're right. I didn't ask her out. Well, I did. We decided on it being a non-date. That we're only going out as a favor to Maude. But for some reason between this morning's call and now she's all I can think about."

"My, you are falling for her, aren't you? Just what exactly happened during that phone call?"

"Nothing, but the entire time we were on the phone reminded me of those late-night conversations Abby and I used to have."

"You mean the ones where you would bring her home after midnight?"

Sully chuckled, "Yeah, those. "But we weren't discussing our future together like Abby and I used to. She was just warning me about her mother."

"Her mother?"

"Don't ask. So as she's explaining the situation to me, I kept feeling this warmth. The same feeling of warmth I used to get with Abby. The feeling that I had found the one person who would become my family."

"That's what you felt with Abby? I never knew."

"Except this was 8 a.m.. And we weren't discussing our future together. Nor were we two teenagers in love. We're two level-headed adults with lives. Not to mention one of them being a single parent, and a devoted one at that. I don't want to be... I can't be the one who comes in and takes her away from her daughter. Besides, who's saying that what I'm feeling is real?"

"Wow, she's really gotten to you. Tell you what, take the rest of the day off. I'll call that Cooper boy to help me. What's his name?"

"Brian."

"Brian, to help me. You go figure things out."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, but hurry before I change my mind. And take Wolf, he's going to be nothing but a nuisance around here broken up like he is."

"Thanks, and Wolf's not broken, just a little hurt."

Sully went for a drive to clear his head. A drive that led him to one particular place. "You're thinking the same thing I'm thinking, aren't you?" That's why this way. It's your way of telling me it's time to move on. "Isn't it?" he said as he stared at the headstone. I just don't know if I can. I know it's been two years. It's just that the pain is still as raw as it was when Larry gave me the news. You know what? I haven't spoken to him in a while. We promised to keep in touch and this will give me an excuse to see him and his family. Didn't you say he was an Indian guide and was intuitive about spirits and such? You know you could answer me. Just because you're dead doesn't mean you can't send me a sign. Rain for yes, talk to Larry. A fallen leaf if you think I'm absolutely crazy. "Well, until next time, love you.", He said as he kissed the headstone and walked away.

Sully got inside the truck, preparing to leave the cemetery, but not before checking on Wolf, who was in the back seat. When he turned back around, he saw a leaf on his leg. "Ha! Ha!" he laughed to himself. Funny, Abigail. Very funny for you to make a leaf fall in the middle of July. Well, have it your way. I am crazy. I won't pursue it any further if that's what you want."

Moments later, as he drove out of the cemetery, a downpour fell. Almost not being able to see where he was going, let alone find his way back to Loren's, he went to the only place he could well, at least the only place he wished he could stay until the weather cleared. At least if he was welcomed he wouldn't have to wait on the side of the road as usual, and he could help with anything if needed.

"Dorothy!" Sully screamed as he knocked on the door. No answer, "Dorothy!"

"Sully is everything all right?" Michaela asked, as she hurried to let him in.

"Oh, God! Abby! Are you kidding me?" Sully lamented when he finally put two and two together.

"What?", Michaela asked, looking more than a little puzzled.

"Can we come in first, if you don't mind?" It had been raining hard, but because of parking under the entry, he was completely dry.

"Yeah, sure. I could use your help." Michaela said as she reached for Wolf's leash. "Now your wife? I don't understand.", Michaela said, as she reached for a towel and began drying Wolf.

"Whenever I need to clear my head, I go for a drive. However, this drive led me to Abby's grave. I told her to give me two signs. You know an either-or to help me figure out my current dilemma."

"Your current dilemma, which is?" Michaela said as she gave Wolf one last pat down.

See, that's the thing. I told her told her to make a leaf fall if she wanted me to take one route, and have it pour down rain if she thought I should go with the other option.

"What were the options? Maybe I could help if you fill me in more."

"You really want to know?"

"I'm asking, aren't I?"

Well, they both involved you".

"Me?!" Michaela pointed to herself as she widened her eyes.

"Yes, you."

"Let me check on Katie. Heavy rain usually keeps her down, but I want to check on her just in case. I want to give you my full attention when you give me your explanation."

Moments later Michaela walked back in with an arm full of linen and towels. "Maybe you could help me fold these while you explain."

"Do you want the long or the short version?", Sully asked as he reached for a sheet.

"You decide."

He took a couple of deep breaths.

"Well." Michaela said, growing slightly impatient.

"Well, I think I'm falling for you."

"If it's any consolation, I think I'm falling for you as well.', Michaela said as she placed a freshly folded towel on the counter." "Tell you what, you give me your explanation first while Katie's still asleep. I wouldn't want her interrupting you."

"First, you gotta understand. The pain of me losing Abby is still there." He said as he placed a folded towel on the growing stack. "She's still here." He said, pointing to his heart.

"Of course she is. And that's where she should be. Look, I know how much she means to you. And whatever happens between us or doesn't happen between us won't change the relationship you had or have with her. So tell me, what changed your mind."

"Our conversation last night.", Sully said as he reached for a sheet.

"That?!"

"Yes, 'that.' "It wasn't so much the conversation, on which I still have questions.. It was how I felt during the conversation. The way I felt talking to you last night was the same way I felt talking to Abby when we were kids. We used to stay out after midnight some nights talking about our future together. And during those talks, there was this warmth. She made me feel as though I had found my family. And being a 17-year-old in an orphanage, I thought that would never happen."

"So, you're telling me I gave you this sense of family?"

"Yes. I never thought of having kids, but now it seems possible. Wait, what? I'm taking things too fast. I just told you a few moments ago that I have feelings for you and now I'm discussing the possibility of us having a family together. This is too much too quick."

"No, it isn't."

"It isn't?!"

'Uh-uh. Let me tell you my side of things."

"Okay. I'm all ears."

"Remember when you and Katie first met?"

"Yeah, she gave me the brightest smile someone without teeth could give."

"Yeah, and the time when I asked you to hold her while I opened the kennel room."

"Yeah, but what does any of this have to do with you having feelings for me?"

"It's been hard for me to find someone for myself, let alone someone I would trust to be around Katie. I don't I guess after seeing her interact the way with you like she did, I became interested. And you're kind of handsome.", she said as she placed a sheet on the pile of sheets."

"So wait a minute! You're seeing me as a possible father figure and nothing else?" he said as he took a towel and playfully threw a towel at her."

"Well, a father for Katie and maybe a lover for me."

"Now that you've mentioned it. You've never?"

"No. I guess Catholic school got the best of me. That and not seeing the point of having sex just to scratch an itch, so to speak."

"I fully get your point. And your mother feels differently?"

"Yep."

"Tell you what. We'll take things at your pace. You have my word. Is there anything else you need help with?"

"No. The rain has all but stopped, which means she'll be awake soon. After she wakes I'm going to head home."

"Okay, well, I'll see you Sunday. And for the record, how about we call it a date instead?"

"I'd like that a lot."