"Ugh, where are my keys?" I exclaimed in frustration. I sighed when I found them on the table next to door, where they always are.

"When can we go?" Lucas asked, running up towards me.

"Maybe this weekend? I'm so sorry but I got called in to work today. Do you remember when I told you about what a transplant is? Well, we finally got a new organ so we have to do the transplant as soon as possible. I'm sorry, querido," I explained.

"It's okay but can we go some other time to the zoo?" Lucas asked.

"Yes of course we can," I replied.

"Why can't I just stay at Abuelo's?" Lucas asked.

"I can't get a hold of him right now. I think he might still be sleeping and he might be doing things today. You'll just have to come with me to the hospital for now," I replied.

Lucas pouted, "Okay. But can I bring my favorite books?"

"Yes!" I said, a smile widening across my face. Lucas was still learning to read but he still loved his books. He really liked Dr. Seuss, especially the pictures.

Just then, there was a knock on the door, "Do you want me to get it, mama?"

"No, mijo. Yo puedo (I can)," I replied.

"Okay," Lucas said. He ran into the kitchen to get his little book bag on before we were about to leave for the hospital.

"Hi," I said, surprised to see Dean standing in my doorway.

Dean and I had actually been seeing each other a lot more often. Sometimes he'd come over for dinner and other times it'd be just me and him but Lucas loved him. We were friends now. Things were good between us. Other times he'd stop by the hospital or I'd stop by whatever construction site he'd be at.

"Can I come in?" Dean asked. "I got you coffee."

"Thank you so much. Uh, now's not really a good time. I was supposed to take Lucas to the zoo today but I got called. My patient finally got a heart and we need to do the transplant as soon as possible," I explained.

"Oh, well I could take him," Dean said.

"Are you serious?" I asked, surprised that he was offering.

"Yeah, I thought you had today off and so I was going to surprise you with coffee this morning," Dean replied. "I'm off today too and definitely wouldn't mind taking him."

"Wow, uh, sure. That'd be great actually," I replied. "You really don't mind?"

"I wouldn't have offered if I did," Dean replied.

I smiled, "Thank you so much. I honestly don't know what to say."

"Don't worry about it. It's my pleasure," Dean said. I had to stop the wide grin that was about to spread across my face. Dean really was full of surprised.

"Wait, does a car seat even fit in the Impala?" I asked, almost teasingly.

"Yes," Dean reassured. I laughed. I was being such a mom.

"Mijo, quieres que Dean te lleve al zoológico? (Son, do you want Dean to take you to the zoo?)" I asked.

"Si, si! Quiero que Dean venga al zoológico, (Yes, yes! I want Dean to come to the zoo!)" Lucas smiled.

"Fantastico," I replied.

"Dean, can we go to the zoo today?" Lucas asked, excitedly.

"Of course we can, buddy. You know I've always wanted to go see the monkeys but I've never gotten the chance to," Dean replied.

"Me gustan los monos también," Lucas said.

"He says he likes the monkeys too," I informed.

"Ah. Well we better get going before they all fly away," Dean said, trying to get Lucas' energy up.

"Monkeys can fly?" Lucas asked in amazement.

Dean chuckled, "No, I'm just messin' with you."

I laughed, "Thank you so much. You don't know how much this means to me."

"It's no problem," Dean said.

"He even took Lucas to the zoo this morning, voluntarily. He really likes Lucas," I said as Katie, Bradley, and I sat at a table outside during lunch. The wind made the warm, sticky July heat actually bearable to sit outside today.

"Yeah," Katie said.

"Mhm, definitely," Bradley added.

"What?" I asked as the two exchanged glances.

"Nothing," Katie said. Katie and Bradley exchanged glances before looking back to me.

"Yeah, nothing," Bradley replied. What were they not telling me?

"Come on, you two. I know those looks. You both have something to say but you're not going to say it at my expense. What is it?" I asked.

Bradley sighed, "Do you really think this has to do with Lucas?"

"Yeah," I replied.

"Okay, I mean, I think he genuinely does like Lucas and you two say that they're great together but haven't you ever thought that he still has feelings for you? I mean, you see him almost every day and he comes over for dinner a lot," Katie said.

"So? We're friends," I said back.

"And you two go out for dates. He shows up at the hospital to surprise you. This morning he showed up to surprise you. Friends… don't really do that," Bradley replied.

"We do not go out on dates!" I exclaimed.

"Okay fine you guys see each other, do dinner, and talk," Katie said.

"Okay, just because you two are married now does not mean that you're the almighty gurus of love. Seriously... that doesn't mean we're dating. He has a girlfriend!" I exclaimed.

"So? Look me in the eye and tell me you don't still have feelings for him," Katie replied.

I sighed, "Fine, I'll admit that I'm still attracted to him but I don't think it's what you guys are thinking."

"We've seen you two together," Bradley said.

"Look, you never really had real closure. It's understandable," Katie added.

"Fine, if you guys need proof that we're not heading in that direction than I'll invite him to the medical dinner tomorrow night," I said.

"Good," Bradley said.

"Brilliant idea, actually," Katie agreed.

"You guys will see that we're friends. Good friends," I said.

"And if there's anything else there than we get as many I told you so's as we want," Bradley said.

"Fine," I agreed.

~Dean's POV~

"You don't live in a house?" Lucas asked, confused. I got out my keys and unlocked my apartment.

"No, I live in an apartment. It's basically for people who don't need a lot of space so they buy one of these instead of a house," I explained.

"Hm, that's cool," Lucas said. He walked into my apartment and looked around, plopping himself right down onto the couch.

"Hey, where'd you go?" I asked, playfully. I looked over the edge of the couch to see Lucas curled up in a ball with his eyes closed. "Are you tired?"

"Mhm," Lucas replied.

"Well you could always take a nap. Do you want to sleep on the couch?" I asked.

"Sure," Lucas replied.

I then went into my bedroom and got him a pillow and an extra blanket from the closet.

"Hey, kiddo, look what I got you," Dean said. Lucas opened one eye and saw the blanket and pillow.

"Thanks, Dean," Lucas said. I placed the pillow behind his head and he adjusted the blanket.

"You're welcome," I said back.

I then sat down on the couch and picked up a magazine from the table and flipped through it. Today had been great. Lucas and I had had a lot of fun at the zoo and then I had taken him back here. He was a good kid. I even ended having to read him books on the bench before we left. He was also thrilled to ride in the Impala. Part of me kind of wishes I had stayed and fought for Jennie. Maybe this would've been our life. Our kid. I turned the TV on at a low volume so that Lucas wouldn't wake up. About an hour later, I fell asleep too.

"Hey, so I know we've kind of been in a rut for a while but I've got the perfect way to get us out of it," I heard a voice say, waking me up. I turned around to see my girlfriend coming through the door.

"Shh," I said.

"What's wrong?" Ella asked.

I nodded my head at Lucas, "He's still sleeping."

"Why is there a sleeping kid on your couch?" Ella asked, confused.

"My friend Jennie had to go back to work and I told her that I'd watch Lucas," I replied just above a whisper.

"Wait a second, your ex girlfriend, Jennie?" she asked.

"Yeah. I told you about her," Dean replied.

"The one you've been spending time with a lot over the past month?" Ella asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah, what's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing," Ella scowled.

"No, that's something," Dean replied.

"Don't worry about it," Ella replied.

"Dean, is my mommy back?" Lucas asked, waking up.

"No, but there's someone I want you to meet. Her name is Ella," Dean said.

"Hi," Lucas said, seeing Ella.

"Hi," she replied, uncomfortably. I shifted in my seat. Did she not like Lucas?

"No me gusta la novia," Lucas whispered in my ear.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. I got up to get it. There Jennie stood. Her hair was pulled up in a pony tail and she looked tired from surgery but to me she was stunning as ever. These were terrible thoughts for me to be thinking with my current girlfriend in the other room.

"Hi," I said.

"Hi, thank you again for taking Lucas. I literally don't know what I would've done without you. Well, Lucas would've had to stay the day at the hospital with me and I think he'd much rather but with you at the zoo," Jennie said, walking into the apartment. She looked around. "How was he?"

"Great. I think he really liked the monkeys," I smiled.

Jennie chuckled. I loved the sound of her laugh. Ah, bad Dean!

"Well uh, Lucas took a nap but he's up now," I said, mentally slapping myself in the face. This couldn't be happening. I didn't want to feel like this.

~End Dean's POV~

LINE BREAK

"Oh that's great. Listen, I-," I started.

"Hi, we haven't met. I'm Ella," a girl said, coming from what seemed like nowhere.

"Hi, I'm Jennie," I said.

"So I've heard," she replied, coldly. I swallowed. Awkward.

"Jennie this is uh, this is my-," he started.

"I'm his girlfriend," she said, possessively.

"Mama! Podemos irse? Nos divirtimos mucho hoy! Me gusta el zoológico. (Mom! Can we go? I had so much fun today! I like the zoo)," Lucas said, running over to me. I picked him up and he wrapped his arms around my neck.

"Muy bien, mijo. Estoy contenta que tienes divertido. Dean es muy muy simpatico a llevarte al zoológico, Great, son. I'm happy you had fun. Dean is very nice to take you to the zoo)," I said.

"Gracias, Dean," Lucas said back.

"De nada," Dean replied. I gave him a look. I was surprised that he was using Spanish.

"Espera! (Wait!)" Lucas said.

I put him down, thinking he had forgotten something but instead, he ran over to Dean and wrapped his arm around Dean's leg, hugging him.

"Once again, thank you so much and uh, nice meeting you," I said to Ella although she had been nothing but cold and possessive which I guess she had a right to but it was still rude.

I carried Lucas out of the room. Today seemed to have gone really well.