'What?' Shane blinked, much like Petra did at loud noises, and stared in blank shock from one parent to the other. 'You...you're giving us a car?'

'Yes, something efficiently stylish so that you don't have to feel guilty about not using it and no worries for a rental if you have to go to the airport or like Chaim said, up to the Hamptons in the summer, or anything like that.'

'So when you had me drive you guys around to your apartment-viewing appointments in the city, I was test-driving my own car?'

'And I was trying it out for groceries and Petra's baby things?' Alexis added.

Chaim had the good conscience to look a little sheepish as he nodded, looped his arm with Shir's who looked as gleeful as he did humbled. 'It's so hard to surprise you because of the nature of our living situations until January. We figured this would be a good way to have you check it out without you getting smart to us.'

'What about payments and-and-and insurance?' Shane spluttered.

'We can iron out the insurance on Tuesday, but as far as payments are concerned, well, we saved up after we found out Alexis was pregnant,' Chaim explained, 'so it is free and clear.'

'Free and clear,' Alexis repeated as she began to laugh. 'Holy hell, a car. A car, Shane! Can you believe that!'

'Yes, I can.' Shane pulled his parents in for a hug, then grinned when Chaim took Petra in her carrier and set about fastening the seat into the car. 'Well, Happy Canadian Thanksgiving us.'

'Here, you drive.'

Shane slipped into the driver's seat, Shir beside him while Chaim and Alexis sat on each side of Petra's baby seat they'd fastened in. He gave a laugh that mirrored Alexis' as he found the ignition switches - being a new model hybrid, it had the traditional key along with a start-engine button that made him feel like he was manning a shuttle from Star Trek Voyager. 'I can't wait to see their faces when we get to the cottage.'

The drive up in the shiny new hybrid was smooth and silky as whipped cream; Petra was out like a little light before they'd reached Penn Station on the ride out of the city. When they reached the house on Ocean View Boulevard, they were greeted with the sight of the spiffy red Nissan SUV in the driveway along with the sexy vintage Sting-Ray in glossy turquoise and the blank Lincoln town-car. They would get to join the ranks of their family that would be easily identified in the driveway by the car now, Alexis thought with a bubble of glee.

The deep-throated woofs coming from behind the house had Petra jolting awake, looking around in confusion. Before Alexis even had a chance to soothe the baby she saw Tessi come flying out the sliding doors on the porch leash in hand, quickly followed by Meredeth.

'Tugs! No! Wait!' Tessi hollered as the large black dog with her cheerful green collar came bounding up to the car. She fastened the leash to her beloved pet and wrestled her back, an impressive feat to be sure as Tortuga's shoulders were at equal height to Tessi's arm-pits. 'Silly girl, you're gonna scare Petra! She's gonna think you're mean and you aren't mean you silly puppy.'

Shane rolled down his window, reached his arm out to give Tortuga a rub behind the ears. 'Hey girl, you better behave, we have precious cargo back here.'

The word 'behave' appeared to have a magical effect on to dog for she pranced around to effectively back herself up, then parked her furry rump on the ground near Tessi's feet and gave her young mistress a big doggy grin as if to say 'see, I'm a good girl!' By the time Tortuga had settled a little, Meredeth had reached them and easily took hold of the leash.

'Listen you,' she informed Tortuga. 'There is a little baby in there who has no idea what a puppy is, and certainly not one as big as you are. So we are going to show Alexis, Shane, Chaim and Shir how well you can behave. Got it?'

Tortuga licked Meredeth's palm in response, remained seated as Alexis and Shane left the car, Petra in Alexis' arms. She walked forward carefully, saw the way Tortuga was all but vibrating with the urge to jump up to give puppy-kisses. When they were close enough, Meredeth gave the dog enough leash to stand up; she lifted her head and snuffled at Petra's feet in her tiny little party shoes. Tortuga gave a little woofing sneeze of satisfaction, letting Meredeth give the leash back to Tessi.

'You make sure she's on a leash when she comes in before suppertime, right?' she reminded her oldest daughter.

'Yes Mami!'

Alexis looked down at Petra who appeared confused but not upset as she wriggled her little legs. More than anything, she sensed her little girl was going to be needing a change of pants soon. 'Well, that's two big surprises already this weekend and it's not even supper time on Friday! Wonder what will happen tomorrow?'

Petra responded by screwing up her face and letting out a monstrous fart followed by a sneeze. She gave a little sigh, and wrinkled up her nose; a moment later, the strongly foul odor hit Alexis' nose. 'Oof sweetie, that feels better but smells way worse. Seriously how do you turn milk into that?'

'Uh-huh,' Meredeth said absently, watching to make sure that Tortuga and Tessi were out of the way. 'Alrighty, let me have that little darling, and you can bring the in-laws to the kitchen for their first Canadian thanksgiving meal preparation.'

Alexis watched the way Meredeth slipped Petra onto her hip, looked back at Shane and his parents helping to bring in the bags from the car, and felt a fleeting moment of shimmering perfection in her life.