While Alexis spent the afternoon surrounded by the pint-sized crowd, Shane was pushing the grocery cart through Luongo's with Body; he was still baffled why the man was spending a day off from being a popular cafe's lead chef helping him make a special surprise dinner for Alexis.

'Faisal isn't home until Tuesday and I wanted to spend some time with you since our schedules haven't lined up a lot lately,' Body shrugged affably. 'Why waste a nice day like this being alone when I can hang with the father of my god-daughter? Wait, do I get to call her that since you're Jewish?'

'Call it what you want,' Shane laughed, 'all I know is I haven't been this excited to make Alexis a fancy meal in ages.'

Body's face clouded over as they stopped to select mushrooms for Body's secret creamy-mushroom soup recipe. 'I don't like how that sounds.'

'No, no,' Shane laughed, 'I mean because of the baby, we like to go out for fancy dinners as a treat to ourselves for being good parents. Staying home for a fancy meal just for us we haven't done in a while.'

'And with Valentine's coming up in a few weeks that means another chance to go out.'

'Not just out, away,' Shane informed him proudly. 'I've banked some time so we are going to the Bahamas for four days. And I'm telling her tonight so we can get the planning for Petra done.'

'Dude, that's so cool. And very risky.'

'How do you mean?'

'Well...' Body gave another shrug. 'First time away from the baby for that long? Not just like down the street at the Waldorf like on your birthday or something, but out of the country. That's a big step, especially considering what Alexis went through as a mom. You don't think she is overcompensating in the other direction now? Because I remember her barely being able to leave her baby's side and now you think she's ready to just up and take off for herself?'

'If I know my wife as well as I think I do, she will be fine until we're on the plane, then have a little meltdown, then have fun and then the ride home be a basket case again because she is so excited to see Petra,' Shane replied, which had Body laughing.

'Actually, that sounds like you know you wife like a man completely in love with her who is excited to have a romantic weekend away.'

'See? That part I know. I need you to help me with this dinner.'

'How do you go grocery shopping with no plan?' Body asked incredulously. 'You just go in to the store and play Russian roulette or what?'

'I come in with an idea and then flesh it out when I see what's on sale.'

'Wow. How did you ever learn to feed yourself?'

'I didn't. My parents taught and so did you.'

'Kiss-ass,' Body muttered with a chuckle. 'Okay, so I'm making mushroom soup as an appetizer. What do you wanna go with it? Meat, poultry, fish, seafood?'

'Alexis has a soft-spot for fried chicken, so I was thinking some kind of crispy baked chicken with fancy sauce, and roasted potatoes.'

'Yeah, the girl loves her southern cooking. Where did that even come from?'

'Not a clue,' Shane replied honestly. 'I just know she loves it. Kinda like how she understands that I flip my shit if we're on a plane and I'm not the one flying.'

'That's just hilarious, bro. Here. How about we do a saltimbocca?'

'What's that?'

'Delicious,' Body replied, pulling out his iPhone to search for the recipe he was planning to try at the cafe as a board-special. 'And trust me, Alexis will appreciate it even more than plain ol' fried chicken.'

'Mumumum.'

'I know, it was lotsa fun with Max today for his birthday party wasn't it?' Alexis grinned at Petra in her stroller who was trying to grab her feet in their little baby boots with her mittened hands. For a moment when they got off the elevator of their building, Alexis just felt her heart smile brightly with pure love for her daughter. 'You are so sweet and cute, and I love you so much, sweetie.'

'Blb?'

'Okay, okay, I won't be too hard on Auntie Jojo for that new nickname of yours. As long as no-one starts calling my precious gem 'Rocky' it's all good.'

She opened the door, pushed the pram inside, and was welcomed by the rich scents of things deliciously indescribable. She had no idea what it was but when she saw Body and her man in the kitchen with open beers and an ocean of veggies on the counter she couldn't help but be thrilled.

'Hey guys! The party dolls are home!'

'Hey there!' Shane turned away from the counter, drying his hands before coming over to scoop up Petra and undress her from her winter things. 'How is my strawberry and my little rock?'

'How- What- Wh-' Completely flustered, Alexis shook her head like a puppy with a snout full of water. 'How did you hear about that?'

'RJ.' Shane fished into his pocket and held out his phone for Alexis to inspect the iMessage texts from his junior-sized brother-in-law. 'He sent me pictures of Petra and her friends from his new iTouch he got at Christmas and told me Jojo is calling their niece Little Rock.'

'I'm gonna strangle them both,' Alexis informed him with a playful pout, then sent Body a winning smile. 'After I finish your wonderful cooking. Can't kick pint-sized ass on an empty stomach.'

'Sasasasasa,' Petra cooed happily in her father's arms, making Shane send a mock filthy look at Alexis.

'Nice job, Mumum, teaching our daughter bad words. When she learns to curse, it will be in Hebrew so she won't get in trouble at school.'