September 30th, 1991. The day I was born, twenty five years ago.

I still cannot believe that I've went through twenty five years of living. The memories of my past birthdays play in my mind, and I smile as I think of my father.

I can still imagine seeing his face, and that wide smile he always had as he watched me try to guess whatever was wrapped and watching me enthusiastically open my gifts. My mother would wear that same smile, and she would hold onto my father's arm while they watched me.

Coping with his death has been pretty difficult. Ever since the night of the funeral, and after the sex Alex and I had, the reality came back and punched me right in the gut the next morning. We stayed at the mansion for a couple more days, and everyone seemed to have fallen into a dark hole.

I try not to think about him, but when I do, only the happy memories play in my mind. I like to think that he's in heaven, watching over us with a smile on his face.

I'm definitely going to continue to make him proud.

Suddenly, I see Bruno rushing through the bedroom door and jumps onto the bed. He wags his tail excitedly before he licks my face. I smile and I play with his rolls of fat on his body before hugging him.

"Thanks buddy." I chuckle, and he barks loudly into my ear.

I see Alex standing in the doorway watching Bruno and I. She wears one of my button up shirts, and she has it unbuttoned so that her breasts are exposed. She wears a pair of lacy underwear as well, and she smiles as she walks over to me.

Alex kisses my lips, and they taste like chocolate cake batter. My fingers run through her hair, and I giggle when she presses her lips against my neck.

"Good morning." I say, and my voice is husky and rough sounding.

"Happy birthday." Alex smiles, and she gives me another kiss.

"What're you doing up so early?" I ask.

"Come on! I have a surprise for you! Alex squeals, and she pulls on my arm.

"Come on, baby. Can't the birthday boy get his rest?" I ask through a yawn, and she giggles.

"No, I really want you to see what I did!" Alex whines, and I laugh.

"Alright, alright." I groan.

Alex groans as she pulls on my arm, and she struggles to lift my weight from the bed.

"God damn, you're heavy." Alex says, and she groans.

"Either I'm heavy, or you have weak arms." I jokingly say.

"Hey, I used to lift girls in the air for cheerleading, Rian." Alex says.

I finally stand up, and I stretch out my arms. My shirt rises up, and Alex begins to tickle my sides. I break out into hysterics as she tickles me. I reach over to tickle her, but she screams and backs away from me.

"Okay, I'm sorry. Don't tickle me!" Alex begs.

I give her a mischievous grin, and she shrieks before running away. I maniacally laugh as I chase after her, and when we're in the kitchen, I stop in my tracks as I notice that everything has been decorated.

Balloons float in the air, and streamers are hanging from the ceiling. I notice a chocolate cake on the counter, and twenty five candles are already lit.

She did all of this for me?

That warm feeling starts in my chest and gradually spreads out, and I can't fight away my goofy smile.

"Happy birthday!" Alex cheers.

"When did you find all of the time to do this?" I ask.

"This morning. You were still passed out, and I snuck downstairs and did all of this." Alex cheekily says.

I walk over to the counter towards the cake, and I smile. She even made me a cake.

"You made this?" I ask, and her cheeks redden as she nods.

"Yeah, I made it from scratch. It was the cake that my grandparents always made whenever I went to visit. My dad took the recipe and started making it for my birthday since my grandparents lived kind of far from us and I couldn't visit them often." Alex explains, and I smile.

My girl did all of this for me, but when it was her birthday, I did nothing.

How selfish am I?

"I feel bad. Your birthday should've been something special, but it wasn't. Now that it's my birthday, you're spoiling me." I mumble.

"It's okay. You didn't even know that it was my birthday, and you made up for it on Christmas." Alex says.

"I promise that this year I'll get you whatever you wish for on your birthday."

"Okay, okay, enough talking. Blow out the candles before the wax drips onto the cake!" Alex urges me.

She beautifully sings the birthday song to me, and I blow out my candles before we dig into the cake without even getting out any plates.

"Since it's probably going to be just you and I, we don't have to worry about cutting it for other people." Alex says through a mouthful of cake, and I laugh.

"Babe, you uh—,"

"What?!" Alex asks, wide eyed.

I reach over, and I wipe off the chocolate frosting from the corner of her mouth before sucking it off, and her cheeks redden before she tries to suppress some laughter.

"This is really good. Definitely better than the store bought cake that they give me at the hospital."

"Thanks. I'm not really the best baker, but I tried." Alex says, and I kiss her cheek.

"It doesn't matter whether you're a good baker or not; I really appreciate it, babe."

Alex leans in to kiss me, and I smile against her mouth.

"I need to go." I blurt out, and she pouts.

"What? You don't want to spend your birthday with your girlfriend?" Alex asks, and I shake my head.

"No, no, no! I love spending time with my girl, but I've got work today." I say, and she scoffs.

"Why wouldn't you take your birthday off?" Alex asks curiously.

"Baby, you know how much of a workaholic I am. Besides, it doesn't really bother me. My shifts are exceptionally shorter on my birthday than other days." I explain.

"Maybe I just don't want you to work today, and just spend some time with Bruno and I." Alex coaxes, and I smile.

I kiss her forehead, and she sighs. My lips leave her forehead, and they press against her own. Softly, she kisses me, and our lips become superglued. I hold her face in my hands, and my hand runs through her hair.

Alex pulls away, and I furrow my eyebrows. She just smirks at me, and it's that familiar dirty, naughty smirk.

I know exactly what she's thinking.

"When I get back, okay?" I ask, and she nods.

"It's your birthday, so of course I want to make it extra special for you, Dr. Rian." Alex seductively whispers, and her breath tickles my face.

I stand up to go get ready, and once I'm in my usual attire, I give her a kiss and walk out of the door. In the car, my phone begins to ring, and I see Vanessa's picture on the screen.

"Happy birthday!" Vanessa exclaims, and I can hear Brendan and my mother's voice in the background.

"Thank you, I appreciate the call."

"We all got you gifts that should arrive at your house by this evening." Mom excitedly says, and I smile.

"I keep telling you guys that you don't have to get me anything!" I exclaim.

"Rian, I'm your mother, and your siblings and I love you. We're so proud of your medical success, so we all splurged and got you things that we know you'll love." Mom says.

"Well, thank you." I chuckle.

"Are you doing anything special today?" Vanessa asks.

"Well, after work I'm going back home. Alex says that she has something planned for me."

I can picture Vanessa wiggling her eyebrows alongside Brendan, because they both aren't very mature. I remember the night Vanessa walked in on Alex and I, and she had the most creepy, perverted smile on her face.

"I already know what you guys are thinking, so don't try to hold in your laughter."

"Vanessa, Brendan, stop it. Rian, baby, how are you?" Mom asks, and her voice sounds low and crestfallen.

"I'm doing okay. Alex has really helped me get through this, and I just keep telling myself to remain strong and positive." I inform her.

"Yeah, my mother has been visiting lately just to check in on me and see how I am. You know your grandmother worries about the three of you, but she is extremely protective and worried about me. I'm sure you understand that."

"Yeah, she just doesn't want her daughter to be depressed or anything serious like that. We're all kind of going through it right now, and if you ever feel like you need to talk to me, you can."

"I love that you became a doctor, Rian. You physically care for people, but you also try to check on them emotionally and mentally." Mom says, and I can tell that she's smiling.

"Emotional and mental stress can also cause physical stress, so that's why I'm always worried, especially now." I explain.

"Thank you for the concern, baby. If anything ever does bother me, I know who to confide in."

"Good." I say, and she sighs.

"Yeah, I hope you have a great birthday. I've got to go now." Mom says, and I smile.

"Thanks, Mom. I love you."

"I love you, too." She says, and I hang up.

I park in my usual spot at the hospital, and as I walk past fellow colleagues, they smile and wish me a happy birthday. The devilish green eyes and wavy brown hair and pink scrubs make me groan internally.

"Happy birthday, Dr. Peterson." Kassandra says, and I roll my eyes.

"Whatever." I flatly say, brushing past her.

I spot Dr. Raymond a few feet away from me, and I walk over to him.

"Rian, happy birthday! How's it feel to be twenty five?" Dr. Raymond excitedly asks, and I laugh.

"It feels good being twenty five. I'm going to make the best out of my birthday." I say, and he smiles.

"Good! You need to make the most out of your birthdays. When you're old like me, you really wish that you had done more stuff when you were younger."

"You're only forty seven, Dr. Raymond. I don't really think that counts as old." I say, putting the word old in quotation marks.

"I'm serious! I wish I could just go out and be young again."

"So do it. What's stopping you from doing whatever you want?" I ask, and he raises his eyebrows in surprise.

"I don't know." He gasps, and I chuckle.

We split apart, and I make my way into a patients room. The little girl is in the bed, and she smiles at me before giving me a weak wave. The two people standing next to the bed look worried, and their faces are pale with worry.

"Hello! How are you guys doing today?" I ask, and the little girl smiles.

"We're doing okay, just worried out of our minds." The man jokingly says.

"I'm Amanda, and this is my husband Richard." The woman says, and I shake both of their hands.

Amanda has dark skin and curly black hair, and she's very tiny next to her husband. Richard is a well built man with blonde hair and blue eyes.

"I'm Dr. Rian Peterson, it's nice to meet you both. And what is your name, sweetheart?" I ask the little girl.

"Sofia." She says with a wide smile on her face.

"How old are you, honey?" I politely ask, and she giggles before holding up six fingers.

Sofia has gorgeous creamy brown skin, and her hair is in cute little pigtails. Her wide brown eyes curiously wonder around the room, and she coughs a few times before wiping her nose with the blanket.

"What's the concern with Sofia?" I ask.

"She's been really sick lately, and she's extremely hot." Amanda explains, and I nod.

I place my hand on Sofia's forehead, and my hand feels like it's on a burner, so I take the thermometer from my pocket.

"Can you open your mouth for me, Sofia?" I ask, and she does.

I carefully insert the thermometer into her mouth because I notice her bottom tooth hanging on by a thread. Once I take it out of her mouth, my eyes widen as I see the temperature.

"What is it, Dr. Peterson? Is our daughter okay?" Richard worriedly asks, putting an arm around Amanda.

"Sofia's temperature is 104.7 degrees Fahrenheit, so she has a pretty severe fever. Has your daughter been sick or had any type of illness recently?" I ask, and I take my stethoscope from around my neck and put it in my ears.

"No, not that I can recall." Richard says.

Sofia's heart is beating rapidly, like she has just finished running around.

This isn't looking good.

"Everything's going to be fine, sweetie. Myself and the other doctors are going to get you out of here." I say reassuringly to Sofia.

The door opens suddenly, and I see Jordan walk towards me.

"Hey, they had just sent me here. How's she?" Jordan asks, looking at Sofia.

"Really high fever, I'm going to need you to run some tests and a couple of other things for me while I run an errand. I'll be back shortly, okay?" I say to Jordan, and he nods.

"I got you, man. By the way, happy birthday!" He exclaims, and I chuckle before thanking him.

As I'm walking in the hall, I receive more birthday wishes from people, but all I'm thinking about is Alex and how much hers meant to me.

I wonder what my girl has in store for me when I get home.

Whatever it is, I know I'll like it for sure.

~~~

After Rian left for work, I ate some more of the birthday cake and called Savannah to come over. Once I hear the doorbell being rung repetitively, I spring up from the couch and make my way to the door.

"Hey!" Savannah exclaims, and she throws her arms around me for a hug.

"Hey Vannah." I say, and I smile as she hugs me.

Once we've stopped hugging, she runs over to the counter.

"You made this?" She asks, and I nod.

Savannah goes to grab a chunk, but I smack her hand away. She holds her hand and looks up at me with fake shock in her eyes.

"Dude! I just want some cake!" She exclaims.

"No, it's for Rian! In case you didn't know, it's his birthday today."

"Oh, tell him I said happy birthday! Now can I have some cake?" Savannah asks.

"No." I say flatly.

"Please?"

"No!" I exclaim, and she pouts.

"Pretty please?" She squeals, and I sigh.

"One piece, and that's it." I finally say.

"Yaaaay! Thank you!" Savannah excitedly says, and takes a chunk of cake in her fingers.

As she's eating the cake, that unenjoyable feeling in my stomach starts again, and I feel nausea.

Something isn't right.

This has been going on for a while, and it hasn't gone away.

"What's up with you? You look constipated or something." Savannah says, and her words are muffled by cake.

"Savannah, for like the past month now it feels like I've had a mini stomach bug or something." I admit, and she shrugs.

"Tell your sexy Doctor boyfriend." She adds, but I shake my head.

"I don't want him to worry. He's been down lately ever since his dad died, and I don't blame him."

"I get that you sympathize with Rian, especially because you both lost the most important men in your life." Savannah softens her voice, and she puts down the cake chunk.

"The funeral was really tough to sit through. Rian was just crying and he looked so broken, and it just hurt me to see him like that." I admit.

"I know. Loss is really difficult, and there's no denying that. But telling your boyfriend about your health isn't bad." Savannah says.

"Yeah, I just need to think things out before I tell him."

"Think things out before—," Savannah pauses in the middle of her sentence, and her eyes get extremely wide all of a sudden. "Oh, my God!"

"Dude, what's your deal?" I ask, and she scoffs.

"My deal? What's your deal? Do you not know what could possibly be going on?!" Savannah asks, almost foaming at the mouth.

"No, what?"

"You don't even know if you're... possibly pregnant?" Savannah asks, and my heart sinks to my stomach.

There's no way. She's delusional.

"What are you even talking about?"

"You guys are sex addicts, okay? There's probably a little mini Alex or mini Rian just forming in there right now!" Savannah exclaims, and I shake my head.

"Savannah, that's crazy! You have no idea if I'm pregnant or not."

"Well I'm gonna know. We're gonna find out!" Savannah says, picking up her keys.

"Where are you going?" I ask.

"The drugstore."

"Vannah, wait, no! Don't go!" I beg, and she stops as she reaches the doorknob.

"You're right, I'm not going to go alone."

Wait, what?

"Get in the car bitch."

I chase after her, and she gets in her car. I sit in the passenger seat, and she speeds off to the closest drugstore.

"The pharmacy is closer than the drugstore, so we're going there. Besides, I'd trust the pharmacy more than some run down drugstore. That pregnancy test would probably say something like you're fucked." Savannah jokingly says, and she laughs.

I nervously chuckle, and my legs are trembling. My eyes become blurry with tears as I look out of the window.

Once we pull into the parking lot, I walk in with Savannah towards the aisle with pregnancy tests and feminine care products. There are multiple tests in front of me, and I take more than one just to be sure.

I can't believe this is happening.

"Savannah, I'm scared." I say shakily.

"I know, but I'll be there for you no matter what happens. I'll pay for your tests, too." Savannah says, and she rubs my back.

Damn, it feels good to have someone during this.

I probably would've had a nervous breakdown if I was doing this by myself.

"I'll pay you back, Vannah."

We walk over to the cashier, and I see a woman who's probably in her mid thirties. The woman is busy putting money into the register after the previous customer gave it to her. Once we're next in line, Savannah takes the tests and places them down.

"Oh, my goodness! Are the both of you expecting?" She asks in a peppy voice, and I'm already annoyed.

"No, I'm not. She might be, though." Savannah explains, and the woman gasps.

"So young and ready to start a family. I remember when I was younger and I was so ecstatic and ready to have kids of my own. But now they drive me crazy." She jokingly says, and breaks out into hysterical giggles.

Just put the tests in the bag, lady. I want to go home.

Once she bags the tests, she gives us her toothy smile before we leave. Once we get home, I take the tests and rush back inside. I lock myself in the bathroom, staring into my own eyes. My breaths are noticeably shaky, and I can't try to stop them.

I've held in enough pee that I could probably fill a couple of plastic bags with it. I pee on each individual test, and it's a lot more difficult than I imagined it to be.

"Okay, three minutes. It's only three minutes, but that can decide my fate." I whisper to myself, and I run my fingers through my hair.

I check my phone constantly for the time, and I swear these are the longest three minutes of my life. It sort of feels like I'm in school, just waiting for that final bell before Summer break.

God, this is killing me!

Fuck, I'm nervous.

My entire body is trembling with nervousness, and I pace back and forth while keeping my eyes on the counter.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck." I mumble, and I bite my lip.

It's been two minutes.