& it's all because you're by my side.

"Katy?" I heard someone faintly call my name.

I groaned and rolled over in my (or Frankie's, actually) warm bed, it felt early, I didn't want to get up yet.

Frankie had allowed me to sleep in his bed and Nick had allowed Rita to sleep in his for the few days that we were here. They were bunking with Joe and Kevin, who both had large beds, for the few days.
"Katy!" The voice hissed again, this time I identified the voice as Rita's.

I stayed completely still, hoping that she'd think I was still asleep.

"I know you're awake." I could just imagine her rolling her eyes.

"Fine." I grumbled and rolled over, hanging my head over the side of the bunk to look at her. "What's so important that you had to wake me for?"

"Someone came in here and left a trail of rose petals for you. I think you're supposed to follow them." She pointed to the little red petals that were scattered in a line towards the door.

I stared at the trail on the floor. "What are you up to now Joseph?" I whispered before crawling out of the warm bed and down the ladder.

This had to be something from Joe's imagination.

I followed the trail out of the room, as Rita instructed, and into the hall.

It looked like it continued to the other side of the house, where Joe's room was located.

I began walking along the trail of roses until the reached the bathroom; I paused my journey and stepped onto the cold tile.

I desperately needed to use the lavatory and brush my teeth.

There was no way I was going to go see Joe, and probably kiss him, with morning breath.

After my visit to the bathroom, I stepped back into the hallway and continued following the trail of rose petals.

I smiled as I was almost to my destination; this was an incredibly sweet and romantic thing to do.

It led me, as I thought, into Joe's (and Kevin's) room.

I entered the room, excited to see what was at the end of the trail.

I stopped in front of Joe's bed and glanced around the room, finding nothing but an empty (and messy) room.

"Keep following the roses!" I heard a whisper from Joe's closet.

I giggled and did as I was told.

The trail continued around Joe's bed and around Kevin's bed to the other side of the room.

I gasped at what I saw sitting right next to the last rose petal.

As the item on the floor noticed me, I was met with a round of gentle barking.

I giggled at the cute puppy sitting in the middle of Joe's bedroom floor.

It wagged its tail excitedly at me.

"It's a Yorkie." Joe informed me as he exited his closet.

I stepped forward and picked up the dark brown bundle of life. It attacked my face with kisses as I petted the soft fur.

It was the cutest dog I had ever seen, it had dark brown curly hair and a pink bow clipped around a section of hair sitting right atop its head.

"When my Mom and I were on the way home from the store the other day," Joe began. "She was sitting in the middle of the road. At first we thought she was dead, but then she started running across the rode. We had to save her."

"Aw! You're such a hero!" I gushed playfully as I continued to pet the little dog.

"And I wouldn't let mom take her to the pound so I thought that maybe…" He paused, a look of hesitation spread across his face. "She could be our puppy?" He raised his eyebrows.

"Our puppy?" I smiled happily. "I like how that sounds."

Joe let out a breath of air. "Good, I was scared that you wouldn't like her and wouldn't want to keep her."

"How could I not like her? She's absolutely adorable!" I exclaimed as she laid her head across my arm.

"She is a cutie." Joe stepped towards me and petted the small dog. "And happy second day of your birthday month." Joe grinned before leaning over the dog and kissing me.

"Thank you." I blushed as Joe stepped back and took the puppy out of my arms. "You aren't really going to celebrate every day of the month, are you?"

"You bet your butt I am." Joe smiled as he sat down on the edge of Kevin's bed with the puppy.

I rolled my eyes and stood in front of him, looking down at his flawless face. "You really don't have to. A Giants game and a puppy really are enough."

"I know I don't have to." He spoke softly as he looked down at the puppy. "But I want to." He took his eyes from the puppy to mine. "I like surprising you and doing special things for you. I love to watch your face light up in excitement at something silly I did for you. It makes me happy to see you happy."

Oh how he made my heart melt.

I smiled at him before I took his face in my hands and kissed him, passionately.

I didn't know how to express how I felt into words.

It was completely sweet and romantic and kind, all the things he did for me. It was completely unnecessary and I honestly didn't deserve all of it, but I appreciated it nonetheless. The things he did for me meant the world to me.

And I couldn't find the words to describe all of that to him.

So I did the only thing I could think of that might possibly illustrate how I felt, I kissed him. I put every emotion I could into the kiss as our lips moved rhythmically together.

Our lips, they fit perfectly together.

We continued kissing, close to reaching tongue action, until a small bark was heard and little paws could be felt climbing across us.

We broke apart and smiled at the adorable little puppy looking up at us.

I took my eyes away from the cute little ball of excitement and directed them back into Joe's. "Thank you, Joe. Honestly, for everything."

I could tell by the look in his eyes that understood how sincere and appreciative I was. "You're welcome."

He gave me another soft kiss before lying back on the bed and pulling the puppy onto his chest. "Now we've gotta name her!" He said excitedly.

I smiled before lying down next to Joe. "This should be interesting."

"And time consuming."

--

"Nick! Kevin! Frankie! Rita!" I hollered down the hall.

"What?" Four voices yelled in unison.

"You guys are needed in the living room!" I lowered my voice as I entered the game room. All four were wrapped up in a game of Halo 3.

"Why?" Nick broke his eyes away from the TV to glance at me for a moment.

"Joe and I have a surprise." I exclaimed.

"What kind of surprise?" Kevin asked as he shot and killed Frankie.

"What! That's no fair!" Frankie whined to Kevin. "You looked on my screen!"

Kevin chuckled as he shot and killed Rita, as well.

"Hey!" Rita squealed, throwing a pillow at Kevin's head.

Kevin ducked from the pillow as Nick took the opportunity to shoot and kill him.

"What the heck Nick?" Kevin exclaimed, dropping the controller on the floor. "Your girlfriend was throwing a pillow at me! That was a cheap shot!"

I watched in amusement at the bunch before speaking again. "Well, good, now that you're all dead, we need you in the living room."

"Fine." They muttered before getting up from their places on the ground and couch.

"It better be something good." Frankie gave me a look before passing by me and out the door.

I chuckled. "Oh, you'll like it."

"You're not pregnant, are you?" Rita hissed as we followed the boys down the stairs.

I snorted in laughter, Nick and Kevin doing the same.

"Oh yes, Ritakins. Joe and I are just super excited to announce to you guys that I'm knocked up." I replied sarcastically.

She rolled her eyes. "Well, you never know now-a-days."

"You don't have to worry, Rita, I'm not pregnant." I told her before they entered the living room.

Instead of entering the living room myself, I made a left into the kitchen where Joe and our "surprise" were waiting.