My mother sighs heavily. "I'll see what I can do," she says, "but you have to understand that this is a difficult situation. You can't just demand that we revoke her suspension."

"I can and I will," I say, my voice steely. "Ally is a good doctor and a good person. She doesn't deserve to be punished for something that's not her fault."

My mother looks at me for a long moment, then nods slowly. "I'll talk to the Director," she says. "But you have to promise me that you'll be careful in the future. This kind of situation can't happen again."

"I promise," I say, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. "Thank you."

My mother nods, then gets up from her chair and heads out of the room. As she leaves, a sense of relief washes over me. I know that this isn't the end of the matter, but at least I have a fighting chance to make things right. And as for Ally, well, I'll do whatever it takes to make sure she's treated fairly.

As my mother leaves the room, my sister Emily walks in. She always been the black sheep of the family. She looks at me with a disdainful expression on her face, and I know that this conversation is about to get even more heated.

"What's going on?" she asks, her tone mocking. "Did you get suspended again, Dante?"

I roll my eyes. "Thanks for the support, Emily. I really appreciate it."

She smirks. "I'm just saying, maybe if you spent more time focusing on your job and less time on your little flings, you wouldn't be in this mess."

I feel my temper starting to rise again. "Ally is not a 'little fling,'" I say through gritted teeth. "She's a real person, with real feelings."

Emily snorts. "Please. She's just after your money."

"That's not true," I say, a rush of anger building in my chest. "Ally doesn't care about money. She's a good person, and she makes me happy."

Emily scoffs. "Oh, please. You left Genevieve, who was perfect for you, to go slumming it with some poor little brat who just wants to relate to our family wealth."

I feel a surge of anger at her words. "That's not why I left Genevieve," I say, my voice rising. "And Ally is not a 'poor little brat.' She's a doctor, just like me, and she's smart and beautiful and kind."

Emily rolls her eyes. "Whatever you say, Dante. I just hope you're prepared for the consequences of your actions."

As she speaks, my two brothers, Dylan and Farrell, walk into the room. They look at me, then at Emily, then back at me, clearly sensing that something is amiss.

"What's going on?" Dylan asks, his tone wary.

Emily opens her mouth to speak, but I cut her off. "Ally is pregnant," I say, my voice firm. "And I'm going to marry her."

There's a moment of stunned silence as my brothers process my words. Then, Farrell steps forward and claps me on the back. "Congratulations, man," he says, a huge grin spreading across his face.

Dylan looks a bit more hesitant. "Are you sure this is what you want, Dante?"

I nod, feeling a sense of determination fueling me. "I'm sure," I answer confidently. "I love Ally, and I want to spend the rest of my life with her."

My mother comes back into the room just as I finish speaking. She looks at me, then at my brothers, then at Emily. "I think I need to rest," she says, her voice weary. "We can discuss this more later." I am sure she heard my announcement about the pregnancy. But my mother is doing her usual thing, being nonconfrontational especially in the presence of all four of her grown kids.

As she leaves, I feel a sense of relief. The hard part is over, at least for now. But I know that there will be more challenges ahead. Marrying Ally won't be easy, and I'll have to fight to make sure that she's accepted by my family and colleagues. But for now, I'm just happy to have my brothers by my side and to know that I have a family who loves me, no matter what.

Ally

I wake up with a heavy heart, feeling down and uninterested in anything. Ashlee tries to cheer me up with her usual pep talk, but I am not in the mood for it. She suggests we go out to have some fun, and I reluctantly agree. I take a quick shower and change into comfortable clothes, hoping that the outing will lift my mood. Ashlee hails a cab, and we make our way to the park. As we walk around, I notice the serene environment and the chirping birds. Ashlee suggests that we go birdwatching, and I roll my eyes. However, I decide to give it a try, hoping that it will take my mind off things.

We walk around, chasing after different birds, taking pictures, and guessing their names. Ashlee seems to be having the time of her life, and I can't help but feel a bit envious of her bubbly personality. I try to join in on the fun, but I'm not as enthusiastic as she is. As we approach a tree, we notice a beautiful bird with colorful feathers, perched on a branch. Ashlee gasps in excitement, and we both reach for our cameras. I take a closer shot, and Ashlee takes a photo of the bird in its natural habitat. We both start guessing the name of the bird, and Ashlee suggests that it could be a Red-crested Turaco.

As we move to the next spot, we hear more chirping of birds in the distance. We follow the sound and come across a flock of birds. They're perched on a tree branch, and we can't help but admire their beauty. I take a picture of the birds, and Ashlee identifies them as African Grey Parrots. We continue walking, looking out for more birds to identify. As we walk further down the park, we come across a group of bird watchers. They seem to be well-versed in bird identification, and Ashlee strikes up a conversation with them. They seem friendly, and they offer to show us some of the more elusive birds in the park.

We follow them to a secluded spot, and they point out different birds to us. They tell us the names of the birds, and we take pictures to commemorate the moment. As we walk back, I realize that my mood has lifted considerably. I'm grateful for Ashlee's idea to go birdwatching, and I can't help but feel a bit more alive.

As we get back to the city, we decide to grab some lunch. We find a small café, and we both order sandwiches. We talk about the different birds we saw and the names we learned. We laugh at how we struggled to keep up with the experts and how much fun we had. As we finish our lunch, Ashlee suggests we try out the local ice cream shop. I smile, feeling more like myself than I did earlier in the day. We make our way to the ice cream shop, and we both order our favorite flavors. We sit outside, enjoying our ice cream as we watch people pass by.

I realize that I had forgotten about my troubles and that I had actually enjoyed my time out with Ashlee. Nature has magic effect on my mood. I feel a sense of gratitude towards Ashley for being there for me, and I vow to return the favor someday. As we finish our ice cream, Ashlee suggests we go window shopping. I nod, feeling more relaxed and content than I have felt in a while. We walk down the street, looking at different shops and admiring the beautiful displays. As we walk down the street, I realize that sometimes all it takes to lift our mood is a change of scenery and a good distraction. I'm grateful for Ashlee and her ability to cheer me up, and I make a mental note to appreciate the little moments in life that bring us joy.