A little less polished than my other words so it could come out on time... Happy Mother's Day!

"Tea, dear?"

The teenager pulled her hands away from a tear-stained face to stare with disbelief at the elderly rabbit.

"It's decaffeinated, if that's what you're worried about."

A sigh, a nod, a cup and saucer placed before her.

One hand returned to the face, this time to cradle it, while the other idly stirred in a pair of dissolving sugar cubes. The older lupine sat across from her with her own drink and waited quietly.

The visitor was lost in her own world for quite some time until some unseen force caused her to start slightly as she snapped out of her trance. She noticed her tea had long been sufficiently stirred and, removing the spoon, sipped at the warm beverage tentatively.

"Earl Grey. You remembered." The glimmer of a sad smile appeared briefly. It was quickly replaced by a shaky sigh, and the other knew she was ready to talk.

That is, if she could only figure out where to begin. "I… I know what – if I hadn't – because they're so perfect, never…" She finally settled on the obvious. "This sucks."

The wrinkled matron's response was a sympathetic nod. "I know."

"'I know'? That's all? No speech on how much I screwed up?"

For most adults, that is exactly what they would do – and what they hadn't stopped doing. Ginger the Rabbit was the only one wise enough to know that the last thing this young one needed was another lecture.

"Oh, Vanilla. Young, sweet Vanilla. I'm sorry you had to discover the cruel side of the world like this. But I know that you regret your mistake and that you're willing to accept the consequences of your actions. The same can't be said for many adults."

"Thanks, Grandma. Now if you could just tell that to them."

Ginger sighed. "Your parents aren't being very supportive right now, I agree. We have a way of forgetting our own history when faced with our children's faults. Your mother made her share of bad judgments in her time – not your exact situation, but still serious slipups. I still don't like to think about some of the things I said to her."

"But you never kicked her out of the house," Vanilla mumbled.

"No, no I didn't. That's another error on her part. I'm hesitant to talk to her, though; I'm afraid of what I might call her this time. I just hope both her and your father will come around eventually. I'd hate for them to miss out on their precious granddaughter."

Vanilla rolled her eyes. "Grans, I haven't had an ultrasound yet. You can't know for sure that it's a girl."

"Ah, but I can. Boys rest lower in the abdomen than girls, and you're definitely carrying high."

"Grandma, I've barely started showing!" Yet she was giggling.

Ginger sat back in her chair with a very noticeable amount of self-satisfaction – although it was less from her faith in old wives' tales and more from getting her morose granddaughter to smile. "I just know."

Vanilla just shook her head in amusement. "You're ridic – oh!"

The gasp was sharp and sudden. Ginger leaned forward in concern. "What? What's wrong?"

"I…" The adolescent rested a hand on her abdomen, her face displaying awe. "I think the baby kicked me." She looked down and smiled. "Yeah, you did. Comfy in there?" she cooed.

As the graying rabbit watched the beige rub her belly bump, a yet unaddressed question came to mind; and as much as she hated to disturb such a serene moment, it was a critical issue. "So what are your plans for the future?"

The hand paused as the head tilted in concentrated thought. "Well, I think it's safe to say I can count out staying at home for quite a while. I've been looking at listings for both apartments and part-time jobs, and if I take on three jobs, I should be able to afford a nanny for the baby."

Ginger was speechless. "I admire your effort, but are you sure you can handle it all? I'd let you stay here if –"

"Oh, no. I got myself into this mess and I'm going to get myself out – "

"You've already shown a remarkable amount of responsibility and – "

"It's my problem and I shouldn't have to drag anyone else into – "

"You're not 'dragging' me into it, I'm offering it to you freely – "

"I can go without new clothes for a while, and I can do without TV altogether – "

"Vanilla!"

It took a rare shout from her grandmother to finally break through Vanilla's adamant denial. Once Ginger saw she had the younger's attention, she immediately returned to her usual sweet demeanor.

"Honey, I know independence is a virtue, but you're just being too darn stubborn! I'm not offering you help because I think you're irresponsible; I'm offering you help because you've already shown me that you are mature and responsible."

Vanilla frowned, still reluctant to impose. "Can I at least pay rent?"

"Only if you let me give the money back when you buy your own place, since I can see you'll be leaving as soon as you have the chance."

The mother-to-be thought it over briefly, then sighed in resignation. "I guess that'd be fine," she relented. "But I insist on buying my own food and clothes."

"If that's what it takes for my great-grandchild to live in a safe place. Now, any more questions?"

"Yeah – " Vanilla grinned mischievously. "You have any snickerdoodles to go with this tea?"

"Ah-ha! I told you it's a girl - you're craving sweets!"

"Grandma, I'm always craving sweets!"

Laughter filled the small home as the two women put aside the cares of the world for a moment. And a tiny figure, still hidden from that world, snuggled into the dark warmth that surrounded her and drifted off to the sweet, melodious sounds of happiness.