That worried me especially during the baby shower. Will had been against having one—he said it was one of those dumb things people on TV did, and they didn’t need their friends to buy them presents—but Naya insisted, and he was too good a guy to put his foot down. Her timing was terrible, with my midterms around the corner, but I couldn’t just opt out,so I found myself there blowing up balloons with Mike and Sue while Will cooked—wisely warning Naya against helping—and Jack put up posters and a strand of letters that readCongratulations!
The mood was festive, and I was in a good mood, despite everything, until Jack turned to me and asked in a soft voice, “So, what did you get her?”
Shit! I had forgotten to buy a present! Before I could send out an SOS, Naya walked over to me with a beaming expression, almost waddling because her belly was so big. “Jenna, can you go check on Will in the kitchen?” she asked. “He won’t let me set foot in there.”
“Why could that be?” Sue remarked sarcastically.
Mike laughed, and all the air in the balloon he’d been blowing up flew back into his mouth, causing him to cough. Naya rolled her eyes and said, “Thanks, you’re the best!” before I had the chance to wriggle out of it. I grunted, and noticed Jack was looking down at me with a knowing expression.
“Let me guess: you didn’t get her anything.”
“Shhhh! Don’t let her hear you.”
“Jennifer Michelle, you are a real piece of work.”
“I’m busy, Jack! And I never know what to get people on occasions like this.” I tried to justify myself. “It’s a baby, what are you supposed to buy a baby?”
“Did your sister not have a baby shower when she was pregnant with Owen?” he asked.
“You’re kidding, right? She didn’t want anyone to know she was pregnant till the last minute. She basically vanished until she was almost ready to give birth.”
Jack reached out for more decorations. I handed them to him, and he started taping them up. “You can relax,” he said. “Once more, I’ve covered you. I got her a present from both of us.”
Mission accomplished, I thought.
“You are a literal dream come true,” I told him.
“I know. You can pay me back later.”
I pinched him, he yelped, and then he went on with his work.
“You’re not going to tell me what it is?” I asked.
“It’s a surprise.”
“Jack, the surprise is for the person getting the gift, not the one who’s supposed to be giving it.”
“I don’t care, I don’t want to ruin it, Jen, and I hope this won’t offend you, but you’ve got a big mouth. And Naya’s persistent. If she decides she wants to get a secret out of you, you’ll crumble in a matter of seconds.”
I wanted to defend myself but he was probably right, so I nodded, left him to his work, and went to the kitchen to help Will.
Lana soon showed up with her new boyfriend. I don’t think anyone but Naya bothered to learn his name. Chris arrived with a big basket of Swiss chocolates, which Naya tore into like a badger, almost clawing Mike when he tried to get a piece. A few other people from college came, along with friends of Naya and Will from high school, and finally Curtis, who positioned himself strategically across the room from Chris. It was a small group, but it wasn’t a big apartment, so it felt crowded, especially when the music started playing. Will and I kept going back to the kitchen to refill the trays of food, Sue reprimanded people for making a mess, Naya flitted from person to person, and Jack, who had business to attend to, spent most of his time on the phone.
It wasn’t boring. I’ll give them that. And the food was amazing. Will had made chocolate truffles—I had no idea he had it in him—and I could only stop stuffing them in my mouth when Naya stole them off my plate.
At one point, Naya grabbed Will’s hands and sat him down next to her. I couldn’t tell what they were discussing, but a few seconds later, she brought her hands up to her mouth, cupping them like a trumpet, and announced, “Present time!”
Will tried to protest, but she told him, “I don’t care! I want my presents!”
Everyone sat wherever they could, and we passed Naya the gifts one by one. She tore off the paper, which was her favorite part, then passed the boxes to Will to examine each item and thank whoever had given it to them. They got pacifiers, a huge pile of clothes, stuffed animals, rattles and other toys, a bassinet, a cradle, a carrier backpack, and enough soaps, shampoos, and lotion to keep the kid clean and moisturized until retirement age.
The whole time, Naya kept looking over at Jack and me. She was obviously anxious to know what we’d gotten her, and she was making the others curious, too. Eventually, she unwrapped the last gift in the pile and Will said ominously, “There’s only two people left.”
I glanced over at Jack as he reached into his jacket and removed a red envelope with a gold ribbon. Naya snatched it out of his hand. “What is this?” she asked suspiciously, taking out several sheets of paper. I wondered the same myself. Will and Naya scanned the tiny writing. “What is this?” she repeated.
Will leaned in closer, then looked up to find Jack grinning. “Wait a minute…”
“That’s right,” Jack said.
