Then Tasha's out of her chair and I'm being pulled into her arms again, tighter this time, her face pressed against my hair, and she's laughing or crying or both. I can feel the shudder of it moving through her shoulders, through my own chest, something releasing between us that I didn't know I was holding.
"I knew it." Her voice breaks against my temple. "I knew it the second you walked in. The way you were carrying yourself. The way you’re glowing like a neon sign.” She pulls back, hands on my shoulders, her face wet and radiant. "I’m so happy for you!"
"Holy shit." Lita's voice cuts through, and when I turn she's staring at me with something unguarded beneath her usual sharp armor. "Dominic fucking Baine knocked you up?"
"That he did." I can’t hide my smile, and Lita's big laugh breaks the tension just enough for me to breathe.
"Oh my God." Eve has both hands pressed to her mouth, tears already tracking down her cheeks. "A baby. You and Nick are having a baby."
Kat reaches across to grip my wrist, warm, steady, an anchor while the table erupts around me. "Congratulations," she says quietly beneath the chaos. "You're going to be wonderful."
And then they're all talking at once, questions layering over more questions.
“When did you find out?”
“What did Nick say?”
“Are you feeling okay?”
“Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?”
I can’t keep track of who’s saying what. Their excitement bubbles and expands until I'm laughing and crying and trying to answer everything at once.
The joy of it floods through me, sweeter than I expected, the relief of finally sharing this moment with these women who mean so much to me. These are my people, my chosen sisters, surrounding me with so much love and excitement it brings happy tears to my eyes.
"My mom knows too," I manage, wiping at my misting eyes. "We called her last night on video chat, so we could see her face when we told her."
Tasha's expression softens. She knows what my mom's been through, the years of separation, the slow and painful rebuilding. "How did she take it?"
"She cried, of course." My throat tightens at the memory. My mother's face on the screen, the moment we gave her the news, the way her hands flew to her heart like she was trying to hold it inside her chest. "She kept saying 'my baby's having a baby.' Over and over, like she couldn't believe it was real."
Because for so long, nothing good was real. For so long, everything we loved got taken away.
But not this. Not anymore.
"So." Tasha's voice shifts into the practical tone I know so well. "As your matron-of-honor, I need to ask. What about the bachelorette party?"
I'd almost forgotten. The plans they'd been building for weeks. Pub crawl, champagne, sushi, then dancing until our feet give out. There had even been a mention of karaoke.
"I can still go," I say quickly. "I'll be the designated driver. Club soda while the rest of you get tipsy."
"Absolutely not." Lita shakes her head. "No version of this works where you're the sober one watching us make asses of ourselves."
I lift my hand to protest. "But—"
"She's right." Eve shakes her head. "The whole point was getting you champagne-drunk and stuffed with sushi before putting you up on a dive bar somewhere to dance and sing some Madonna classics. What's the fun if you can't participate in the full experience?"
“You guys, no.”
Tasha shakes her head. “Zip it. You’re the guest of honor, Ave. We’re in charge of the logistics.”
I settle back, only because I know I have no choice. The knot that had lodged in my throat a few moments ago is back now, as I listen to my friends hashing out alternative ideas for our outing. They're already rearranging their celebration. Because of me. Because of the life growing inside me that changes everything, even things I didn't expect it to touch.
"What about the penthouse?" I offer. "We’ve got the theater room. We could do pajamas, face masks, all the snacks I can actually still eat. Nick'll make himself scarce the second his house is full of women."
Tasha's face lights up. "That's perfect. That's actually more you anyway."
"I'm picking at least one movie," Lita announces. "And I'm warning you now—"
