Jack folds his arms and narrows his eyes at Harry. “A gas mask for babies?”
Harry shrugs and goes back to reading the instruction manual for the stroller.
“Ali, I fear for your future children,” Jack says, tapping her on the shoulder as he walks past her.
“Me too,” Ali says with a roll of her eyes. Jack joins the guys on the floor, and Ria sits down beside me and wraps her arm around me. There’s something so warm and comforting about Ria. She has this gentle presence that instantly makes you feel at ease. It’s the same trait Noah has, and I hope it’s something our daughter inherits. Despite the difficult hand they were both dealt at such a young age, Noah and Ria have grown to be incredible people, and I am lucky to have them in my life.
“How are you doing?” she asks.
“I’m okay, haven’t heard from Noah for a few days, but no news is good news, right?”
“Exactly. He will call again before you know it, but to keep you busy, the girls and I have arranged a little something.”
I glance at all three of them. “Should I be scared?” I joke.
“No. We know you said you didn’t want a baby shower, so we will do something for the baby when she’s here/ A welcome party if you will,” Ria gushes. “But we have booked a spa day, just for us girls, to get you birth ready.”
A warm, fuzzy feeling takes over my body, and I am suddenly overwhelmed with emotions and love for these girls.
“You didn’t need to do that,” I sniffle.
“Yes, we did. You deserve to be pampered,” Ali says, reaching over and squeezing my thigh.
“Thank you. That really means a lot,” I say, genuinely shocked at the extent of their kindness. The levels they have gone to make me feel welcomed, loved, and cared for has not gone unnoticed.
“We booked the full works and use of the pool, so we need to go shopping for a swimsuit for you,” Gabby says, and I grin excitedly, but my focus is stolen by the sound of clicking, and we all watch on in fascination as Jack clicks the stroller into place like a pro, giving it a spin round the apartment.
“How the fuck did you do that?” Brad asks, his tone annoyed.
“I’m a pro at this dad thing now. I could assemble one of these in my sleep,” Jack says confidently, pushing the stroller back and forth.
Harry coughs and mumbles under his breath, but we all hear it. “Smug prick.”
“What’s next on the list, Tori? Do you have a baby chair or a crib that needs building?” Jack asks.
Sadness pools in my stomach at the mention of the crib. It was the one thing Noah wanted to build.
“Erm, we have a chair, but could you leave the crib in the box? Noah wants to build it when he’s home,” I say hesitantly.
Jack gives me a small smile and nods as if he understood how important the crib was to Noah.
“I get it, the crib stays in the box.”
“Thank you,” I mouth silently.
“Come on you, clowns. I’m going to show you how to assemble a baby chair,” Jack says, gesturing for the guys to follow them.
Ali stands and heads towards the kitchen. “And I’m going to order takeout. Tori, are you still craving noodles?”
“Sure am,” I confirm.
And in that very moment, as much as a part of my heart is with Noah wherever he may be, so much of it feels full thanks to this group of people who feel more like my family with every passing day.
I just need to be patient and wait for my baby girl to be here and for Noah to return to finally feel whole again.
As if he sensed I needed him my phone begins ringing with an unknown number and I swipe my finger across the screen. The calls are always brief and simple for security reasons, but they are the thing that keeps me going.
“Hello?” I say a little too loudly, my tone full of eagerness to hear his voice.
