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Nathan comes to a complete halt, and I nearly run into him. Facing me, he dips his head and lifts his shades off his eyes. We lock gazes, and I see a challenge in his that I refuse to back down from. “Careful. I hear they have a pretty spacious coat closet. We could get away for a few minutes if you promise to keep quiet.”
A full-body shiver attacks me head to toe at his threat, and he doesn’t miss it.
“Damn, baby, you actually like that idea.”
“It’s the hormones,” I supply weakly.
Shades back in place over his eyes, he snags my hand and once again pulls me onward and up the front steps. “Nah, it’s one hundred percent you.”
I open my mouth to retort or, I don’t know, beg him to sneak us to this secluded roomy closet, but I’m interrupted by the door swinging open and Cami running out.
“You’re finally here!”
She intercepts me from Nathan and wraps me in a strong hug. I squeeze her equally as tight. I might be bitching about today, but it’s not the ungrateful variety. “I’m not late, am I? This one drives like a grandpa.”
We both giggle, knowing that is absolutely not true. He gets his skills from taking that rig around the county.
“Not at all, you have perfect timing. Everyone is already here.”
“Goodie!” I respond with slight fake enthusiasm, not sure who “everyone” is and gearing up for the possibilities.
I smooth down my dress as I walk into the open space, proud I only spare a glance in the direction of the coat check. Nathan chuckles beside me and places his hand on the small of my back. The heat of his palm sears into me. His gentle push encourages me farther into the main room even as I’m highly tempted to steer us another direction.
As we clear the propped open glass doors, shrieks envelop us, and I stop dead at the mouth of the room.
Holy freaking people! Did they come with the rental space? It appears she invited all of Arrow Creek, and every person showed. My family is in the front corner, and Regina stands next to them. The sour look on her face tells me she still isn’t over our disagreement at lunch. However, I take it as her trying by the fact she showed up and with such short notice too.
In the center of the room, I see a table crowded with our co-workers, including two of my friends in dispatch, and Dr. Luce and Janet from the hospital. A few familiar-faced cousins mingle with friends from town, and pause their conversations to watch me walk in.
Soft classical music plays in the background. White cloth streamers twisted with fairy lights swathe the exposed rafters in the room, draping down the four corners to the floor. Each table is set with a cloth covering and set for a massive brunch if the number of utensils is any indication. I’m out of my element when more than one fork is set. Hell, if I’m hungry enough, anything can become finger food.
I direct a short wave to my parents but stop when I spot the overfilled gift table beyond them.
“Cami.” Emotion crawls up my throat and chokes off my words. Nathan presses his hand deeper into my back at the sound of distress in my voice.
“Don’t you dare start crying now, or I’ll start too. I’m happy to do this for you, and I hope you love it.”
I clench her hand in mine. “I do love it,” I whisper. “You’re the absolute best.”
What I can’t say is that I didn’t expect any of this. From the moment I found out I was pregnant, I anticipated a journey of judgment and doing most of this on my own. Not from my friends, of course, but I’ve never relied on someone to step up to the plate for me. Being independent means they haven’t needed to. And even though the road hasn’t been entirely smooth thus far, I’ve had more love and support than I ever gave these people credit for in the past. It’s one of those silly realizations. After time, people become fixtures in life, and I didn’t recognize just how far they’d go to show me they love me.
More than any other day in my life, I feel extra loved today.
Law interrupts our moment by showing up and handing Nathan a beer. He wraps me in a big, gentle hug. “This was my stipulation for being here. Booze or I wasn’t coming. No offense.”
“From you?” I wrinkle my nose. “Definitely none taken. I appreciate you being here and attempting to keep her in line.”
His wink is one I interpret to convey he wouldn’t have missed this. Law’s not the type of guy to gush about his feelings unless it’s to his woman. I’m sure he does plenty of gushing when those two are alone.
The boys drift away while I’m swallowed up by my family and friends. The women gush over how big and cute I’m getting and how great my formfitting emerald green dress looks. I have to agree. The tight cinch around my hips gives me a backside I know future me will envy long after this baby is born. Who knows? Maybe that part of the weight gain will stick around.
After annihilating a spread of hors d’oeuvres that made me reluctant to share, Nathan and I sit front and center and tear into a mountain of gifts. Cami singlehandedly made sure all the items were ticked off my wish list, and I had a suspicion she went out and bought anything that wasn’t covered. Gender-neutral onesies and outfits, a modern diaper bag that looks more like a backpack and has a built-in baby changer cover, enough diapers to last the kid until preschool, two car seats, a baby carrier sling, and even a crib.
A tension headache starts a rhythmic throb in my temples from holding back tears for so long. I knew I should have taken acetaminophen this morning. After I hand off the last gift, a pack of expensive-looking baby bottles, to Nathan, I close my eyes and rub the thumping points on my head.
Nathan sweeps my hair off the back of my neck and leans in close.
