I found a vase in the kitchen cabinet and set the flowers by the sink before grabbing my phone.

“Where are we going?” I asked. “Mom’s going to want to know.”

“To see your mom.”

“...oh.”

That made no sense.

He plucked the phone from my fingers.

“Trust me. Get your coat. I’ll help you with your shoes,” he said.

Month eight of pregnancy meant I was doing a whole lot of cramming my tootsies into slip-on shoes unless someone was there to help. Leaf was happy to be that guy, and I balanced a hand on his shoulder as he slid Keds on me one at a time, him a big tall Romani Prince Charming to my very pregnant, kind of sweaty Hispanic Cinderella.

“Gracias,” I said.

“De nada.”

A coat, some gloves and my pocketbook and I was climbing into Morgan’s car. Erin had vacated the front seat for me, standing by the open door like a chauffeur. When I protested, insisting I could fit in the back seat (and let’s be real, I couldn’t, but she should be allowed to sit shotgun in her girlfriend’s car) she told me not to be silly and helped buckle my seat belt for me. It almost didn’t fit, but we managed it with a little prayer and a lot of grunting.

Erin and Leaf climbed in the back. Morgan pulled the car onto the main strip, some girl-band punk rock playing on her stereo.

“I like your hair,” I said to her.

She’d styled it in a Mohawk. She wasn’t allowed to in school, some crap dress-code rule, but once she’d gotten out and gone home, she’d applied gallons of product. It was back to her natural Irish Orange, as she called it, but the highest spikes were so tall, they brushed the roof of the car.

“Touch it,” she said, leaning her head my way.

I did.

The spikes were practically rock.

“Awesome,” I said.

Listening to my friends chatter on about a zillion different things, all the while refusing to answer any of my questions about where we were going, helped with the bummed-out thoughts about college. Distraction was often the best medicine. Sure, I’d sweat it again at some point, but not right then. Right then, I was in my happy place. Arriving at an Italian restaurant and being led to a small function room where Mom, Mormor and Devi awaited me—along with Jack and Mrs. Ianelli—was also my happy place.

I figured out two steps in they’d thrown me a baby shower.

It was awesome.