Estrella, one of her closest friends, was about to become the mother of the man she was seeing. That was new. And scary.

Mary took a deep breath that stalled when Estrella’s door swung open. But it was just John standing there, grinning at her, munching on something crunchy. His eyes looked lazy and relaxed and utterly thrilled to see her. They’d woken up together that morning, but Mary had spent the day at the shop and he’d had a ton of work to catch up on. It felt like they’d been separated for days. John pulled her in off the doorstep and hugged her tightly against him.

“Damn, you look lovely.”

She’d better look lovely. She’d spent an extra hour on her appearance for Estrella. She’d straightened her hair, done her makeup, practically hauled her entire closet off its hangers before she’d decided on this one perfect, peachy dress that showed off her shoulders and her calves.

John crunched in her ear.

She laughed and pulled back. “What are you munching on?”

“My mother made tortilla chips and guac. Seriously, you’ll never be the same after you eat her chips and guac. By the way, there’s way more people here than we thought.”

He took her hand and tugged her back through the house to the kitchen and all the way through to the back porch that Mary hadn’t even known was there. Mary peeked out, gasped and then yanked John back into the kitchen. “There’s a dozen people out there!”

“Like I said. More than we thought.” He frowned down at her quizzically.

“Let’s wait to tell her.”

He frowned even more, that beloved V carving its place on his face. “Until when?”

“We’ll wait out everyone and tell her when it’s just us. Later tonight. I just don’t want to do it in front of everyone.”

The V eased as soon as he realized that she wasn’t hoping to wait indefinitely to tell his mother. “Okay. Sounds reasonable.”

They dropped hands and stepped out onto the porch.

“Mary!”

Estrella, salt-and-pepper hair in a messy bundle on top of her head and a loose sundress flapping around her knees, practically bowled other guests aside.

Mary found herself wrapped up in a warm, firm hug. “You look beautiful!” Estrella crowed into Mary’s hair before she’d even released her. “Radiant and happy and perfect. I’m so glad you’re here. Now the party is perfect.”

Tears sprang to Mary’s eyes as this woman, this good mother, poured support and positive feeling into her. This woman who held nothing back from Mary. Who hadn’t held it against her when she’d initially rejected John. Who’d shown up at her shop with a wine and cheese picnic and helped Mary rebuild. Who thought Mary was the tippiest top of any mountaintop.