“Speaking of,” Nick says, coming up behind his wife, “have another, pretty girl.” He swaps her empty glass out for a fresh mimosa.

“Are you trying to get me drunk and take advantage of me, Mr. Potter?”

“Mmmhmm…” He nibbles along the curve of her neck, giving me the damn goosies.

“Woo,” Darci says fanning herself with a stack of napkins. “I don’t know about you,” she says to Raven. “But I think I just got pregnant.”

Margo nods, and holds out her glass. “Hear hear!”

“What are we toasting to?” Ray asks, her glass hovering in the air.

“To you and this fine man here reproducing.” The redheaded minx rolls her tongue.

Nick reaches around his wife forcibly tapping her glass with Margo’s. “We’ll drink to that.”

Raven’s head whips around in his direction. “The hell we will!”

“Testing, testing,” Anika says into the mic, putting an end to the pregnancy negotiations. “At this time, we’d like to call the parents up to open gifts!”

Lyle and I share a smile before walking up and taking the chairs in the center of the stage.

“You can open mine first since it was my idea.” Anika waves a hand at someone backstage. Her enthusiasm surprises the heck out of me.

Reginald comes out with an enormous wicker basket filled with neutral-colored baby items and sets it on the floor in front of us.

“This is so much.” My chest squeezes as my husband and I begin simultaneously holding up items. There are muslin receiving blankets in every shade of white, cream, and tan. A lamb lovie so soft, I can’t help but rub it on my cheek. The most adorable hand knit, stuffed giraffe ever made. Neutral sleepers and bibs and burp cloths. And… “Bows?”

Annie shrugs. “Just in case…if not you can hold on to them for the next one.” She winks.

Thank you, I mouth before continuing. Beneath all the cloth items are bath products, and diaper creams, pacifier holders, and books galore.

“Oh my gosh.” I take the box of Kleenex Darci runs up to deliver and begin sopping up my tears. “Thank you so much, Anika.”

“You’re welcome.” One of those rare but radiant smiles graces her face. “Just be warned—I don’t do diapers or throw up. Or crying!” She cringes. “I just like looking at them and dressing ’em up.”

I snort. “Noted.”

“She’s not kidding,” Korie says, racing to the stage so she can be next. She stands there waiting eagerly while I rip the paper off. “The Baby Rocker LEVO is a must!” She starts pointing out all the features on the fancy baby seat. “Hadley napped in this thing for months!”

“Thanks so much, Kor.”

She gives me a hug then exits stage left.