“That’s the fucking sweetest thing I have ever heard,” Eva says as she passes by with an enormous cake in her arms.

“So sweet,” I say, kissing him back. I twine my fingers through his.

He nods at the barn. “Can I show you what we’ve done?”

“Can’t wait.”

We walk into the barn, and immediately the breath leaves my lungs. The decor is simple but pretty, the space filled with rustic wooden tables set with white flowers and pretty glassware. I laugh when I see that the centerpieces are books. Picture books, more specifically. I move closer to take a peek at the titles.

Pride and Prejudice: The Newborn Edition

My Deal with the Duke, G-Rated Version

Baby’s Guide to Virginia Woolf & The Bloomsbury Group

Olivia appears at my elbow. Arms crossed, still wearing that smile.

I just stare at her.

“You wrote all these, didn’t you?” I ask.

Her smile grows. “I did. And Grey had them illustrated. The whole thing was his idea, actually.”

My head snaps in his direction. “It was?”

Grey shrugs shyly. “I was trying to think of something thoughtful to get you for the shower. I saw firsthand how passionate you are about romance and feminism and history. So I called up Olivia and floated the idea, and then we went and talked to Louise, the owner of Rainbow Row Books. She put us in touch with an illustrator.”

“Needless to say, I loved it,” Olivia replies. “We got to work straightaway. I think they came out beautifully.”

I smile at her. Smile at Grey.

Do my friends know me, or do they know me? One of the five thousand things I adore about them.

One of the five thousand things I adore about Grey.

I loop my arm around her waist and give her a squeeze. “I love them. Thank you both for such a lovely gift. And for hosting this shower. Y’all went above and beyond. This place looks amazing.”

Grey nudges me with his elbow. “Thanks to you.”

“And you.”

“You two make a great team,” Olivia says. “And you’re going to make a beautiful baby, too.”

People start to arrive. A slow trickle at first. Eliza and Monty arrive with Ford and Bryce in tow. She giggles with delight when I hand her a “best big cousin” gift wrapped in giraffe paper. She’s warming up to me, slowly but surely, and I want to keep the momentum going.

“Thank you, Julia,” Ford says when he hugs me.

“No problem. Figured she’d like something to open while we open gifts for the baby.”

He grins. “You know my daughter well. She hates not being the center of attention.”

The flood gates open shortly thereafter. My TA Irene, Hallie and Fiona from yoga class. Luke’s mother and her wife, the two of them cackling over hilariously inappropriate vegetable innuendos.

Grey and I both notice Eva and Ford chatting together in a corner.

Friends, old and new, crowd the barn, chatting over mimosas and small plates of Elijah’s ham and brown sugar biscuits, pimento cheese finger sandwiches, and fried oyster salad. The food is absolutely divine, but then again, Elijah’s food always is.