“And I wish Edmund was here too.” I reached out and took her hand in mine, giving it a little squeeze.

“Me too,” Elizabeth said, her words whispery, muffled sobs.

“Bri will get off soon. You know that, right? She and Delfina have the best lawyer in the world,” I said, pointing over at Asher. He was standing near the cake, holding a flute of champagne, watching me talk to his mother with adoring eyes.

“I hope so. What Bri did was so wrong, I know that. I just wish I could have shaken some sense into her, stopped her… The only solace I have is that maybe her being in jail will help her come off the alcohol and the pills,” Elizabeth said.

“I hope so,” I said, truthfully. “Elizabeth…” I squeezed her hand again. “I have a favor to ask you.”

“Anything,” she said, wiping tears from her cheeks and giving me the kindest, and most genuine smile I’d ever received from her. She wasn’t the easiest person to love or deal with, but I loved her son and that meant there was a part of me that would always love her too because of it.

“I need you to take the chemo. And the radiation. Please.”

“Uh-uh.” Elizabeth was already shaking her head. “I’m sorry, dear. I love you both, but I don’t want to go through that. I’m ready to meet my maker and be reunited with my sweet Edmund. Surely, you understand that.”

“I think Edmund can wait a while,” I said, taking her hand in mine and placing it on my rounded belly. “Your grandchild is going to need you. And I need you… I don’t have any parents of my own. I don’t want this child not to know their grandmother, Elizabeth. Please. This is important. The doctors said you have a great chance of beating this with the treatment if you start now.”

Elizabeth’s eyes bulged at my growing belly. “You’re pregnant? This isn’t some sort of joke?”

I laughed. “Of course, I’m not joking. You’re going to be a grandmother. But I want you to know that this baby will have both mine and Asher’s last names. I know you don’t like it, but my mother’s maiden name is all I have left of her. I’m not ready to give that up. And I’m not planning on having more than one or two kids, so you and Asher can just get over that whole fantasy,” I said, laughing as I looked over my shoulder at my handsome husband.

He was grinning from ear to ear and could obviously tell that I’d shared the news based on the joyous, shocked expression on his mother’s face. He raised his glass. Elizabeth, hands shaky with excitement, grabbed her glass and lifted it toward him.