“We were missing you!” Jeannie says.

“Well, here I am. Late, but here.” Vera wears a camel hair skirt with a fringe at the hem, high brown boots, and a multicolored blouse that sets off her platinum hair. I motion to her seat. “Here’re your cookies.”

“How was work?”

“Made my sale.”

Rosie holds out her hand for a high-five across the coffee table.

“And now I get to hear at least part of Laurie’s story.” Vera’s comment turns our eyes back to Laurie, who smiles appreciatively.

“Can’t wait to hear about Olivia,” Vera mouths.

“You got the cookies and heard the story. Though there’s not much of a story about the cookie. Don’t even know where I got the original recipe. Maybe some magazine. Well, I made the cookie while Olivia was napping. You know, one day I made the batter, the next I baked them. Luckily, you just drop them with a spoon … you don’t have to slice or roll. I let them cool on the dining-room table, Olivia can’t reach that, and finally I put them in the boxes the third day.” She leans over and sips some water from her wineglass. “Brian helped taste them.” She chuckles.

“Well.” Laurie stops. Her eyes circle the room slowly. She studies each of us in the circle, our bags half full of cookie containers. Jeannie starting having Laurie cut and color her hair when she saw how mine looked. The first time Laurie came to the cookie party, she knew Vera and Jeannie would be there, too.

But I didn’t know that she knew Allie. Allie had been her therapist when she and Brian discovered his low sperm count. Allie never said anything to me, but after her first cookie party, Laurie mentioned that she had seen Allie professionally. They had examined how much being a mother meant to Laurie, how much Brian meant to her, and what her options were. Now her eyes stop at Allie. Taylor is still staring at her, too, and Allie, the focus of attention, pulls a lock of hair behind an ear, a gesture indicating unease.

Laurie smiles at Allie and her eyes slide to Juliet, who has become her friend since they met at Laurie’s first cookie party. What were Laurie’s cookies when she was the cookie virgin? The same ones, I remembered. And I know what her announcement will be.

I inhale sharply and my eyes fill. She’s coming full circle.

“Well.” She tries again. “I have some news.”

“So. You’re pregnant,” Rosie blurts out.

“No. Olivia is enough for me right now.”

I know what she’s going to say. I just don’t know where she’s going.