Page 93 of Falling Together

Joey eyes me up and down. “You knew, didn’t you?”

I smile, nodding my head. “You did say you wanted to throw a shower, so I figured it might be today since we were all getting together.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Rylee says, wrapping me up in a hug. “You deserve it. You do so much for others that we wanted to do something for you.”

“I love you guys.”

Emotions swarm through me because this is more than I expected. No one has ever done anything like this for me before. Maybe if I had sisters, we would have been this close. But these three are the sisters I never had but always wanted. It means the world to me that they’re doing this for me.

“Now, grab a plate and get some food because we want you to open your presents,” Rylee says.

Presley pours a glass of orange juice and passes it over to me.

“Everything looks delicious,” I say.

I help myself to a little bit of everything. Well, more than a little bit of everything.

Fruit skewers. Mini quiches. Cake pops. Sugar cookies decorated in the shape of onesies and rattles.

“You can take it all home later,” Presley says. “I ordered way too much.”

I pop a mini quiche into my mouth. Damn, it’s delicious. “I won’t say no to that.”

I settle onto the couch, and can’t help but eye the stack of presents in front of me. Every size box imaginable is impeccably wrapped, with the exception of a few.

“Who are these from?” I ask, pointing to a misshapen package.

Joey plops down next to me. “That one is from Max. He wanted to help wrap it.”

“I love it.” I smile at her. “You know, if you and Sam want a night out, Grant and I could always watch⁠—”

“Yes,” Joey answers, cutting me off.

“In need of a night out?” I laugh.

“As you will soon learn,” Joey says, patting my hand, “you will take any offer of a babysitter you can get.”

“Does that mean you’ll be offering to watch this one?” I rub my hand over my stomach.

“Joey is going to have to fight us off to watch him,” Presley says, coming into the living room and sitting in a chair next to me.

“I’m glad I have you girls to help me. I don’t know the first thing about having a baby,” I confess.

“Just know everyone is going to try and tell you what to do, but do what feels good for you,” Joey says.

“I won’t be giving any advice,” Rylee says. “I don’t have the first clue about having a baby. But know I will be there to cuddle that sweet baby as much as I can.”

I reach over and squeeze her hand. “I know you will.”

“And from one mother to another, try not to burn the grilled cheese,” Presley states. “You will never hear the end of it. I promise.”

I snort a laugh, trying not to choke on the orange juice I just took a sip of. “I’m pretty sure I have OJ coming out of my nose, so thanks for that.”

Presley laughs as Joey passes me a napkin. “Kids will be your harshest critics.”

“Good to know.”

“Max isn’t at that stage yet,” Joey says. “But right now he is so infatuated with everything Sam does, that I don’t really have to worry.”