[Sophie’s POV]

The baby shower is at Cleo’s apartment, which I should have guessed from the beginning.

She greets me at the door with a smile that’s trying very hard to be casual and failing spectacularly. Behind her, I can see streamers and balloons and what appears to be an alarming amount of pink decorations, and there’s a murmur of voices that goes suspiciously quiet the moment I step inside.

“SURPRISE!”

The word erupts from what seems like a dozen throats, and I do my best to look shocked even though I’ve known about this for a week. Based on Cleo’s satisfied expression, my performance is at least passable. Adrian gives me a subtle thumbs-up from across the room, and Cassian’s mouth twitches with suppressed amusement.

“Oh my god,” I manage, pressing my hand to my chest like a heroine in a period drama. “I had no idea. This is—wow. This is too much.”

“It’s exactly the right amount,” Cleo insists, pulling me into a hug that’s only slightly awkward around my growing belly. “You deserve to be celebrated, and I refuse to let you have a baby without proper fanfare. I know it’s a bit early, but I wanted to do this while you can still enjoy it without being too uncomfortable.”

The apartment has been transformed. Pink and white ribbons spiral from the ceiling, and there are flowers everywhere—soft arrangements of roses and peonies that fill the space with gentle fragrance.

A table in the corner holds an impressive spread of food, and another table displays a towering pile of gifts wrapped in paper covered with tiny elephants and giraffes. The attention to detail is overwhelming, and I feel my eyes starting to burn despite my best efforts.

“Cleo.” My voice cracks on her name. “This is beautiful. You didn’t have to do all this.”

“I absolutely did have to do all this,” she corrects firmly. “You’re having a baby, Sophie. My goddaughter. This is the bare minimum of what you deserve, and if I had more time, I would have rented out a ballroom and hired a string quartet.”

“Please never hire a string quartet for me.”

“No promises.”

The guests descend then—coworkers from my old job, neighbors from the building, a few friends I’ve lost touch with over the years and am surprised to see again. Everyone wants to hug me, to touch my belly, to exclaim over how I’m finally showing and how wonderful I look. The attention is overwhelming in the best way, a wave of warmth and support that threatens to drag me under.

I find myself stationed on Cleo’s couch, a throne of cushions arranged around me for maximum comfort, while people cycle through to offer congratulations and advice. The older women share horror stories about labor that make me want to cross my legs permanently.

The younger women ask questions about the nursery and the names and whether I’m planning to breastfeed. Everyone wants to know about the “situation”—the polite code for my unconventional relationship—and I answer as honestly as I can without providing more detail than necessary.

“They’re both wonderful,” I say for what feels like the hundredth time. “We’re figuring it out together. It’s unconventional, but it works for us.”

Adrian appears at my elbow with a plate of food, his expression a mixture of protectiveness and pride. “You need to eat something. You’ve been talking for an hour straight, and you barely touched breakfast.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“You’re always hungry lately. You’re just distracted.” He sets the plate in my lap with gentle insistence. “Eat. Doctor’s orders.”

“You’re not a doctor.”

“I’m a professor. Close enough.”

I roll my eyes but pick up a sandwich, biting into it more to appease him than from actual appetite. Across the room, I watch Cassian engaged in what appears to be a serious conversation with one of my former coworkers—a woman named Janet who has never approved of anything in her entire life. Whatever Cassian is saying, it’s making Janet laugh, which I didn’t think was physically possible.

“He’s charming her,” Adrian observes, following my gaze. “I didn’t know Janet could be charmed.”

“Neither did I. It’s slightly terrifying.”

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