The smell of cookies hung in the air. Jane inhaled deeply as she cleaned the kitchen so that the house would be ready when everyone arrived. This was the first birthday her son would have, and she wanted it to be a good one.
She heard the front door shut, and she knew Bing had just returned from the party store with the finishing touches for the decorations. When he walked in, he smiled at seeing his wife playing with his son Jacob. The toddler's face lit up as soon as he saw his father. "Looks like someone's happy to see you." Jane laughed as she gave her son to the man who looked just as happy to see the toddler. He spun Jacob around and held him close as he gave his wife a quick kiss to say hello.
"I hope you're happy to see me too." He joked as he set Jacob in his play area. Jane was taking the cookies out of the oven when she replied, "Of course. What would I do without my loving husband?" After she put the tray of cookies on top of the stove, and took off her oven mitt, Bing stepped close behind her and put his hands around her hips. He took a deep breath and smelt the cookies, and her warm perfume. He thought about how he had gotten to this point, and how lucky he was to be there.
They could've stood like that forever, but the clock said that it was already three o' clock and everyone would be over in an hour. Jane went upstairs to get ready while Bing decorated and began heating up the food.
By the time four came, the house was ready. There was music playing lightly in the background, various balloons and banners with large number ones were placed around the house, and the table was set, with paper plates and napkins, because Jane told Bing that they were a crucial part of birthdays growing up.
Darcy and Lizzie were the first to arrive, perfectly on time, as always. The newlyweds walked through the door holding hands, and only let go when Lizzie ran to hug Jane. Darcy hugged Bing as well, because even though they had seen each other only a few months ago, they had been seeing each other less and less now that they were each moving forward in their lives.
After catching up for a few minutes, the doorbell rang, and Bing left the group in the living room to answer the door. When he returned, he was followed by Lydia and her boyfriend Ryan. It was tough for him at first, with everyone being protective of Lydia so that she wouldn't be hurt again. However, he made it clear quickly after he was introduced to the family, that he really did care for Lydia and would never do anything to hurt her. Lydia sat down between her two sisters and put an arm around each, pulling them in for a group hug.
Fitz, Brandon, Charlotte, and Gigi joined them shortly after. They all sat down at the table and ate, while Jacob remained the center of attention the whole evening. Everyone kept talking about how they couldn't believe how big he had gotten. Bing couldn't help but stare at Jane while she fed their son, and try to figure out how she could look so beautiful all the time.
While they sang happy birthday, Jane watched Jacobs eyes, just like his father's, grow wide. Bing wrapped one arm around his wife's hip and kissed her temple. Gigi was eager to be the photographer for the evening, which Bing was grateful for, because now he could truly enjoy these moments, not just watch them through a lens.
Behind Jane and Bing, Lizzie and Darcy stood, hand in hand, like always. Lizzie looked around the room, and saw how happy everyone was. This was a perfect moment. After they finished singing, and clapped as Bing began to cut the cake, Lizzie stepped closer to Darcy and rest her head against his arm. She ran her open hand against Darcy's fingers, then her own, and then across her stomach, where they stayed for a minute, before returning to her side.
They were all about to begin eating cake when Lizzie stopped them. She looked up at Darcy, and he gave her a reassuring smile. "Will and I actually have an announcement." She took a deep breath, and looked around at all the people she loved sitting around them. "I'm pregnant."
Gigi ran over to them first, and they stood up to meet her before she grabbed them and hugged them tighter than she ever had before. "This is so exciting!" She took a picture of the couple so they could always remember the announcement.
After hugs were shared all around, Lydia already began discussing baby name. "Look, I love the name Jacob and all, but you guys should go for something way edgier and more modern." She rattled off some ideas, and everyone let her, because even though they would never see the light of day, everyone enjoyed the ideas. Charlotte stated that she expected to be known as an aunt, and in reply, Lizzie just smiled and said, "Was there ever any doubt?" Fitz announced that he was in on the honorary uncle side of this idea. Darcy looked over at his wife and chimed in "You'll all be a part of our child's family, the way that we are a part of Jacob's because we wouldn't have it any other way." Everyone cheered and the rest of the night was filled with pleasant conversations and jokes. When everyone began to head home, they had already made plans to have dinner again soon, to stay close to their new family, especially now that it was growing.