Boxes were everywhere in her apartment, lining walls and even a few in the bathroom. All four of the friends took turns watching the baby while the other three carried furniture and boxes up the elevator. They had just added the last of his furniture, a bookshelf to add to Karen's already massive library. She and Grace sighed in relief when they finally had the shelf in place, while Jack was bringing a box of books.

"Karen, why didn't you just hire moving men?" Grace placed a hand to the side of her stomach, easing the pain she had caused while lifting heavy furniture.

"Because, Will said it'd be more meaningful if we all did this together."

"Yeah, meanwhile, where is he?"

"Feeding Marie." She sat upon the couch, sighing at the release of tension in her back.

"Karen!" She rolled her eyes and stood once again at Will's voice. Grace took a seat upon the couch and watched her leave, smiling.

"What, honey? I just sat down." She entered the nursery to find Will standing behind Marie, her hands in the air.

"Check this out." He seemed very excited, but she had already seen her daughter stand. She had been standing for a week or so, pulling herself up on the couch or coffee table.

"We both know she can stand."

"No, bend down and hold your arms out. She's trying to walk." She did as he said, smiling to her little girl. "Go see Mama."

"Come on, honey." She smiled as she watched her daughter take her first steps, grasping her in her arms once she made it to her. She lifted the girl and stood as Will joined them in a group hug, placing a kiss upon Karen's cheek. Jack and Grace entered the room, questioning the commotion they heard.

And there they stood, the four friends and the newest addition to their family. Times had led them through many things, rough and smooth, but their friendship remained. Karen and Will had found love, and the love they could have for their child.

"I'm so happy." Will smiled, looking into the eyes of his friends, and lover. Karen returned the smile, meeting his eyes with adoration. He could see how much she loved him, knowing how much he loved her as well. He made his decision, right there in the nursery. "Here." He handed her a small box, seeing confusion overtake her face.

"What's this?" She opened the box to find a ring, a large diamond surrounded by smaller ones. It was the most beautiful piece of jewelry she had ever seen, and she had seen a lot of fine jewelry in her lifetime.

"It's my grandmother's wedding ring." She raised her eyebrows in question, but he only shrugged. Grace smiled, for she had been with him when he retrieved it from his mother, and she only hoped Karen would say yes to an eventual marriage. She smiled, brightly.

"Well, somebody break out some wine. It looks like we have reasons to celebrate."

The End

Thanks for the reviews. New story in progress.