Work becomes more and more trying as Emily's pregnancy progresses, the prospect of waking up early every morning to waddle into her car, wade through traffic, and then sit at a desk for eight hours growing less and less appealing by the day. To her boss's credit, an ergonomic evaluation is ordered for the whole office when she's in her 33rd week, and that following Monday there's suddenly a much nicer chair at her desk, the proper size for her frame.

Emily and JJ decide to schedule back to back OB appointments when the opportunity presents itself that Friday. Dr. Novak actually does a double take when she comes into the exam room for the first time and sees Emily there, before JJ quickly explains that she's the patient and Emily is there accompanying her as a friend.

After reviewing JJ's health history since she had Henry, they take a urine sample and do an ultrasound to confirm the pregnancy and the presence of a heartbeat. Emily watches the screen, thinks back to when JJ was in her shoes. When the tiny little fetus and the tiny little beating heart is visible, Emily thinks she also can feel what JJ had felt back then. A joy so large that it crowds out everything else. Wanting desperately that everything will be okay, that this baby can be theirs. Emily squeezes on JJ's hand, wanting to convey how happy she is, how in love she is with the baby, with their husband, with her best friend. JJ squeezes back.

Dr. Novak looks up at them, catches them in their little moment, thinks of the fact that they've had the same man come to both of their appointments. "We get a lot of patients who are immigrants here," she tells them. JJ wonders how that's relevant just before her unasked question is answered. "Sometimes they're scared of seeing a doctor or being honest with them because they think we'll get them in trouble with the law, have their children taken or risk deportation. We do our best to make it clear that we will only report suspicions of child abuse or neglect as we are legally required to, and they have nothing to worry about as long as they try to be good parents. I'll make sure to note that you two are sisters and if there's any problems getting wristbands for you two to access the delivery floor to support one another, my office will take care of it. If you ever work with another OB in our practice you can be assured that this will be the case. We don't ever want to put our patients in a position where they might be afraid of seeking out medical care."

They both thank her a little more than is absolutely necessary at the end of their appointments.

That evening, Emily stays in to take care of Henry, answer emails, and perform work related research. Knowing that they're going to be late coming home that evening, probably after Henry and Emily will have already gone to bed, Will gently kisses Emily before they leave. Henry plays a game on Will's tablet as she works, usually staying safely in her sight. They both take a break for dinner before Emily sets him up on the living room floor with his Legos and resumes her work.

Later, Emily tucks Henry into bed, reads him a story, kisses his forehead. She thinks of JJ and Will, of the fact that it's always hard when it isn't her with him, that it's the same for JJ. But she also thinks of the fullness they all bring to her life, of her son in front of her, and having precious time to spend with him too.

She thinks about David's words at their wedding. Her career, her family, and her sense of self grows in the space between where the two of them stand, occupying that gap with fulfillment, making her life richer than if they were never there at all.

In the space where she has let go of the expectation of having the whole of any one person to herself, has stepped in a whole life.

Where she loses time with Will she gains time for everything else, gains a greater appreciation of the time that they do have to spend together.

It's work, but Emily's prepared to work at it forever.