Celeste could hear the whimpers of the baby from the moment the elevator doors cracked. She continued to walk in their direction assuming that's where she'd find Rory. She'd told Rory she was coming, just to drop by not expecting to be entertained or anything, as she'd just been the clinic for her checkup, not too far from them.. She had her own access code to their place, so she'd let herself in.

She found Rory in the kitchen, a burp cloth thrown over her shoulder, her hair pulled up into a messy bun and her eyes notably tired, with the baby in her arms doing a rocking motion.

"Hey," Celeste greeted.

"Another adult, yay!" Rory replied, sounding relieved.

"Can I help?" she offered, as she washed her hands.

"He's gassy I think, or sleepy, or both. It's a constant guessing game," she replied with a sigh. She couldn't wait for the baby to develop speech and actually tell her what he needed and it hadn't even been three weeks. Celeste had been over once before and texting Rory every couple of days, not minding that she didn't always text back.

"Well can I try?" Celeste offered, clearly seeing Rory getting a little frustrated already. Even if she was of no use here, it would at least give Rory a moment.

"Sure, do you mind if I go take a shower real quick?" she asked, almost too hastily offering her the baby, transferring him to Celeste's shoulder together with the burp cloth.

"Hey, little guy," Celeste said, already sensing how she struggled with avoiding the baby talk like she'd planned to when it came to her own child. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all?

"You can hang out in the bedroom if you want," Rory suggested, hoping she would. Rory was still a little hesitant about having the baby far from her, even if there was someone else taking care of him. Despite the baby monitors, the apartment seemed so big, it taking her all those extra seconds to reach between floors if he were to cry, hence she usually brought him along wherever she went between floors, either using a baby sling or one of the many bouncers and baby nests around the place, the multitude of gifts having come in handy.

"Sure," she agreed.

Rory grabbed the half eaten banana that she had on the kitchen counter, peeled it and finished it in two big bites, then grabbed a few used burp cloths to bring to the washer as she led the way.

Maybe it was the composed nature of Celeste, being less stressed, that had calmed him - it was really not much later than a few minutes after Rory had stepped into the bathroom to shower, when he dozed off, snoozing comfortably on Celeste's shoulder. For a few minutes she enjoyed his scent, that unmistakable baby scent was still there, as she sat at the light grey wingback. wondering whether Evie would smell the same. She hadn't fully settled on the name, still believing she would need to look at her for real, but somehow it kept coming up in her mind when she thought about her. Celeste soon moved the baby carefully onto the bedside crib Rory had in their bedroom, recalling from parenting class the sideways position, positioning a rolled up towel behind his back for support, sighing from relief as she succeeded in moving him without waking him.

"He's sleeping," Celeste said quietly, as Rory emerged, wearing a robe, her hair wrapped in a turban which she released beginning to towel dry it.

"Good," she replied, mouthing a 'thank you'.

"So how are you doing?" Celeste asked, keeping her tone low.

"Oh..," Rory sighed, not really knowing what to say. She didn't want to scare her, knowing she'd soon be in the same position, but she wasn't going to lie either.

"That bad?" she asked.

"It's so and so - not what I expected. Maybe I was under some strange illusion that it was going to be a lot more cutesy and wonderful, and I certainly shouldn't be complaining. I have a top-class nanny that comes twice a week so I can get some work done but I've mostly spent that time sleeping so far. An organizational expert has helped me place things optimally and the lactation specialist has been over, but still… it's hard. I don't like the person I've come - I'm snapping at Logan, there's no intimacy to speak of - and I am not even speaking about sex here - I haven't even been cleared for that yet but right now I find it very difficult to even imagine, but like even getting time alone with him is a struggle. I feel like my brain is dying and I'm not getting anything done," she blurted.

"It's an adjustment, it'll get better," Celeste tried to sooth her. She knew Rory knew that she didn't really know that - that was simply what every book, class and Facebook comments baby groups said, but she felt she needed to say some words of encouragement at least. "And you can ask me to come around, help, it's not like I am doing much right now," Celeste offered.

"Thanks, but it's like...I'm supposed to be doing this on my own, like my mom did, like so many women do, and here I am behaving all spoiled and complaining when I shouldn't," Rory sighed.

"I'm sure you mom would be glad to help out too," Celeste suggested, sounding a little hesitant when she said it. She wasn't sure how she would take that.

"Yeah, I know," she replied. "But it's like I keep expecting her to compare everything I have or what I am doing, how I am doing things to the way she brought me up. Like I have no right to complain… which in a way she has every right to say, because I shouldn't," Rory explained. To her getting used to the lavish lifestyle was still part of the adjustment too, almost feeling guilty at times for having all this land in her lap. She was willing to use experts for help, but getting a full time nanny didn't appeal to her, hoping to avoid that to the last breath.

"Has she said anything or are you just expecting her to say those things?" Celeste asked.

"She hasn't as such, but it's a gut feeling - that she's thinking it," Rory sighed, realizing it must've sounded like a groundless worry.

"I know you have a lot on your plate, but maybe we could try to do something else, get you out of here for a change. We could ask Logan to babysit on Saturday, go out for a bit. Maybe bring your mom too?" Celeste suggested.

"I could really use that," Rory replied, liking the prospect. "But maybe just the two of us this time?" she suggested, heading for her walk-in closet.

Celeste wasn't going to push it, if she was going to try to help, in more ways than one, she needed to ease her into it.


Jess'd just been to lunch, alone, needing a break from his workday. Truncheon New York was really picking up, besides handling a few former authors to whom New York was simply more convenient than Philly, Jess had by now signed five new authors and with Rory on maternity leave work was piling up. To make things worse it was right now just Jenn and him, the assistant they'd hired to coordinate launch parties and handle the contracts and day to day, had quit deciding to move Costa Rica with her boyfriend to start a kayak rental. Saying he was swamped would've been an understatement.

"Hey," Jess called Celeste.

"Hey, how's your day going?" she asked, walking home from her prenatal yoga class, a few blocks from their house. She knew he'd been working a lot, and there wasn't much unusual in him calling her during the day, but he could sense that ever since she'd told him she was feeling lonely, he'd been looking after her a little more. It was endearing of course, but she didn't want him to worry.

"Things are crazy, I just needed to clear my head. We got a temp to cover some of Eliza's tasks, but there's a lot to do," Jess explained.

"Anything specific?" she asked curiously, pondering maybe she could help out somehow.

"We have to launch parties coming up next week, and I might have to take it upon myself to make them happen," Jess replied. He hadn't called with the intention of taking her into this, but he did see the possibility that this was in a way catching two birds with one stone.

"You know, I could come and help out?" she suggested. She didn't want to impose - not being too sure how he felt about them working together, but her schedule was largely clear, and she could plan an event in her sleep.

"Are you sure you'd feel up for that? It's really not something you'd have to do," he hesitated.

"I'd love to," she replied, adding, "sure it's been a while, but I think it might be kind of fun actually."

"Okay, thanks," he sighed with relief, adding "I'll tell you more about this when I get home."

"You okay with salmon tonight? I thought I might make some Pommes Anna on the side," Celeste asked, switching the subject. Her appetite was finally up, liking things extra buttery and salty, having been told by Dr. Norton to listen to what her body was telling her, except overindulge in junk food.

"Sounds great, I should be there by 7," he replied, feeling being spoiled by her.

"I love you," Celeste said as goodbye.

"I love you too," he replied.


The following day Celeste came to work with Jess, feeling a little awkward stepping into his playing field. Sure, she'd read a few of the manuscripts he worked with for a second opinion, and been to his office a few times, but never to actually work.

"Hi Jenn," Celeste greeted, dressed in a knee-length sweater dress.

"Hey! Jess said you were expecting, but, wow, you look amazing,"Jenn exclaimed as she walked in, recalling her from the HPG spring gala.

"Thanks," she replied, seeing Jess disappear into his glass cubicle after gesturing to Jenn to fill Celeste in on the details. He'd explain the gist of things to her at home, having a web conference with the HPG starting in a minute.

"So I hear you'll be helping us with Layton and Ellwood," Jenn said, hopefully.

"I'll try, I've been out of the game a little," Celeste replied, apologetically.

"You can take that desk over there," Jenn said, referring to the desk Nick, who did the layout, used sometimes, adding, "he works remotely most of the time. I'll get you summaries of the two books, dates, and the contacts from the previous events we've had, but we didn't have the best experience with the catering we had last time, so if you have the time to find someone new, that'd be great," Jenn explained.

"Alright, I'll get on it. Also, do you happen to know who does the event coordination at HPG?" Celeste asked.

"I think I have that name somewhere, I'll send it to you," Jenn promised.

Celeste dived right in getting recommendations from Katie over at HPG headquarters on a few catering companies that had done similar events for them in the past. Truncheon was part of them after all, and if they did well, so did the HPG even if the effect was miniature. As the crowds for the two events were hardly coinciding, one being a piece of crime fiction, actually catching her own interest as well, the other on the tiny house movement, she applied the same overall pattern to the two events adjusting just a little according to their individual budgets when it came to the menus, switching out a few fancier components to simpler ones.

"Jess, are you busy?" she peeked through his doorway, seeing he was no longer on the phone or in a meeting.

"Never too busy for you," he said, rising from his seat to step closer.

"I was just checking the social media presence and I see Truncheon has posted about the event dates but isn't there a separate social media presence for the NY branch?" she asked, wondering if she'd missed something.

"No, I've been meaning to but… you know..," he replied.

"So you don't mind if it…?" Celeste inquired.

"Go ahead," Jess replied. He felt so relieved to have someone deal with these things whom he didn't have to guide at every step of the way.

"And the physical books, where are those coming from for the actual events? Someone I need to call? How many do we need?" she inquired, going along her mental list.

"We have them in the back already, there should be enough," he explained.

"Right, good," she replied.

"You're quite enjoying this, aren't you?" Jess asked, having observed her for a while.

"I am," she replied smilingly, feeling a little proud herself.

"Good, just don't wear yourself out, okay?" Jess replied, kissing her, after having confirmed Jenn wasn't around, not to make her uncomfortable.

"I'm fine," she murmured.

Celeste spent also the following day at Trunchedon, helping out with little bits and pieces ranging from marketing to giving her input on some visuals on a few upcoming book covers. It wasn't really her field, mostly having worked with larger corporations dealing with medical products, art or financial services, but that was what made it even more interesting, adding a little bit of a challenge.

"Are you coming to lunch?" Celeste asked Jess across his office doorway.

"I wish," Jess said. "Bring me something back, will you?" he added.

"Sure," she replied, seeing Jenn already waiting at the door for her. She was beginning to worry a little, now seeing how hard he worked. At home she only ever saw a glimpse of that - the reading he brought home, a few phone calls here and there, but the majority of it was all the other stuff - the negotiations, financial statements and reports, they seemed far from the Jess she knew, leaving her wondering how much of it he actually enjoyed. He was a writer and as far as she knew he hadn't had a chance to write much since spring.

Reluctantly she left him at his desk, grabbed her jacket, which reminded her she was going to need to go shopping for a maternity winter coat soon, and headed out the door.