The week flew by - both Jess and Celeste spening a lot of time at the office, both for having a ton to do but also simply wanting to be around each other. Celeste had another launch party to host that particular evening and needed to accept the book delivery between noon and 3 PM for that same event, hence ordering take-out for Jenn, Bilal and herself this time, as Jess had gone over to the HPG for the afternoon.

Bilal had relaxed a bit in the few weeks he'd been there, but he still didn't quite seem at ease around them and usually spent his lunch hour with his headphones plugged in, listening to who knows what, despite his otherwise excellent work ethic. She and Jenn had gotten to know each-other a lot better over these few weeks. Jenn was Brooklyn-born, her facial features reminding Celeste a little of Jessica Biel, but Jenn was nearly 6 ft, and had a strong, curvier, build, the result of her controversial love for sweets and body-pump. She usually wore all black, borderline gothic, matching very well to Truncheon's slightly alternative 'underdog' image. Once Celeste had found out Jenn had married to her long time girlfriend Vera last summer, Celeste could push aside even the slighted remainder of jealousy she'd carried without any grounds. While she didn't quite feel that connection a real friendship would require with her, they had an understanding - they talked casually over lunch every once in a while and Celeste had notable professional respect for her, having seen her handle even some of the more difficult authors beautifully.

They'd both just finished their lunches, throwing the poke-bowl boxes into the trash. Jenn was just about to go get some coffee, but Celeste held her up.

"Listen, I was actually wondering if maybe you could have a look at something for me. I want to know if this is something worth forming into a book," Celeste said, handing her a series of copy-sheets of her scribbling notebook. It wasn't all that she had, but these were the ones she'd picked out forming a children's story about a girl trying to adjust to life in a new city. The only tangible component of 'her' was the first page explaining her background with the Eiffel tower in the background, followed by a series of adventures, struggles and a happy ending of acceptance and friendship. It wasn't for little kids, the tonality being black and white, and the drawings a little edgy, and in parts not all sunshine and rainbows.

"Is it yours?" Jenn asked, flipping through the pages.

"Yeah, it is. I don't need Truncheon to publish it or anything like that. I could fund a small batch myself, I just wonder if there's point... I know Jess likes anything I draw, but I just wanted to get an unbiased opinion if it was worth considering even," Celeste explained. She hadn't mentioned to Jess she was thinking about this, not wanting to go to him with it yet - his opinion mattered too much to her. She didn't want to put him in that position where he'd have to consider whether to lie to her in order to protect her feelings or not.

"Well... Honestly…," she began, hesitating a little. She was really quite the upfront and honest kind of type, the main reason why Celeste wanted her opinion in particular. "I quite like the style, and the story is okayish. But that type of story has been done before and with the content and the style not quite matching, I would be a little difficult to find that right audience. Of course if you're paying out of pocket, then you can publish whatever you like," Jenn said, continuing to read a couple of bits of the story.

She was grateful for her honesty, having guessed as much. But she was glad she had asked. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she wanted the book to tell a story to Evie in the future, how she had taken a leap herself, finding her own happiness, telling her story without the nasty details.

"I guess," she sighed, adding, "thanks," smilingly. She was not terribly disappointed...or perhaps just a little. But she wasn't a professional writer or an artist, it was just a try - her first try. She knew better than to be discouraged by that.

"My suggestion would be either to mature the story to YA, or alternatively add some color and lighten the story up for early readers," Jenn suggested, handing her back her pages.

"Thanks," Celeste replied, packing the printouts back into her leather tote.


Jess had delayed telling his family about their marriage until now, almost thinking he could delay it until Christmas altogether and tell them in person. But realizing that with the HPG gala coming up, and Celeste having decided to take the 'head held high' approach at the gala which included press photos, together with his mother's newfound hobby of scrapbooking about his career, he was better off doing it sooner rather than later.

"Hi mom," he called one evening just before he was about to head home, the office already empty.

"Hey Jess! Well, how's my oldest?" Liz greeted him, the noise of someone hammering something in the background making it difficult to hear her.

"I'm good. Are you busy?" he asked, wondering whether TJ had taken up home improvement again, which might prove dangerous.

"Nah, Luke's just helping me fix a broken window, Doula just got a little carried away in a icy snow fight with some friends," Liz explained, glancing over to Luke who had ended up taking the entire window out and was boarding it up for the time being.

"Is she around?" Jess asked, beginning to hope he might get all three of the important people on speaker phone at once.

"She's at the diner doing her homework, it was too cold here," Liz said.

"Listen, I have some news, can you put your phone on speaker, I'll tell Luke as well while I'm at it," Jess instructed her.

"Just a sec," Liz said, looking at her old-school phone, the kind with actual buttons, to find the speakerphone setting, which she rarely used.

"It's Jess, he has some news," Liz said to Luke, holding the phone between them.

"Jess, hi! What's up?" Luke greeted, putting down his tools as he stepped closer.

"Hey!" Jess sighed. He wasn't too worried about the actual news but rather of his mother's reaction of not being invited, knowing how sometimes the simplest things could upset her. Luke had gotten married on a cruise once, so he doubted he would mind. "Celeste and I got married," he said after a short pause. "I'm sorry we didn't invite you guys, we just didn't feel like having a big thing, so we just went ahead and did it," he added apologetically.

"Aw, Jess, that's wonderful!" Liz reacted.

"Congratulations!" Luke added, having half-anticipated this move sooner rather than later, despite what their talk some months ago.

"Thanks," he added. "Mom, you're okay there? Not mad at me?" Jess inquired carefully.

"I'm good. Sure I wish I'd been there, but it's okay. I get it… I hope it was nice. And I hope you have pictures, I'd love to see them," Liz said, wiping off a few sentimental tears.

"We'll bring you pictures when we come by for Christmas," Jess promised.

"Lorelai and I are going to Nantucket on the morning of the 24th, so you might want to come a day early, Lorelai has been planning on doing pre-Christmas at our place," Luke informed.

"Pre-Christmas?" Jess inquired curiously, knowing better than to really expect an explanation. "Okay, I'll factor that in. Is April coming? Celeste has been wanting to meet her before she moves in," Jess asked Luke. He'd talke to Celeste about April, and while she had nothing agianst her moving in, it felt a little weird to her that she was moving in before she'd even met her.

"Yeah, she is. She'll be here on the 22nd and 23rd, flying to New Mexico on the 24th, so we have a full house," Luke explained.

"That's fine," Jess replied, knowing the 23rd was a Saturday anyways.

"Well alright, I'll get back to work. Say our congratulations to Celeste too, will you?" Luke added.

"Yeah, I will, thanks," he replied.

"You know you could probably stay in our basement if you guys want, we have that old futon there," Liz offered, trying to be genuinely helpful.

"Thanks for the offer, but I think I want Celeste to have a proper bed - her back has been a little sore," Jess explained. Celeste didn't really enjoy sleeping in places other than her own home, usually sleeping poorly when she did. So the best Jess could do in this situation was to try to get her a room in Lorelai's Inn Annex. Besides if there was anyone needing a little pampering - it was her.

"Hey, do you think you could tell Doula for me, or just have her call me?" Jess added. He considered about calling her himself, but he didn't particularily want to interrupt her homework, knowing how into it she would get sometimes. Besides, it was perhaps her reaction he feared the most.

"Sure, no problem," Liz said. "I'm really happy for you guys, you know," Liz added, thoughtfully. Her once delinquent son, the trouble maker, whom she was pretty sure she'd herself screwed up, was successful, married and soon to be a father. Despite realizing she couldn't take much of the credit for any of that, she couldn't be more proud.


It was the day before the HPG gala and Celeste had been to the Marriott to swim, and after a quick lunch of salmon pasta, she'd hastily scooped up, she was now snuggled up in the lounge couch upstairs in their study with her laptop, already feeling her eyelids getting droopy and mouth opening to involuntary yawns - all it really took for her to want to take a nap in the afternoon was some exercise and carbohydrates - no wonder she was sleepy. She closed the lid of her computer, placing it on the sideboard and pulled up a throw blanket to get comfortable. It really didn't take much longer than a few minutes until she dozed off.

She woke to the sound of her phone, which apparently had been ringing for a while already. Before she picked up her phone she realized she'd woken in cold sweat and panting, an eerie feeling of terror over her, as if having just had a nightmare. She couldn't recall what it had been, only sensing that she had to have been deeply asleep to miss two calls from Jess. She took a few hasty breaths, trying to gather herself. Her hand cradled her belly, as if making sure everything was alright, soon confirmed by Evie's nudges against the side of her belly.

The phone ringing stopped, and she picked it up to return the call.

"Hi, sorry, I was asleep," Celeste said apologetically as she heard Jess pick up.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," he said, noting that she sounded a little out of breath. He'd gotten a little worried having tried calling her three times over the course of an hour and a half.

"Want me to get something for dinner?" he asked.

Celeste glanced at the wooden wall-clock on the opposite wall, realizing Jess was probably on his way home already, having not realized how long she'd been asleep.

"Sure, anything you want," Celeste replied, still feeling somewhat confused. It was as if she'd dreamt of something bad, but had no memory of it. She'd heard nightmares were common in the third trimester, and she was just about there - maybe that was it?

"I'll get burgers or something then?" Jess suggested.

"Umm.. yeah," Celeste began to reply, adding abruptly, "maybe portobello bun for me, I feel I've had enough carbs for today." Maybe it had been the pasta?

"Sure," he added.

"See you soon," Celeste replied, pulling herself up from the couch, disconnecting the call. Her bamboo wrap dress was soaked through with sweat and she headed to the main bathroom to shower.

It was as she stepped into the shower, when she suddenly had flashes, almost as if experiencing a deja vu, but they weren't real, they were flashes to the dream - of her stepping into the shower to see blood. First a few drops, then whole gushes of it. She had to look again to confirm that there was none. There wasn't. Her body shivered at the thought of it, of both the dream and the possibility of something like that happening for real. She squeezed her eyes shut as she stepped under the hot stream of water, trying to push the horrible thought aside. It was just a dream.

As she stepped out of the shower some fifteen minutes later, having taken her time, she could hear Jess having arrived home by sound of his keys being placed onto the bowl they kept on a sideboard in the foyer. She wrapped herself up in a towel, checking the towel for stains as if to make sure there really was no blood, once more.

Surely it was just her nerves? She had good reason to be a little nervous - the gala itself, finally having decided not to hide and a milestone prenatal appointment - 30 weeks - the day after the gala. She was getting an ultrasound to check the baby's size and development and start setting up a birthing plan. Jess was going to join her this time.

Celeste headed downstairs to join Jess for dinner, forcing her thoughts to focus on the prospect of the meal, her stomach already grumbling at the thought, hoping to shake the eerie feeling that lingered.