The Luau may not have been Sebastian's lest favorite festival—that would have to be the flower dance—but it most definitely wasn't his favorite. For starters, it took place in the middle of the summer, which meant dealing with the scorching heat. To make it worse, for some reason someone decided that making a hot soup on the beach in the blazing heat in the middle of summer was a good idea. As an added bonus to the recipe of bad ideas, everyone in town was expected to contribute an ingredient to the soup. On paper that sounded like a cute idea; the whole valley coming together to cook a meal they all could enjoy. Something, something, community, and togetherness. Unfortunately—or fortunately for the group of the then rebellious teens—the opportunity to cause mischief was just too appealing for certain troublemakers.

Sebastian thought back to those times in amusement. The year Sam got in trouble for putting anchovies in the soup, or when Alex snuck in a ton of hot peppers. Another time he remembered Pam spiking the soup. He couldn't remember much of that year.

He remembers Luna's first Luau. Something he noticed about her was that she was quiet and reserved when she wasn't familiar with the person she was speaking to. Perhaps that's what drew him to her in the first place. The two could just sit in a comfortable silence without it becoming awkward. Despite her quiet nature, Sebastian later learned that the young woman could be just as mischievous as him and Sam. Luna was just more subtle about it.

He thought back to Luna's first Luau. Sam had suggested putting something gross into the soup. Luna looked at him, the smile never leaving her face, and said simply, "If we all end up with food poisoning, I'll shave you bald."

And Sebastian had done something he hadn't done in a while. He laughed. It was just so unexpected. Her innocent smile had never left her face. He couldn't tell if she was serious but judging by the decent tasting soup and lack of food poisoning, Sam probably couldn't tell ether and didn't want to test it. Sebastian couldn't tell you if that was the moment that he fell for her, but it was definitely the moment he decided he at least liked her.

"What's got you smiling?"

Sebastian was rudely brought back to the present by the sound of Sam's voice. He hadn't even noticed he had zoned out. Perhaps it was the heat. Or maybe Pam spiked the punch again. Either way, he didn't appreciate being brought back to the burning hell that was the current weather. And he most definitely didn't appreciate the fact that Sam had caught him smiling dumbly to himself. He had isolated himself from the rest of the festival, sitting under one of the trees on the beach. He wanted to give himself a break from socializing. Of course, Sam would have found him eventually. He always did.

"It's nothing," Sebastian mumbled, looking away in embarrassment. Unfortunately, Sam had caught on.

"Thinking about Luna?" He pretended to swoon, and Sebastian rolled his eyes.

"Shut up."

Sam's face lights up. "I hit the nail on the head." He gracelessly plopped himself next to Sebastian, obviously not planning on leaving anytime soon, "Thinking about becoming a dad?"

Of course, that was always on the back of Sebastian's mind. He wasn't sure if he could explain the mixed feeling of excitement and nervousness, even to his best friend. He'd never thought he'd reach this part of his life. He thought he'd move to the city, get a job in programming while making an indie game on the side, and maybe meet someone in the future. But life had a funny way of going absolutely nothing as you had planned. And for once, he didn't mind.

Sam didn't really need an answer. Sebastian's silence and subtle smile spelled it out clear as day for him. Seeing Sebastian so lovestruck and happy was oddly contagious.

Sebastian, tired of being the center of attention, gave his friend a nudge, "And you?" He'd ask, corners of his lips twitching, "How's it going with Penny? See a mermaid pendant in your future?"

He got the reaction he wanted. Seeing an embarrassed Sam was a rarity. He was a lively jokester who'd tease his friends relentlessly, so seeing the tables turn was a triumphant feeling.

Penny and Sam started dating sometime before Sebastian and Luna started their relationship. It was quite surprising to find out the town troublemaker had a crush on the resident teacher.

"M-me and Penny are taking it slow!" Sam sputtered. "Besides, s'not like we have a house or anything…"

Sebastian raised an eyebrow to that, "And… if you did?"

His only answer was silence and a flushed face. "Seriously?" Sebastian raised an eyebrow, genuine surprise on his face.

"I mean…" Sam started playing with the sand, eyes focused on nothing in particular, "Not marriage. But, moving in together… could be nice…" He all but mumbled, almost too low for Sebastian to even hear.

It was surprising to hear this coming from his goofy friend. "You could always commission my mom." Sebastian offered.

Sam smiled at that, "Thanks, but I'll need a lot of money for that."

The two sat in silence, watching everyone converse among themselves. Luna had been whisked away by Robin and Jodi, practically being held, hostage. They were probably asking about the baby, giving her advice, or telling her stories about their pregnancies. Sebastian could go over and save her. But the risk of being pulled into the conversation by his mom and being subjective to whatever horror stories they're telling outweighed the motivation to help his wife. He mentally apologized to her. He could make it up to her later.

Eventually, Mayor Lewis called everyone over to watch the governor taste the potluck. It was decent according to the governor. Though Sebastian didn't want to be the judge of that. He decided to get food at the buffet instead. In his honest opinion, it was just too hot to eat. Try as he might, he couldn't take more than three bites off a turkey leg before losing his appetite.

He felt a familiar tap on his back. Turning, he was met with the exhausted gaze of his wife. He felt a small twinge of guilt.

"Your sister has traumatized me." She stated flatly.

Sebastian blinked in surprise. "Huh?"

"She won't stop telling me birthing stories."

Oh.

"It started off fine." Luna continued, piling food from the buffet on her plate, "But then she went on, started talking about health complications and emergency c sections." She bit into a red velvet cupcake, taking a breath as though the sugary dessert was calming her down. "And then, your mom started asking if I thought about a water birth or natural birth. I don't know, I'm trying not to think about that right now!" She huffed.

"I'm sure you'll be fine Lulu." Sebastian tried to reassure his wife, knowing she liked it when he called her by her nickname. "You're pretty tough."

She smiled at that, finishing the cupcake with a satisfied hum before picking up another. At least one of them was able to eat in this heat.

"Thanks." Luna flashed him a soft smile between bites. "But I kind of wanna go home now. It's so hot."

At least they both seemed to have the same idea. He tried not to look too eager, "Sure. We could leave if you want."

She gave him a knowing look. Of course, she'd realized he was growing uncomfortable and agitated from socializing. She knew him too well, and for that, he was so grateful. They said their goodbyes and collected their things before leaving the beach together. The walk home was slow. Something about the heat just made every movement feel like walking through jello.

Sebastian looked over to his wife who was working on her third cupcake. He couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of frosting on the tip of her nose.

"Having fun there?" He said, wiping off the frosting with his thumb.

She looked up at him with a blank face, an unseen question behind her eyes before realization hit. She winced in embarrassment, "I've just been feeling so hungry lately."

He nudges her with a lop-sided smile. "Makes sense." He shrugs, "You're feeding two people now."

Luna's brows crinkle, mouth forming an "Oh yeah." Perhaps she'd hadn't thought about it that way. Or perhaps she's relieved he's not judging her. He'd never of course. He may tease, all in good fun. But this is all so new to her. New to both of them. He still remembered how excited she was at the first kick. Woke him up, voice bright, almost as giddy as a child on the morning of the Winter Star. He was half-sleep, not really understanding what she was saying. So, she just wordlessly placed his hands on her belly, and he felt it. A kick. And another. He just looked at her in awe, not able to find the words to say. Instead, he placed a kiss on her stomach. She had giggled, not from the gesture itself, but because she found him so endearing. He relished at the sound.

Just something about feeling the baby move made it feel more real. Not that it hasn't felt real before. The cravings, mood swings, and doctors' appointments made sure to remind him how real this all was. But feeling the kicks through his wife's stomach added a new layer to his reality.

They'd made their way back to the farm. It was closer to the evening, but neither of them felt like cooking dinner. Not that they need to. The food from the Luau should keep them full for both dinner and breakfast.

They're greeted at the door by Honey, the hyper dog wagging her tail and practically skipping as she ran toward them.

"Hey, there girl!" Luna practically sang, rubbing the pooch behind the ear. They made their way over to the couch, the dog following her practically glued at her side. She takes a seat and Honey lays her head on Luna's knees.

Sebastian wonders if Honey knows Luna is pregnant. The dog has always been close to her, but the way she followed the pregnant woman around most days was almost protective. He smiled at himself with that thought. Honey was a sweet and gentle dog. He could easily imagine her getting along with a baby. The two of them playing on the beach or sleeping together in a toddler-sized bed. Come to think of it, they still haven't put together the crib. The nursery was in disarray. Hadn't even been painted yet.

He leaned his head back on the couch, letting his mind drift. There was so much to think about, so much to plan. He had to stop himself from being overwhelmed. Just live in the moment, he thought to himself. He relaxed listening to the sound of Honey's tail thumping on the hardwood floor and his wife's playful voice.