When Mary drove them back to the house, Georgette wanted to talk to her again about Rhoda. She hated the thought of them not speaking. But she could tell Mary didn't want to hear another word. The drive was quiet, even a bit tense.

But that all changed when they arrived at Mary's house. Steven was there to greet them. "I remember meeting all of Mary's old friends at the wedding," he said. "It was nice to finally see these people she kept talking my ear off about!" He gave her a teasing glance.

Mary looked a bit embarrassed. Maybe she had gone overboard while they were dating, but she knew without a doubt that she wouldn't have been in the news business, much less married a politician, if it hadn't been for her start at WJM.

Georgette could see that Mary was uncomfortable, so she decided to change the subject. "I can't get over Rose. She's so beautiful! It takes me back to when Mary Lou was a baby." She smiled at the thought.

"That's right," Mary said. "Ted and Georgette named their daughter after Mr. Grant and me, because we helped with the delivery. She went into labor at one of my parties. Now do you see why I'm so nervous?!"

"Oh, Mary. I know that couldn't have been easy on you, but that was one of the best nights of my life," Georgette said. "Not all your parties have been bad. That's where Ted and I met, remember?"

All at once, the memory came back to Mary. Rhoda had planned to move back to New York, so Mary had given her a going-away party. Except, Rhoda had changed her mind at the last minute. But Mary had invited a co-worker of Rhoda's. From the very moment Georgette set eyes on WJM's anchorman, she'd been smitten. To everyone's surprise, he actually learned to care for someone other than himself. That party, at least, had a happy ending. The thought did give her a bit of hope that this party might be OK, but she knew she wouldn't really stop worrying until after it was over.

No matter what happened at the party, Mary was grateful for Georgette's visit. She was usually so busy with her work and the new baby, she never had time for friends. Having her here made Mary remember her years in Minneapolis, when she and Rhoda were neighbors. She almost wondered if Georgette was right, and she should just try calling her. But then Mary remembered how this fight started: Rhoda was angry over what Mary had said about her new husband. Why should she apologize?

Besides, it was almost time for the party. She couldn't think about calling Rhoda now. She and Steven went to work putting up decorations: a banner, some balloons, and a few streamers. Georgette repeatedly offered to lend a hand, but Mary insisted she was a guest.

By the time everything was perfect (after Mary had checked every detail a dozen times), the doorbell rang, and the other mothers arrived. When she heard the sound, Mary felt her heart rate speed up. Why couldn't she get past the thought that this was just going to be yet another disaster?

Still, she knew she had to be a good host, so she let the guests in. Everyone oohed and ah-ed over the decorations. Then, when Steven brought Rose out to make her grand entrance, they did it all over again. The birthday girl loved the attention.

Mary introduced Georgette to everyone. "This is one of my closest friends, Georgette Baxter. I've known her and her husband for years. Back when I first started in broadcasting,in fact. I just don't know what I would do without her!" She gave Georgette a one-armed hug, which was gratefully accepted. But the look on Georgette's face said that she knew that Rhoda should rightly be here receiving such praise.

Soon, it was time for cake. Of course, Rose was given the first slice. Predictably, she was soon wearing most of the icing. Mary was quick to take the baby inside to get her cleaned off. After all, this could very well lead to the disaster she so desperately wanted to avoid.

When mother and daughter returned to the party, everyone insisted it was time for presents to be opened. Mary took a seat, with Rose on her lap. Georgette took on the duty of handing presents to Mary. Rose was given several outfits, most of which were pink and frilly. Mary couldn't stop smiling. A few presents were toys, as if Rose didn't have enough. Still, Mary appreciated the thought.

There was one more present left. "This is from me and Ted."

"Oh, Georgette, you didn't have to!"

Her only response was an embarrassed shrug.

Mary unwrapped the paper, hardly knowing what to expect.

"This is sort of more for you than Rose," Georgette. "But Ted and I thought you'd like it."

Mary gasped when she finally got the paper off. It was a photo album, and when she looked inside, there were pictures from years ago. "How did you ever do this?!"

"Well, Ted called Lou and Murray, and we all went through the pictures was had. I know how busy you must be, with your job, and now the baby. I just thought it would help to remember some of the good times. And, maybe, when Rose is older, you can tell her all about them."

Steven was just barely able to take the baby from his wife before she stood to give Georgette a long, tight hug. As the two broke apart, Mary tried to speak, but she couldn't. The lump in her throat was much too large.

As Steven watched the two hug, even he felt a strange wave of emotion. It suddenly struck him that these friends Mary had so often spoken of had helped make her into the person she was today. A person he loved more than he could ever say.

Before he even knew what he was doing, he stood up. He asked for the crowd's attention. He could tell they were all wondering what he had to say. He had to admit, he was asking himself the same question. But as he looked at Mary, who was now drying her eyes on a napkin, the words came. "As a politician, I'm used to making speeches. My job literally depends on my ability to connect with the voters. But now, I hardly know what to say. All I know is that one day, a film crew came out to do a story on me during a campaign. It was the usual thing. But this was different. Because one of the producers caught my eye. I tried to ask her out, but she wasn't interested. That only made me more determined. I kept trying. Eventually, she agreed to go out with me. I think, even then, I knew I was in love. And now, all these years later, we have a child. Over the past year, I've only fallen more in love with both of them. Am I lucky, or what?" He held out his hand, and Mary walked over. Once again, she couldn't speak if she tried. She kissed him for a long moment. When she pulled back, she looked at him, remembering why she'd fallen in love with him. She knew without a doubt she would never again have to worry about a bad party.

The End