It was Friday afternoon, Stacey having taken the day off from work to fly back east, and she was taking a look at her backside in the mirror in her bedroom, Stacey bent over to give her short reunion dress the "test" to make sure it wasn't TOO short. Stacey declared it passed, and then she turned around to check out the front. Her long sleeved emerald green sequined mini dress had a vneck and the bottom of the dress reached a little past mid thigh length, showing off her legs but still looking classy. She thought she should flaunt it before she turned into a big fat pregnant lady again and dressing that way certainly wasn't something she could ever really do at the conservative catholic school she taught at. She turned to the side and while she felt a little bloated, her now 11 week old fetus wasn't even remotely obvious. She decided to put in a new CGM sensor in the back of her arm when she got to Connecticut, and was going to hook her insulin pump to her bra, hoping the shiny sequins would camouflage the small bulges that both devices created under her fitted dress. She turned to her Dave, her boyfriend who had also taken the day off and had spent the night with Stacey, was relaxing on her bed watching TV which he can only do when Ava was already with her Dad, and she asked, "so, what do you think?"

"Whoa" he replied. "Well, it's a good thing you're already pregnant."

Interpreting that very innapropiate compliment as a "yes you look nice" Stacey then said "Alright. Now I gotta figure out some jewelry" and walked into the adjoining bathroom to pick out some accessories that would compliment her dress. It didn't take long before she settled on a pair of cubic zirconia dangling drop bar earrings, and a simple long silver lariat necklace with a similar CZ bar pendant. She planned to wear the black Louboutin stilettos Dave had bought her, which were already packed away in her suitcase.. Even though she sparkled from head to toe and looked like a million bucks, her whole outfit, including the jewelry cost her about 60 bucks, her shimmering dress being a absolute steal at H&M for 35 dollars and Stacey was still convinced it was tagged wrong. The only real piece of jewelry she had on was a brand new princess cut diamond set in white gold that was on her left ring finger. Those nerves Stacey had about her lunch with David were long forgotten as he had already had a big plan for her that day. The baby "bomshell" news turned out to be just icing on the cake for him and he couldn't have been happier, responding to to her news with the ring, already in his pocket. While he planned to ask her on the bridge at the Grove, with fountains spouting up and the romantic scenery, he became so anxious to propose that just a few minutes after she told him she was pregnant, he whipped out the ring right at the table in the restaurant. Not the romantic proposal he intended but Stacey wouldn't have had it any other way and accepted his proposal without hesitation. The only downside to her agreeing to marry him was that Stacey knew she would have to quit the job she loved after the school year was over, maybe even sooner if she couldn't hide her baby bump and people started asking questions. Stacey also didn't want to leave the home she shared with Ava since she was a baby and she felt like the place was a tribute to her father, as her inheritance allowed her to buy the home and was filled with a bunch of his furniture and possesions, which cost hundreds of dollars to ship across the country.

However, the reality was that David has more money than her and once she sells her home, together they can buy a really nice house to start their new life together with Ava (with the blessing of Ava's father, thank goodness) and their new baby. He promised that all of her father's things will have a place in the new home they chose and she took her new fiancée's words to heart when she voiced her concerns to him. "Life is all about adjustments."

After going back to her bedroom and changing into a black t-shirt, dark blue denim skinny jeans and zipped up her black heeled ankle boots, she packed up the jewelry in their cases and put them in her open suitcase sitting on the bed, silently hoping and praying that her luggage won't get lost and then put her reunion dress back on the hanger before placing it inside a garment bag and zipped it up, planning to make that her carry on item. She turned to Dave and asked, "are you ready?"

He replied, "I'm waiting on you. I just need to put my shoes on."

Stacey said "why don't you go ahead and do that, then? I'm going to text Claudia real quick."

Her text to Claudia read: "We r leaving in a few minutes. U ready?"

"Yes. All packed up n wating" was the reply from Claudia with her typical misspelling that Stacey had become accustomed to.

"Ok, she's good" Stacey said to Dave.

"Ok." he replied as he picked up her suitcase and walked outside to his car to put it in the trunk. Stacey followed, holding her purse and the garment bag, which she laid down on top of the suitcase, closed the trunk and sat down in the passenger seat of his 4 door silver Mazda 3 wagon. Dave walked back into the house and emerged a few minutes later, raising his eyebrows at Stacey and holding a heavy double breasted off-white jacket and a pair of wool lined black leather gloves. He placed them in the trunk, intending to fold them and put them in Stacey's suitcase when they got to Claudia's. He got in the driver's seat and said to Stacey "I think you've been in California a little too long, huh?"

"I guess so" said the East Coat born and bred Stacey, shaking her head at herself.

Dave then said to her. "Are you hungry all, hon?"

"No, I'm good" she said.

"Did you bring your glucose tabs?" he asked.

"Ugh, no" replied Stacey "I left them in the bathroom."

"Sta-CEY" he said sternly, then asking "did you pack any snacks?"

"No babe. I forgot" said Stacey.

With the same stern voice he said, "You have to be responsible, Stace. That's my baby you're carrying."

"Sorry. I'm just a little scatterbrained right now" said Stacey, chalking up her absent mindedness to the excitement of the reunion combined with pregnancy brain. David went back into the house for a few more minutes and came back out with her bottle of glucose tabs and a pack of graham crackers, sitting back in the driver's seat, handing her both and ordered, "put these in your purse." Seeing he was a little annoyed, she didn't say anything and did what he asked.

They left Stacey's house close to 3:30 but between the drive to Beverly Hills to get Claudia, them stopping to grab a snack to tide them over until dinner, then back to LAX, Stacey and David saying a mushy newly engaged-couple type goodbye that took WAY too long for Claudia's liking, checking in their luggage, waiting in line, going through the security checkpoints, waiting in more lines, walking to their gate, a good few hours had passed and it was almost 7:00pm, but with their overnight flight not leaving until 9:15, Stacey and Claudia had a few hours to kill so they decided to have some dinner and drinks at one of the bars near their gate. After ordering a plate of nachos to share and a salad each for themselves, the male bartender asked "Any drinks for you ladies?"

Stacey thought for a minute before replying "I'll just have some soda water with a splash of cranberry juice."

"You sure?" asked the bartender, obviously wanting to make a few more bucks off an alcoholic drink. "Nothing to calm your nerves before your flight?"

"She's pregnant" interjected Claudia, prompting the bartender to say "Oh, I'm so sorry. Cranberry and soda water. Sounds good" he said before turning to Claudia and asking "and for you, ma'am?

Taking a minute to think, just as Stacey did, she answered "Can you make me a pickle back?"

"Yes, absolutely!" he said as he walked away to start the drinks. Claudia turned to Stacey, who smiled at her, knowing the significance of her ordering that drink and looked at it a symbol of her beginning the process of moving on, finally returning home and to finding some closure with her traumatic cancer experience and being able to see Kristy again.

"Good choice, Claud" said Stacey. "I am so proud of you for putting your fears aside to go to the reunion, but are you sure you'll be able to handle this?"

"Well, I've met with my therapist 3 times since my phone call with Kristy and she's definitely calmed my nerves a bit and she taught me some coping techniques, just in case seeing Kristy or even seeing Stoneybrook or snow causes a panic attack."

"That's really great, Claud" said Stacey, adding "but I think it will be easier than you think. Kristy is your friend, and she has been for a very long time."

"I know. There is a lot of history there" replied Claudia.

Stacey continued on, saying "that woman saved your life, Claud. I mean, I've never really wanted to bring it up with you, but I've always been so greatful to Kristy because if she hadn't broken your foot when she did.." her voice starting to crack as she got a little teary eyed and said "you may not be here right now."

Claudia, now teary eyed as well, replied "I never used to think of it like that but Frankie brought that to my attention recently and my therapist agreed. So do I. Finally."

At that moment, their drinks arrived and Claudia immediately raised her glass, Stacey then doing the same and trying to come up with a toast, said "to..?"

"To..moving on?" suggested Claudia.

"To moving on" said Stacey, adding "and to these East Coast gals finally going home."

"To Connecticut" said Claudia "and to Stoneybrook."

"To friendship" Stacey said.

Claudia replied with one final toast, "To..The Baby-Sitters Club."

"Yes" said Stacey. "To the Baby-Sitters Club!" and "CLINK!" went their glasses .