"Hello Cutie," he placed a kiss on her forehead and nodded towards Troy and Gabriella who was waddling into Zeke's bakery safely, finding a comfy seat in the booth next to Taylor. "You know where you're going tonight?" He asked her with surprise on his face as she joined in.
"Your house!" Her arms raised up in the air as she giggled. "I see Jany!"
"Yep, Jamie and Julie will be there," he told her, speaking of his own two daughters who were a few years older than her and eagerly awaiting Cassidy's arrival.
"Aunt Natty too?" Cassidy said, obviously very excited about spending New Year's with her Uncle Ryan and his family.
"Are you sure you're okay with this Ryan? I mean, I can gladly put her with my parents," Troy said, walking over to his side and offering a handshake to Zeke.
"No, it's fine. We're having our own big party at my house anyhow. And let your parents have some fun of their own."
"Okay, my mind totally flashed into a place it didn't need to be."
"Sorry 'bout that," Ryan patted Troy on his shoulder and set Cassidy back down on the ground. "Alright Cutie, go say bye to Mommy and we can go see Jamie and Julie," he told her as she skipped over to where Gabriella was sitting. "Is that for me?" He pointed to the bag in Troy's hands.
"Yea, should be everything. Have I said thank you yet?"
"Dude, more times than needed," Zeke mentioned as the timer to one of his gigantic ovens went off.
Cake and cookies and crème brulee and chocolate. Zeke definitely knew how to sweep women off their feet and host New Year's parties for his closest friends. Gabriella let out a deep laugh when a small kick came from her belly again. Grabbing for Taylor's hand, she moved it to right in the middle and let her best friend feel her future niece. "Gabby…" Taylor's mouth went dry and she stopped talking as little Megan let her mother know she was here and the music was good.
"I know," Gabriella smiled back as Megan kicked softly again. "Just wait until you have a baby."
Taylor sat straight up and looked over at Chad for a moment before he caught her gaze. She nodded her head softly and looked back to Gabriella. "Well…" she trailed off as the guys rejoined the girls at the round table Zeke and Maya had set up earlier.
"Taylor, are you?"
"Is Taylor what?" Troy asked, sitting on the chair beside Gabriella and wrapping his arm around her.
Chad looked down at Taylor and smiled. The two had just been married not two years ago and have been together for longer than that, much longer. "Well, since all our friends are here, I think we can tell all of you," Chad took a deep breath and interlaced his fingers with Taylor's. "We're pregnant!"