Thanks for all the kind reviews and all the views on Chapter One! I'll try to post once every week (or two.) Disclaimer: all rights to Heather Vogel Frederick. I don't own the MDBC or any of its characters.

Becca's POV

Everyone's laughing and hugging Jess, so I go along. I don't want to be my old middle-school self, selfish and snotty. Jess is really lucky to be with Darcy, and she deserves it, too. I liked Darcy, too, but not like she did. Back then, it was practically a Fab Four rule to like Darcy Hawthorne, but no one got serious. Darcy kisses Jess, and they sit down together.

I smile and look over at Zach and Eric. I still can't believe that I'm an actual mother. Especially since baby number two is on the way. I'm hoping for a girl, but Zach wants another boy so Eric can have a younger brother.

Meanwhile, Emma starts talking about her current life, and everyone else jumps in. So do I. Emma and Stewart live in a medium-sized two-story house full of books, just like Emma's old house. I already know this because I visited about a month ago, when they were looking for a house to move into. Emma wanted a house full of bookshelves, and Stewart did too. He nearly fainted when he saw it.

Jess and Darcy live near the Chadwicks (it still feels weird calling Emma a Chadwick), so they visit each other all the time. Jess and Darcy live in in a medium two-story house, even though they both teach at Dartmouth, which is in New Hampshire. They take the subway every day.

Zach and I have a one-story house, which is actually pretty since we're going to be a family of four. Zach's a lawyer, so he takes the subway every morning, and I'm an architect. Right now, all the book club moms own Pies and Prejudice, and I'm helping them with a remodel.

Megan and Simon are happily married. Simon drives every day to Boston University, and Megan stays home (in her gorgeous, traditional-style, three-story house. She finally admitted she preferred old-style houses to one made of metal and glass.) Megs is now a fashion designer, and has her own clothing line and a huge sewing room.

Finally, Cassidy and Tristan speak up. Everyone notices that Tristan has draped himself in a huge white sheet from Emma's linen closet. He looks like a kid dressed up as a ghost on Halloween. Cass is a professional hockey player, and Tristan is an Olympic ice dancer. In fact, they've both been in the Olympics; Cassidy won gold and Tristan got a silver medal. They have an apartment (for now) which isn't tiny, but isn't huge either.

While Tristan is done talking about his apartment, he busies himself by talking about ice dancing and its sophistication, I notice Simon roll his eyes, because he's probably had this lecture many times.

Cassidy sneaks closer to Tristan and whips off his sheet, magician-cape style. His still-bright Flamenco suit is a stark contrast from the snow-white blanket.

Tristan reddens, and Simon leans over and stage whispers, "Tristan, I know you're embarrassed, but please don't blush It looks like your costume is bleeding."

Zach turns and doubles over with laughter, along with Darcy and Stewart and Simon himself. Tristan finally gives in and laughs too. So do all the book club wives.

The next topic Emma brings up is parents. Her parents still live here, just like Jess's parents, Megan's parents, Zach's, and Becca's. Simon and Tristan's parents are in England, because of Professor Berkeley's teaching job. Everyone's parents still live in their original homes, even the my in-laws, the Nortons.

Since we're all together, I suggest we play a game. No one can decide between charades, impressions, or a board game, so we let Jess pick a game. After all, she made her big announcement tonight. I notice that Darcy won't let her do any manual work (down to getting her a glass of water and everything.)

I used to think that overprotective boyfriends/husbands were annoying and overbearing, but that was before I got one. Zach is really sweet, especially when it comes to Eric. And baby number two.

Jess finally chooses on a game called 'Firsts and Lasts'. She says it has to do with questions about your first/last whatever. One person asks the question, and the last person to answer has to ask the next question, and so on and so forth.

Emma starts off with her question of 'first gift from your husband'? She flicks a smile over at Stewart, and I notice that she's still wearing the locket from Christmas so many years ago. I only hope she's replaced the photo of Yo-Yo and Pip.

Emma adds 'after marriage' after Simon blushes and tells everyone that he didn't get Megan a Christmas gift that year because they'd broken up. Now it's Tristan's turn to laugh at his brother.

I go first and tell everyone that my first after-marriage gift from Zach was a vacation in Paris. Zach had known that I'd always dreamed of going and took me there for a week. We saw the Eiffel and walked by the Seine and did everything that Megan had done when she was in Paris, plus more. It was magical.

Jess is next, and takes off her necklace, showing it to all the girls, who ooh and ahh. It's an exact remake of the one she wore in the talent show as December, with real diamonds and silver. The necklace looks like a web of crystal stars, made to imitate a constellation. It's gorgeous, and I know it must've cost Darcy a fortune to have it custom-made.

Cassidy's first post-marriage present from Tristan was their dog, Red, who has reddish-brown fur. Tristan says he adopted Red because it reminded him of Cassidy's hair, but the guys stifle laughs and start making more flamenco-jacket jokes.

Emma's gift from Stewart was a charm bracelet, with 'Stewart and Emma' engraved on the inside. Apparently, it's a charm bracelet, and every year he buys her another charm. Right now, she has two: one of a book (obviously) and a heart-shaped one.

Simon's gift to Megan was a pair of earrings shaped like heart-shaped keys. He then gave her a real key and led Megan to find her brand-new sewing room in their huge mansion. Simon and Megan are lucky, but I'm even luckier to have Zach as my husband.

The husbands of the book club are about to start talking about their first gifts, and I grin over at Zach, knowing he'll remember my gift to him.