Cassie is sitting on the couch with a mug of chamomile tea when Martha materializes in the foyer. She enters grey house with her trademark smile, and a couple of packages.

"I hope it wasn't too presumptuous of me to make you a cup of tea," Cassie greets her.

Martha joins her on the couch. "Of course not. I am so happy that you reached out."

"And utterly unsurprised by my appearance."

"There are a lot of facets of my life you don't know about Cassie."

Cassie leans against the back of the couch, "And apparently there are some facets of my life you seem well acquainted with."

"I think the universe has a plan in that."

Cassie's thumb grazes her eyebrow momentarily, "Except I'm usually the one privy to them."

"If I have learned anything from you it's that all of us have a little magic in us."

"Why aren't you bombarding me with questions?"

"I already know the answers. Perhaps you should step out of your comfort zone, and ask me what your heart wants to know."

"How did you know?"

"There were two things."

"I'm listening."

"The day you got back from your trip we were both picking up our lunches. You hugged me, and it is going to sound so silly, but you smelled different."

She purses her lips, "Oh. That isn't what I was expecting you to say."

Martha offers Cassie a wrapped present. Cassie looks at her expectantly. She continues, "That night I dreamt about your precious babes. Being from a small town means that our lives are intertwined in ways we may never understand. When I married Tom I never really pictured having kids. We were going through a pretty rough patch in our marriage when I got pregnant. I was so miserable the whole time. I couldn't even begin to picture life with a child, or myself as someone's mother. I couldn't get excited about any of it. It was a very dark time in my life, and I felt absolutely consumed with guilt because it was supposed to be the most exciting part of my existence. Even when I first had him I was filled with dread. But the first night we were home Tom crashed. He was so exhausted. I got up with the baby by myself, and as he was sleeping in my arms I was so thankful, and filled with joy over my precious little baby. I know that this cannot be easy for you. You are always prepared for whichever way the wind blows. This seems to have caught you totally off guard. Not to mention the thought of going from an empty nest to sleepless nights with tiny babes. Then there is all of the emotion, and all of the hormones that go along with all of it. What I am saying to you is that it is okay if you're not taking this all in stride. It is okay if you don't feel enthusiastic about bringing new life into the world. Perhaps none of the details of this chapter feel safe. I can see how you might lay in wait for the next shoe to drop. I'm here to let you know that it will all work out however it is supposed. Also your babies are going to be beautiful."

Cassie falls silent as she judiciously separates tape from a cream wrapping paper with gold dots on it. She casts aside the ball of wrapping paper on the coffee table in front of her. A sketch of two babies swaddled next to each other waits for her beneath the glass of the picture frame. Her eyes drink in every detail. Her lips twitch into a smile.

Martha pulls a tissue out of her purse, and offers it to Cassie. She silently wipes the tears from her face.

"It's beautiful," she glances at the penciled scrawl at the edge of the sketch, "Did you draw this?"

"As I said, Cassie I am full of surprises."

"I had no idea you were so talented. This sketch looks so lifelike."

"I'm not sure it did my mind's eye justice, but it was the best I could do with my abilities."

"Stephanie was right. You were the last person I would have expected to feel connected to right now."

Martha lifts a larger present onto the coffee table. This box is wrapped in the same heavy wrapping paper as the first.

"Wait to open this one until you have your babies in your arms. You'll see why when you take them out."

"Any hints?"

"They are quilts. There are just a couple really special details I think you're going to want to wait to see."

Cassie sees a familiar twinkle in Martha's eyes, "You've been in party planning mode, haven't you?"

"I was beginning to think you were going to deny me my chance to throw you a baby shower."

"Can you pull it all together in time? I am due in eleven weeks, though they could come earlier."

"I just need your blessing. I went ahead and ordered everything after you called me."

"Do you have a date in mind?"

"A month from now as long as there is nothing else on your schedule."

"I have cleared my schedule from obligation until these babies arrive."

"Do you want to wait for me to send out invitations until you have a chance to talk to everyone?"

Cassie smiles, "No. Put them in the mail. It will save me a lot of running around. Quite frankly I don't have the energy for that right now."

"I like when you're devious."

"Thank you for coming over on such short notice, by the way. It's been a breath of fresh air."

"I feel delighted that I was on your short list of people to share this exciting news with."

"I think you're just excited for an excuse to throw a party when we historically have nothing going on in Middleton."

Martha shrugs, "I do love a good party. Are you registered somewhere?"

"No. I think Sam has started something called a wish list. You could ask him."

"You think? Are you not involved in the search for baby gear? The research involved could be a full time job."

"I find myself indifferent to the process."