Happy Birthday, Wolfe!

His friends had never seen Ryan happy like this and it was great to see. The difference one person had made in his life was astounding. No one made a big deal out of the fact he wasn't drinking. Horatio even offered to give him and Emily a ride home since Emily wasn't comfortable driving at night. Saying nothing to each other both noticed Calleigh wasn't drinking. She or Eric never said why or really acknowledged it to anyone at the gathering. The Wolfes were suspecting that Calleigh might be pregnant.

That was in fact the case. But she was less than six weeks. Horatio and Alexx were aware of Calleigh's condition because it was mandatory and Calleigh was now restricted to the lab, But the couple had chosen not tell anyone of the pregnancy till Calleigh was further along. Horatio and Alexx agreed to stay mum on the topic. Ryan was supposed to work the weekend of his birthday but Walter and Natalia said they would cover for him so he and Emily could be together and because his in-laws were moving to Miami that weekend and Ryan would be helping Harry move things in. The older couple had paid the movers extra for them to help put the beds and other furniture together wanting to make the process faster. Emily couldn't deny she was glad that her parents were living closer. Her mother wasn't the intrusive type so she didn't worry about her parents wearing out their welcome. They already seemed to be making friends with the neighbors in the complex. There were a lot of residents there who had moved after retirement and a handful had moved to be closer to their children and grandchildren. On her first day at the complex Vanessa had met a woman who was a first-time grandma-to-be like herself. She had moved from Ohio to be closer to her son and daughter who had been in Florida for years. Over lemonade and muffins, the woman, Glenda told how she and the expectant couple were "in a row" because Glenda wanted to be present at the birth so badly and the couple wanted it to be just them. Glenda had said her daughter-in-law's mother wanted to witness the birth as well but hasn't felt "entitled" to, like Glenda.

Vanessa bit her tongue, thinking again what an evasion of privacy this would be for the parents-to-be if they let the woman be there only because she contentiously pestered them and because they wanted to keep peace. All Vanessa stated in reply was "as much as I would love to see Bella be born, I think it's mom and dad's right to experience it alone. They were the only ones involved in conception. I wouldn't take that moment away from Ryan and Emily."

The Studmans wouldn't be the only ones pacing the waiting room of Dade Memorial Hospital. The team would be as well. Emily knew she couldn't stop her parents from being in the waiting room, it would been futile to try. Her mother was aware how long it could take to give birth, though she hadn't given birth to Emily, she had to her older two, James and Haley. If she was willing to hang around that long she was welcome to.

By Sunday afternoon, Calleigh had confided in Emily was pregnant.

"I know," Emily smiled.

Along with not drinking at the Friday dinner party, Calleigh was refusing sushi, something she normally indulged in. Pregnant or not, Emily would starve before she ate sushi because pregnant women at any stage were advised to not eat it because of the bacteria it could contain. Ryan chuckled that this was going to the ensuing months difficult for Eric. It was like taking Chinese food from Emily, very dangerous. Luckily there was nothing in the Chinese dishes his wife liked she wasn't allowed to have.

"How'd you know?" Calleigh asked.

"The sushi was the ultimate give-a-way."

The group had gone to a Japanese steak house where the food was prepared at the customer's table.

Calleigh laughed. "If it hadn't been Ryan's birthday and it wasn't one of your and his favorite places to eat, I would've been really pissed at you two."

"Well, look at the bright side! With the prices there I doubt we'll eating there often after the baby's born."

Horatio, Alexx, Natalia and Frank and paid the whole group's tab behind their backs. Both couples could use the money. As for eating there now, Ryan thought it was right for him to pamper and indulge his pregnant wife. Since it was his birthday, Ryan didn't protect his meal being paid for.

"I think your mom and dad are pretty moved in," Ryan said to his wife arriving home Sunday. "I'd hate to be your dad, having to ever so carefully arrange your mom's crystal figurines! I thought you had a lot!"

"And if he breaks one, Walter's cell is gonna ring," Emily giggled.

The clips of childbirth classes Emily saw online caused her both to roll her eyes and shiver at the same time. But she still thought it was lame. She and Ryan started prenatal classes tonight. Her skin crawled at the thought of 7:30pm, on the other hand, Ryan was excited and very much looking forward to going which made her want to smack him upside his head.

"C'mon. It won't be so bad, babe," Ryan said, squeezing his wife's hand as they walked though to the hospital parking lot toward the side entrance of the hospital which led to the solarium which the class for expectant couples was held. "Remember we're gonna do it our way when the time comes. No matter what anyone says."

"I know," Emily said.

"And I'm not gonna let anyone try to make you feel bad about anything we chose to do."

That Emily had no doubt about.

The first class, as Emily suspected was not bad; it was the "suck in" class. Strictly the couples introducing themselves, telling a little about themselves and the instructor being given the general preview of what was to come. Ryan's wife knew and shivered knowing her loving husband would be making sure that they practiced"all these dumb focused deep breathing and relaxation exercises."

That was just Ryan. He always liked to be prepared for things, in contrast, Emily usually liked to "wing it." The one thing about the classes that excited Emily about the classes was the fact it was sign of how much closer they were to meeting their daughter for real. She couldn't deny she was going to the massage part of the course; Ryan had great hands. Ryan kept it to himself but he was even more sure he was going to enjoy the classes, just for the chance to be so close to his wife.