It was Abby who had suggested throwing a baby shower for Helen. Neither Bitsy nor Helen were keen about this idea, with Helen even telling Abby as much. However, Abby had insisted on it out of the kindness of her heart. Helen knew that she meant well and that she only wanted her to feel special at least once before Mercedes was born, but she just didn't want all eyes on her. She would rather prepare for Mercedes's arrival in peace. That being said, she didn't want to say no, either. After everything this pregnancy had put her through so far, Helen figured that maybe she did deserve to be pampered somewhat.

Bitsy, on the other hand, wanted to skip the whole thing. She wasn't exactly the easiest person to get along with, and being the ruthless and eccentric owner of such a prestigious hotel like the Brandenham made making friends even harder. Plus, events like this only reminded her that the people under her employment were the closest thing she had to friends. It took some convincing from Helen and Abby before she finally agreed to throwing the whole shindig. Besides, it'd been a while since she'd last kept in touch with some of the investors she'd hired for her Central Park redevelopment scheme. It'd be nice to see them again, even for just a little while. They wouldn't even have to talk about the park. They could just try to live in the moment and try to celebrate an upcoming new life. And unlike with Dimitry's daughter Anya's wedding, they would have the baby shower in the regular ballroom.

Today was Monday, October 31st, and Helen was 34 weeks pregnant. For whatever reason, Abby thought that it would be a good idea to throw the baby shower on Halloween. Neither Bitsy nor Helen could quite discern the reasoning behind that decision. Maybe Abby needed an excuse to break out the Princess Daisy costume she'd been wanting to wear for God knows how long, maybe she wanted to do something different for Halloween for a change, maybe she was trying to push the Brandenham out of its comfort zone, or maybe she was an oddball who thought that there was somehow an association between the two. Regardless of the reasoning behind it, it certainly made for a more memorable occasion.

Besides the usual suspects, there were also some unexpected faces who had shown up for the co-ed gathering. For some reason, Abby thought that it would be a good idea to invite her sister Paige and her family. Helen was a little shocked. She didn't think they'd actually show up. However, according to Abby, she had to trick them into coming by claiming that it was merely a Halloween party. Quite a few members from the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi yakuza family had also shown up for the occasion. One member in particular, a shatei named Satoshi, had shown up with a huge haul of gifts for Helen and the baby.

Helen made the decision to spend most of the event sitting at her designated table, mostly because there wasn't much she could do at this point in her pregnancy. Heavy lifting was a gigantic no-no, as was almost all heavy-duty work and alcohol. Then again, she didn't seem to mind not being able to do much as long as she could find any excuse to be pampered.

"Check out all the gifts I got for you and the little one, Miss Squillace," Satoshi said as he opened the large box containing all the gifts he'd brought along.

Helen was taken aback by his generosity as she looked through the contents. "Oh, uh, thank you. Uh, what exactly did you bring again?"

"Oh, nothing too unusual. Just the essentials like clothes and whatnot."

"Really?" Helen's curiosity was now piqued. "Show me."

"Of course." He proceeded to pull out some baby kimono onesies, which all came in various colors. "What do you think? I bought these from Makie."

"Oh, uh..." Helen couldn't believe how soft and tiny they were. She held one in her hands. "Wow, these are so cute. Thank you."

"It's the least I can do. I know it's not easy raising a child without a partner."

"Well, of course it isn't, but then I'm not really doing it by myself."

"Exactly. You've got people who will help you every step of the way."

Helen wanted to object, but she didn't want to pass up on the opportunity to relish in the spotlight. "That's right. I know it won't be easy, but-" Suddenly, her stomach rumbled so loudly that several of the guests turned her way. "Ugh, I'm famished. Is it time for cake yet?"

"It should be soon," Abby replied in a sing-song voice. "And it's lavender, just like you said you wanted."

"Great, but can you hurry up?" Helen's hand rested firmly against her bump. "I can't wait, and neither can she."

"Hold on. I'll see what Jean-Luc can do."

With that, Abby left to check on how the cake was progressing. Meanwhile, Bitsy was already in the middle of a conversation with Dimitry regarding what the latter had been up to lately. From what Bitsy had managed to gather out of the conversation so far, Anya had been enjoying the newlywed life, still reveling in the fact that she was married. It was still a miracle that they'd managed to pull off the wedding when it seemed all but certain that it would be called off; and a good thing, too, considering what they had to go through to get to that point. Of course, Bitsy had been tuning in and out throughout, but she managed to get the gist of things so far.

"That all sounds great," Bitsy said, feigning interest. "I can't imagine how hard that must have been to adjust, though."

"Nyet, no one can." Dimitry shook his head. "Change is hard. It's never easy to adjust to life changing before your eyes."

"Don't I know it." She would've patted him on the shoulder if she could reach it without a ladder. "How are you, um, feeling right now?"

"Fine, but I hope she gives me grandchildren soon."

"Why? Who are you to try to put pressure on her like that?"

"Why not? I'm just saying that I want to have grandchildren before I die."

Bitsy pursed her lips. "That's weird. You're weird."

Before Dimitry could respond to that, Abby came back with the lavender cake and set it down on the centerpiece table.

"Thank God. It's about time." Helen's relief only lasted a few seconds before she noticed that there was already a slice missing. "Abby, did you already get a slice?"

"Uh, maybe?" Abby cheekily replied.

"You better not have!" Jean-Luc could be heard yelling from a distance. "That cake is for everyone!"

Helen just rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever. Give me a slice already! I'm hungry!"

"Okay, okay!" Abby cut another slice into the cake and then held it out for the very pregnant guest of the hour. "Here you go. Enjoy!"

"Thanks." Helen took a small bite and groaned at the sheer explosion of flavor in her mouth. Creamy and rich, she couldn't help but take another bite and another. "Mm, so good. Probably the best lavender food or lavender anything I've ever had." She balanced the plate of cake on her stomach, an ability she'd been more than happy to occasionally take advantage of. "Now if you paired this with a Shamrock Shake, it'd be perfect."

"It's almost November, way out of season."

"I know, but nothing's stopping you from just making a Shamrock Shake for me." Helen rubbed at the cake crumbs on her mouth. "In fact, you should do that sometime."

"I mean... if you say so."

"Uh-huh." Helen cleared her throat. "Ahem, moving on— alright, everyone, dig in. I was going to wait, but I needed some food, stat."

"Everyone can multitask, right?" There was just a hint of a possible threat in Bitsy's voice. No doubt in Helen's mind that it was compounded by the old crone's maternal instincts slowly but surely kicking in. "Right?"

"Uh, yes, of course." Satoshi scratched the back of his head with his right hand. "We can all multitask." He started rummaging the rest of the gifts in the box. "Okay, Miss Squillace. Tell me what you think about all these other gifts."

Helen carefully picked up a soft, hand-knitted pink blanket and smiled, feeling the warmth of the yarn between her fingers.

"This is perfect for keeping her cozy during chilly nights," she said, her voice filled with gratitude.

"Thanks," Satoshi replied. "Ofukuro made it specially for you."

"Just tell her I said thanks when you see her."

"Will do."

Next, Helen came across a set of colorful wooden rattles, and her eyes lit up with delight. "These will be great for sensory play." She couldn't help but imagine Mercedes giggling at the cheerful sounds they'd make.

"That's what Ofukuro thinks, too."

"Alright, what's next?"

"Try looking through to the very bottom. You shouldn't miss it."

"Okay." Helen did so and, in the process, discovered something special: an Oekaki House magic drawing board. "Oh, wow. This certainly looks nice."

"Right? It's so cool. It's got stamps and everything."

"Thank you. I'm sure she'll love it."

As the gathering sprawled on, the guests mingled more and more and the cake started to disappear one by one. Soon, the cake was almost gone save for a couple pieces. Abby was determined to keep the party going, however, for as long as Helen could tolerate it. As the party continued, the atmosphere grew livelier with conversations and laughter filling the room. As all this was going on, Helen couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with gratitude for everyone who had come together to celebrate Mercedes's impending arrival. She made sure to make a mental note to thank each of them personally before the day was over.

Meanwhile, Bitsy had been dealing with dull but persistent pain in her left arm, nausea, and heartburn the whole time. She tried not to think much of this, preferring to carry on like usual. However, she knew in the back of her mind that something was wrong and that she would need to go to the hospital soon. After all, heart problems ran in her family.

"Miss Brandenham?" Bitsy suddenly heard Abby calling out to her.

Bitsy whipped her head in Abby's direction. "What?!"

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You look like you might be having a heart attack."

"Yes, I'm fine! How many times do I have to say it?!"

"Uh, okay..." Abby paused for a moment. "Just making sure."

Suddenly, as if on cue, Bitsy started retching and then puking onto the floor before collapsing seconds later.

"Oh my God!" Abby practically gasped. "Miss Brandenham!"

Confused, Helen turned her head to where she'd heard Abby yelling and nearly gasped herself when she saw Bitsy lying face-down onto the floor.