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“Don’t worry. It’ll be fun. I promise. It’ll only be people you know attending and if you ever get overwhelmed you just let me know and I’ll run interference. If there’s one thing I’m good at it’s drawing attention to myself.”

Slipping my fingers under her hair tie I deftly pull it and free her long hair. One more hair tie for my collection. Before she can wrestle it from my grasp I slide it onto my wrist.

“Hey that’s mine,” she argues while also laughing and smiling.

“And now it’s mine.”

I hold my arm high out of her reach so she can’t take it back. She tries half-heartedly to get it back before giving up. With a huff of mock frustration, she reaches into her pocket and produces another hair tie identical to the black band now around my wrist.

She playfully glares at me as she scoops her hair into her hands and effortlessly ties up another perfect ponytail.

“One of these days you’re not going to have another hair tie and you’ll have to leave your hair down,” I tease her.

“Well today isn’t that day.” She sticks her tongue out at me for good measure and pulls her ponytail tight.

She glances up at me through her lashes. Her expression is no longer somber or sad but back to her normal optimistic bubbly self.

I press another kiss to her lips and release the hair wrapped around my hand to step back and shut her door. The rest of the short drive to Gigi’s house is spent listening to the music on the radio.

In front of Gigi’s familiar house they’ve sectioned off a spot with blue streamers and a sign that says “Baby Mama Parking.” It’s cute and I wish it also said baby Daddy. I suppose that would be a little too much to ask, even though I’m sure everyone attending the party knows by now.

I park not letting my slight disappointment show and plaster on a wide smile as I help Bambi from the truck and carry the bags of supplies inside. There aren’t many cars here yet which means we’re not late and Izzy won’t be cutting off my balls today.

Inside Izzy has strung matching blue streamers around the living room and a few tables decorated with blue, green and white balloons going for the classic boy theme. There’s a table for gifts, one being filled with trays of food, and another where I set the bag of game supplies. Only because there are signs explaining the games and I make the educated guess that’s where everything goes. I don’t dare touch anything or assume where anything goes because I know Izzy would have a fit if I messed anything up. So, I just set down the bag and step away.

Most of the furniture has been pushed back against the walls or strategically rearranged to allow more room for guests, one cushioned chair sits like a throne at the front of the room with balloons, ribbons and bows decorating it. No doubt meant for the guest of honor Bambi.

To my secret delight Izzy placed a smaller, but not less important, chair next to Bambi’s throne. It’s decorated as well just lacking the balloons, but to me it’s just as wonderful. I want to squeeze Izzy and thank her profusely for including me and not hating me for leaving.

Our friends have been more than gracious accepting me back after my absence, even knowing that I’m the one who knocked up Bambi. Considering Bambi not only kept it from me but also them helps, since they didn’t have months to accumulate animosity towards me. We’ve all been getting comfortable with the idea at the same time.

Izzy exits the kitchen with a high-pitched shriek of delight and crosses the living room to greet Bambi with a giant hug, barely able to wrap her arms completely around her.

“Yay, you’re here. You look so cute. What do you think of the decorations? Are you hungry? We have way too much food.” Izzy rambles on excitedly, her eyes wide and bright and a little manic. I wonder how much coffee she’s had today.

Bambi is only able to get out a few words before Izzy turns to me and greets me almost as animatedly. Wrapping me in a familiar hug that I reciprocate.

“You look good as well Warren. Thank you for getting her here on time and safely. Did you bring everything I asked you to get?” she asks while moving to the bag I set down on the table.

“I hope so. If not, just let me know and I can run out and get whatever you need.”

“Nonsense.” She swats her hand in the air like she’s swatting away my offer. “If we need anything I’ll send Owen. This is as much for you as it is for her. Oh which reminds me…”

She stops digging through the bag and shuffles things around on the table pulling out some sort of paper with ribbons hanging from the corners. She’s holding it to her chest so I can’t see what is on it.

“I made something else that I thought would be cute but I wanted to check with you both first before putting them out,” she says tentatively, her wide smile softening as she looks between me and Bambi.

“Okay, what is it?” Bambi asks, just as curious as I am.

I don’t know what Izzy could possibly have that she would need my input on. Normally when she plans an event she doesn’t ask for anyone’s approval of anything and just does what she wants.

“Well…I know most people already know but I didn’t want to be presumptuous, but I thought it would be cute.”

We both stare at Izzy waiting for her to get to the point, after a short breath she finally turns the paper in her hand around for us to read. One say’sMommy, and the other says…Daddy.

“I thought it would be cute to hang them on the chairs, but I didn’t want to put them up without your approval first?”

“Yes,” I practically bark out the word and I clear my throat when I spot both their wide-eyed stares. “I mean yes. I would be fine with that. You?”