Page 148 of Gracefully Yours

“Thank the university gods for putting us right across the hall from each other, huh?” Gabbi said with a smile. “This is the best family I could have ever asked for.”

Angelina raised her glass with a smile. “I’ll toast to that.”

We all laughed, clinking our glasses together—including mine, now full of regular grape juice.

“Well, on that note…” Gabbi said, picking up a book from her pile. “What do we think? Fantasy or...” She grabbed a different book, holding it up as well. “Contemporary?”

“Tropes?”

“Small town, single parent or… Fated Mates with a hearty heaping ofThere’s Only One Bedandwho did this to you?”

“Okay, I’m sold on the second one already.” Angelina extended out her hands to the pile, stealing the book away from Gabbi.

“I’ve brought something else for you all as well,” Noelle added, her rosy cheeks and smile lighting up her face as she bent down and reached into her bag. “My newest book.”

“Ooooh,”I exclaimed, marveling over the cover. “This is so pretty. Ang, you did this one too, right?” It was the perfect team: Noelle wrote the books, I helped edit them, Angelina drew the cover art, and Gabbi created content for them on social media.

My redheaded best friend might not have been a New York Times Bestselling Authoryet,but we’d get here there. It was only a matter of time before the world discovered her.

“Yup.” She traced her fingers over the art. “This never gets old, seeing my drawings like this.”

Noelle nodded. “I could say the same about seeing my name on the cover. It’s still so surreal.”

She’d written her first book during her last semester of grad school, when she still hadn’t known what she’d wanted to do next. After being a Hall Director, she’d ended up accepting a job as a Student Advisor for the School of Business, and while she absolutely loved working with her students, I knew this was what really sparked joy for her.

“You know, I’m actually thinking about opening up a bookstore at some point. For indie authors like me, and then we can add a little cafe on one side where writers could work, and book clubs could come and do what we do.”

“That soundsamazing.”

“What about you?” Gabbi nudged me. “You thinking about opening up your own Dance Studio? Or taking your dress designs to the next level?”

I’d thought a lot about it over the last few months—ever since I’d saidI do.I loved working, but I also had never had the same passion for my job as my friends did. “You know, I love teaching dance, and I don’t think I’m quite ready to hang up my ballet slippers just yet, but… I really feel like this was what I was always meant to be.”A mom.

“Feels like everything is changing, doesn’t it?” Angelina reflected, looking around the room. “I’m married to a guy I used to hate.Charlottefinallymarried my brother. And you two are planning your weddings.”

“Maybe everything is, but there’s one thing I know. We’ve always got each other.”

I leaned my head against Noelle’s shoulder as we went back to our conversation about books, going from what we’d read in the last few weeks to theories about our favorite series and then to upcoming releases we were excited for.

When the front door opened, we realized that two hours had passed while we were chatting and the guys were back from the bar.

I’d curled up under a blanket awhile ago since I was cold, and I was practically half asleep on the couch after our book discussions and all the excitement of the day.

Growing a human was exhausting.

“Hi.” Daniel placed a sweet kiss on my lips.

“Hi.” I smiled, yawning sleepily. “Did you have fun with the guys?”

“Yeah.” He ran his hand through his hair. “It was great. Hunter told me about how he and Gabbi have started planning their wedding, too.”

“Don’t forget the house,” I said with a smile.

Three down, one to go, and somehow I would have achieved my ultimate dream: living on the same street as all of my best friends.

“Are you tired?” He asked as I yawned again.

I just nodded. “Your kid is sucking out all of my energy.” I rubbed my hand over my stomach.

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