I didn’t expect to be brought along for this, but Melanie backs her car out of the lot with me still in the front seat, so I reach for my seatbelt. I’m about to point out that if Noah and Raj are meeting us there, Aiden is going to be left behind, but instead I shoot him a very quick text to let him know what’s going on. I don’t want to do anything to change Melanie’s mind about checking out the house.

“So, congratulations!” I tell her. “I had no idea you were pregnant, you didn’t say anything when we ran into each other!”

“Thanks.” Melanie casts a smile at me in the rearview. “And yeah, it was still early. I was keeping it close to home, at that point. I’m really excited for the baby to get here. I’m also really excited for strangers to stop thinking it’s cool to touch my stomach. Not wild about that.”

I wince at her. “People get weird about it, huh?”

“You don’t know the half of it.” Melanie shakes her head, a frustrated frown crossing her face. “I’ve had two clients cancel after they found out their party planner was pregnant. So unfair. If Gabby cancels, though, that is fair. That wasn’t my most professional entrance of all time.”

“I don’t think she will, but if she does, I’ll try to talk to her. Or Aiden will. Or - both of us. We’re friends with Gabby, she’s the best. She dates Kent, actually.”

“Really?” Melanie smiles again. “That’s so nice! I know how broken up he was about Julia.” There’s a pause, and then - “So. Do you know what this surprise is?”

“I do, and I think you’re going to like it. A lot.” I nibble my lip, then add: “For what it’s worth, Noah has been helping Raj work on it like, every day.”

Melanie’s mouth twitches in a way that suggests she can't quite bring herself to believe that.

“So weird. The last time I saw Noah…” She thinks about it. “Yeah, it must have been when he, Ralph, and Grant got themselves permanently banned from the Fling Thing.”

Oh, god.

It was the only time that the Fling Thing wasn’t super fun. Kasey and I were pleasantly buzzed, and also avoiding that group, so I don’t remember all of the details. But I do remember the gist.

Someone had brought a foldout table that year, and people were playing pong all night. Noah, Ralph, and Grant, as usual, showed up late into the evening and already belligerently trashed. They started going around stealing booze from people’s picnic blankets. Not because they needed it - not by any stretch of the imagination. I’m pretty sure they were doing it just for fun.

Ultimately, this led to an argument by the folding table; some guy and his friends yelling at Noah for sniping their full bottle of Johnnie Walker. Noah was trying to deny it, but Ralph was literally holding it, and it was already 3/4ths empty, at least. He didn't even try to hide it. He thought it was hysterical.

I don’t know exactly how it happened, but the argument resulted in a shoving match, which ended when Ralph, Noah, Grant, and the guys they were shouting at all crashed into the table. The table broke and sent cups flying in every direction, spraying everyone in close proximity with gross, cheap beer.

The three of them were manhandled out and told not to come back.

If that’s the most recent run-in Melanie’s had with Noah, then… yeah, I can see why he doesn’t strike her as someone she wants around her soon-to-be husband, her soon-to-be baby, or herself.

But that was then.

“Noah doesn’t destroy stuff anymore. The opposite. He - creates stuff. He helped Raj create something really special for you.”

“Well, if Raj thinks I’ll like it, then I will.” A quick smile darts over Melanie’s face. “He knows me better than anyone.”

“I can’t believe you two are having a baby together,” I admit.

“I can’t believe that you and Aiden are dating each other!” Melanie answers. “Seriously, that’s - I mean, learning that he’s bi is enough of a surprise all by itself, but you and Aiden?”

“That’s almost the exact response Noah had, and that’s fair. Sometimes I still don’t believe it, myself. Oh-” I lean forward, peering through the windshield. “This is it, up here!”

Melanie pulls up to the curb. Noah and Raj, who were waiting in the driveway, both stride up to the car.

Raj helps her out and settles her onto her feet, while Noah pops open the back door and grabs her boots. I join them on the curb, quickly checking to see if Aiden texted me back. My heart twists painfully when I read his unconvincing reply.

Companion Plant 🍃 4:57 PM: It’s okay, and I’m okay. Don’t be sorry.

I look up from my phone to see Melanie waving away Noah, who was holding out her boots.

“Can I go in my socks? I do not want to bend down right now to try and put shoes on. Where’s the surprise, inside the house?”

“This is the surprise,” Raj says, taking her hand. He gestures to the house as a whole, a nervous smile on his face. “The house is the surprise.”

Melanie stares at him, then stares at the house.

“What do you mean, the house is the surprise?”

“I bought it for us!”

“What?” She twists to face him, her mouth dropping open. “Raj, we can’t afford-”

“I’ve been saving for a long time, and I got it on the cheap! It was a disaster, before. Noah helped me turn it into what it is now.”

Melanie turns to look at the house again, dumbstruck.

“Let me show you.” Raj gently tugs her hand, then beckons to Noah. “Let us show you.”

“What - no, man.” Noah takes a step back, a flutter of alarm moving through his eyes. “You two should-”

“Noah,” Raj says firmly, “You’ve been there every step of the way, this surprise is basically just as much from you as it is from me, at this point. Come with us. Please.”

Noah doesn’t move, so I give his back a shove, which puts him close enough that Raj can grab his wrist.

I watch the three of them disappear into the house, then dial my phone.

Aiden answers on the first ring. “Hi.”

I can tell by his voice that he isn’t taking this well, despite what he texted me.

“Hi, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean for everyone to take off and leave you there, but Melanie just started driving, and I didn't want to-”

“Honestly, I'm fine.”

“I can tell you're not fine.” I press the phone to my face, like doing so will somehow bring me closer to him. “Look, Noah, Raj, and Melanie just went into the house-”

“Noah went in with them?”

“Do you still have the spare key to my car?”

“Yeah.”

“Come pick me up. We’ll go do - I don’t know, whatever you want. Or I’ll drop you off at Kent’s, so you can go on a run and have some alone time. I’ll - hang out by the side of the road and hold out cups of water, like people do at marathons. Yell compliments about your form. Or your butt. Both.”

I’m rewarded with a soft laugh, which eases some of the sympathetic pain in my heart.

“Jamie-”

“Or - I’ll come over and watch that fucking football game with you tonight. The one you were talking about.”

“You hate watching that stuff.”

“Not all of it. It’s cute when they do those group hugs.”

A beat of silence. “Group - you mean a huddle?”

“Yeah, that.”

I get a much bigger laugh this time, and it spreads instant warmth through my chest.

“Okay, okay. I’m coming to get you, dummy, stay put. I just need to chill out and catch my breath for a minute before I start driving.”

“Take as much time as you need.”

~~~~

I’ve been standing outside for about fifteen minutes when Melanie appears in the doorway, still in her socks, but now with a huge smile on her face.

“Jamie! Did you seriously do that to the yard? It’s gorgeous!”

I walk up the driveway so that she doesn’t have to shout. She’s glowing, and she gives my shoulder a squeeze.

“I’m so glad you like it!”

“And the house, I can’t…” Melanie looks dazed, but in a good way. “You have no idea. Our apartment is the tiniest. And I swear that since I’ve gotten pregnant I can smell everything, including what our neighbors are cooking, or what perfume they’re wearing in the elevator... I’ve been trying not to complain, but of course Raj knows, and - this - this is incredible. I just cried like, three separate times.”

“Aww!” I find myself beaming at her. “I’m so happy for you!”

“I can’t believe that Noah had anything to do with this. What the fuck.”

“Told you!”

Melanie’s expression grows serious. She spends a moment working through a thought before she speaks.

“You know, Jamie, I’m not normally in the business of policing who Raj spends his time with. That’s his decision. But now there’s someone else I have to think about.” She puts her hands on the baby bump again. “I need to be more careful.”

The hopeful feeling that had been rising within me falters. “Okay…”

“I asked Raj this, but I want to ask you, too.” Melanie takes my fingers, and looks me right in the eye. “Can you promise me that I won’t regret letting Aiden or Noah back into my life?”

Oh, man. That’s a hell of a thing to ask me, but - strangely enough, I don’t have to think about it for long. It’s not that I’m treating the question callously, I just already know the answer.

“I promise.”

"Okay." Melanie nods slowly. “That's what Raj said, too. And they’re not going to bring Ralph back into my periphery?”

“No! Aiden wants nothing to do with him, and Noah - the whole reason he moved into this house was that he was trying to get away from Ralph. He didn’t want to live with him anymore.”

Melanie looks startled by that.

“That’s why? Raj said it was in exchange for Noah’s help, to offset the costs of fixing up the house.”

“Both, I think. Raj probably didn’t say anything because he didn’t want to put Noah’s business on blast. Like - oh. Like I just did.” I wince, feeling stupid. “Oops. Shit. But yeah, it’s that, too. And also... I think that Raj just likes having Noah around, honestly. Here, look.”

I unlock my phone and scroll to the baby video I recorded for Raj, the one with Noah in it. I let the whole thing play out for Melanie, who watches closely. She’s looking at Noah, but also at Raj. The giant grin that takes over his face the moment that Noah gets pulled into the shot.

The door opens behind us right as the video ends. Raj and Noah step outside, both looking anxious, but both sort of smiling.

“Yard went over well,” Raj tells me.

I stuff my phone back into my pocket. “Yes, I heard!”

“As did the whole house!” Melanie jumps in. “I mean - god, you guys, I…” She stares at the two of them for a minute, then blows out a long breath. “Noah, when are you moving out?”

Noah’s smile drops away. “Tonight. I’m crashing at Jamie’s ‘til I can find something permanent.”

“Jamie has a guest room, or?”

“Nah, but it’s cool, I’ve slept on the couch there a bunch of times.”

“Well…” Melanie closes her eyes and shakes her head, like she can’t believe what she’s saying. “Oh, my god. Fuck. Okay. Look, Noah, you can stay here until you find yourself a new place.”

There’s a silence. Noah stares at her, his expression entirely blank.

“Really, babe?” Raj breathes, taking both of her hands.

“Yes,” Melanie sighs, and then, to Noah, “I’d rather have you here in an otherwise empty bedroom than imposing on Jamie, especially after both of you did such a beautiful job on all this. And... you’re clearly important to Raj, Noah. So. Maybe this will give me a chance to - get to know the version of you that he does.”

Noah looks at her like he doesn’t know what to do with any of that. His pewter eyes are wide, his hands slack at his sides.

“Oh,” he rasps. “Melanie… that…”

“But!” She holds up a finger. “This is just until you can find yourself a place, and I’m also going to need you to stop wearing that cologne.”

“I’m - not wearing any cologne.”

“Oh. Then it’s your deodorant. Is it scented?”

“Yeah, it’s, um.” Noah bites his lip, faintly embarrassed. “I think it’s called Swagger Wolf?”

Melanie sighs deeply.

“No Swagger Wolf allowed in this house. There’s a whole thing happening with my nose and my gag reflex that’s been going on since my first trimester. I’d rather not get into it right now, but let’s just say you’re gonna have to go unscented for a while. Can you deal with that?”

“Can I-?” Noah lets out a sharp laugh, closing his eyes. He puts an elbow on Raj’s shoulder and sags onto it. “Yeah, I can deal with that.”

Raj, for one, is positively beaming.

“You,” he says, “Are an actual angel.”

“Enough,” Melanie laughs, as he starts peppering her hands with kisses. “Raj! Stop it. I need you to go home and get some stuff, because now that I know I have a house, I’m never sleeping in that apartment again.”

“We’ll go right now!” Noah spins on his heel and rushes back towards the door. “Raj, c’mon, we need our shoes!”

They both race inside, and Melanie lets out another heavy breath, pressing her fingers to her forehead.

“Hope this isn’t a mistake,” she mutters.

“Melanie,” I begin, unable to suppress the smile on my face. “That was so-”

I break off as my car pulls up to the curb. Aiden hops out and spots me. He starts to wave, then hesitates when he realizes I’m with Melanie.

“He’s just here to pick me up,” I tell her. “We’ll get out of your hair.”

I hurry down the driveway to Aiden, then take his hand.

“Hi,” he says softly, gazing down at me.

“Hi.” I trace my thumb down the side of his palm, leaning closer to him. “You doing okay?”

“I’m - yeah.”

I gently touch a finger to his cheek. “Aw, babe. I hate seeing you so-”

“Oh, man,” Melanie says, and we both twist to face her. I hadn’t noticed, but she must have followed after me, albeit at a much slower pace. Those fuzzy socks must muffle her steps.

Her eyes are fixed on our intertwined hands.

“This is going to take some getting used to," she murmurs, more to herself than to us.

“Hey.” Aiden’s face is apprehensive and tense again, so quickly.

“Alright, Aiden.” Melanie pulls her phone out of her jacket pocket. “If I’m trying with Noah, I guess I should be fair and try with you. So, here’s the deal.” She does something on her phone, then holds it up. “I’m unblocking your number, okay?”

Aiden blinks at her, taken aback.

“You - oh. Thank you.”

“But! Do not contact me.” Melanie puts her phone away, fixing him with a stern look. “I feel like I’ve already lived through a fucking soap opera today, and I can’t take anymore. I’ll let you know when I’m ready to talk to you. Understand?”

Aiden nods immediately, his blue eyes surprised. “Yeah, of course. Yeah!”

“Good. Okay.” A wide grin suddenly rises on Melanie’s face. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s cold, so I’m gonna go back inside my house." She lets out a soft, delighted laugh as she turns away. "My! House!”

Aiden watches her go, then turns back to me, his expression very different from the one he pulled up with.

“You feel better?” I ask, matching his smile.

“Yes, actually. Lots better.”

“So I don’t have to watch football?”

“No take-backs." He taps my nose. "You said you would. Get in the car.”

Unfortunate, but it turns out not to be an issue. We both pass out the second we curl up together on the couch. We sleep right through the game, Aiden's head in my lap, my fingers twisted into his chestnut hair. Today’s madness was exhausting. 

Somehow, though, I can't kick the feeling that we're all better for it.