“Okay, Noah,” Raj says, holding two pieces of the crib together. “I found piece A and piece G, I’ve got them together like you said, now what?”

“Wait a sec, what page were we on?” Noah flips through the assembly instructions, and Raj groans. “Well, what the fuck ever, dude! These instructions are like ninety pages long, and I thought we already did the thing with piece A and G! Jamie, you said to keep going!”

I look up from the handful of screws and nails I’m trying to sort out.

“I meant keep going like, maybe the next instructions would help, Noah! Not keep going like, let’s just skip this step!”

“Someone help me,” Raj says desperately. “My arms are getting tired, holding these up! Jamie, hand me a screw, whichever one, I don’t care-”

“Pretty sure you’re not supposed to use the screws at random, man,” Ripley puts in, from where he's carefully applying painter’s tape to the wall.

Aiden takes the pieces, rescuing Raj, who shakes out his arms, then whips around to glare at Noah.

“Dude! Your only job is to stay on top of the instructions!”

“Fuck these instructions!” Noah flings them to the ground. “Why don’t you just know how to build it, hmm? Handyman?”

“Okay, am I supposed to do something with these?” asks Aiden, who is still holding piece A and piece G. “Do they go together, or?”

“Well, we would know,” I jump in, “If Noah had bothered to actually read the instructions-”

“There are no fucking words, Jamie!” Noah scoops the pages off the ground and shakes them in my face. “What exactly am I supposed to read? There’s just a picture of the pieces, with a screw! A screw that I swear we don’t have!”

“Did we forget to open a box?” Raj looks around at the room, which is overflowing with cardboard, bubble wrap, and styrofoam. “How can we be missing a screw?” He snatches the instructions from Noah, then goes to Ripley and holds them out. “Ripples! You’re an artist, you speak in visual language. What the hell are we looking at, here?”

Ripley turns, one blonde eyebrow arched, and surveys the page.

“Looks like you need to screw the pieces together,” he says, and then laughs when Raj tosses his hands into the air.

“Okay, I give up.” Raj crumples to the floor and flattens out onto his back. “The baby is canceled. I’m clearly not competent enough to have a child’s life in my hands. I can’t even put a crib together.”

“No, Raj-” Noah drops to sit next to him. “We can do it, alright? We’re probably almost done. Jamie, what step are we on?”

I pick up the instructions, then bite my lip. “Um. Two.”

Raj and Noah both twist to look at me.

“Two?” Raj asks, gaping. “Step two? We’ve been at this for like, an hour! How many steps are there?”

“Um... twelve.”

“Twelve!” Raj grabs two fistfuls of his hair. “Oh, my fucking god. Okay, you know what?” He springs back to his feet, dragging Noah with him. “We’ve got this, okay, we’ve got this. Someone hand me a screw, any fucking screw, I’m gonna make it fit. Noah, go get the power drill.”

“Fuck yes, now we’re talking!” Noah rushes out of the room, grinning.

“Uh oh,” Ripley says, suppressing a laugh.

“So, should I put these down?” asks Aiden, holding up the pieces.

“Yeah, put them down.” Raj scowls at them like they’ve personally insulted him. "Or maybe throw them out the window?”

“I’m all set up, Raj,” Ripley says, nodding at the wall. “What do you want me to paint?”

“I don’t know. Just something cute, baby-appropriate. Thanks for doing it today, Ripples. M wants to have her baby shower in here, so I'm trying to get everything finished up.”

“No problem. Are you guys - doing the whole gender reveal thing?”

“I don’t know.” Raj is already looking at the instructions again. “Maybe. In like, fifteen years, or whatever. If the kid wants to.”

Ripley grins, then turns back to the wall.

There’s a brief silence as he considers, tapping his lip. He bends over the little row of paints he brought with him, then straightens up with a brush in his hand. He does a long, graceful sweep across the wall. When he stops, there’s a curving line of bright, sunflower orange. He steps back, takes a look, then adds another, right next to the first.

We all pause to watch him work for a minute, and then Raj turns back to Aiden.

“Okay, man, hold those pieces together again? Wait, I think this part is backwards.”

I set down the handful of hardware, watching Raj and Aiden, feeling warm inside.

I was worried that Raj might be upset with Aiden, after learning about his history with Melanie. But if he holds it against him, there’s been no indication. I think that Aiden is relieved, because he keeps casting Raj these quick, grateful looks every time Raj laughs at something he says or fixes him with a grin.

It seemed impossible to me that there wouldn’t be at least a tiny bit of weirdness between them. I’m glad I was wrong about that.

Noah reappears in the doorway, a power drill in one hand, and a saw in the other.

“Why’d you get a hand saw, bro?” Aiden asks, with obvious alarm.

“In case we need to cut a piece down to make it fit, duh.”

“This is so not how this is supposed to work, oh my god.” I press my hands to my face. “You’re not supposed to saw things apart! It’s from Ikea, for chrissake!”

Noah strides over to the barely-assembled crib, offers Raj the power drill, and stands ready with the saw. “Okay, Raj, go for it.”

“Wait a second,” Aiden laughs, “I really don’t think this is the best-”

He breaks off, looking over my shoulder.

I turn to see Melanie standing there, her braid a little undone from the wind outside, a stray strand curling against her cheek. Looking into the room with warm affection written all over her face.

“There’s my guys,” she says, and both Raj and Noah split into wide smiles.

They both set down their tools, both start to go to her, but - Noah hesitates, and falls back.

“Hey, beautiful!” Raj crosses to Melanie and plants a kiss on her lips. She reaches up to pluck a piece of styrofoam from his hair. “The crib is - um - coming along.”

He’s got the instructions in his hand. Melanie tugs the pages from his fingers.

She raises an eyebrow. “Step two, huh?”

Raj lets out an anguished sigh, tossing his head back.

“None of the screws match the picture!”

Melanie takes another look at the picture, then moves to the table where we’ve laid out all of the screws and connective bits. She begins sorting through them, and Raj watches her fondly.

“How was the event?” he asks.

“It was okay. Everyone was way too drunk, though.” She holds up a screw, examines it, and sets it down again. “Bartender definitely overserved, I’ll have to talk to him about it, for next time.” She glances up at the rest of us, then smiles. “Hey, Jamie, hey Ripley.” And then, much more stiffly, “Hi, Aiden.”

Aiden is clearly uncomfortable, but he tries to smile. “Hey.”

Melanie yawns, and Raj steps closer.

“You need anything, baby?”

“Mmm.” She thinks it over. “A cranberry juice would be nice.” Noah and Raj both start for the door, and Melanie laughs. “Um! I think only one of you needs to go?”

Raj beats Noah to the door and heads for the stairs. Noah ends up next to Melanie. She looks over at him with a surprisingly open smile, and he matches it, but doesn’t say anything.

Actually - he’s shooting her that dimpled smile he normally reserves for Raj.

“Why is there a saw in here?” Melanie asks him.

“Saw? Oh.” He was fidgeting with the piercing in his lip, but now he drops his hand. “We sort of - ran out of patience with the instructions.”

Melanie laughs again, then shakes her head.

“Good thing I showed up when I did.” She takes another screw from the pile and holds it up. “Wait, isn’t this the one?”

Noah looks at the instructions, then at what Melanie is holding.

“Oh, my fucking god,” he grumbles.

Aiden and I both groan loudly. Ripley laughs, tucking his small paintbrush behind his ear and reaching for a bigger one.

“Told you guys we didn’t need a saw,” Aiden says, setting the pieces down again. “Can you toss me that screw, Mellie? I mean - Melanie. Sorry.”

She moves to him and drops it into his hand.

“Seriously, Aiden, just say Mellie, it’s fine. It’s weirding me out, hearing you call me anything else.”

“Okay.” He closes his hand around the tiny piece of hardware, and falls silent.

They still haven’t talked about any of the unresolved things between them. It’s awkward.

“Oh-” Melanie suddenly lets out a sharp breath.

Noah moves to her with startling speed.

“You okay?” he asks, then blinks in surprise when Melanie smiles. She takes Noah’s fingers and presses them to her baby bump. He freezes, confused and concerned. “What’s happening? What’s that?”

“What do you mean?” she laughs. “It’s a kick. The baby’s kicking. You don’t feel it?” She pushes his palm flat, and his pewter eyes grow wide.

“Oh my god. Yeah, I feel it! Wait, I’ll go get Raj, he can’t miss this shit!”

“It’s okay, he’s felt it before.” Melanie releases Noah’s fingers. “It’s been happening since month - five, I think?”

Noah looks impressed. “That baby kicks hard. Future soccer player, for sure.”

“That baby is probably trying to tell you not to take a saw to an Ikea product,” Ripley answers, and Noah grins. He seems to realize that Melanie let his fingers go, and he drops his hand, kneading his palm.

“Fuckin’ crazy,” he says to himself, as Raj steps back into the room. “Raj! Your baby just kicked me, bro!”

“What?” Raj offers Melanie the cranberry juice, then smooths a hand over her shoulders.

“Technically the baby kicked me,” Melanie laughs, accepting the cup.

“Kid’s like Bruce Lee. You should have felt it, dude.”

I’m still trying to get my head around the fact that Melanie just took Noah’s hand and put it directly to her baby bump. It strikes me as a little baffling, given her reaction to him turning back up in her life.

“Ugh.” Melanie gags, then hands Raj back the cranberry juice. “Nevermind about this. I just want some water, I think.” Both Noah and Raj immediately start towards the door again, but Melanie waves them off. “I can get it, it’s okay.”

“I’ll go with you,” I offer.

I want to talk to her alone for a second, figure out what’s going on here.

We make our way down the stairs and into the kitchen.

“So.” I fold my elbows on the counter, watching her put some ice into a glass. “Um. Noah’s still here.”

“Yeah,” she says brightly.

“Wasn’t he only supposed to stay here until he could find his own place?”

“Oh, right. Well, he was a big help with the move, since I can’t pick too much up right now. He stayed for a few days to help us with that. And then, I guess Raj found something broken in the attic? So that took them another few days.”

“Okay, but - it’s been like two weeks now, right?”

“Mhm.”

“And you haven’t kicked him out.”

“Kicked him out?” Melanie blinks, taken aback. “No, I’m not trying to kick him out. I actually told him he should stay a little longer.”

Now I’m taken aback. “You did?”

“Yeah, it’s just - he’s surprised me. He’s been really sweet and helpful, this whole time. He makes Raj laugh a lot. He makes me laugh a lot.” She shrugs, taking a sip of water. “We have that spare room, anyways, so.”

“Okay,” I answer slowly, trying to process all of that. “I only ask because I’m the one who introduced Raj and Noah, so I’m going to feel responsible if he ends up crashing here for too long, or something.”

“Oh, no. Don’t worry about that. In fact, I should thank you.” Melanie smiles. “I never would have let him stay with us if you and Raj hadn’t vouched for him, and - like I said, it’s actually been nice, having him here.”

I smile back at her, relieved.

Thank you, Noah, for not making me look like an idiot for promising that you’d be cool.

“He’s really different now, right?”

“Yes. It’s crazy.” Melanie shakes her head. “I didn’t know people could do such a total one-eighty like that.”

I know I should stay out of it, but I can’t help myself.

“Melanie, I don’t want to pressure you, not at all, but - Aiden made that same change. He’s miles away from who he used to be. For example, he’s up there right now trying to help us put a crib together, and he carried all of the boxes inside, and before that, he was helping me touch up the backyard, and... honestly, I can tell how glad he is that you’re even considering talking to him. I really think, if you guys just sit down and have that conversation… it doesn’t have to be weird, between you two.”

Melanie taps her fingers on the counter, a thoughtful expression on her face.

“Mel?” someone says, and we both turn. Noah is at the bottom of the stairs. “Hey. Just checking if you need help getting anything in from the car?”

“And yet,” Melanie says, teasing, “I hear that you guys made Aiden bring the crib inside all by himself.”

“The boxes were super heavy,” I quickly explain. “Aiden was probably the only one who could.”

Noah looks offended.

“Fuck no, I could have done it! I work out all the time, basically.”

“Oh, do you?” I ask, and then, as Aiden appears on the stairs behind him - “Aiden, did you know that Noah works out all the time?”

“Really?” He looks at Noah with interest. “We should go together, Noosh. I've been looking for a gym buddy. What’s your bench?”

“It’s, um.” Noah works his lip between his teeth, and Raj thumps down the steps behind Aiden. “Raj, what do I bench, again?”

“Bench?” Raj’s forehead furrows. “What do you mean? Are we making a bench? I left the saw upstairs.”

Noah seems to decide it’s time for a change of subject. “Where’s Ripples?”

“He’s in the zone, we didn’t want to bother him.” Raj joins us in the kitchen. “Just came down to grab a snack.”

“There’s a flower arrangement in the car, Noah,” Melanie tells him. “It’s for you, I thought it would look nice in your room. The hosts of the event didn’t want to keep it, so.”

Noah smiles that dimpled smile again.

“Thanks. Okay. I’ll go get it.” He grabs her car keys from the counter and heads to the door. Raj, meanwhile, reaches to take a bag of chips from the top of the fridge.

“Jamie, Aiden? Should we get back to it? Now that we’ve got the screw, I think we might be able to get to step three. Someday. God willing.”

We fall into step behind him, and Melanie stirs.

“Aiden,” she calls. He stops at the bottom of the stairs, an apprehensive flex to his jaw. “Can you stay here for a minute?”

Aiden looks at her, then at Raj, then at me.

His blue eyes are nervous. I give him a little nod of encouragement, and he clears his throat.

“Yeah, okay.” He moves back to the counter. “What’s up, Mellie?”

Raj hooks his fingers around my arm and pulls me up the stairs.

“Let’s leave them to it,” he murmurs. “I’ve been hoping they could put all that shit behind them. I’ve been trying to tell M that he’s not the same, but. She’s used to the old version of him.”

I find myself hit with a sudden wave of affection for Raj.

“You know, man - I really appreciate you speaking up for Aiden.”

He seems confused by this. “Course, dude, why wouldn’t I?”

I wonder sometimes if Aiden knows how many people care about him now, and genuinely like this new person he is.

Hopefully, after they talk, Melanie will be one of them.