Anika lay sprawled out on my sofa, one foot on the floor, her head resting in my lap. Sean and Reed were watching some replay games of Michael Jordan and I was feeding Anika mouthfuls of lemon gelato. Apparently, her tears had stopped and the appetite had cranked itself up a notch, which was fine by me. Not that I minded her tears, I just loved gelato a whole lot more.

My living room had been returned to normal, all Christmas decorations put away for next year. But even at eleven o’clock at night on New Year’s Eve, it was still stinking hot, and we had no intention of doing anything else than we were doing right now.

“We’re such party animals,” Anika said.

“Mmm,” I agreed, having a spoonful of gelato for myself. “Our days of tabletop singing in a schnapps-induced stupor should have ended in our twenties anyway.”

She snorted. “It was fun though.”

“It was. But this is kind of fun too.”

Anika inhaled deeply and hummed on a sigh. “Yeah, it kind of is.”

“We’re gonna be awesome at this,” I said quietly.

“Yeah. Even if we suck at it, it’ll still be awesome.”

“Well, I’ve never sucked at anyth—” I didn’t finish. “Okay, so that’s a wrong word choice because we all know that’s not true.”

Anika laughed and Reed tried not to smile. “I need to pee again,” Anika announced. It was like the fiftieth time since dinner. Okay, so maybe the fifth time. Same thing, really.

“Again?” I asked, helping her get up.

“I can get up by myself,” she snapped at me, the Anika I’d known and loved well and truly back. “And don’t blame me. My bladder is being rearranged.”

“I know what that’s like,” I mumbled, remembering every time my insides got manoeuvred about during sex with Reed.

“How could you possibly know what it’s like?” Anika said, walking away.

“Not sure you want the details,” I called out. “It involves a huge dick and anal sex.”

Anika burst out laughing from the bathroom and when I looked over to Sean and Reed, they were both staring at me. I waved them off. “I’m fine. But if I ever need to have an appendectomy, tell the surgeon to look somewhere up near my lungs.” Sean’s shoulders shook as he laughed quietly and Reed slowly closed his eyes. I sipped my wine. “It’s completely true.”

Anika came back and planted herself as she was before, taking the raspberry gelato this time. “So, I’ve been meaning to ask,” she said. “What did Reed get you for Christmas?”

“Tickets to see God,” I answered.

Anika blinked. “What?”

“Well, Barry Gibb at the Opera House.”

Anika almost swallowed her spoon. She coughed a bit but was she was in no real immediate danger of choking. She sat up and stared at Reed. “You didn’t.”

He grinned proudly. “I totally did.”

She looked at me and shook her head slowly. “No wonder you’re gonna marry him.”

“I know, right?”

“Yep.” Reed preened. “That’s me. Fiancé of the century.”

“I’m Feyoncé,” I told him. “You’re Reed-Z.”

He rolled his eyes but smiled at me. “Should we have a dance-off for the title?” Then he held up his left hand and sang about putting a ring on it.

I gasped. “Oh, no, you didn’t!”

Anika cracked up laughing. “Goddammit. I just went to the bathroom. You’re gonna make me pee again.”

“Yeah, Reed,” I said in a whiny voice. “Don’t make the pregnant lady pee.”

Truth be told, I was pretty sure Reed could out-dance me. If it was a sing-off, on the other hand…

We fell into silence for a bit, then Anika yawned, long and loud. “So, do we really have to see this New Year’s in?”

“Are you tired?” I asked.

She nodded and handed me the remaining gelato. “I’m beat.”

“It’s ten minutes till midnight,” Reed said. “Don’t want to wait?”

She sighed but agreed. We changed the TV channel to the big countdown and there, in my living room, Sean had his arm around Anika, Reed had his arms around me, and we counted down to bring in the new year. It was going to be a year of epic change for us, with a wedding and a baby. Our group of four was becoming five.

Our family of four was becoming five.

Reed kissed me softly. “Auld lang syne,” he whispered.

“For times long past, and those yet to come.”

“Forever and always, Henry.”

“Always.”