Ella's POV
The soft chime of the elevator echoed in the quiet space as the doors slid shut, sealing her in. Ella let out a slow breath, leaning back against the cool steel walls. The ride up felt longer than usual, probably because her mind was tangled in Kate's words.
"My gut tells me that Joanna isn't just being 'thoughtful.' She's planning something. I'm sure of it."
Kate wasn't the kind of person to jump to conclusions without reason. She was protective, sure, sometimes to a fault, but her instincts? They were rarely off.
Ella glanced down, running a gentle hand over the barely-there curve of her stomach. Joanne's sudden enthusiasm for a baby shower—before the wedding, no less—did feel oddly specific now that she thought about it. A bridal shower would have made more sense. That's how these things usually worked. And yet, Joanne had insisted this had to happen now.
