black magic woman ; ikaris

𝙛𝙞𝙫𝙚

As River and Winter were cleaning up for the day, two more women entered the main room, carrying plastic champagne flutes and a bottle of what River thought was champagne.

"Hello hello, ladies," Winter said, adjusting a few pages of the kids' artwork so she could wave.

"Mandy, Holly, what's all this? Not that it isn't good to see you both," River asked, and the two women smiled.

"We came by to celebrate before everyone goes home for the evening," Mandy said, raising the bottle and the glasses.

"Celebrate? But our holiday party isn't until next week," Winter said, tucking the papers onto the drying racks to keep them organized. River's brow arched as she watched Holly and Mandy make eye contact, and she could just see the label on the bottle. It wasn't champagne, it was sparkling cider, nonalcoholic.

"Oh my god, is this what I think it is?" River asked, a grin spreading across her lips.

"It is. I'm pregnant!" Holly exclaimed, and all four women cheered. Mandy set the bottle and the plastic flutes down before they all threw their arms around one another, jumping and laughing like teenagers again.

"Oh my god, congratulations!" Winter said, brushing her hair out of her face.

"How far along?" River asked.

"12 weeks, just finished the first trimester. John and I wanted to wait, bad omens and all that jazz," Holly said, and the women all laughed.

"You were always the superstitious one. But enough of that, let's actually pop this bad boy open and have a toast," Mandy said, and they all nodded. Holly had the honors of opening the bottle of cider, and Mandy poured it into the flutes, handing one to each of them before taking one herself. River sat herself on the desk and crossed her legs at the ankles, smiling as the others pulled up some of the bigger chairs to sit in.

"Well, as I said: a toast to Holly, and to a healthy pregnancy. It's well deserved," she said, and with a smile, they all tapped their drinks together before taking a long sip. As they drank, River glanced to the window, and she smiled against the rim of her glass. She could see Ikaris outside, and when he caught her eye, he waved with a small smile. She held up one finger and he nodded, tucking his hands into his pockets.

"Whoa, who's that outside?" Holly asked, nodding her head towards the window. Mandy and Winter glanced over, and they giggled when Ikaris pulled his hand out of his pocket to wave slightly.

"That's River's new boy toy," Winter teased, nudging her friend gently.

"Ooh, he got a name?" Holly asked, and River paused for a moment.

"Ike. Ike Harris. Met him at Dane's little birthday party," she said, and her friends nodded.

"Ike, huh? Interesting name. Don't find many Ikes around anywhere," Mandy said, and River shrugged with a smile.

"What can I say, he's different. And he's also here to pick me up," she said, but Mandy held up a hand.

"Oh no, we're still celebrating, and I'm inviting him in."

Before River could stop her, Mandy left the room, and they saw her a few moments later from the window. They couldn't hear what she was saying, but River made eye contact with him, mouthing an apology she was sure he couldn't understand as he was dragged inside the building. A moment later, Mandy, with Ikaris in tow, came back to the main room, and he looked like a deer caught in the headlights. He and River made eye contact again, and she held out her hand for him. With a nod and smile at Mandy, he walked over and took her hand, allowing her to wrap his arm around her shoulders.