Nellie is running late for her bachelorette party. Earlier that day, Richard requested that she come to their new house to meet with a contractor. She had to cancel her plans to get a blowout with Sam but promised to make it to the dinner on time. Once back at her apartment, Nellie rushes to get ready, the whole while contemplating her future with Richard. She realizes that once she’s pregnant, she’ll be spending her days all alone at home. She decides to speak with Richard about delaying their plans to conceive a few more months, but the moment passes, and she says nothing. She resolves to remain herself in her marriage as she finishes getting ready, grabbing two sets of colorful beads that she and Sam called “their happy beads,” and heads out the door (67).

At dinner, Nellie’s friends give her typical bachelorette gifts—perfume, oils, a teddy—and they ask her about the wedding and honeymoon. As her friends hover over her three-carat diamond ring, Nellie is embarrassed. She has been flung into a worry-free and luxurious life, and being with her friends makes her self-conscious of the changes in her life. When asked about her surprise honeymoon, Nellie is filled with dread.