At a baby shower for one of her friends, Nova and her homegirls — all Black women — gathered around the table to chat. The mom-to-be is single and intentionally expecting twins, which comes as a surprise and source of concern for some of her friends. One of them asks if she’s scared of “doing it without a partner,” and it grows into a broader conversation about finding partners, starting families, and still being single at an age when you thought both of those things would have already happened already. Nova’s pregnant friend — who is a partner at a law firm — is scared, but happy about her decision. And when she mentions that her mama told her she was starting her family “out of order,” Nova had some truth for her.