Stunned, I hung up the phone and told Maggie that Mama was on her way. Then I said, “Baby, I’m calling Dr. Henderson.”

“Okay, Jim,” Maggie said.

Maggie was in the bathtub and I ran back into the kitchen to call the number of Dr. Henderson’s pager. He’d given us this number to call if anything happened before the surgery, and sure as hell it did! My hands were shaking as I dialed the pager number and then, after leaving a rather panicked message about Maggie’s water breaking, I hung up. I forgot to tell him that Layla had turned.

Within a few minutes Dr. Henderson called back, and when I picked up the phone I heard his calm, reassuring voice. “Good morning, Jim. What’s this about Maggie and the baby?”

Trying to stay focused, I told him that Layla had turned early this morning, and soon after Maggie’s water broke.

As soon as I finished, Dr. Henderson said, “I’m on my way over.”

Maggie was back in bed. Her legs were under a stack of pillows and she had a light cotton sheet covering her. Her eyes were closed and there was a slight smile on her face. She looked luminous and at peace, she looked centered and calm. I, on the other hand, was freaking out.