The “midwife committee,” as I was thinking, was going quite well. I was enjoying my anonymity when suddenly, amidst the whirlwind of activity in the kitchen, Maggie emerged with a tray of pastries and coffee and said,
“Jim, come over here, sweetheart, and join us at the table. Mama and Myra want to talk about the birth!”

They were all just standing there smiling at me.

Summoning my courage, I pulled up a chair and we all sat down at the table.

Hands folded and prepared for the worst, I sat there trying to appear calm as Maggie opened the discussion by saying, “So, Mama, explain to Jim how a home birth works. He’s feeling a little anxious, especially about catching the baby.”

Mortified, I sat there, frozen in my chair.

Mama chuckled and looking at me with her smiling eyes said, “Oh, child, catching a baby is so easy, ‘specially with Mama and Myra here to help you!”

I forced a kind of crooked smile and said, “That’s easy for you to say, Mama, but all I’ve ever caught was a baseball!” hoping they’d laugh.