I stood in ankle-deep water in my kitchen and realized no plan survives contact with a leaking ceiling.

Jonah arrived with towels and a borrowed truck.

Priya brought soup.

Miriam insisted I move into her spare bedroom until after the birth.

Nathaniel never called.

Occasionally a formal envelope would arrive from the law firm with another statement that his client wanted no direct contact.

I stopped waiting for the telephone and began preparing three bassinets.

The girls arrived early on a cold morning after an exhausting hospital night.