The nurse placed her against my chest.

For a moment the machines, the hospital, the legal letters, and the previous year vanished.

There was June’s warm cheek and my own breath, which I had been holding for much too long.

Nora took a photograph.

In it, I look exhausted, bewildered, and happier than I’d believed possible.

On the birth certificate, I left the space for the other parent unresolved pending appropriate formal steps.

Later, with legal guidance, I made sure June’s records were accurate and that her medical history included the paternal information I could substantiate.