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"I thought so," crows Bitsy "She’s so cranky! I knew she et out her birth gear She turns to my assistant "Would you like to deliver the baby, honey?"

I raise my eyebrows, surprised and a little miffed I don’t want to contradict Mrs Potts, but I don’t think Bitsy’s readyOn the other hand, Bitsy doesn’t seeo pooh!" I reach for the flowered ceramic chairl feels the headdown, not a lump of stool, but what harm can it do if she thinks it’s a bowelwhite nightgown covering the receptacle

"Do you wantnow," I say over , and towels Other than my olive oil, that’s all we need The old lady plunks back down in her rocker

"No," the girl says fir now, and I think she knows she is pushing out e stool "I just want there to be us"

Ten more contractions and "Eeeeeeeee It burns bad" Twyla stands and puts her hand on her vagina "It’s the head!" she exclaims and for the first time smiles

When Bitsy and I lean down to look, the infant is als out an inch

"You’re right, Twyla" This is Bitsy taking charge, saying exactly what I would say as we lay the patient down "The baby is co to need your cooperation while I ease the head out

"Push and blow That’s how to do it Push a littleblow a little" She sits on a stool at the edge of the bed, between the girl’s legs "Push a little Blow a little" Twyla does what Bitsy tells her, and slowly the head crowns--so slowly I don’t kno the girl stands it Then I see an ear and then the whole head I wipe its face with a clean cloth, wipe its mouth out too Then my able apprentice, without any instruction from me or Mrs Potts, presses the head down to deliver the top shoulder, lifts up to deliver the botto

My friend holds the very brown baby boy out to the young mother, but Twyla lifts her hands in protest "No! It’s so slimy!" Soainst their chest, and others are afraid of the mucus Mrs Potts whips one of the towels open, wraps the baby in it, and places it back on the girl’s chest With one finger Twyla tentatively touches the squir alive cae calls from the hall

The door cracks open, and Mrs Hudson peeks in with Nancy behind her "It’s so quiet, butwe thought we heard a baby cry"

Twyla smiles "See, Ma? I did it I really did it!"

April 21, 1930 Sliver moon in a purple sky at dusk, the trees silhouetted in black