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"I’m in here" Lilly’s voice drawsredhead sits up in bed, a book on her lap and three books on the bedside table The startling thing is her eyes, aqua blue She turns in h I know she can’t see me The books are in Braille

"Miss Becky It’s so nice to have you back" She reaches out for ers run up and downsince she can’t meet my eyes

"Thank you," I answer formally "Most everyone has been very nice, but it’s been a hard landing I thought the economy was bad near Charlottesville, but it’sAnyway, enough about ain I take it this is a good thing?" Here I raise lance at her se to use my face to convey concern when Lilly cannot see it

"Yes, ere very happy It took five years to get pregnant last ti if it would ever happen again Now I’m not sure I mean, we still want the baby veryto lose it

"BK and Patience insist I stay in bed and they’re probably right, but there’s so one to the devil, and BK needs help in the store" She shrugs "Andand if I’et up"

"Have you been to the doctor’s in Torrington?"

"Yes, I went there a feeeks ago to see the specialist, Dr Seymour He wanted to admit me, but Boone Hospital has become a rat hole There’s noyour own pillow and, anye couldn’t afford it" She’s still stroking my wrist Back and forth Back and forth

"And then there’s BK He’s wearing himself thin I can’t see hi out He’s trying to hide it fro s when he did deliveries, but I can’t anymore They call this the Great Depression, but it’s not just the econo eyes and she wipes thee the subject "So how bad are your pains? Any bleeding or leaking of fluid?"

"The tightening coet up and so, so I know it’s alive No water leaking My last baby was born in the caul, so I guess I o ofthe new life in "Do you want to feel it?"

"Oh!" I say when the fetus bumps my hand Then I pull out my stethoscope, place it on Lilly’s lower abdo, a hundred and thirty-five beats a ood chance all will be well When is your confinement? Do you know?"

"Patience says I’ll have the baby in the fall, butBitt of finding a deliveryman That would take the pressure off BK and I’d feel better about staying in bed The probleuys without jobs don’t have reliable transportation"

I go on alert, like a hunter who has just seen a four-point buck "How much could you pay?"

"Do you know so of me I have a six-year-old Pontiac We have chains and I could do the deliveries Dr Blum, you probably heard, is disabled now, but he could carry the heavy boxes and I’d be careful to not let him scare people What do you think?"