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"One more. Give me one more."

Zoe's whole body arched. Her hand found the headrest above her and gripped it white-knuckled, and she pushed, her face turning purple.

Then everything happened at once.

“Daddy.”

I caught Olivia Post with both hands.

She was small and furious and absolutely perfect, and she announced her arrival to the world at the top of her lungs.

"She's here," I said. My voice came out wrecked. I hadn't been expecting that. "Zoe. She's here. She's perfect." I carefully cut the umbilical cord with the knife that I had sterilized earlier with alcohol wipes that I’d had in my first aid kit.

“Daddy, the baby’s hurting.”

I turned to my son, holding Olivia. “No, Buddy, she’s just mad that she had to leave Miss Zoe’s tummy. It was warm in there. The baby is perfect. She’s safe. She’s loved.”

I got Olivia wrapped in the cleanest thing I had—one of James's spare t-shirts from the bag, soft cotton, covered in little dinosaurs—and I placed her on Zoe's chest.

Zoe's arms came around her instantly. Like they already knew exactly how to do this. Like they'd been waiting.

"Hey," Zoe whispered. Her voice was wrecked too. "Hey, you. You are in so much trouble for that."

Olivia squinted up at her with the ancient, indignant expression of the freshly born.

"I know," Zoe told her. "I know. But you're here now. You made it." She pressed her lips to the top of Olivia's head, eyes squeezed shut. "Your mom is going to absolutely lose her mind."

I knelt up on the floor of the truck and looked at my son. His eyes were enormous as he stared at Olivia on Zoe’s chest. At some point, Zoe had unzipped her parka and unbuttoned her flannel shirt. Now Olivia was resting skin to skin with her aunt.

“Are you sure they’re okay?” James whispered his question to me.

“Yes. But I need you to finish your movie, okay? Zoe and I have a little more work to do.”

James’ eyes got even wider. “There’s more?”

I thought of the afterbirth.

“Just a little. So can you finish your movie?”

James nodded and slid back down the seat. I looked over and watched him plug in. When I was satisfied that we weren’t going to have an audience, I went to handle the next task. When I was done, I looked up to find Zoe nursing Olivia.

“Thank you, Adam. From the bottom of my heart. Thank you.”

“I know this is going to sound crazy but thank you, Zoe. Except for being there when James was born, this was the most meaningful moment of my life.”

Outside, the snow had finally stopped.

Chapter Five

I woke up, somewhat, to bright lights and the sound of men’s voices. I felt like I’d been hit by a Mack truck.

I jerked upright.

Fuck, that killed.

“Adam! Where’s Olivia?”

Adam looked over the driver’s seat at me. It was then I noticed that the driver’s window was down partway, and a police officer was there.