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“Oh, how nice of you.” She hits the button to dispense change and two dollars’ worth of quarters fall into the change area. “I’m not going to owe you anything.”
She puts in her own two dollars and presses the button for mint Lifesavers. Bending over, she digs out the change and tries to hand it to me.
“I don’t carry change in my pockets.”
She guffaws. “Of course you don’t.”
She walks out of the small room, and I follow. When she sees a kid coming down the hall, she holds out her hand to him.
“Courtesy of Moneybags over here.” She thumbs my way.
The kid’s eyes light up, and he scrambles down the hall to the vending machine.
“Man, your family brings out the evil side of you.”
She whips around to face me. “Clarification. My mother does.”
I hold up my hands. “Okay. Your mom does. What’s the story?”
Maybe if she talks about it, she’ll feel better—or at least be civil to me.
“Yeah, I’m not going there today. It’s a joyous day,” she imitates her mom.
By the time we reach the room again, two nurses are rushing in behind us.
“Beth!” Annie hurries to her sister’s side.
I stand in the doorway because all of a sudden, I realize it isn’t my place to be here. I’m intruding, even if this nice couple doesn’t seem to mind.
Annie looks at me over her shoulder and waves me forward. “Come on, it’s time.”
I shake my head. “Nah, it’s your family. I should probably head out.”
Annie sighs and walks toward me. She takes my hand when she passes and drags me out of the room. “Beth’s fine with it. This is where you’ll see what I’m talking about and get a better idea of what we need to capture in our pitch. Come on.”
She nods toward the room, and I find myself following her. I take my place up near the head of the bed and off to the side so I’m not in the way, and I watch it unfold.
“Come on, Beth, push,” the doctor says.
She grunts and sighs, her face as red as a tomato.
“There you go, just one more.”
“I can’t believe I let you do this to me,” Beth says to Sam through gritted teeth. “Never again. Never touch me again! Got it?” She falls back to the mattress, gasping for air. “This is worse than spin class. I was no good at that and I’m no good at this.” Tears stream down her face.
“Come on, Beth. You got this,” Sam says. “You’re the strongest woman in the entire world.”
Annie smiles at Sam.
Beth touches her husband’s cheek. “Oh, sweet… JESUS!” She wails again, and her face scrunches. “Don’t do it, Annie, don’t.” She shakes her head back and forth.
“A few more big pushes. I see the head,” the doctor says.
“Is that really the head?” Joyce asks from her position at the foot of the bed. “Is that red hair? None of us have red hair.”
Franklin narrows his eyes. “Shut up, Joyce.”
“Sam, do you have red hair in your family?” Joyce looks quizzically between her daughter’s legs.
