“I understand,” Iris said with a sniff and a sob. “But wasn’t it inconsiderate of him, too? And Seth, for not preventing it?”

“Inbred, I’m afraid,” Gwen said.

“Are you really going to divorce him?” Iris asked with a hiccup and another sob.

“Possibly,” she said with a shrug. “But now it’s more because he doesn’t care that I’m divorcing him.” She took a sip of her wine. “I might just ignore him for the rest of his life, not that he’d notice.”

“Oh, Gwen...”

“I think maybe you’re overwrought,” Gwen said. “It’s not like we haven’t bickered for forty-five years.” She picked up her fork again. “You did a lovely job on the dinner, Iris.”

“Thank you. I have a beautiful centerpiece on the table, too. I wish I’d brought it. We’re the only ones who care.”

They ate a little more in silence and then Iris pushed her plate away. “I might’ve overdone it a bit,” she said, rubbing her belly. “I might not have eaten a full meal at my house but I sure put a dent in it. I didn’t need this much.”

The front door opened and Seth, looking frantic, stormed in. “Iris!” He rushed to her, taking into account the remnants of dinner on the table. He dropped to one knee beside her chair. “I thought you were in the bathroom!”

She looked at her watch. “For thirty minutes?” she asked.

“Who am I to judge,” he said with a shrug. “Are you all right?”

She was a little flushed and trembling. “Actually, no... I don’t feel very well. I think I ate too much. And I have a lot of gas. And I...” She groaned and leaned forward. “Wow,” she said through her groan.

Without warning, there was the sound and sensation of dripping. She looked at her husband with wide eyes. “Uh-oh,” she said. “My water broke.”

He immediately pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. “I guess we’re going to the hospital,” he said. He called one of the other deputies. “Iris’s water broke,” he said into the phone. “I’m off call and you’re on. I’ll be at Pacific Hospital.”

* * *

Iris had mistakenly believed that since she so efficiently went into labor without even realizing it, since the baby was a little early, the birth would be fast and slick and easy. But it was not. When she did get to the labor and delivery ward, she was four centimeters, which was only one more than necessary to be admitted. And then, thanks to a very tiring day, a lot of stress and a huge double meal, she was sick as a dog. And fretful.

She labored through the night, and even with the assistance of an epidural, she was pretty miserable. Gwen had followed them to the hospital and stayed with Iris and Seth through their very long night and cheered her on when she began to push. Norm had also gone to the hospital and took up his post in the hallway outside Iris’s room, getting regular updates from Seth.

Finally little Rose was born. Rose was named after Iris’s late mother and, since they had been in the flower business before selling the shop to Grace, naming baby girls for flowers was something of a family tradition.

After Rose made her appearance, after Gwen had taken some pictures and saw that Iris was going to be cleaned up and the delivery room converted into the room where the new little family would spend at least one night, Gwen went to the hospital coffee shop for coffee and whatever breakfast she could find. When she got back to the room a half hour later, Iris was resting, little Rose was in the baby bed beside Iris and Seth was pacing.

“Oh, good, you’re back. I want to step out of the room and make my calls.”

“You can go to the coffee shop. I had a nice little microwaved egg sandwich down there. You can stake out a corner, have some coffee and something to eat and use your phone.”

“Dad’s been here all night,” Seth said.

“I noticed,” she said.

“Have you talked to him?”

“There isn’t much to say. I’m glad he was here for you, Seth. Even if he couldn’t be in the room.”

“I’m going to send him in to see the baby now.”

“Sure,” Gwen said. “Of course. We’re not going to fight.”

Seth gave his mother a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you, Mom. You were wonderful. Thank you.”

“I’m glad I was invited.”

After Seth left, Gwen gave Iris a soft kiss on the brow. “Sleep, sweetheart. I’ll be here watching over the baby for you.”

Iris just mumbled and rolled over.

It was only a little while before Rose started snuffling around in the bed and for that Gwen was most grateful. She happily picked up the little bundle and held her close. She hummed very softly, so softly she wouldn’t wake Iris.

Then Norm walked in, head down, hands in his pockets. He walked right over to where Gwen sat and looked down at the baby. “She looks like Seth,” he said. “But with medical science being advanced like it is these days, that can probably be fixed.”

She smiled in spite of herself. “You sure it’s advanced enough?”

“Oh, sure,” he said. “They pulled my gallbladder out through a straw.”

He pulled a chair over right next to Gwen and sat beside her, studying the baby. “Looks like she might have Iris’s crazy hair,” he said.

“She’ll be beautiful like her mama.”

They communed in silence for a few minutes.

“You just about all settled down now?” Norm asked her.

“I’m completely calm. What are you getting at?”

“I’m getting at—let’s call a truce. We have a new baby in the family. These kids don’t need all the ruckus.”

“Don’t go blaming me,” she threatened, but she did so softly. “I wasn’t the one flirting with a pack of men on the cruise.”

“I knew that’s what it was. I wasn’t flirting. I was pleasant as pie and it just pissed you off.”

“No, it didn’t. It hurt my feelings. It hurt my feelings very much.”

“I thought that’s how you wanted me to be,” he said. “You worried and harped about it all the way to Seattle! I did just what you wanted.”

“I suppose. Except I wanted you to be pleasant for me, not for a bunch of women we barely met. And I don’t care what you say—they were flirting!”

“That ain’t my problem. My problem is the only woman I ever wanted to be nice to me was sour as a rotten peach the whole time. I can’t win.”

“I am nice to you,” she said.

“Gwen,” he said in a low whisper. “I just wanted you to be happy for once. I tried hard as I could.”

“But you tried to please them!”

“They were the only ones nice to me! If you could be half so nice, I’d sure be grateful. You’re the only woman I ever wanted to fuss over me.”

“I am?” she asked.

“A course you are! Over forty-five years now. Do I have to say it every damn day?”

“Once a year would be a big improvement.”

He was quiet for a minute. “I’ll mark it down on the calendar,” he said. “Now can we please stop this tomfoolery? I’m too old for it.”