“They’re pissed off. That’s what’s wrong. They want to eat. Babies eat on a schedule,” Espinosa explained. “I thought everyone knew that, even you, Jack. Come on. We have to warm up this milk. We’ll worry about changing their diapers later. They squeal when they make messy poo poo.”

“Poo poo?” Harry said, sliding to the floor, his eyes glazed.

“That’s what you call it in polite company. Wouldn’t want the little ones to hear nasty words,” Espinosa answered.

Shaking his head in disbelief, Ted ran to the kitchen, his hands and arms full of bottles. “How long, Espinosa?”

“Thirty seconds,” Espinosa called. “Then you squirt it on your arm to see if it’s too hot or not hot enough.”

“Yo, Harry, either you look alive here, or I’m telling Yoko you are not father material!” Jack said. “Just do what Espinosa says, and we’ll get through this. C’mon, Harry, you can do this. Okay?”

Ted ran into the living room with the first batch of warm bottles.

“Lesson one-oh-one. Listen up. This is how you do it. The bigger babies at the ends of the lines can have their bottles propped up,” Espinosa instructed. “Go, gentlemen!”

The ear-piercing din in the room lessened by six as the babies sucked greedily.

“Here’s six more bottles,” Ted shouted, getting into the swing of things. “Oooh, next batch coming up!”

“This one is finished,” Harry said, getting into gear. “Oh, my God, I think it wants more! He’s making a fist, and his face is getting red.”

“He might be making messy poo poo,” Espinosa commented. “Kind of soon, though. He probably just has gas. You have to burp him. Put him over your shoulder and pat his back. When he burps, lay him back down and give him more. He’s not a sack of potatoes, Harry. Hold his head. Yeah, yeah, that’s it. Good going, gentlemen! I am so proud of you!”

The only sound to be heard in Maggie’s living room was the sound of contented babies burping.

“Hey, Espinosa, how often do you have to feed babies?” Jack asked.

“At the rate we’re going, after the diaper change, they’ll be ready to eat again. You have to wait ten to fifteen minutes so they can do messy poo poo. It’s pretty warm in here now, so the bottles might get to room temperature and we won’t have to warm them up. When a baby wants to eat, he wants to eat. Mothers can anticipate their child’s hunger. I don’t know how they do it, but they do. Mothers are the most wonderful people on this earth.”