Headlights shone through the blinds. It had grown dark in the course of an hour since everyone left the house. A horn honked in the driveway, loud as a train. Sheila peered through the slats at the classic pink Cadillac she'd seen the other day.

When the driver door opened, the interior light illuminated two women in the front seats. The driver wore a large hat. The passenger had a short dark bowl cut and wore overlarge sunglasses.

The passenger said something which made the driver pause in stepping out of the car. They conversed for a moment. The driver nodded. She stepped out and went around the front of the car to open the passenger door. Helped the other woman out. When they made their way to the front door, Sheila saw the woman with the sunglasses held a long white cane.

"The blind woman's Ethel Kelly," Pauline said, having appeared beside Sheila without a sound. "The one with the hat? That's Mavis Lynch."

Sheila noticed a trace of ominousness in Pauline's voice, as if she feared this woman.

The front door opened without a knock and Mavis stepped in with Ethel in tow, the soft round tip of the cane thumping on the floorboards.

"The party can start now," Mavis said. "We're here."

"Is Mother with you?" Helen asked, helping Geraldine ease Laura into the pool.

"What do you think?" Mavis snarked.

She removed her hat, revealing a sparse head of white hair and a ridged terrain of pink scar tissue. Dianne took the hat and hung it on the coatrack. As Mavis strode into the living room, tossing her long, forest-green peacoat on the accent chair in the corner, Dianne helped Ethel out of her colorful striped coat.

"Thank you, Dianne," the blind woman said, though Dianne hadn't said a word since the two new midwives entered. It was as though Ethel could tell the woman from her scent. "How are you, my dear?"

"Fine, Ethel. Just fine. How are you?"

Sheila eavesdropped on their hushed conversation while Mavis crossed to the pool to supervise the other two ladies.

"Aside from the rheumatism, I'm keeping well."

"That's good to hear, Ethel." Dianne spoke delicately, like she was talking to a child. Or to someone she revered.

"And your girl? Jaden. How is she, my dear?"

"She's great. Won first place in track and field last fall, just like you said she would."

Ethel smiled lightly, clutching her cane to her sternum. "I could tell the moment she popped out of you she'd be a fast one. Those big lungs of hers. Either a swimmer or a runner, just as I said."

"Just like you said, Ethel. Thank you."

On her hands and knees in the pool, Laura groaned.

"It's time," Mavis said. "Towels?"

As if on cue, Double-D Darla came down the stairs holding a stack of fresh white towels. "Right here, Mavis."

"Good. Bring them over, girl."

Darla did as she was told, slipping between Sheila and Pauline.