“What a fine morning to have a baby, don’t you think?” She spoke pleasantly, as if this sort of thing were as common as milking a cow. Julia and Beatrice staggered into the room, wiping the sleep out of their eyes. Beatrice grew wide-eyed as she stared at me. This was apparently her first childbirth. I could sympathize with her, I was a bit scared as well. Antonia rushed over to them, giving them a number of commands in Italian before turning back to examine me.

“The baby is not quite ready to make his way out. So how about we have a little walk, shall we?”

Antonia firmly grasped my arm, letting me lean into her. She patted my hand and told me stories about the births of her children. “Now, Patrizio, he couldn’t wait to come out of me. I swear that child entered this world running.” She shook her head. “That boy will run around the world and never look back.”

A pain shot from my abdomen around to my back, causing me to double over. Antonia stood by my side as the cramp passed through. Once I could stand back up she began walking with me again. “Now, Beatrice was just the opposite of Patrizio. I think she would have stayed in my womb her whole life if I let her. By the time she was supposed to come, I was performing every piece of advice I was ever told to encourage her to make her entry into this world. Including eating all of the peppers in the village!”

I tried to smile at the thought but was too scared and weary from the pain. The girls came back into the room with arms full of rags and fresh water. “All right, Mamãe, let’s get to work,” Antonia said, setting me down on a stool. “When I say push, you push like your life depends on it. Understand?”

I nodded, eyes wide with fear. Both her daughters stood on either side of me, letting me clasp their small arms. In that moment, I wondered how fragile they were. Minutes stretched into ages. It felt like every moment ticked by slower than the next as I worked to expel this child from within me. Half an hour later my son was born. All pink and wrinkly, screaming in victory.

Antonia handed the baby over to Julia for her to tend to as she helped me pass the afterbirth. I was grateful to be able to lie back in the warm bed with fresh linens when we were finished. Every muscle in my body ached, but I didn’t mind. My child had finally made it into the world. This thing that had been so abstract for so long now yawned deeply as I held him.

José rushed into the room. “They finally let me come in!” He stood over my child and me in utter awe.

“Would you like to hold him?”