My hands hurt in the cold water. I pulled the green stems from the berries and dropped them into a bowl. Carlotta stared at the floor and listened to the music. She couldn’t lean forward anymore, so she either sat up very straight or leaned back. The belly took up all the space between her breasts and her knees.

“I want that to be playing while my baby’s being born. I want that to be the first thing he hears.”

I slid the strawberries into the refrigerator. I looked around for the rising bread, but I didn’t see it anyplace.

“Have you found a doctor? You could afford a hospital now with all your marriage money.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Nobody will come out here. And I’m not going into any hospital.” She caressed the ledge of her belly, then asked suddenly, “Will you be able to get out here without Rennel to drive you? I thought you’d be here.”

“When’s it due?”

“The middle of August. Aram will deliver him, but afterward I thought you’d be able to come out.”

“I’ll come if you want me. I’ll be glad to see the little shit after all this.”

The bread smell seemed stronger from the living room. I leaned in the doorway and saw the three fat loaves on the old stove, swelling beneath a dish towel. The pilot flame muttered.

“Is this the first time you’ve tried the bread recipe?”

“No, I’ve made it twice now. It’s really good. Mrs. Strong brought us some fresh butter. She’s the landlady. She lives in that big house in the drive. I pick dandelion greens and boil them and put butter and salt and pepper on them. I think it’s going to be a very easy birth. I haven’t had any pains or sickness or anything all the way through.”

“Have you got everything you’ll need for the baby?”

“My mother sent a little sweater. That’s all so far. What will I need?”

“Diapers. Dozens, I think. You’d better make a list.”

“I’ll remember. What else?”

“Shirts. Undershirts, like. There’s this funny kind that has two little strings to close it in front. Or maybe they’re on the side. And blankets. What did you ever do with that book I brought? Didn’t it have a list in it?”

“What, You and Your Baby? Listen, I threw that right out. It had all these stinking pictures of what the fetus looks like.”

“That’s lovely. That’s very clever of you.”

“Do you think the Indian women knew or cared what their babies looked like while they were growing inside them?”

“What are you two arguing about? Have we got a sharp knife?” Sam bounced in and I turned away from Carlotta’s fierce glare. He rummaged in the kitchen drawers.

“What are you doing out there?”

“Come and see.”