doctor announced to the grubby redhead slumped in the corner of the waiting room. “You’re a father!” Gerald Thompson lifted his bloodshot eyes from the cigarette-burned floor tile, nodded. “You should be happy,” doctor prodded, annoyed this lout wasn’t thanking him. Respect the white coat, if not the man wearing it! “Your daughter’s in with your wife. Do you want to see them?” “Yes,” Gerald grunted. He got to his feet, weaving a bit. He brushed crud off his jeans, prompting the other new dads to lean away. He ignored them, stomping his boots, wiping sweat salt off his stubbled cheeks, tucking a work shirt that smelled like unwashed armpits. “I’m ready,” he said, pulling a flat jewelry box from his pocket and staring at it. Doctor nodded, walked him to Room 313, and stepped inside. Gerald took his elbow, leaving grungy fingerprints on the white cotton. “Just the three of us,” he said. Doctor struggled to keep his expression professional. “I suppose that’s all right, Mr.
