“I’m the one who looks at the infant, smiles nervously, and as my contribution to small talk, robotically announces to the parent, “Your child looks healthy and well cared for.”

“The child probably overheard their voices; for, looking up to the window, with a bright, but naughty smile of mirth and intelligence, she threw one of the prickly burrs at the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale. The sensitive clergyman shrunk, with nervous dread, from the light missile.”

“To look deep into your child's eyes and see in him both yourself and something utterly strange, and then to develop a zealous attachment to every aspect of him, is to achieve parenthood's self-regarding, yet unselfish, abandon. It is astonishing how often such mutuality had been realized - how frequently parents who had supposed that they couldn't care for an exceptional child discover that they can. The parental predisposition to love prevails in the most harrowing of circumstances. There is more imagination in the world than one might think.”

“So who do you want to be?”I smiled, resting my head against his chest. “I’m not sure yet, but I’m looking forward to finding out.”

“Looking after a very sick child was the Olympics of parenting.”

“Evan looked at my empty pizza box and then held up three fingers, “You’re hot, you play soccer, and you have a very healthy appetite. Please marry me?”I laughed and leaned into Caeden who then put his arm around me. “Sorry, you know I’m taken.”“Darn,” Evan smiled. “Have any sisters?”“Only child.”“So not fair,” he said. Evan looked over at Caeden. “You better put a ring on that before someone tries to sweep her out from under you.”Caeden grinned and kissed my cheek. “I’m not worried,” he winked at me.”