When I could reach my phone again, there was one message from Evan.
I'm stuck here. Mom's coming. I'll explain later.
It had arrived while I was in the operating room.
""Did he call?"" Molly asked.
""No.""
She looked at the screen, then away. She was angry enough for both of us, which left me room to be tired.
Evan's mother came at nine carrying an overnight bag and a cardboard drink tray. Diane wore the camel coat she put on for church and office parties. Behind her, a hospital volunteer pushed a cart holding three unopened infant car seats, the ones Evan and I had bought two weeks earlier. Diane had offered to bring them when the babies were ready to leave.
For one hopeful second, I thought she was going to set down the coffee, sit beside me, and ask about her grandchildren.
Instead, she glanced at Molly. ""Could we have a minute?""
""Anything you need to say to Lauren, you can say with me here,"" Molly said.
Diane drew up a chair without sitting. ""The family is asking where Evan was. His boss's wife is in the same church group as Aunt Caroline. News travels.""
""He wasn't here,"" I said.
My husband missed the birth of our triplets because he was at a hotel with another woman.
