CHAPTER 17

          A few minutes later, Norah was moving around Gabrielle’s kitchen, chatting with her with surprising ease. Perhaps Gabrielle wasn’t resting with her feet up as her husband had demanded, but since she wasn’t holding anything heavier than a paring knife, Norah didn’t say anything.

          Besides, every birth story she’d ever heard was a lengthy process, happening in the midnight hours. Gabrielle wasn’t complaining of a backache or any of those other things women talked about as labor’s signs.

          She was relaxed, cheery and so, so nice! Feeling as vilified as she did, Norah was deeply relieved to be finally treated like a normal person.

“Did you get that top at the boutique on the far end of the lake?” Gabrielle asked. “I bought the black and gold one two