The chocolate cookies made by my mother were the one item I consistently wished for when I was carrying my child. Once again, the reassuring and soothing aroma of melting chocolate filled our kitchen, and the aroma of love saturated the air throughout the space. Since I became pregnant for the first time, my mother has finally given me her recipe. This has made it possible for me to make them whenever I feel the need, which turned out to be more often than I had imagined. My dress was being pulled at by a pair of slender hands who were intent on obtaining their share of the feast.

The...