The text message from my dad read, simply, "Mom home early." I knew what it meant. Even with the butterflies in my stomach, I'd have to pull myself together and act normal and natural once I got home.

This was a disappointment - it meant of course that the games my dad and I had begun to play would need to be suspended for a while. On the other hand, after a deep breath and a visit to the restroom where a splash of cold water on my flushed face jolted me into my new situation, I could enjoy the baby shower. I rejoined the women in the living room...