LAKE

“Oh, my God!” My mother was the first to react, seeing the golf ball pop into blue smoke as soon as my uncle executed a stroke.

“I knew it. Look at her abdomen,” Augustine said to my mother.

“I told you, remember?” Mom seemed to find a new good friend in Augustine. They went to coffee or shopping together and sometimes baked at home. I was glad they got along so well. They were going to be excellent guides in raising our child.

When we held our gender reveal party, Maverick was already six months pregnant. It was worth the wait. Everyone was here— our families, close friends, her...