She's Just Been Born

A HISTÓRIA

Tuesday the fourth of December, a quarter past six in the morning, in a delivery room in Botafogo, two days before the due date. Outside the window, the sun is already up over the bay. Bia has been pushing for forty minutes. Daniel is holding her hand, and has forgotten every word of Portuguese he ever knew, except her name. Doctor Helena is calm, as if she does this every day, which she does. Twenty minutes later, Daniel makes the call he promised, to the seventh floor. This is the conversation you'll be able to say by the end of the lesson.