IN THE TRUNK OF TINA’S HATCHBACK

Her water broke over the water. Rebecca didn’t realize that she was so close to giving birth. That’s why she was on a ferry boat with Tina, her best friend, going to Vashon Island to visit Tina’s aunt who lived on a beach and was recently widowed. Rebecca was bringing a tuna casserole for the festivities. It sat in the trunk of Tina’s hatchback when the baby was born.

The father had broken up with Rebecca during her third month of pregnancy. She was just starting to show, was looking through Babies R’ Us catalogs and reading What to Expect When You’re Expecting religiously when Dallas, her boyfriend, over plates of fruity hotcakes at Denny’s, told her he wasn’t ready.

“Well, I’m not either,” Rebecca said as she drank some orange juice.

“No, Dallas said, wiping some excess maple syrup from his lips. “I can’t.” Then Dallas paid the bill, apologized, and left Rebecca there in the booth with a broken heart and a full belly.

Tina ran up the stairs of the ferry and told a ferry employee who had a broom in his hand that her friend was giving birth in a Ford Escort. After some quick discussion and deliberation, Vance, a ferry employee who helped give birth to a boy named Trevor eight years previous, ran down to help Rebecca, right after he finished restocking the toilet paper in the men’s head.

With a small audience, some yells, grunts, howls, and blood, Stephanie Hyak (so named for the ferry boat she was on) Collins was born. She was eight pounds, five ounces and was 20 ½ inches long (this, according to Vance’s measurements). “I’m just eyeballing it,” he said. “I don’t know for sure if it’s five ounces or six.”

Rebecca cried and Tina did, too. “This is so wonderful!” Tina exclaimed patting Vance on the shoulder. “A miracle! This is a story for the ages! This is…remarkable!”

Vance, sweating a little from the stress and strenuousness of baby delivery, wiped his head with the back of his regulation ferry uniform and looked up at Tina whose eyes were glistening with joy, pure elation that her best friend just gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. “Now,” Vance said, “who are you again?”

”I’m Tina,” she said, holding Rebecca’s trembling hand and looking into the baby’s fresh eyes. “I’m the baby’s ferry godmother.”