Pete McMartin: A child is born — the nucleus of the nuclear family

On the phone from the hospital, he said, Hey Dad, sounding tired, but you could hear the happiness in his voice. He had become a father. The labour had been a 36-hour marathon. The first contractions had taken them to the hospital, but it had been a false start. They returned home, and in the hiatus the expectant mother took the opportunity to shower and do some housework. The contractions returned in earnest later that night and the baby, a boy, a first-born, a first grandchild, had come in the morning.