Being With Your New Baby? Priceless

On my way home from work this afternoon, driving with the window cranked down (yes, I have a car that has crank windows), listening to NPR's pledge drive, I was in a good mood. My work day had ended an hour early, the weather was a beautiful 60 degrees, and I was going home to pick up Kika and take her to the park. I was stoked.
I made a slight detour to the gas station to fill up, which always kind of ruins my mood a bit, because I go to the dirt cheap Admiral gas station right off the highway. It's the station that you hear about on the nightly news about three times a year because it got held up yet again. But hey, it's got the cheapest gas in town, and so it's "my station."
One of the things that annoys me the most about the place is that you can't pay at the pump. You have to go inside before you pump, even during the day, even if you're going to use a credit card. So I have to go inside, tell the dude which pump I'm on, go back outside to pump, then go back in the store to pay, then return to my car to leave. It's a pain in the proverbial arse. But...cheap gas and all...
So, today I did the drill--went inside, left my card, went outside, filled up my tank, went back in and stood in line to pay. When I finally got up to the counter, the guy took my card and swiped it, and while I stood looking out the window, I could tell from the corner of my eye that he was checking out my belly. I tried to ignore it, but his stare was so intense that I finally met his eyes. He grinned sheepishly and said, "Okay, so I'm just gonna ask...are you...?" while making a round gesture over his own belly.

I laughed and said, "Yeah, I am...I didn't get this way from eating a bunch of donuts!", which was really a guilt-filled allusion to the two huge donuts I snarfed in my car on the way to work yesterday morning.

All of a sudden, he reached in his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, which he quickly placed, flipped open, on the counter in front of me. "This is my baby daughter who was just born this morning," he proudly said, pointing to the screen picture.

I stared at him, stunned. I had never met this particular employee before, but suddenly we were kindred spirits. "What?? What are you doing here?" I exclaimed before thinking.

"I had to work" he replied, matter-of-fact.

"Well, congratulations, that's awesome! Wow!" I was at a loss for words. I couldn't imagine having our baby and then Adam leaving me to go to work for the day. The day one's baby is born just seems like a sacred day, not to be missed if one can help it. Couldn't any of his coworkers fill in for him just this one day??

As I walked back out to my car, my brain started going into overdrive--what could I do so he could get to the hospital to be with his woman and their new daughter? I actually thought about volunteering to work for him, but my friend, common sense, kicked in to remind me that wouldn't work.
After wracking my brain as I pulled out of the parking lot and coming up short, it finally dawned on me that maybe he had to work not because no one could cover him, but because he needed the money. In this current economy, we all do.

So once again, I realized with gratitude how lucky I am to have Adam coming home in a few short weeks to spend the following month helping me prepare for Baby's arrival. If Adam being gone for the last six months is the price I pay for his being by my side through labor, delivery and the wondrous hours following, then so be it. It's all been worth it.