Summary

In Chapter 9, “Little Red Riding Hoods” (55), Porter visited Northern Dutchess Hospital for an appointment regarding her pregnancy. Porter felt self-conscious spending time in waiting rooms with other pregnant women, most of whom were with partners or showed signs of being married. On this trip to the hospital, Porter encountered Rachel, an old friend of hers from high school who was also pregnant, and the two fell into enthusiastic conversation. Upon reuniting with Rachel, “Porter felt immediately flooded with remembered and renewed love: shortcut love, muscle memory love” (58). When Porter asked after Rachel’s husband, Rachel burst into tears. Porter was of the opinion that the room should be soundproofed for this reason, thinking, “It had to happen all the time” (58).

After their appointments, Rachel and Porter went to the hospital cafeteria, where they caught up on the details of one another’s lives...