Wrote down what mothers say in the first quiet minute

Started keeping a small notebook years ago for the first sentence a woman says after the baby is out and the room goes still. Not the medical stuff — the other thing. 'Oh, it's you.' 'I'm so tired.' 'Did I really do that?' It surprised me how rarely anyone says anything about love in that exact moment. Love comes later, when the room is empty and they're just sitting with it.