don't try this at home

two weeks ago, i travelled to LA with my wife to attend the wedding of my cousin and his bride. at the very front end of the trip, we were packed and ready waiting at our house for our neighbor who was our ride to the airport... he was a little bit late. then, as my wife sat outside with her bags, so prepared, the neighbor called to let me know that he was "just around the corner," and that he would be there/here in about five minutes. well, he was true to his word, and he pulled in our driveway with a slight bit of unexpected hurry. then, he exited the car, and within ten seconds he flashed an armband and said that he had come from the hospital where his wife, the subject of these portraits, had been admitted several hours early for early labor. she was four weeks early, but already halfway dilated. according to him, she was relaxed and having coffee with her mom in the hospital room. my wife and i stood, likely with our jaws sagging, perplexed at how he had decided not to call us and opt out of the service work that he had agreed to the day before. well, he, and she, are just that kind of people. he was persistent and convincing that he was the one that was going to escort us to the airport, so much so, that i hardly got a good word in to counter his pitch. i was able to utter, "i don't know that i feel real good about this." in looking back on it, i conclude that he was high... not in the drug induced kind of high, but pure adrenaline skyrocket kind of high. he is often abuzz, but he was maxed out on the way to the airport. it was kind-of awesome to witness. he was considering stopping back by their house to caulk their bathroom that he had worked on the night before... ??? anyways, these portraits were taken a year ago, and since then, she has birthed a baby girl, and the husband, our ride to the airport, was thankfully present for the delivery. they are great neighbors/parents/people. i hope that they know that we owe them one... besides the vegetarian shepherd's pie that we gave them tuesday.