Sweetness and Lightning

The baby's name is San Francisco, and the narrator tells us that it's a combination of the names of animals and plants. We learn that the narrator and his wife are planning to name their daughter after an animal, but that they're not sure what kind of animal it will be. The narrator tells his wife that he wants a name that's "pleasing to the ear" , but also "not too much" . He also tells her that he's going to go back to work the next day, so he'll be able to see her soon after the baby is born. He tells her about his wife's pregnancy, and she says that she hasn't had any contractions yet, so there's nothing to worry about. He says that his mother-in-law will be there soon, and he hopes that the baby will be born before the end of the semester. He then tells her how his wife is doing, and how she's had three kids. He's not worried about the baby, he says, because his wife has had no contractions yet. He asks his wife to pack some food for him, so that he won't be lonely when he gets home. She's excited to eat some spinach, but he says that it was made with "waterless cook-ing," which means that the food was cooked in a waterless broth. He doesn't know what this means, but it sounds like a good idea to him.