It was written on a Post-It note by the phone. In the wife's handwriting.

"Eleanor Meredeth"

Followed by a last name that I recognized. And a date, in last October.

But I'm pretty sure we didn't know anybody by that name.

The sticker had been there a while, because written in the margins were some notes I made from a work related phone call, dated 3 Jan.

But I hadn't noticed the message back then.

Today I did.

So I asked the wife, at lunch (once I kicked the game warden out of the house, his dead deer tissues still in my hands).

Do we have a new grand-niece?

Apparently we do.

Nice of someone to finally tell us. I mean, the family's not that big.

Turns out we met the mother once, but she was simply relegated the title of "girlfriend" back then. And as yet still has not donned the title "wife".

And maybe she won't.

But that's modern American life for you, you know.

We never even heard they were expecting.

Just the same, welcome to the World, Eleanor.

And welcome to the family.