My water broke on the way to my mother-in-law’s party. My husband got furious. He

The voice was soothing and reassuring, cutting through the fog of pain and fear that had enveloped me. I could barely open my eyes, but I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder, guiding me into the warmth and safety of another vehicle. As the car moved, I drifted in and out of consciousness, the contractions coming in relentless waves.

“Stay with me,” the voice urged, a woman’s voice. “We’re heading to the hospital. You’re going to be okay. Both of you.”

Her words were a lifeline, and I clung to them desperately. I realized that this stranger, who had stopped on the snowy highway, had become my unlikely savior. Her presence was a balm against the biting cold and my impending despair. I tried to speak, to thank her, but the words were lost in another contraction.