sitting caffe paradiso alone missing ellen used join time back good days when studying become midwife rather than being midwife know being selfish being midwife more satisfying lucrative realize we're parents well into still feels bittersweet like she's grown herself real like joke about real jobs among friends premise that real jobs aren't just defined skilled work that pays bills real that involves getting early five mornings week putting something other than jeans going office important things until evening real jobs involve wearing clothes that require changing when come home from work real jobs mean have schedule lunch dates rather than just spontaneously heading thai restaurant random hungry moment middle afternoon when we're joking about real jobs joke naturally extends jason that he's only person know this town he's vice president good-sized illustration studio with clients like mcgraw-hill more accurate dorie real like jason minus plus commute from farmer city into real city when dorie elie moved here from east coast they thought -minute commute nearly empty highway walk park think having drive anywhere more than minutes torture after separate handful real jobbers know what remains rest things like australia months research take kids pool middle weekday afternoon woodworking restore people's houses drum dance make have summers generally cafes typing into computers those people mysteriously cafes some envy others assume we're lazy privileged assure that most while we're very happy have access this small life luxury working hard earn livings there explanations possibly have collection friends with such assortment daily routines vocations simply nature living university town people actually make decent livings being dancer artist ethnomusicologist plant biology graduate student professors students have atypical schedules often need place like cafe pass time between classes where they something work done affordability town another explanation here rather nicely partial salary family well salary half let's hear midwest that means half many couples know things like make fine wood cabinets play drums freelance writing teach voice lessons still contribute mortgage nice home drink decent wine finally jason just happen know assortment people with wonderfully interesting talents have fallen into assortment vocations least ellen's schedule real midwife kind funky console myself fact that certain days she'll able cafe with some unexpected hour other sent text suggesting pick clinic quick lunch thai restaurant before appointment feel next pregnant belly we're proud serious important work deals with life death situations every week mention dealing with dangerously ripe hearts emotions mommies-to-be parents ellen's husband gabriel teaches ethnomusicology primarily jazz university once said something like this about ellen's real what ellen does joke people could worst thing could accused giving student some wrong information that later causes embarrassment some cocktail party true 'nough here's each whatever kind profession world will trust 