Della was still working at nine months. Her final case before maternity leave involved a hit and run. A drunk driver had picked up a hitchhiker. After crashing the car, the driver ran. Perry and Della were waiting on a call from Doris Stephanik. The lawyer noticed his wife falling asleep in the chair. "Why don't you head home?"
Della sat up a bit more, "I'm fine. Besides, I don't want to go home this late on my own."
When the phone rang, Della answered it, but it wasn't Doris. It was Mrs. Greenly. The woman brought a shirt over that would have exonerated Perry's client, but now it would get her convicted. Tragg showed up not long after the woman arrived. He confiscated the shirt. "Lieutenant, are you through for the night? I'd like to get Della to bed."
"Oh, of course," the man said.
Perry helped his wife up and guided her to the car. She fell asleep on the drive home and Perry carried her to bed.
The next day was the preliminary hearing. Perry and Della walked into court late, "my apologies your honor. My wife thought she was in labor, but it was a false alarm. She insisted that she come with me so as not to delay the court any longer."
"I have no doubt," the judge said with a smile. He had seen the Masons' in court often and had no doubt that Della insisted on joining Perry.
Perry got Della situated and then, court was in session. Everything was going fine and Perry's client was acquitted. Before they could leave the courtroom, the earthquake hit. "Della, are you alright?"
"I think so, but..."
"Stay here," Perry got up to check on others.
"Perry!" Della yelled.
"Yeah?" he asked without turning around.
"My water broke."
The courtroom was silent. The judge had the court reporter call for the paramedics. A half-hour later, the paramedics were there. The courtroom had been evacuated and only contained Della and Perry. "My wife said she won't make it to the hospital."
"Let's get her on the table and see," one paramedic said. Perry helped his wife lie down on the table.
"Nope, she won't make it out of this room. That baby is ready."
Perry helped Della sit up some and held onto her while she pushed. The baby wasn't due for another three days, but she was ready now. "Maybe we should have stayed at the hospital and had you checked out?" When they initially went to the hospital that morning, Della had not had a contraction for a while. She figured it was false labor and told Perry even if it wasn't, that they had time.
"Do you really want to bring that up right now?"
It didn't take long for a cry to fill the courtroom. "Congratulations," the medic said, "you have a baby girl."
Perry cut the umbilical cord and one of the medics began to clean her up. The other began to clean up Della and get her ready for transport. Perry was handed the baby and was mesmerized by her. Once Della was on the gurney, he handed the baby to her. "Maureen Paulina Mason," Della said.
"Sounds perfect," Perry kissed his wife's temple and walked beside the gurney as she was wheeled out and to the ambulance. January 24th, 1958 was definitely a day to remember.
Perry and Della really settled into parenthood quite easily. He had taken a couple of weeks off to help Della recover and to spend time with his little girl. "I'm going to hate to leave her when I go back to work," Della said a month after Maureen's birth.
"I already hate it," Perry said, "but I have an idea."
"What?"
"Bring her with you."
"I can't do that."
"Why not?"
"I wouldn't get anything done."
"Well, I've already set up my office for her."
"What do you mean?"
"There's a crib, playpen, diapers, bottles, bibs, and anything else we may need."
"You did that?"
"I want her with me too."
"What do we do when you drag us somewhere in the middle of the night?"
"I guess we won't be doing that for a while. I could also take Paul instead."
"Now, I feel left out."
"Do you?"
"I'll live," Della smiled.
"Maybe we can set up a daycare," Perry suggested. "Our baby, Paul Jr., and baby Drake." Gertie had just found out she was expecting. Paul was excited but he had a feeling that the baby would be a girl and he wasn't ready for that. Hamilton Burger's wife, Annette, gave birth to their first child, a boy named Thomas, a few weeks ago. Tragg's wife, Irene, had their son, Jack, two days ago.
"I don't know," Della said, "there's a lot that goes into that."
"True," Perry said. "Well, we have a plan for now."
