Joseph looked worried. “How ya feeling, Mary?” he asked.

“Pregnant,” said Mary. “Very pregnant.”

“Are you comfortable? Is your hay soft enough?”

“It is. Thank you. And thanks for cleaning that feeding trough so thoroughly. I can’t believe our baby’s first crib will be a feeding trough.”

Smiling, Joseph wagged a finger at her. “No, no. It’s not a feeding trough. It’s a manger. Remember: Not trough. Manger.”

Mary looked at her husband lovingly. “You’re so funny. That is a better name for it.”

“We’re lucky we got even that. How could this tiny inn out in the middle of nowhere be so crowded?”

“Everyone’s traveling because of that stupid census. Why can’t we just send in something saying who we are? Why do we have to come all the way to Bethlehem to register in person?”

Joseph made show of cocking his head and stroking his beard, pretending to think. “Hmm. Good question. Let’s see, I don’t recall. Oh, wait! Now I remember. It’s because Caesar is the worst ruler ever. I wish it would hail on Caesar.”

Mary smiled. “Oh, well. Our little guy here will have a thing or two to say about the way things are run.”

“Apparently. You know, I still can’t get over what the angel said to me that night.”

“Tell it to me again,” said Mary. “Please? I love that story.”

Joseph settled in beside Mary. Taking her hand, he said, “Well, I was sleeping, just like  any other night—you remember that night. I stayed up late because I’d eaten that bad chicken?”

“I do remember that. You poor thing.”

“So finally I fell asleep — and then, all of a sudden, I saw a real and actual angel, right there in front of me. At first I thought it had to be the chicken.”

“Of course you did.”

“But then, in a voice that was like all the music in the world being played at once, the angel said to me, Joseph, son of David! Do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife. For what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give that son the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Mary whispered, “It’s so unbelievable.”

“It is. Which is why I didn’t exactly run right out and share it with all the neighbors.”

“I think that was best.”

“And before that happened to me, you had your whole miracle.”

“I know.” Mary gently moved her hand about her belly. “Talk about divine intervention.”

“And the angel who came to you said what, again? You tell me that part now, okay? I love hearing it.”

“He said that I shouldn’t be afraid, because I had found favor with God.”

“I think that was safe to say.”

“The angel told me, You will be with child. You’ll give birth to a son. And you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end.”

“Wow,” said Joseph. “That’s just, I mean, how do we even —? Wow.”

“I know.”

“Well, at least we don’t have to worry about picking out a name for the boy. ‘Junior’ is definitely out.”

Mary laughed, and then grew thoughtful. “You know, I still wonder what your angel meant by, ‘He will save people from their sins.’ Do you ever wonder about that?”

“All the time.”

“What do you think that means?”

“I have no idea. I guess . . . that people will stop sinning?”

“But that seems so unlikely, doesn’t it?”

“Hey, we can’t start doubting the angels now.”

“Excellent point. But then—I mean, how do you think the whole ‘save people from their sins’ thing is going to work, exactly?”

Joseph shrugged. “Maybe everyone will just start being really nice all the time.”

“Or maybe our son will make it so that people don’t want to sin anymore.”

“Or maybe that they can’t.”

“That seems . . . troubling. But who knows? And how’s he gonna affect everybody? That’s a lot of people.”

“Maybe he’ll travel a lot?”

“Maybe he’s not going to make everyone stop sinning,” said Mary. “Maybe he’s just going to stop you and me from sinning.”

“Gosh, I hope not.”

“Well, the angel did say he’d save his people from their sins. Who’s more ‘his people’ than you and me?”

Joseph said, “Well, if he stops us from sinning, that would definitely be a major change for you. It wouldn’t make much of a difference in my life at all.”

“Right,” said Mary. “Except I’d divorce you, since a non-sinning you would be a total stranger to me.”

Joseph laughed. “Okay, well, let’s just wait and see, shall we?”

Mary grew pensive. “It won’t just be us, though. The angel said that he’ll reign over the house of Jacob forever. That’s a lot more than just us.”

“Yeah, yeah. That’s right. Isn’t this just all so—beyond belief?”

“It is. I just don’t know what to expect. Is he going to be born with—I don’t know—wings? Is he going to come out talking? Wearing a crown? And are we — whoa!”

“What? What is it?”

“It’s begun. The baby’s coming.”

Joseph jumped up. “Okay, okay. Lemme get some of these animals out of here. C’mon, cow, goat. Time’s up. Clear the area.”

“No, no,” said Mary. “Leave them.”

“What? Why?”

Mary smiled beautifically. “I don’t know. I just know it’s the right thing to do.”

“Done,” said Joseph. “Good cow. Good goat.” The moment he was back at her side, Mary took her husband’s hand in hers, squeezing it tight. “Everything’s going to be okay, right, Joe?”

“Of course right.”

“You’re sure?”