The narrator recounts his birth and his childhood as a girl. The day Calliope is born is also the day that her grandfather, Lefty, suffers a stroke that leaves him unable to speak. The narrator describes Calliope as a strange-looking child who nevertheless possessed a kind of striking beauty. Calliope’s father and grandmother argue over her baptism: Milton doesn’t want to participate in what he believes is superstition, while Desdemona insists that the child will be in mortal danger otherwise. Eventually, he acquiesces to the ceremony, in part because he’s told that it won’t cost him any money. During the baptism, baby Calliope manages to send a stream of urine that strikes Father Mike in the face. Nobody questions the strangeness of this.

It takes time for Desdemona to warm up to Calliope. First, her husband has a stroke the day that the child is born, and then the incident at the baptism inclines her to think that Calliope brings bad luck. However, when she gives in to the baby’s needs and holds her, Calliope immediately wins her over. Her grandfather is helpful around the house, always remembering the debt he owes his son, and takes Calliope on regular walks. She’s unaware that anything about him is different.