To say that Caroline was average would be kind. If you wanted to be honest you would describe her as forgettable. She was of average height, average weight, and average intelligence but had lovely turquoise eyes. Unfortunately her long fringe of mid-brown hair usually covered them up. Caroline used her fringe as a screen between her and the world.

Her mother was rather mousy in colouring, slightly on the short side in stature, and was neither fat nor thin. Her father was not the sort of person who would stand out in a crowd, even if there were only ten people making up that crowd.

Her parents' whole lives had been lived in the same suburb they grew up in and where they had both gone to school. They gravitated to each other in high school because they were usually the last ones standing when teams were chosen, exciting jobs given out or the other students being chosen for group sessions. Caroline followed in their footsteps.

They started going out together in high school, went to work in ordinary jobs, and then just stayed together. It wasn't as though either of them had to fight off suitors. They were well up in their twenties before they drifted into marriage. It was a happy time for them both, and they loved each other in a caring and supportive way, and each would do whatever was needed to make the other one happy.

He still worked in the local grocery store, where he had taken an afternoon job in high school and to everyone he was Stan — glad to climb a small step stool to take down a product from the top shelf, happy to keep the aisles free of the rubbish that seemed to accumulate throughout the day. It never occurred to him to try to better himself. He didn't aspire to own a racy sports car or keep climbing the property or social ladder. The only ladder Stan climbed was the one in the grocery store.

His wife Susannah, known as Sue, worked in the hairdressers. She looked after the ladies who liked perms and their hair set the same way every week. Sue wasn't one who would suggest changing the client's hair colour or style, so she had the same clients each week. She could be relied on to do a good job and was no challenge to the other stylists. By the time Sue was thirty-seven she had been working in the hairdressers for almost two decades. After being married for ten years she had long ago given up the idea that she and Stan would become a family, and it was a huge shock when she presented herself to the local GP, just not feeling up to par as she explained it, and after some questioning she was told, "You are pregnant."

She asked the doctor, "Are you sure?" and he just laughed. "You will be a mum in six months," he announced.

Sue was waiting in the kitchen for Stan when he got home, and after the customary peck on his cheek she said, "You had better sit down, Stan, I have got something to tell you."

He looked a bit bewildered, and when she announced she was pregnant he just asked, "How?"

Sue just laughed at him and reminded him there was really no reason why she shouldn't be pregnant. After all, they had a very loving relationship, and he would be a dad in six months.

It was all a bit much for Stan, and he just flopped down into the nearest chair with a shocked look on his face. Wasn't Sue a bit old to be a first-time mother? That was his first thought and he hoped nothing would go wrong with the pregnancy or even more importantly his darling wife. Life wouldn't be worth living without her.

When Sue went to work the next day she told her boss she would have to leave in a few months because she was "expecting a little miracle." Her clients were all thrilled for her, and a lot of them set about knitting bonnets and booties for this "little miracle." The hairdresser's salon started to resemble a baby shop as more and more gifts were delivered to this delightful woman who had cut, permed, coloured, and set their hair for nearly twenty years. Sue hadn't expected any of this and was overwhelmed by her clients' generosity.

Sue and Stan started to prepare a nursery for their child. They were not great at home decoration but went out and bought paint and second-hand furniture, as they were not wealthy people, and he spent a lot of time out in the garage refurbishing all these treasures they had found and been given. Every so often, a neighbour or friend of a neighbour would turn up on their doorstep with "something for the baby." These gifts ranged from baskets of baby powder and creams to a beautiful pram that had hardly been used. The explanation for the excellent condition of the pram was that the parents hadn't known they were having twins, and two babies didn't fit in it for very long. It was very gratefully received.

It was an exciting time for them; Sue absolutely glowed throughout her pregnancy and had never looked prettier. She kept working up until she was about five months pregnant but then found that standing all day was just too tiring. She was happy to give up the full-time work at the salon but went in one day a week just to keep her hand in and earn a bit of money. It all helped to balance their meagre budget.

Sue's pregnancy was trouble free, and she was only three days away from her due date when she went into labour. She rang Stan at work, and he came screeching up the driveway in their little secondhand car to collect a very anxious Sue and drive her to the hospital. It was doubtful which one was the more nervous, Stan because of the impending birth or Sue because of Stan's erratic driving. She gently put a hand on his arm and begged him to slow down, as she wanted to get to hospital safely.

"I want to get to the hospital Maternity department not the Emergency department" Sue reminded Stan.

"Sorry darling, I am just a bit anxious to get you there on time".

Stan paced the corridor while Sue was admitted to the Maternity Unit. Hospitals were not encouraging of fathers being in the room when their child was born. Their job was to pace and wear out the linoleum in the waiting room until they were allowed to see the mother and child. It seemed like a long five hours to Stan, but he was too nervous to go and get a coffee or sandwich in case they came out looking for him.

A smiling nurse emerged from a room down the corridor and called out, "Is Mr Jensen here?" Stan couldn't speak from excitement so just raised his hand and was beckoned to come into the room. Sue was sitting up in bed with a big smile on her face, and there was a plastic crib just beside her with a white blanket wrapped around a sleeping bundle. Stan walked over and gave Sue a kiss and a hug and asked, "What have we got?" Sue replied, "A gorgeous little girl." They had picked out Caroline for a girl's name and both agreed that she looked like a "Caroline," whatever that meant. They couldn't have been happier and just kept looking at each other in wonder at this child they had created. Sue could hardly wait to get home and become a real mother to this wonderful little scrap of humanity. She had no trouble feeding her baby, and Stan was in awe of her competency in this whole new world they were now a part of — parenthood.

When Caroline was born, the most common comment was "what a nice little baby." She was neither bald nor had a good head of hair, of an average weight and length and rather pale in colouring. Those who knew her parents weren't really surprised that the girl was average, because both her parents could be described as just...