The fourth father went pale before the nurse even reached him. Three birth announcements had turned a hospital waiting room into a scene of stunned laughter, but each celebration made one nervous man more convinced that disaster was approaching. His fear had nothing to do with doctors, deliveries, or complications; it began with his job and ended.

Four expectant fathers were waiting together when a nurse arrived with remarkable news. The first had welcomed twins—and happened to work for the Minnesota Twins. The second became the father of triplets, prompting him to reveal his job at 3M. When the third learned he had quadruplets, his employment at the Four Seasons Hotel made everyone laugh. Then the fourth man began pacing, visibly shaken by the pattern unfolding before him.

Asked what was wrong, he confessed that he worked for 7UP. Suddenly, the others understood: he feared seven babies were next. Their laughter came with reassurance, and the strangers kept one another company while they waited. Thankfully, his imagined prediction never came true. His wife delivered one healthy baby, and his panic gave way to grateful tears. Holding his newborn, he finally had something better to think about than the number on his employer’s label.