WJM NEWSROOM

Lou Grant walked out of his office, "Hey, Murray, the station's got two tickets to the hockey game. You wanna take one of your kids?"

"Sorry Lou, my girls don't like hockey." Murray said

"Why don't you ask Andy?" Mary suggested referring to the station's sportscaster who was also her husband

"Andy?" Lou asked

Mary got up and walked over to the filing cabinet and pulled out a file, "Yeah, you know, the tall good looking guy who does the sports." She quipped

"I know who he is, Mary. I just didn't think you'd let him go." Lou told her

"Let him go?" She questioned arching her eyebrow, "I'm his wife, not his mother. If he wants to go that's up to him." She pulled another file out

"Yeah but you're...you know." Lou began

"I'm what, Mr. Grant?" Mary asked

"You know...pregnant." Lou said slowly

Mary looked down at her rounded belly and gasped putting her hand over her mouth, "When did that happen?" She then looked at him with a smirk. Her and Andy's first child was due in four months

"You know what I mean. Women get all weird about stuff when they're pregnant," He said then looked at Murray, "You know, Murray, some women get cranky or weepy when they're pregnant but just my luck, this one gets a smart mouth." He gestured to Mary

Mary smiled to herself as she walked back to her desk, "Come on, Mr. Grant, what does my being pregnant have to do with Andy going to a hockey game?"

Ted Baxter had just walked into the news room, "Because pregnant chicks are crawling with hormones." He said pouring himself a cup of coffee

Lou looked at Mary, "You mean you don't care if he doesn't come home one night until late and you're there by yourself?"

"No, of course not, his brother just moved to St. Paul and they'd probably enjoy it." Mary said wondering what all the fuss is about

"Man, when Edie was pregnant she would get so upset when I wouldn't come straight home from work. Either I didn't find her attractive anymore or she would scream because I wasn't doing enough at home." Lou explained.

"Marie was the same way. She was crying one minute and screaming at me the next." Murray said putting a fresh piece of paper in the typewriter

"Oh, come on guys, it couldn't have been that bad. Besides, Andy and I both do things without each other," She explained, "He plays poker one night a week and I have a book club one night a week."

"Wow, you still let him play poker?" Lou said in amazement

Mary shook her head, "Can we please change the subject?" She said, "Murray, speaking of the girls, how are they? I haven't seen them in months."

"Oh just terrific, Suzy will be six and Marie and I took her shopping and we asked her what she wanted," Murray said, "and she said a charge account."

"Gosh, Murray, it must be great having three daughters," Ted said, "After sons they're the next best thing."

"Ted, my girls are the best thing, not the next best." He said

"Well, I read an article the other day about what makes a baby a boy or a girl," Ted explained, "You see we all have these little things called chromosomes and girls have Xs and boys have Xs and Ys. So if the man gives an X chromosome to the woman the baby is a girl and if he gives her a Y it's a boy."

"Yeah, we know that Ted." Lou said, "Mary, I'm getting ready for the conference call with Ed so hold all my calls and ask Andy if he wants the tickets."

"Sure, Mr. Grant." Mary said as Lou went back in his office and shut the door

"Well, Murray, don't blame yourself for not having a son, even though those little Ys didn't quite make it," Ted told him, "I, on the other hand, have Ys coming out of my ears." He said heading back to the studio

Murray turned to Mary, "You know, Mare, when Marie and I got married we decided on having two children, assuming one would be a boy. But when Bonnie and Ellen were born, well, I wouldn't trade them for ten sons," he told her, "But I convinced Marie to try again."

"And that's how you got your son, Suzy." Mary said

"Yeah and I love her dearly, but there's a part of me that would love to have a son to buy toys for, take to the park, teach him how to read." Murray said

"Gee, Mur, I don't know why when you can do all those things with Ted." Mary said