Danny's first night away from home had been a success. The nurses had kept him and his baby sister busy so they didn't get lonely for their mother and let Evelyn have some time to herself. And because Rafe had come home when he did, she was able to spend a rare quiet evening with her husband.

When Barbara and Sandra brought them home that morning, Rafe and Evelyn had already had breakfast and were sitting together on the front swing. Danny saw his father, squirmed out of Barbara's hold and ran up the front walk. Rafe got up from the swing and was waiting for him at the bottom of the steps and crouched down as Danny threw his arms around his father's neck. The boy's gettin' strong. He thought as Danny's weight nearly knocked him over.

He stood up with Danny in his arms and Evelyn came down to stand next to Rafe and take the baby from Sandra. "Did Danny get a hold of you last night? He was worried it might be too late." Rafe asked her.

"He came by the hospital." Was all she said.

Rafe nodded. "Good."

Evelyn smiled at her friends. "Thanks for everything. I appreciate your taking the kids."

"Any time Ev, you know that. They've both been fed and changed, so you won't have to worry about that for awhile." Barbara grinned at the McCawley family standing all together and wondered if they would be adding another. She also wondered if Rafe knew. Knowing Evelyn as she did, she'd probably told him. "Well we've got the next shift, so we've got to get to the hospital. I'll call you later." She said to Evelyn.

"Thanks Barbara, thanks Sandra." And she waved to them as they pulled away.

When she looked at Rafe he was smiling at her. "What now Mrs. McCawley?"

What came next was Rafe falling asleep on the back porch. Lack of sleep had finally caught up with him and he stretched out on the overstuffed sofa with Danny stretched out on him. Evelyn sat across from him in the rocking chair with Sarah in her lap. The baby was trying to put her toes in her mouth and Evelyn put her cheek on her head and smiled. It didn't get much better than this.

The telephone rang suddenly and Evelyn's heart skipped a beat. She wondered if this would be the news she had been waiting for. She got out of the chair and headed into the house, cradling Sarah against her. When she answered, it was Barbara. "Ev, the doctor wants you over at the hospital. Your results are in."

Evelyn took a deep breath. "Can you tell me?"

"I'm sorry Ev, I couldn't get a look at your file. Can you be here in an hour?"

"I'll be there. Thanks Barbara." And she hung up.

She hadn't heard Rafe come in when he asked, "Are we goin' to find out if we're parents again?"

She nodded. "That was Barbara and the results are in."

"You're still not sure about this are you?"

Evelyn looked at him and smiled. "Whatever happens, we'll handle. We always do."

"That wasn't my question."

"I know." Was all she said.

"Well let's get ready then. We're goin' to have to take the kids."

"That's all right. Barbara can look after them for a few minutes." She told him and put Sarah in her baby seat before she went down to the bedroom to change.

By the time they got to the hospital, the doctor was ready for them. Rafe and Evelyn had to keep the kids with them because both Barbara and Sandra were busy. While they sat in the doctor's office waiting for him to come in Sarah had fallen asleep and Danny was trying to push himself off of his father's lap. He had just gotten on his feet when the doctor came in. "Good morning Mrs. McCawley. And this must be your husband." Rafe stuck out his hand and they shook. "Mr. McCawley."

"Captain McCawley." Rafe corrected him.

"My apologies Captain." And he looked at Evelyn. "Well young lady, I'm sure you're anxious to here whether you're having another baby or not."

Rafe had sat down and settled Danny in his lap. "What can you tell us Doc?"

The doctor glanced at Rafe and then looked at Evelyn. "You're suspicions were correct Mrs. McCawley. You are pregnant. About six weeks I'd say."

Rafe and Evelyn looked at each other and they knew exactly when it had happened.

Evelyn sighed and the next thing she knew, she'd started to cry. Now that they knew, she was overwhelmed with the idea and it was too much.

The doctor put in a call to the front desk asking a nurse come down to his office. Barbara was there within minutes and took the kids, trying to keep Danny calm. He'd never seen his mother cry and was on the verge of doing that very thing. The doctor followed Barbara out, to give them some time alone.

Rafe held her and tried to calm her. "I'm sorry honey." Was all he could think to say.

"Three kids." Was all she could say and she sighed again.

When she finally let go of him, she tried to smile and it was the most pitiful smile Rafe had ever seen. He kept his arms around her and looked at her. "Are you goin' to be all right?" He asked her.

She nodded. "I'm sorry for crying. It shouldn't have been such a surprise, but it was."

He pulled her back into his arms. "I'm sorry for not bein' more careful."

She shook her head and pulled away again. When she looked at him she smiled, "We have a habit of not being careful, don't we?"

There was a light knock at the door and the doctor looked in on them. "It is all right if I come back in?" They nodded and sat down as the doctor took a seat behind his desk. "This seems to have taken you by surprise, you were hoping you wouldn't be." His bluntness made Evelyn flush.

"It's not that I don't want another baby, I just wasn't expecting to have another one so soon." She explained.

"How old is your youngest?"

"Three months."

If she didn't know better, Evelyn could swear the doctor was trying not to smile. "My brother and I were eleven months apart." He told them. "These things happen." He added.

Rafe and Evelyn looked at each other. "Is that supposed to make my wife feel better?" he asked, irritated.

"No Captain I'm just stating a fact. If you weren't planning for another you should have taken the proper precautions."

"It's a little late for that, ain't it." This doctor is an idiot.

Evelyn reached over and put a hand on his arm because she could see he was getting worked up. "Rafe." Was all she had to say and he took a deep breath.

"I don't mean to sound so callous about this Captain, I really don't. But a little planning wouldn't have hurt."

He nodded. "I know."

"Mrs. McCawley, I'm going to set up an appointment for you to come back in a month and we'll see how you're progressing."

"Thank you Doctor."

"Well, if that's all I'll say good afternoon." And he left the office.

They sat together in the quiet of the office and each sighed. But when they looked at each other, they smiled.