He often wondered how long their luck would hold out, Danny's and his.

Rafe rested in the narrow bunk in the barracks where he and the other pilots were staying while they were away from Pearl Harbor. He couldn't sleep because he'd gotten a cable from Pearl that Evelyn had gone into labor and that was all he knew. He had no idea how she was doing or if she'd had the baby yet and that was making him more that a little crazy.

"Ain't you sleepin'?" He heard Danny come in and watched him as he sat across from him on his own bunk.

"I tried but I can't. Evelyn's havin' the baby and I can't be there." He said and ran a hand through his hair.

Danny noticed the cable in Rafe's hand and slipped it out of his fingers so he could read it. Sure enough, she was in labor and there wasn't any more news than that. That would explain why Rafe had gotten so quiet earlier that day. "I'm sure she'd doin' fine Rafe and she's got the girls to look after her."

He nodded. "Yea, I know."

Red and Gooz walked in and sat on the bunk on the other side of Rafe's. "Is there anything we can do to help Rafe?" Red asked.

"No, but thanks Red. The only thing that's goin' to help is for me to get home to Evelyn." He sighed.

Gooz looked at him. "If we're lucky McCawley, this mission won't last too much longer."

"Yea." Was all he said.

Red stood up. "Come on Gooz, let's leave Rafe alone. Besides, I heard they're showing Casablanca over in the mess hall. You're always telling me Bogie is your favorite actor, so let's go see it."

Gooz got the hint and stood up. "All right."

Red looked at Rafe and Danny. "Should we save a couple of seats for you?"

Danny nodded. "Thanks Red. I'll get him over there."

It was the first time since Rafe had received the cable that he smiled. "I'm right here, so don't talk like I'm not."

Gooz grinned. "And he remembers how to smile."

"We'll see you fellows later." Red smiled as he and Gooz left the friends alone.

"Come on Rafe, let's go. There ain't nothin' you can do about this and it ain't goin' to help anythin' if you stay here by yourself. You'll just drive yourself crazy."

Rafe looked at his best friend and sighed again as he sat up. "All right Danny, let's go."

The girls were in the waiting room and when they didn't pace, they sat. They each took their turn to go check on Evelyn to see how she was doing and in between contractions and pushing, she was quiet. They understood that she wanted her husband there and that he wasn't.

Barbara was in the delivery room with her when the baby finally made his appearance and she started to laugh and cry at the same time. "It's a boy Ev, it's a boy!" She said excitedly.

Evelyn was lucid enough to hear her and she closed her eyes for a moment. It was finally over and she did indeed have a son and Rafe had missed it. "How is he Barbara?"

She looked the new McCawley over and she smiled. "He's fine honey. He's got ten fingers and ten toes and his lungs are working." She joked as the baby cried.

Evelyn sighed. "The dream was right after all, wasn't it?"

"It sure was Ev." And after the nurse handed the baby to Barbara, she put him in Evelyn's arms.

Evelyn looked at her son and was happy to see Rafe in the small face. It was a little hard to tell at the moment, but it looked as though he might have his father's sandy hair. As soon as he was put in his mother's arms, the baby calmed down and promptly fell asleep. It had been a long day for him and for her and they were both exhausted.

Evelyn closed her eyes again and it was her turn to fall asleep.

Barbara was careful as she took the baby out of Evelyn's arms and told the nurse she was going to take the baby for a moment to show the girls.

She walked down to the waiting room and found Sandra and Martha standing at the window. "It's a boy." She said quietly and the girls turned around.

They walked quickly over to Barbara to take a look at Evelyn's son and ask how she was doing.

"She's fine and came through it like a trooper. She's asleep now and I need to get the baby to the nursery, but I knew you would want to see him."

"Thanks Barbara." Martha told her. "Can we go see Evelyn?"

"Let me drop the baby off and I'll find out." She told her and left the waiting room.

He was suddenly awake because he could swear he heard Evelyn. She was trying to tell him something, but her voice was so soft that he couldn't hear. Was the baby here? He wondered as he tried to get his heart to return to its normal rhythm. He missed her like crazy and was counting the days until the mission was over and he could go home.

"Rafe?"

He heard Danny's sleepy voice from the bunk next to his. "I think she had the baby." Rafe told him.

That got Danny to prop himself up on his elbow. "How do you know?"

"I thought I heard Evelyn and she was tryin' to tell me somethin'."

"And you think it was about the baby?" He asked.

"Yea."

"You were just dreamin'."

"Maybe." He conceded. "But I need to get home."

"We will Rafe. We just have to finish this first."

"I know."

"Just keep a good thought for the both of them and know that you'll see them soon." Danny reassured him.

"Thanks Danny, I'll remember that." He smiled and closed his eyes and went back to sleep with thoughts about his wife and the baby that may have arrived.

He really loved that woman.