May 2nd 1954
"Sara, how did you tell Keith? I mean this isn't something you just tell him while making dinner."
"I told him while I made dinner," she teased not taking her eyes off the road.
"Funny," Margaret gave her a dirty look.
"Margaret, what are you so worried about? Just tell him. I still can't believe it Benjamin Franklin Pierce, a father. I was just getting used to the fact he's a husband."
Sara had known Hawkeye since they were in grade school. She knew exactly how he chased women; he had chased her all through high school. She liked teasing him about it, but it was all in fun. She could tell that he and Margaret had something together.
"I don't believe it myself," Margaret forced a smile.
They continued driving home. They had just entered the edge of town. Keith had the kids and they told their husbands that they needed a girls-day-out; it was. First thing in the morning they were at the obstetrician's office. They went to lunch, did some shopping (something they didn't have a chance to do in Crabapple Cove), and just wasted time. At about four thirty they went back to the doctor's office to get Margaret's results.
"Margaret, are you OK?" Sara asked seriously. Margaret had been very quiet. "You don't seem to be happy about this."
"I am. I'm thrilled; it's just Hawkeye."
"Hawkeye?"
"Sara haven't you ever noticed that he doesn't act the same way to Chelsea as he does Jimmy? He's scared of him."
"Scared of Jimmy? Margaret, I think you've been out in the sun too long."
"Something happened to him in Korea; he doesn't trust himself around them."
"You never told me that."
"He doesn't want anyone to know; he never even told Dad."
"What are you going to do?"
"I don't know," she looked out the window.
"You'll have to tell him. A baby would be kinda hard to hide," Sara tried to lighten the atmosphere. "Margaret, it'll be OK. Time heals all wounds. He'll come around. I remember Keith with Chelsea; he didn't know what end was up."
Margaret laughed.
"Just take it as it comes. That's the best you can do."
"Thank you Sara."
"So when are you going to tell him?"
"When I see the right moment to tell him, I'll tell him," she smiled with pride. "Sara, you can't mention a word to Hawkeye - the baby or that I said anything."
"I promise, besides everyone kind of figured that something happened to him over there. He just wasn't the same guy. He's still a bit different, but he's usually being the same ol' annoying Hawkeye we'd all grown to know. ________________________________________________________________________
"How was the girls' day out?" Hawkeye put his book down on the corner of the counter as he heard her come through the door.
"It was wonderful," she came in with two bags and a box. She didn't want to mention a peep about the doctor's.
"What'cha buy?" he asked like a curious five-year-old.
"That's for me to know and you to find out," she playfully kissed him.
"Sounds like fun," he raised an eyebrow.
"Did you eat yet?"
"Not without my favorite dinning partner."
"Where's Dad?" she noticed he was wearing one of his better suits.
"He's over at Daisy Cartwright's' 'playing cards'," he rolled his eyes.
"Oh, I'm sure," Margaret quipped a smile knowing perfectly well that Daniel was encouraged out of the house, but he did have a thing for that Daisy Cartwright. "Mmm, something sure does smell good."
"Well now that my company has arrived, dinner is ready," he offered his arm.
"Why don't you go dish it up; I'll be back down and you can see what I bought," she went to the stairs.
"Just don't make me wait long, the suspense will kill me," he went off into the kitchen.
She sighed at the remark; he was and always will be the same ol' Hawkeye. She went up stairs and into the bedroom. She changed into the light red, almost pink, dress that she had just bought. It was on sale, it showed her off, and boy was it comfortable. The shoes in the box matched it; they were comfortable too (a great significance in her choice of foot wear these days).
She admired herself in the mirror; she thought about how much her body was going to change over the next several months. She held a large peaceful smile plastered on her face. Sara was right, she'd tell him and hopefully he'd be fine with having the baby around him. She knew he'd be a good father, he was so good with the kids around town; she just wasn't sure how the baby would affect him.
She did a quick fix on her hair and touched up her makeup. She smoothed out the fabric on the dress. She looked straight into the mirror again and told herself she could do it. She sucked in her doubt and went back downstairs.
Hawkeye was tasting the sauce. He was holding his jacket back; he was trying very hard not to get any food on himself.
"So what did you make?" she snuck up on him.
"Spaghetti," he turned around. "Wow!" he couldn't help but hang out his tongue.
"Hawkeye," Margaret moved her eyes to the stove.
"Huh?" he was still gawking at her.
"You're getting the stove all dirty," she said very politely.
He broke his gaze and returned to the pots and pans. The sauce was bubbling and overflowing under the lid. He grabbed the handle and pulled it off the burner. The lid fell off; he grabbed it, burning his fingers. He tossed it back and sucked on his fingers.
"Well, it's done," he ran confident his fingers through his hair. "Mad' am," he sat her down, lit the candle, and put a plate in front of her.
"You sure did go to a lot of trouble," she gave him a loving smile.
"Yeah, well, I couldn't let you go spending more time with Sara than me," he shot a sarcastic grin.
"You sir, have not a thing to worry about," she took a bite, "there is no way Sara can cook this good," she pointed to the plate with her fork.
"So what did you girls today?"
"Oh, not much. We went shopping, saw a movie, went out to lunch," she took a bite, not sure whether she wanted to go on.
"And?" he expected her to continue.
"And. we found out some big news,"
"Big news, huh?" he began to think.
"Humungous," she commented. She was beginning to fell a bit better about telling him.
"You're going to make this hard for me, aren't you?"
"Absolutely, I've got to keep you on your toes," she joked.
"Lets see big, humungous news? Chelsea lost her first tooth?"
"Think of the biggest news you can think of."
"The war's over, Dad's fine, we're married, what could be bigger than that?"
"Oh, think harder," she was getting impatient with him.
"What? I give up," he didn't know what he did.
She calmed herself down, "Well in Portland, we made a little visit to a specialist," she saw his face turn to worry and confusion. She stood up and pulled him up with her. She hugged him and he hugged her back. "Hawkeye, we're going to have a baby."
"Sara, how did you tell Keith? I mean this isn't something you just tell him while making dinner."
"I told him while I made dinner," she teased not taking her eyes off the road.
"Funny," Margaret gave her a dirty look.
"Margaret, what are you so worried about? Just tell him. I still can't believe it Benjamin Franklin Pierce, a father. I was just getting used to the fact he's a husband."
Sara had known Hawkeye since they were in grade school. She knew exactly how he chased women; he had chased her all through high school. She liked teasing him about it, but it was all in fun. She could tell that he and Margaret had something together.
"I don't believe it myself," Margaret forced a smile.
They continued driving home. They had just entered the edge of town. Keith had the kids and they told their husbands that they needed a girls-day-out; it was. First thing in the morning they were at the obstetrician's office. They went to lunch, did some shopping (something they didn't have a chance to do in Crabapple Cove), and just wasted time. At about four thirty they went back to the doctor's office to get Margaret's results.
"Margaret, are you OK?" Sara asked seriously. Margaret had been very quiet. "You don't seem to be happy about this."
"I am. I'm thrilled; it's just Hawkeye."
"Hawkeye?"
"Sara haven't you ever noticed that he doesn't act the same way to Chelsea as he does Jimmy? He's scared of him."
"Scared of Jimmy? Margaret, I think you've been out in the sun too long."
"Something happened to him in Korea; he doesn't trust himself around them."
"You never told me that."
"He doesn't want anyone to know; he never even told Dad."
"What are you going to do?"
"I don't know," she looked out the window.
"You'll have to tell him. A baby would be kinda hard to hide," Sara tried to lighten the atmosphere. "Margaret, it'll be OK. Time heals all wounds. He'll come around. I remember Keith with Chelsea; he didn't know what end was up."
Margaret laughed.
"Just take it as it comes. That's the best you can do."
"Thank you Sara."
"So when are you going to tell him?"
"When I see the right moment to tell him, I'll tell him," she smiled with pride. "Sara, you can't mention a word to Hawkeye - the baby or that I said anything."
"I promise, besides everyone kind of figured that something happened to him over there. He just wasn't the same guy. He's still a bit different, but he's usually being the same ol' annoying Hawkeye we'd all grown to know. ________________________________________________________________________
"How was the girls' day out?" Hawkeye put his book down on the corner of the counter as he heard her come through the door.
"It was wonderful," she came in with two bags and a box. She didn't want to mention a peep about the doctor's.
"What'cha buy?" he asked like a curious five-year-old.
"That's for me to know and you to find out," she playfully kissed him.
"Sounds like fun," he raised an eyebrow.
"Did you eat yet?"
"Not without my favorite dinning partner."
"Where's Dad?" she noticed he was wearing one of his better suits.
"He's over at Daisy Cartwright's' 'playing cards'," he rolled his eyes.
"Oh, I'm sure," Margaret quipped a smile knowing perfectly well that Daniel was encouraged out of the house, but he did have a thing for that Daisy Cartwright. "Mmm, something sure does smell good."
"Well now that my company has arrived, dinner is ready," he offered his arm.
"Why don't you go dish it up; I'll be back down and you can see what I bought," she went to the stairs.
"Just don't make me wait long, the suspense will kill me," he went off into the kitchen.
She sighed at the remark; he was and always will be the same ol' Hawkeye. She went up stairs and into the bedroom. She changed into the light red, almost pink, dress that she had just bought. It was on sale, it showed her off, and boy was it comfortable. The shoes in the box matched it; they were comfortable too (a great significance in her choice of foot wear these days).
She admired herself in the mirror; she thought about how much her body was going to change over the next several months. She held a large peaceful smile plastered on her face. Sara was right, she'd tell him and hopefully he'd be fine with having the baby around him. She knew he'd be a good father, he was so good with the kids around town; she just wasn't sure how the baby would affect him.
She did a quick fix on her hair and touched up her makeup. She smoothed out the fabric on the dress. She looked straight into the mirror again and told herself she could do it. She sucked in her doubt and went back downstairs.
Hawkeye was tasting the sauce. He was holding his jacket back; he was trying very hard not to get any food on himself.
"So what did you make?" she snuck up on him.
"Spaghetti," he turned around. "Wow!" he couldn't help but hang out his tongue.
"Hawkeye," Margaret moved her eyes to the stove.
"Huh?" he was still gawking at her.
"You're getting the stove all dirty," she said very politely.
He broke his gaze and returned to the pots and pans. The sauce was bubbling and overflowing under the lid. He grabbed the handle and pulled it off the burner. The lid fell off; he grabbed it, burning his fingers. He tossed it back and sucked on his fingers.
"Well, it's done," he ran confident his fingers through his hair. "Mad' am," he sat her down, lit the candle, and put a plate in front of her.
"You sure did go to a lot of trouble," she gave him a loving smile.
"Yeah, well, I couldn't let you go spending more time with Sara than me," he shot a sarcastic grin.
"You sir, have not a thing to worry about," she took a bite, "there is no way Sara can cook this good," she pointed to the plate with her fork.
"So what did you girls today?"
"Oh, not much. We went shopping, saw a movie, went out to lunch," she took a bite, not sure whether she wanted to go on.
"And?" he expected her to continue.
"And. we found out some big news,"
"Big news, huh?" he began to think.
"Humungous," she commented. She was beginning to fell a bit better about telling him.
"You're going to make this hard for me, aren't you?"
"Absolutely, I've got to keep you on your toes," she joked.
"Lets see big, humungous news? Chelsea lost her first tooth?"
"Think of the biggest news you can think of."
"The war's over, Dad's fine, we're married, what could be bigger than that?"
"Oh, think harder," she was getting impatient with him.
"What? I give up," he didn't know what he did.
She calmed herself down, "Well in Portland, we made a little visit to a specialist," she saw his face turn to worry and confusion. She stood up and pulled him up with her. She hugged him and he hugged her back. "Hawkeye, we're going to have a baby."