Margaret opened the back door and looked around.  That's when she spotted the two of them.  Hawkeye was chasing Emily around, and she was laughing her little head off.  Margaret felt her breath get stuck in her throat.  She couldn't believe her eyes.  She swallowed hard when she realized that she stopped breathing.  "Oh my God," was all she could say.

            She walked off of the porch and got closer.  She couldn't believe her eyes.  Her heart was beating so hard and fast that she could hear it.  Her stomach felt like there were a thousand butterflies flying around it.  She couldn't take her eyes off of the scene in front of her.  Hawkeye had caught Emily and picked her up and tickled her, making her laugh more than before.

            That's when Hawkeye noticed Margaret standing in the yard.  He stopped what he was doing and stared at her.  She was so beautiful.  The sun was lighting her blonde hair, making it shine unbelievably.  She was wearing a light blue blouse that made the color in her eyes pop out, but she had the strangest look on her face.

            Emily looked at Hawkeye strangely when he stopped tickling her.  Then she looked at what caused him to stop.  "Momma!"  She squealed wiggling out of Hawkeye's arms.  Margaret smiled at her daughter and bent down to pick her up as she ran to her.  "Momma," she smiled again.

            "Hi baby," she said as she stood up with Emily in her arms.  "Did you have fun today?"  Emily shook her head yes.  "Good."  Margaret gave her a kiss, and then put her down.  She stood up and looked at Hawkeye.  He was smiling at her, and walking closer.

            "Hi gorgeous," he grinned.  "How have you been?"  He gave her a hug before she could say anything.  His arms felt so good around her.

            She pulled back, "Good.  How about you?"

            "Pretty good," he smiled.  "I missed you though."  She smiled at him, and shook her head slightly.  "I met your little girl."

            "I see that."  She looked to see where Emily was.  She was petting the Golden Retriever that was laying down in the shade.  "What are you doing here?"

            "Same thing as you.  I came to see the Colonel."

            It dawned on her that she was in Missouri.  She had forgotten where she was when she saw him.  "Of course," she smiled.  "He didn't mention that you were coming."

            "Oh, he doesn't know.  Mrs. Potter said that she wanted to surprise him.  I'm going to go see him tomorrow."  He looked at her and noticed that she was acting a little strange.  It was probably because of the last time that they were together.  That wasn't like her though.  "So, what have you been up to?"

            "Um, life," she didn't know what else to say. 

            "Anything special?"  He smiled.  "How about getting married and having a baby.  The last time I saw you, your plans were to stay in the army."

            "I'm not married," she told him.  When she said that she knew she shouldn't have.  It was just automatic now. 

            "I'm sorry it didn't work out with her father."  He truly was.  He wanted her to be happy.

            "I was never married to her father.  I'm raising her on my own."

            "Oh, well you're doing a great job.  She's a wonderful kid," he looked at Emily and she was lying next to the dog with her chubby arm around him.  "She's the prettiest thing that I've ever seen."  He felt bad that she was a single mother, but a little happy seeing that he might have a chance with her.

            Margaret smiled at him.  The mother in her couldn't help but smile when someone complimented her daughter.  "I think so too.  She's the best thing that ever happened to me," she said.  He smiled at her seeing the love written all over her face.  "What have you been up to?"

            "Nothing much," he smiled.  "I live in Boston now."

            "Really?"  That was interesting to her.  She thought that he would have stayed in Maine to be with his father.  "Why don't you live in Maine anymore?"

            "After my father died, I didn't want to stay there.  I needed to move on, and I just couldn't do that in our house."

            Margaret felt horrible for him.  "I'm sorry to hear that.  What happened?"

            He loved how she was always so concerned.  "Cancer."

            "I'm really sorry Hawkeye.  I know it's hard."

            "Yeah it is," he agreed.  It was actually harder than he ever though it would be.  "He passed away about six months after the war ended.  He never told me, but he knew he had cancer the whole time I was in Korea.  I think he just waited for me to get home."  Hawkeye looked away to the little girl that captured his heart.  She was running towards him with a smile. 

            Margaret watched as her daughter ran to Hawkeye.  Emily was usually a very shy child, but she took to Hawkeye very quickly and seemed to love him.   Hawkeye picked up the child, and she tried to tickle his neck.  Margaret smiled as he pretended to laugh, and then tickled Emily's chubby little neck causing a hearty laugh to come out of her. 

            Emily looked at her mother, "Eye," she pointed to Hawkeye.

            She smiled.  "Yes, I know.  Hawkeye.  Do you like him?"  The little girl shook her head yes. 

            Emily held her hands out to Margaret, and Margaret took her.  "Oood Momma."

            "We'll get you some food," she said.  "Mrs. Potter is cooking it right now."  Margaret looked to Hawkeye.  "Shall we go in and see if it's done?"

            "Let's go," he smiled at the pair.  Watching Margaret with her daughter was remarkable.  When she looked at Emily, there were no walls around her heart.  She was all love.

            Margaret and Hawkeye walked into the kitchen and saw that Mrs. Potter was getting the food on the table.  They knew that she must have been watching the two of them through the window, but they also knew that they didn't give her much of a show.  Margaret put Emily in a highchair, and then they all sat down for a wonderful dinner.

            "So," Hawkeye said to Margaret as he took a bite of food.  "Where are you living now?"

            "We live in Texas."

            Hawkeye looked at her strangely.  He didn't know why either.  "Does your father live there?"  That was the only thing that he could think of as a reason for her to pick a place to live.

            "No," she answered.  "My mother lives there."

            "Oh.  Where's your father these days?  Is he still a civilian military advisor?"

            She looked at him sadly.  "No, he passed away right after the war ended.  He never even knew about Emily."

            "I'm sorry," he said to her sincerely.  He knew how much she loved her father.  He also knew that pain of loosing a parent.  He actually knew the pain of loosing both parents now.  "I didn't know.  I guess we have something in common."

            She gave him a sad smile as she took a bite of peas.  "More than you know," she mumbled under her breath.

            "I hope you two won't mind cleaning up," Mildred said.  She had heard Margaret's comment, and wanted to change the subject.  "I want to get over to the hospital as soon as possible."

            Margaret had completely forgotten that she was leaving.  That meant that it was just going to be her, Hawkeye, and the baby all night.  She could feel the tension start to build already.  It was just too strange to be there with him.

            "We got it covered," Hawkeye said to her with his trademark smile.  "Go whenever you're ready."

            "Yes," Margaret chimed in.  "We'll take care of it.  It's the least I could do.  You took such good care of Emily for me."

            "You took care of Sherman for me," she smiled.  "It was a nice trade for the day.  It's tough being cooped up in that hospital.  He can be a little ornery when he's sick."  Hawkeye and Margaret smiled in agreement.  The Colonel was always a little edgy when he didn't feel well.