The kids were in school and Rafe was with Danny and Red at the base briefing room. They were getting ready to fly out again and Evelyn feared that they would all be away for Thanksgiving.

Sandra told her that Amy was especially concerned about that because their baby was due at any time and she didn't want to have it with Red away. Evelyn understood her concern but she also knew that when the Winkle's baby decided that it was time to be born, that would be that.

With the house empty, Evelyn was at the dining room table writing out a list of the things she had to do that day. With all three of her children home there was more work to do and as much as Rafe tried to help her, his time wasn't exactly his own.

The front door was open to catch the morning breeze coming off of the ocean and she took a sip from the fresh cup of coffee that sat on the table next to her list.

She heard a knock on the door and looked up to see Barbara standing on the other side of the screen door. "Hi sweetie." She greeted. "I know you weren't expecting me, but can I come in?"

"Of course you can." Evelyn stood up and walked over to the door and opened the screen. "You're welcome any time, you know that."

"It looks like you were in the middle of something."

She smiled. "It's nothing that can't wait. I just made a pot of fresh coffee, would you like a cup?"

Barbara nodded. "That would be swell." And she followed Evelyn into the kitchen.

"So what brings you over here on your day off?" Evelyn asked as she poured the coffee into a cup and handed it to her friend and they walked back out to the dining room.

"Can't I just stop by to say hello to a friend without a reason?" She said as she sat down at the table and Evelyn thought she sounded a little defensive.

"Of course you can. It's just that you've been spending most of your off duty time with Dennis." She looked at Barbara and became concerned. "Everything is all right with you two, isn't it?"

"Everything is fine Ev. He's really wonderful and the more time we spend together makes me think that he could be it."

Evelyn wanted to smile, but Barbara looked so serious. "So what's the problem? Does he have bad breath?" She joked.

That did get Barbara to smile. "You've been living with that husband of yours for too long. I would only expect him to make a crack like that."

"But it got you to smile." She said. "So what is it?"

"For the longest time, you were the only one of us who was married. Sandra did have Danny and they were practically married anyway but it was still her, Martha and me in the nurses quarters. Then Martha and I had to go back to New York and we left Sandra alone."

"What are you getting at?"

She sighed. "Well now that I have Dennis, Martha's alone. And no matter how many times I ask her to come to the picnics, she always seems to make sure that she has a duty shift."

"You don't know for sure that she's doing it on purpose do you? Martha's always welcome to join us and she knows that." Evelyn frowned.

"But she doesn't have anyone Ev. It's a fluke really that I met Dennis and if it hadn't been for him, I'd still be alone."

"You were never alone Barbara because you always had us and the same is true for Martha. I know that things have changed, but we're all still friends."

Barbara nodded. "But speaking as someone who didn't have anyone for a long time, it was hard sometimes watching you and Rafe. Even Danny and Sandra, who tried to keep it so quiet for all those years, we knew what was going on with them and we felt left out. And it wasn't because you didn't include us in everything, but because we didn't have anyone special to share it with. And now I have Dennis and Red is finally married but Martha is still alone."

"Have you met anyone that we could set her up with?" Evelyn asked her. "Surely there's someone on this island that's caught her eye."

"Well if there is she hasn't told me because she's barely speaking to me." Barbara sighed again. "She seemed to really look forward to coming back here, but I think that maybe she was looking at it the way it was when we left. I don't think she was ready for all the changes."

Evelyn let out a sigh of her own. "Maybe Martha doesn't want to get married; not every girl does."

"I'll bet you thought the same thing about me."

"I did. You always struck me as the kind of girl who didn't need anyone and I'll admit that I was surprised when you first told me about Dennis." She admitted.

"Then why shouldn't the same be true for her?"

"Because you and Martha are two different girls. And I could be wrong about her not wanting to get married; she just might be in the wrong place."

Barbara frowned. "That's crossed my mind more than once, I'll tell you. We were together for such a long time and we were separated for a long time too. But it seemed that no matter where we were, we always had someone from those days."

Evelyn shook her head. "You forget about Gooz. He left here and didn't look back."

"That's a little different Ev. He had a girl to go home to." She countered.

"That's true. But did it ever occur to you that maybe Martha didn't want to come back? And if it hadn't been for the Navy transferring her, she might have preferred to stay in New York. It's where her family is after all."

"So is mine, but I couldn't wait to get back here."

"But you and Martha are two different girls." Evelyn repeated. "I know how much you loved being close to your family, but I also know how much you missed us. I never got that feeling from Martha, I always got the feeling that she was glad to be home."

"What can we do Ev?" Barbara asked.

She shrugged her shoulders. "If Martha is making the choice not spend time with us because she feels like the odd man out, there isn't a whole lot we can do. All we can do is let her know that she's always welcome."

"I suppose you're right. It's just been so nice for me to be back here with you and the others and to see how happy everyone is. And to think that Red is going to be a father, who would have ever figured on that?"

"I wish that Amy had come into his life a lot sooner than she did, but at least he's not alone anymore."

"And I can't think of anyone who's more perfect for him. I know how much he loved Betty and how much she loved him, but Amy was the one girl who was able to get him to start living again and I wonder if she knows how much we appreciate that."

Evelyn smiled. "She does. I think we've thanked her to the point of embarrassing her."

Barbara smiled back. "Have they picked out any names yet?"

"Sandra would probably know. She and Amy have been spending this last month together and Sandra tells me that she's pretty nervous about what's going to happen."

"I would be too. And Sandra's going through it a third time." She observed before she looked at her watch and took a last sip from her cup before she stood up. "I need to go Ev. I have some errands to run and Dennis wants me to meet him for lunch."

Evelyn stood up and walked her friend to the door. "Have a nice lunch."

Barbara stopped a moment before she opened the screen door. "Would you mind if we kept this conversation to ourselves? I don't think Martha would appreciate my talking about this."

Evelyn nodded. "I won't repeat a word."

"Thanks Ev, I'll talk to you later." She stepped outside and headed down the walk and Evelyn watched her start up the car and pull it out of the drive before she drove away.

She walked back to the table to pick up her coffee cup and took it into the kitchen for a refill. It had gotten cold while she and Barbara had talked and she still needed to finish up her list.

When she sat back down at the table she sighed. She had to admit to herself that if Martha was unhappy she hadn't seen it. But they had never been close friends and if anyone would know her feelings it would be Barbara.

What were they going to do?