That Thanksgiving of 1947 was a happy time for Danny and his young family.

He and Sandra had flown back to Tennessee to spend the holiday with Rafe and his family and their three month old daughter had no shortage of people wanting to hold her. Sarah commented with a smile that Tom had fallen in love with his surrogate granddaughter because he kept asking the new mother if he could hold her.

"She's as pretty as her mama is." Tom commented to Danny as they sat in the parlor in front of the post meal fire on Thanksgiving night while he gave the baby her evening bottle.

Danny smiled with a new father's pride. "That's what I keep tellin' Sandra, but she insists that Annie looks like me."

He looked at the baby and smiled. "She looks a little like you too son, but she definitely favors Sandra."

"I know she's hopin' that Annie has my eyesight and won't have to wear glasses. She got teased an awful lot when she was in school and she don't want our girl goin' through that."

Tom nodded. "I understand. You remember how much Rafe got teased for not bein' a good reader. Even with all the help you and his mama gave him."

Danny nodded. "I do remember. But so far all of Annie's checkups have been good and Sandra makes sure that her eyes get tested."

"That's a good idea on her part." He grinned. "So how do you like bein' a father?"

"I love bein' a father." He looked at Tom and reached over to brush a light hand over his daughter's head. "I look at this little girl everyday and I make a promise to myself to be a better father to her than mine was to me."

"That ain't somethin' you ever have to worry about Danny because you're different than your daddy was. You have grit and he didn't."

"I appreciate that Tom. You know if it were up to me I'd spoil my daughter rotten, but I don't think Sandra would let me." He finished with a grin.

"You married a sensible girl."

"Don't I know it. I sure as hell don't know where I would be if I hadn't met her."

"I'm sure she feels the same way about you. But as far as where you would be, you'd still be a pilot. Just not as happy as you are now though."

He grinned again. "Ain't that the truth."

"Thomas McCawley, you've been monopolizing that baby all day, it's someone else's turn." Sarah McCawley admonished him from the kitchen doorway.

"Not now mother, she's still taking her bottle." Tom answered. "When she's done, you can have her."

"It's all right Sarah." Danny heard his wife from the kitchen before she appeared behind Rafe's mother. "Because I know that once Ann is finished, he'll give her to you and you can put her down for the night."

That's my girl. Danny thought to himself because she had just put the matter to rest.

"Fair enough." Tom conceded. "She's all yours when she finishes Sarah."

"I put her down last night. I mentioned it because I think Evelyn would like the chance tonight."

Danny looked at Sarah. "Where are Rafe and Evelyn? They high tailed it out of here and they ain't been back."

"They always go for a walk after supper." She explained. "It was something they started to do when they came back from Hawaii. With so many people in the house, it's a little hard to have even a little privacy. So they take a long walk around the farm in the evening and talk about matters that are between them. Besides, that gives Tom and I some privacy too because we can talk in the kitchen while we keep an eye on the kids out here."

"It's worked out well for all of us and has made this full house a happy one as a result." Tom added as the front door opened and a grinning Rafe and a flushing Evelyn came inside.

"Danny was getting ready to call the sheriff out after you two until your daddy and I explained things." Sarah smiled at them.

"Where were we goin' to go in the pitch black?" Rafe laughed.

"Leave him alone now son." Tom grinned at his son. "Danny here was just concerned."

"You two look half frozen." Sarah commented. "I've got fresh coffee on the stove if you'd like some."

"That would be wonderful Sarah, thank you." And Evelyn kissed her husband's cheek before she walked into the kitchen. Sandra smiled at Danny before she turned around and followed Evelyn.

"I'm going to check on those grandchildren of mine and see if they're asleep." Sarah looked at her son. "They've been much too quite since you put them to bed."

"Ain't that the whole idea Mama? They should be asleep." Rafe teased his mother.

"Rafe Thomas, you know exactly what I mean, so don't be smart." She smiled at him before she headed upstairs.

"I can't remember the last time that I heard her call you Rafe Thomas." Danny laughed as he watched his daughter finish her bottle before Tom lifted her against his shoulder and began to rub her back. A few minutes later he heard a little burp and he smiled as leaned over to rub her back. "That's my girl."

Tom lifted the baby off of his shoulder to check on her and she gave him a toothless smile. He shook his head as he handed Ann to her father and stood up. "I'll take this into the kitchen." And he walked out of the parlor with the bottle in his hand.

Rafe sat down next to him as Danny held the baby in the crook of his arm. "It's amazin' ain't it? You're holdin' that little person in your arms that you helped create and you wonder what you did to deserve it." His best friend commented.

"I can't imagine lovin' any other baby as much as her." Danny looked at Rafe. "How do you love more than one?" He asked.

"Believe it or not you can. You can't love 'em all in the same way because they're all different. I love Danny in a certain way because he's my first born. I love Sarah in a certain way because she's my baby girl and Joseph because he's the youngest. See what I mean?"

Danny nodded. "Maybe after we have another one, I'll understand. Or if we have another one."

Rafe frowned at him. "What do you mean if? Did the doctor tell you somethin'?"

"No, I don't mean that. It's just that Sandra had such a hard time with this one here that I don't know if she'll want to go through it again."

"I think you should leave that up to her Danny. After all, she's the one that had to go through with it and she's the one who would really know."

"I know that Rafe. I just don't want her to feel that she has to have another one."

"I don't particularly want our daughter to be an only child Daniel Walker. Who's to say our next one won't be any trouble at all?" He heard Sandra ask from the kitchen doorway. "The doctor says I'm fine and there's no reason why I can't have any more."

"You sure you want to go through that again?" He asked in disbelief.

"You aren't hearing me Danny. I want to have at least one more if we can." She emphasized as she walked into the parlor and took Ann out of her father's arms. She turned and handed the baby to Evelyn. "Thanks for putting her to bed Ev."

"Thank you for asking me to." She smiled. "Give me a hand Rafe?"

"Sure honey." He smiled before he got up from the sofa and followed Evelyn upstairs.

"Have a seat Mama." Danny smiled at Sandra and held out his hand to her, which she took and sat down next to him. "And tell me about wantin' to have another baby." He grinned before he kissed her.