She wasn't used to him being away and didn't like it one bit.

Sandra knew it was selfish of her to want her husband home when there was another war on, but she didn't really care. It was so different having a husband at war than a beau because there was so much more at stake now and every time Danny went out, she didn't know if he would come back. But there were advantages to his homecomings this time around because it gave her the chance to show him how much she missed him and loved him.

And it was because of their latest reunion that Sandra found out that they were going to have another baby.

She sat in the doctor's office and he grinned at her from behind his desk. "I'd say that you are about six weeks along, Sandra."

"Six weeks?" She sat in stunned silence.

"Give or take a week." He said. "I gather this wasn't planned."

Sandra couldn't help but laugh. "When you don't see your husband for weeks at a time, planning isn't exactly at the top of the list."

He smiled back. "I see. I guess you could say that it's a welcome home surprise."

"Something like that." She answered. "I'm not used to Danny being gone so much and I miss him."

"Quite understandable."

"We never thought about another baby after we had Shelby, but then we never thought about another baby after we had Ann, either." Sandra admitted.

"How long has he been gone this time?"

She sighed. "Five weeks. The boys are usually only off rotation for a week and then they fly out again."

"Where are they based when they are on rotation?"

"One of the air bases in Japan. He said it's like Wheeler Field when he first came here and had to sleep in the barracks with a bunch of pilots."

"That would want me to get home as soon as possible." He smiled before he looked at an open file folder on his desk. "Your blood pressure is good, your heart rate is normal and you've already gained five pounds." He added as he looked up. 'So what are you hoping for? A boy or a girl?"

She smiled back. "I'd like a boy so that Danny can have a son, but it's more important that he or she is healthy."

"That's a very good attitude to have Sandra." And he stood up. "I'll have my nurse set up your next appointment in a month and we'll see how you and the baby are getting along."

"Thank you doctor." And she stood up. "I'm hoping that he gets home soon because he has to be the first to know. And if he stays away much longer, I won't be able to keep it a secret."

He looked thoughtful for a moment. "If that turns out to be the case, do you have any loose dresses that you can wear? It would camouflage the pregnancy until you have a chance to talk to your husband."

She nodded. "I actually do have one or two that I could wear without raising any suspicion. Thank you for suggesting it."

He smiled again. "Just using some good old-fashioned common sense young lady."

"I'll see you in a month."

When she got home, she walked over to Mrs. Monahan's to pick up the girls. Sandra didn't have to say anything because her neighbor came out and said it. "You're having another baby."

She smiled. "How did you know? The only other person who can do that is back in Tennessee."

"There are two things that are as easy as pie to spot Sandra, one is a woman in love and the other is a woman who is expecting. You happen to have that most fortunate of combinations, you're in love and you're expecting."

"I don't know how I'm going to keep this a secret. Danny has to be the first to know and I don't know when he's coming home. I can't even tell my own parents until then." She sighed.

"Don't worry about me honey. I know how important it is to you that your husband is the first to know and I won't tell a soul." She promised.

Sandra smiled in relief. "Thank you. But since you do know, at least I have someone to talk about it with until Danny comes home."

"My door is always open Sandra you know that."

Two weeks later, Danny was home.

Since he had returned to combat, Sandra always made sure that in the week or so that he was off rotation that he spent as much time with his girls as possible. He knew it was hard on them to have him away so much because it was equally as hard on him to be gone.

And it reaffirmed his belief that he and Sandra had done the right thing by waiting to get married until after the last war was over. Because they had, they were able to adjust to living together and start their family without the worry of him having to go away.

When he pulled the car into the driveway, Sandra told him that the girls were with Mrs. Monahan because she needed to talk to him. She seemed nervous about something and he thought that it had to be pretty serious if she leaving the girls with their neighbor on the day he got home.

As he was helping her out of the car, Sandra gave him a small smile and Danny started to worry.

"Why don't we take a walk down to the beach." She told him as she kept a hold on his hand. He could feel her tremble but before he could ask her what the heck was going on she started to walk and pulled him behind her.

She didn't say anything else until they reached the sandy stretch near their home and then she dropped his hand to walk ahead of him.

"Sandra, you've been squirrelly since I got off that transport and you're worryin' me. What the hell's goin' on?"

She stopped walking before turned to face him and her face had turned a deep red. "I have something to tell you and I don't know how."

"Is it good news or bad news?"

She gave him a hesitant smile. "It's unexpected news."

He couldn't stand it. "Sandra Margaret Walker, tell me."

"You left me a surprise package before you flew out a few weeks ago."

It only took Danny a moment to understand what she meant and his heart stopped. "Would this be the kind of surprise package that we get to see in nine months?"

"At this point it's going to be about seven." She answered him.

He began to laugh as the reality of what they'd done sunk in and he put his arms around her. "I didn't think about this happenin', especially after I had to start flyin' out again. I've been gone more than I've been home and I figured if it was goin' to happen it wouldn't be until after this war was over."

Her arms were around his neck and she held him close. "I've had to keep this a secret for the last two weeks and now I really want to go home and call my parents."

"You could have told them honey, I would've understood." He held her just as close.

"But you're this baby's father and you had to be the first."

He leaned away from her and smiled. "Thank you Sandra." Then he kissed her.

They were going to bring another life into the world and he couldn't be happier.