Family Life Part 6 of 8

Rabb/Mackenzie Apartment

North of Union Station

Washington, District of Columbia

2000 EST

The snow has melted and the city has gotten back to normal. Harm was away on an investigation. Mac sprawled on the couch in the living room reading What to Expect When You Are Expecting. Mattie wandered into the living room and flopped into a chair staring at her notebook and sighing.

Mac looked up and asked, "Having trouble Mattie?"

Mattie sighed again and replied "I've got this assignment for my family life class and I don't know what to do about it."

"What's the assignment?" asked Mac.

"We are supposed to interview out parents and other family members about our mother's pregnancy up until we were three months old."

"Well," said Mac "I can see how that might be a problem for you. Surely your teacher must have given an alternative assignment, since not everyone is able to do that."

"Well," said Mattie "she said if you were adopted that you could write about the process your parents went through to adopt you, but that doesn't really fit me either. When I tried to ask more questions she told me that I just had to come up with something."

"That's not very helpful, but I think I have an idea," replied Mac. "What if you kept interviewing me while I'm pregnant. Maybe you could even come with me to a couple of doctor's appointments or Lamaze classes. If you teacher doesn't like that idea maybe you could interview Harriet about baby Jimmy. I'll call your teacher and talk to her about this if you would like. She should have been more sensitive in creating the assignment."

"Thanks Mac!" said Mattie. "I think interviewing you sounds like a neat idea. Maybe I could put something together for the baby's baby book?"

"That sounds great," replies Mac.

"Now that we have that solved, we should decide what we want for dinner tomorrow since our own resident junk food cop is out of town" said Mac.

"I vote for Beltway Burgers," said Mattie.

"O.K. Beltway Burgers it is!" said Mac.

"Mattie, I'm sure this makes you miss your mother. I understand. Right now I wish that I had my mother or more accurately that my mother was the type of mother who would give me advice and fuss about her first grandbaby right now. Trish is wonderful, but she can't tell me stories about me. I'm sorry you don't have your mother here to help you with this assignment."

"Thanks Mac," says Mattie as she comes over to give Mac a hug.

The phone rings. Mac heard Mattie pick up in the kitchen and start talking to her Grandma Trish. Trish loved having a daughter-in-law and a granddaughter and both Mac and Mattie loved her. After Mattie finished talking to Trish she brought the cordless phone to Mac.

"Hi Trish," said Mac.

"Hi Mac. I hear from Mattie that she may be documenting your pregnancy for school," said Trish.

"Well, hopefully her teacher will accept that as a substitute for her interviewing her own mother about being pregnant with her," said Mac. "I'm glad Mattie and I are going to be able to do this together, but I'm looking for something else that we can do together that doesn't involve the baby" said Mac. "Mattie and Harm have flying and before I got pregnant I was playing volleyball with Mattie, but I don't have the energy for that now. Do you have any ideas for something we could share?" asked Mac.

"Mac, I think that is a great idea. Even though Mattie is old enough to be rational about a new sibling, it wouldn't surprise me if she started to feel a little insecure even if she won't admit it to anyone. Why don't you ask Mattie if there is something that should like to do?" said Trish.

"I will," said Mac. "I want to have some ideas to suggest. I was thinking about maybe some kind of art class or cooking class."

"Those sounds like good ideas" said Trish.

Trish and Mac talked for awhile about a variety of things. Mac started to yawn and Trish told her to go to bed. Amazingly enough, Mac followed those instructions.

Beltway Burgers

Washington, District of Columbia

1830 EST

Mac had picked up Mattie from volleyball practice and the two of them were enjoying dinner at Beltway Burgers.

"Mattie, I spoke to your Family Life teacher. She said that you can either interview me about my pregnancy including if possible a Lamaze class and doctors appointment or you can see if you can interview Harriet about baby Jimmy" said. Mac.

"Thanks Mac! I'd like to interview you if possible," said Mattie. "Can we start this weekend?"

"Sure" said Mac.

"Mattie, I'm disappointed that we haven't been able to play volleyball together. I just haven't had the energy. I was looking forward to it," said Mac. "I was wondering if we could find something else that might take less energy for us to do together. Is there anything you can think of?"

"That sounds nice Mac. Let me think about it" says Mattie.