It was the second phone call from home in two days.

The previous days call had been from Evelyn and Ann was more than a little surprised when she announced that she and Hank were going to get married and asked if Ann would be her maid of honor? Evelyn explained briefly about the false alarm they'd had and the fact that Hank wanted to marry her even though they weren't going to have a baby.

Ann accepted without a second thought and Evelyn told her that they could make all the necessary decisions when she got home.

The second call was from Danny and Ann was in disbelief when he told her that Major and Mrs. McCawley were going to have a baby. She could tell from Danny's tone that he was still trying to get used to the idea and couldn't tell how he was adjusting. From what he told her, Sarah and Joe were thrilled as were his parents but Danny said he couldn't help but feel as though he were living in an episode of 'The Twilight Zone'.

"I don't remember anything when she was going to have Sarah because I was still a baby myself and I don't remember too much with Joe because I was barely four. But with this one I'll be twenty-four." She heard him sigh and could almost see him running a hand through his hair in frustration. "I'm old enough to be a father myself and instead I find that I'm going to be a big brother again."

"Aren't you happy for them?" She was beginning to worry because the more he talked; the more upset he seemed to become.

"Annie, I don't know how I feel. I know I should be happy for them and part of me is but part of me thinks that they're too old for this and they should be thinking about being grandparents eventually, not new parents."

His attitude disappointed her. His own mother was going to bring another new life into the world and he didn't seem the least bit happy about it. "This may come as a surprise to you Lieutenant, but I don't think that your parents are having a baby because they want to put off being grandparents. Maybe it's the idea that your parent's still love each other so completely that has you bothered."

"What are you talking about?" He was so clueless sometimes.

She didn't like being blunt, but the occasion definitely demanded it. "What I'm talking about is the fact that your parents still make love and that bothers you."

"That's crazy!" He sounded too defensive and she knew she was right.

"Is it? Then why are you so upset that your mother is pregnant?" She pressed.

"Why should it bother me that my mother is going to have a baby?" He sounded even more defensive.

"You can't say it, can you?" The whole thing struck Ann as so ironic and she wanted to laugh, but didn't because it certainly wouldn't help things.

"Say what?"

"Your mother is pregnant Danny, why can't you say it?"

"Pregnant, having a baby; it's all the same thing." He snapped at her.

It was all the same thing, in this Danny was right. But she suspected that he couldn't bring himself to say the word pregnant because it wouldn't allow him to hide behind the gentle euphemism of what his mother was now going through. By saying pregnant, it was a much more direct way of conveying to him that his parent's were still in many ways the young couple that had fallen in love so many years before.

She knew that to press the matter would upset him even more so she desisted and changed the subject. "Evelyn seems pretty excited about getting married."

"Don't even get me started on that." His mood seemed to be blackening and Ann got the feeling that any further discussion about anything was going to make it worse, so she decided that it was time to say goodbye.

"You know Danny; you're showing me a side of you that I don't particularly care for." She told him with a frown. "I've never known you to be so selfish or self-centered and you're delivering it in spades as far as your parents are concerned. They have to readjust their plans now and instead of looking forward to your dad's retirement and having the chance to relax, they're going to be starting from square one again with a new baby. But from what you've said, they seem really happy about it and you should be too."

"Annie."

"Don't 'Annie' me, Daniel. I expected more out of you than acting like a petulant child and that's exactly what you're being, so I don't want to talk to you anymore."

"Fine." And the line went dead.

"Damn pilot!" She said and slammed the receiver down without realizing that Grandma O'Connell was standing in the doorway.

"That must have been some telephone call." She commented. "You said damn and I believe it's the first time I've ever heard you curse."

"He's being selfish and unreasonable." Ann informed her as she walked to the sofa and sat down.

"What exactly is he being selfish and unreasonable about, honey?" Grandma followed and sat down next to her. "Come on child, what is this all about?"

As the thought truly hit her, she couldn't help but smile. "Mrs. McCawley is going to have a baby."

"Oh my." She answered with a look of surprise and then began to laugh. "God works in mysterious ways Ann and for some reason that only He knows He wants the McCawley's to raise another child."

"Danny thinks that they're too old to be parents again." Ann elaborated.

"Oh, phooey! If Evelyn McCawley were too old to be a mother again she wouldn't have gotten pregnant; it's as simple as that. And I imagine that with everything they learned with their older children, she and Rafe will do just fine."

"Could you and Grandpa have done it?" She asked.

"If we'd been put in that position of course we could have. It would certainly have been different because we would have been older parents, but as long as I had your grandpa to help me we would have been fine. Of course, I don't know if Evelyn's prepared for the stares she's bound to get."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that women her age are usually becoming grandmothers, not new mothers. And I have no doubt that she's going to get some unkind looks from people if not downright hurtful remarks." She explained.

"Why would people be so terrible?" Ann frowned.

Her grandmother took her hand and held it firmly. "Because there seems to be some unwritten rule somewhere that women her age shouldn't have babies and she may be reminded of that by some who should be minding their own business."

"Danny seems to fall into that category a little." She commented with a sigh.

"Ah, so now we get back to your conversation with young Danny." Grandma chuckled. "It seems as though he's having a hard time dealing with the fact that his mother is pregnant."

"He's being a child about the whole thing and as much as I love him, it's one thing about him that really irritates me." Ann fumed.

Grandma brushed the hair back from her forehead and smiled. "Give him some time to take all of this in. With what he's been through in the last few months and everything finally beginning to fall back into place for him, he probably feels as though his whole world is being turned upside down again.

"The one thing you have to remember is that a pilot depends on having control over a situation, especially when they're in the air because they need to know that they'll be able to get from one destination to another safely and in one piece. And this particular situation with his parents is something that he has no control over."

"But it's not about him, Grandma. It's about his parents taking on a pretty big challenge when they thought those challenges were behind them." She persisted.

"I don't know what else to tell you honey because I don't know Danny very well. But my impression of him from what I've seen over the years is that he's a very level headed young man and isn't given to fits of anger without a reason. It might not be a bad idea for you to talk to him again and find out what's bothering him without antagonizing him."

"I was not antagonizing him." Ann frowned, but deep down she knew that her grandmother was right even though it wasn't deliberate. She just wanted him to be straightforward and he wouldn't be.

"I heard your end of the conversation, young lady and it's exactly what you were doing. You may not have meant to do it, but it's how it turned out." Her grandmother looked her in the eye and she felt about two inches tall. "And I'd wager it's something that you already realize so I won't say any more about it."

"I appreciate that." She sighed.

"Well, I need to finish making dinner." Grandma stood up and held out her hand. "I could use some help if you wouldn't mind."

"I don't mind." Ann shook her head and stood up next to her grandmother and took it. It was a warm and firm grasp that seemed to tell her everything was going to be fine. They walked together toward the living room doorway when the telephone rang.

Grandma picked it up and after she said hello, smiled. "It's for you, Ann." and after handing her the receiver, walked out of the room.

"Hello?"

The voice on the other end was one she didn't expect to hear again that afternoon and told her something she didn't expect. "Annie, my mother's pregnant."

He wasn't such a child after all.