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"Oh, hi, Cecilia," she said She sounded pleased to hear from her "Have you had the baby?"

"Not yet"

"You’re due soon, aren’t you?"

"Next week"

"How are you feeling?"

The answer to that was pregnant Very pregnant But what she said was, "I feel great, better than great I’ horeeted by a short silence "Just Ian? Iby himself, is he?"

"The entire aircraft carrier is on its way back to base" Ian hadn’t told her why, Cecilia explained, but he probably couldn’t

"In other words, Nate will be back, too" Rachel had kept in touch with Cecilia, Carol and Cathy, even though she’d broken off her relationship with Nate Olsen

"I thought I should give you a heads-up," Cecilia said She suspected fro to drop this relationship without a fight

Rachel sighed "Thanks for letting me know, but I don’t think it’ll be a problee your mind" Cecilia hoped he did She liked Rachel, and she’d only heard about Nate through her husband, but Ian spoke highly of the warrant officer It was a shame that Rachel had let her insecurities come between theht woman for him"

"Shouldn’t he be the one to decide that?" Cecilia asked and then sighed "Sorry, that’s none of ood news for you, isn’t it?" Rachel said, ignoring Cecilia’s coht be home when your baby’s born"

"Yes, if he hurries" She didn’t know the exact day and titon was scheduled to dock

"You’re feeling all right?"

"Oh, yes" True, she was extra-tired at night and tended to go to bed earlier than she did when Ian was ho She rubbed her hand over her belly, co her love to her son

"Keep me informed," Rachel said

"Of course"

They said their farewells and as soon as they’d ended the call, Cecilia dialed Cathy’s nu, and Cathy picked up on the first ring

"Cathy!"

"Cecilia!"

"Did you hear?" they cried sihter

"You first," Cathy said

"I got an e-mail froest feeling Ian will be withthe name?" This had been a silent battle of wills between Cecilia and her husband He hadn’t agreed to the A-nainal objections--he hadn’t disagreed, either

"After all these weeks, the na Cecilia wanted was to argue with Ian over a naht struck her

"Cathy," she cried "Oh, nant before"

"Not true," her friend insisted "And if you recall, he’s the one who got you in this condition"

"Yes, I know, but really pregnant"

"Pregnant is pregnant"

Cecilia s "You knohat Ito love it, seeing your belly swollen with his baby Andreas so loving with o to the bathroom by myself"

Cathy had miscarried two babies before Andy None of the doctors had been able to tell her what had gone wrong with those first pregnancies and she’d lived in fear that she’d miscarry the third one, too But she’d successfully carried Andy to ter will be different this ti Cecilia’s unasked question "Just you wait and see"

"My due date’s only a few days away I couldn’t bear it if Ian was so close and couldn’t be with me"

"If he can’t, you know I’ll be there"

Cecilia whispered her thanks, ht, Aaron, hold tight," she told her unborn baby after she’d hung up the phone

Three hours later, as Cecilia got ready for bed, her back began to ache Rubbing it as she walked into her bedroo to wait for his daddy

Byonto the computer, she sent her husband an e- through the apartment as she did When they were five minutes apart, Cecilia phoned Cathy