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As she drove down the freeway in Cincinnati, Caitlin O'Connor Travis knew she had never been so happy in all her life. Just a few years ago, she never would have believed it possible for her life to be so wonderful. She had been in New York, living off what she could make on the streets and hating herself for the weakness that kept her there. Then things began to change: first, a friend who believed in her and helped her get a fresh start; second, a brother she never knew she had; a brother who understood what it was like to be alone and scared and unloved; a brother who cared about her and made her a part of his life.
There were her friends: Laura and Mildred, Murphy, her former boss Allan Sullivan and the people at Smith, Fairchild & Scott where she had worked after she moved to Los Angeles.
Then less than two months ago, the one dream she never believed could come true, became reality: she was married to the man she loved - a man who knew all about her past and still loved her. She had come home with him to Cincinnati and had made many new friends at WKRP, the radio station where Andy worked. Life seemed so perfect. What else could she ask for?
Today, she found out.
She'd suspected it for a few days, but been afraid to believe it might be so. Today, she went to the doctor. She and Andy were going to have a baby!
As she pulled the car into the parking lot at the Flem Building, she had no doubts he'd be thrilled with the news. They had talked about it and both wanted a large family: Andy, because that's what he was used to, being part of the huge yet close-knit Michaels clan, and Cait, because it was something she had always dreamed of and never had.
Andy was so good with kids. She had seen him with the children of the Michaels clan at Disneyland when they had met, just over a year ago. Andy was just an overgrown kid at heart. He was so caring and so sensitive. He was going to make a wonderful father.
The elevator deposited her on the correct floor and she walked, or rather floated, into the lobby of WKRP. Jennifer Marlow, the station's Receptionist/Secretary, was hard at work on her well-manicured nails; while at the same time, doing a splendid job of ignoring Herb Tarlek, WKRP Sales Manager. When he saw Cait, he quickly shifted gears as he smiled, straightened his tie and moved toward her.
"Well, good morning, Cait. My, my, I must say you are looking even more beautiful than ever. I still don't see what you see in that husband of yours."
"I should hope not," Jennifer responded. "I'm sure Andy appreciates the fact you don't lavish your affections on him!"
"Huh?" Herb asked, completely lost by the conversation. Jennifer surreptitiously winked at Cait who couldn't suppress a chuckle. From the moment he first laid eyes on her, Herb had been after Cait to go out with him in the same way he had chased Jennifer for years. The fact he was married never seemed to bother him. It also didn't seem to matter Cait was married, that is, unless there was a chance Andy might find out about Herb's flirting.
"You know what you need, Cait?" he asked.
"What do I need, Herb?" she replied suspiciously.
"You need a real man - a man of the world - a man who knows how to treat a woman right."
"Good, Cait, that means you certainly don't need Herb!"
Herb turned to look down his nose at Jennifer. "Jealousy is such a petty emotion, Jennifer," he told her, then turned back to Cait, who was having a hard time keeping a straight face. "Now, Cait, I think we should get together and discuss this further, don't you?"
"Oh, I don't know, Herb," Cait replied. "Why don't you ask Andy?"
"Ask me what?" came a voice from the now opened doorway to Arthur Carlson's office.
"Herb was just asking if we could..." Cait began.
"N-n-never mind," Herb interrupted. "If you'll excuse me I have to - ah - ah..."
"How about work, Herb?" offered Jennifer.
"That's it," Herb agreed and made a hasty exit.
"What was that all about?" Andy asked.
"Oh, just Herb being Herb," Jennifer replied. Andy scratched his head as Jennifer and Cait exchanged a conspiratorial look.
"Hi," Cait smiled at her husband.
"Hi," he replied as they stood across the room from each other, entranced. Jennifer, situated between the two, looked from one to the other and back again.
"You know you are married," she informed them. "You can touch each other, hug, kiss, things like that."
Andy snapped his fingers. "By golly, she's right," he exclaimed as he walked over to Cait, took her in his arms and gave her a deep, passionate kiss.
"Should I leave?" Jennifer asked, but was ignored.
The kiss might have gone on much longer had not Arthur Carlson stepped out of his office at that moment. "Andy, we have to come up with some...oops! Hi, Cait."
Cait was still recovering her breath as she answered, "Hello, Mr. Carlson."
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I finally got Maxwell on the phone and we have a lot to settle."
Andy nodded as he begrudgingly released Cait and moved back toward Carlson's office. "We've been trying to get him on the phone all day. I have to get in there and talk to him. Did you need something?"
Cait glanced around at Jennifer and Mr. Carlson and decided it wasn't a good time to go into something important. "Nothing that can't wait until you get off the phone."
"Actually, honey, could it wait until tonight? It's going to be a very hectic day."
Trying to hide her disappointment, she smiled and nodded. "Sure, no problem."
"Thanks," he replied, closing the door.
"Things have been like that for the past two days," Jennifer complained. "If it keeps up, I'll have to ask for more money. I'm definitely not compensated enough for all this tension."
Cait laughed remembering that Andy told her Jennifer was the highest paid employee at the station. She gave a longing look toward the door and sighed. "Well, I guess I might as well go home. I'm obviously not going to get to talk to Andy here."
"Is there anything wrong, Cait?" Jennifer asked as she sensed Cait's disappointment.
"No," she replied as a smile crept across her features. "Actually, everything is wonderful." With a cryptic wink, she turned and walked out the door, leaving Jennifer to puzzle over the remark.
Cait blew out what little was left of the candles, sank dejectedly into a chair and, leaning on the table, rested her cheek on the heel of her hand as she stared at the untouched gourmet meal sitting cold before her. It was past ten o'clock. Jennifer had called just before five to relay a message from Andy that he would be working late, but should be home by eight at the latest.
She had gotten out some of Remington's best recipes, used the lace tablecloth Andy's mother had given her, laid out the good china and silver and set a pair of tall elegant tapers in the candlesticks that had been a gift from Murphy and Sherry.
She had gone to great lengths to make herself beautiful for this special announcement; powdered and perfumed and put on the very feminine pale pink negligee Andy particularly liked.
In a box behind the sofa were two newborn sleepers, a little blue stuffed bunny, and the tiniest T-shirt Cait had ever seen inscribed "My Heart Belongs to Daddy." These she would pull out to share with Andy after she told him the wonderful news. If she ever got to tell him!
She sat forlornly for another half an hour before dumping the food in the disposal and putting everything else away. She had just finished washing her face when she heard Andy's key in the front door. She took up a position right in front of the door, ready to give her husband a piece of her mind, but when he appeared in the darkened entryway, he looked so exhausted, she lost all her anger.
Andy took one look at her and hung his head. "Cait, honey, I'm sorry. I had no idea how late it was getting."
"You look beat," she said as she guided him to the sofa. "Did you eat anything?" He shook his head. "How 'bout a ham and cheese on rye?"
"Sounds great," he replied as he stretched out. She went to the kitchen and made the sandwich, adding a serving of potato salad and a pickle to the plate, then took it and a beer back into the living room.
"Andy?" she called, but his eyes were closed and he didn't respond. She set the tray on the coffee table and sat down next to him. He looked so peacefully asleep, she didn't have the heart to wake him. She sighed heavily at another lost opportunity, but had to smile as she thought of looking down into a crib and seeing that expression on the face of a sleeping baby.
"Tomorrow, for sure!" she said quietly, but emphatically before she leaned down and kissed her sleeping husband. She removed his boots and belt and covered him with a blanket before she finally went to bed.
Cait stomped determinedly into the lobby at WKRP. This was it - she would not be put off any longer. She had planned to tell Andy over breakfast, but when she awoke, she found him already gone with a note to her that said he would probably have to work late again. She refused to go through another day and night without being able to share her news.
"Why, Cait," greeted Jennifer. "Two days in a row?"
"Hi, Cait," offered Bailey Quarters who had been sharing a danish and coffee with the receptionist.
"Hello, Jennifer, Bailey," replied Cait impatiently. "Where's Andy?"
"Ah, he's in with Mr. Carlson again. They're still trying to get the station's budget in order before Mrs. Carlson descends on us tomorrow."
"Could you tell him I need to talk to him?"
Jennifer grimaced. "They both told me not to disturb them for anything short of World War III."
Cait took a deep breath and stared at the door. From the expression on her face, Jennifer and Bailey might well have expected the eruption of a world war. Suddenly she smiled a lopsided grin. "Jennifer, could you slip into Mr. Carlson's office and turn on the station monitor?"
"Ah - I suppose I could," she replied. "Why?"
"I think there's about to be an announcement they won't want to miss," she answered with a fiendish chuckle. "Is Johnny still on the air?"
"Yes," replied Bailey.
"Just give me five minutes, then do it, okay?"
Jennifer gave her a curious smile. "What are you up to?"
Cait laughed. "You'll soon find out," she told them as she headed for the booth.
"Morning, Johnny," she called softly as she leaned in the doorway. "Mind if I come in?"
"Oh, God, another cheery face!" replied Dr. Johnny Fever as he held up both hands, index fingers forming a cross to repel the assault to his misery, then smiled and waved her in. "What are you up to this morning?"
"Well?" she replied as she closed the door and pulled up a stool. "To tell you the truth, I have a favor to ask."
"You name it," he replied.
She reached for a pen and a pad of paper. "May I?"
"Sure, he agreed as he handed her the pen. She wrote something quickly, smiled at her handiwork and handed it to Johnny.
He read it, sat up straight in his chair and stared at her wide-eyed. "Are you serious?"
"You bet I am," she told him firmly.
A smile began to creep across Johnny's face followed by a deep, throaty chuckle. "Alright! This is gonna shake 'em up!"
"That's the general idea," Cait replied. "It seems to be the only way I can get my message across."
Meanwhile, Jennifer had just slipped into Carlson's office and turned on the station speaker before either Andy or The Big Guy noticed she was even there. The sound of Bo Didly broke through their concentration and they both offered her puzzled looks.
"Ah, Jennifer, we're busy in here right now," said Carlson.
"I know," she smiled as she folded her arms in front of her, obviously not going anywhere.
"Why did you turn on the monitor?" Andy asked.
"You'll see," she smiled.
The two men looked at each other in confusion.
Just as Andy opened his mouth to say something else, the music faded out and Jennifer pointed to the speaker and Johnny's voice:
"Alright, fellow babies, I have here a very important announcement that will be of absolutely no interest to 95% of you out there, but it will be very important to one listener and that's our own program director at WKRP, Andy Travis. From his beautiful wife, Caitlin, the message is, and I quote, 'There's a bun in the oven, the rabbit is terminal and it's time to visit the cabbage patch.' In case that isn't clear enough, listen to this message from Randolph's Nursery and Pre-School."
The commercial started with the sound of a room full of babies crying at the top of their lungs. In the midst of this noise came the announcer's voice. "Isn't this a beautiful sound? We hear this music every day at Randolph's Nursery and Pre-School, located on the lower west side of upper middle Cincinnati..."
As the commercial began, Bailey and Venus Flytrap, standing in the lobby, noted the passing of an Andy-shaped blur coming out of Arthur Carlson's office and headed for the booth. By the time the narrative started, the blur reached its destination. The door to the booth flew open and Andy stood, jaw unhinged, staring at his wife.
"Did - I just hear what I thought I heard?" he asked quietly.
"I think yes would be a safe answer to that question," replied Johnny.
"Does this mean that you're - that we're - that you and I are..." As he stammered, Cait smiled and began to nod her head. To her delight, a grin spread across Andy's face from ear to ear, he leaned back and yelled at the top of his lungs, "Yaaahooo!!"
Before she knew what was happening, she was being lifted into the air and spun around as Andy continued to whoop and holler until everyone in the station was congregated in the hallway to see what the commotion was all about.
Andy set Cait down and looked at her seriously. "Are you sure?" he asked.
"The doctor confirmed it yesterday," she replied.
"Yesterday?!"
"Yesterday," she replied.
"Why didn't you..." He stopped in mid-sentence as he realized he hadn't given her a chance. "Oh, honey, I'm sorry. You should have hit me over the head or something."
"I think that's what I did," she replied.
He looked at her for a moment, then burst out laughing. He pulled her close and gave her a hug before accepting congratulations from the entire crew.
"I think it's time we sent out for champagne and celebrated this right," suggested Mr. Carlson and it didn't take long before someone had and they were all gathered in the bullpen drinking toasts to Andy and Cait and their future offspring.
"Here's hoping he looks like Cait!" toasted Venus.
"I'll drink to that," seconded Andy.
"Oh, I hope he looks like Andy," put in Bailey. Pinching Andy's cheeks and affecting a baby voice, she asked, "Can't you just see this cute little face on a baby?"
Everyone laughed.
"You all seem to be assuming the baby will be a boy," put in Les Nessman, WKRP News Director. "There's a good chance it might be a girl, you know."
"In that case, let's pray she looks like Cait and not Andy!" commented Venus, to which Cait gave him a playful elbow in the ribs and Andy offered an, "I'll get even" look.
"Which would you prefer, Andy?" asked Les.
"I don't know," the father-to-be replied. "A boy would be nice. We could play ball together, go fishing, I could teach him about girls."
"And if it's a girl?" asked Mr. Carlson.
He smiled. "If she's a girl, I'll be a doting father, I guess. A girl could be really nice, too. We could still play ball and go fishing."
"Yes, but I'd have to warn her about boys like her father," Cait replied.
"And I'd be waiting up late at night for her to come home from dates."
Jennifer returned from taking a glass of champagne to Johnny in the booth. "Johnny says we should listen to the monitor again," she told them as she crossed to the bullpen speaker and turned up the volume.
"Oh, no, not again!" Mr. Carlson exclaimed.
"Cait, you trying to tell Andy you're going to have twins?" asked Venus.
"Heavens no!" she replied. "I mean - I don't know. I guess we might."
"Huh?" asked Andy.
"Well, anything's possible, sweetheart," she said innocently.
"Shhh!" cautioned Jennifer, "Listen."
Once again, Johnny's voice came over the radio. "Earlier this morning, we passed a message along to our program director from his wife. In the interest of equal time, we now have a song dedicated from Andy to Cait. We used to have a copy of this song done by the Hallelujah Tabernacle Choir, but the record got scratched. Maybe Paul Anka can take up the slack with this little rock-a-bye."
First the music started, then the words, "You're havin' my baby. What a lovely way of sayin' how much you love me." "Aw," Cait moved into the crook of Andy's arm. "Did you do that?"
"Uh-huh," he replied.
"You know," said Herb. "I think it's probably best to have a boy first. That way he can be oldest."
"What does that have to do with anything, Herb?" asked Jennifer.
"I don't know," he replied. "But I remember when I was a kid..."
It was at that point that Andy took Cait's hand and they quietly slipped out of the bullpen and into Andy's office. Silently, Andy closed the door, then turned back to his wife.
"Finally," he sighed as he took her into his arms and kissed her deeply. "I've been waiting to get you alone so I could tell you how much I love you."
"Oh, Andy, I love you, too. I'm so lucky, I can't believe it."
As the music continued in the background and their lips met, they were startled by the sound of the door opening. Arthur Carlson leaned in and smiled. "Thought I might find you in here. At it again, I see," he laughed. "I just thought I'd return the favor," he said as he placed a large, unopened bottle of champagne and two cups on Andy's
desk, turned and moved to the door. "As you were," he told them with a quick salute, closing the door behind him.
"What did he mean, 'return the favor'?" Cait asked.
Andy laughed out loud as he recalled a similar situation when The Big Guy and his wife, Carmen, had just found out they were about to have another child. "Oh, I'll tell you about it later," he whispered as his lips once again found hers.