The phone rang. Jackie rolled over and peered at the clock, eyes blurry and trying to make out the numbers. 4:25.
Her eyes flew open and she reached for the phone. The baby chose the same moment to practice soccer with her bladder, and she grimaced, pressing her free hand to her belly. She found the handset and brought it up to her ear, hit the button to answer. Dreading the voice she might hear on the other end.
"Hello?"
A soft clicking, and then an impersonal voice. "Mrs. Ferris, this is the operator. Please stand by for a call."
What the hell? More noises, and then another voice, hollow and sounding far away. So unexpected it took her a second to realize who it was.
"Jackie. Sorry about the time, love."
With some effort she rolled over onto her back, lay there with her free hand still on her belly, feeling the baby's motions. "Allen. My God, honey, the phone ringing so early scared the hell out of me. You haven't come down already, have you?"
A moment's silence, and then a small chuckle. "No, love, not quite yet." A few loud breaths, and then, "How's the baby?"
She smiled, felt the motion as it rolled inside her like a dolphin trying to breach the surface. "Just fine. Must know that its daddy is calling, because there's some sort of party happening down there right now."
Her husband chuckled again. "Do me a favor, Jack? Put the phone up to your belly for a minute. I'd like to talk to the Worm for a couple of seconds."
Jackie laughed. "Jesus, Allen. NASA must owe you some big if you can get patched through from building the station just to talk to a fetus."
There was a knock on the bedroom door right then, and her mother poked her head in, a concerned look on her face. Jackie mouthed Allen's name and shrugged her shoulders, smiling so her mother would understand it wasn't an emergency. Then she pointed at the chair in the corner. Her mother sat, still looking concerned.
Something in Allen's voice changed, took on the firmness that he knew got things done for him. "Please just do it for me, Jack. Go ahead and put it on speaker so you can hear as well, if you like."
)
An astronaut makes one last phone call home.
