Listen(ooh-wah-ooh)Do you want to know a secret

It is no secret that both Margaret and I are lousy at keeping secrets. Okay, so Margaret is better than me, but with news like this it is painful to not be able to tell anyone. Margaret made a doctor appointment, which is a week from this Tuesday, so until then we have to keep the big news a secret from almost everyone a little longer. There have been some leaks. We called our friend LaDona in San Diego and told her, using the thinking that since she's 3000 miles away she won't blab. I also, in an alcohol-fueled moment of weakness, told some folks at the Windjammer last Sunday. Let's see, I believe I told Col. Bobby Ross, Hank Futch and Fred LeBlanc from Cowboy Mouth. Seeing as we were all a bit snockered, I doubt any of them will remember.
We went up to Margaret's mother's house tonight for dinner to break the news to her, and our niece, Noel. We had gone to dinner and a movie with Noel last night (Mellow Mushroom/Wallace and Grommit: The Curse of the Wererabbit) and she revealed over dinner (keep in mind that she had no idea that Margaret was pregnant) that she had made a bet with her cousin, Adam, as to when and if Margaret would have a baby. Noel said that Margaret would have a baby before she was forty, while Adam said she wouldn't. The bet was for $10. Over dinner, I non-chalantly discussed the "what-ifs" of parenthood with Noel ("What if we were to have a girl? That would mean you wouldn't be the only female granddaughter."). Noel seemed cool about the fact that it might someday happened. After we dropped her off, Margaret lightly scolded me for messing with Noel's mind. Hey, no harm done.
So today we head up to Awendaw, and on the way we discuss how we're going to break it to them. We decide to casually bring up the subject of Noel's bet. We also decide, just to mess with Margaret's mother's mind, to tell her that we've already picked names out. If its a girl, we'll say we're going to name it Hillary, and if it's a boy, it'll be Clinton Kennedy. I could almost hear her conservative brain lock up. Brilliant. Don't get me wrong - I love Annette, but this was just to good to pass up.
So we got to the house, and as planned we casuallybrought up the bet. I finally said, "Well Noel, I guess you'll have to tell Adam that he owes you $10.
It went right over both of their heads.
Margaret said, "Okay, guys...are you paying attention? Noel, Adam owes you $10."
No reaction from either, in fact Annette began to argue that Noel owed Adam money.
I looked at Margaret and said, "Realization should set in any second," and looked at my watch.
No reaction....then a few seconds later I could tell from Noel's face that she was beginning to understand what was going on. Annette was still confused about the bet.
I said, "Annette, why would Adam owe Noel $10?"
Annette thought for a moment, smiled, looked at Margaret, and said, "Because you're pregnant?"
BINGO! It took almost 60 seconds from the time I first mentioned that Adam would owe Noel money, to Annette catching on. It was pretty hilarious. Of course both mother and daughter shed a few tears and hugged, and so now some family officially know.