Melissa and Gary consider having a child together. Gary volunteers his time at a social services center, where he is irritated by and attracted to a brusque administrator.

Gary and Melissa's relationship seems to be drawing closer as they both have rejection at work in common, along with thoughts of parenthood for themselves now that Hope and Michael are expecting. Gary goes to a private social welfare agency, the Race Street Project, and meets with Susannah Hart there about a mentoring program for a local youth. Susannah is skeptical of Gary's commitment. Gary meets his charge, Curtis Caldwell, a Stanford-bound student who does not want to be in the program. At a wedding, Melissa meets Russell Weller, a painter who has noticed her at the galleries. He invites her to a party.

Melissa goes to the party with Russell. When his good mood turns bleak after a phone call, she realizes that he's gay and has just heard about a friend contracting AIDS.

CAPSULE: Michael takes on a client that he, his wife and his friends find repugnant. Gary and Susannah's odd relationship continues to grow.

At a diner with Hope, Gary, Elliot and Melissa, Michael returns a phone call to Jerry Kravitz, an old friend of his and Gary's from their college days at Penn. He wants the Michael & Elliot company to do some media work a Senate candidate he represents, Diana McKay. Mike has the first of several flashbacks seen throughout the show of himself, Gary and Jerry involved in demonstrations and campus politics. Gary goes to the Race St. Project and offers to help Susannah write up their grant application. A little attraction seems to be developing. Gary leans in as if to kiss her, but she pulls away.

Michael & Elliot take on the McKay account, but Gary, Susannah and Hope let them know they think McKay is a terrible choice. Hope is not too impressed with Jerry either after a night of reminiscing with him and Michael. Susannah apologizes to Gary for the ""w

Gary and Susannah try to figure out what to do when they finds out that she's pregnant. Nancy misses a publishing deadline for her book.

CAPSULE: Hope is writing an article that could affect Susannah's Race St. Project, driving a wedge between her and Gary.

Gary and Susannah are proceeding with preparations for parenthood. Melissa doesn't care for Susannah at all and thinks the relationship won't be permanent. Meanwhile, Hope gets a nibble from the Philadelphia Inquirer about doing a story on the Race St. Project. After talking to Rosie at Race St., Hope goes to City Hall to see what Ellyn, fresh from her breakup with Woodman, has to say about the organization. After a few questions about the government's relations with Race St., Ellyn gets a little circumspect, then asks Hope to turn off her tape recorder for the rest of the conversation.

Hope tells Michael about irregularities with grant money received by Race St. When Michael tells Gary about this, he's sure Hope and Ellyn must be mistaken. But when he talks to Rosie, she tells him some of the allegations are just practical things that a place like Race St. has to do

CAPSULE: Susannah and Gary become new parents after a difficult delivery. Melissa has a hard time accepting Gary's new status.

In a story told in reverse, the opening scene has Susannah in the hospital having a difficult delivery. Gary is there with her. We see earlier scenes of Susannah in pain, getting nauseous and being a little abusive to Gary. Gary calls Melissa but gets her machine. Michael is at the hospital with Gary. The doctor checks the dilating Susannah and sends Gary out.

Still going backwards: The labor starts getting difficult. Gary calls and leaves a message for Melissa, apologizing for what happened earlier. Melissa is listening but doesn't pick up. Gary gets ready for the hospital as contractions are starting. Earlier, Melissa is at his outside his house. She's brought a present for them--a car, albeit an old junker. Melissa argues with Gary, saying he hasn't given her a thought lately, and she stalks off angrily.

Back to the wedding shower: Susannah is looking a litt

CAPSULE: Gary's decision to quit teaching and stay at home with his new baby causes a conflict between him and his mother.

Gary and Susannah's new baby Emma cries for twelve hours and they can't figure out why. In the morning Susannah is reluctant to go to work, but Gary insists. She finds out there that the nearby homeless shelter might be closed to make way for condos, which gets her fighting spirit up. Gary's mother Eileen comes by while Hope is there and mistakenly thinks she is Susannah. After Susannah comes home late and the baby is put to bed, Gary tells his mother he's not going back to teaching; rather, he's going to be a househusband. His mother's reaction is simply, ""Oh.""

During the next day or two, however, Eileen makes it clear that she's not thrilled with Gary's decision to quit teaching. They argue about his deceased father, who wanted badly for him to go to law school. Eileen tells Gary that he's avoided every big decision he ever had to make and should concentrate on g