"Steeeeeeeeve!"
He came running at once. He knows that when I call his name with that slight undertone of panic it's more than just urgent.
"What's happened?"
I couldn't speak, I just pointed my finger at Mandy's belly. He looked but just shrugged his shoulders.
"Looks allright to me." he said.
"Don't you see these swellings here between her hind legs, and here on her chest?"
He took a closer look. "Oh, yes, now you mention it... "
"I've never seen anything like this on a cat. Do you think I'd better call the vet?"
He sat down and took my hand. "Honey, don't fuss. It's Sunday, and I bet the vet won't be too pleased if you disturb him now. Look at Mandy, she seems to be fine. I'm sure it won't hurt to wait until tomorrow."
Monday came and saw me eagerly waiting for the afternoon and my appointment at the vet's. Mandy was fine until I wanted to get her into the petporter. She had never travelled alone and made all too clear she never would. I was far too nervous to argue with her, besides I knew I couldn't win, so I took Angel along as well. The vet let me explain Mandy's symptoms, asked a few questions and then opened the porter to examine her. Like usual, Angel was sitting in front, curious kitty that she is. He was half way through examining her when I realized he was working on the wrong cat, and told him so. He looked puzzled, probably due to the fact that I hadn't told him earlier. While he put Angel back into the porter, he nonchalantly asked if I looked forward to the kittens.
Kittens? Boy, I must go and see a doctor about my hearing, I thought. He couldn't have said... wait a minute! Did he say KITTENS?
"Kittens? What kittens?" I asked.
He looked even more puzzled. "The kittens your cat is expecting."
I had the nerve to laugh. "Good joke!"
Now he definitely looked surprised. Slowly and very carefully he told me: "I'm afraid that's not a joke. Y-o-u-r c-a-t i-s p-r-e-g-n-a-n-t."
I was paralized, and could feel how I turned pale.
The vet examined Mandy. When he looked up and smiled, I knew what he was going to say.
"Congratulations. This girl here is also pregnant, and those swellings are nothing but milk."
Is it allowed to faint in a vet's office when one has just learned that one is going to be a grandmum?
"But that's impossible!" I shouted. "They can't have kittens! I don't even manage to keep house plants alive, so what in the world am I going to do with kittens? Are you absolutely sure?"
The vet offered a scan. I held Mandy on my lap, and then I saw them on the monitor - kitten-shaped grey shadows, heads lying on neatly folded legs, and a pulsating dark something.
"Can you see the heart beating?" the vet asked.
That was the moment when I realized I was facing a brand-new experience, and began to look forward to it. 
Mandy gave birth to three sons and two daughters, Angel had six daughters. All eleven of them were silver like moon beams when they were born, and so I called them my milkyway kittens.