Welcome Home, Daddy

Part 2-Going Home

Standing in the Airport parking lot beside the Rangeman vehicles, Bobby, Lester, and I finally welcomed Ranger back. We just walked quietly behind through the terminal with Ranger, Stephanie, and a sleepy-eyed Cameron. Talk about not being aware of his surroundings, he just kept glancing at her, their son in his arm, and back again at Stephanie. I was getting dizzy watching Ranger's bobbing head. They never broke their contact walking hand in hand.

With a pat on Ranger's back, Lester said "Good to have you home."

"Hey Boss" from Bobby.

A hug for my best friend and I nodded my bald cue-ball of a head at the newest family member, "Glad you're back, Rangeman. Like your present?" I remembered Stephanie was concerned at Ranger's reaction to their baby boy. So,I added the question because Ranger had been entranced by the now yawning baby from the moment he laid eyes on him and I wanted to assure Bombshell how I imagined Mr. Cuban Macho would react.

"More than you know" Ranger said looking at Stephanie. Sweet, gentle smiles lit up both their faces.

Handing Ranger the Bronco keys, "I'm going to ride back with these two", I said motioning a big paw at Bobby and Lester.

He beeped the doors unlocked; Stephanie gently took her son from his father's arm and moved around to the back passenger side door. Ranger held the door open studying Stephanie laying the now sleeping child in his car seat and securing him in it, and then draped a blanket with colorful cars all over it. Ranger's one eyebrow raised and he smirked, it even had black ones. He closed the door giving a pull on the handle proving it was locked, opened his 'Babe's' door, then running to get into the driver's seat.

Before pulling out of the parking space I saw him glance into the backseat at his sleeping son amazed at Cameron's existence. He was really there.

XXXXXXXXXX

While in his zone, thoughts were swirling in Ranger's head. He was on a mission when Julie was born and was divorced shortly after. So technically, he never really experienced being a new father. This was going to be a learning experience and one he was going to enjoy. "A Bad-Ass bounty hunter could do this, be a father. Wow, me a father," he said to himself.

Stephanie was watching Ranger intently from the passenger seat. At every stop sign or red light, Ranger turned and checked Cameron in the back seat. A giggle escaped her that caught Ranger's attention.

"Babe, Cameron's perfect. Thank you."

"Just like his father," she told him.

Stephanie did not always express a desire for children, but Cameron's existence changed that. Her heart was full. She loved Ranger and their son. She still had a nagging thought in the back of her head, "Would Ranger feel pushed into being a father? I want him to want this."

He noticed the slight crease in her forehead reading her thoughts and tried to cease her concern. "Babe, I want us. All three of us. I want those father moments. A first step, first day of school, little league baseball games cheering my son. This I want to share with you."

"Wow. All this from the man of few words" she said in her head.

"Babe" Ranger chuckled.

"I said that out loud, huh?" Stephanie gave a classic "Burg" eye roll.

He nodded parking in the Rangeman garage.

XXXXXXXXXX

By the time Stephanie jumped out, Ranger had the back door open, released the harness, and lifted a still sleeping Cameron gently to his strong shoulder.

The elevator was there to take them up to the 7th floor apartment. Bobby, Lester, and I had pulled in right behind them, but indicated we would wait for the elevator to come back down.

XXXXXXXXXX

As the elevator opened, Stephanie beeped the apartment doors unlocked and Ranger follow with their son, his cheek resting next to the black curls tickling him. She went straight to the bedroom. Along the wall across from the bottom of the bed was a black crib with an attached changing table. Giving a soft kiss to Cameron's forehead, Ranger laid him down. Stephanie removed the camouflage booties, covering him, and placed her lips to his hair. She watched her peaceful son whispering, "Night, My Baby Boy. Your Daddy's here tonight." The bedroom light was dimmed with Stephanie turning on a small car inspired lamp.

Ranger moved to Stephanie resting his head against hers and looking into her blue eyes, "Glad to be home, Babe. I missed you."

"I missed you too, Ranger."

Stephanie noticed the tired lines around his eyes, but those deep, dark pools of his eyes shone with an emotion she never seen before. The love was there, but it was more. Her brain registered it as-contentment.

"Bed," Ranger's voice broke her out of her reverie.

Returning from the bathroom in a tank and boxers, Ranger was in his black silk ones looking down in the crib, his fingers barely touching his son's hair afraid to wake him. He walked with an amazed look on his face to the bathroom.

Coming back into the bedroom a few minutes later, Stephanie was turning down the covers. Ranger noticed on her pajama bottoms, storks with blue bundles hanging from the beaks. Shaking his head at the new elements of his life, baby camouflage and bedtime storks, he liked them. Stephanie's desire for shopping hadn't changed. He turned out the bedside lamp so the nightlight cast a soft glow near the crib. Slipping into bed immediately pulling Stephanie to him, her head tucked under his chin. Sighs escaped from them at the same time. It had seen so long to hold one another.

"Love you, Ranger".

"Love you, Babe."

Ranger rolled so he could reach Stephanie's lips. The kiss was soft at first, but the longing over the last months took over. It was going to be a while before they got any sleep.

Just as they were drifting off some time later, there was a soft whimper. Then another. Then a loud "WHAH! WHAH!"

"I knew it was too good to be true", Stephanie laughed, " that Cameron would not wake up." The clock said 3:30 AM. Most nights now, he slept through with an occasional middle-of-the-night fussing. But, the nights that she really wanted sleep, that baby ESP was working just fine.

"What do you want me to do?" Ranger asked.

Turning on the lamp slipping into her tank and boxers, Stephanie told him, "Ranger, if you will heat the bottle in the refrigerator. I'll change Cameron."

"How long?" he questioned as the black silk boxers slid over his hips.

"About 15 seconds".

Ranger headed to the kitchen. As soon as Stephanie picked up her crying baby, Cameron stopped, smiled, and babbled at her. Giving the baby her sweetest "Burg" eye roll, she laid him on the bed, removed the camouflage outfit, changed his diaper, and started to put on his teddy bear sleeper when Ranger returned with the bottle. Sitting on the bed propped up against the pillows with Cameron, Stephanie reached for the bottle and tested the milk against her skin. She looked up noticing how Ranger was watching intently everything she did.

Offering to the new "Daddy", "Do you want to give your son his bottle?"

"OK", Ranger hurried around to the other side of the bed. She put Cameron in the crook of his father's arm and handed him the bottle. Drinking about half the bottle, the baby boy spit out the nipple.

"He's probably had enough" Stephanie explained to Ranger.

She took him from his arm and placed her son against her shoulder, patting his back for a "Burp". Stephanie got out of bed, walked to the kitchen placing the bottle in the sink before putting Cameron back in his crib. All the while, Ranger could hear Stephanie talking to Cameron saying "Mommy and Daddy love you." Stephanie pulled on something at the side of the crib.

"Rock a Bye Baby" filtered in the room with coos and gurgles accompanying the music.

She slid back under Ranger's soft sheets molding against the man who had been missing for many nights.

Before turning the light out, Stephanie kissed Ranger saying against his lips, "Welcome to parenthood, Daddy."

"Babe". The hushed tone of his voice conveyed he welcomed it with her.

All three drifted back to sleep on their first night as a family until morning.