"Ranger, all I want is a stroller, a plain, very simple baby stroller. Not a top-of-the-line multi-purpose vehicle with a military seal of approval," Stephanie said with a hand on a hip and a baby in her other looking at the Cuban Man who was testing all the strollers for stability and motional circumference.

He kept going back to the 'Jeep Liberty' one. "Babe, its all terrain!" It was spoken with all the no-nonsense soldier fashion.

"Are we going to Mount Kilimanjaro? It's the beach."

"Been there, but this would work. It's all terrain and a steering wheel." Ranger was beeping the attached colorful steering wheel.

"Can I help you?" A sales clerk came over to them.

Stephanie pointed to Ranger who placed some small packaged items on the floor doing his own test over a bumpy path with a big teddy bear passenger in a diaper. "The baby expert likes the all terrain one," she said with 'Burg' smartness. She knew Ranger was trying to make her laugh and she loved his effort.

"That is one of our most popular models and comes with a free item of baby clothing," Grace said indicating a special rack of clothing, which Ranger went to immediately under the 'SPECIAL' sign.

"Babe, I like this one," a pleased Ranger held up a shorts set with a lion on it.

He came back to them placing a blue baseball cap on Austyn's reddish brown hair. 'We'll take this one," he indicated the Jeep stroller.

"I'll have a boxed one waiting up front for you," Grace told them and waved to a stock person.

At the check-out besides the stroller, shorts set, and baseball cap, they selected a few more summer outfits, extra socks, and Stephanie picked out a couple of long summer dresses for Krystal, a soft shawl, and a pair of slip on sandals not knowing what she had. Carol had provided sizes for her shrinking frame when Stephanie asked. Ranger picked a long blue strapless dress for his Babe.

Leaving Burlington Coat Factory-Baby Depot, they pulled in front of her parents' house ten minutes before dinner. When Ranger came around the black SUV with the baby carrier, Stephanie could see that even by the street her mother's eyes were bugging out.

Grandma Mazur was grinning ear to ear and poking above her mother's head was her father.

"Stephanie, that's a baby!" Ellen Plum paled as she said it.

She replied, "I know, Mom. I let Austyn out of the closet."

"That's a boy!" Frank's tone was bordering on giddy.

Ranger placed the carrier down on the entry table and Stephanie released the straps picking up the baby. "This is Austyn."

"I knew it!" Grandma elbowed Ranger. "You work fast with that package!"

"Stephanie, there are no imposters are there?" her stunned mother asked.

"No, and if I told you about him, you wouldn't have believed me anyway, Mom." Stephanie's blue eyes looked straight into her mother's and dropped to the baby with his head on her shoulder.

"That's a boy," Frank said again taking Austyn from his daughter disappearing in the living room.

Being chided, an embarrassed Ellen turned toward the kitchen. "I'll get dinner."

Frank kept possession of the baby in his arms sitting down at the table. Austyn was kicking his little blue sneakers balanced on one leg of Stephanie's father and held in his arm.

Grandma spoke up, "Where did he come from? Ranger is way above the cabbage patch."

Stephanie began calmly retelling about finding Austyn in her SUV and seeing Krystal looking in Vinnie's window a few days later. When she got up to the point of how sick Krystal was, she broke down running from the dining room table. Ranger's first instinct was to go after his Babe, but he stayed continuing where Stephanie left off.

"Tomorrow morning we're leaving for Point Pleasant so Krystal can spend her birthday at the beach with her son. We rented a house right on the ocean so she can see and hear it," he told her family. "I don't know where Stephanie has found this amazing strength."

"Pumpkin is giving this dying woman a birthday to remember," Frank said quietly gazing down at the baby who was about to lose his birth mother.

"Time is of the essence and Krystal doesn't have much. She chose Stephanie to take her place. From my understanding, there were foster families who wanted Austyn, but she did not want them. I've seen Stephanie with him, and Krystal did choose the right person for her son."

Directing his comment at his quiet wife, "She's the amazing daughter I've said she has always been."

Grandma Mazur was wiping her eyes, "She gets that from me."

Not saying anything, Ellen Plum got up from the table. She went in the opposite direction of her daughter.

Ranger got up from the table having finished explaining the changes in Stephanie's life; Austyn was in quite capable hands and went in search of his Babe. She was sitting on the stoop of the back porch hugging herself quietly crying.

"It hurts, Ranger." Stephanie leaned her head on his shoulder sitting beside her. "Krystal is younger than me. Her life has been so sad and now it is ending. She believes she'll be with her family again. How can she be so sure?"

"Faith, Babe. I had to believe we would find each other. I had doubts at times, but I wouldn't let it go."

"You believe it even now that things are different?"

"More. Your compassion brings me to my knees. Stephanie, I don't know anyone who would move heaven and Earth, as you have to give Krystal, a woman who came into your life with her son not by your choice, a birthday for all time. My men have been touched by you."

"Thank you for understanding, Ranger."

"This is you, Babe. I'm so proud of you."

Stephanie got up from the stoop waiting for Ranger and took his hand he offered.

Going back into the dining room, her mother had Austyn. "He needed some clean pants."

Stephanie got the feeling her mother was falling for the chubby cheeked baby boy with reddish brown hair from the gentle way she was brushing it.

"What's in there?" she asked seeing a large shoebox covered in faded wrapping paper printed with pink bows and ballerina shoes. 'STEPHANIE' was written across the top.

"Those are some of your favorite things I saved from when you were a baby," her mother said, "and I thought Austyn might like."

"You saved some of my baby things?"

"Of course."

Gingerly, she removed the lid making the old paper rustle. She noticed Austyn stretched his neck to see. "You want to see, Bubby?" Stephanie asked cradling him in one arm. She reached in bringing out a colorful block with a small ball inside. She shook it and the baby smiled at the noise. "I remember this." It was a white 'Chatter' telephone with a face on the front, which could be pulled. There were wooden blocks, a ring of colored keys, a pink blanket with a satin border; a couple of old baby books, and a 'Glow Worm' that still lit up when she squeezed it.

The baby made a noise when it glowed.

"You like that, Bubby?"

Frank asked, "What's a Bubby."

"Austyn was her brother's name and his nickname for Krystal was 'Bubby' before her family was killed when she was young."

"It's a long time to be alone," Frank commented.

Stephanie didn't stay for pineapple upside down cake but took a care package. Her stomach was in knots and Austyn had yawned. She still wanted to stop at her apartment for a few things before returning to Rangeman. She thought about staying at her place, but the emotional strength to be just her and Austyn wasn't there.

Before they were permitted inside, she waited outside her apartment door with the baby boy in her arms while the Security Expert completed his sweep of her apartment. Ranger sat down in her bedroom chair taking Austyn from Stephanie so he could drink from of his bottle while she packed her things to take to Point Pleasant and a few for the baby.

It was strange, just a short time ago; it would have been packing for just her, now it was two. However, thinking about it, it didn't seem that abnormal to her.

The nighttime routine Stephanie and Austyn developed was basically the same as if it was only one woman gaining confidence with the baby in her care, but included one very big Cuban difference, Ranger sat in the bathroom holding the towel for a clean, dripping wet little boy. She had begun reading to him as the baby book indicated with Ranger listening, and both watched him sleep when they checked on him before going to bed.

Before closing her eyes, Stephanie's last thought was 'this would be the best birthday she could give a mother and son'.