Chapter 13

Roughly 5 months later...

It had been about 5 months since Letty had told Dom she was pregnant. In those 5 months, she had gotten all the stuff for the baby, gotten a job, and found her sister.

She had found her sister after only a month of looking. She drove to San Francisco, and ran into her at a coffee shop. Havana had 2 children, but she was single. Letty had convinced her to move to LA, and she gladly obliged. All 6 of them (Letty, Mia, Vince, Havana, 5 year old Parker, and 3 year old Sydney) lived together in 1327 Echo Park. The house was surprisingly not too crowded. Vince was almost never there. He would usually end up going to one of his friends' house. He had recently made 2 new friends named Leon and Jesse, they had even started working at the garage. Mia had been doing better, and Letty had even started raising like she was her own child. That's the only way she knew her mothering instincts were kicking in.

Havana and Letty had grown close in the 4 months they had known each other. Havana even promised to be there for the whole birth. When Letty met Havana, she asked about Ricardo, and she said she hadn't seen him in 2 years.

Parker and Sydney had started to grow close to their 'Tia Letty.' She would sometimes take them to get ice cream when Havana wanted a break.

One day, when Letty was 38 weeks pregnant, she started getting some mild contractions. She didn't think too much of it because she knew pre-labor could last weeks. In midday she started to notice them more, and so did Havana. Havana advised her not to go to work, and she surprisingly listened. By 7:00pm her contractions were 7-5 minutes apart lasting 45-60 seconds each. She was in a lot of pain, and really wanted Dom with her. By 8pm Havana had gone to work, and Letty was laying in her bed, crying for the love of her life. She desperately wanted Dom, and she knew she couldn't have him for another year, at least.

Havana got home by 8pm, and Letty's contractions were 4 minutes apart, lasting 60-75 seconds each. She decided she wanted to go to the hospital. Havana gladly drove, and left Parker and Sydney with Mia and Vince.

In the car, on the way to the hospital...

"I'm so done with this." Letty said as she got in the car.

"I know, but it'll be done soon. Once you see her, it'll be all worth it." Havana said.

"Everyone keeps saying that, but I don't know. I might not even keep her. I want her to have the best life, and she will if she gets adopted."

"Letty, she could be in the system for a long time, especially here in LA. Do you really want that for her?"

"I don't know. I'm just so scared to be a parent." Letty cried.

"And you think I wasn't. I had Parker when I was 16, just like you, and don't get me wrong I love my baby girl, but if I could go back and not get pregnant, I would. Or if I could go back and give her up for adoption, I would. Then I got back with the same guy when I was 17, and we had Sydney when I was 18. Being a teen parent is hard, but then you get to spend more time with them. It's your decision, but I hope that helped you make it. Plus once you get attached, you are not gonna want to give her up."

"I know. I'm also scared that Dom's gonna leave me, when he gets out. He is gonna be forced into this life, that I don't think he wants. He's still only got 3 priorities, cars, partying, and having sex. I won't be able to give him that when I have a baby to take care of."

"Who knows, maybe prison changed him. Maybe he's not the same guy he used to be almost a year ago."

"I'm nervous about that too. I want him to change some of his ways, but not all. He still needs to be physically and emotionally with me." Just as Letty finished talking, she had another contraction.

"I think it'll be alr-."

"Shut up." Letty said with clenched teeth. She didn't want anyone talking during a contraction. She wanted it completely quiet.

After 60 seconds, she was able to talk, but after the contraction was over, she felt a little bit of liquid in her pants, then more, and more.

"Uh, Vana, I think my water just broke."

"Really?"

"Yes really."

"Ok, I definitely think you're gonna have a baby today."

"Oh, what a relief." Letty sighed.

Once they got to the hospital, Letty was taken to triage, and checked for dilation.

"So it looks like you are at a 6. I'll go tell the admitting nurse, and get you a room in a few minutes. I just need you to fill out those papers, and you'll be all set." The doctor said.

"Thank god. I'm so over this."

"How long have you been in labor?"

"Since yesterday morning."

"Wow, that's a long time."

"I know."

The doctor left, and Letty started filling out the paperwork. Within 20 minutes, Letty was admitted and in her birthing room. 2 hours later, she was at 8 centimeters dilated, and her contractions were 2-3 minutes apart. She started having the urge to push.

"Havana, I need to push. Get the doctor." Letty said. Havana went outside of the room, and called for a doctor. Dr. Kat Diaz came within a few minutes, and luckily she was Letty's doctor.

"Hello, Letty. What's going on?"

"I really need to push." Letty cried/yelled.

"Ok. Don't push. I'm going to check your cervix."

Letty simply nodded, trying to fight the urge to push. Dr. Diaz checked Letty's cervix, and said, "it looks like your at a nine. Has your water broken yet?"

"On my way here, it broke."

"Ok. I think it would be alright if we get this show on the road. I'm gonna get some nurses in here, and then we can start. Ok?"

"Ok. I just want this baby out."

"She'll be out soon."

The doctor stepped out of the room, and gathered 3 nurses, and another doctor. They prepped all of the materials, and the bed. Havana moved over to Letty's side, and a nurse was on the other. The doctor was sitting on a chair, at the end of the bed. Another doctor and a nurse were standing behind the first doctor, and the last nurse was at the warming station.

"Ok, let's see this baby. When you have the next contraction, I want you to push as hard as you can."

They waited another minute, and Letty pushed as hard as she could. She pushed for an hour, and still the baby wasn't coming out. Letty was starting to get really tired, but she wanted to see her baby.

"I can't do this anymore." Letty told Havana, tiredly.

"I know, but if you want her out, you have to keep going."

"Ok." Letty began pushing again, but after an hour more, the baby still wasn't coming, and her heart rate was going down.

"I know you don't want to hear this, but we're going to have to perform and emergency C-Section. If we don't, she could die." Dr. Diaz said.

"Just do it, I want her out and safe." Letty said.

"Ok." The doctors and nurses began to rush around, and get prepped to take her to the OR. One nurse put the end of the bed back on, and took the locks off of the wheels. After 5 minutes, they were all set, and began wheeling her to the OR. Havana had to stay in the room, to put on the scrubs. Letty was getting the epidural in the OR, and getting prepped for surgery. After she was prepped, Havana was able to go into the OR. Havana stood by Letty's side, and waited for them to begin.

"Are you ready to meet her?" Havana asked quietly.

"More than ready."

5 minutes later, the room was filled with the cries of a baby girl. The baby was lifted up over the curtain, and shown to Letty.

"She's beautiful." Letty said, with tears streaming down her face. The baby was taken to a small warming bed on the side of the room, and Havana followed her. Letty was stitched up, and the baby was taken out of the room, to be cleaned and swaddled. Letty was wheeled to recovery, and Havana came back with the baby.

"Hey, Let, how're ya feelin'?" Havana said.

"I'm still numb, so I can't hold her." Letty said.

"That's ok. You can still see her." Havana wheeled the cradle over, and showed the baby to Letty.

"She's beautiful."

"Do you have a name for her?"

"Yeah. Her name is Rylin-Avery Ana Toretto Ortiz."

"Wow, that's a long name."

"Yeah, I know, but I really like it."

"How do you spell it?"

"R-Y-L-I-N, hyphen, A-V-E-R-Y, A-N-A." Letty spelled.

"You decided to use mom's name."

"Yeah."

"When are you gonna tell Dom that she is here?"

"I'm gonna write a letter once the epidural wares off."

"K."

The epidural wore off a couple hours later, but Letty still wasn't able to hold her. She was, however, able to write a letter to Dom. Havana had taken a picture of Rylin, and Letty was going to attach it to the letter.

(Letter from Letty to Dom)

Hey Dom,

I had the baby today. She's beautiful. I went through an almost 29 hour labor, and I spent 2 of those hours, pushing. After 2 hours of pushing, her heart rate was stating to slow down, and the doctors were forced to perform and emergency C-Section. She was born at 11:28am. She weighed 7 pounds and 7 ounces, and was 19 inches long. She's beautiful. My sister helped me through the whole thing.

So about 4 months ago I drove up to San Francisco, and I ran into my sister, Havana at a coffee shop. I convinced her to move down here with her 2 kids, Parker who's 5, and Sydney who's 3. They've been living at the house. Mia babysits them, when Havana and I are at work.

Mia is turning out be a really good kid, not that she ever wasn't, but still. She says she wants to be a nurse, when she's older.

Anyway, the baby's name is Rylin-Avery Ana Toretto Ortiz. And yes, I put my name last. It's traditional. There's a picture attached the the back of the letter.

I really miss you, and I wish you were here with us. And don't worry, when she's older I'll show her pictures of you, so she knows who you are. I love you so much.

For daddy,

From Letty and Rylin-Avery

(End letter)

Letty had Havana mail the letter. That meant that Letty got some alone time with Rylin.

"Hi baby girl." Letty said softly, as she stroked the baby's check. At the sound of her mother's voice, Rylin-Avery woke up. "I wish I could hold you. Whatever happens, just know that mama loves you, and I always will."

Rylin-Avery started crying, a few minutes later, and Letty didn't know what to do. She tried giving her a pacifier, but Rylin wasn't taking it. She was forced to use the call button, to get a nurse.

"You called?" The nurse said, as she walked into the room.

"She's crying, and I can't pick her up."

"Ok. Let's see what's wrong." The nurse walked over to the cradle and looked at Rylin. "Hey cutie, do you need a diaper change?" The nurse checked her diaper, and sure enough, there was poop in it. The nurse showed Letty how to change her diaper, and swaddle her. Havana came back by then, and started to rock Rylin back and fourth.

"You're so good with her." Letty said.

"I've gotten a lot of practice." Havana said.

"Have you ever thought about having another kid?"

"Uh, maybe when I'm in my early 30s, and married. Right now, I am good with 2."

"Yeah."

"Do you think you'll have more?"

"Yeah, I do. Once Dom sees her, he's gonna want a million more, I already know it."

"How many more do you think he'll want, for real?"

"Maybe 3 more. I don't know, we'll see."

"That sounds good."

It had been 5 hours since Havana got back, and Letty was finally able to hold Rylin-Avery. Havana carefully put her in Letty's arms, and told her how to hold Rylin.

"Support her head." Havana said.

"I can't believe I'm a mom." Letty said.

"Well, you are."

Letty let out a few tears, when she looked at her daughter. She loved her so much, and she had just become a mom. After a few minutes of just holding her, Rylin started to fuss, and Havana said she was hungry.

"Uh, I don't know how to breastfeed."

"I'll get a nurse."

Havana stepped out for a second, and came back with a nurse.

"Your sister told me that you need help with breastfeeding, right." The nurse said.

"Yeah. I'm just now able to hold her, I don't know what I'm doing." Letty said.

"Ok. So you are probably gonna want to take off the whole top part of the gown, so that she can latch easily." Letty did as she was told, but she felt really uncomfortable showing her boobs to a complete stranger. "I can tell you're nervous, but don't be."

"Uh, ok."

"So, bring her up to your breast." Letty did so. "See how she automatically opened her mouth? That's how you know she's hungry."

"Ok."

"Put your nipple in her mouth, and tilt her head slightly up." Letty did that, and felt Rylin start to squeeze her nipple.

"Ow, that kinda hurts."

"That's normal. It usually hurts the first time. If it continues to hurt after the first few times, call a nurse. When she's finished, she'll start to push on your breast."

"Ok, thank you."

"You are very welcome." The nurse said as she left.

Rylin finished in about 30 minutes, and Letty pulled her top back up. Letty swaddled Rylin, and placed her back in the cradle.