Between the prison time and the months I was forced to spend on a military base being evaluated then prepped for the next mission, I would be leading, I'd lost my freedom and had spent far too much time locked away from the people I love. A two-week leave had been issued to me before the military would deploy me for a covert mission. My parents were in town and Sara was throwing me a welcome home party. I planned to spend this week with them and the rest of my family in Miami. The next week I was going to fly to Seattle to spend time with Julie and hopefully Angel too. I had been in constant contact with Stephanie mostly through emails and some phone calls. Stephanie kept me up to date with Julie. My little girl was thriving under her loving care, Julie had made honor roll, was planning on trying out for spring track and gained a whole set of new friends. I was able to video chat with her a few times a week, usually before school because of the time zone difference. Babe was never around that early in the morning.

I woke up early that morning in my condo, I was still getting used to being at home. This place had been my home before I had moved Stephanie from Newark. The beach house I had was just a weekend get away, a nice place to entertain. The house had never been a home, and it was filled with bad memories now. I sold the furnished residence because it was some place I never wanted to visit again. It was 7:00 AM my stomach was growling and the refrigerator was empty. After I pulled on some clothes I drove to Whole Foods.

I was in line at the grocery store, there were two people ahead of me and one in back. Up ahead there was a mother who was juggling a small grocery basket filled with diapers, wipes, and baby formula. After slamming the basket onto the belt, the cashier rang up her purchases. She was shifting the small but extremely loud wailing infant in her arms, and the baby bag on her shoulder. Everyone was growing impatient, even the cashier. I watched as she stood with her back to the line, and fumbled through the baby bag to find her wallet. When she found it she tugged the corner from the bag it went flying to the floor all the contents spilled out.

"Damn it", she swore loudly, causing the baby to howl even louder. She dropped the baby bag to the floor and went down to her knees to retrieve her belongings and attempted to sooth the baby at the same time. No one moved to help. What was wrong with these people, I thought to myself. I pushed pass the line and handed the cashier my credit card.

"For the lady," I said.

Then I started to help the poor mother pick up her belongings. The young mother looked down to face me, and that is when I saw a familiar face. Sylvia Martin stood there looking a bit haggard, her long brown hair was slightly un-kept, and she had large dark circles under her eyes. Sure, I had every reason to resent her for all the drama she had caused With Angel's adoption. Her trying to get rid of Babe, and become the new lady in my life was appalling. The rift she had caused between me and Lester still hurt. To some, seeing Sylvia like this would have been hilarious, but right now all I could feel was compassion. Sylvia looked away, her face red with embarrassment and the baby wailed louder as if that were possible. I stood up and handed her the things I had picked up from the floor, and then accepted my card from the cashier. The cashier gave me my recipe, and I scooped up the bags.

"Were are you parked ?", I ask.

She looked confused for a moment and then pointed to her car. I took the keys from her hands when we got to her car, and opened her trunk setting the bags inside. Sylvia slouched against the car and slowly bounces the crying infant.

"Thank you," she said in a broken voice, her eyes refusing to meet mine. I'm so…

I put my hand up to tell her not to say anymore.

"It's already been forgiven and forgotten, take care of yourself and that baby," I said.

She shifted the baby in her arms, and he opened his little eyes and peered out at me. I knew those green eyes, they were Lester's eyes.

"Mind if I hold my cousins baby?", I ask.

She wordlessly handed me the baby, I put the little guy on my shoulder and gently rubbed his back. After a few minutes, he stopped crying.

"How did you do that?", she asked in amazement.

I shrugged "Does Lester Know?", I asked.

She went ashen and started to violently shake her head no.

"Lester is the devil, he is a cruel man", Sylvia told me in a hushed whisper.

"What do you mean?" , I said.

"When I called and told him that I was pregnant, he insisted that it was not his, then he mailed me a check for an abortion. After several months, he realized I had never cashed the one day he showed up at my apartment, he charmed his way in and pretended to be interested in the baby and co-parenting. Having him there was a relief because I was all alone. My family wants nothing to do with me or my bastard child. I thought he was happy to be having a son. Then out of nowhere, he attacked me, I think he was trying to kill us. He left me at the bottom of the stairs, unconscious and bleeding. I woke up in a hospital and that little guy was in the NICU. He was not due for another two and half months," Sylvia confided.

I looked at her in shock, I could not believe Lester would do something like that.

"He won't hurt you again, I assured her. His mother has been waiting a long time for a grandchild. When she finds out you're the woman who gave her one, she will make sure he does the right thing. Santos is more afraid of his mother than he is to me," I told Sylvia.

"Is he sleeping?", she asked, pointing to the tiny baby boy I was holding.

"Yes I think so", I answered looking down at him.

Sylvia opened the rear passengers door, and I placed the little guy in his car seat. She thanked me again, got into the drivers seat, started the car, and then drove away.

It was noon here on the East coast, so I knew Santos had to be in the office, I no longer had his personal number and the only way to get a hold of him was to call him on the job.

"Lester Santos, how may I help you", he said into to the phone.

"What's up Santos", I greeted him.

"Well if it isn't the silicone Don, charges never seem to stick to you man, " He chuckled.

"You have gotten away with you share of shit too Lester", I reminded him.

"What can I do for you Primo, I know you did not call just to shoot the breeze," Lester said.

"I ran into Sylvia Martin earlier today, and she told me you tried to kill her," I informed him.

Santos guffawed, "That whore tried to trap me with a kid that was not mine, if I wanted that bitch dead she would already be, I made my point. I could have really wiped her before she started tugging on your dick. I thought she was special, but hey it's, all the same, pussy different face right man", Lester said bitterly.

"You are a sick man Santos," I said.

"Hey I am in good company right Primo", Lester jested.

"I'll be in touch Lester", I said before ending the call.

The next day I picked Sylvia and the baby up for the party Sara was throwing. The entire drive she quietly fidgeted in her seat. I parked and got out of the car, Sylvia sat there in the passenger's seat, rubbing her legs. After getting the little guy from his cars seat, I walked around and opened Sylvia's door.

"Come o,n It is going to be fine, Tita Yersinia is going to love you. Like it or not, you're family now," I reassured her.

Sara ran out of the house happy to see me before I even got to the front door. Babe was right, she was different, there was a vibrancy in her I had never seen before. She ran up to me, and threw her arms around my neck, then cupped my face, placing a kiss on each of my cheeks. Sara looked at Sylvia and then at me, then raised an eyebrow.

"You remember Sylvia", I said.

"Good to see you again", Sara replied.

Sensing the tension, Sylvia blurted out, "Hi I am Lester's baby momma!"

Sara laughed ,snorted, and then escorted us into the house.

"I'm going to go find Tita Yersinia, before there is any more confusion" Sara announced.

"Everyone is out on the deck, stay here."

We waited until Sara came back with Tita Yersinia. Silently my aunt walked in, and eyed Sylvia suspiciously, then she took the baby from her arms and laid him on the couch. The little guy was wearing a red polo, and jeans with tiny red sneakers and a red baseball cap. He focused his little green eyes on Tita Yesinia cooed and smiled.

"Ahh que lindo , just like his papi , he likes to flirt, he is wearing red too, his daddies favorite color", she said with happy tears in her eyes before she pick him up and went outside.

Sylvia looked at me and then to Sara as Tita Yesinia walked off with her baby.

"You had better follow her, because if you don't you will not get your baby back until it's time to leave," I told her.

"Maybe not even then", Sara Joked.

The party was wonderful, I had not realized how much I had missed my family until today. We ate , laughed, and reminisced about old times. My mother dragged the photo albums out from Newark, and the nieces and nephews all got a kick out of making fun of the throwback pictures. My family passed around the newest member, little Fernando Santos, and they all did their best to make Sylvia feel welcomed. The house was filled with love, laughter and warmth, I had enjoyed the day.

At the end of the night, I took Sylvia home, I walked her to her apartment, and helped her haul all of the leftovers that my sister had packed up for her, along with the baby bag.

"Thank you she said, you have no idea how much I needed this, thanks for everything you have done for me. I would really like to talk to Stephanie to apologize, I judged her without having any idea how hard being a single mother was. She is an amazing woman, and I have no idea where she found the strength to save Angel when she was going through so much herself, " Sylvia confessed.

"I am going to see next her week, I said. I can let her know for you, " I offered.

"That would be great, but it would be better if I could tell her myself, " Sylvia said.

"I will see what I can do," I said before giving her a hug and heading home.

It felt good to help someone and to give Sylvia peace. Maybe there was still hope, perhaps I could earn my cape back one day.