Chapter 14

Ricky had been back for two days before he called Rachael. He had been thinking, long and hard. He wanted Rachael to let him keep his daughter, his baby girl. He wanted to leave the army after this deployment and take her back to New Jersey and raise her himself. The love that he felt for his unborn child was immense, and unbreakable. He wanted to keep her. More than anything he had ever wanted before, he wanted this little jewel.

On his third day back in the states, Ricky called Rachael. He wanted to tell her that he wanted to keep their child. His child. He wanted his precious little jewel, but he had told himself that he wouldn't steal her away from her mother. He didn't want to create that void in her life. Rachael had agreed to meet Ricky for lunch, at the same little café where he found out that she was pregnant.

They met at the exact same time (noon) and at the exact same table where they had sat some months ago. Ricky arrived at exactly 11:45, and sat at their table. At exactly 11:57, Rachael came walking in, wearing a red and white maternity dress. Ricky wore a pair of light wash, straight legged jeans and one of his tan uniform shirts. They looked like a normal couple having a normal day and meeting for a normal lunch date.

But this date wasn't normal, this date was going to decide the fate of their child, this date was a huge ass deal. "Hey," Rachael said. "You look good. Very army, but good." She laughed. Ricky smiled. "How have you been?" She wondered.

"I'm alive," he had said. "So I can't really complain. And thanks by the way. You look quite ravishing yourself. Pregnancy suits you." Rachael snorted and gave a chuckle. "Yeah, well, hopefully this is the last time I wear it for awhile," she replied. Ricky smiled at her. He hope so too, for her sake. She needed to live her life for awhile before she had a kid chained to her ankle.

"Have you decided if you're going to keep her?" Ricky asked. Rachael looked thoughtful, her brow creased in concentration. "I'm still not quite sure, to be completely honest. I know now that you were right, and there is no possible way that I could put her up for adoption, but I also don't want to have to take full time responsibility for a new little person. I don't know what I'm going to do, Carlos," she said carefully.

"I want her," Ricky blurted. "I mean, if you don't want her, or at least not all the time then I want to take her. You can visit her and she can even stay with you like twice a month or something but I want her." Rachael stared at him. She didn't know how to react to that, or how to break it to him that she didn't want him to have her baby.

"Carlos, you have a career to think of," she said gently. "Are you really willing to throw everything away for her? Because I don't think you are, and you shouldn't have to. You're doing so well in the army, you're positively blossoming. What else can you do though Carlos? How would you be able to provide for her and keep her with you?"

Ricky thought about her words. She was right, to an extent. He had never done anything but the army, it was all he knew, but that didn't mean he couldn't learn something else. He had been taking college courses online. He was about 4 months away from his business degree. But if he was taking care of his daughter, how would he have time to open a business.

Suddenly, Ricky realized that Rachael was right. He wouldn't be able to care for her and provide for her, there was no way. The realization broke his heart into a million little pieces. He didn't feel so good anymore. But he understood. He nodded at Rachael. "You're right," he said. "Okay. Well, then how about you marry me? We don't have to stay married for long, just long enough for you and her to get my military benifits and health coverage. After that, we can get a divorce and I'll send you child support so that you can be there for her and I'll provide for her."

Rachael assessed what he was asking for a moment and finally nodded. "Alright," she said. "I think that's a pretty damn good idea." Ricky gave her a half hearted smile. His entire world had been broken in half, but at least he would be able to make sure that his baby girl was well cared for.

"Have you decided on a name," he asked her. Rachael froze. "Oh my god, no! I didn't even think to pick one out. All this time I was trying to convince myself that I couldn't keep her so I never even thought to pick a name!" She fretted. Ricky blushed and looked at the table.

"I uh, I was thinking of one, but you don't have to use it. It's just a thought," he rushed. He peeked up through his lashes and she nodded at him to continue. "Well, uh, I've always thought of her as my little jewel right? So I was thinking why not name her Julianna Ámbar Citrina Manoso? Ámbar Citrina is Spanish for citrine amber, her birthstone."

Quite honestly, Rachael loved the name. It was beautiful. And she told him as much. "I love it," she told him. "You put a lot of thought into it and it's beautiful and meaningful. It's perfect." Ricky smiled. "I thought so too," he said. "And because Julianna is so long, we can call her Julie, at least while she's young. If she decides that she'd rather go by Julianna when she's older then that's fine too."

Rachael nodded laying a hand on her swollen abdomen, they would name her Julianna Ámbar Citrina Manoso she decided. She also decided that she was going to keep her, her little Julie. She didn't tell that to Ricky though, not yet. She decided she'd tell him after she was born.

«XX»

The day after they had lunch, Ricky and Rachael went to the court house and signed for a marriage license. They decided that they would get divorced as soon as Ricky was done with this deployment, which would be about four and a half more months.

On Saturday, two days after they signed for the marriage license, three days after their lunch date, Ricky was sitting on Celia's couch, watching Saturday morning cartoons on boomerang. He had always been obssessed with Jabber Jaws and Speed Buggy. They were a secret indulgence of his. Half way through his second episode of Jabber Jaws his phone started ringing. It was Rachael.

"Carlos, I'm having close contractions. I'm in the hospital right now, Julianna is on her way and if you wanna be here for it you better get your ass in gear," she griped. And then she hung up on him, before he could even respond. He stared at the phone for a second before her words sunk in and suddenly his eyes widened and he was up running through the house like a madman.

"Celia!! Celia, she's in labor!! Julianna is coming!!" He screamed, smile so wide that his face looked like it would split in two. "I'll be right down! Go wait in the car Ricky!" Celia screamed as she sprinted out of the kitchen, grabbing her purse and keys.

On the way to the hospital, Ricky was bouncing in his seat. He was so excited! His little girl was about to make her very first appearance and he couldn't help but feel blessed that he (and his closest sister) would be here to witness it. The only thing he could've asked for was his mama to be here with them instead of in Newark. Then everything would have been perfect.

«XX»

Ricky sprinted through the hospital doors before Celia had even shut off the car. He raced to the desk and told the nurse who he was looking for. She told him the room number and off he went again. After a couple minutes of searching, he finally found her room. Walking in Rachael was laying in the bed, already changed into a hopital gown and sweat beading on her forehead.

"You're lucky, fucker. You got here just in time. The nurse just left to get the doctor, I'm ready to push," she said hostilely. Ricky didn't mind though, and he didn't blame her. If he was about to push an eight pound, wiggly little being out of his body, he'd be cranky too. Real cranky.

Within minutes the doctor had arrived and Ricky sat beside the head of the bed in a chair, holding Rachael's hand. The nurses had set up a mirror so he and Rachael could see everything that went on down there.

Rachael pushed for a good hour before the doctors could see Julianna's little feet. She was a breach baby, just like Ricky had been. Almost all Manoso's come out headfirst, but Ricky and now Julie, where the only two that had ever come out with their feet first. Ricky teared up at the thought. Yes, this is definitely my little girl, he thought. She and I are birds of a feather. Two of a kind, the only two there are.

Ricky felt so connected to her in that moment that he almost burst into tears. He knew that he and Julie would be close, he could feel it. "One more big push," te doctor directed. "We're in the home stretch. Just a little more to go."

And he was right. With one last, final push, he heard the cry of his daughter. Her voice was the most beautiful sound that had ever reached Ricky's ears. "Would you like to cut the cord, daddy?" One of the nurses asked. He eagerly nodded and did as he was instructed. He had cut the last thing that teathered his daughter to her mother. She was now her own person. Free to do whatever she may please.

A lone tear dropped down Ricky's cheek. She was beautiful. She looked a lot like him, but there were little touches of Rachael there as well. "Hello Julie," he whispered. "I'm your Papi. It's nice to finally meet you." The nurses took her away from Ricky and cleaned her up, bringin her back in a white onesie with a little white beanie (toboggan) on her head.

The nurse placed her in Rachael's arms and Rachael cradled her to her chest. "Carlos, I'm keeping her. I can't let her go. I just can't," she said softly. Ricky understood, but that didn't mean that he wasn't heartbroken. He had still hoped that Rachael would let him keep her, even if he would have had some difficulties, he would have found a way to keep her.

Ricky nodded and gave Rachael a sad smile. "I had figured as much," he said. " As long as I can still come see her, I'm okay with that." Rachael nodded absently and ran a finger down her sleeping daughter's soft little cheek.

«XX»

Ricky spent his every spare second with his daughter for the next week. It was going to crush him to leave her, but he knew that it was for the best. He and Rachael were officially married now, and Julie had been given his last name. She was so beautiful. Her skin color just as dark as her father's and her big, bright eyes matched his as well. Her hair had the same slight wave and deep color, and the exact same silky feel.

Yes, there was no denying that Julianna Ámbar Citrina Manoso was Ricardo Carlos Manoso's daughter. And Ricky was over the moon about it.

«XX»

A/N: I know that this chapter has been one of the most awaited and I hope that you guys love it as much as I do. I named this chapter "A Nephilim Is Born" because a nephilim is a mythological/Biblical creature that is said to be half Angel half human and nephilim are known to have angelic beauty. Nephilim were said to be created when "a son of god went into a daughter of man and bore a child to her" meaning that a fallen angel got a mortal woman pregnant. I'm not trying to include supernatural elements in this story, however I absolutely love mythology and I feel like Ricky really is an angel with broken wings, therefore, his daughter should be an angelic creature all her own. Nephilim are known to be smart, strong and (normally) giant. Some theorize that Nephilim stood between 8 and 12 feet tall. Julie was born at 8 pounds, which helps further the reference, cause I feel like that's pretty big for a newborn. Once again though, just to be clear, there will be no supernatural or mythological elements to be found in this story. I'm just a geek. :) anyways, I hope you like the chapter and you have a great day/night where ever you may be. Until tomorrow my friends.