The waiting room was almost empty now. Everyone had gone home except for George, Ashley, Ben and Ricky's foster mother, Margaret. It was well over visiting hours but they all refused to leave. Ben was still gazing at the ward doors.

"It's driving you crazy that he's back there isn't it?" Ashley asked him.

"No" Ben lied.

"That's his baby." Ashley said.

He tore his gaze away from the doors and looked at Ashley.
"That's his baby, but that's my Amy."

"She might be your Amy, but she is having his baby." She told him, "and he should probably be there for the birth of his baby." She paused before adding "Besides, he's already seen her.. yeah, anyway it won't be as awkward."

Ben glared at her for a moment but didn't say anything.

On the other side of the room, George was discussing the baby and Ricky with Margaret.
"He had better be there for that baby every step of the way." George told her.

"Ricky wants to be there for his child, George. I think he has made that clear. Do you know how long we have been trying to get him to find a job? He's really putting in the effort into caring for this baby." Margaret said. "He's becoming very responsible, he knows he has to be."

"Yeah," muttered George "Why couldn't he and Amy have been responsible 9 months ago at Band Camp."
He looked over at Ashley.

"Ashley," he yelled, "You are never going away to camp."Margaret said.

"These things happen George; we just have to learn to deal with them. And we'll help out with the baby whenever you, Amy or Anne want us to, just ask."

George looked at her.
"You really love Ricky don't you?" he asked her.

"Of course," she said with a smile, "Ricky is our son, which makes his son our grandson."George stared off to the ward doors.
"Can you believe it.. We're going to be grandparents." George said in a daze.

He turned back to Margaret.
"You know, Ricky isn't all that bad.. I don't think I really gave him a chance." He told her.

"Because he got your daughter pregnant," Margaret replied "it's understandable."George said, shaking his head.

"Don't remind me."

A phone rang behind the secretary's desk.
"Hello? Yes, sure. One moment."
*Beep*
"Dr. Hightower, Amy Juergans is ready for you."
They all looked at each other.

_

After 12 long hours of labor, it was time. Ricky felt sick. He thought he might pass out from the nerves. Finally, he was about to become a father. Finally, he was about to hold his son in his arms.

Amy was holding on to Anne's hand.
"Amy, you can do this." Anne reassured her.

Dr. Hightower entered the room.
"Amy! Are you ready?" she asked her.

Amy didn't say anything, just groaned. She wanted the discomfort and pressure to all go away.
"Alright let's get situated then." Dr. Hightower said.

She was putting on a gown. Nurses were running around checking monitors and putting a sheet over Amy's belly. Ricky figured this was his cue to leave. He leaned over the rail of the bed and squeezed Amy's hand. She looked at him before squeezing her eyes shut tight in pain.

"You'll be okay Amy." Ricky said to her softly.

"Yeah, easy for you to say Ricky; you don't have to do this." She snapped.

She wanted it to be over. She was hungry, she was so tired, and she did not want to do this. Ricky felt bad; she had a reason to snap at him, if it hadn't been for him, she wouldn't be going through this right now. He turned to leave the room. Amy wouldn't need him there; she had her mom there coaching her along the way. She probably wouldn't want him to see her.. exposed.. again, anyway. She was shy about it the last time, and this time would even be worse. He was just turning the door handle when he heard
"Ricky?"
He turned around. Amy was looking over at him.
"Where are you going?"His face turned pink, he thought he might cry at that very moment. She did want him there.
He walked back over to her.
"I.. I thought you'd want me to wait in the hall.." he told her.

"No. Stay. Please." She said, grabbing his hand with her free one.

Anne looked at him and smiled.

"I'm not going anywhere." He said to her.

Dr. Hightower came over, fully decked out in gown, gloves and mask.
"Okay Amy," she said. "Let's meet your baby."

_

Ricky stared down, half in a daze, at his newborn son screaming and wiggling on top of Amy's belly.

"Ready to cut the cord, papa?" Dr. Hightower asked beaming at him.

A nurse handed him the medical scissors, which he took in a very shaky hand.

"Okay, cut right here." She showed him.
Ricky cut the cord, and looked over at Amy.

"Hiiii baby." She said, smiling at her newborn.
"He'll be over here" a nurse said, picking up the baby. "We'll get him all cleaned up.""Amy, you were wonderful!" Anne told her, with tears in her eyes, pushing the bangs out of Amy's face. "I am so proud of you."
She smiled at Ricky and walked over to the nurse cleaning up her grandson.

Amy looked up at Ricky and gave him a very tired but happy smile. Ricky leaned over, and kissed her on the forehead. He ran his finger around her cheek, the way he did on their first day of school, tucking her hair behind her ear.
"Thank you." He said to her.

Amy smiled at him and nodded, leaning back onto her pillow, relieved that her pain was over. Ricky walked over beside Anne and looked at his son. He was undeniably Ricky's baby. He had a head of dark hair, Ricky's mouth, and Ricky's ears.

"Congratulations Ricky!" Anne said, giving him a hug.

"Thanks." He said, smiling at her.

He walked up to his son and put a finger up to the baby's small hand. Instantly, the baby grabbed on to it. Ricky felt his heart swell. Here it was, the moment he had been waiting for for months, the moment he got to meet his baby, his son, the little person he and Amy had made together.

"Alright, here you go Daddy." A nurse said, handing Ricky his son, bundled up in a blue blanket.

Ricky took him in his arms. He stood there staring at him, he couldn't stop. It was unbelievable that he was actually holding his baby. The baby stopped crying and opened his eyes. Ricky's heart melted. These were the eyes that had once melted his heart before, the only other time Ricky had felt that way, at Band Camp. He smiled down at his baby, tears stinging his eyes.

"Hi son." He told him.

He walked over to Amy and placed the baby in her arms. She immediately glowed.
"Hi baby" she whispered to him, "Mommy's glad to finally meet you."

Anne walked over and leaned on the rail of the bed.
"Oh Amy, he's beautiful." She told her.

"He looks like Ricky." She said petting the baby's dark head of hair, she looked up at Ricky. "Look at all this hair!"

Ricky smiled. He didn't know if he could even speak, and if he did he might cry right there in front of everyone, because, for the first time in his life, he felt proud; proud of himself, proud of Amy, and proud of the little baby that was looking up at him in Amy's arms. They had made it through this roller coaster ride.

"Ricky?" Amy repeated, snapping him out of his thoughts. "What do you want to name him?" she asked.

"Oh.."

Ricky hadn't even thought about names. He figured Amy already had one picked out.

"It doesn't matter to me, Amy, whatever you like, I'll like." He told her.

Amy looked down at her baby.

"Hm.. she said to him, you look like a…"