Rachel was waiting with Marion at Abuela Rosa's as Ric arrived at his Abuela's after leaving Stephanie's. Marion obviously thought he had come to give Abuela bad news about Lester.

"Before you ask, no, I can't tell you anything about Lester, not because I am not allowed, which is true, but because there is no news." He told her.

Marion nodded, acknowledging his words. "That isn't why we're here." She paused as if trying to think of the best way to start.

"Marion?" Ric was tired- he and Stephanie hasn't slept much and he really wanted to shower and sleep.

"Ricky, Rachel needs to speak with you." Marion began. "Abuela is at church so we have some time before she gets back."

Rachel looked as if she had been sobbing for hours.

"What's happened?" Ric said to Rachel gently.

"My mother and step father turned me out… I couldn't hide it anymore" Rachel sniffled.

"Couldn't hide what?" Ric hoped nobody was hurting this girl.

"I am pregnant… we are having a baby." All the air rushed out of Ric's lungs like he had taken body blows. When he finally could think he felt his anger seep into his words,

"Rachel- we were together MONTHS ago. Why didn't you tell me sooner- as soon as you found out?" Before I fell in love with Stephanie. Holy fuck- how would he explain to his new lover that he had a child on the way.

"I didn't want you to tell me… to tell me… to murder our child…" Ric heard the tremor in her voice.

"Rachel I would never ask that of anyone… God!" He was honorable, but then how could Rachel know that? They only met once.

"My parents said I should- they took me to the clinic but I am too far along… And they ordered me out of their home- that I was a slut, a whore, a waste… it was horrible." Rachel was sobbing now.

"How can your parents make you have an abortion? You're an adult and can make your own choices."

Rachel went silent.

"Ricky, that's just the issue." Marion began. "When I told you Rachel was a junior and wanted to be a nurse, I made it seem like she was in college. But…"

Rachel interrupted. "I asked her to- I really wanted to be with you. She pointed you out and I wanted… My boyfriend broke up with me when he left for college… I just needed…" She stopped before finishing her statement and nobody said anything.

Ric's voice was cold as ice when he finally asked in very quietly, "Exactly how old are you, Rachel?"

Rachel took a step back from him and Ric looked her over.

It was like she was afraid to tell him.

Marion finally spoke up, "Rachel's birthday was last week. She just turned seventeen."

Ric wanted to vomit. Holy good mother of God! He fucked a minor! And she was pregnant with his child- Christ Almighty God- she was still a child herself. As a 24 year old, he could be charged with Statutory Rape here in Florida. He could be court-martialed for what he did. Fucking Marion! This could ruin his life.

And Rachel.

Homeless and pregnant. With his child. Fuck!

In a voice that could have frozen water, Ric growled, "Marion, it is time for you to leave. And Prima, you lied to me. I will not forget that you betrayed me and that you cannot be trusted." Marion started to say something but Ric's glare had her scurrying away after a brief hug for Rachel. He would never forgive his cousin- she knew Rachel was just a kid, damn it.

After Marion's retreat, Ric took Rachel in his arms and kissed the top of her head.

"Everything will be alright. I will ask Abuela to let you can stay here. I will need to find out what paperwork is needed for the Army, and we will need your mother's consent since you are underage but as soon as everything is squared away, we will marry and you and the baby will have my name. We will get housing at Fort Benning and I will support you both. Everything will be okay." Starting RangeMan would take longer as a married man with a baby. But everything would work out.

Except for Stephanie. Ric was in love with Stephanie, and Stephanie was in love with him. And he would be getting married to a child he barely knew. Damn.

Valarie arrived two weeks after Ric's wedding to Rachel. Tank, as Ric has taken to calling Broussard, served as Best Man. Then Tank and the "happy couple" drove back to Benning. Stephanie tried not to think about his visit the evening after they made love. He was breaking his own heart as well as hers as he told her what he had done. How he ruined the life of a very young girl and now had to make it right, no matter what it cost him. Or her.

Since Val never rarely called, she missed all the recent happenings. And Stephanie was completely stunned by her sister's slightly rounded belly.

"Val- you're pregnant! Is it…" Stephanie can't make her brain work. Lula's mouth was in a big circle.

Val shakes her head a little. "Lester's. Happened in Vegas- guess this won't stay there, huh?"

Stephanie was once again grateful for her monthly Depo shots. But Val had even more stunning news.

"Steve and I are getting married." Val announced. "After he is finished at the rehab center, in the new year. I came down to finish out some projects for work, then I will return to Trenton and we will get married. Our moms will organize everything. The only thing I will need to do is find a dress."

"Steve is okay with raising another man's child?" Stephanie didn't think it sounded like the selfish man she knew, but maybe after the accident things changed.

"Girl, you got fired from that job after you left for New Jersey. And how you gonna do that to Lester? Just marry another man?"

"Lester is missing and probably dead. And Steve needs me. And now we are even. He had a fling and I had a fling." All the girls acknowledged that Lester might well be dead.

'But you are having Lester's child… aren't you?" Stephanie asked.

"Of course I am- that's why I'm here."

"I don't understand." Lula expressed.

"I told Steve that Mom will plan the wedding with his mom, and that I will have tied up everything at work and resign at the end of the year. By then he will be home again and we can get married."

"Again, you told us American Express fired you."

"Steve doesn't know that. Anyway, I figure I will stay here till the baby is born and then go home and marry Steve."

"What about the baby, Val?" Lula asked the obvious question.

"I thought I would just leave it with Abuela Rosa and let Lester's family raise it. Since they don't have him anymore…" Val's voice faultered.

"Oh Val, can you do that? Won't it break your heart?"

"My heart is already broken. Lester and I had magic together and now he's gone. And I can't be a single mom. I am just not that strong a person. Plus, finally, Steve is ready to get married."

"We don't know Lester isn't coming back." Stephanie hated the thought he might be dead.

"I can't take the chance on Someday. I have to think of now."

The three woman went back and forth about Lester, Steve and horrible choices.

Finally, Lula said, "Girl, we need a better plan if we are gonna keep anyone from Trenton finding out your business." Lula's mind went to work. "We need a phone line that can be your "work" line."

"And you should go into the hospital as me." Stephanie said firmly. "That way nobody will ever know the baby is yours."

"You would do that for me?" Val's eyes filled with tears.

"Of course I will, Val. And I will keep the baby as mine. I love you."

"But what about Ric?"

"Girl that is another really long, sad story. We are gonna need donuts for that story." Lula grabbed her keys to go buy them some sugar.

"He Got MARRIED?!" Val's voice rose an octave.

"Two weeks ago." Stephanie said before biting into her Boston Cream

"He got MARRIED?!" It was like the words just would not register.

"To Rachel." Lula confirmed. "They got married in Doña Rosa's garden."

"But he loves you." Val said to her sister.

"He does." Stephanie stated, feeling a stinging behind her eyes as she willed away tears.

"And you love him." Val would ask that.

"I do." Stephanie whispered, as tears fell.

"Oh my God, how tragic…" Val shook her head.

Stephanie took another bite. "I take comfort in the fact that he thinks he is doing the right thing. As much as it breaks my heart."

"Yeah- Rachel's parents about evicted her when she told them. She showed up at Doña Rosa's with only the clothes on her back- - poor girl is only seventeen. His cousin had told Ric she was in college, a junior. Tank said Ric is pissed at the cousin, but has been nothing but kind to Rachel." Lula pushed the donuts to Stephanie.

"And they moved into Base housing at Fort Benning right after the wedding. Mary Lou promised to take her under her wing as I asked her to- She and Bobby live only two doors down from them. They will be pregnant together." Stephanie grabbed another donut.

"Oh, Stephanie. I am so sorry."

"Ric and I weren't meant to be. And let's face it, if I was in Georgia, I couldn't help you."

What a mess!