Great reviews again and thank you! Okay, some of you were getting really close the last couple of chapters, and guessed parts of Stephanie's story. Like I've said, over and over in this saga; the level of creative thinking was incredible with all of you reader pals. I'm really glad you enjoyed this story and thank you for staying with it.

A reviewer, ThinkAboutItBabe referred to this last chapter as the "grand explosion", and that kind of says it perfectly.

Alix33 is coming up behind me and cleaning up my punctuation. Thanks girl!

Warning - This is the chapter that requires either a box of tissue or a roll of what I call, TP (toilet paper).

Chapter 18

We had a full day scheduled and I regretted having to wake Stephanie. She was sleeping not like she used to, like she hadn't slept in a very long time. When she woke today, the change in just the way she looked was miraculous. She actually looked a few years younger.

We took Angel to have the MRI done first, then headed to the office that would do her hearing screening and testing. We were there for about two hours, and Angel was cranky and sleepy by the end. As soon as I put her in her car seat, she was asleep.

I asked Stephanie, "You want to take her back to the house and go eat someplace fun before your appointment with Dr. Ortiz?"

She nodded. "That would be nice. Could we have some more Cuban food? That was so good, I just wasn't able to enjoy it much that day."

I smiled. "Sure, Babe. I'll even call ahead and let them know we're coming."

We dropped Angel off with Betina, Julie and Lula. Tank and Lester had gone into the Miami office to spend the day. While we were there, I got a call from Dr. Canalis. "Hello, Dr. Canalis. I'm sure you didn't get the results of the tests back this soon. We just got back."

He sighed. "That's correct, Mr. Manoso. I got the results back from her blood work, and the MRI was just delivered. I checked them both together, and I know why she suffered hearing loss. I'll use the audio test results of course when treating her. It was non-genetic and happened after she was born."

I asked, "What happened? An injury?"

"No, it was jaundice. A simple test at birth can determine if a newborn has jaundice, and needs treatment or a blood transfusion to prevent brain damage or hearing loss. It's a shame that it wasn't caught before damage occurred."

I was speechless for a moment. "What… What is the treatment that you recommend from here?"

"We'll try hearing aids first and see how she responds to them. Later, we may consider the cochlear implants. She'll be fitted with what we call BTE aids or behind the ear. She may likely get very good results just from those."

"How soon can she be fitted?"

"I can go ahead and have my office assistant make an appointment with a provider we recommend if you like."

"Please do that, and thank you again."

I disconnected and went in search of Stephanie. She was in the kitchen, laughing with Julie and Lula. Julie was entertaining them with one of her corny little jokes. I hated to interrupt. "Babe, I need to talk to you a minute."

We walked into the living room and I said, "I got a call from Dr. Canalis and the answer for Angel's deafness."

Her eyes were wide. "You did? What is it?"

"It was simple jaundice, a condition that many babies have at birth. They do a test for it as soon as a baby is born and treat it if necessary."

Her face dropped and tears formed in her eyes, and she put her head in her hands. "Oh God, it's all my fault. If I had taken her immediately to a hospital, and given her up, she'd have her hearing and be healthy right now."

"Babe, you were shocked when you found her, and not thinking straight. How were you to know?"

"It doesn't matter. I'm a terrible person and mother. She was sick and I was being selfish. She deserves better than me. Any child deserves better than me!"

She turned and ran up the stairs. I watched her go, not really yet understanding her thinking at that time or now. The news that the Dr. gave us wasn't grave by any means. Angel could be fitted with hearing aids, and possibly begin hearing us immediately. I looked at my watch, we didn't have much time to get to her appointment.

I knocked on her bedroom door. She opened the door swiping tears from her eyes. "We need to get to your appointment, Babe."

"Okay, give me just a minute. I'll be right down, and you can tell me the rest of what the doctor said on the way."

I nodded. "I will, and it's not all bad. He has a plan."

I stood when I thought I heard sobbing coming from inside Dr. Ortiz's office. Over a few minutes, it just got louder and kept going on. I didn't know whether to be happy or concerned after a while. Something they were talking about was making her cry like that, and I never considered Stephanie a very emotional woman.

I sat there for nearly an hour and then the outside door opened and in walked Derek. "Ranger, Dr. Ortiz called and asked if I would be available to sit in as support for you. She has extended the session for another hour so we can all talk. Stephanie's session today revealed much that directly involves you, and Dr. Ortiz has encouraged Stephanie to talk about it with you now."

My brows furrowed and then I felt shame at what was going to be revealed about me in front of both of these professionals. Had I really realized that I, personally, had hurt her this much? I slowly stood and Derek knocked on the door and opened it, motioning for me to step in.

Before Stephanie looked away from me, I saw that her face was red, and she was still quietly sobbing. Dr. Ortiz pointed and said, "Sit down Mr. Manoso. I hope you don't mind me calling Dr. Sacks. I wanted you to have support here for this talk as well."

Support? Or the women want someone else present to witness my humiliation? I very reluctantly sat down in the chair next to Derek.

Dr. Ortiz looked at Stephanie. "Stephanie, are you now composed enough to talk to Ranger, and tell him your story?"

She sniffled and said in a shaky voice, "Give me just a minute, please." Her story? She was finally going to tell her story. I looked at Dr. Ortiz while we were waiting and then down at the coffee table and noticed a little ornate looking box with a pair of angel wings on it. It was curiously shaped for a trinket box.

Stephanie dropped a tissue in the trash can next to her and reached for another out of a box on the coffee table. She fussed with it as she opened her mouth to begin speaking, but didn't look up at me. "After Bobby was killed, I tried to contact you. I just wanted to apologize to you and to Lester. Joe said all those things Lester said were true. He told me that you were done with me, and so was the Trenton police department where my bounty hunting career was concerned. I wouldn't get help like I'd gotten before again. When I didn't hear from you, I eventually just quit my job."

She wiped her nose and continued. "I was having a hard time finding a new job. Rumors were floating around, and that reporter guy wrote an article about me. Even people I knew said that they were afraid to hire me because they were afraid for their businesses. I hung on for as long as I could. Rex died and then I ran out of money, and had to give up my apartment. I really hated doing that, there were so many memories there. Plenty of bad ones, but there were good memories of you..."

I sighed. Lester didn't mean everything he'd said. He was hurt and emotional that day. "Stephanie..."

Before I could finish, she said, "Please don't say anything yet or I won't be able to do this."

She still wasn't looking at me. "Go ahead..."

"After I moved in with Joe, I kept beating the streets, and knocking on doors, looking for a job. Less than a month there, I started getting sick a lot, and I couldn't hardly keep anything down. The next month, I knew why. I was pregnant."

What? But she told Lula that she was trying not to get pregnant. Before I could say a word she spoke again. "I already know what you're thinking, and no, I didn't tell Lula and Tank the real truth. I didn't want them to know about this, because I didn't want you to know."

I said, "Alright. I'm still listening. Tell me the rest of your story, Babe."

"I tried to hide it, but Joe figured it out a little over a month later. He was all excited, and didn't want to wait for a big 'burg wedding now that he had me where he wanted. He rushed us off to Las Vegas for a quickie wedding, and our mothers planned a big reception for us when we got back. He never really even asked me if I wanted to get married. I just had no choices left at that time. I did it in the end because he swore on his mother's life, not to tell anyone that I was pregnant. I didn't want the whole 'burg gossiping about me for the duration of my pregnancy. I just wanted to lay low, and try to prepare myself for such a huge life change. I was scared, people died and got hurt around me. Over time, I really believed what Lester said that day."

She stopped and asked for something to drink, and Dr. Ortiz opened a small fridge and gave her a bottle of water and handed one to the rest of us. She took a drink, and let out a sob and apologized. Dr. Ortiz said, "You don't need to apologize. Take your time, Stephanie."

She nodded and began to speak again. "The pregnancy went pretty easy, and I found myself beginning to get used to it. Maybe even had hope that things would turn out alright, and I would be a good mother. It had been hard keeping the pregnancy from Angie and Bella. In the beginning, they were over at the house all the time. Bella was doing the white glove tests, and Angie would check the fridge, cabinets, and the laundry. It was miserably intrusive, but not a big surprise. Grandma Mazur, with her eagle eyes, was the only one that was really looking at me different, but she never said a word during the pregnancy."

She stopped, took a deep breath, and when she breathed out, it was on another heavy sob. "At seven months, I was wearing one of Joe's big shirts, and trying not to look like I was waddling while out walking Bob. Suddenly, these severe cramps hit me, and almost slammed me to the concrete sidewalk."

She stopped again as tears began to appear from the corners of her eyes. "I almost didn't make it back without collapsing outside. I made it in the front door, Bob half pulling me in before I fell. My cell was in my purse upstairs, so I crawled to the kitchen to get to the phone there, when it happened..."

She stopped and a great, wracking, sob erupted from here. "Babe, you're doing good. What happened? Did the baby come?"

She looked up at me then and nodded, tears rolling down her cheeks, dropping into her lap. "I felt her coming, and barely got my pants down when she slid right out into my hands. I was shocked, and shaking, and she was so tiny, and didn't look right. Trying to think fast, I opened her little mouth and reached my finger in to clear it. Then grabbed the towel off the oven handle and wiped her tiny face, and frantically began trying to give her CPR. But she was gone. I knew it before I called anybody. Ranger, she was so beautiful, she was an angel...and she looked like you."

What she was saying slammed me like a freight train, and I looked down at the little box with the angel wings on it. Oh, Dios me perdone! I couldn't get my breath. A memory of the last night I'd spent with Stephanie flashed in my mind. It was just weeks before Bobby was killed and I'd stopped by her apartment. She'd gotten banged up, and I had laid down with her, and one thing sometimes led to another when I was that close to her.

I stood and headed for the door. Dr. Ortiz said, "Mr. Manoso, please stay. I realize that this is very shocking and difficult for you, but telling you this story is a big step for her and she's not finished."

I said over my shoulder. "I am for the moment, and I need some air. Right now..." Then I opened the door and walked out.

Before I got to the elevator, a voice said, "Ranger, I don't know the rest of the story, but would venture to guess that this woman has suffered greatly, alone. As painful as it may be, you owe it to her to at least listen to the rest."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Never in my life, not even in battle, had I wanted to escape so damn bad from a situation. Because this was an emotional situation, a place where I didn't like to go. Then like the fucker was reading my mind, he said, "I get that you're emotional and uncomfortable, but can you imagine how hard this is for her? She's likely been carrying around that little box along with a heavy burden for a long time. If you care for her, show her your softer side and support her by just listening. I don't think she would be here unless she was important to you. This can build a small bridge, bonding you, and help both of you more than you realize."

I growled under my breath and turned. I mumbled as I passed him, "You better be right or you're fired..."

I walked back in the room and Stephanie looked up at me with fear in her eyes. I said, "I'm sorry, you just caught me by surprise and that's hard to do. I do want to hear what happened after."

She seemed reluctant when she asked, "Are...are you sure."

"Yes, Babe. I'm sorry I wasn't there when you needed me."

She looked sad and shrugged. "You're not alone. Nobody was there, Ranger."

"Please continue," I said.

She nodded and started again. "I just called Joe, like I said, I knew she was gone. I had my wits about me enough to know that calling an ambulance would just begin a huge wave of gossip that would hurt him, and he was already going to be devastated times two. I knew that by making that call that my marriage, and my life with him would be over for good. And it was."

She took a drink of water. "He was so hurt when he saw that baby. I'll never forget the pain on his face, and the way he looked at me. We weren't off when the baby was conceived, I cheated on him. He never said a word at the time. He got a towel and wrapped the baby in it, and drove us to a hospital outside of Trenton. They checked the baby, and confirmed that it was still-born, then checked me, and asked where we wanted the remains sent. I cried as Joe asked them if they would send her to a local crematory, and mail the remains to us. He didn't talk to me on the way home, just dropped me off and left.

The next morning he came home and woke me from a restless sleep. He said with little emotion, "I don't want anyone to know. You've humiliated me enough, and I won't put his baby to rest with my name on the death certificate or the marker. I made a phone call to make sure of that. You'll put the baby to rest under your name, yourself. I'll be seeking a discreet annulment, and you will leave my house. And Stephanie, I don't want to ever see you again, I don't care if that means you leaving Trenton."

She paused a moment and took a drink. "And that was it. I went to my parents house and stayed a few days. Grandma Mazur came to me one day and asked about my pregnancy, and I told her that I lost the baby and it wasn't Joe's. I told her that Joe asked me to leave town. She was sad for me, but told me that there were consequences for our actions when they hurt other people. The next day, the three of them asked to talk to me. My parents would hardly look at me, and my Mom was crying. Daddy said, "Pumpkin, your grandma talked to us because you're going to need our help. I'm sorry, but Joe has every right to be angry with you. He's also right, that you should leave Trenton. If a scandal like this ended up in the paper, it would be bad for you and the family. Your mother has been through enough. All she ever wanted was for you to be happy. Stephanie, not only are you not happy, you're leaving a trail of carnage for other people. So, we're going to give you some money to help get you started. Maybe you could go back to Newark where your old job was, and you know some people."

She took another drink and sniffled. "Before I even left, that reporter guy found me again, and said he knew I had a secret. He wouldn't tell me what he knew, but he told me what I had to do to keep him from printing it." Then she snorted, followed by this demented sounding laughter.

"Ha! Turns out he didn't know shit. Just printed an exaggerated version of his first story. I was training for my new career before I even got to Newark."

She looked up at me with the saddest eyes. "I was reminded over and over again, that I got Bobby killed. I've left carnage, so many dead bodies. I probably killed Rex, and our baby. I made Angel deaf, and I'm so sorry, Ranger."

Then she began to sob again. I was angry now because of what she'd been through, and alone. I knew just from my association with her that the fucking 'burg was like a savage jungle. What a self-centered jerk I am. I walked over and picked her still frail body up off the chair, and sat down placing her on my lap while she cried. I put my arms around her. "You had nothing to do with her death. It was probably just a gentle act of God. There was likely something wrong with her like Bobby. You never got to put her to rest, did you?"

She looked at the little box on the table and shook her head. "No, and it bothered me so much until I found Angel. She looked almost identical to our own little angel. I couldn't give her up. I felt like she'd been given back to me again."

Now I understood everything she'd said up until this moment, the slap, it all made sense. While we'd suffered the loss of a friend, a friend that we would have lost in time anyway; she'd been suffering loss, over and over again.

I rested my head against hers and said, "We'll put our baby to rest under our names, Babe. Then we'll give Angel a good home, and we'll both earn our redemption for our wrongs in her name, and the one that we lost. I promise that I'll be with you when you suffer loss the next time."

I kissed her forehead and then the tears off her cheeks. "I know I always told you that I love you in my own way, but what I didn't tell you was that I've never loved anyone else the way I love you..."

The End

How long does it take to soften a heart? A moment...

And, may Bobby rest in peace, and a tiny little angel representing hope and love, and most important, redemption, continue to watch over this new family...