All familiar characters belong to Janet. Mistakes are solely mine.
"Stop it," Stephanie ordered me.
"Stop what?"
She shot me a look over our kids' heads. "I can tell by looking at your eyes that you were thinking something I might not find funny."
"First of all, I have no sense of humor. Second, I didn't think I'd need to pack sunglasses in preparation for our son's birth."
"It wouldn't matter if you did pack them, Dad," Julie added. "You can't hide from us. We'd still be able to tell that you're amused because your eyes would be crinkling at the corners which poke out from behind your sunglasses."
"I would tell you to stop teasing your father, mi nieta," my mother told Julie. "But it's good for him to play a little. He's had to be too serious for too long."
"No one is allowed to be serious today," my wife decided. "We're all celebrating that our baby is here and healthy and my body is back to being a single dwelling."
My father coughed into his fist, but that wasn't enough to keep his laughter in check. Steph smiled at him and then got back to Olivia's inspection of her baby brother.
"I promise, Olive, your brother is a baby just like you used to be except he's a boy like Daddy. Do you remember what we talked about? About your kiss spot?"
Even exhausted and in pain, Stephanie has surprised me. "Kiss spot?" I asked.
"Yup. I told Olive that she gets to pick a spot on her brother's head that's all hers to kiss."
It was definitely a different route from the slaps/punches exchanged out of love between me and my siblings. Our sisters 'affection taps' were one-sided because my brother and I learned early on that you protect those smaller or weaker than you. My parents didn't acknowledge the fact that Celia packed a punch that took out any kid threatening her little brothers at school or along the route going to and coming back from it.
"That's so sweet," Julie said, coming to sit at the foot of the hospital bed. "Do I get a spot too?"
She was teasing but also dead serious.
"Yes," Steph said with no hesitation. "I'm hoping you both aim for his forehead because I can't stop kissing his little cheeks. And I doubt your grandmother will be able to resist them either. We'll need to give them a break at some point."
"I kiss him dere," Olivia stated, leaning forward to place a not-so-gentle kiss right above Jace's left eyebrow, marking her sisterly territory.
"Oh, Stephanie, you are such a special person," Mama Manoso told her.
"Special with a capital 'S' or all lowercase letters that are italicized?"
"I will not dignify that question with a response."
"Good answer. And a smart one since you haven't heard our son's name yet," I told my mother.
Julie smacked her palm against her forehead. "I should've asked that first. Did you pick what we talked about?"
"Yes, but we also wanted to surprise you," Steph told her. "Manoso family, meet the newest member ... Jace Sandino Manoso."
My mother and my daughter's mouths made a similar 'O' shape as the name sunk in. "You remembered?" Mama Manoso asked me.
"Although it may not have seemed like I was paying attention growing up, I never forgot how much one fishing town in Cuba influenced our family," I began.
"And once Ranger shared some of his Abuela's stories with me," Steph added, "it was a no-brainer to keep the family memories and spirit alive with our son. Plus, Jules needed a 'J' buddy. J & J anything has all kinds of possibilities when it comes to a business name. J.J.& O. is an even catchier choice. In case I was too subtle, I'm counting on all three of you being and staying close throughout your entire lives."
"Are you trying to shift our kids away from taking over Rangeman when I decide to retire?" I asked Steph.
"Like you'd ever retire? But no. I'm just putting it out there that we'll support whatever they want to do even if it veers far from our path ... as long as they still take care of each other."
Julie smiled to reassure or just placate Stephanie. "We Manosos stick together. Isn't that right, Olive? You, me, and Jace are gonna be best friends till the end."
"Jay-Jay?" Olivia said to us.
"You added an extra syllable to your baby brother Jace's name instead of shortening it," Steph said, hugging our daughter with her free arm, "but you can call him Jay-Jay if you want to. Daddy calls you Olivia, but you'll always be Mama's little Olive."
"Olive here."
"You are. We're lucky to have you, Julie, and now Jace. I don't think anyone can argue that we have the best kids ever made."
"I would have to say our children are the best," my father pointed out, laying a hand on my shoulder and then pulling me into a half-hug. "Since your kids are an extension of one of ours, I will whole-heartedly agree."
My parents moved in but let Olivia and Julie stare at their brother for as long as they needed to. Knowing my mother, waiting patiently for her turn when a baby or child is nearby, was extremely difficult. If you Google the definition of the word maternal, you'd find at least three pictures of my mother. She was given a brief distraction by Frank and Edna's arrival.
"Hey, Dad ... Grandma," Steph said in greeting. "Come on in."
He did but was far more hesitant than Grandma Mazur who wasn't afraid to elbow her way to her great-grandson. "You got yourself a real heart stealer with this one."
"We think so too," was Steph's answer.
"How are you doing?" Frank asked my wife.
"I'm tired and I feel like someone drove a semi through my entire body, but I'm happy. Whatever I had to go through was worth it to make our family complete with Jace." Despite my best efforts, she'll still deflect attention away from herself in good times and in bad. "I don't want Ranger to hear that he was right again, so I'm going to switch it up and remind you that I said you were needed at Rangeman. And you were. Thank you for coming today and bringing Grandma. This wouldn't feel like a complete family meeting without you two."
"It was hard just sitting around waiting for an update," he admitted. "I hope you don't mind, but I also let Valerie know. The two of you seem to have gotten close and I thought you'd want her to know. She said she'll try to wait until you're home to meet her nephew."
"I did want to let her know," my wife assured him. "Don't tell her I said this, but I sorta forgot about giving instructions on who to contact. Luckily, Ranger managed to talk briefly to Mary Lou before things really started happening. Valerie and Aideen were on the okay list though."
He visibly relaxed.
"Steph and I would say the same about the wait to know if this was it," I told him. "But I did call you, Frank, right after I'd hung up from talking to Julie. She needed to know we wouldn't be home and to notify my parents about what was going on. You were next up."
"You're forgetting about Tank," my wife reminded me.
"I didn't forget. He called me to find out how you were doing. I was listing who I called."
"I kept telling Carlos that he would have made an excellent lawyer," my father said to Steph. "I'm sure you can tell why with that clarification of his."
"Dad's so literal," Julie added.
"He is," Steph told her. "But that's one thing we love about him. Okay, I think I'm able to let Jace go for another minute, who was voted 'First-To-Hold-Him' outside of me and your Dad?"
She glanced towards my mother and a non-verbal conversation was had and completed before our eldest spoke. "Grandma said I could help Olive hold him so we'd both get first squeezes in."
Steph curled Jace tighter to her chest in mock horror. "I'm not going to share if you're thinking of doing any kind of squeezing."
Olivia responded with an outright toddler giggle at her Mama's actions and her sister's expression. "We squeezies!" She yelled, causing Jace to jerk in his sleep.
"Don't worry, you'll get used to us," Steph whispered to our son before kissing the top of his cap-covered head. "Come sit up closer to Olive, Jules, and then you both can cuddle your brother at the same time."
I know how hard it was for my wife to relinquish her hold on our son, but she smiled as Olivia reclined against her and Julie and held half of our son's weight as Julie supported the rest of him.
"He's so cute," our eldest declared.
"You might want to pick another adjective," my wife advised. "I said he looks like your Dad and 'someone' didn't appreciate the compliment, being so literal and all."
"Is this alright?" My mother asked as Tank turned sideways to avoid bodily contact with Edna when he entered the small delivery suite. "Isn't there a limited number of guests allowed?"
Tank walked up behind my mother, wrapped two arms around her body, and gently lifted her away from the bed and deposited her closer to my father. "There. I just made some more room."
He walked over to us while Mama Manoso was working up some indignation.
"You'd better watch yourself, Pierre. You may have grown bigger than I'll ever be, but I still have ways of keeping you in line."
"You have Mabyn's number too?" Steph asked and then smiled sweetly when Tank turned back to look at her. "Hey, you can't glare at me. Don't forget, I'm currently lying in a hospital bed. That means I should be getting sympathy, not a death stare."
"From where I'm standing, Ranger is the one who deserves sympathy," he deadpanned.
"He does," my wife agreed. "He's married to me, and his best friend doesn't have a sense of humor either."
The only reason I'm not dangling Tank out of a hospital window right now is Steph and I both know his bothering to tease her is a sign of affection, much like the guys give each other shit on a daily basis. If he did question my obsession with my wife, he wouldn't be here right now assuring himself that she and all our kids are alright.
That being said, I gave him a warning look to end the kidding now.
"Ignore Ranger," my wife told Tank. "If I can push two humans out of me, I can take a little teasing from you. And Mama M., you don't have to worry about this room or the hospital floor reaching capacity. I learned when I was here having Olive that if I wanted no one or everyone visiting, the hospital would accommodate us. I don't know when he did it, but your son made arrangements I knew nothing about."
"You needed to be calm," I replied, walking to the other side of the bed when Olivia flapped her fingers at me. "If having your people around you helped, I was going to make it happen."
"Daddy gots a baby," my daughter informed me.
I leaned down to kiss her head. "Our family has a new baby. Are you and Julie going to help me and Mama take care of him?"
Julie grinned. "I'd think you guys wouldn't need help, having done all this before."
"I'm always up for some help ..." Steph began.
"Since when?" I interrupted to ask.
She narrowed her eyes at me, but Tank stepped in to protect me and distract her. "I got the kid a present."
Steph now raised her eyebrows at him.
He shrugged. "I got something for Julie when she was born. Olive too. Call it a tradition," he explained, shoving a gift bag towards Stephanie since our girls weren't letting Jace go yet.
"A tank?" She asked, digging out a plush Army tank made from urban Cammie material. "You got Olive a pink camo teddy bear. Maybe she would've wanted a tank too, GodTank."
"I would've chosen a blue version of Olive's bear, but I know Ranger will be getting him an official Bear from the PX."
She nodded. "That's right. Both Jules and Olive have those on a special 'Dad' shelf."
"It's not a 'dad shelf', Steph," our eldest stated. "It's just a shelf where I put things."
"And all of those 'things' being gifts your RangeDad gave you is just a coincidence?"
Julie wrinkled her nose but didn't protest further. I've hit a sweet spot in my relationship with her. She's not embarrassed at all with me knowing that she loves me.
"It's a toy!" Olivia shouted, catching sight of her GodTank's gift.
"GodTank got it for Jace," Steph explained.
Before she got too disappointed with that news, Tank spoke up. "Mabyn has the afternoon free and asked if Julie and Olive would like a movie and possible dinner date with us?"
That was a surprise. One I didn't know how my parents would take. They love any time they get to have with their granddaughters and this offer could interfere with it. I glanced at my mother, and she nodded at me.
I turned back to my wife. "Steph?"
"Don't look at me. I'm not sure I'd be able to decide between an afternoon with your parents or a movie with snacks. Whichever the girls choose is okay with me."
"Don't be silly," Mama Manoso told the room. "We're spending the night with our girls. If they would enjoy a change of scenery, we'll catch up on everything when we get them back."
My eyes cut to Julie. "We can help Uncle Tank out with Mabyn while Grandma and Grandpa drool over Jace. We'll take good care of Olive," she promised.
"Car seat?" I asked Tank.
"Already installed."
I nodded. "Alright. I'll leave you and my parents to work out the logistics. But Stephanie and I want to know exactly where our kids will be and when."
"I'll call you too," Julie added. "Just take care of Steph and our brother. We'll be good. I am getting Twizzlers if we go to a movie theater though."
"I'll give you twenty bucks if you don't."
She laughed. "Sorry. Some things are worth being broke for. He's hard to let go of," she said a beat later, looking down at Jace. "I kinda wish he'd cry or poop or something, so we'd have a reason to run."
"Stay as long as you want," Steph told her. "I feel confident saying that you'll be experiencing plenty of the crying and diaper moments before you have to head back to Miami."
After fifteen minutes, Tank left with Olivia sitting on his shoulders and Julie looking for Olive-appropriate movie listings on her phone while walking down the hallway beside them. As soon as the girls were otherwise occupied, the grandparents started behaving like grandparents. We didn't get our son back until he was fully awake again and audibly hungry.
Once everyone returned to the Rangeman building for the night, Steph and I tried to soak up the moments of relative peace during the last hours we'll spend in the hospital before we return to a more chaotic reality.
"I forgot how small newborns are," Steph said to me the following morning as she dressed Jace in a baby blue version of a Rangeman uniform. "I've gotten so used to dodging Olive's hands so she won't accidentally poke my eye out, and now I'm back to worrying that I'll hurt our kid just trying to get a shirt on him."
"Having kids is like riding a bike. Once you learn what to do, that knowledge will always return to you when you need it."
"I haven't ridden a bike in forever, so that analogy isn't making me feel any better."
She was concerned for nothing. In a few minutes time, Jace was ready to hit the road and so were we.
I knew something was being planned when Bobby requested our ETA, but I didn't expect a full surprise party in the lobby of my building. I couldn't see the ceiling between all the blue, white, and silver balloons hovering below it. Every man who wasn't on duty filled every available space. The married Rangemen came with their better halves and their babies in some cases. And the men still on the road to couple-hood used this occasion for another chance to see their ladies.
Once we'd made our way through the throng of extended family wanting a look into the carrier to see the newest addition to our team, we spotted Aideen smiling like a proud grandma while handing out something to our unexpected guests from a tray she was carrying around the lobby.
"Yay! Aideen's passing out the cookies we made last night," Julie said as soon as she was able to see the same scene we did. "I made the sugar cookie dough and cut out the shapes. Grandma and Ella baked and decorated them."
I cut a look at my mother. "More 'idle hands are the devil's playthings' thinking at work?" I asked.
"No. The cookies were to celebrate my new grandson with a project involving my favorite granddaughters."
Steph suddenly looked wary. "Olive helped?"
"Yes. She was our one-girl quality control panel and dough tester. Don't worry, I made sure we used a recipe that wouldn't make her sick."
"Thanks. I couldn't handle a sick kid on top of a brand new one," my wife said.
"That's why we're here," Kenzie told her. "You didn't want a baby shower for yourself, so we decided to throw a welcome home party/babysitting situation in case you'd like a nap, a shower, or to not move your body more than you have to for a little while."
"We've got your back, Steph," Aubrey added. "Harper, Amari, and Ayanna are here somewhere to keep Kane, Atlas, and Lester under control so our babysitting skills will be used strictly for your kids."
I stepped in front of my wife when I saw her eyes start to fill up with tears of gratitude. She hates being emotional in public as much as she dislikes being the center of attention.
"Thank you. All of you," I told the lobby. "You know you didn't have to do this, which makes us appreciate it even more."
"We've been to hell and back together," Bobby reminded me, "just to reach days like this one. A newborn is a symbol of what we fought so hard for. It being your newborn means we wouldn't be anywhere else today."
I felt Stephanie lean her forehead against the center of my back. If she was emotional before, Bobby would have pushed her over the edge.
"If you make my wife cry, Brown, I will kick your ass."
"Language, Carlos," my mother warned me.
"I'm okay," Steph said into my jacket before stepping out from behind me. "It's just a little overwhelming to realize so many people care about our kids."
"Don't be stupid, Steph," Santos told her. "We care about you and the Boss too."
The way he cut his eyes to Ayanna had me thinking his words were for her benefit more than ours.
"Coming from you, that scares me as much as it's making me smile," Steph told him, ready to lift Olivia up until I got my free arm around our daughter. "I can hold her."
"I know, but I think you should take advantage of having everyone at your beck and call."
She rolled her eyes but didn't press the issue. She did suggest we move the party upstairs to our penthouse. I didn't object out of fear she'd overexert herself trying to play hostess down here. Seconds after I unlocked the door, it was clear that while we were gone our apartment was subjected to a full baby makeover. I couldn't be sure if I had my mother or Julie to thank. But we walked in to discover Mado enjoying the baby bouncer that's sitting near the couch in the living room. She was sprawled on her back in the seat and was lazily batting at the toys dangling above it and pointedly ignoring the human-caused chaos around her.
"So that's how we get our cat to play with something," my wife said, easing herself down onto the couch while I set Olivia on her feet so she could reunite with Gunny and Mo and I could unbuckle our son from his car seat.
Julie sat down beside Stephanie and Jace on the couch and rested her head on my wife's shoulder in a way that spoke of love, trust, and likely a little hero worship thrown in.
"I know no one controls the timing of this kind of thing but thank you for having him while I was here," our eldest said, brushing her index finger over the back of her brother's hand while his brown eyes attempted to focus on them. "I wouldn't have wanted to miss this."
Her words broke my heart and also breathed new life into it.
