Ranger's POV

Time flies when you're having fun. I kissed Stephanie before she left for the park. She still hated exercise but understood it was healthy for her to get fresh air. Our three-year-old son, Alex, loved playing outside. He thrived on running around the park. Alex preferred to walk, but he entertained Stephanie by sitting in the stroller. I knew he would fall asleep after playing.

My daughter, Julie, had many nightmares over the years. She was traumatized when Stephanie's car exploded at the uniform shop. I sent her to a therapist specializing in childhood traumas and abuse. Julie was thriving, but her nightmares weren't as frequent.

Stephanie, my gorgeous wife, simply glowed today. She was eight months pregnant with our daughter. Julie was upset until Stephanie reminded her that she was as much like her daughter as the biological one she was carrying.

I discretely followed them in my SUV. Stephanie rubbed her neck and glared at the car. She rolled her eyes and gave me her signature finger wave. Stephanie and Julie stopped walking when I pulled up beside them. "You could have come with us," Stephanie said.

"I'll meet you at the park. I have a feeling Alex will give you trouble when you're too tired to manage him," I replied.

"Carlos, all I have to do is bribe him with cake, and he'll be putty in my hands," Stephanie laughed.

"Mi nombre es Alejandro," Alex said, making his name sound like "Ahandro."

"Si, mi hermano. Your name is Alejandro," Julie replied. Alex smiled at his older sister. "What is our sister's name?"

"Estephania," he replied. It sounded like, "Estephie." Close enough.

Alejandro's full name was Ricardo Carlos Alejandro Plum-Manoso. It was a mouthful, but Stephanie insisted on using another name besides Ric, Ricky, or Carlos. I let her have her way. After all, Alex was her son, too.

"See you later, Carlos," Stephanie said.

"Adios, Papi," Alex and Julie added. I rolled up my window and waited until Stephanie walked closer to the park. It was only a few blocks away from our home.

Stephanie and I built a house on an empty lot in Ewing Township. She loved the area because it wasn't in the Burg. Valerie and Woody built a house beside ours. It felt like the men were building the neighbourhood as a private community. We had gates to open before leaving the area. Two guards secured the entrance. One was always in the building while the other walked patrols.

"Fucking great," I heard Stephanie mutter as I opened the car door. She stared at a spot at the end of the parking area.

I looked in the direction and noticed Joe Morelli climbing from the car. He removed his Kojak light and placed it inside his vehicle. Why was Morelli at the park?

"Cupcake," Joe greeted, waving at my wife. "I thought I'd find you here."

"Stop calling me Cupcake. What do you want, Joe?" Stephanie asked.

Joe looked at the curly-haired, blue-eyed boy sitting in the stroller and at Stephanie. He kept glancing between them. "I thought you didn't want children?" Joe stupidly asked.

"I said children gave me hives, not that I never wanted any," Stephanie defended. "Ranger and I wanted to have children." She reflexively stroked her stomach. It protruded a bit at the front, but her waist appeared thicker since she was carrying it around her abdomen, not straight out as she had with Alex.

"Is he yours?" Joe asked me.

I raised a brow, but Stephanie answered, "Yes, Joe. Alex is Ranger's son. We have another child on the way. Is there a reason for the intrusion on my family time?" Stephanie noticed another car in the parking area with their window rolled down. She furrowed her brows and mumbled her confusion at her OB being at the children's park.

"Your mother and grandma were involved in an accident. I'm here to take you to the hospital," Joe replied.

"Oh. I'll have Carlos drive me," I said. "Which hospital?"

"St Francis." Facing me, Joe added, "Follow my car. I'll get you there faster." I nodded and helped Stephanie wrangle Alex into the car. He wasn't happy about missing his playtime.

"Wait!" Lester yelled. He exited the Rangeman SUV with Hector. "We'll handle the kids. You take Stephanie to the hospital." Lester and I exchanged keys. He would need the car seat to transport Alex back home. Julie hugged us before going with Lester and Hector.

Stephanie called Valerie, using the Bluetooth system in the SUV. Woody answered the phone. "Hey, Steph. Are you on the way?" he asked.

"Yes. Is Mom and Grandma okay?" she asked.

"Edna broke her arm in the accident. Your mother was driving to the hospital. Valerie's in labour," Woody replied.

"What happened to Mom?" Stephanie asked, sounding panicked. Stephanie and Helen stopped talking when we announced the pregnancy. Helen's bigotry had no place in our lives. She refused to accept a bi-racial grandchild. It was her loss. Alex loved my mother.

"We're waiting to hear from the doctor. Your grandma thinks Helen had a heart attack or stroke. Steph, I have to go. Valerie's ready to deliver our son," Woody said, promptly ending the call.

Stephanie cried as I attempted to comfort her. "I hate how Mom treated us after the pregnancy news, but I never wanted her to die," Stephanie cried.

"She never gave up hope of you marrying Morelli," I reasoned.

"Joe cheated on his last girlfriend. They were even engaged. It never mattered to him. All Joe cared about was having sex," Stephanie said. "If Carol married him, he would have cheated on her. Joe's just like his father. I'm glad I never dated him."

"Me, too, Babe," I replied.

"It's only you for me, Carlos," Stephanie said, entwining our fingers. I raised our joined hands to kiss her knuckles.

"Only you, Babe," I reciprocated. Whenever things got tough or we had to discuss unpleasant things, Stephanie and I constantly reminded each other about how we felt by saying, "Only you."

"Will our lives ever be free of trauma?" Stephanie asked. "Julie lost her siblings in that house fire. Rachel died from pneumonia. Your father had a heart attack and died. And all that happened in the past two months. I'm not sure how much more I can handle."

"Your dad is healthy and enjoying his job at Rangeman after retiring from the Army. Valerie is the best receptionist I've ever had at the Rangeman branches. Our handsome son adores you and his sister. Julie has come a long way in her therapy. Babe, we have a lot of good in our lives," I reminded her.

"Thank goodness Valerie never said anything about our lives to Mom or Grandma," Stephanie sighed. "Valerie respected our privacy."

"As we have respected hers," I replied. Stephanie doesn't know I threatened to broadcast Valerie's life if she blabbed about ours.

"I know you threatened Valerie to keep her in line," Stephanie said, surprising me. Stephanie laughed, "She was like a timid deer for weeks. It was awesome."

"You're not angry?" I asked.

"Hell no! I threatened to tell the Burg bitches about Steve's arrest for sleeping with a minor. Valerie promised to keep anything she learned about us to herself. I didn't mind her telling Woody. Now, they're married, and I can't expect her to keep secrets from her husband," Stephanie explained.

I quirked a brow, and my lip twitched in amusement. "Babe, you never told me her secrets."

"What was the point? You know everything happening inside Rangeman. Why tell you something you already know?"

"You keep the men's secrets, too."

Stephanie rolled her eyes and said, "You already know everything that happens in Rangeman. What you don't learn from Hector's intel, you hear from the men when they brag."

"Mary Alice stopped pretending to be a horse," I mentioned. Stephanie laughed until she cried.

"That's because her grandparents bought her a horse. She's visiting them for the summer. Woody's parents love her and Angie," Stephanie replied. I never knew Mary Alice owned a horse. "Oh. You didn't know."

"No," I confessed. I parked in the hospital parking lot, closest to the entrance. Stephanie and I entered the emergency room, holding hands.

"Hi, I'm looking for my mother, Helen Plum and my grandma, Edna Mazur. Do you know where I can find them?" Stephanie asked, her voice shaking from her emotions.

"Helen's in surgery, and Edna is in the waiting room on the second floor," the nurse replied. Stephanie thanked her and went to the waiting area to find Edna. I called Lester with the update and asked him to take the kids to Rangeman, where Ella could watch over them. Lester promised and hung up.

I placed my hand on Stephanie's lower back and guided her to the elevator. She turned into my arms after stepping inside. It only took a few seconds to arrive at the second floor. Using the signs, I took Stephanie's hand and turned to the right. We found Edna and Frank in the waiting room. "Thank goodness you're here, Daddy," Stephanie cried. She hugged Frank when he approached.

"Where are my grandkids?" Frank asked.

"With Lester and Hector," I replied. "Lester will take them to Rangeman until we learn what happened here."

"Good, they don't need to be here. Where are Valerie's girls?"

"With me," Woody said, arriving with Angie, Mary Alice and Kylie. "Valerie just gave birth to your second grandson, sir."

"Come on, Grandma. Let's visit with Valerie. Carlos will get us if there's news," Stephanie said. She left with Edna and Frank while I waited for the doctor's update. My phone chimed when I sat in the uncomfortable chair.

"She's dead, Carlos. I could feel it when we arrived. The doctor will tell you soon," Stephanie texted.

Stephanie, Edna and Frank arrived a few minutes later. "Has the doctor updated you?" Frank asked.

I pointed behind Frank, where the doctor entered through the double doors. "I'm looking for Helen Plum's family," he announced.

"That's us," Stephanie replied. I wrapped my arms around Stephanie as we waited for the devastating news.

"I'm sorry, but Helen suffered a massive cardiac event on the operating table while we tried to repair the damage from the stroke," he explained. Stephanie buried her face in my chest and cried. I worried about her going into premature labour. Stephanie refused to let go when I shifted her to pick her up. Frank grabbed a chair without armrests for me to sit on. Stephanie continued to sob as I rubbed comforting circles on her back. She felt guilty for not making amends.

"Thank you," Frank said, his voice cracking. He pulled Edna into his arms. Frank and I comforted the women as they grieved the loss of their family member.

"Take me home," Edna said. It had been a traumatic day for the octogenarian. Stephanie nodded, and I interpreted it as her wanting to go home.

"Helen arranged her funeral and paid for everything. We don't have to worry about finances," Frank explained. "I have to contact the funeral home to organize everything."

"Text us the details," I replied. Frank shook my hand and left with Edna. I took Stephanie home.

The next few days were harsh on Stephanie. She blamed herself for the fallout with Helen. I tried to explain Helen caused her own issues. Had she accepted our pregnancy news without her bigoted comments, everything would have been different.

Valerie was the one who got through to Stephanie. She said Helen didn't deserve to know such a wonderful, well-mannered boy. Helen's aversion to our marriage caused a rift in the family, and we were left to arrange family gatherings, which included Frank and Edna.

"Carlos, would you be mad if I named our daughter Estephania Helena?" Stephanie asked.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Despite her attitude about our marriage, she was still my mom, and I loved her. I want our daughter to carry her name," Stephanie explained.

"What about Estephania Helena Michelle?" I countered. Stephanie smiled and nodded. "We can call her Michelle."

"Using her third name as we do with Alex?" Stephanie questioned. I nodded. "Mitch is a perfect name for our daughter. Thank you for understanding. I still think we're having a boy. His name will be Esteban Eleno Mitchell."

"No price, Babe. I will do anything for you. Only you," I replied.

"Back at you, Batman." Stephanie kissed me.

"I'm reserving my opinion on our child being a boy," I teased.

"Sure, Batman. I may carry this pregnancy differently, but it doesn't mean it's a girl." We went to Alex's room to see if Julie needed help dressing her brother.

"He won't wear the tie," Julie sighed.

Stephanie lowered herself to his level, resting on her knees and sitting on her feet. "Would you like Mama or Papi to fix your tie?" she asked.

Alex looked at me, giving me his brilliant, pearly white smile. "I wanna be like Papi," he said, tugging the tie from Julie's hand.

"Good choice," Stephanie laughed. She wrapped the tie around Alex's neck and expertly tied it in a Windsor knot to match mine. Stephanie kissed his cheek. "Can you help Mama stand?"

"Okay," Alex said as he attempted to help Stephanie stand. I assisted him. "It time?" he asked.

"Yes, mi hijo. It's time to say goodbye to Abuela Helen," Stephanie said. Alex nodded and took his sister's hand.

The funeral service was beautiful. Edna didn't try opening the coffin. She got to see Helen before the funeral director closed and locked the casket. Edna looked broken, knowing her only daughter was gone. She had three sons who lived on other continents. They arrived to pay their respects to their sister. Stephanie got to meet the cousins she had never seen before. It was a bittersweet reunion. My wife politely introduced me to her cousins and their children. "We used to have lots of family reunions while growing up. They stopped when we all graduated high school," Stephanie explained.

After the service, we travelled to the gravesite for the interment. Stephanie and Valerie placed a flower on the coffin. "Bye, Mom. I hope you're at peace," Stephanie said. Valerie repeated her sister's words.

I picked up Alex when he started yawning. It was past time for his nap. I gently rubbed his back, letting him fall asleep. Mary Alice went to Stephanie. I loved how close Stephanie was to her niece. A lot of guests assumed Stephanie was Mary Alice's mother. Every time that happened, Stephanie smiled and explained she was Valerie's second daughter.

"Alex and Julie are my children. I adopted Julie," Stephanie said. When asked about the pregnancy, Stephanie responded, "I'm due in seven weeks," without mentioning the gender.

"Did anyone find out what happened to Helen?" Stephanie's uncle Toby asked.

I replied, "Helen likely had a stroke while driving to the hospital. She lost control of the car. Edna grabbed the wheel to avoid a catastrophic collision with another vehicle. They hit the mailbox. The doctors rushed Helen to surgery, but she died from a blood clot which formed in her heart."

"Did she have a history of strokes?" Toby asked, wondering if he needed to have the doctor check him.

"No," Edna replied. "Your sister was healthy. I think she had liver damage from all that drinking, and something broke off and clogged her brain."

"Helen had alcoholism?" Toby asked, sounding shocked about his mother talking ill about her only daughter.

"She would deny it. Your sister drank nearly a mickey of whiskey in a day. I'm surprised your nieces never suffered from fetal alcohol syndrome," Edna said. She didn't care if anyone overheard her describing Helen's actions.

"When did she start drinking?" Gary, Edna's other son, asked.

Frank answered, "After she lost Anthony Morelli's son." Stephanie looked at her father with her mouth open. She couldn't believe what her father had shared. I had to admit it was news to me, too.

"I thought Anthony raped her," Gary argued.

Edna snorted, "No. She only said that so Frank would date her. Frank, do you mind taking me home? I'm tired."

"I'll drive you, Mom," Toby offered. Stephanie, Julie, and I said goodbye to Edna. Alex was asleep in my arms. He never stirred as I put him in his car seat.

When Stephanie and I got home, she went to bed to nap. It had been a long and emotional day. I put Alex in his bed after removing his tie. He sighed and rolled over. Alex reminded me of his mother. She could sleep through anything. I wondered how our little girl would be.

It turned out our daughter was very impatient. Stephanie went into labour a few hours later, which was too soon for our precious girl. I drove her to the hospital, leaving Alex and Julie in Lester's capable hands. Lester would bring the children to the hospital after Stephanie gave birth.