Chapter 34

Manny

Since Ricci and I worked things out, the past two months have been busy as hell. Once the ‘she-shed’ was delivered and fully set up on the cement pad Diego and I poured, Ricci, Marisol, Ivy and Lacie, as well as my nieces, Gabriella and Maribelle, spent hours in there crafting. When I asked why the rush to make things, I found out that the high school was planning to do a winter festival complete with booths and Marisol wanted to sell some things so she’d have the money for Christmas shopping.

“She’s come a long way in such a short time,” Uncle Jorge says, watching as she and her cousins do some crazy TikTok dance challenge.

“Yeah, she has.”

Initially, she was angry at her mother for keeping her from me, which warred with her grief over Leanna’s death. Thankfully, I found a therapist for her to talk to and after a few false starts with regard to school, as well as some behaviors that had to be corrected, she’s a fairly well-adjusted teenage girl.

She talks to her girl cousins about every little thing, making me glad I have an unlimited data plan through my cellular carrier. At least she now puts her phone on silent when she goes to bed. The constant chiming had my ears ringing, which made Ricci laugh.

She also talks to her aunts, as well as Ricci. It’s as if she’s so starved for female attention and affection, she can’t get enough, which makes me sad on her behalf. I don’t think she realized just how little she was getting from Leanna as a mother figure until my family fully descended. Even Ivy and Lacie have taken her under their wings, much like I suspected they did to Ricci when she first came to live with their parents all those years ago.

“You planning to make her a permanent part of your life?” he questions, nodding toward Ricci. “Because she fits in as though she’s always been around, mijo.”

“Yes.” I’ve known for a while now that I love her beyond measure. Have I told her? No, not yet, but that’s mostly because during the week, she stays at her apartment since she enjoys walking to work at the diner, then on the weekends, when she stays at the house with us, we’re busy doing family things together. By the time we fall into bed at night, I have other things on my mind.

“Better make it soon. She’s definitely a catch,” he teases. “Don’t want someone stealing her away from you.”

“Steal who away?” Ricci questions, walking over to where I’m standing. She faceplants against my chest, slightly wheezing.

“You okay?” I ask, tipping her chin up so I can examine her face.

“I think I’m too old to hang with the younger crowd,” she replies.

I’ve noticed she’s been more fatigued lately but chalked it up to how busy she’s been between work, our nighttime activities, and crafting with Marisol and the rest of the girls. At her words, I take a closer look and realize her face is slightly fuller, and she has a more pronounced pooch. Not that I give that first fuck, because I definitely don’t, but I know there’s something else going on that has her feeling the way she is right now.

Nodding at my uncle, I take her by the hand and walk by her side until we’re up on the back deck before I sit down and pull her into my lap. “Is there anything you want to tell me?” I quietly ask.

Ivy and Lacie clued me in two days ago about their suspicions, but today was the first day I was able to look closely at her. I feel relatively confident that she’s worried about how I’ll react, but the truth is, I’m ecstatic.

Her face flushes slightly at my perusal then I see tears well up in her eyes as she begins to shake.

“Ricci? Sweetheart, not sure where your head’s at right now, but you never have to be afraid of me. Tell me what’s going on, please?”

“I… I think I’m pregnant, Manny,” she whispers. “I don’t know when it could’ve happened because we’ve always used a condom.” By now, she’s wringing her hands together and she won’t hold my gaze.

“Look at me,” I command. When she finally lets me see her beautiful eyes, I lean in and kiss her. “Do you know how fucking over the moon I am? The thought of you carrying a child we made together? One who will be raised and surrounded by love? The words don’t exist yet to express how I’m feeling. Have you taken a test?”

“I’ve been too scared to,” she admits. “I bought one and have been carrying it around with me.”

“Let’s go take it,” I say, standing with her now in my arms.

“Manny! I think you have to do them first thing in the morning and it’s afternoon now,” she protests.

“Baby, if you’re as far along as I suspect, I don’t think it’s going to matter if you piss on a stick in the middle of the night or when you first wake up.”

* * *

She walks out of my bathroom, her cheeks flushed pink. I heard the water turn on then off and know she washed her hands once she was done. With my arms now wrapped around her, I ask, “How long did the directions say we had to wait?”

“I don’t know.”

Shaking my head, I lead her back into the bathroom and bite back a chuckle when I see she tore off a sheet of paper towel from the linen closet and has the test sitting on it instead of the counter itself. While I’m sure there’s a minimum timeframe, as I peer over her shoulder since she’s got her face turned into my chest, I can see two lines that are getting darker the longer the seconds tick by.

I crouch down and cup her stomach, then lift her shirt and kiss it. “Looks like you wanted to be here, little one,” I murmur. When I stand, both lines are dark blue and as if that wasn’t enough of an indicator, the words ‘pregnant’ are displayed as well. “Congrats, sweetheart, we’re going to have a baby,” I whisper.

“Now you’ll be stuck with me for the next eighteen years,” she replies, tears slowly trickling down her face.

Before I answer, I get down on one knee and slip the ring that’s been burning a hole in my pocket for months now. Gazing up at her, I take her hands in one of mine and say, “After the way Leanna broke up with me and crushed my teenage heart, I swore then and there I would never love anyone ever again. And until you came along, I kept that promise to myself. While I haven’t told you how I feel, I’ve tried to show you every single day just how much you mean to me. Ricci Adams, I love you and want to spend the rest of our days together. Will you marry me?”

“Yes, yes, I’ll marry you, Manny. I would be proud and honored to be your wife.”

I slip the ring on her finger then stand and draw her into my arms. Kissing her thoroughly, I don’t stop until we’re both breathless and I can hear the pounding of feet in the hallway. “Let’s go tell our family.”

* * *

Later that night, after I spent quite some time showing her just how ecstatic I was that not only was she carrying my baby, but she was going to be my wife, she quietly says, “I was afraid to tell you before that I loved you because everyone I’ve ever loved has gone away. But I do love you, more than my next breath. More than I ever imagined possible. Thank you for being willing to take a chance on me. On us.”

“There was never any doubt in my mind about where we were going when I asked if you wanted to try with me,” I reply. “Now, I suspect a certain teenage girl will be up early as she always is, especially since she’s so excited about helping to plan a wedding.”

Her giggles have me kissing her and soon, sleep is forgotten as she takes charge and shows me how she feels.