"Jamison!"

Faith turned around as she was leaving the mess hall after dinner to see Conrad coming towards her

"Officer---"

"Call me Ramsey now" Conrad insisted "we're on the same playing field now"

Faith felt her cheeks heat up and tried to be modest "I wouldn't say all that"

"We are though; we'll both be training for SEALS now" he said "anyway I was going to ask you what your Thanksgiving plans were; because if you didn't have any I was going to ask if you wanted to have dinner at my place"

"Actually Rios beat you to it" Faith replied "she insisted I not spend the holiday at the base all by myself like I usually do"

"Well she's right" Conrad said "besides you have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving"

"You do too" Faith said "I know you're looking forward to holding your baby for the first time"

"I am," he said and Faith gave him a little smile and said "Happy Thanksgiving Ramsey"

"Happy Thanksgiving Jamison"

"Hi"

"Hi"

"What's your name?"

"Faith"

"My name is Nova"

"That's a pretty name"

Leah's eight-year-old niece smiled and asked "Are you a girl solider?"

Faith chuckled "Not exactly I'm a Navy seaman just like your Aunt Leah and I'm going to be a SEAL"

"That's what I want to be too" Nova said "but my brothers said only boys get to do that stuff"

"Well your aunt and I try our best everyday so that one day girls can do these things without boys like your brothers saying you can't"

"Yeah!" Nova exclaimed, "I'm going to be just like you and Aunt Leah"

Faith smiled and her heart tugged a little. Nova Rios was adorable and she was the same age Butterfly would have been now if she had been born.

"Well you're going to have to eat these greens tonight if you want to be strong like them" her mother Nina said

"Ew!" Nova exclaimed wrinkling her little nose "do I have to Mom?"

"Yes Nova" Leah spoke up "besides how will you be able to eat any ice cream for dessert?"

"Ice cream?" the young girl's eyes grew big "okay I'll eat my greens too"

Nina chuckled tickling her daughter and Nova scampered off to go play with her brothers and cousins. Leah had invited Faith to come and spend Thanksgiving with the Rios family and she felt very much at home.

Faith had insisted on staying on the base like she normally did on the holidays but Leah was not hearing it this year. If things bode over well Leah started talking about Christmas and New Year's as well; she wanted to spend as much time with her friend as possible.

Faith's brothers Wesley, Kenneth, and Dmitri called to wish her a happy holiday but sadly that was all they could do because it's not like their father was going to allow her to see them physically.

In fact Faith had no idea when she would see her brothers again so she was thankful Leah thought of her during this Thanksgiving season.

"Congrats again on making it into that program" Nina said "Nova talks about wanting to be like her aunt all the time I'm glad that there will soon be actual role models she can look up to"

"Thanks"

"Oh Faith stop being so modest!" Leah laughed "Nina you should see her in action she's top notch SEAL material"

"I'm okay" Faith replied trying to stay humble "I'm actually still surprised I passed"

"Why?" Leah said "girl you earned it and I'm going to miss you at the base when you leave in January"

"Why do you feel surprised that you passed?" Leah's mother Dolores asked as she cut up onions

"It's just that I don't think the recruiters liked me" Faith replied, "one in particular was pissed that he had to call my name"

"They're just sexist that's all" Leah said "and besides you know how men's egos are"

"True" Dolores said "your father God rest his soul and even some of my own sons and grandsons are this way; since the dawn of time men have always for the most part been the head of things"

"Times are changing" Dolores went on to say "women and especially us women of color are getting more and more options and opportunities everyday and it's obvious that some men aren't on board for that"

"For your sake and the sake of my granddaughter Nova I truly pray that things will get better"

"I hope so too Ms. Rios" Faith said sincerely "I hope so too"

"Well we certainly have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving" Nina said as she began to dress the turkey for the oven.

"Yes we do" Dolores replied smiling at Faith. And for the first time in years Faith felt at home and loved even if the Rios weren't blood related.

"Hey big man" Conrad said as he picked up Lukas from his crib Thanksgiving morning "are you ready for your first turkey day?"

Lukas gave him a gummy smile and Conrad chuckled "I'm sorry son no teeth no turkey just formula this year"

Heather watched the two of them from the doorway of the nursery. So far so good. Conrad had been home for the past week now and it seemed that he attached himself to Lukas right away.

Since Conrad got home he changed every diaper, did late night feedings, baths, and even played with Lukas as well. Conrad had asked Heather about Lukas's blonde hair and she quickly said that boys in her family were born with blonde hair and it would get darker as he got older.

Conrad seemed to take her word for it because he seemed to be completely smitten with Lukas; and that's exactly what Heather wanted anyway. There was no way that Sean would be the kind of father that Conrad was being right now.

"And how are both my big men doing this morning?" Heather cooed as she joined Conrad at the crib

"Doing pretty good," Conrad said kissing her "ready for some good home cooked food today"

"There will be plenty of that then" Heather laughed, "my mother is making her famous pumpkin pie"

"You hear that Luke?" Conrad told the baby bouncing him "wait til you're old enough to have that huh?"

Then again something about Conrad getting too attached to Lukas obviously made her feel guilty.

"Do you have to go away for six months?" Heather asked "Luke is going to get so much bigger in that time and you're going to miss a lot of milestones"

"I'm doing this for all of us Heather" Conrad said sincerely "it's going to benefit Luke in the long run and yes I am going to be missing a lot things but that's the sacrifice I'm willing to make for him"

"I'm just happy I'll be here for his first Thanksgiving and Christmas too" Conrad went on to say "maybe even number two before I leave"

"Conrad!" Heather chuckled

"Hey it's been six weeks," he teased

"Yes but I plan on losing this baby weight to fit in my wedding dress remember?"

"Of course I remember I'm just teasing" he said kissing her "we can always work on number two on the wedding night"

"Oh how romantic"

"I love you Heather" Conrad said sincerely looking her in the eyes. Guilt washed all over Heather and still she replied

"I love you too"

Lukas was the first grandchild on both the Ramsey and Kuhn sides of the family so of course he was the center of attention that evening. Lukas was passed around more times than the peas and potatoes and everyone was just eating him up.

Everyone was having a fabulous time and congratulated Conrad on Lukas and passing the PST. About an hour or two after dinner and before dessert most of the family were either gathered in front of the television or headed to the backyard to toss around the pigskin.

Conrad was getting ready to join so he handed Lukas over to Anne when the doorbell rung. Who could that be? Everyone else was here already?

"I'll get it" Conrad said to Anne "you sit down and enjoy your grandson"

Conrad answered the door to come face to face with a tall blonde man who looked a little confused.

"May I help you?" Conrad asked

"Heather lives here right?"

"Yes" Conrad replied "and who are you exactly? A cousin?"

The man frowned and shook his head "Cousin? No I'm---"

"Conrad who is it?" Heather rushed over and her face turned bright red when she saw who it was

"Sean?" she exclaimed, "what are you doing here?!?"

"Heather I missed you" he said, "I just got paroled and I've been looking for you"

"Wait Heather you know this guy?"

Heather ignored Conrad and tried to shove Sean out the door and hissed at him "I told you it was a one time thing!"

"What was a one time thing? Heather what the hell is going on?!?"

"Is everything okay?" Anne asked as she came over to the door with Lukas in her arms.

Sean stared at the baby for what seemed to be an uncomfortable amount of time and Conrad was about to call this creep out for staring at his son; when he began to notice shocking similarities.

Same nose

Same eye shape

And that blonde hair that Conrad questioned Heather about.

"Heather?"

The entire house grew quiet as everyone looked over to the scene at the doorway. There Heather was like a deer caught in headlights and Conrad was growing from shocked to surprised to pissed.

"Is Luke my son?" he asked quite frankly not beating around the bush

"Conrad please not in front of everyone here---"

"Is Luke my son?" Conrad repeated trying not to cry even though he wanted to and Heather didn't even need to say anything because he knew the obvious answer.

Conrad put the rest of the leftovers in the fridge when he heard Heather make her way into the kitchen. The silence between them as expected was indeed awkward until Heather spoke up.

"I put Luke down for the night" she said "he shouldn't be back up for a while---"

"When were you going to tell me?" Conrad asked cutting her off

"Conrad please"

"No Heather when were you going to tell me?" Conrad demanded "on his first day of kindergarten or were you going to wait all the way until his eighteenth birthday?"

"Does it matter?" Heather shot back "you love him and you obviously have stepped up to the plate to be his father"

"But I'm not his father" Conrad said "and you knew that all along and you were just going to string us both along for the next eighteen plus years weren't you?"

"You wanted him the minute I told you I was pregnant---"

"Because I thought my fiancée was carrying my child" Conrad replied "come to think of it when did this Sean guy impregnate you anyway? Because if Luke was my son he wouldn't be over a month old now"

"January"

"I didn't get leave until the first week of March" Conrad said "unless Luke was premature he would have been due in a few days"

"He came a little early"

"Oh no Heather he showed up right on schedule no premature baby weighs almost ten pounds"

"I was lonely okay!" Heather snapped crying now "you're so selfish and you have no idea what it's like for me to be without someone to touch me; Sean was there for me when you weren't"

"I'm selfish?!?" Conrad snapped "I do what I do for us for what was supposed to be our family and yes I get lonely too and miss your touch but I don't throw our whole relationship out the window for a cheap lay!"

"It was one time and then you came home so I didn't know who was the father at first---"

"Luke looks just Sean!" Conrad cut her off "and since we're talking about being selfish don't you think it's selfish to have him growing up thinking I'm his father?"

"He's a baby," Heather said pathetically

"Okay and babies grow up and eventually become young adults" Conrad argued, "you're not only hurting me but you're hurting him in the long run too"

"I knew that you would be a better father than Sean please try to understand that---"

"I completely understand" Conrad said "the guy got paroled Heather so he's great in the sack but big surprise he's not father material"

"Why are you men so egoistical about things like that?!?" she shot back "does it really matter if Luke didn't come from your own sperm?!? You still love him"

"It's a matter of trust" Conrad said "and yes I do still love Luke that little boy wiggled his way into my heart in such a short amount of time but I love him so much that I have to walk away from him"

"Why?" Heather cried, "that doesn't make any fucking sense?

"Because he deserves to know who his real father is" Conrad said hurt "and I don't want him to be hurt from a lie you created; just like I deserve a future wife who won't cheat on me"

"So it's over just like that?"

"I can't be with a woman who sleeps around on me then makes me claim a child that's not mine"

"I bet you've fucked plenty of those women on the base don't go pointing fingers at me!"

"No Heather I haven't because I was engaged to you" Conrad said finally and Heather then yanked off her engagement ring and flung it at him

"Well fine!" she spat "you're not engaged to me anymore and I'm leaving!"

With that said Heather packed a small bag and a crying Lukas and left to her mother's that chilly Thanksgiving night.

The doorbell rang and Conrad went to answer it and was surprised to see Anne

"Conrad"

"Ms. Kuhn" he greeted "come on in it's pretty cold out"

Anne was here to pick up the rest of Heather's things from the house she also had Lukas in his carrier. It had been two weeks since Heather left that night with a colicky and upset Lukas and went to stay with her mother for a bit.

Since they were not on speaking terms Conrad had not heard from Heather since that night.

"How is Luke?" he asked

"He's doing fine" Anne replied, "his pediatrician is saying he's eating pretty well by how big he's getting.

Conrad nodded even though Lukas wasn't his he couldn't hold a grudge against an innocent baby he wasn't that type of man; and at the end of the day Lukas couldn't help who his biological father really was.

Heather on the other hand knew damn well what she was doing and that betrayal cut deep. She had hurt both him and Lukas; robbing him of a decent father and robbing Conrad of his trust and faith in her.

"Conrad I'm really sorry about all of this" Anne said sincerely "I had no idea honestly I never would have thought Heather would do something like this"

"It's not your fault Ms. Kuhn"

"You're a really decent and good man Conrad and I know you're hurting but I just want you to know you deserve so much more"

"Thank you" he replied he couldn't be mad at Anne either "do you need some help?"

"If you don't mind"

Lukas began to whimper and cry

"Hold that thought for a minute the prince is hungry" Anne chuckled.

Anne took a bottle out of the baby bag and proceeded to feed the hungry baby.

"Where is Heather anyway?"

"She went off for a bit" Anne said rather embarrassed "I guess she's just figuring things out"

It was all Conrad needed to hear if Heather could do this to her own mother and son; she was definitely not the woman that he wanted to be his wife.

There was no doubt Anne was a doting grandmother but she was just that a grandmother; Lukas was not her responsibility and Conrad felt bad for her.

"Are you going to be okay?" Conrad couldn't help asking

"I'll be fine believe it or not Luke is an easy baby" she insisted "I'm setting up his nursery in Heather's childhood room"

"Do you have a crib?" he asked figuring that was the least he could do "the crib we had set up in the nursery is upstairs I can take it down and put it in the box for you"

"That would be nice yes" Anne agreed "he's getting big for the bassinet"

"I could imagine so," Conrad said smiling sadly at the baby

"It will be your turn one day I promise but for right now you're going to go be a SEAL this is still an exciting time for you"

"Yeah I am looking forward to that," he said, "who knows I may inspire a little kid like Luke to become a SEAL as well"

Conrad boxed up the crib for Anne as promised and delivered it over to her house and helped her carry it to the room.

"Now Conrad you've done enough" Anne stopped him when he insisted he put it together for her "I'm more than capable of putting this crib back together and I thank you"

Anne gave Conrad a sincere hug and whispered, "I'm going to miss you but you take care of yourself and be the best SEAL you can be"

"I will Ms. Kuhn and you do the same" he promised and turned to Luke and ran his hand on his rosy cheek

"You're a good kid Luke" he whispered, "you keep being that way okay?"

Lukas cooed at Conrad in return. After saying his final goodbyes Conrad went back home to his empty house; the house that he thought that he was going to raise a family in with Heather.

Conrad couldn't stand to be in this same house anymore and he knew that he would have to sell it. Besides he'd be going away for training for six months there was no point in keeping a big house to him.

It was time to start new and as much as he was hurting right now God was telling him to move forward. His future for right now was focusing on becoming a SEAL.