Introducing Lucia Catalina Barba
Born to proud parents Jayde and Rafael Barba
& siblings Steven, Kiera and RJ
Lucia had been born a day before her due date and had been delivered via c-section like her older brother. After the delivery, they stitched up Jayde's uterine wall so she couldn't get pregnant again. Lucia was healthy with a head full of dark brown hair and brown eyes. After getting the ok, the squad came in and took turns holding her. "She's so cute", Amanda told the couple. "She looks like RJ".
Jayde laughed. "She does!"
Later Lucia brought the kids in to meet their little sister. Kiera looked at her in awe. "She's pretty".
Jayde smiled. "She is very pretty, princess".
"Is she coming to our house", RJ asked.
"Yes she is. Is that ok", Rafael asked him.
He nodded. "She sleeping in my room?"
"No, she'll sleep in our room, bud".
Two months later and she had just informed her that the man who was being accused of raping his 12 year old stepdaughter had taken a plea deal. He would have to spend five years in prison and he would be on the sex offenders registry. That wasn't enough and she was devastated. They were in his office and Jayde was sitting in one of the chairs by his desk, her head in her hands. Rafael reached over and rubbed her back. "Cariño, I am so sorry". Rafael looked at her with his eyes pleading with her.
She nodded. "You did the best you could, Rafi".
Later the squad were in his office to talk about the case. Olivia looked at him. "How's Jayde taking it?"
"She's beating herself up".
She shook her head. "I can't even imagine what she's going through right now. Would you like me to talk to her?" He nodded. "Ok. I'll go over and visit her".
Later Jayde was in her office doing paperwork when she heard a knock on the door. She looked up not expecting anyone. "Come in". A smile came to her face when she saw Olivia. "Liv, what's going on? It's nice to see you".
They went over to the couch and sat down. "Rafael just wanted me to check on you. How are you doing?"
"Devastated because I feel like I let her down. I promised her that I would do whatever I could".
"And you did. You listened to her and you believed her. Those are the most important things you can do". A nod and silence. Some tears were coming down her from her eyes and she wiped them away. "How is she doing?"
Jayde gave a little smile. "She's doing better. They put her in a foster home with other girls. She calls them her 'sisters'".
Olivia gave a smile. "I know this is hard, Jayde but I know that you did everything you could for her and she is grateful because you were there when nobody else was".
After talking to Olivia, she went over to Rafael's office. Carmen knocked on his door and told him that his wife was waiting. He told her to send her in. "Jayde, is everything ok?"
She went over to him and they sat back down in the chairs. "Yeah, Liv came and talked to me. I just wanted you to know that I was never angry at you, I was angry at myself".
He nodded. "I know". He took her hands into his. "Justice isn't always fair". She nodded and he kissed her head. "I love you so much, Cariño".
"I love you too, Amor".
That night he came home to Jayde holding their daughter in her arms as their kids played on the floor. He smiled at them as he came over to the couch. "How are doing?"
"I'm better. I realized that beating myself up, won't change what happened".
He kissed her head then looked at Lucia who was trying to figure out what was going on. She yawned then started kicking her legs.
"Johnny texted me earlier and he said that he would be coming to New York in a couple weeks to see the kids. I offered him our couch but he said he could get a room at a hotel so he's not in the way. He does want to meet RJ and Lucia".
Rafael smiled. "He's welcome here anytime".
"That's what I told him but he figured that it would be crowded over here".
RJ saw his daddy and he came over. Rafael picked him up and put him in his lap. He looked at his sister. "What she doing?"
"She's just hanging out and enjoying being a baby", Jayde told him.
He leaned over and kissed her little head. "Don't grow up, ok Lucy. You be a baby forever".
Rafael and Jayde couldn't but laugh. "You're a great big brother", Rafael told him. He nodded.
