Voting's still open but for now it seems most of us are for them having a girl?
Oh and go ahead you gals be the bridesmaid, Godmother, anything you want. BTW
Kit you have a really nice name, Tatiana. My friend's daughter has the same name as you.
Sorry side-tracked a little here, anyway back to our story...
The recent rainfall had moistened the ground benneth his feet. He made his way across the grass, his feet finally coming to rest at the grave he was headed for. He got down on one knee and removed his sunglasses.
Placing one hand on the headstone he said, "Little brother."
It had been some time since Horatio had visited Ray's grave, but he made it a point to come here to honor his brother's memory. There were times when he came with Yelina and Ray Jr. but today he needed to be there alone.
"Not a day goes by when I don't miss you... I know Yelina and Ray Jr feel the same... I'm thinking of marrying Yelina... we didn't plan on falling in love with each other, but it happened. I would return them both to you in a heartbeat in exchange for you to be still alive... I'll take good care of them... I miss you."
He got up and placing his sunglasses on his face once more he walked back to his Hummer.
------------------
The setting sun dipped into the horizon, giving everything on the beach an orange glow. Horatio and Yelina had just made their second visit to Dr Donovan. Yelina was now 14 weeks pregnant, and the doctor had declared that the pregnancy was progressing well. Their shift was over and they strolled hand in hand along the beach. The sea breeze gave them much needed relief from the day's heat.
"I'm beginning to show." Yelina commented.
Horatio glanced down at her belly, "Maybe a little. Everyone in the department knows."
"Yeah. I think we gave the gossip mongers alot to talk about... Yelina Salas getting pregnant by her dead husband's brother."
"Yes that is headline news isn't it?"
Yelina laughed.
"Does it bother you?" he asked.
"No." Yelina assured him, "It comes with the territory of dating Horatio Caine."
Horatio nodded and smiled. They walked on for awhile before he stopped. Removing his sunglasses he fingered them between his hands as he turned to face her.
"Call me old-fashioned but uh.. I um.. I don't think it's right, I don't think it's right for you to be carrying my child and not be married to me."
Yelina stared at him for a moment. "Are you asking me to marry you?"
"I am," he quickly replied.
"I don't want you to be pressured into marrying me."
"I'm not."
Yelina turned her head and looked out to the horizon. Her silence unnerved him. After some thought she turned back to face him.
"If I weren't pregnant, would you be asking me this today?"
Horatio knew what she was getting at but he couldn't lie to her. "No."
"Then you're not ready."
"Yelina, I want to spend the rest of my life with you, I knew from the day we started seeing each other."
"So do I." she answered. "But marriage changes things... it changed some things for Ray and I."
"I'm not Ray." Horatio said.
"I realise that... but a few year later if things aren't going smoothly I don't want either of us to have an excuse to back out."
"I would never - "
"I know that baby, but you're not ready."
Horatio wondered if he was really the one that wasn't ready for marriage. "Let me be the judge of that."
Her mind was made up. "Ask me again after the baby's born."
Horatio bowed his head. He felt devastated. He couldn't understand why she didn't want to marry him, but he didn't want to force her into doing something she didn't want to. She was right in saying that if she wasn't pregnant marriage wouldn't have crossed his mind yet, but there was never any doubt that if he were to marry someone, it would be her. His thoughts were interrupted by her putting her arms round his neck.
"Don't look so defeated. I do want to marry you, just not now." She said placing a hand on his cheek. "I love you don't ever doubt that."
Horatio nodded. "I love you too."
She smiled. "Let's go, we gota go pick Ray from my mom's."
"Ok." He slipped his sunglasses back on, shielding his disappointment from her.
Hope I got you guys rivetted to the story. Things are going to get exciting...
