Chapter 10

He must have said it out loud because Julie turned around and said, "I don't like pink so I'm glad it's not pink." She pulled him inside the room and Steph walked in behind them, all three of them looking around. Ella did an amazing job with the decorating. The walls were a pale lilac and there were color accents all around the room. Instead of a regular bed, Julie had a day bed with a pull out trundle for overnight guests. The comforter was a cream color with a lilac flowering vine throughout. There were pillows in various shades of purple and a few cream ones, as well. The curtains had the same print as the comforter. The floor was hardwood with a round rug in the middle of the room that had polka dot pattern of various shades of purple. Everything tied together perfectly. There was a bookshelf and desk that held the laptop that Julie was able to buy with the wedding bet money from Lester. The bookshelf held some books and photo frames with pictures of Julie and her friends from Miami and some from the wedding. There was a small stereo system in one corner with a tv and dvd player set up as well with a beanbag chair on the floor nearby.

It took Steph a few minutes of looking around, but when she saw what her mom brought over, she let out a gasp.

"Babe, what's wrong?"

"I can't believe she kept it after these years."

"Babe?"

Steph walked over to the other side of the room and found the dressing table and ran her fingers over the glass top. It had recently been painted a creamy white color and the glass replaced on the top, but it was still hers. She crouched down and found her initials she had carved in one time so long ago. Her dad had made the table for her when she was 10 years old and insisted that Steph help and learn how to use tools. She had enjoyed this time with her dad and felt proud of what they had built. It was a rectangle shaped table with a glass top that she used to show off pictures and other teenage mementos. It has two small drawers on each side and mirror attached that has lights attached, along with a small storage bench with a cushioned top that served as a seat. She pulled open the drawers and found that her mom had added a few make up items and some hair accessories for Julie. She stood up with tears in her eyes to find Ranger and Julie were watching her. Through her tears, she explained about building it and just kept repeating over and over that she thought they got rid of it after she went to college.

"I think it's beautiful and am glad she kept it. I'll take really good care of it Steph and then you can have it back when I go to college."

Steph left Julie's room and walked out to the living room. She was pulling one of the framed photos off the mantel and opened it up, taking the photo out. She set the frame on the coffee table and started back towards Julie's room. She went back in and asked Julie to come over to the dressing table. She pushed the photo under the glass top and smiled. It was their first family photo after they were married. "Julie, this is what I used to do with my favorite photos and hope you do the same." Julie threw her arms around Steph and whispered in her ear. Steph gave her a smile and then stood up.

"More secrets Babe?"

"Ranger, sometimes girls just need to share with other girls and boys need not know everything.!"

He laughed and then the three of them continued to look around the bedroom. The closet had a built in dresser and Ella had taken the opportunity to fill it and the hanging bars with new clothes for Julie.

Ranger and Steph eventually left Julie to unpack what she brought from Miami and they went into their bedroom to unpack from their trip. Steph walked into the bedroom first and found a package wrapped in lilac paper with silver ribbon tied into an elaborate bow. She looked at Ranger and he just smiled and said "It's not from me, but if it made it into the apartment, then we shouldn't worry about it blowing up." Steph looked at him and laughed. "Ranger, really? Not everything of mine blows up."

Steph opened it up and found a scrapbook. The cover was a copy of the photo from the top of their wedding cake and when Steph opened it up, she started crying. Ranger sat down next to her and wiped her tears. "Happy tears", she said. They looked through the book and realized that both mothers and grandmothers had a part of making the book. The pictures started with a shot of them after the court hearing that James must have taken without them knowing. It was the three of them in a group hug all with smiles on their faces. It progressed back through the wedding and then some RangeMan photos of Steph and Ranger out of surveillance jobs and with the guys in the office and gym. It then progressed back to Steph's time at the bonds office, photos with Lula and Connie, photos of Ranger's time in the army, both of their high school graduations and then the final pages included all of the photos and mementos from when Steph used the dressing table. There was a page with similar items from Ranger's teenage days that his mother must have been keeping for him. The book ended with baby photos of both of them and a short note from their mothers and grandmothers about making the book. They said they hoped that Steph and Ranger would continue to add to the pages as their lives progressed. Ranger gave Steph and kiss and stood up. "Babe, as much as I'd like to stay here with you, I need to go check in downstairs. Why don't you call the parents and let them know we're home and ask them over for supper. I'll order in the food so we don't have to worry about cooking or getting Ella to cook."

Steph called her parents and then Ranger's parents and then went into Julie's room. Julie had music playing on the stereo while she was going through all of her new clothes.

"Hey, all of the grandparents are coming over for dinner tonight so we can thank them for all of their hard work. Some of the guys will be up as well. Ranger is ordering in the food so you don't have to worry about me poisoning everyone by cooking dinner. I'm going to head downstairs to Ranger's office, do you want to come with me?" "Sure, let me turn off the stereo."

Together they went downstairs to Ranger's office and found him typing away on his computer. He looked up and smiled at them when they walked into his office. "My two favorite girls, what can I do for you?"

"Ranger, just checking in. All the families have been called and will be over in an hour. Did you call in the food order yet?"

"Not yet, why don't you two decide what you want and then tell Lester. He can call it in and go pick it up for us. While you're both here, let me give you some things that I had set up for you." He proceeded to open a drawer and pulled out key fobs, cell phones, a couple bracelets and a gun.

"Julie, you get a phone and a key fob. The key fob will open the door to the apartment so please don't lose it. I don't want my apartment key floating around school. Also, this bracelet is for you. Please wear it always as it has a tracking device in it so we can find you at all times. You don't get the gun, but I would like you to learn properly how to use it and not be scared of it.

Steph, here is your apartment key fob, as well as a fob for a car. You also get a new cell phone, have Hector help you set it up with everything you want kept from your current phone. You also get a tracking bracelet and the gun. Please keep them both with you at all times. I know you don't like the gun, but you will need to go through some more training with Ram on the gun range. You need to learn to like your gun.

Also, both of you will need to take some defense lessons with Tank and Lester. Also, some brief medical training from Bobby."

Julie stood look at him with her mouth hanging open, while Steph just rolled her eyes at him. "Geez Ranger, we just came down to talk about supper, not get set up for a war." He looked at her and just shook his head. She laughed at him, dropped a kiss on his lips and then pulled Julie out of his office. "Let's go see if Ella is home so we can thank her for your room and all that she's done for us in the past few days." With that, the girls left his office and he sat for a minute, shaking his head and then got back to work.