Hey gals! Well, the guy for Val is a split decision. We'll see if I can actually get my fingers to type the JE's Pillsbury dough boy. Ha!

I'm ranting on the blog today about rude reviewers. Since I have it now, I'll spare you here.

Oh yeah, one lady mentioned she didn't like the Benito name because of Ramirez (not upset she mentioned it). In my story in the first Big Surprises that Ramirez thing wasn't the drama it was in JE's book. No one (Lula) was hurt or traumatized. That's why I didn't give it much thought. I liked the name and the meaning. When I think of the American name Ben, I think of a gentle type person.

I'm feeling a lot like I did when I was writing 'Beast' and I need to push my chair back and take a break and go back to working on my original and the sequel. I always miss it here and I will be back and finish this. I just can't finish this story right now. I'm burned out and aggravated. Sorry to my loyal readers, I know who you are and I love you gals.

Previously -

"Uncle Cal! That's a quarter in the swear jar." Cal finished fixing his plate and came over to Angie and handed her a five dollar bill.

"Here you go, doll. Here's a few extra to cover Aunt Stephanie for a while." He winked at me and grinned and left the kitchen.

Chapter 25

Stephanie's POV

Carlos asked about my Mom and Grandma shook her head. "She's holed up in her room now like Val was, just wailing and crying. I've been doing the cooking and Frank has been sleeping on the couch."

Carlos said, "That's no good. Val, why don't you and the kids take the apartment over the garage for now till you find a job and a place. Frank, whatever you do, we'll support you."

Dad nodded and thanked him. He said, "It would be good for the kids to be out of there while we're dealing with this. My little ones are smart and I don't want them overhearing any adult conversations with Helen or Edna."

Angie and Mary Alice were looking back and forth between all of us. Mary Alice said, "We're going to live with Aunt Steph and Uncle Carlos? Yeah!"

Dad grinned and said, "See what I mean? They don't miss much when they're around."

Grandma Mazur said that she would like to have a private conversation with us after we finished lunch. Carlos asked Ella if she would take the girls and we went to the TV room to talk and closed the french doors for privacy. Grandma said, "Val honey, I know you're not going to like what I'm going to suggest. But, I've thought this through and it's the right thing to do. I think you should tell Joseph Morelli the truth."

Val jumped up and balled her fists. "No! Angie's my daughter! I don't want him to know. No one else needs to know about this!"

Grandma held up her hand. "Hear me out. I'm suggesting this for Angie's future. Joseph will be having his own children someday soon. Let's just be honest about this. History is telling us that the kids in these two families are attracted to each other like bears and honey. This cycle could continue. He has a right to know and you can explain that you don't want anything from him. What if he would like a relationship with Angie? Just as an Uncle like figure like the rest of these young men. Angie would never have to know. If he wants to tell his mother, that would be his decision."

Val slapped her hands over her face and groaned. "Grandma, I thought I might try to stay. If this spreads over the 'Burg, I'll be shamed and have to leave my home. We can't tell Joe and we really can't tell Mrs. Morelli."

Grandma said, ""Trust me Valerie. Angela Morelli and Joseph will not want another soul to know about this secret either. It will be safe. After this is done, the next generations will be safe. You need to tell him."

The conversation ended with Val grumbling that she would think about it.

Bean had been sleeping and the monitor sounded. I looked at Val and said, "Come meet your new nephew." We went up the stairs and she walked over to the crib and plucked him out of it. She said, "Omigod, Steph. He is so cute." His little hand swiped her face and she was mush like the rest of us. She smiled and handed him to me and I sat in the rocker and began nursing him and she sat in the floor.

She said, "I'm really sorry about blaming you Stephanie. I guess I'm guilty of letting Mom influence me regarding you."

"Val, I'm glad that the truth is out and I'm glad to know that I'm really not the failure that she had me convinced that I was. I'm not happy to find out about what she did to Dad or you. Not at all," I said to her.

She nodded and mused a minute and then said, "I know that under the circumstances I probably shouldn't be thinking about men, but... That lawyer, Kloughn. He's kind of cute in a Pillsbury dough boy kind of way."

I burst out laughing. "What kind of type is that?"

She giggled and shrugged. "He's sweet and soft and squishy like a pillow and he smells a little like cookies."

I snickered. "Okay. That is a new type in my book."

"I was really surprised at that Cal. You know the guy that pitched me out your front door?" She smirked and grinned. "He's really a sweet guy."

I smiled back at her. "Yes he is, Val. He's a very special guy. He's been a good friend to me and was my best buddy when I was pregnant. He would give his life for me and my family and I love him like a brother."

She said with a little devilish grin, "Except for the tattoo, he's really kind of hot."

I said, "Val, the whole package is hot. I think of the tattoo like a filter for the right girl to really see him."

She said, "Oh, I saw him. The dimples, the lips, the body, that cute butt… Shit, did I just say that out loud?"

I giggled. "That's a quarter to the swear jar. Make that two for those dirty thoughts of yours about my friend."

She looked up at me still grinning. "Am I going to be okay, Steph?"

"Yup. You and the girls will be golden. Just keep them away from Morelli boys." She surprised me and actually laughed at my bad joke.

She was flabbergasted when Carlos presented her with keys to the bug and a title to sign the car over. It had been a great idea to give her the car. She and Cal were now headed to my parents house to get her and the girls packed up to move over. I wasn't totally looking forward to having more people around here adjusting to life with a new baby. However, helping my sister to get back on her feet after everything she'd been through was the right thing to do.

Val asked to talk to Carlos and I after dinner a couple nights later. She said that she was reluctant, but trusted Grandma and had decided to call Joe Morelli. She wanted to know if she could ask him to come here and if we could be there for support. We both told her that we would absolutely support her decision.

Joe rang our doorbell two days later. I opened the door and asked him in and took him to the TV room and asked him what he wanted to drink. He said that he'd take a beer and I fetched one for him and Carlos. Carlos and Val were just coming in the room. After I got two more refreshments, we shut the doors.

Joe was grinning and said, "Hey Cupcake, less than a month ago I heard a tale of a car chase that ended at a hospital and involved a large man dressed in black and a pregnant woman with wild curly hair and a dirty mouth. I would have put money on that being you. You know anything about that incident?"

I snorted, "Tell those brainiacs that if someone is speeding to a hospital that it's likely an emergency and they don't need to draw guns. Duh!" He chuckled.

He asked, "Is there something I can do for you guys? Is that why you wanted to see me?"

I said, "We have something of a sensitive nature to discuss and it involves you. I'm going to let Valerie tell you. Carlos and I are here for her support and yours as well."

His brows furrowed and he nodded.

Valerie took a breath and said. "Um..Joe. This was a really difficult decision to share this. We all feel that it's right. That's why you're here now. I want to make clear that we..I mean, I don't want anything. Crud, just let me tell the story. It begins before we were even born. It started with our parents. Your Dad and our Mom had a kind of love affair before they were married. Our Mom was engaged to our Dad and he was in Vietnam. She got pregnant and our Grandpa made our Dad marry her when he got back. No one knew who the real father was except for our parents all these years. That baby that was born from that relationship was me. We just found out about this. I'm sorry."

He just sat there for a few moments. Finally he said, "You're telling me that you're my half-sister?

Valerie nodded. Then his eyes changed and he ran his hands through his hair and rubbed them down his face. He groaned, "Jesus Christ. We…"

Valerie nodded. She took a deep breath and said, "Yes, and I got pregnant and we had a daughter. My oldest, ironically named Angie. I'm so very sorry, Joe. I went back home to my husband and I thought there was no reason to ever tell." She threw up her hands. "Then my husband leaves and I come home and I find out about my mother. The only reason that I'm telling you now is so that we can keep this from happening again in the future. Neither one of us knew. This whole thing just sucks bananas..."

Joe got up out of his chair and walked to the window and just stood there. His voice was hard when he spoke again. "I fucked my sister and made a daughter. What the hell am I supposed to do with this knowledge? Please tell me because I don't have a Goddamn clue."

Carlos said, "Morelli, you don't have to do anything with it. One day you'll have children of your own. You just need to be aware and watching to stop this from happening again. You can have a relationship with the girl if you want and if not, your prerogative. She's a good kid. You can fall in with the rest of my men and be a special Uncle. This doesn't have to impact your life at all. This mess happened because of people keeping secrets. By telling you, the cycle will be broken. As uncomfortable as it is, it was the right thing to do."

He turned and said, "What a fucked up mess. If my old man was still alive…"

I said, "Joe, this affected a lot of people. Even me. This is an awful secret and we can just be supportive of one another. Just think of all of us as being family and connected now. It's what we make of the situation that counts."

He sighed and looked at Val and said, "Is your girl here right now, Angie?"

Val said, "Yes. Would you like to meet her?"

He nodded and said, "Okay."

Val said, "How would you like to be introduced. Joe or Uncle Joe?"

He waved one of his arms around and slapped it to his head and said, "Shit. Talk about being put on the spot. This is the mother. I guess I'll be Uncle Joe."

Valerie nodded and went to get Angie and Mary Alice and Joe sat down and his one knee was going up and down like crazy. He was tapping a rhythm he was so nervous.

I said, "Joe, she's very mature and really good. You'll love her. You can just be a friend to her. She lost her Dad and needs people that care about her." He nodded, but still kept that rhythm with the knee going.

Valerie came in with the girls in tow and they looked around. Valerie said, "I want you to meet a friend of mine and he's a distant relative. You can call him Uncle Joe."

Angie walked up to him and stuck her hand out to shake. "Hi, I'm Angie and that's Mary Alice. She thinks she's a horse." Then she rolled her eyes for him.

Mary Alice said, "I'm not a horse, silly. I'm a pony."

Joe's knee stopped moving and he smiled and took her little hand. "Nice to meet you both. How old are you and what grade will you be in this year?"

Joe looked surprised when she just squeezed her little behind into the chair next to him and began talking. Mary Alice then crawled up on that knee that had previously been bouncing and whinnied like a pony.

Joe was relaxing and they were having a nice conversation and I got up and said that I would fix some ice cream sundaes and told them to ask Joe to stay. They clapped and got excited and begged him to stay. He grinned and nodded at them. I thought he would adjust and be okay too. Who knew that kids weren't the end of the world? I sure hadn't known for sure myself before Bean.

After ice cream the girls had taken Joe to see their apartment and all their new school stuff and things that Uncle Lester had bought them. Angie made a point of telling Joe that she had to start a swear jar to help Uncle Lester because he has a bad potty mouth. That made him chuckle.

They took him to the nursery to meet Bean when he woke up. Angie told him that Bean was new and he ate a lot and burped and spit up a bunch. Then Mary Alice added that he poops in his diaper a whole bunch and it was really stinky and that he pee pees' in his baby bathtub too when Aunt Stephanie puts him in and she says a swear word every time because she has to change the water. She said that I have to put at least two quarters in the jar every time and sometimes when I changed one of those poopy diapers. That made Joe and all of us laugh. Bean does let go every time I put him in the warm water. Sometimes he even does it again when I change the water. He's always kind of smiling. I think it just feels too good.

When we all got back to the main house we sent the girls on to play and they hugged Joe and asked him when they would see him again. I told them that we would ask him to dinner soon and they were happy. When they were out of the room I asked Joe, "It wasn't as painful as you thought it might be, was it?"

He smiled and said, "No. Valerie, those are really good kids. You've done a great job with them."

Val beamed. "Thanks Joe. They really like you."

He said, "I didn't know if I could deal with this. Now, I think I can. I'm fine in a role as an Uncle like figure. Does my mother know about you?"

Valerie said, "We don't think so, but we don't know for sure."

He asked, "How do you feel about me telling her about all this?"

"Naturally, I would prefer that no one else knows. I don't want to have to leave town. The girls need people around them that care about them. If the 'Burg found out..? Well, you know how that would go for both of us. Grandma did say that she didn't think that Angela would ever repeat such a story. I guess we'll have to trust your decision in this," Valerie said and shrugged.

Joe said, "I'll give it serious thought before I say anything."

We all exchanged phone numbers and we told Joe to call us when he was free for dinner.

Carlos and I breathed a huge sigh of relief that night. We were optimistic that all of this might be alright except for my mother, that is. My husband made love to me for the first time with his hands and his mouth since the baby was born and I reciprocated. Despite the leaky breasts, I was beginning to feel a little sexy again. At least he made me feel that way. My stomach had gone down and I had lost a few pounds. Not from the lack of dessert. Mostly from just being so busy with Bean and having less time to eat meals.

Carlos had mentioned that he was getting lax in his exercise and asked me if I wanted to start jogging with him in the mornings and he said he could help me with some sit ups to get my pre-pregnancy stomach back if I wanted. He told me that the exercise might give me a good energy boost. I was all for that. Seems I was tired all the time right now.

After lunch three days later the doorbell rang and I was shocked when I opened it. Angela Morelli was standing there. She didn't speak for a minute and then I think her 'Burg manners kicked in and she said, "I'm sorry that I didn't call and I'm unannounced. I'm not myself right at the moment. May I come in?" I nodded and swung the door wide to allow her entrance. I was thinking that I hoped this wouldn't be a repeat of the day Val showed up 'not herself' and attacked me.

TBC -