Chapter 36—Holidays in Trenton
Christmas Eve
Ellen's POV
I hung up the phone with Angie Morelli. She is spending her Christmas at St. Francis at her mother-in-law, Bella's, bedside. Two days ago, she received a call from the prison where poor Joseph was wrongly incarcerated, informing her that someone murdered Joseph. When she told Bella that her grandson was never coming home, she had a stroke. Bella is in a coma, on life support. It is not looking promising for her. In the meantime, Angie must plan her son's funeral. Of course, I told her that I would help her however she needs me to, after all, that's what friends are for, to help each other in our times of need. Tonight is Christmas Eve. Valerie, Albert, and their four children will be here. They are arriving at three. Stephanie decided to grace our presence, but I told her to come at five. I don't want to spend too much time with her. After all, Joseph's death is her fault. If she only would have taken her role as a Burg housewife with Joseph, he never would have been sent to jail. Not to mention, she's bringing that thug, that Ranger here with her. I decided to buy Stephanie what she needs, normal underwear and socks, not those slutty little thongs like she normally wears. I didn't get anything for her thug 'husband.' Now, she told me his daughter would be here as well. I'll give her the same etiquette book I gave Angie. They are about the same age.
At three, the doorbell rings. Valerie, Albert, and the girls come rushing into the house. "Merry Christmas Grandma Plum," the girls say as they greet us with a kiss. Val and Albert come in with a lot of gifts, more then they've had in the last three years combined. Albert's practice must be doing well. I hear my mother talking with the girls. I'm about to close the door when I see a black Porsche pull up in front of the house. The passenger door opens, and Stephanie steps out. Ranger and his brat are with her. How come she's arriving so early.
"Oh look, Stephanie's here with that thug. I told her five, why is she here now?"
"Mom, I told Stephanie we were coming over at three, I didn't realize you told her a different time," Valerie responds. I sigh. I guess I'll have to deal with her for two extra hours. Her thug is walking up the stairs with more gifts than Valerie walked in with, which is saying a lot. His daughter is carrying a bouquet of flowers.
"Hi Mom, Merry Christmas," Stephanie says before hugging and kissing me. "Mom, this is Julie, Carlos' daughter, my step-daughter."
"Hello, Mrs. Plum. Thank you for allowing me to come to your home on Christmas Eve. I know you weren't expecting me. I appreciate your hospitality." Julie says before handing the bouquet of yellow, pink, and white roses with babies breathe and greenery.
"You're welcome," I reply, remembering my Burg upbringing. The thug walks in last. Once he enters, I turn away and head back to the kitchen. I watch my youngest daughter greet the rest of the family. Everyone seems to welcome the thug. What is wrong with everyone? I observe as Frank shuts the television off to sit and talk with the thug, ignoring poor Albert. What Twilight Zone episode did I get dropped into; what happened to the Plums?
"I guess we should open gifts." The five girls sit on the floor, ready to open presents. Valerie and Stephanie immediately start to distribute the gifts to the children. I must say Stephanie is at least dressed classy, for a change. She's wearing a long-sleeve, round neck red sweater dress that stops mid-thigh with black leggings underneath. She has on a pair of two-inch ankle boots in red leather. She has a wide black belt around her waist, which is very trim. She is wearing only mascara and lip gloss, showing her natural beauty. It also seems like she's finally learned how to style her hair because the curls are perfectly fixed. That thug that she married to is wearing black dress pants with a hunter green button down shirt with a black tie. He's wearing black dress shoes with a perfect shine. He wore a gorgeous black leather coat which fit him perfectly. Stephanie was also wearing a fur-trimmed black leather coat that stopped at her knees. His daughter, Julie, is wearing the same ensemble as Stephanie, only her dress is green, and her shoes are a flat black ankle boot.
Stephanie purchased American Girl dolls for Valerie's three youngest daughters. For Angie, she got her an iPad tablet. Also, there were clothes for the girls and a Disney vacation cruise for the family. "Stephanie, Carlos, you didn't have to get us the cruise, after everything else you've done for us this year."
"Don't worry about it, that's what sisters do for each other. I'm glad that Albert likes his job."
Valerie replies enthusiastically, "Carlos, I don't know how we will ever thank you for offering Al a job in your company. We went from living paycheck to paycheck, barely able to pay rent to suddenly being able to save money. We may be able to buy a house in another year. Your confidence in Al's ability was a turning point in our marriage, and our kids lives. I thank you from the bottom of my heart."
What is Val talking about? Albert works for that thug? Why me! Now I'll have two daughters with husbands getting arrested for participating in illegal activities. I must speak up. "Valerie, dear, you never told me that Albert's job was with his company. Why did you leave that out? I would have advised you NOT to have Albert take that job."
"Mom, that's exactly why I didn't tell you. I don't understand why you still think that Carlos is such a bad person. He saved Stephanie's life by taking her away from Joe. He's helping her work through all of the stuff Stephanie's endured. He understands what Stephanie needs to do and wants to be with her without changing her. Carlos accepts Stephanie for who she is, not for what he's hoping she will become. Don't you see the clothes Stephanie and Julie are wearing? They're designer clothes, Mom, not sold at Macy's. Her shoes alone are about $400. Do you know that Carlos and Stephanie have two homes here in Jersey, both of which he owns free and clear? Can't you see that he's a good man or are you only going to believe what that piece of scum Joseph Morelli told you because he wanted to punish Stephanie?"
What is going on here? Valerie never yells at me. Now she's defending him and vilifying poor Joseph. "Valerie Marie Plum Kloughn, for your information, it's because of your slut of a sister that poor Joseph is dead, and Bella Morelli is in the St. Francis. The only reason why Stephanie was born is that we lost your brother, Frank. If he didn't die, she wouldn't be here, and I would have two perfect children."
Stephanie's POV
OMG. My mother never wanted me, she didn't love me from day one because I was a girl, and not the replacement for the son she lost. I am never going to please my mother. She's hated me from the moment that the doctor announced. "You have a healthy baby girl."
"Mom, what are you saying?" I ask. Carlos is ready to leave the house, my father is furious, and Grandma Mazur looks like she wants to slap her daughter across the face.
"Your father and I had our two children. Frank was born. First, he was 28 months older than Valerie. Then we had Valerie. Both were wonderful babies from the start. When Frank was three, he contracted pneumonia. We didn't know he was asthmatic, so we treated him with antibiotics and vapor rub, assuming he would get better. Then, his fever spiked to over 104. We rushed him to the hospital, but he was too sick. He died ten hours after being admitted. That's when we decided to have another child. We were hoping for another boy. Instead, you were born. You were a problem from day one. You refused to nurse, preferring a bottle. You would be up at night and sleep during the day. You had colic. As you got older, all you did was push against what was proper, against the Burg way and values, intent on working outside the home, not having children. Is that how I raised you? You never acted like a little girl, always like a boy. No matter how much I tried to teach you how to be, you never listened. I realized that we should have never had you. I almost gave you up when you were three months because you were such a horrible baby."
By the end of my mother's diatribe, I had tears streaming down my face. Valerie's mouth was wide open; my father was ready to kill my mother. "Ellen, I'm sorry that I didn't fit into your fantasy family. But, I'm sure you'll be glad to know that you now only have one daughter, Valerie. As of now, I have no mother. Julie, please collect your gifts and say thank you to everyone. Carlos, can you get our coats and warm up the car. I'm ready to go home."
"Pumpkin, wait, you are not leaving my home. Today is Christmas Eve, and I intend to spend the day with both of my daughters, my mother-in-law, my five granddaughters, and two sons-in-law. Ellen, if you cannot bear to be in our company, then why don't you spend the evening with Angie Morelli in the hospital if you feel that she and her family are better than your family."
"Frank, you can't possibly mean that I have to finish dinner," I state to him.
"Valerie and Edna are more than capable of cooking the Christmas dinner. If you want to spend the evening with us, then you will treat Stephanie like you treat Valerie and learn to respect Stephanie, for she is a wonderful, strong woman. If you can't manage then go to Angie Morelli." Frank said with authority.
I don't know what to say. My husband has never spoken to me in this manner. I hate being near Stephanie. She is an embarrassment, a complete failure. Why can't everyone see that? Well, then, I guess I know my decision. "I'll get my coat and leave. Stephanie, if you plan on coming here, let us know in advance so I won't be here. Valerie, if you choose to continue to associate with Stephanie, then you can stay away from me as well." I gather my coat and purse, leaving the house.
Edna's POV
I don't know where Ellen came from; she certainly doesn't take after her father or me. We always encouraged her to follow her dreams, never wanting her to conform to the norm. But since she was a little girl, she was sucked into this outdated, backward Burg culture. She is the embarrassment in my family. I don't understand how she can continue to side with the Morelli family after finding out all of the horrible things that Joe did to my baby granddaughter. If I were thirty years younger, I would have killed Joe myself. I mean, even after it came out that he knocked up Terry Gilman she still said that he did nothing wrong. I don't understand.
When Stephanie told me how Joseph made her a woman, I wanted to take her away from here, from the Burg. By that point, we were living in Hamilton Township, in small, two-bedroom cape. I offered to let Stephanie live with me, so she could finish her high school years without the stigma that Joe Morelli put on her. Ellen refused, saying that she made her bed, so she has to deal with it. She will not embarrass the family further by hiding away. What would the neighbors think? Why they would think that Stephanie was pregnant. Then how could she get a good Burg boy to marry her? Stephanie wanted to attend Wellesley College outside of Boston, and she received a full scholarship for soccer. Ellen never knew she played soccer because that wasn't an approved girl activity, but she was great. Ellen refused to let her go, and instead, she went to Douglass College where she barely graduated.
Valerie is exactly like Ellen, her clone, but since her divorce, she is starting to spread her wings. She has finally realized that Ellen's way of thinking is old-fashioned. She is giving her older daughters a chance to do activities that interest them, even if they may not be Burg approved. Stephanie is having a positive influence on her older sister.
Now, my poor grandbaby Frank. He was an angel, a beautiful little boy. But, he was not meant to grace our lives for long. When Ellen told me she wanted to have another baby, a replacement son, I advised her against doing so, but she didn't listen to me. Instead, she became pregnant once again, having Stephanie. Ellen was so sure she was having a boy that she called the baby Stephen Michael the entire time she was pregnant. When she had the girl, she used the feminine form of the name. She didn't care to think of another girl name. Unfortunately, her pregnancy with Stephanie was difficult for her. She had gestational diabetes, due to her unhealthy eating habits. As a result, she had many complications. Once Stephanie was born, the doctor told her that she couldn't have any more children, so there would be no other opportunity to replace Frank. Ellen blamed Stephanie for her inability to have more children.
I'm glad Frank finally stood up for my baby granddaughter. She is a beautiful, loving, caring, and successful woman who found someone who loves her unconditionally. She found her soulmate in Carlos. Carlos will allow Stephanie to fly, to reach her full potential. I can see that she already has a good rapport with her step-daughter, Julie. I do not doubt that when Stephanie decides to become a mother, that she will be a great mother. Hopefully, I will live long enough to see her become a mother.
Ranger's POV
I have never intentionally hurt a woman. Even in my work for the government, I refused to go after women. I was raised to have the utmost respect for all women, which is why I have never forced myself on women. I could have easily been exactly like Morelli if my mother and abuela didn't teach me differently. However, after tonight's display, I would have no problem hurting Ellen Plum.
Once she left, it took about a half hour to calm Stephanie down, to let her understand that she was not at fault for what happened, for her mother leaving on Christmas Eve and disowning her daughters. Once she got over her guilt, the rest of the evening went smoothly. Valerie and Edna made a fabulous dinner, with some assistance from Stephanie. She took on the responsibility of making the vegetables since the Plums don't know how to cook vegetables. Everyone, including Frank, indulged in the vegetables and were pleasantly surprised with how tasty they were. I'm glad to see that some of my eating habits are rubbing off on Stephanie. I'm also proud that she asked Ella to teacher her to cook. It seems that Ella is a better teacher than Ellen.
At twenty after eleven, we all piled into our cars to go to Christmas Eve Mass. Frank and Edna rode with Stephanie, and I; Valerie, Albert and their girls went in a separate car. When we arrived at the church, we saw Ellen sitting with Angie. Even after everything that Joe did to Stephanie, she still walked over to his mother to give her condolences before sitting with us in a pew.
"Babe, why did you go over to Angie?" I asked her.
"She lost her son yesterday. Even though he was scum, that is still his mother, and she loves him. It can't be easy to have to bury your child." Steph tells me.
"Babe, I'm proud of you. Did she say anything to you?"
"She apologized once again for the way Joe treated me. She asked that I keep her updated on my life once she leaves Trenton, which will be after the New Year."
"When did she apologize the first time?"
Steph looks at me, takes a deep breath, then replies. "About a week after the trial ended, she invited me for coffee. We had a long talk. Angie is a strong woman and is honorable. Do you know that she only saw Joe once after his arrest? She went to him to tell him that he was no son of hers and that she would never visit with him again. She gave him an opportunity to expresses remorse for his actions, but he still believes that he did nothing wrong."
"Why didn't you tell me about the meeting?" I ask my wife.
"She asked me to keep it between the two of us. She didn't want the Burg to talk about us, to hypothesize about our conversation. She didn't want anyone to think that she was trying to get me to go back to Joe." She replies. "I spoke to Celia before I agreed to meet with her. I also spoke to Celia about the conversation we had together."
"Did the conversation help you to heal?"
"Yes, it did. It helped tremendously." Steph responded.
Christmas Day
Maria's POV
In a few minutes, my Carlos and his lovely wife Stephanie will be here for Christmas. I am excited to have them here. It's been five years since all my children were together for a holiday. Carlos has never wanted to spend the holidays with his family before, claiming that it was his responsibility to work so his men could spend time with their families. Thankfully, Stephanie is having a positive influence on him, because they are coming here this year. My other daughters and son are already here, waiting for his arrival. Finally, we hear the door open.
"Feliz Navidad, Mama, Feliz Navidad, Papa." Carlos calls out. Almost immediately he is surrounded by his family, adults and children alike. However, it seems that Carlos has brought us the best Christmas gift ever, my granddaughter Julie.
"Julie? What a surprise! Why are you here today?" I asked, shocked to see her.
"I am living with Dad and Mom, I mean Stephanie, now, here in New Jersey." She responds, kissing and hugging me. "Feliz Navidad, Abuela."
"Feliz Navidad, nieta." I respond. "That's wonderful news. I'm glad that you are going to be nearby. Hopefully, your father will be here more often." To hear Julie call Carlos 'Dad' is wonderful. The last time I saw her, after that horrible kidnapping, she called him Ranger. It's good to see that they have a true father-daughter relationship. I also love how she calls Stephanie 'Mom.' Now, if only Stephanie will provide me with more grandchildren, then I will be completely happy.
Celia decides its time to corral the children into the living room for the great gift exchange. Within five minutes, my ten grandchildren are sitting on the floor, surrounding the tree. The men, Celia's husband Jorge, Karla's husband Ramon, Elizabeth's husband Alexis, Beatrice's husband Luis, along with Carlos and Juan, play Santa, distributing all the gifts. Once the kids finished opening up their bounty, we adults opened ours. Due to the large size of our family and the varying economic stability, the adults partake in a secret Santa. Karla set everything up with an app called Elfster. Each person buys their person a gift between $25 and $50. We've done this for that last few years, with much success. However, my children refuse to allow my husband and I to participate. They all insist on getting us a gift from them. We, in turn, buy everyone a gift. We have been blessed with success and can afford to spoil all our children.
Carlos selected Isabella, Juan's fiance, buying her a beautiful lilac cashmere sweater with a matching clutch. I know that her gift was over the $50 limit, but Carlos was never one to abide by the monetary limit. He has told his siblings that he has more than enough money and will buy whatever he feels is appropriate for the person regardless of the cost. He doesn't want anything from anyone, but will graciously accept because he knows that thought and love goes into each gift. Stephanie picked Celia, which was apropos, considering how close they have become. Steph gave Celia a beautiful Michael Kors file bag that Celia can use for work. It's soft, black leather with a messenger closure. Beatrice got Carlos a sterling silver money clip which she had monogrammed. Elizabeth gave Stephanie a rose gold script M pendant. It is the same pendant that all my daughters wear. Ricardo and I bought each of our girls that necklace for their quinceanera, to remind them that they will always be a Manoso, and now Stephanie is officially a Manoso as well. Elizabeth explained the significance to Stephanie, which brought on tears of joy and sadness. When Stephanie excused herself to the bathroom, Carlos explained why she was so emotional.
"Yesterday, when we went to her parent's house for Christmas Eve dinner, her mother told her that she didn't love Steph nor did she want her in her home. Mrs. Plum expressed that Stephanie was an embarrassment to her family who still couldn't do anything right. She blamed her for Morelli being sent to prison, stating that if she were a better woman, a Burg woman, nothing would have happened. She then finished by saying that she wished Stephanie was never born because she's been nothing but a problem since birth. Her father, Frank, kicked his wife out of the house, and the rest of the evening was great. I think that she is overwhelmed by how we all accept her for who she is, welcoming her with arms wide open. Stephanie finally feels like she belongs in a family."
"Oh, mi hijo, that's horrible. I don't know how any mother could have such contempt for their child, especially a child as wonderful as Stephanie." I respond.
Stephanie then returned to the living room. I walked over to her, embracing her in a hug. "Mi hija, I am proud to call you my daughter. You are a Manoso and are always welcome in my home or the homes of your brother and sisters."
"Thank you, Mama. I am so thankful that you all accept me, even with all my baggage and flaws. No one has ever given me unconditional love or support before, so I'm a little overwhelmed." Steph replies.
"Stephanie, since you came into Ricky's life, he's been more like the kid he was then the unfeeling man he became. We are glad that you were able to bring our brother back to us. Without you, he wouldn't be here today. Without you, Julie wouldn't have a relationship with her father. We will always be grateful that you gave Ricky your love and your heart." Karla tells her.
Stephanie's POV
The rest of holiday break back in Trenton went without incident. We enjoyed a quiet New Year's Eve in the Batcave with Julie, Tank, Dana, Lester, Mariela, Bobby, and Gina. Mariela was glad to have a week with Lester before he had to return to Miami to finish cleaning up the office. Bobby agreed to switch with Lester in February. Then Tank would take his place in April if someone was still needed. Everyone was hoping, though, that by the end of February, Alex from Boston would be in the position as the head of the office. From the reports that they received for the last week, he was kicking ass and taking prisoners. He fired two of the probationary employees for not following proper protocol when out on two consecutive calls. The first, a guy named Martin, had Zero as his partner. He failed to explain to the client how to reset the system as well as not thoroughly checking for any weak spots. He missed a frayed wire that caused the alarm to go off. By not discovering the frayed wire, a fire might have occurred. The second incident occurred when he didn't notice an open window in the basement of the house that the owner insisted was always locked. It was evidence of an attempted break-in, which he ignored. The other worker, named Ronaldo, had Brian from Boston as his partner. They were going after a skip, who was wanted after failing to appear to face arson charges when he got pulled over for not signaling when turning. The cop was following them for three miles and didn't notice him using the directional once. The second incident for Ronaldo was when he allowed a skip to get away because he was to busy flirting with the skips girlfriend. Fortunately, Brian was on his game and caught the skip. Alex was livid and fired both on the spot.
"Lester, it seems that Alex has a good head on his shoulders. Mickey trained him well. He's going back to Boston two days after we return because Mickey has a vacation scheduled. The soonest he can return to Miami is February first. He already informed me that he would like to transfer to Miami permanently. Bobby, I want you to work with him one-on-one, making sure he's aware of all the paperwork and requirements during your time with him in February. Lester, when your return in March, you will be his SIC. At the end of March, you will give me your evaluation. I will also evaluate him while I'm there in January. We still need to find a viable candidate for SIC. While I would prefer someone from Boston or Trenton, I think we should look for a diamond in the rough from the Miami team. It will make Alex's transition smoother."
"I think you're right, Ranger. The SIC should come from Miami. I have a couple of possibilities, but I want to observe them more closely this month. How about we compare our notes in two weeks and see if we agree." Lester responds.
"I think that's a good plan. Also, Stephanie will be working full-time in Miami until we return to Trenton. She'll handle the payroll and scheduling, assist Silvio with the searches, and will be in the field, partnered with Reggie or Jimmy. Julie trusts them implicitly. They've done a great job watching out for her, and were planning on meeting her at school on Monday to make sure that she had trackers and a panic button, even though their orders were to have no contact with her."
Tank responded. "Why is Steph working in the field?"
"Marco poisoned their minds towards me. They think that I have no skills, that the only reason I'm a partner is that I'm sleeping with the boss. Ranger thinks that if they see me in action, they will understand that I belong in the company, with my position." I state.
"That makes sense. When are you coming back to Trenton?" Bobby asks.
"We'll return the last weekend in January. The term ends that Friday for Julie, so she can start a new term here in New Jersey." Ranger responds.
"Stephanie, where did you get that pendant? It's so unique and beautiful." Gina said, changing the topic from business to pleasure.
"Ranger's sister Elizabeth was my Secret Santa. She got me this for Christmas."
"Well, I see you are now an official, card-carrying Manoso woman. You're stuck with us forever. Welcome to the family, Beautiful." Lester said.
Dana asked. "What do you mean? She and Ranger married almost three months ago."
"For each of their quinceaneras, my parents bought my sisters that pendant. It was to remind them that even though they would marry one day and give up the Manoso name, they would always be a Manoso. My nieces, Carmen and Mariela both received one for their quinceaneras, as will Julie in February." Ranger replied.
"Wow, that's sweet," Mariela added. "Do Santos women get one as well?" She addressed Lester.
Lester replied, with a chuckle, "No, Carina, they do not. Tio Ricardo wouldn't allow anyone else to copy it. He was the only son. My mother has one because she was Manoso before becoming Santos. My sister doesn't have one because her last name was never Manoso. It only passes to women of the Manoso line and the wives of Manoso men. All of Carlos' sisters use their maiden name hyphenated, so Celia is Celia Manoso-Reyes, and her daughters are Carmen Manoso-Reyes and Mariela Manoso-Reyes. Julie was born Julie Manoso, so even though Ron adopted her and she became a Martine, she was already a Manoso. Juan's wife, along with any subsequent daughters, will receive a necklace. Tio Ricardo and Tia Maria's great-grandchildren won't receive one, except Carlos or Juan's son's daughters, if they have any."
"Wow, that's complicated." I said.
"I know. My sister made Tio Ricardo explain to her about a hundred times why she couldn't get a necklace. Abuela Rosa started the tradition by giving her necklace to Tia Maria as a wedding gift." Lester responded.
"Wait a minute, you and Ranger are related?" Gina said, looking confused.
"Yes. Unfortunately, Lester is my cousin." Ranger replied.
"I would never have guessed, though I can see some similarities in your physical appearances." Gina added.
"My father was from Spain, so I'm half European, which dilutes the Cuban genes." Lester said.
"That explains the green eyes and blonde hair." I added.
"Yup. I'm obviously the better looking of the two of us." Lester replied.
I start laughing hysterically. When everyone was looking at me for an explanation, I simply said, "Lester, while you are an incredibly attractive man, no woman walks into walls or trips over their feet when you smile at them."
Dana looks at me then says. "That happens?"
"All the time. Any time we go out in public, at least three women complete go unaware of their surroundings, especially if Carlos smiles. Then, all bets are off. It's quite amusing sometimes. As long as they don't try to hit on my husband, I don't mind."
"I'd love to see that in person." Mariela says.
"Then we'll have to arrange for a night of dancing when we are all back in Trenton once the situation in Miami is straightened out." Ranger states.
Julie comes into the dining room where we were all sitting to let us know that there were five minutes left in the year. We rose from the table to join Julie in the living room where she was watching the ball drop from Times Square on television. I handed out some noisemakers to each guest while Carlos gave everyone a flute of champagne, even Julie. As I was waiting for the ball to drop, I thought back on how much had changed this past year. Last New Year, I was with Joe, in a relationship that seemed promising. A month later, I discovered I was pregnant, then had my pregnancy aborted. My life became a living hell from that moment on until Ranger returned in September. Within a week I was married to the love of my life. It took three months, but everyone who was part of my torment is dead or locked away for life. Yeah, I'm glad to be saying good riddance to last year.
"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, HAPPY NEW YEAR!" We all shout simultaneously. I turn to my husband of almost three months, and we kiss each other senselessly. I kiss and hug my stepdaughter Julie, then the rest of my guests. Welcome to the new year and a new life.