Grandma Mazur's POV

My life, as I have known it for the last 51 years, is over. My Henry is gone. He's been having some health problems for the previous year, but I didn't think his time was nearly over. But, last night, he died in his sleep. Tomorrow we will wake him at Stiva's, and we'll bury him the following day. I only wish he had a chance to meet his great-granddaughter, Julie.

Stephanie went into labor a couple of weeks early. Fortunately, Carlos was home with her when it happened. He took her to the hospital in Virginia, where, ten hours later, she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. They named her Julie Michelle, to honor Carlos's mother and Stephanie. Steph sent up pictures for us to see. So far, Julie has her father's inquisitive brown eyes, his straight, black hair, and his skin tone. But she has Stephanie's mouth, nose, and build. Julie's a beautiful combination of both of them. I know, from my conversations with Stephanie, that she is worried that she won't be a good mother, but she has nothing to fear. She'll be phenomenal. I've spoken with Rosa at length. I'm thrilled that she's staying with Stephanie for the first three months. That's the hardest time adjusting to the new routine, trying to decipher what each cry means, and just getting over the hormone overload. Rosa stayed with her other granddaughters, Celia and Rosa after they had their babies as well.

Henry and I were all set to meet Julie when a winter storm hit. In typical south Jersey fashion, there was a lot of hoopla about it being a huge storm, aiming to dump up to a foot and a half of snow, only to arrive as a severe ice storm. We got no snow, but the ice made the roads too treacherous to drive. That sweetheart Lester Santos offered to drive up here to drive us to Virginia and back, but Henry wasn't feeling up to it.

I know for that last 51 years I played the role of proper Burg housewife and mother, but that is all about to change. I was very wild for my time. Even though Henry and I married when I was eighteen, I wasn't a virgin. Henry had been courting me for two years, and we were both a little wild. Very few know that I was pregnant before our wedding. Sadly, our first child, a boy named Edward, died at birth. I had several miscarriages before I had Ellen at twenty-one. It wasn't until my pregnancy with Ellen did the doctor realize I had issues with my sugar. I think that is what caused my miscarriages. We tried again after Ellen but were unsuccessful.

Now, I love my Henry. He was my everything, my soulmate, but he fell into the gender-specific roles of our time. I couldn't be who I really wanted to be because it was unacceptable. When Ellen was in grade school, I had a part-time job as a secretary for Henry's best friend, Lukacs Stankovic, at his plumbing business. Luke was a good man, and I enjoyed that time out of the house. When he handed his business over to his son, his daughter-in-law took my role to save money. I couldn't blame them. They were just starting out and already had three boys.

By then, Ellen was engaged. Together, we planned her wedding. She wanted nothing more than to be the perfect wife and mother. That was what she aspired to become, and she succeeded, at least in part. Her wedding was beautiful, and she was so happy. Frank is a good man. He is a Vietnam vet, worked for the Post Office, was able to provide monetarily, but he was an absentee husband and father who didn't participate in the rearing of his children. Now, I think he was and still is suffering some PTSD. Whatever the reason, that's the way it was. When Ellen had Valerie, I helped her. After two days, she sent me home, telling me she had everything covered and didn't need me underfoot. I was hurt, but I let it go. After all, she was so fiercely independent.

Then, Stephanie arrived two years later. Stephanie was, in all honesty, a better baby than Val. But, in Ellen's mind, Stephanie was trouble. You see, Val entered the terrible two stage just about the same time as Steph was born. Val was all over the place, never content to be alone, wanting Ellen's attention every waking moment. She would do something terrible to pull Ellen away from Stephanie, which would then make Steph cry because she was hungry or dirty. Ellen would start to get ready to feed her, then she would be forced to stop to take care of Valerie. However, all she saw was her second daughter did nothing but cry. The few times I watched the girls when Ellen and Frank went out, Stephanie was an angel. Val tried her act on me, but I ignored her, taking care of her well-behaved sister. After an hour, she was content to sit at the table and color or play with her dolls. When I tried to give my daughter advice, she rebuffed me.

Then, she lost the third baby, the boy. She once again blames Stephanie because of the fiasco with the hornet's nest, but it was her sugar that caused her to lose the baby. Ellen was diagnosed as having a sugar problem and was given a specific diet to follow. She ignored the doctor's orders. Then, when Steph went into shock, her system couldn't handle the adrenaline, and Ellen crashed. That's why she lost the baby because of her own stupidity. However, in her eyes, it was, once again, Stephanie's fault.

From that day forward, Stephanie could do no right, and Valerie could do no wrong. While Ellen patiently showed Valerie time and time again how to help in the kitchen, she would show Stephanie once. If Steph didn't get it and messed up or asked questions, Ellen dismissed her. The day Joseph Morelli tried to touch Steph when she was six was the day I should have removed her from my daughter. I'll always regret not intervening. Thankfully, God sent Steph a protector in the form of Lester Santos. He would become her big brother, making sure no one messed with Steph. In turn, she helped the families of the Burg to accept the Rizzi family, even though Mrs. Rizzi is Cuban.

Enough of the trip down memory lane. I need to call Steph and tell her. I pick up my phone, checking the time, then call my baby granddaughter.

"Hello, Manoso residence. This is Ella."

"Hello, Ella, this is Edna Mazur. Is Stephanie available?"

"Yes, Edna, she is. How are you doing? Is everything okay?"

"I'm fine, but that's why I'm calling. I guess I should tell you so you can be prepared. My Henry passed away last night."

"Oh, Dios mio. I'm so sorry to hear that. You have my sympathies. Please, give me a moment. Stephanie was just laying Julie down for her nap. Hold on."

I hear Ella place the phone on the counter, and a minute or two later, Stephanie picks up.

"Hi, Grandma. How are you?"

"I'm good, but I got some bad news."

"What's wrong? Are you sick? Did something happen to mom or dad? What about Val? Did she lose the baby?"

"Relax, sweetheart. None of the above. Your grandfather, he's gone, Steph."

"Gone? You mean, dead?"

"Yes." I hear the tears in her voice, knowing that this news is going to hurt her.

"When and where are the services?"

"Tomorrow, at Stiva's. From 2-5 and 7-9. The Knights of Columbus are going to give him a nice send-off. We're burying him the next day."

"Okay, Grandma, we'll be there. I'm sorry, Grandma. What are you going to do? You can't stay in that house by yourself. Why don't you come live with Carlos and me?"

"No, Stephanie, dear. I'll move in with your mother. You and Carlos need to enjoy your time together, alone. You don't need me there. Besides, someone has to embarrass your mother now that you aren't around."

"Are you sure? You're always welcomed here."

"I'm sure, Stephanie. If you don't want to come, it's okay. It's cold outside, and I don't want the baby to catch a cold."

"It will be fine. Abuela Rosa is still with us. I'm sure she won't mind coming to Trenton. She, or Tia Celia, can watch Julie during the funeral. She'll be fine when we're at the wake."

"Okay. Drive carefully. I love you, Stephanie. Give your little a girl a hug and kiss from me."

"Will do Grandma. Bye."

"Bye, Steph."

I know in Ellen's mind, Stephanie doesn't belong here, but she is my granddaughter, and I will have her with me. If Ellen doesn't like it, she can leave. I still don't understand, though, how Steph can be so concerned about Val when I don't think Val has spoken to Steph since her wedding. I mean, Ellen, Frank, and Val have no idea that Stephanie has a child. That's right. They're clueless. Oh, this will be good when Ellen sees her daughter show up, married and with a baby. She's turned into the Burg wife and mother. Only, unlike her counterparts here, she'll be working in a few months. Henry, too bad you're going to miss the fireworks.