All familiar characters belong to Janet. Mistakes are solely mine.

"Who was that?" I asked Stephanie, coming into the living room and finding her watching 'the kids' with a thoughtful expression on her face but no longer speaking with someone on the phone.

Our daughter was making herself a canine hammock by leaning her back against Gunner's chilling-out body and making tunnels in Ammo's fur with her bare toes until she was suspended up off the floor between both boys' bodies.

"It was Valerie," Steph answered.

"Wanting to know your side of Helen's visit?"

Her smile was a surprise, given the subject matter. "Actually no. She didn't mention Mom once. She wanted to know if we'd decided how to celebrate Olive's birthday during one of the crappiest years in our lifetime. Can you believe we've had two years with our baby already?"

"No," I said, walking over to my wife just so I could wrap my arms around her.

She's been my wife for less than the two years we've had our daughter, and I still wake up in the dead of night, drenched in sweat from not fully believing she and Olivia are really here and all mine.

"It was this way with Julie, too," I continued. "I'd be sent overseas for months at a time and when I'd return ... it was to find that she had already gone from a baby, to a beautiful little girl, to a preteen lady, with each visit. I thought having the opportunity to be home with Olivia everyday would have slowed her childhood down some, but if anything ... it brings into focus how quickly time passes even when you're trying to take the time to appreciate every minute you can of it."

She turned her head enough to kiss my jaw. "So I'm not alone here?"

"Never," I promised her.

Olivia turned onto her side, which was on Gunny's side to wave at me.

"Dada sees?"

"I do. Looks like you found yourself the warmest place to nap."

She shook her head, creating some noticeable static connecting her dark hair and Gunny's fur. "No nabeez," she stated as emphatically as her Mama used to declare that she wasn't getting up in the morning.

"Maybe not now," Steph told her, "but a nap will be happening very soon."

Our daughter's big brown eyes flicked to me in appeal. "Mama is right, you need to sleep sometime, even if it's on a literal 'dog bed'."

She tapped Gunny's flank. "Goo Dawwg."

"He and Mo are good dogs for not once trying to run away from us," Steph pointed out. "They must have nerves of steel."

"Our life may be crazy, but we aren't ... unlike their past owner. The boys have no urge to leave us anymore than Olivia would let them."

Steph was going to respond but we heard the buzz against the surface of a side table. Today it's been Steph's cell interrupting our family time, not mine.

She reached out to snag it and thankfully checked the number before answering. "Hey, Dad. What's up?"

I felt her stiffen in my arms. "Why? What's wrong with her?"

I took her phone away and hit the spot to change the call to speaker so I can hear the conversation. "Wrong with who?" I asked either one.

"Grandma," Steph said. "Dad just called an ambulance for her."

"Talk fast," I ordered Frank.

"We were sitting and watching a movie, and about halfway through Edna said she wasn't feeling well. She was a little dizzy and her skin got clammy, and she was feeling a bit sick. She's not on any medication so I didn't know what to offer her besides water or an aspirin. She told me not to bother anyone, but to me it felt like she was breathing kinda shallow ... like she couldn't suck in enough air. I ignored her protests and called for help. I didn't know if you have medics or medical professionals on staff or just Dr. Paice."

Steph had gone pale at the word ambulance and hadn't regained any of her own color in the seconds following, so I took the lead while she struggled to regroup. I kept sliding my hand up and down her back as I do with Olivia when she's upset.

"You did the right thing," I assured Frank. "We'll be down as soon as we get someone to watch Olivia."

Despite the urge to keep the connection open with Frank, I know help is on the way and I had to concentrate on Stephanie.

"Do you want to stay with Olivia, Babe, while I go get more information?"

"No. She's my grandmother and I want to be with her."

"They aren't going to let anyone inside the ambulance or the emergency room. The hospital still restricts visitors ..."

"I know, but that doesn't mean I can't be with her right now. Lester and Bobby should be in the control room. Will you see if one of them can come up here while I go down to four?"

"I just said you aren't alone in how you feel, that stands right now more than ever."

"Dad's with her," she pointed out. "I won't be alone."

I did not point out how little that fact helps her argument.

"Brown, get up here," I barked at Bobby the second he answered.

"I'm five steps out," he relied. "Mr. Plum called the front desk and Gene made sure we were all alerted to the ambulance en route. I'm at your door now."

I shut my cell down and unlocked the door to let him in. "Olivia should be napping within the hour," I informed him. "This is not an excuse to get her wound up and totally screw up her routine."

"Stop threatening Bobby, and let's go," Steph directed. "I just kissed her goodbye. Our baby is still on the dog bed in the middle of the living room. You can't miss them."

Then she was pulling me out the door.

"Nothing can happen to Grandma. I need her," Steph repeated on a steady loop as we took the elevator down to the fourth floor.

Not exactly a prayer, more like a plea. One I know she'll fall apart without right now. I can feel each word she says and hitched breath she takes against my chest as she spoke into my T-shirt.

"Don't for one minute forget that this is Edna Mazur, Steph. God's scared of her and the devil knows he can't handle her. Neither one wants her kind of trouble. She's going to be fine."

"I know you can't guarantee me that, but thank you for trying. Be sure to repeat that one to her. Grandma will get a kick out of your description. She has to be okay. It was the two of us against the Burg and my mom for so long, I can't ..." she stopped and took a deep breath before repeating what she needed to. "She has to be okay."

"We'll do whatever we can to ensure that she is, Babe. I promise."

She was still shaking when we reached Edna's apartment, but she had calmed down. She knows freaking Edna out by freaking out herself won't help the situation.

"Dad, Grandma, what happened? How are you feeling? What can I do?" She immediately asked after we let ourselves into Edna's apartment.

"I don't need no ambulance," Grandma Mazur stated. "I told Frank that, but he was on the horn the minute my back was turned."

"Good. No offense, Grandma, but I trust a doctor's diagnosis more than yours."

"You don't get to be this old by not knowing when you're fine and when you gotta get help. I don't need to go anywhere except maybe Atlantic City when it gets back to business as usual."

"Be okay, and I promise to take you as soon as it's safe to," my wife promised her.

"You hear that, Frank? We've got ourselves a trip coming our way."

He didn't respond, partly out of worry and because the paramedics had arrived along with an armed Rangeman escort from the lobby on up to the fourth floor.

"Is she alright?" Ram asked from the door.

"Can you see her?" Woody asked him. "Does she look okay?"

Edna was having her vitals taken and seeing her fan club blocking the door likely won't result in an accurate reading. She always claims that spotting me or my men makes her heart speed up.

"She's planning a gambling trip," I informed them, knowing that the men without grandmothers, or those who can't see theirs as often as they'd like, have adopted Edna as their resident Rangeman grandmother.

You could feel a shift in the atmosphere. When Stephanie discusses food after getting an injury or Edna mentions gambling, we all know those are two good indicators that they're mostly alright.

"Is she going to be okay?" Steph asked one paramedic.

"Her oxygen is a little low, but not in the danger zone. We're going to load her up and get her thoroughly checked out to see what's causing it. New virus guidelines state no one can ride with us, and the hospital doesn't allow extra people in the ER, but I believe they okay one visitor if she ends up needing a room."

"She won't," my wife replied so forcefully, I wouldn't have doubted for a minute that her will would change the outcome to the one she wants. "Her great-granddaughter's birthday is next week, and she won't want to miss it."

I tightened my hold on her as she was just given a placating smile. They aren't allowed to promise that everything in life will work out like it should.

"It'll be Ranger's birthday too right after Olive's!" Edna shouted as they were locking the wheels on her gurney. "I gotta be here to kiss the birthday boy."

"Ace whatever test they throw at you, and I'll give you access to my cheek for the entire day," I told her, taking a page out of Stephanie's book and giving Edna proper motivation to get well.

"I'm holdin' you to that. Get a move on, Boys. You heard him, I gotta get out so I can go get a new lipstick for that event," was the last thing Edna said as she was wheeled out.

The three of us plus Vince, Woody, and now Tank, Lester, and Ella, filled the empty apartment, not sure what to do. I kept Stephanie in the protective circle of my arms, while Tank placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed in solidarity and support. The sudden silence was deafening. Edna took the life out of the place when she left. When there's a clear enemy, you hunt him down and eliminate him. It's simple. You have a job to do and you do it. This is a different kind of hell ... wanting to do something, but knowing you're powerless. It's not a feeling I'm familiar with or comfortable experiencing.

Steph was valiantly trying to hold back the nerves and sobs desperate to escape, and it was a surprise to see Frank fighting tears. Edna isn't a big woman, but she's had a huge impact on everyone around her. The thought of losing her is not something anyone in this building can or will contemplate.

I don't believe in much anymore. I've seen too often what a human being will happily and viciously do to another to believe in a fair and just system or even Karma, but in that moment the only thing I wanted for my 'birthday wish' was to give my wife the gift of having Grandma Mazur remain in her life.

"Is it safe to get back to Olive?" Steph asked, breaking the silence and the stupor we were all caught up in. "I should have thought more and panicked less."

"They were wearing masks as were we, plus protective shields. And they were only here for a few minutes," I replied, a hovering threat being momentarily beat back by an uncontrollable one.

"Can you guys come upstairs with us?" Steph asked the men. "I'd feel better with something, or a lot of someone's, to focus on. You don't have to, but ..."

"We're with you, Steph," Vince told her, "for whatever you need."

"Yeah, you don't gotta ask," Woody added. "Just tell us what you need or want us to do."

"I need Ranger, my baby, and friends who can keep my mind on something else until I can call the hospital." She glanced up at me. "How long do I have to give them?"

"I was thinking twenty minutes tops. They should have an idea of what tests they're ordering by then."

I didn't mention that as soon as she's distracted, I plan on placing a call to the man I know on the hospital's board of directors to get me the information I want faster than it should be available.

"Come on, Dad," my wife said, looping her arm through his. "You're not staying alone this time. I need you with us."

He didn't argue, which saved him one hell of a talking to if he refused to provide what his daughter needs from him. Steph hasn't asked for a lot from anyone, and she is for damn sure going to get whatever it takes to get through the next couple of hours. Cuddling Olive until she fell asleep, talking to Frank about what movie he and Edna had been in the process of watching, or joining Ella in getting the guys coffee and cookies or making them sandwiches in order to kill five more minutes of wait-time. It was excruciating for all involved, but no one ever suggested that Edna wouldn't be fine and back home by the morning.

I insisted on making all hospital calls in case I was forced to soften a blow, but the unofficial prayer group that had formed in our apartment had accomplished our mission. I tugged Stephanie to my side but repeated what I was told so everyone in the living room, hall, and kitchen could hear me.

"It took longer than expected, because they wanted to get an EKG and ECG done but because the hospital is full ... they needed to wait for the machines to become available. They did a chest X-ray and thankfully her lungs are clear, no fluid building up. Her heart is good but she has stenosis in one valve which means it can stick occasionally and not fully open all the way. That narrowing caused her initial symptoms but it's why she felt better as soon as it opened again. She was put on oxygen to get her blood oxygen level back up to where it should be, and if it stays at that number after she's taken off it while moving around her space, we can pick her up."

"That sounds kinda scary, but not as bad as anything I was picturing. What does this mean for the future though?" Steph asked me.

"She'll need periodic appointments with a cardiologist to make sure that valve doesn't get worse, but for the moment ... we need to figure out how to up her gambling games here ... since a casino is out. And I need to brace my face for what Grandma Mazur's going to do to it on my birthday."

When Steph almost crumpled in relief in my arms, I realized that no matter how it appears to outsiders, we will be celebrating three lives with Olivia's party ... our daughter's, mine, and thank fucking God ... Edna's continuing one.