Chapter 36

Today is the day Joseph Morelli gets released from prison. Joe's family moved to upstate New York after his conviction of aggravated assault. The women he raped and assaulted in Trenton crawled from the woodwork to harass his family. Justice Marconi and ADA Marconi are currently serving ten-year sentences for their crimes.

Due to his conviction and time served, Morelli could never work in law enforcement again. Once he's released, an escort will accompany him back to New Jersey. He'll be the only Morelli living in Trenton.

"Do you think he knows?" I asked Ranger after our Rangeman meeting finished. We had CEO issues to discuss and moved to his office.

"No. I'm sure Morelli will find out soon," he replied. "He's being released today?"

"In a few hours," I answered.

Joseph Morelli spent his final two hours in the prison yard. A muscular man with many tattoos approached him. "You Joe Morelli?" he growled.

"Yes," Joe stupidly admitted.

"Do you know who I am?" the large man asked. Joe shook his head no. "My name is Buck Pickering. I answer to the name Snake. I'm your worst fucking nightmare. You know my younger sister, Tasha."

Joe smeared, "She was a sex goddess."

"Tasha killed herself after you raped her," Snake said as he circled Morelli.

"I didn't rape her," Joe said as fear rippled throughout his body.

"Your. Worst. Fucking. Nightmare," Snake repeated before shoving the shiv into Morelli's stomach.

Within seconds, the other prisoners surrounded Joe and Snake. "Guard," Joe attempted to scream. Extreme pain caused his screams to go unheard.

"You want the guard? I'll get the guard," Snake sarcastically said before waving over the closest guard. "Do you recognize our guard, Clint Baxter? No? You raped his sister Allie Baxter on your last vacation. If you think he'll run for help, think again." Snake rammed the shiv further into Morelli's stomach. "Goodbye, asshole." Morelli slumped to the ground. Within a few minutes, he bled out. The prisoners parted when Morelli died.

Hector overrode the computers in the Rangeman building. He wanted everyone to see the current news footage. "Ex-detective Joseph Anthony Morelli passed away earlier today after being involved in a prison yard fight. Fingerprints were missing on the weapon. An investigation into his death will not provide the name of his killer," the anchorwoman stated.

She continued to report his crimes and recent accusations. I felt sick to my stomach. All those women Morelli assaulted over the years came forward as a result of his incarnation. Many women suffered from his actions. He deserved to die. I left Ranger's office to find my husband.

Michael grabbed me as I walked through the doorway. I felt him lift me into his arms when my legs gave out. He carried me to our Rangeman apartment. "Are you upset Morelli's dead?" he asked though he knew it was unlikely.

"No. I'm upset because I didn't charge Joe with rape years ago. If I had, he wouldn't have hurt so many women," I replied honestly.

"Anie, you had no way of knowing what he would do. It wasn't your fault Morelli raped and abused more women. I'm a firm believer in everything happening for a reason," he said to comfort me.

"I know. If Joe didn't rape me, I would never have found Jeremy or you. My amazing children wouldn't exist. I'm sad more women had to suffer at his hands," I admitted. I shook off my guilt. Everything that's supposed to happen has happened.

"If Morelli was convicted over 20 years ago, he may have upgraded to manslaughter or murder. He eventually paid for his crimes through his death. Morelli can't hurt anyone else," he reminded me.

"Thank goodness for small miracles," I said as my phone rang. "Hi, Lory."

"Hey, mom. How are you?" she asked.

"I'm well. Why do you ask?" I wondered.

"Leon and I saw the news report. Wasn't Morelli the man who hurt you?" Lory asked.

"He was. Now he can't hurt me or anyone else," I replied.

"It must be a relief to all the women he hurt." We talked for an hour to catch up. "Oh, Leon and I won't be coming home this summer. We've decided to attend the summer term to graduate early," Lory announced.

"Are you tired of school already?" I asked.

"No. We want to come home to be with family," she replied.

"Is there a reason for the expedited school year?" I wondered.

"Not yet, but we're hoping there will be a reason," she answered. My spidey sense was humming. At that moment, I knew Lory and Leon were trying to have a baby.

"What about your intern placements? When will you know where you matched?" I asked.

"Leon and I matched with University of Miami hospital today," she excitedly stated.

"You're coming home," I sighed. "Study hard. I'll see you in December."

"I love you, mom," she stated.

"I love you too, Lory. Hug Leon for me," I said before ending the call.

Jace started SK and Livie started JK the week after Lory and Curt turned 21. Like their older siblings, they are intelligent. Ric and Livie are in the same class at school. They are inseparable.

Lisa and Jace are in the same SK class and best friends. He doesn't let the other children tease her.

Albert relocated to Miami. He found a legal aid office where he reviews contracts and leases.

I was surprised he was adept at contract negotiations and finding issues in leases. "We should hire him at Rangeman to review our government contracts," I joked.

Several months later, Albert was our primary contract lawyer. He visited Lisa a few times a week. She was happy to know her biological father. Albert never interfered with Celia and Vince's parenting. He enhanced their rules. It was a win-win for Lisa.

Angie started her third year of college on scholarship. She's studying Literature at Stanford. Sophia insisted Angie live with her during her studies. Mary Alice was in veterinary school in Raleigh, North Carolina. Ranger's paying her tuition and residence fees. It was beyond generous, but he wanted to help. Celia and Vince adopted all three girls.

Christmas arrived much too fast. Livie and Jace are on their winter break. Lory's baby was due any day. Neither Lory nor Leon wanted to know if their baby was a boy or girl. I received a call from Leon on Christmas Eve. "You were right, mom. It's a boy," he shouted. "Lory went into labour after writing her last exam."

"Great timing," I joked. "Congrats, Leon. When do we get to see him?" I asked.

"You'll see Jeremy tomorrow. Franc's here to drive us home," he replied. "I have to go. I have more calls to make."

"Okay. See you tomorrow. Give Lory and Jeremy a hug from me," I said as I silently cried. I had no idea they were planning to name their son Jeremy.

"I will. Love you, mom," he said before hanging up.

"Momma, why are you crying?" Livie asked.

"Lory has a baby boy. I'm crying because she named him after her birth dad, Jeremy," I answered.

Livie touched my locket before asking, "This Jeremy?"

"Yes, baby, this Jeremy," I replied. She kissed my cheek before running to tell everyone about Lory's baby.

Leon sent many photos of Lory and the baby. Jeremy is an adorable baby. Lory looks tired but extremely happy.

Michael wrapped his arms around me. "Lory had her boy," he stated. "Liv says his name is Jeremy. How are you feeling?"

"Sad. Happy. A mix of emotions," I replied. I showed Michael the photos Leon sent.

"Our grandson is adorable. Jeremy has your nose," he said after taking a close look at the photos.

"They're coming home tomorrow," I announced. "I bet Livie didn't tell you that information."

"Nope. Liv probably doesn't know, does she?" he asked.

"She left before I could tell her," I confessed. "It's strange to have a grandson four years younger than our baby."

"Curt won't be coming home for Christmas," Michael quietly said.

"I wasn't expecting him to be home. He's on his final tour. When does he hear about the Rangers?" I asked.

"He may already know. I knew before I finished my initial contract," Michael shared.

Ranger entered the living room, interrupting our quiet conversation. "Congratulations, grandma," he said as he hugged me.

"I'm not sure I like that name. Maybe I'll go by nana or Abuela," I stated. "Nah. I don't mind being called grandma."

"I'm leaving in a month to select the new Ranger recruits," he announced.

"Sounds like fun," I joked. "Anyone I know on the shortlist?" I wanted to know if Curtis was a viable contender.

"Your son is the man to watch," Ranger announced.

"As in he has potential to be a leader like you?" I asked. He gave me an imperceptible nod. "Move over, Batman. You're about to be recast," I joked.

Ranger tipped his head back and laughed. "Only you, Babe," he said before messing up my hair and leaving.

"Tia Stephie," Ric shouted as he ran towards me.

"What's up, little man?" I asked.

"Livie kissed me," he said as he blushed.

"Would you like me to tell her to stop kissing you?" I wondered.

"Yes. I mean no. I don't know. I'm just a kid," he said as he waved around his arms.

Michael shoved his fist into his mouth to stifle the laughter. I giggled. "Ric, I'll tell Livie she can't kiss you without your permission. Will that help?" I asked.

"I guess," he said as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Did you like Livie kissing you?" I asked when I noticed Livie standing behind Ric. Her right hand was on her hip, and she was tapping her left foot. I didn't draw attention to her as I continued talking to Ric.

"Yes," he said sheepishly.

"Ric!" Livie said as she stomped her foot. "You kissed me first," Livie huffed before stomping upstairs to her bedroom.

"Is that true, Ric?" Michael asked.

Ric hung his head as he said, "Yes."

Ranger and Tenessa joined our conversation. "Ricardo," Ranger said to get his attention. "Do you like Liv?"

"Yes, papa. I love her," Ric replied. Oh boy. They're starting younger these days.

"You need to respect her boundaries. Do you know what a boundary is?"

"Mmhmm. Uncle Lester says it's an invisible line between right and wrong. Was kissing Livie wrong?" he asked.

"You and Liv are too young to kiss. Can you wait until you're older?" Tenessa asked. I noticed Tenessa didn't say whether she thought it was wrong.

"I guess, but if Livie kisses me, I'm kissing her back," Ric firmly stated. Ranger smiled at his son's response.

It was cute, but they were too young to be kissing. I excused myself to talk with Livie. She was sitting on her bed glaring at the wall. "Hey, Liv. Are you okay?" I asked.

"Hmph! Ric is a tattletale," she whined. "I'm not going to let him kiss me again until I'm ten," she huffed. "He kissed my lips. I only kissed his cheek."

"Okay. Ten is a more respectable age. Can you wait that long to kiss Ric?"

"Yes. Everybody knows girls are more patient than boys," she wisely answered.

I laughed before hugging her. "Great idea. Let's tell Ric he can only kiss your cheek. Will that work?" I wondered.

"Yes, momma," she replied.

We returned to the living room. I encouraged Livie to tell Ric how she felt and what she wanted to do. He agreed to her terms. With their little drama handled, they took off to watch a video.

"And the drama begins," I muttered. Tenessa, Ranger and Michael laughed.

"We need to keep an eye on them," Tenessa stated.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they elope at eighteen," Ranger added.

"Don't give them any ideas," Michael groaned.

"My son, Babe's daughter. Need I say more?" he asked while raising an eyebrow.

I dropped my face into my hands and shook my head. "Don't bother saying anything else. I can picture them eloping," I groaned.

Tenessa decided to take it one step further. Grabbing a piece of paper from the drawer, she wrote down our names, initiator, elope date and location. "Okay. One hundred dollars to place a bet. Record your name, the person who initiates the elopement, the date they elope and where they get married," she stated. I saw Tenessa selected Ric's birthday. Ric initiates the elopement, and they marry in Vegas.

Ranger selected a week after Ric's birthday. Liv's decision and they marry at the local courthouse. I laughed when Michael wrote it was Ric's decision, a month after his birthday and in California where we got married.

I tapped my finger against my lip. I've been dreaming about Ric and Livie jointly deciding to run away to Atlantic City. They leave on July 1st but get married on the 4th of July. Ranger raised an eyebrow when he read my selection, "Babe?"

"They'll think it's less conspicuous," I said with a shrug.

A few months later, we realized Ranger kind of had things correct. Julie decided she and Curtis should elope a week after her eighteenth birthday. Curtis and Julie went to the local courthouse to get married.

"Hi, Jules," I answered when my phone rang.

"Hey, mama. Curtis and I got married today," she proudly announced.

I quickly checked my calendar before asking, "Where did you get married?"

"At the local courthouse. We'll be home in a few minutes. I wanted you to be the first to know since dad's away," she gushed.

She could have called her dad, but I had a feeling she was a little afraid of his reaction. "I'll meet you at the house," I promised before ending the call.

Michael quickly replied to my text. I called Tank to tell him I was leaving for the day. "See you tomorrow, little girl," he said before hanging up.

"I have some news," I singsonged when I saw Michael.

"Who eloped?" he joked.

I waited until we were halfway home before telling him. "Do you remember the bets we made at Christmas?" I asked.

"Yes," he answered with a smirk. "Let me guess. Ranger was right, but he had the wrong children."

"You guessed correctly. I want to send Julie and Curt on a honeymoon," I stated.

"Doesn't Julie have school?" he wondered.

"She graduated in January. Her graduation ceremony is in June. Curtis has a month off before he reports to Ranger training," I shared.

"Hawaii?"

"Sure, unless they have a different destination in mind," I answered.

Julie grabbed my hand the second I entered the house. She dragged me upstairs to Lory's bedroom. We left Michael and Curtis downstairs to talk. "What do I need to do? I'm still a virgin," Julie shakily stated. I mentioned expectations and going along with what feels right.

"Let him know what feels good and what doesn't. The first time will be a little awkward," I repeated what Celia told me about her first time. "Jules, it's okay to be a little scared. Do you have protection?" I asked.

"Mom put me on birth control when I started getting regular periods," she stated. "I stopped taking it. Curtis and I want a baby," she whispered.

"Okay, if you're sure. Make sure you communicate how you're feeling. If you get caught up in the moment, that's okay too. Michael and I want to pay for your honeymoon. Where would you like to go?" I asked.

"Hawaii," she stated. I sent Michael a quick text before booking the flights for Julie and Curtis.

After printing the boarding passes and hotel information, we met with Curtis and Michael.

"Thanks, mom and dad," Curtis said before exiting the car. They were staying at the hotel near the airport. Their flight to Hawaii leaves early in the morning.

Michael and I waved as they disappeared into the lobby of the hotel.

I used the Bluetooth connection in the car to call Ranger. "Yo," his voice filled the car.

"Hey, Batman. Your Christmas bet was right, but you had the wrong children," I got right to the point.

He laughed before replying, "Curtis and Julie. I'll call to congratulate her." Ranger ended the call.

I started laughing uncontrollably. "What's so funny?" Michael asked.

"Julie wants a baby," I replied between bouts of laughter.