The next three months passed quickly – orders went out the door, stock filled the garage then left, Val and I got into a good working routine, Mary Lou ran in the election for her school's PTA and was appointed PTA President, Val went on occasional dates that our mother set her up on, a dictatorship was overthrown in a small South American country, and Mary Alice continued to be a horse although she did improve her jumps tremendously.
I was babysitting for Val again. Usually our mother babysat when Val went out on dates that she had set her up on, but I liked to spend time with Angie and Mary Alice. Dickie was working out of town for a few weeks, so I had plenty of time to spend with the girls. Val was upstairs getting ready for her date. I'd stopped asking questions about them by now, so all I knew was that Val was actually looking forward to this one.
There was a knock at the door, and Val was still upstairs. The girls and I were eating pizza while watching Moana. Val said that they weren't old enough for Ghostbusters.
"Could you get it, Steph? I'll be down in a minute," Val called down. I headed for the door, opened it, and saw Joe. He was dressed nicely, and even looked a touch nervous. Although maybe the nervousness came on when he was faced with me.
"Detective Morelli."
"I'm guessing I'm not in your good books if we're back to Detective Morelli," he said.
"I don't know, Joe. My recently separated sister announces she has a date with someone that she's really looking forward to, I agree to mind the kids, I came over here and you show up at the door. What, are you looking for another Buick to the legs?" I asked him. He scowled at me.
"Like I've said before, I'm not that kid anymore. Stop thinking that I am, Steph. I'm not going to hurt Val."
"Oh so it was okay to leave me on the bakery floor without a backwards glance, but not Val?"
"Jesus, Stephanie! What do you have against my blood pressure? People grow up and change. I'm sorry for how I treated you, I was a punk kid who should have done better in life. Give me a chance," he said pleadingly.
I heard footsteps coming down the stairs and turned to see Val there. She was staring at us, probably sensing some tension in the air. Val was already at college by the time The Morelli Incident (as I thought of it) had happened, and we weren't close then, so as far as I knew, she had no idea about it.
"Have a good night, Joe," I told him. "Watch out for Buicks."
"Watch out for Buicks? What does that mean?" Val asked. Joe sighed.
"With Stephanie's permission, it's a story that I'd better explain to you over dinner," Joe said. Jeepers. He must be serious if he's going to own up to that. And then tell her how his leg got broken. I wonder how I'm going to come across in the story?
"Have a good night," I said, closing the door behind them.
I was dozing on the couch by the time Val got home. I heard her say goodbye to Joe at the door, then let herself in.
"Hey Val, how was the date?" I asked.
"Did you really run him over with a Buick?" she asked.
"Huh? Oh Joe. Well, no. I nudged him and he fell over his own feet trying to get away and that's how he broke his leg. So technically I didn't run him over."
Val looked confused.
"Are you going to be upset if I date Joe?" she asked.
"I'm over it by now, Joe and I are friends. But Mary Lou will want to know what his underwear drawer looks like. I helped Joe move and she was disappointed that I didn't find out," I told her. I was pretty sure that I meant it. I stretched, said good night, and left.
I went home to an empty house. Dickie was working away in Boston again. I was still thinking about his request that we start trying for a baby, but he was never home – would that change with a baby, or would he still find an excuse to stay away? Did I even want a baby? I texted Mary Lou to request a girls night. She texted back that she was at the hospital with Mikey, who had fallen off the bed and hit his head, and was under observation for a few hours, so I packed up and headed over to keep them company, stopping on the way at a convenience store near the hospital for snacks.
"Hello Aunt Steph! I hit my head!" Mikey told me. He looked happy enough.
"They're just watching to make sure that he doesn't have a concussion. Why does this always happen at bedtime?" Mary Lou asked. I had no idea, but I fell off the garage roof trying to fly, so at least Mikey had a smaller fall than that. I gave Mikey first choice of snacks in honour of his injury.
"So what's up?" Mary Lou asked.
"Val went on a date with Joe."
"Joe? Joe Morelli?"
"Shhhh. Not so loud. The whole Burg will find out."
"Tell her I want to know what his underwear looks like."
"Already done."
"And that's why you're my best friend," Mary Lou said, putting an arm around me. "Now, how are you really feeling about that? Should we go egg his house?"
"What's egging?" Mikey asked.
"Nothing. Here, play some games on my phone," Mary Lou said, handing over her iPhone.
Mary Lou and I looked at each other and started laughing. It was nice to know that someone always had my back.
"I've been thinking again about having a baby," I told Mary Lou.
"You're only thirty Steph, you don't have to rush it," Mary Lou told me.
"Says the woman with the four year old."
"I was ready. If you're not ready, then don't rush it. But you could go and see your doctor and get prepared."
"Get prepared? What am I meant to do? I thought I'd just go off the pill and see what happened?"
"You're meant to be blood tests first to make sure you're immune to measles, and you'll need to get that vaccination up to date if you're not, and start on pre-natal vitamins, and your doctor might want you to do a test for diseases, or that one might wait until you're actually pregnant… so, in related news, we're thinking of having another baby. Lenny wants to try for a girl. I think we'll be halfway to a basketball team."
"Mary Lou! We could be having babies together!"
I was still nervous at the thought of a baby and wasn't sure that I was cut out to be a mother, but having a baby at the same time as Mary Lou sounded like fun. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if I could do it with Mary Lou. I made a mental note to call my doctor and talk over what Mary Lou had mentioned.
The next week continued on like normal. I drafted designs for my intergalactic space princess range while Val sent out orders and did a stock take of what we had left. I didn't mind selling out but I did mind disappointing people by telling them we had stock in when we didn't. I was imagining a hormonal pregnant woman disappointed at Christmas, and wanting to avoid any bad publicity that would bring. I also saw my doctor and left with a sheet of information on pre-natal health, a blood test form, and feeling a bit overwhelmed.
Val had another appointment with Rebecca and requested my moral support yet again. Rebecca was looking very happy when we saw her. I had to feeling that the worse the husband, the happier Rebecca felt when she extracted her revenge.
"Hello Val! We've served Steve with the papers just after you signed them so your count down to being a free woman is on. Now we filed in California, because you haven't been a resident of New Jersey long enough to do it from here. So you have to wait six months from the time we served Steve with the papers for it go through legally. That means you're halfway through the waiting period."
"Wow, that's great! Isn't that great, Val?" I said, feeling like one of us had to say something. Val was looking nervous and a bit green.
"Now, your settlement. We managed to put a hold on Steve's accounts, and negotiated with his legal representatives. It's a one time payout with child support if he works again in the future. No spousal maintenance, but to be honest, I don't think he's going to be working again any time soon, he seems quite happy kicking back on the beach with all of your money. Since we filed in California, we went for half of the estate. Your share of the money from the accounts is $200 000."
Val gasped and covered her face. "Oh Steph! I can stop worrying. I can pay you back. I could even buy a house," she said. She started crying. Rebecca pushed some paper across the table.
"You just need to sign here and we'll get it all settled. Then after three months, the divorce will automatically go through and we'll send you the paperwork," she said.
I squeezed Val's hand. I felt so relived for her. And for me – this also meant that I didn't have to worry about Val and the girls moving back into my house when the Olsens returned from Florida. Freeeeeeedom.
Dickie returned from Boston just in time to go to Friday night dinner at my parents' house. Yes, he was thrilled at his good fortune and timing. I shared with him the good news about Val's settlement with Steve, and we moved into the kitchen to find wine to take with us.
"What's this?" Dickie asked, looking at the paperwork I had on the kitchen counter.
"Oh – I went to see my doctor. Mary Lou said there's all this stuff you're meant to do before you even think about having a baby, so I thought that I'd go and find out what that is," I told him. I thought that he would be happy – he's the one who has been pushing for us to have a baby – but instead he looked annoyed.
"Blood tests? STD tests? What do you need those for?"
"Some diseases can cause issues with babies, so they do those tests as standard. Everyone has to do them, it's nothing to worry about."
"Will our insurance cover these? I don't think you should get them done if you don't need to."
"I don't need to get them done yet. I'm sure insurance will cover it. What wine do you think we should take?" I asked, changing the subject. He picked out a red wine, and we left, arriving at my parents exactly on time.
Mom and Grandma were waiting at the door, as usual. Grandma had a sparkle in her eye.
"We're going to have a good dinner tonight! Lots of eye candy. Your sister has brought the hottie detective along but he's her date this time, not mine. Now I just need to invite a man over and we'd be all set," she told us. I rolled my eyes. Great, Joe was here again. He apparently hadn't gotten enough punishment the first time. I swear that man will do anything to not have to cook.
Dinner with relatively well – Dad and Grandma made pointed comments at each other, Dickie and Joe made comments at each other – apparently those who try to put people behind bars and those who defend the same people in court don't get along with each other – or was it just trying to put two alpha males together in the same room? I rolled my eyes and drank more wine. Dickie could drive home.
We had just finished eating when Valerie suddenly jumped up and rushed out of the room, with the hand over her mouth. We could hear her rush upstairs and slam the bathroom door.
Mom sent the girls into the lounge room to watch TV and started clearing plates and getting ready for dessert. She'd just brought the cake out to the table when Val returned. She was still looking green.
"Valerie, are you all right? Was it something you ate? Are you sick? Is everything okay? Should I call a doctor?" Mom was working her way up into a panic.
"No, mom, I'm fine. I'm just… pregnant," Val said. She sounded miserable, or maybe she was about to vomit again.
I looked at Dickie. He looked at me. I tried to subtlety count on my fingers. Val had been in New Jersey for four months. So pregnant to who? Steve? Or someone else? Slowly it all dawned on us and we all looked across the table at Joe. He looked pale.
I sat there, stunned. We were all silent. Val was pregnant. To Joe. Val was knocked up by Joseph Morelli. Val, the good girl, Saint Valerie, knocked up to the bad boy of the Burg. Sure, she was 32, and Joe was now a detective and on the good side of the law and reasonably successful, and, as everyone noted, was quite a decent human being for a Morelli man, but still – scandal. A scandal that wasn't all about me. Was it Christmas already?