CHAPTER 23

4 months later

It had been a little over four months since I had been back to Trenton, but it felt like a lifetime. I had done and seen so much, yet Trenton remained the same. It was strange to think that I had had all these experiences and had changed in ways that I couldn't even define, but still coming home felt like nothing had changed. The streets were still pot holed, the air heavy with toxins, the mall hadn't closed without my patronage and the row homes that lined the streets of the burg still had immaculately clean windows.

Standing outside my parents home, the aroma of cooking potroast, the sound of the television, I think I could even hear my father arguing with grandma – all the same as when I left.

'Aunt Steph!' Angie squealed as she came running around from the garage

'Aunt Steph's home!' Mary Alice followed quickly behind her sister

My Mother and grandmother appeared on the stoop as Angie and Mary Alice attached themselves to my waist hugging me tight.

I was starting to get choked up with all the emotion when my mother shooed us all inside. Dinner was the usual Plum affair lots of food, lots of talking, and even more bickering – oh and me being questioned about my love life and my job.

When I left all I had told them was that I was going to be working for Rangeman for a few weeks setting up a new business venture. Well, that few weeks had turned into a few months and the business venture turned in to my first international bounty.

I didn't think that they needed all the details, not just yet and not all in one go either.

I didn't think my mother could handle it.

My father wouldn't approve.

And I didn't want to give Grandma any ideas.

'So is Ranger your new boyfriend?' I could always rely on Grandma.

'yeah he is' I answered simply. No need to deny it

My mother made the sign of the cross, my father grunted and went back to his potatoes, and Grandma wanted explicit details. The girls didn't seem interested in the conversation as they were occupied with a small food fight. Valerie who had been particularly quite seemed to perk up a bit at this news

'well if he's your boyfriend now where is he? He should be here for family dinner.' My mother demanded

'He's away mum, he had to fly out to Washington for a business meeting.'

'A business meeting! You have been away with this man for FOUR months! Working and already he's away in Seattle all, the way across the other side of the country before you even unpack your bags'

'DC mom'

'Oh, well. Still he 's gone again. It's just not right.'

'Give the boy a break Helen, at least he has a job' Dad piped in. My father never says anything, so maybe some things had changed.

'Listen to your husband Helen. So Steph when's he coming back, next time he can sit next to me.'

'yeah that's great Grandma. I'm not sure when he'll be back, it kinda depends on how the meeting goes' Actually he had called, when I was sitting outside in the car psyching myself up for tonight, he would probably be sitting on a plane this very second.

After dinner was finished and the dishes washed and put away Valerie pulled me outside. We sat side by side on the front step. She had been acting strangely all night and it was starting to freak me out. Finally after chewing on her nails for a few minutes she turned to me

'I'm dating Joe' she said before burying her face in her hands

It was a few minutes before I collected my jaw off the pavement.

'Morelli?'

'Yes'

Joseph Morelli?

'yes'

'Joseph Anthony morelli?'

'yes'

'my Joe?'

'no, my Joe.'

Wow! So some things really had changed

She peeked through a crack in her fingers, I think to see how I was taking it

Stunned silence was how I was taking it. Valerie jumped up and begun pacing up and down the walk.

"It was after you left for Texas or wherever you went, we ran into each other at the deli and got to talking about how strange it was the night that Grandma invited him to dinner. It was nice and he brought me a coffee and a Danish. Then we ran into each other again, this time at the market he was buying dog food I was buying ice cream. Then a few weeks later I was having lunch at Pino's with some of the girls and we bumped into each other I said' we've got to stop meeting like this" so he invited be out to dinner. We didn't mean for anything to happen we were just friends talking about old times, things from back in high school, we were so many of the same classes, it was fun to reminisce. Honest Steph we didn't plan on this happening.'

She ended with a begging note to her voice, she sounded emotionally exhausted . On her next pass back up the walk I grabbed her hand and pulled her back down onto the step beside me. She was making me dizzy.

'Is it serious?'

'I don't know, maybe. '

I looked at her, and gave her my own version of the raised eyebrow

'I really like him' she admitted before hiding her face again.

'Good. You both deserve to be happy'

I don't think she was expecting me to take the news this rationally. Burg women aren't known for their rationality, especially where boyfriends past or present are concerned

'I actually think you're pretty perfect for each other'

'really!'

'Oh yeah, I even told Joe that once.' I remembered back to the day that I had said to Morelli that he needed someone like my sister – I hadn't expected him to take me so literally.