Some more, aren't I nice? Let me know what you think! – Heather

Chapter 35

Our last day with Aly sped by, and before I knew it we were in the Mercedes driving to my parents for dinner. The last time we'd been here Grandma had nearly burnt down the house, so it was no wonder I was a teensy bit worried.

Ric parked the car, Aly and I slid out of the back and Tank remained on guard in the shotgun position. I wondered what it would take for Tank to take my place?

'Not enough money in the world, Angel.' Tank said.

'Does everyone know what I'm thinking?' I said, exasperated.

Aly giggled, 'you just have a very expressive face Mom, I think it's nice.'

I smiled at Aly, 'thanks kitten.' She held her arms out to me in mute appeal and I lifted her up into my arms, settling her on my hip.

'Do I look adorable?' she asked, batting her eyelashes.

I laughed, 'you always do!'

The dazzling smile disappeared from Aly's face momentarily, giving me a glimpse at the insecure child underneath. 'I want them to like me.' She whispered.

'They will Alysha, who couldn't?' I kissed her on her forehead, 'I'm more worried about whether you'll like my crazy family!'

'They produced you, Mom, who could I not like them?' Aly said, smile reappearing.

'Ready?' Ric asked.

We nodded, and together the three of us went in to face the music.

Mom and Grandma Mazur greeted us at the door. I'd taken perhaps one step into the house when Grandma screamed, then promptly fainted.

Chaos ensued.

Mom was running around, looking for a phone to the call an ambulance. Lisa was screaming at the top of her lungs, Mary Alice was galloping and neighing, and Angie had her fingers in her ears and was singing at the top of her lungs. Dad had his head down, reading the newspaper. Valerie and Snuggy Uggums were ignoring it all, exchanging lovey dovey baby talk. Ick.

Grandma Mazur sat up, 'what's going on?' she asked. 'Damn, trust me to faint when something wild's happening! Did the bounty hunter with the fine package decide to strip?'

'GRANDMA! His name is Ric, and he DID NOT strip! This mess is because you fainted! Why would you do that?' I asked, 'why would you scream and faint? We thought you had a stroke or a heart attack or something!'

'Well I saw the engagement ring!'

Silence.

Total and utter silence.

My Mom froze, 'engagement ring?' she asked softly. 'You're getting married?'

I nodded, getting freaked out by her reaction.

'To Ric?'

I nodded again.

'You actually want to get married?'

I nodded.

My mother screamed in disbelief and happiness…and then she fainted.

'They don't normally faint so much.' I said to Aly.

'It's ok, in my family we faint all the time.'

'Really?'

'Well…no.'

'My family's weird.' I said to her.

'Unique.' She agreed.

After Mom recovered she hugged Ric and Aly and welcomed them to the family, my Dad shook Ric's hand and clapped him on the back. From my Dad that's like the official blessing, he never shook Joe's hand, let alone a manly hug thing.

After dinner Ric and Dad disappeared to the garage to 'work on the car', roughly translated smoke the Cuban cigars Ric brought secretly with him.

Aly, Angie, and Mary Alice disappeared upstairs to play together, and Grandma was picked up by her latest 'stud muffin' to go and inspect the newly laid out dead. Nice.

That left Valerie, Mom, and me. We sat in the kitchen, eating cupcakes.

'You love him.' Mom said.

'Big time.' I replied.

'His daughter's wonderful.' Said Valerie.

'She's an angel.' I said, smiling.

We heard a thump upstairs. And we paused, waiting. Thirty seconds later, the girls appeared at the kitchen door.

'I fell over.' Aly said, holding out her leg so I could see her carpet-burned knee.

'Poor baby.' I said, 'sit here.' I hopped off my chair so she could sit down. I went to the kitchen first aid supplies and started cleaning up her knees. When she had a plaster on it, I kissed her knee lightly, 'all better now.' I said.

'Thanks Mom.' She said.

'You're welcome kitten.' I replied. She gave me a fast hug and the girls disappeared upstairs again.

'Mom?' my Mom asked.

'She lives with her Mommy and her Dad in Miami most of the time, but yeah, I'm her Mom too.'

'Yes, you are.' My mom smiled and hugged me to her. 'You'd best be going Stephanie or Aly will be late, I'll pack you some leftovers.'

'Thanks Mom.'

I dragged Ric and Aly out to the car then I went back for the leftovers. Mom met me in the doorway.

'I'll only say this once and never again,' my mom said, in barely a whisper. 'You love him...I see that. He's a good man - but he lives a dangerous life Stephanie.'

'I know.' I said quietly, 'but so do I. And I'd rather live one day with him, and be killed tomorrow, than live a lifetime without him.'

My Mom nodded, tears standing in her eyes. 'I don't want to see you hurt.'

'Nothing could ever hurt me more than walking away from him.' I paused, thinking about the Pedral thing, my tummy feeling squishy: 'If anything does happen to me-'

'No, Stephanie-'

'Mom, please. Just listen.'

She nodded.

'If anything does happen to me, I want you to look after him, I want you to make sure he doesn't blame himself, I want you to make sure he sleeps like he should and eats like he should, I want you to make him go on. I want you to love him like the son you never had. And I don't want you to blame him.'

Mom nodded, a single tear spilled down her check, 'he will be as the son I never had. If anything happens to you, I will help him, and never blame him. I promise.'

'Thank you.' I whispered. And I drew her into my arms and we hugged. Very un-Plum…must be the Hungarian genes.

I cried when Aly got on the plane, in my defence, so did she. We hugged tightly and promised to call everyday. I pressed a small present into her hand, 'open it on the plane.' I'd said. 'Bye Kitten, call you tomorrow, ok?'

'K.' she'd replied, sniffling.

The present was a silver ring. It had a side profile of a cat on it, and engraved on the inside it said 'All my love Kitten, Mom x'

Ric drove me back to the compound; he parked the car and turned to me. 'Thank you.' he said.

'For what?' I asked.

'For accepting her, for loving her, for loving me.'

'Sometimes I think I was put here just to love you.'

'God Babe, I love you.'

'I love you more.'

We did rocks paper scissors.

'I win!' I exclaimed, 'oh wow, I win!'

Rico's lips twitched upwards, and I knew he'd let me win.