Two days later, Stephanie accompanied Edna Mazur for the last time. While Ranger and Stephanie enjoyed their wedding night, Edna slipped away in her sleep. It was a blow to Stephanie, but she knew her grandmother wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
Rachel allowed Julie to stay with her father while she went home to her husband and kids. Ranger promised to bring Julie home after the funeral and the reading of the will.
Savannah got permission to complete high school online. She got straight A's, and the principal felt she could handle moderating her school work. However, she had to write her exams at a local high school. It was a win-win for everyone.
Ranger took Stephanie to a clinic for blood tests. They confirmed the pregnancy. It was early, but her hCG level was already thirty. The doctor recommended a follow-up with an obstetrician.
The news of Edna Mazur's death rocked the Burg. Nobody, other than her closest friends, believed she was that sick before travelling. Someone started a rumour that Stephanie killed Edna using warfarin, known as rat poison. It was absurd, but they continued to spread the lies with Helen leading the charge.
Frank contacted his lawyer to deliver divorce papers to Helen. Having all kinds of sex with Helen wouldn't fix her character flaw. It disappointed Frank when Helen reverted to her old ways. There was no redemption for his wife.
"Give her one more chance before serving the papers," Stephanie said. "At least you should see how she reacts to Savannah and me at the funeral."
"It's not going to do any good," Frank replied. He promised Stephanie to wait and see.
They arrived in Trenton in the middle of the night. Julie, Stephanie and Savannah walked like the living dead. Their feet dragged as they forced their legs to move. Once they got into the elevator, they leaned against one other to remain upright. Hank, Frank and Chester exited on the fourth floor. Bobby entered the elevator to assist with the luggage.
Ranger scooped Stephanie in his arms as Tank carried Savannah. Lester carried Julie, leaving Bobby with the luggage. "Where are we putting the girls?" Lester asked.
"In my bed. I'll take the couch," Ranger replied. Tank and Lester placed the girls on the bed, then removed their shoes. Ranger waited until the men left before he removed Stephanie's shoes, pants and shirt. He pulled his shirt over his head, then put it on Stephanie.
"Thanks, Batman," she whispered. "The girls?"
"Beside you." Stephanie nodded. She kissed Ranger before rolling over to cuddle the girls. Ranger smiled at his family. He was married to his soulmate. His daughter with Rachel and step-daughter with Stephanie nearly completed his family. Ranger could hardly wait to meet his son.
"How's Stephanie holding up?" Bobby asked.
"She's displaying a brave front for the girls," Ranger replied.
"But?" Bobby prodded.
"But she had nightmares since Lester arrived in Arizona," Ranger replied. "It's always the same. Savannah is lying at her feet, bleeding to death."
"We can keep Savannah safe," Lester said. "Tank ordered vests for the girls. We have one in storage for Stephanie."
"Ella delivered funeral attire for them too. She got the men to move Stephanie's clothes and shoes here. I doubt Stephanie would live in her apartment now that you two are married," Bobby added.
"Where are you going to live? There isn't enough room for Savannah in this apartment," Lester said.
Tank grinned. "The storage space on the other side of the Ranger's office wall is getting converted into two bedrooms and a bathroom. You'll lose a foot to accommodate a hallway," Tank replied. He went into Ranger's home office to grab the blueprints. Luis got a few guys to help him empty the storage room. He wanted Ranger's input before beginning the renovations.
Ranger grabbed the rolled-up paper and spread it across the dining room table. He used books as paperweights to hold down the corners. Lester passed Ranger a red pen when he held out his hand. "Luis can connect the hallway on this side of the office. It would prevent Savannah from seeing something she shouldn't. The doorway should go here," Ranger said, outlining the changes.
"She can't see into your bedroom if you accidentally leave the door open," Lester said. "Good plan."
"I'll get the changes to Luis. He can get the bedrooms set up before tearing out the wall. In the meantime, Ella offered her guest room for Savannah to use unless you want a bed placed in your office," Tank replied.
"Do it," Ranger demanded. "We'll give Savannah a choice." Lester knew Savannah would use the office as her temporary bedroom. Since she first arrived in Arizona, she never went anywhere without her mother.
"Did you know that Stephanie sent Savannah money and gifts for her birthday and Christmas?" Lester asked.
"She also sent spending money for school trips," Ranger replied. "Stephanie paid her rent first. Any remaining money went to Valerie or Savannah. She never had the money for groceries. Whenever I noticed her cupboards or refrigerator were empty, I asked her to work a few hours running searches or doing distractions."
Lester looked toward the bedroom before opening the photo gallery on his phone. "They sleep the same way," Lester said, stating the obvious.
"Send those to me and delete them from your phone. You are not to take pictures of my wife and daughter sleeping," Ranger ordered. Tank waited for Lester to send them to Ranger before he smacked the back of Lester's head.
"Fuck! That hurt," Lester whined. He rubbed the back of his head. "Man. You gave me whiplash."
"Get over it," Tank snapped. "You deserve worse for invading their privacy."
Ranger left to check on the girls. He smiled when he saw Stephanie curled around Savannah, who had Julie's back against her chest. Ranger couldn't wait to see his son in the mix. Sensing someone was watching her, Stephanie opened her eyes.
She brushed Savannah's hair off her face and kissed her cheek. Stephanie leaned over Savannah to kiss Julie's temple. She slowly crawled from the bed, then wrapped her arms around Ranger. "Are you okay with Savannah living with us?"
"Babe," he replied. He stroked his hand across her abdomen. "Is this okay?"
"With you? Yes. I can do this with you," she replied. "What if I go into preterm labour again?"
"That's a question for your doctor," he replied. "Every pregnancy is different. There's no reason for history to repeat itself. We can ask for a sonogram to check the number of babies."
"Grandma said I'm pregnant with our son, Mateo Carlos. She never said anything about having two babies. I only dreamed about the boy," Stephanie said. Ranger guided her to the couch and pulled her onto his lap. She sat sideways across his lap, pushing her feet onto Lester's lap. "Les?"
"Yes, Beautiful?"
"Are you upset grandma named my son Mateo?" Stephanie shyly asked. She chewed her bottom lip as she waited for Lester to answer.
"No. You can name him something else if you want," Lester replied.
Stephanie shook her head. "I can't do that to my grandma." Stephanie looked into Ranger's eyes. She silently asked if Lester could be the godfather. He was already related to the child, but she wanted Lester to have another chance to help raise a boy. It was important to her to have Lester play a role in her son's life.
"Lester, Stephanie and I want you to be Mateo's godfather. I know we're putting the cart before the horse, but I don't want anyone to misunderstand our intentions," Ranger said.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes," Stephanie replied. "We're going to need an army to keep Mateo safe from my mom and the Burg." Stephanie leaned over kiss Lester's cheek when he agreed.
Helen was cooking breakfast when Frank got home. He spent the night at Rangeman since he was too exhausted to drive home. One of the men on duty could have dropped him off at home, but he wanted another night of peace and quiet.
"When did you get back?" Helen asked. She grabbed another mug from the cupboard to pour Frank a cup of coffee. Helen removed the cream from the fridge before remembering he drank it black.
"Two," Frank replied. "I stayed at Rangeman for the night. They had a spare room."
"Hmph. I don't see why you couldn't come home." Helen cracked a few eggs and whipped them in a bowl. She grabbed the thick sliced bread to dip into the mixture. Helen buttered the pan and dropped in the three slices. She waited a few minutes for it to brown before flipping them. When the French toast was cooked, she turned them over onto a plate.
"Thanks," Frank mumbled. Helen looked at the time. It was already noon. She didn't have time to get everything accomplished before dinner.
"When you're ready, we need to visit Stiva's to make the arrangements," Helen said.
"No."
"What do you mean?" Helen asked.
"Edna made the arrangements before her death. She scheduled the viewing from one until two, followed by her funeral and burial. Lester, Ranger, Tank, Bobby, Binkie, Woody, Zip and Ram are the pallbearers. Stephanie is giving the eulogy," Frank replied.
"But we didn't get the notice into the paper," she cried.
Frank opened the newspaper to the obituaries. He flipped to the page and gave it to Helen. "Right there," Frank said, pointing. "I see they died in alphabetical order again."
"Don't patronize me," she snarled. Helen wasn't amused. She hoped her mother and Stephanie didn't embarrass her. Why didn't her mother let her make the arrangements?
"I wasn't. I was joking. Mary Alice asked why people died in alphabetical order. I told her they didn't. The newspaper alphabetized them for the family to find," Frank said.
"You have to stop humouring the girl. Honestly, I thought her horse phase would never end, and when it does, she's suddenly fascinated with people dying. I'm not sure what's worse, galloping around the neighbourhood neighing or begging to attend visitations at the funeral home. Valerie and Albert refuse to let me set the child straight," Helen complained. She read her mother's obituary. Frank internally smiled as Helen read it many times. Her name did not get mentioned. Neither was Frank's name, but he didn't mind. Frank shook his head. A leopard never changes its spots.
Frank knew that Edna got her lawyer to submit the obit she prepared for death. "In Loving Memory of Edna Helen Mazur, nee Nagy. Edna Mazur passed away in her sleep on October 1, surrounded by her loving family and friends. She was the proud grandmother of Stephanie Plum, Valerie Kloughn (Plum), Shirley Gazarra (Schroeder) and great-grandmother of Angie, Mary Alice, Lisa, Anna, Bert, Michael, Edward, Patrick and Savannah. Predeceased by her husband, Harry Mazur, beloved daughter, Shirley Schroeder and great-grandson, Francis. Edna was an eccentric, lively woman who fiercely loved her family. Her last days were spent with her granddaughter, enjoying everything she wanted to accomplish. Edna died wishing her loved ones to let go of the hurt and enjoy life. She wanted her life to be celebrated, not mourned. Visitation is at Stiva's for 1 pm to 2 pm on Wednesday, October 3. Funeral and burial to immediately follow. Everyone is welcome to attend the party at the Polish club at 5 pm. Black attire not recommended."
"I need the paper to add my name. What would the neighbours think? How could Stephanie leave me out?" Helen screamed. It was too late to change the obituary, but she could get the newspaper to modify it for the records.
"Stephanie didn't write it. Edna wrote her notice," Frank replied. He knew Helen would ask someone to fix the article, but it didn't matter. The impact of Edna's words would echo throughout the Burg. "Did you pick up my suit from the dry cleaners?"
"Yes. It's hanging in the closet," she snapped. Helen busied herself cleaning the dishes from breakfast. She prayed Stephanie would wear appropriate clothes to the funeral.
Helen went to her bedroom, expecting to find Frank inside, changing. She noticed Stephanie's bedroom door was closed. Helen squinted her eyes and cursed Stephanie for making Frank dislike her again. It was hard work getting Frank to love her like he used to. One trip out with his friends, though she now suspected he was with those thugs, and Frank returns stand-offish and cold. "He must have gone with those thugs," she muttered under her breath.
Frank smiled when he heard his bedroom door slam. Helen had better behave herself and not embarrass him at Edna's funeral. He may have fought with his mother-in-law, but he was thankful she looked out for Stephanie. Things could have turned out completely different if Harry had let it slip that Stephanie was pregnant. Frank was never more appreciative that Harry preferred to stay out of his marriage to Helen and their child-rearing practices.
He pulled the dark red shirt from Stephanie's closet. Edna bought it for him to wear to her funeral. Frank preferred to wear muted tones, but he promised Edna to wear the shirt. "Frank, do you have a crisp white shirt to wear? I never noticed the ones in the closet have stains," Helen hollered from behind the closed door.
"I have something appropriate to wear," Frank replied with a smile.
Helen opened her bedroom door. Her black dress was high at her neck with long sleeves and fell several inches below her knees. It was plain and boring. "What on earth are you wearing?" Helen shrieked. "You can't wear a red shirt to a funeral! What would the neighbours think?" Frank didn't give a damn.
Ranger wore his grey Armani suit with a pale lavender shirt matching the colour of Stephanie's dress. His tie was a darker shade. They were a striking couple. "My mom will have a fit," Stephanie said when she pulled on her black heels.
"You promised your grandmother," Ranger reminded her.
"I know. I'm afraid of her reaction. Expect it to be loud and over the top."
"Mom, do you have shoes I can borrow? I can't walk in these," Savannah called from the office. Stephanie reached into her closet to grab the two-inch blue heels. It would match Savannah's dress.
"You can practice later. I have lower-heeled shoes for you," Stephanie said. Savannah exited the office with Julie on her heels. Both girls looked beautiful. Julie's dress was blue with white flowers. "Are your shoes okay, Jules?"
"Perfect," she replied as she held out her foot. "You look beautiful, mum."
"As do you," Stephanie replied. She hugged both girls. "Are you ready?"
"Yes," they quickly replied. Stephanie wrapped her arm around Ranger's waist as they walked toward the apartment door. They met the men in the garage.
Each Merry Men wore a different but coloured shirt, with their grey, blue or black suits. Stephanie smiled at Tank. In Edna's honour, he wore a fuchsia pink shirt with a black suit. "I'm changing after the service," he informed Stephanie.
She giggled. "I figured as much."
Lester's shirt matched his eye colour. Stephanie wiped the tears from her eyes before they left tracks down her cheeks. "I appreciate all of you guys doing this for grandma," Stephanie said as she hugged each of her friends.
"We're doing this for you, Beautiful," Lester said. The other men agreed. "Come on, our chariot awaits." Lester opened the door to the limousine they rented for the day. Stephanie sat on the bench seat with Ranger, Savannah and Julie. Bobby, Lester and Tank sat across from them. The other men piled into the back, packed together like sardines.
"We have two cars," Stephanie said.
"But we were part of Edna's journey. We promised her we'd ride with you," Zip replied. "We're only missing Cal."
"No, you're not," he called from the back. "Owen, climb into the other seat to sit with your aunt Stephanie." The cute blond-haired boy climbed over the back of Stephanie's seat to sit on her lap. He grinned at Stephanie before hugging her neck.
"Not too tight, buddy," she said. "How old are you?" Owen held up two fingers. Stephanie smiled as the boy chattered during the entire drive to the funeral home.
Helen saw the Hummer limousine arrive at Stiva's.
She hurried out of Frank's car to get inside before the thugs and criminals descended on the casket. Her eyes bugged from her face as Stephanie and her entourage entered the visitation room. How dare Stephanie ruin her mother's funeral? Helen was outraged. She never noticed Edna's friends enter the room wearing colourful, printed dresses.
It took a few seconds before Helen noticed the young woman walking beside Stephanie. It was her granddaughter, Savannah, who Stephanie had given away to her cousin. Helen walked toward Stephanie, smiling.
"Grandma," Mary Alice said as she entered the room. Helen was embarrassed. None of her grandchildren wore black. They wore bright colours like Stephanie.
"Hello, dear," Helen said in greeting a second before she turned around and slapped Stephanie across the face.
"Helen!" Frank screamed. "How dare you act childish at your mother's visitation." He pulled documents from his pocket. "I've had it with your manipulative ways. Helen, I want a divorce." He slapped the envelope across her arm. She automatically grabbed it.
"You ruined everything," Helen shouted. Carl Costanza and Robin Russell grabbed Helen's arms and forced her to sit at the back.
"Stay here and be quiet or you'll miss your own mother's funeral," Carl warned. Helen did as requested, but she looked at Stephanie with pure hatred in her eyes.
Nobody offered condolences to Helen. They were disgusted by her behaviour. Helen watched as each Burg member offered Stephanie, Shirley and the children their condolences and sympathy.