Chapter 11
Jay was the valedictorian of his graduating class. He gave a heartfelt speech about change and embracing the future. "My role model is my mom. She had many curve balls thrown her way, but she never stopped swinging. Mom never gave up or let anything keep her down. I'm proud of you, mom. When I grow up, I hope to be as brave as you. I love you, mom. Congratulations, fellow graduates," Jay said, ending his speech.
Stephanie cried when Jay paid homage to her life choices. She stopped clapping when she felt him enter the room. He wasn't supposed to return for a few more weeks. Stephanie focussed on the graduating class as the principal handed the diplomas to the students. Ranger took the seat Cal vacated a few minutes earlier to assist with his FTA capture.
"Babe," he whispered. Stephanie tried to ignore him, but her heart refused to deny the man.
"Ranger," she replied. She hated that she loved him. Her heart rate increased as she felt the heat that radiated off his body. Stephanie felt hope flood her heart.
"You never answered my calls or returned my texts, Babe," he whispered. His warm breath brushed across her cheek. He touched her hand, stroking his thumb across the top. Stephanie thought it was obvious why she didn't communicate with him. "I need you and Jay in my life."
Stephanie continued to ignore him. Her mind said no, but her heart rejoiced. She didn't want to think about what her hormones wanted. Ranger had the power to destroy her. "We leave in the morning," Stephanie whispered.
"Are you coming back?" he asked. Stephanie nodded. "My heart can't take you leaving me again."
"The road goes both ways," she cryptically said. Her heart couldn't handle him leaving either. Ranger hoped his Babe felt the same as him. He was irrevocably in love with her.
"You're not living in your apartment," Ranger stated.
"Nope. We lived with Hector for a few months. Jay and I are living with dad. He's divorcing my mom. Mom got mad when my Plum grandparents left their estate to Jay and me. Grandma Mazur lives in my old apartment. She couldn't tolerate mom's rants," Stephanie said.
"Where are you working?" Ranger asked when everyone got dismissed from the auditorium.
"I'm not. Nobody wants to hire anyone from EE Martin," Stephanie answered honestly. She wiped her hands down the front of her dress. Stephanie wore a pale grey dress her grandma Plum gifted her the previous Christmas.
Ranger watched the motion, realizing it was a nervous habit. "You can work at Rangeman," he suggested.
"We have a lot to discuss before I can accept a job from you," she said. One of the discussions included Julie. He signed over his rights to Jayden without a conversation.
Stephanie wanted primary custody of her son, not for Ranger to give him up completely. She interpreted his action as throwing away his child. It wouldn't be the first time someone didn't want Jayden. But she'd be damned if his own father rejected him.
Jayden approached his parents, unsure how he should react around his father. His mom said Ranger had signed over his rights as his dad. Jay thought it was a decision made out of haste. He didn't believe his dad wanted to give him up.
"Hi, mom. Hello, Ranger," Jay said. Jay noticed Ranger's lips curled down when he called him by name instead of dad.
"Congratulations, son," Ranger stated.
"Mom, can we go home? I have to finish packing for our trip," Jayden asked.
"Sure, Jay. Ranger, I'm sorry, but we should go. We have a lot to do tonight," Stephanie said. Ranger watched Stephanie and Jay walk away from him. He was sad that Jayden didn't call him dad. He didn't have anyone to blame but himself.
Early the following morning, Frank drove Stephanie and Jayden to the Newark airport to catch the flight to Chicago. He stopped in front of the terminal doors. Frank grabbed their luggage from the trunk before hugging Stephanie and Jay. "Safe travels. Call when the house sells," Frank said.
"I will, daddy. Thank you for the ride," Stephanie replied.
"Your aunt Carla will pick you up from the airport," Frank shouted as Stephanie and Jayden walked away. Stephanie waved over her head. Frank chuckled as he drove away.
Jayden rested his head on Stephanie's shoulder as the plane took off. "Close your eyes, mom. It's going to be fine. Concentrate on my voice," Jayden calmly said. Stephanie rested her cheek against Jayden's curls.
~~~
Ranger drove to Rangeman as though he was attempting to outrun a fire. He got on his phone to call his pilot. "Yo, meet me at the top of Rangeman," Ranger ordered, then hung up. He stopped at his apartment to pack a bag, but Ella had already prepared his luggage.
Rangeman's pilot, Ace, thought Ranger was fortunate that he was in town. He had the uncontrollable urge to fly the chopper to Trenton. Ace had just landed the helicopter on the pad when Ranger called. Fifteen minutes later, Ranger climbed into the cabin with his duffle. "Where are we going, boss?" Ace asked.
"Chicago to get my family," Ranger stated. Ace raised an eyebrow. He wasn't aware Ranger had a family outside his parents and siblings.
"Delta Tango 462 requesting permission to land," Ace called to the tower. When he received the green light, he touched down in the designated area. Ranger grabbed his duffle and jumped from the helicopter. Ace waited until he got clear of the chopper before requesting to take off. He got told to wait twenty minutes.
Ranger ran towards terminal one, where Stephanie and Jayden got scheduled to arrive. He waited by baggage claim for his family. Checking the arrival board, he noticed the plane had landed. "Why are you here?" Stephanie asked as she approached him.
"Didn't want to be away from my family when we have much to discuss," Ranger replied.
Stephanie shrugged before reaching for her suitcase. Ranger quickly plucked it off the conveyor. Jay grabbed his bag as it came into view. Neither Stephanie nor Jay knew what to think about Ranger's sudden appearance.
"My aunt Carla is picking us up," Stephanie announced. Ranger nodded. She rolled her eyes before walking towards the exit.
"Who is the man with Stephie?" Anna asked her mom. "He resembles Jay."
"I bet he is Jay's father," Carla replied. "Stephanie mentioned they found each other."
"Was he lost?" Anna asked.
Carla smiled at her daughter. "No, Anna. It took a little time and a lot of courage for them to get here. Life has a way of working things out for the best. Stephanie and Rick were supposed to find each other now when their relationship could grow," Carla replied.
Stephanie approached her aunt's car. She noticed her cousin was in the front seat. "Hey, Anna," Stephanie said as she climbed into the back. Jayden climbed in beside his mom, leaving the outside space for Ranger. "I hope you don't mind that I have an additional guest."
"No problem at all, dear. Hi, I'm Stephanie's aunt Carla. The young woman beside me is my daughter, Anna," Carla said to introduce herself to Ranger.
"Carlos Manoso. I'm Jayden's biological father," Ranger replied.
"I thought your name was Rick," Anna stated.
Jayden laughed. "Anna, his full name is Ricardo Carlos Manoso. Back home, everyone calls him Ranger," Jayden explained as Anna blushed.
Carla drove to the Plum residence. She parked in the driveway and waited for Stephanie to exit the car. "I used my key to clean up the place. There's a casserole in the refrigerator, and I stocked the kitchen with food. Mom's car is in the garage," Carla stated. She hugged Stephanie and Jayden, then shook Ranger's hand before leaving the property.
Ranger entered the sparsely furnished house. "Where is the furniture?" he asked.
"Oh, dad distributed the heirloom items grandma and grandpa left to family. Everything here goes to charity after the house sells," Stephanie explained.
"The home is in excellent condition," Ranger stated.
"It's a shame to let it go, but I have no desire to keep the house. I'm using the money to purchase a home in Trenton for Jay and me. Grandma left me her car, so I don't have a return flight. We'll drive home," Stephanie added.
Ranger smiled when Jayden's stomach rumbled. He maneuvered his way to the back of the house, searching for the kitchen. He entered the room to grab the casserole from the refrigerator. Ranger set the oven to preheat before searching for dishes. Stephanie smiled when he placed the food in the oven to cook.
"You're good at domestic chores," Stephanie joked.
"Babe," Ranger groaned. "I know how to cook."
"Me too. But I still prefer if someone cooks for me." Stephanie played with the hem of her shirt. Ranger grabbed her hands as he raised an eyebrow. She looked into his eyes and asked, "Did you ever plan to tell me about Julie?"
"Eventually. We just found each other again. I didn't want to mess up," Ranger replied.
"Yet that is what you had done. I understand why you got married to Rachel. I'm not mad. You wanted her to receive medical care during pregnancy and Julie's birth. Honestly, I get it. What I don't understand is why you offered to marry me to give Jayden your name," Stephanie said. "We don't want or need anything from you." Stephanie silently added, "I only need you."
"Babe, I was a fool. I'm deeply, madly, passionately and irrevocably in love with you. When you left my bed, I thought you didn't want me," Ranger confessed.
Stephanie shook her head. "I want you more than I thought possible. I only want to get married from love, not out of obligation. I'm not asking for a ring. But I am asking for monogamy," Stephanie explained.
"My heart is in your hands, Babe. Wherever you go, I will follow if you let me. There is no me without you."
Jayden watched his parents as he listened to their conversation. He couldn't stop himself from smiling. His parents were in love. "Oh, for crying out loud. Kiss her already!" Jayden shouted. Ranger and Stephanie grinned before they followed Jayden's order.
"What are we doing, Carlos?" Stephanie whispered when she
"Starting our someday," he replied.
"You better mean it, dad. Because if you don't, I'll take you to the mats," Jayden warned.
Ranger tipped his head back and laughed. He did not doubt that Jay would fight for his mother. Jayden had done quite well sparring with Cal and Hal. Ranger walked to Jayden to pull him into his embrace. "It's a deal," Ranger said.
After they ate dinner, Ranger's phone rang. "Hello, Julie," he answered.
"Hi, dad. I know we don't visit much, but can I come to Trenton?" Julie asked.
"Julie, I'm in Chicago," he replied. Stephanie and Jayden motioned that Julie should come to visit. "I would love you to visit." Ranger changed their call to video. "Julie, I have a few people you should meet."
Stephanie moved closer to Ranger until she was visible on the screen. "Hi, Julie. I'm Stephanie," she said.
"Hello. Wait. Um, are you the Stephanie that my dad was trying to find?" Julie asked.
Ranger replied, "Yes, Julie. I have someone else to introduce."
Jayden moved into the frame, standing in front of Stephanie. "Hi, I'm Jayden."
"I have an older brother? Awesome," Julie screamed. "Can I come to Chicago?"
"Of course, Julie. I'll send the flight information to your mother," Ranger said.
Julie relayed the message to her mom. Rachel appeared on the screen. "Would you like to keep Julie for the summer?" Rachel asked.
"Please, dad. I want to spend time with my brother," Julie begged.
Ranger found himself agreeing to Rachel's suggestion. Having Julie in Chicago with Stephanie and Jayden meant more than he expected. "What does Julie need to bring?" Rachel asked.
"Enough clothes for a few days. We'll buy anything else she needs. I imagine Julie's growing out of her clothes," Stephanie replied. Rachel agreed since it was almost time to buy her new clothes.
"My mom loves to shop," Jayden added. Julie was excited because she liked to shop too. Jayden needed new clothes too. His clothes were getting too small. Stephanie unlocked her smartphone for Ranger to purchase an airline ticket for Julie. He bought a one-way pass to Chicago.
"Rachel, Carlos sent you a text message with the boarding pass from my phone," Stephanie stated. "Her flight leaves in three hours."
"Okay, thanks. I'll talk to you later, Stephanie," Rachel said. Stephanie thought Rachel was a beautiful woman. If he couldn't stay married to her, what made Stephanie think Carlos would want her.
"Babe," Ranger whispered. "I love you. Nobody else has my heart."
Stephanie cleaned the kitchen to distract her mind. She needed to stop the crazy thoughts racing through her brain. 'Is it possible that Carlos wants more than a casual relationship?' Stephanie thought. Her heart wished for the answer to be yes.
Jayden watched his mother clean the kitchen. He knew something was on her mind. The thoughts were readable on her face. His dad stood behind him to watch Stephanie too. "Do you think she'll marry me?" Ranger whispered.
"Only if it's for the right reason. Mom loves you, and I know you love her. But I recommend you not ask her out of a sense of duty or obligation. Mom doesn't like to get told what to do. For example, if you want us to live with you, I suggest you ask. You can't take away her choices," Jayden said.
"You're a wise boy. There's a lot of people you can live with, but there's only one person you can't live without. Your mother is that person for me. I can't live without your mother," Ranger confessed.
"Jay, do you think Ranger and I can have a few minutes to talk?" Stephanie asked.
"Sure, mom. Take all the time you need," Jayden replied before giving his parents privacy.
"Carlos, I love you. I got mad when Bobby ran a paternity test. If you had asked, I would have let you run one. It was never my intention to withhold the truth from you. We had already consented to the test before the decision got stolen from Jay and me. Then you wanted us to live with you at Rangeman without asking first. I want to live with you, Carlos. But I need to have an equal say in the decisions," Stephanie said.
"Anything you want, Babe, it's yours. I will follow your lead. Always," Ranger stated.
Stephanie smiled as she placed her hands on his face. "I heard your conversation with Jayden. I'm not a conventional woman, and I don't follow tradition or what everyone expects. Ricardo Carlos Manoso, will you marry me?" Stephanie asked.