All familiar characters belong to Janet. Any mistakes are mine.

"She said she'd like to discuss something with me," Steph shared in the amused voice I've come to expect whenever Helen attempts communication these days.

Stephanie choosing to talk to me rather than her mother, came four seconds after she decided to answer her phone this time. I predicted she'd regret it, but she was feeling playful and was willing to risk it. Also, until we get Edna into her own place, a call from the Plum landline could potentially be important.

"What this time?" I asked my wife.

"Olive's birthday party," she answered. "Someone feels that we should've run our plans for our daughter's one-year celebration past her first."

"Would you like me to give my thoughts on that opinion? Or would you like the pleasure of fielding this one?"

"I've got it, but Olive's your daughter too, so you can add your forty-two cents when I'm done if you'd like."

"I know that tone of yours, Stephanie. There is nothing funny about your conversation," I heard Helen say. "I can hear everything you're saying about me."

"You were meant to. And I'm not joking ... though I know I'm going to enjoy telling you that Olive's party is about her and her only. And it's going to be held here where all the people she loves are conveniently located. If you 'don't feel comfortable' coming to Rangeman to celebrate our daughter's life with us, you can just stay home and hope Val or Grandma are willing to share their pictures with you. The Burg is going to loooove discussing and speculating on why you weren't here."

She took a breath, not wanting Helen to think she has the power to upset her.

"Let me make this very clear, Mom," Steph said a beat later, "you ARE NOT ruining our baby's day because you're not in charge of it, or you still have a problem with where we've made a home, so stop contemplating making a stink or a scene. You know, it's funny how a tiny, innocent, little baby girl can clothesline Ranger, belly flop onto his chest, and kiss him into submission, yet you ... a supposedly-grown woman, the reigning bane of the Burg, and an unapologetic crime-accuser and troublemaker, is scared to death just being in the same building as he is. Then again, Valerie's already told you how the Trenton PD lets my guy take point in some searches and investigations, so maybe it's smart to be cautious when trying to provoke him through annoying me."

"Mama just scored a knockout," I told Olivia, lifting up my left hand that she's currently holding onto to give our joined right ones a collective high five.

"I want one of those too," Steph said to us, changing her phone to the hands-free option so Olive and I can tag hers.

"You want one of what?" Helen said, in my mind rudely interrupting a family-moment. "Can we please have a normal conversation for once?"

"You'd have to act like a normal parent and grandparent for that to happen," my wife told her. "I'm done talking anyway. I have a daughter who's awake and wanting to play plus a currently off-duty husband to spend time with. I'm not wasting my minutes arguing with you about something that doesn't involve you beyond a possible-guest scenario. I'm saying goodbye now before I say something I'll have to tell Olive not to repeat."

And that was it. She hung up and we got back to birthday talk and baby-play. Olivia had been perfecting her walking skills by conforming her feet to the tops of my boots, her bare toes gripping the laces of my Bates boots while she strangled the index and middle fingers on both of my hands as we made laps around the kitchen island while her Mama put her own mother in her place.

"I'm really getting tired of being related to people I'd probably avoid contact with on the street," my wife said to me.

"Then stop talking to her. You have everything you need right here."

As if to reinforce my words, Olivia used her hold on me to swing a chubby little leg out to attempt to hook her Mama's much longer, sexy one. "I definitely have what I want, and everything I need, right here. And look who's already following in our footsteps with trying to apprehend someone," Steph said, letting our baby do exactly that before circling the wriggling body with her arms, lifting her up high for a kiss. "I can't believe she's going to be an entire year old soon."

"Time flies, especially when you have kids."

"And even more so when it's been the best year of your life."

I paused in petting Gunny and Mo now that my hands are free. They've been patiently providing walking aides and cabinet-buffers as my daughter and I secured the perimeter of our kitchen.

"You mean that, don't you?" I asked Steph.

She turned Olive in her arms so they were both looking adoringly at me. "Yes. This past year gave me this mighty-munchkin, and I got to call her Daddy my husband. Not bad for a year's work. Thank you for not giving up on me and for giving me Olive. I didn't think I wanted to be a mom, or even married, but I wouldn't change how my life turned out."

"You did all the work when it comes to our daughter, Babe. I'm just happy to be here for the ride. And you knew going in that I never give up when I want something. And I've never wanted something more than you. As I'd advised Raphael, if you genuinely love someone ... you stay."

When Olive was ready to move again, Steph put her on her bare feet and we watched our baby dart in the direction of the living room, with her dog-guards literally on her heels. We weren't far behind the three of them.

"So you're the reason Raphael proposed to Aubrey?" She asked me.

"No. He had his mind made up already. He just needed someone he trusts to remind him that if Aubrey wasn't ready, she needs him there loving her until she is."

"I'm sorry I waited so long to marry you. I know it was important to you."

"It was and still is, but there's nothing you need to apologize for. I know why you felt you needed to make a point. I also knew you'd figure out that by not marrying me ... you were still allowing your mother to control you and how you chose to live your life. When her opinion no longer mattered, you married me in less than a heartbeat, embraced our life here, and never looked back."

"I guess my reward for no longer being an idiot ... is the family we've created here. I hope Harper and Kane will be able to make it to Olive's party. I know being close to her due date means driving and hanging out here in the August heat, wouldn't be her first choice as a 'relaxation' day, but those Coles, Uncle Rah-Rah and Aubrey, Cal and Kenzie, plus Val and the girls, and Mary Lou and her boys, will be a heck of a party in of itself. And that's after we've already figured your family and our Rangefamily here into the mayhem. We may need to hog more than one floor of Rangeman."

"You're going to enjoy Olivia's birthday as much as - if not more than - she will," I noted.

"There's nothing not to enjoy ... unless my parents show up to try to tamp down the excitement we're all going to be feeling. I'm not letting them. It's funny how something I brush off as 'not important' because it was about me, is the thing I'll go apeshit over when the same attitude or behavior is applied to Olive."

"You deserved to have every single thing you're now giving to Olivia, Steph."

"It's different."

"Maybe in your mind, but not in mine. I know you've been having fun driving your mother crazy ... now that you see that her actions are exactly that … crazy, but I'm not allowing our daughter's birthday to be anything except a great experience for her. If you believe your mother will cause a scene just to become the center of attention, you need to call her back now and uninvite her. Olivia may be too young to fully understand the undercurrents going on here, but Julie isn't. And she's almost as vigilant as we are at making sure Olive's happy and protected. If your mother upsets Olivia or you, Julie's not going to be shy in speaking up."

"Gee ... I wonder who Jules gets that from? Olive stays great no matter who's around. And she has the right idea ... if she's bored or isn't interested in the company, she just heads for Mo and Gunny, or a RangeUncle, and the separate source of chaos they'll soon get into. Her grandmother won't faze her, but don't worry ... I have it and her under control. And once Olive is properly celebrated, we get to start all over again for your birthday. We will take your preferences into account, but don't think you're getting out of some type of celebration. Your daughters and I have already been planning on how we're going to show you how grateful we are for you, and how much they and I love you."