I'm glad so many of you like this story so far. It warms my little winter-bound heart.
Story disclaimers are in all Chapter 1.
Chapter 2: Frosty the Snowman
Really, on a morning like this one, who wouldn't find themselves dancing around to Frosty the Snowman on the stereo? The real question might be: why not also sing along?
"Frosty the Snowman, he's a jolly happy soul," Stephanie crooned as she finished rounding up the last of the trash baskets in Ellie's condo. Pausing, she reached up to straighten her elf hat, which she had found at the pop-up Christmas store last week. When she'd found the hat bin, of course she'd immediately looked for one like Will Ferrell had worn in Elf. No doubt those had sold out first. So, she'd happily settled for the classic red-and-green striped, floppy felt stocking cap with sewn-on elf ears.
Inspired, she'd gotten one for Grandma Mazur, too. And LED-bulb headbands for Valerie and her daughters. If there were extra headbands for Valerie's Albert and her own father, well, it was their choice whether to wear them or not. She'd also bought a reindeer bib for little Lisa, figuring that would be okay for a child who would likely end up being Jewish. She'd even found a green-and-red pet collar that maybe she could persuade Rex to wear. Finally, since Stephanie conceded that her mother was determined to be the adult in the family, she'd bought her a colorful Christmas tree pin with a tiny, optionally lighted star at the top.
She'd shopped for other gifts at the same time— small items that she could carry on her return flight— but she knew the headgear was really her gift-giving achievement for the year. Christmas day would be legendary.
Of course, that would be after she finally got back home on Christmas morning. She'd held-off checking the weather report this morning, because why bother? Either the weather would be fine, or it would dump another several feet of snow on New Jersey and she'd spend lunchtime trapped in a plane on Miami International Airport's tarmac, yet again. Some things were worth planning; others simply required good music, a grocery store novel, or a nap to get through. Any combination of those would do.
Meanwhile, she had a whole day to enjoy in Key Biscayne after she finished straightening Ellie's apartment. Sunlight streamed through the front window, the bakery downtown was sure to have fresh muffins, and the beach awaited her arrival. And this evening she'd pick up her final check and then meet her friends at yet another new restaurant bar.
"Thumpity thump thump, thumpity thump thump," Stephanie sang as she hop-walked back to the kitchen to refresh her coffee mug. "Look at Frosty go," she giggled as she poured a fresh cup. "Mmm mmm mmm, mmm mmm mmm," she hummed along while savoring a warm sip of fresh coffee, then finished with the singer, "Over the hills of snow."
Putting down her mug, she wondered why she didn't often wake up with this much energy in her apartment in Trenton. Maybe she needed a new brand of coffee. "Cafe Bustelo," the bright red and yellow bag of ground coffee fairly shouted when she glanced at the counter. Well, she thought, it certainly had added a "boost-a-lo" to her mornings here, so it was worth a try. She was pretty sure they carried it at the convenience store near Vinnie's.
Then again, though, maybe she just needed better music in the morning. Oh, and brighter sunshine during the winter. Maybe she needed more time with actual friends. She smiled. Maybe even more kinda-sorta dates.
Her thoughts were interrupted as her cellphone on the kitchen counter announced, "We are the Griswolds!"
Ah yes, the newest Plum family ringtone. "Good morning," Stephanie answered. "Happy Christmas week."
"Good morning, it's your mother."
Stephanie just rolled her eyes. Like she wouldn't have recognized her mother's voice. "Hi Mom, what's up?"
"I'm just checking in to make sure you're doing all right," she answered, "and that you haven't caught that cold that's going around,"
After Stephanie reassured her that she was fine, and that nobody even near her had a cold, Helen Plum continued with an update from home. Unsurprisingly, not much had happened since a week ago. Oh, except Mrs. Motola's grandma had demolished the fiberglass Dumbo in front of FunLand with her Buick LeSabre because the whole faux Disney installation was covered in ten feet of snow. ("Nobody was hurt, dear, except Dumbo.")
Oh, and Bud Murkowski apparently had run away from home, after all. Sam Haddad had spotted him at the racetrack in Saratoga. Stephanie could ignore all those rumors about Edith Murkowski electrocuting him and burying him under the new shed's concrete foundation out back. ("Of course, we still don't know what happened to Mr. Murkowski's brother, Buster.")
Oh, and Valerie's daughter Lisa was fine after having that little Monopoly racing car removed from her nostril at the emergency room by that nice man, Doctor Butts. ("I think he's single; you could do worse than dating a doctor. And maybe you wouldn't have to worry about insurance anymore.")
Stephanie half listened while puttering through her cleanup, murmuring "uh huh" and "yup" at the appropriate times. So, she was caught unawares when her mother asked, "Stephanie, are you paying attention?"
"You bet," she perked up. "But maybe there's interference so I didn't catch that last bit." She put down the towel she'd been using to dry dishes, then reached up to make sure her nose wasn't doing a Pinocchio.
"What's your flight number on Christmas day?" her mother repeated. "That nice Joe Morelli came over with a couple of his police friends and helped us dig the Lincoln out of the snowbank in front. Which means your father can come pick you up at the airport with room for luggage."
"That's great, Mom," she intoned, and then summarized the flight information from the print-out taped to the fridge.
As they wound down the call and hung up, she reflected that it actually was great that her dad was picking her up from the airport. Not having to pay for a ride all the way home from Philadelphia International Airport was a huge savings.
Not to mention that she could fit all her luggage in her dad's Town Car trunk— including her new el-cheapo Target suitcase filled with silver-wrapped packages for family and friends— with ridiculous amounts of room left over. Like if Donner and Dancer and the gang decided to peel off to play some of their infamous Reindeer Games over Route 295 on the way to Trenton, possibly she and Dad could stuff Santa's sleigh back there for the remainder of the trip up. It was like a public service to get driven around in that car.
Not so great, though, was the reminder that she was reentering a world with Joe Morelli in it. Sure, they'd broken up well before she'd come down here for Ellie's wedding. And, sure, she had been feeling like their relationship was over, even before that. But they'd made up before. Several times.
Though this breakup might be different, since for the first time it had actually been a relief to be apart. No more silent treatment over her tears after the incident where she'd helped Ranger rescue his daughter and he'd been shot. And almost died. And then had left Trenton to deal with his family, which made sense, but had left a hole in her life that she simply couldn't explain to Joe no matter how hard she'd tried.
She squared her shoulders, turning toward Ellie's bedroom to finish getting dressed for the day. Without realizing it, she found herself humming along to Elvis as he crooned Blue Christmas.
Okay, maybe Joe's complaints about her attraction to Ranger were valid. The distance granted by this time apart had given her that clarity. But it had been moot at the point Joe had broken off with her, since the Man of Mystery hadn't been seen in Trenton since shortly after recovering from Scrog's bullet.
But wait, she reeled herself back. Joe. Her relationship with Joe was its own thing, with its own issues even without the Ranger-sized elephant in the room. Exhibit number one being that, even if Ranger was out of Stephanie's life, Joe's fun stakeout friend, Terry Gilman, was very much still in town. It was rumored she was working for her dad Vito Grizolli now, no doubt building on her illustrious career as a prom queen and a New York Giants cheerleader
Snark aside, why did Joe have repeated stakeouts involving her when she clearly wasn't a cop? Why did they seem to be in motels? And why did he never tell Stephanie in advance?
She stopped, dress hanger in hand. Even if Joe wasn't cheating on her, he didn't trust her enough to tell her about Terry. And Stephanie didn't trust him enough to believe him, even if he had. The way he didn't entirely trust her about Ranger. So yeah, she imagined asking herself, how do you think you're in love with someone, or even destined to be together, if you don't trust each other?
That was certainly something to consider in more depth at the beach, later today, lounging in her thinking position. As she slipped on her sundress, she considered that the whole "thinking" thing wasn't quite the same without the squeak of Rex's wheel, though the seagulls always did their part to fill in the soundscape. Squawking wheels going around in her mind, turning up new connections, new ideas.
But drat! She'd forgotten to ask her mom how Rex was doing at Valerie's house. Even though she'd be retrieving him from Val's in a couple of days, she suddenly felt like a negligent hamster parent. She looked at the clock, and decided she'd text her sister later this afternoon.
Of course, in addition to checking on Rex, she'd be sure to check on Lisa and her nose garage. Clearly some traditions just ran in the family. After all, she herself had been accused of having a nose closet after stuffing Barbie shoes up her nostrils in pre-school. Probably Lisa was just building a timely addition to the Plum family nose-house.
While she reflected, Stephanie started packing her bag for the day. She had too much for the cute straw bag she'd bought her first week here. Actually, she admitted, it was too small for most of her purse needs. That didn't matter: even if it was just sitting on a shelf in her closet, its woven, bubble-gum pink flamingos would be a perfect reminder of this whole magical yet impractical trip.
She walked toward the front door, looking around the condo as though for the first time. Not even as large as her place in Trenton, after just three weeks it felt like hers. She'd come to love the seashells painted along the top of the sand colored walls as much as the modern bathroom fixtures.
She had to leave, though, one way or the other. Ellie was planning to sell the condo after returning from her honeymoon so she and her new husband could buy a house together. Even if Stephanie returned to visit Key Biscayne again, she wouldn't be able to stay in the place that had begun to feel like home.
A home that was cozy and warm, with an orange tree out back, a shared swimming pool, and a family of chatty birds that lived nearby.
She paused at the front door, taking a deep, steadying breath. This was also a home that didn't have a Goodwill rug in the foyer covering blood stains that she still hadn't been able to lift. Even if she had been able to get rid of the chairs that she and Ranger's daughter, Julie, had been tied to when Scrog had held them captive.
She shook her head, stepped outside, and turned briefly to lock the door behind her. Today was one of her last sunny days in paradise and she wasn't going to spend it on sad memories.
At first shaded by stairs to the unit above, she stepped into the sunlight. It still took her breath away to leave her apartment and go directly outside. Squat palmettos stood in loose formation, like palm fronded munchkins marking her way through the yellowish paved path. On one side, she could see the scraggly walkway that led toward a narrow strip of rocky sand and an aging pier. Today, though, she turned the other way, toward the street.
The already sun-heated, hexagonal patterned concrete led her first toward the pool, where Ellie's next-door neighbor Larissa looked up from a faded green chaise lounge. "Good morning. How's the exotic life of our Brown Snow Bunting, today?"
Stephanie laughed at her running joke; every day Larissa greeted her with the name of a different bird that migrated for the winter. Since Larissa didn't worry about whether the named birds actually migrated to Florida, or even were American, some had been rather funny. Especially when accompanied by Larissa's grandson Alex doing fake bird calls. The Rainbow Bee Eater ("ooh wowza, buzz buzz") had been her favorite, along with the Indian Hawk-Cuckoo ("squawk coo-curry, squawk coo-curry").
"Doing good. Where's Alex this morning?"
"His mom has him. Last minute holiday shopping." She put down her paperback. "Hey, aren't you trying to fly away from us yet again, one of these days?"
"This Wednesday. Christmas day." Seeing Larissa's squint, she added, "Everything else was booked. Unless I wanted the seat outside the toilet. Or was willing to risk getting stranded during an extended layover someplace." She shrugged her satchel's strap back up to her shoulder. "I did all my shopping, so it's actually okay. I get to skip all the cooking and family insanity before Christmas, and get the gifts and a big dinner after. It's a win-win. Of course, it all depends on if the weather gods are smiling."
"How could they not smile on you?" Larissa waved in Stephanie's direction. "But come give me a hug in case I don't see you again before then. I'll miss you!"
Stephanie leaned down into the older woman's embrace. "Me too," she agreed, her chin awkwardly nestled against Larissa's sun visor. "Think of me on Bingo night," she smiled, pulling back.
Releasing Stephanie, Larissa winked. "Too bad you'll miss Drinking Bingo next week. I was absolutely going to beat you at that one. Payback for coming in as the neighborhood newbie and winning Rock n' Roll Bingo." Then she laughed and waved her hand toward the street entrance to their condo complex. "Go, kiddo. You'll still have time to get the bus if you hurry."
"I'll stay in touch," Stephanie promised as she hastened her way toward the street gate. Where she did just make the bus, partly because the driver saw her and stopped a half block down.
"Thanks Oscar," she puffed, greeting one of the regular drivers while boarding. Unlike in Trenton, he greeted her back by name and actually waited until she sat before pulling away from the curb.
As they made the slow trip to downtown Key Biscayne, Stephanie gazed out the window while sorting out her next steps. From a practical standpoint, she needed to stop by the Grouper Inn to pick up her last check. But she still had cash, along with a bit left in her checking account from the fortuitously large bounty she'd picked up just before coming down to Biscayne Bay.
Saying a quick apology to God for endorsing crime, she followed up with a mental thank you to Stewie "the Skunk" Bandolino for ineptly trying to rob a bank, getting his bail bond through Vinnie's Bonds, and then going FTA shortly before the holiday season. Should she get him a holiday card? After all, he'd sorta paid for her time here in semi-paradise.
Okay, probably that was a bad idea. But, with another quick apology to God, she hoped there would be another high-value FTA coming up soon after she got back to Trenton. If the stupid bad guys all kept indoors the way Connie reported, she'd really have to skimp when she got back to Trenton.
She pursed her lips; she was looking at a whole bunch of suppers with her folks. Good thing she'd be there anyway to help Dad shovel. Without Joe Morelli's help, thank you very much.
As she tossed her head at that thought, the bus pulled over at her stop. She got out and waved as the bus pulled away, and then started walking. In the weeks she'd spent down here, she'd learned her way around. At least to important landmarks, like the ATM and the Corner Café near the Winn Dixie.
She strolled along a street lined with palms, whose trunks were loosely wrapped in holiday lights. In a gap between buildings, she briefly spotted the large Key Biscayne Christmas tree in the park at the center of the town. A few nights ago, her friends had taken her there after dinner to ooh and ahh over its bright colors and shining star. It really had been pretty, even though her New Jersey instincts kept trying to convince her that the white twinkle lights mounded on the surrounding shrubs were snow.
They'd joined in with a group of caroling school children for a few songs. Though in sweaters rather than parkas, the children were like carolers everywhere. Rosy cheeked with effort, they'd held books of carols in their not-really-gloved hands and had earnestly worked to sing in key. Stephanie, her friends, and other passers-by had managed to stay in tune enough that it was a rousing, festive celebration of holiday tradition.
Then, after a brief stroll around the park, her new friend Laurie, along with Ted, had driven her back to Ellie's condo for the night. At the time, it had been Stephanie's first time in a car since arriving. Since then, she kept wondering what it would be like to live someplace, like this, where she could primarily rely on buses and occasional car hires. What would it be like to not have rotating ownership of a series of crap third-hand cars?
Or to rely on Ranger to swoop in and just "give" her expensive cars to drive. And wreck. She puffed out a breathy exhale; she still hadn't gotten over the Boxster, or any of the other cars he'd lent her. It gave her a brief queasy feeling every time she thought about it. So, she mostly tried not to, which should've been easier to do with Ranger "in the wind" or wherever for the past couple of months.
Should've been.
With a quick head shake to remind herself, again, that today was about the here-and-now, she shifted her satchel to her other shoulder and resumed walking. After another intersection, she crossed the street and went half-way down the block.
She stopped by a building whose whole side was covered in a mural. Vibrantly painted blue and green fish swam amidst ribbons of green plants, above brown sand shading into gold. A series of real-life windows running up the far edge of the building were assimilated along the edge of an angular coral outcropping.
Just an everyday building, brick and concrete, rough under the paint. She'd seen it the first day she'd been here; an unexceptional building that had blossomed under someone's care into a reminder of the rich life that flourished all around it. Her phone already had pictures of the mural from her first week here, but she'd wanted to see it one more time, in person, before she headed back north.
"Bye fishies," she murmured with a finger wave, then looked around to make sure nobody was watching. Or, at least, listening. She reached out and touched the wall. "I'll miss you guys. Be good."
Imagining a fishy wink farewell, perhaps even the shimmy of some kelp in a "bye for now" wave, she continued to the end of the block. A hand-painted sign hung over the door of her destination, the Corner Café. It wasn't a home comfort like Tasty Pastry, where the counter was still faced in tile popular in the 1950s and the staff knew your family back from the days of the Great Depression. After all, a tourist area like Key Biscayne wasn't likely to have a stuck-in-the-1950s haunts like an old Trenton neighborhood.
But Stephanie had decided she could definitely get used to the Corner Café's quaint tables and its delectable combination of cholesterol-rich treats with little difficulty. Opening the door, she inhaled with gusto. Fresh ground coffee. Heated chocolate. Belgian waffles. And the trifecta of warm butter, syrup, and sugar. People told her that it wasn't possible to smell sugar, but Stephanie knew better.
She inhaled again and smiled. Brunch was in order. And a takeout bag of pastries. Enough to tide her over until it was time for her flight back to Trenton. They'd fit just fine in her satchel for the day. Pleased with her preparation, she knew there was enough room because, of course, she'd done the same thing a few days ago. Knowing how to arrange one's bags to carry pastries was an important life skill, and nobody would persuade her otherwise.
Waving at the register staff, she stepped in line to place her order. A quiet, instrumental version of Let It Snow played in the background as she waited. She inhaled again, closing her eyes to memorize the delicious scent of the cafe's essence. A little gift to herself, which she could take home with her and enjoy whenever her mind carried her back here.
As she stepped to the front of the line, once again she smiled. If nothing else, this unexpected vacation had given a real chance to simply relax and enjoy life. She seriously needed to figure out why this seemed like such a big departure from her regular life.
To be continued…
