Story disclaimers are in Chapter 1. Also, though I try to make it clear in the chapter, Rafi is a nickname for Rafael. Mima is a Cuban term for Grandma, along with Abuela and Abuelita. Also, Pipo is Grandpa. When I was growing up, my Cuban neighbors used those all the time.


Chapter 4: Bachata en Navidad

This was the first actual Mañoso house that Stephanie had seen, and it was striking. Two stories tall with stucco walls, terracotta roofing, and large arched windows, it was both Spanish and modern at the same time. And, it had a rather ample attached garage. Well, all of that obviously runs in the family, Stephanie mused as she walked up the path next to Ranger, shopping bag of last-minute gifts swinging from her hand.

"You all set, Babe?" Ranger looked over, his expression partly camouflaged by the flower arrangement that he was carrying for her. She actually hadn't been nervous during the ride from her temporary condo. After all, she had been with Ranger, driving cocooned in the leather and luxury of one of his apparently endless number of black Porsche Cayennes. "It's showtime," he added with the hint of a wink.

And, with that, she lost the apprehension that had been fluttering like captive moths in her stomach as they'd gotten closer to the house. "Yup. Let's do this, Batman," she answered, and was rewarded by the guarded amusement she spied beneath his lifted brow.

He stepped onto the stoop, giving her a fine view of how nicely today's tailored black slacks and royal blue polo fit. No tactical belt, although Stephanie was sure he was discreetly armed to the hilt. A warrior dressed to infiltrate suburban family life.

As always, she marveled at how all sides of Ranger were muscular, though well proportioned. And she realized that her phone was packed deep in her purse, so not available for a quick, unobtrusive photo. Clearly she needed to be better prepared.

He paused to tap the doorbell, but the door opened from the inside as soon as he reached for the knob. A man the same height as Ranger filled the gap. "Welcome back, Bro'," he said with a smile. It was clear to Stephanie that this was Ranger's brother; he had the same smile and similar features, though was perhaps 15 pounds heavier with wavy hair.

"Come on in," he backed up, gesturing them into the sunny foyer. "And you must be Stephanie," he continued, his smile broadened even further, "Welcome! I'm Rafael, Carlos's older, better looking brother."

"Nice to meet you, Rafael," Stephanie smiled.

"Better looking? In your dreams, Hermano," Ranger replied with a trademark smirk as he relinquished Stephanie's bouquet to his brother's beckoning arms.

"Oh Carlos," Rafael nudged his younger brother with his shoulder. "You got me all my favorite flowers," he winked at Stephanie. Ignoring the dart of Ranger's glower, he continued. "Of course, these must be from you, Stephanie. They really are beautiful, thank you. My wife Linda will really like them."

"Let me see," a woman who was obviously Rafael's sister commented, sliding behind him. "Oh, nice flowers!" she affirmed. "Hi, I'm Ariana, their sister. I'm so glad to meet you, Stephanie. We've heard so much about you."

"I swear that the funeral home blowing up wasn't my fault," Stephanie rushed to say as she shook Ariana's outstretched hand. "Well, it kinda was. But it was really my Grandma Mazur."

Ranger murmured in her ear, "I've said it before, Steph: you come from a long line of scary women." Then, straightening, he added for the others, "Actually, Stephanie and her grandmother— whose handgun should definitely be confiscated— broke up an operation that used coffins and a funeral home to smuggle guns from an Army weapons depot."

"Wow, New Jersey is still weird. I definitely don't miss it," Ariana shook her head.

"It has its charms," Ranger commented quietly, head tilted as he gazed at Stephanie. Then he lifted her shopping bag, handing it to Ariana. "Let me take your jacket."

Ranger took the lightweight, cloth overcoat she'd borrowed from her friend Ellie's closet and hung it on one of the hooks near the door. Full of different sized jackets, hats, and umbrellas, it was a far cry from the tidy, minimalist entryway in Ranger's Trenton apartment. Seeing Ranger hang her coat in the middle of the sprawl of outerwear was momentarily disorienting, as though she were watching a tiger deciding to hunker down and take a slurpy drink of saucer milk.

Then he turned back to her, smirk in place and, of course, she wondered if she'd actually said that out loud. Eyebrow drifting upward above amused eyes, he simply said, "Let's head into the living room."

As Ranger rested his hand lightly on her back, Ariana peeked into her shopping bag. "Oh, are these presents?"

"Ranger said you exchange gifts tonight, so I wanted to bring a few things," Stephanie said.

"You're so nice! For us, having both Julie and you here tonight is the gift to our family. So, whatever you brought will be like icing on the cake." Then she winked. "But we'll put these around the tree for later tonight anyway, because everyone knows that icing is the best part of the cake."

"So true," Stephanie affirmed with a sigh as they walked into the next room. Possibly Ranger was the only one in his family who didn't understand the hierarchy of food groups, with cake and icing clearly being among the building blocks of the pyramid. Ariana's reaction gave her hope for Ranger. She smiled at the memory of him actually taking bites from the birthday cake she'd brought after he'd gotten out of the hospital.

Her recollections dispersed like smoke when she entered the living room, which was dominated by a huge, slightly crooked Christmas tree. Feliz Navidad played quietly in the background as Ranger's daughter Julie stood up from the coffee table. The girl's observant expression resolved quickly into a hesitant smile. "Stephanie. Ranger really did manage to talk you into coming today."

"Ranger didn't have to talk me into anything; I wanted to be here," she replied. Then, as she took a step toward the slim girl, arms open in greeting, Julie's reserve fell away. She bounded over to Stephanie and snaked her arms around her.

"I'm glad you're okay," she said into Stephanie's sweater.

"Me too," Stephanie wrapped Ranger's daughter in a hug. "I mean, I'm so glad you're okay. I think about you, and I'm really happy that I got to be here today to see you."

Julie pushed back to look at her with dark brown eyes that were more shadowed than Stephanie recalled. She seemed about to say something, but then pulled back to stand between her and Ranger, eyes flicking between each of them.

"See Jules, I told you," Ranger said.

"I know, you always keep your promises," she affirmed in a firm voice.

Ranger nodded, leaning down to murmur something to his daughter as he brushed a lock of long, mahogany hair behind her shoulders. Seeing a gentle smile soften his features, Stephanie felt a beat of joy rise from her heart.

"Hey, nice flowers," a young, short-haired woman with Ranger's straight brow and eyes spoke up from a large, sectional sofa.

"Stephanie, this is my sister Reina," Ranger gestured toward the seated woman.

"Hi Stephanie," she smiled as she grabbed for a squirming toddler on her lap. "And this is Richie, Rafi's eldest." She wiped his hands with a cloth. "Say 'Hi Stephanie'."

"Hi Teffie," the boy looked over his shoulder at her, then back at Reina, who handed him a sippy cup.

Rafael chuckled, "Just a second and I'll take my son off your hands." He turned to give the flowers back to Ranger.

"Ah, it's all good," Reina said. "I'm living large, here, sharing apple juice and knocking blocks over." She continued, grabbing Richie's cup before it went upside-down along with the boy, who was now arching backward on her lap. "Oh, the fun we'd have if I lived down here in Miami," she buzzed his tummy with her lips.

"I bet you could persuade Linda and Rafi to adopt you," Ariana snorted over the sounds of Richie's whoop and Reina's laughter.

Rafael's brow rose in suspiciously Ranger-like calculation. "Reina, you could move into the sewing room. I can make that happen."

Ariana continued his thought. "You could be like a house elf and give up paralegal school for the joys of Dinosaur Train on TV. Which I can't believe you actually watched together for two hours."

Her sister scoffed while wrangling the squirming boy on her lap. "Come on, like we didn't watch Barney when we were little. Purple dinosaur, orange dinosaur. Paralegally, I rest my case."

While Ranger's sisters quibbled, Julie quietly wrapped her fingers around Stephanie's hand. Looking down, Stephanie couldn't help her grin as she saw Julie roll her eyes in the best New Jersey style. That's my gal, she preened.

While Rafael drifted over to his sister and son on the sofa, Ranger turned to Stephanie. "Ready to meet my folks?"

"I was born ready," she replied, enjoying the twinkle of amusement she spied in his eyes. "You know me, Ranger. Families I can deal with." She paused. "As long as they don't expect me to go to the gun range after dinner."

His lips quirked. "I guess I'll have to find a different Christmas gift."

"You guys are so lame," Julie muttered, pulling on Stephanie's hand while she reached up to Ranger's arm. "They're all in the kitchen."

Stephanie followed as Julie pulled them forward, passing an upright piano with an elaborate nativity arranged along the top, looking as though a whole neighborhood had been transported in miniature from Bethlehem. Above it was a wall full of family photos, which she was definitely coming back to look at later. She made a mental note to also try to clandestinely peruse the DVD collection, where she was sure she could see Scrooged on the top of the rack along with Elf. This was very promising, indeed.

They entered the large, modern kitchen, with bowls and platters everywhere. A blonde woman about Stephanie's age turned toward them while burping an infant over her shoulder.

Ranger stepped forward. "Stephanie, this is Linda, my brother Rafael's wife," Ranger said. He placed the flower vase on the island counter, adding, "And these are from Stephanie."

"They're my thank you for including me, tonight," she hastened to add as Ranger returned to her side, now between her and Julie. She felt the warmth of his palm settle along her hip, his arm wrapped loosely around her.

Linda smiled. "They're beautiful Stephanie, thank you. We're glad to have you," she stepped closer, then tilted her head toward her baby. "This sleepyhead is our little Zoe." Without interrupting her baby rhythm, she freed her arm to reach out to shake Stephanie's hand.

Stephanie replied as a handsome middle-aged woman with dark chestnut hair emerged from a room adjacent to the kitchen. She had no doubt that this was Ranger's mother; she had the same full lips and elegant, straight nose. And the same 100-watt smile, though hers obviously got a lot more use than her son's. She felt Ranger straighten next to her, but before he had a chance to speak, his mother spoke up.

"You don't need to introduce us, Carlito. Of course, this is Stephanie. It's lovely to meet you at last," she smiled, wiping her hands on a towel as she hurried over. "I'm Carlito's mother, but please call me Alma. Or Mama Alma," she appended with a mischievous flash in her eyes.

Before Stephanie could reply, she found herself enveloped in the older woman's arms. She discovered that the Mañoso maternal hug was as generous and strong as the woman's smile. And, she also learned that she could call Ranger's mother 'Mrs. Mañoso' if she absolutely must, though that seemed so very impersonal. But it was okay if that was what Stephanie preferred.

She felt the subterranean rumble of Ranger's amusement. "Mama, let Stephanie breathe."

Meanwhile, Julie had drifted to the counter and was peeking in a half-covered dish. "Ranger, are these the turtles your grandmother made for dessert?"

"Turrones, sweetheart," Alma turned toward her granddaughter, correcting her gently, with a smile. "Carlito's Abuelita, his grandmother, always baked Christmas turrones for the big Nochebuena meal when her children and grandchildren were small. So, she insisted on baking them again this year, to celebrate that you're with us tonight."

She re-covered the dish, winking at Julie. "Be sure to save some room." She peeked sideways at her son. "I know your father, Carlito, will save room. Christmas turrones were his favorite when he was your age. I think they still are."

Stephanie turned her head so quickly to look at Ranger that worried briefly that her brains might have shifted inside her head due to the speed. Ranger had a favorite dessert?

He simply shrugged, lips tipped in amusement. "You'll like them, Babe," he murmured close to her ear. "They're basically honey and almond nougats. My family always had them back in Cuba."

Oh. Cuban Bit-O-Honey, she thought as the sweet Halloween flavor drizzled her memory. Cuban Almond Joy, her imagination pitched in with enthusiasm.

Again, she felt Ranger's silent laughter telegraphed through the movement of his hand, which had reached loosely around her waist. "Your enjoyment will make my old Abuelita very happy, trust me."

As he spoke, his sister Ariana enter the room. "Speaking of… Mama, where is Mima anyway? She's the reason we have old-people's Latin Christmas on the stereo. If she's busy, can we please change to something else?"

Ranger's mother gestured toward a doorway at the end of the room. "Right now, your Abuelita is in the garage, supervising your father and Tío Ernesto now that they're back from Tío's place with the roasted pig." With a hint of wickedness, she added, "Your Papa is the one who agreed with Tío to do a real cerdo asado— that is, to roast a pig ourselves— for tonight's dinner. For the first time in twenty years, I might add. So, Mima and I decided he might need some extra... direction… when getting it ready for the dinner table."

"And they're in the garage because I absolutely will not have that huge roasting pan in my kitchen. Or, on my patio," Linda piped up from the corner, where she was settling her daughter in a portable bassinet.

"And I agree," Ranger's mother said with a sparkle in her eyes balanced by the prim set to her lips. "So, your Papa and Tío Ernesto are in the garage with your Abuelita."

"Papa's not in the garage," Ariana chortled. "He's in the doghouse."

"Well, he may think so," Ranger's mother acknowledged. "But really, even though your Papa volunteered, he doesn't actually know first-hand how to wrangle Cuban style cerdo asado for a family dinner. We've always done Nochebuena Norteamericana up in New Jersey. But your Abuelita remembers how to do it right." She wrinkled her nose. "And frankly none of us quite trust that her brother Ernesto will get it right on his own."

"It's so much work, so why are we doing it?" Ariana asked. "Rafi and I even live here in Miami fulltime now and we never do roast pig."

"Honey, you and Rafi's family are usually up with us in New Jersey for the holiday," Mrs. Mañoso murmured.

At the same time, Linda said, "Rafi told me that your Tío insisted on the pig for a Cuban-style welcome since the family is here in 'Havana del Norte,' this year. Rafi and I both voted against it. Yet, here we are, with a roaster in our garage."

"Have me talk with Tío, next time, and we won't have this problem," Ranger muttered.

"Probably a good idea," Ariana pitched in from the counter where she'd started to line up mangoes to be cut. "Tío is pretending he doesn't speak English, again."

"Hey Carlos, if we stay down here again next year, you could have dinner at your place," Linda commented from where she was tucking covers in the bassinet. "Rafi says that you've got the space at your North Beach house."

"Not likely," Ranger said. Meanwhile his sister Ariana and their mother looked at each other with decidedly speculative expressions. Linda looked as though she was planning how to pick up and move dinner to Ranger's house.

Then Ranger's mother shrugged. "Carlito, why don't you go out and see how they're doing. And retrieve your Abuelita from the garage. I'm sure she'll want to meet Stephanie and spend more time with Julie, too."

He glanced around the room, then turned toward Stephanie. "Will you be okay for a bit?" At her affirmative nod, he stepped toward his daughter, placing his hand on her shoulder. "And you, Jules?"

Muttering "Overprotective much?" Julie reminded him that she'd been perfectly fine the whole time he'd been away to pick up Stephanie, and that he was basically leaving her with his own family. In his brother's house. That probably had a security system wired directly to a giant monitor at Rangeman. And maybe to the Pentagon also.

"Good points," Ranger's eyes crinkled in humor as he pulled his daughter gently toward him in an awkward hug, and then nodded. "Be right back," he said.

In the wake of Ranger's absence, Stephanie could hear the sounds of toddler enjoyment from the living room punctuating the holiday music. The tune she recognized as Silent Night, though it was a guitar arrangement rather than the accustomed orchestration. And, it was being sung in Spanish.

Which made it familiar yet also new, like a gift just for tonight. It was like when she'd been a girl, feeling the holiness of the season and its majesty filling the house with the scent of balsam and rum candy. And, at the same time, waiting for the wonder of the crisp Christmas morning in pajamas, surrounded by wrapping paper and ribbons. With a whole new year about to begin.

She wondered if that was what little Richie was feeling right now, in his exuberant glee. Family all around; songs and warmth; promise in the air.

Then she noticed that Julie had quietly scooted next to her. Probably she was a bit too skittish to feel childlike wonder in this year when everything had changed. Possibly she missed it.

"Hey kiddo," Stephanie half-whispered, putting her arm around the slim girl's shoulder. Julie looked at her with a vague smile and then shrugged, apparently content to simply be near someone she knew. Stephanie, familiar with that feeling, was pleased to be that 'someone' for Julie.

Looking up, she noted that Ariana had started cutting fruit into a bowl while Ranger's mother bustled at the stove. "Can we help you with anything?" Stephanie asked.

"No, that's fine, just keep us company." Ranger's mother motioned Julie and Stephanie to barstools along the other side of the counter. "I'm so glad that Carlito invited you both tonight. As everyone gets older, we don't get together as much. Linda is so kind to let us invade her house for the holidays."

"Hey, it's all good since everyone else is doing the work," the blonde replied, still hovering over her resting baby.

"Thanks for adding me at the last minute," Stephanie said. "It was nice that Ranger invited me; he's usually so private. Probably it's because I know Julie, but anyway it's really good to meet you all."

"My brother can't be that dense," Ariana mumbled. "Even if he has both you and his own daughter calling him 'Ranger'. He's such a dork sometimes."

"He has everyone call him by his street name," Stephanie rose to his defense. He does it to protect all of you."

"Still, his daughter should be able to call him by his real name." Ariana stopped chopping as she switched her attention to Julie. "You don't have to, of course, but it would melt the sappy, romantic hearts of all the women in the family if you called him 'Papa Carlos' at dinner tonight. And we might even get to see our big, macho brother blush."

Julie looked down, lips pulled, as she murmured, "I don't want to embarrass him."

Poor kid, Stephanie thought. If only she had the advantage of being from New Jersey, where embarrassment was redundant. Unused and mostly forgotten, it was like the easily removed and not-missed appendix of emotions. Even her own mother's desire to avoid gossip wasn't about embarrassment. Instead, it was about staying under the radar, as though she'd spent her entire life practicing to go into Witness Protection.

Since Julie wasn't fortunate enough to have that New Jersey emotional inoculation, Stephanie pulled her close. "Oh sweetie, absolutely nothing you do would ever embarrass your father. He's so proud of you. Besides, he's not easy to embarrass. Really, trust me on this. But, if you do want to call him something other than Ranger, just ask him beforehand," She paused to look meaningfully at Ariana. "Just ask him when you're alone, and go with what he says. That way he'll be prepared for when you next say it around other people."

Leaning over, she half-whispered, "And remember, no matter what name he prefers, it's just a name. Everyone in Trenton calls him Ranger— even I do— so that's normal to him."

"Okay, that makes sense." Julie twitched, loosening Stephanie's hold. In her periphery, she caught Ranger's mother looking warmly at the two of them.

Then the older woman turned to her daughter. "Ariana, honey, we have to let Carlito do things at his own pace." The older woman paused, pointing with a wooden spoon in a gesture that Stephanie immediately recognized. Apparently mothers everywhere corrected their children with food-covered kitchen implements. "It's enough that he invited us all to come together this holiday season."

She turned to look at Julie. "And Carlito has already given me the best Christmas gift already: the chance to spend time with Julie, the beautiful girl who made me an abuela." Her smile was the Mañoso 100-watt variety, so broad that it even made Julie smile back.

"What does that mean?" Julie whispered discreetly through her smile at Stephanie.

"I think you were her first grandchild, so you'll always be special," Stephine leaned down to whisper back, seeing comprehension dawn on her face.

At that moment, Linda and Rafael's toddler son Richie scrambled into the kitchen like an arm-waving puppy.

"Oh no, it's the burrito song, again" Ariana sighed as the sound of a bouncy song with children's voices echoed from the living room.

"A Christmas song about Mexican food?" Julie asked, squinting.

"No, it's a children's song about a kid going to see the Baby Jesus in Bethlehem with his little burro. It's one of those goofy earworm songs like Little Drummer Boy that gets played way more often than it should."

"Ants, ants," Richie cried with an exuberant smile, practically falling as he ran with hands akimbo.

His mother, Linda, laughed as she moved from the bassinet to intercept her son. "That's 'dance, dance' to you and me," she explained, grabbing her son around the waist. "He loves this Christmas song; I guess they played it at his daycare. Whenever it comes on, he has to dance. We did this in the grocery store yesterday, too." She set her son back down and, hand-in-hand, started swaying back and forth with him.

Richie then freed one of his hands and held it out. "Ants, Ooo-eee," he looked at Julie who leaned back in her stool, arms crossed. "Ants, Teffie," he switched his focus to Stephanie.

She chuckled, then leaned down to take the boy's small, warm hand in hers. "You'll have to show me how to do this dance," she said. But she quickly discovered that spending time with her own nieces had apparently been good practice, because she was a natural at the Weebles-wobble toddler dance.

The song bounced along to its end, at which point Richie released his dance partners' hands and giggled, pinwheeling in place. Linda reached down and caught him as he started to lose balance, swooping him up into her arms.

"I see you started the party without me," Ranger deadpanned from the doorway to the garage.

"It's your nephew; he's a party animal," Stephanie snorted in reply, pushing a stray lock of curls back behind her ear. Next to her, Linda was now bounce-dancing with her son in her arms to another upbeat holiday song from the living room.

Ranger's eyebrow floated upward, and he appeared about to respond when the door opened beside him. This time Ranger's father entered, proudly holding a large foil roasting pan that was presumably filled with neatly carved rounds of pork loin. He was followed by a much older man— the infamous Tío Ernesto— head held high, brandishing a large carving fork like a trident or pointed scepter.

The parade of heroes returning victoriously from the roast pork wars was cut short as Ranger plucked the fork from the older man's hand with a practiced move. At the older man's affronted look, Ranger muttered something in Spanish with an austere expression, causing the old man to look heavenward.

Meanwhile Ranger's father spotted her. "Stephanie," his eyes lit up. "You made it. Carlos said he'd invited you but we weren't sure you could come on such short notice." He walked over to the counter, placing the foil pan in front of his wife with a flourish, eliciting a laugh, and then turned back to Stephanie. "It's so nice to see both you and Julie here, under much happier circumstances," he smiled, alluding to their time together earlier this year in the hospital waiting room during Ranger's surgery.

"It's good to see you too, Mr. Mañoso," she replied.

"My uncle and I need to clean up, but we'll be back shortly," he said, though first he retrieved the carving fork from Ranger and rested it on the counter. As Ranger's father led Tío Ernesto away, a small woman with steel gray hair arrived from the garage. Her nearly obsidian eyes gleamed as she took stock of the room.

Then she put her slim hand on Ranger's arm. "Carlito mío," her low, melodious voice belied her obvious age. She continued in Spanish for a moment, speaking too quickly for Stephanie to pick out words, other than Ranger's name, Julie's and hers. After Ranger replied something in the voice that Stephanie inwardly called "Ranger being smooth," the old woman's eyes glinted at the same time she slapped her grandson's arm with surprising vigor.

And here's the infamous Abuelita, Stephanie thought. She'd almost expected Ranger's grandmother to have a cape, or maybe her own theme music. Instead, it was no surprise when something shifted outside, making the end-of-day sunlight stream in from the backyard window to illuminate the deceptively small, elderly woman in her own spotlight.

"Stephanie, this is my grandmother, Abuelita Mañoso," Ranger said.

"Pleased to meet you," she replied, feeling oddly like she should curtsy. Well, that is, if she actually knew how.

Immediately, Abuelita's wrinkled face transformed into a smile and she stepped over. "Estephanie," she greeted in a heavily accented voice. "Is good I meet you finally. Bienvenida, m'ija." Only a little taller than Stephanie was when seated at the counter, the old woman embraced her and then kissed her fiercely on each cheek.

Hands on Stephanie's shoulder, she continued in rapidfire Spanish. She then backed away so both Julie and Stephanie were in her gaze. She smiled again, nodded, then turned toward Ranger, her voice sounding more like a barked series of orders rather than conversation.

Stephanie had never before seen Ranger's face with the expression that passed quickly across his features as his Abuelita spoke. In anyone else she might describe it as "temporary deer in the headlights," but this was Ranger. So, obviously it was something else.

Julie's brow was furrowed, but her tilted head telegraphed that she hadn't understood the brisk Spanish, either. Ranger's mother had a satisfied smile on her face, while his sister Ariana's lips were slightly agape. Rafael's wife Linda simply shrugged when Stephanie caught her eyes.

Ranger approached. "She's welcoming you, Steph. And she's glad that our family has finally met you." At the old woman's darted, lowering frown, he straightened with an inhale and added, "The rest of what she said is directed at me. I'll give you the gist, later."

"Okay," she agreed to wait, then turned to his Abuelita. "I'm really glad to meet you, too. And really grateful to be invited for the Nochebuena dinner," she stumbled over the word, though she noted the approval in the old woman's sharp eyes.

Reaching out to hug the dark-haired girl seated next to her, Stephanie added, "And I'm so happy to see Julie again, too. Thank you," she included Ranger's mother as she finished. "Gracias," she repeated, proud that she knew that word, too. At the same time, she was disappointed in herself that friendship with Ranger hadn't motivated her to learn more of the language.

Okay, New Year's resolution number one: learn some Spanish.

The old woman's hands squeezed Stephanie's arms as she smiled, proving that the wrinkles around her eyes had been furrowed by years of amusement. "Gracias a ti también. Thanking you also," she said.

Releasing Stephanie, she turned to Ranger. As though to cement Stephanie's resolution, the old woman started reeling out Spanish even more quickly than before. She reached out a wrinkled finger and started waving it at her much taller grandson, and Stephanie decided it was probably a good thing that she had no clue what was being said.

After a moment, Ranger's mother spoke. "Ariana, can you please take Julie and Stephanie to make sure the table is all set?"

Looking down at Julie's wide eyes, Stephanie recognized the wisdom in the plan. "Come on, Julie," she took Ranger's daughter's hand.

"Mima," Stephanie heard Ranger's voice, which was immediately overrun by the old woman's continuing stream of words. Then Ranger interrupted again, "Por eso la invité."

Stephanie took one more peek; maybe Ranger needed someone by his side. But though his expression was unusually mulish, he nodded at her with a quirk of a smile. "Go ahead. I'll join you in a moment."

"Okay," Stephanie agreed and only then followed Ariana. Instead of turning right to the living room, they turned left into the dining room. Back in the kitchen, she heard Ranger's mother also pipe up. "Mima!" she heard, followed by other, muffled words in Spanish rising to her son's defense.

In the dining room, Ranger's other sister Reina had already arranged place settings on the table, which had obviously been extended to its full length. The piano bench had been brought in to add extra seating, along with a couple of unmatched high-backed chairs. Basically, it was an elegant upgrade to the way her Grandma Plum had created a dining room out of mis-matched furniture for the holidays when she had been a child.

"Hey Stephanie and Julie, welcome to our family, for real," Reina smirked while folding cloth napkins into restaurant-style wings.

Julie's gaze cut back toward the kitchen. "I think it was a bad idea for me to come for the holiday," she pulled her hand away, crossing her arms.

"Oh no, not at all," Ariana rested her palms on the girl's thin shoulders. "You're being here is the best idea, ever. We're just like all families, and sometimes disagree. But we're so comfortable having you here that, oops yeah, we're not on our best behavior."

Stephanie exhaled; it was actually a relief to know that Ranger's family has quirks. She'd long ago decided that her family wasn't the only one with a streak of 'crazy' running just below the surface. But she'd worried that Ranger's family might be more perfect than most.

Reina continued explaining to Julie, "Your father lived with our grandparents for a couple years when he was in high school. Mima forgets he's all grown up, now. She still treats him like the boy he was back then. And I guess he needed a lot of scolding."

Ariana snorted, "We all did, according to Mima. "Those of us who live down here, now, are grateful that she decided to move up to Newark when old Pipo Ricardo passed away."

"Be careful and don't jinx yourself," Reina put down her final napkin. "If Carlos moves down here, she might come along. Giving you and Rafi so many more opportunities to get scolded in person."

"Ranger is moving to Miami?" Stephanie steadied her voice as she spoke.

"Um," Reina looked quickly at her sister. "We don't really know what Carlos is planning to do. That would require, like, actually telling us his plans ahead of time. Which apparently is so not the Army Ranger way. When they taught them to say nothing when captured by the enemy, it seems that also seemed to include being asked questions by your family."

"Be nice to your brother," Ranger's father slid behind Stephanie in the doorway. She felt Ariana jump in surprise. "Remember, he's still older and sneakier than all of you, and can still put earthworms in your slippers like he did when you were mean to him in grade school."

Okay, apparently moving stealthily and startling people was a male trait in the Mañoso family. But Ranger playing a practical joke on his sister? What was that?

And was he really, maybe, moving down to Miami? Was he on a date with his Miami girlfriend last night? Why wasn't his girlfriend here tonight, then, instead of Stephanie?

Stephanie felt her thoughts swirling as Ranger's father put his arm across her back, while resting his palm on Julie's shoulder. "Dinner is almost ready," he led them all toward the table. "Julie, don't worry about your father. He's used to my mother's scolding; we all are. It's how she shows that she cares. What's important is that having you both here, today, has made us all very happy."

Hearing voices still echoing from the kitchen, Stephanie suspected her expression had a tinge of doubt, and she could see Julie's brow raised in a very Ranger-esque expression.

Ranger's father smiled. "It's true," he reassured, his eyes full of life under the straight eyebrows that all his children seemed to have inherited, along with his mocha complexion. Leading Stephanie to the side, he added, "As for my son, he's like all of our family, feeling the pull of having family in both Miami and Newark. Well, Trenton in Carlos's case," he squeezed her shoulder. "We don't know his plans, but we do know that Julie has needed him. If you're here, too, it's even better."

Then the elder Mañoso withdrew his arm and stood, turning his head toward the doorway. "Ah, sounds like the fireworks are over in the kitchen. It should be safe to go back in. Though Carlos should be out soon."

As if summoned, Ranger appeared in the doorway. "The coast is clear," he said with a nod. With that, his father left the room, after first patting his son's arm while whispering to him. Ariana stood and half pulled, half pushed her sister Reina out of the room. And Ranger strode in.

Julie darted over to him, looking up at her father with her head tilted and hands on her waist. Stephanie worried that she was verifying if it would be necessary to, once again, shoot someone on her father's behalf.

"Everything's okay, Jules," Ranger assured her, a smile tipping up the corner of his lips.

"Nobody got exiled to a third world country, right?" Stephanie asked.

He barked out a laugh as he guided his daughter back to the table. "Not to worry; freedom of expression is safe tonight, right here at home."

As he spoke, someone turned up the volume of the stereo so that the current song was clearly audible. Ariana and Raina appeared in the doorway, platters in hand. They were followed by their brother Rafael, carrying his son Richie.

"It's the Bachata en Navidad, Reina called out, announcing the song while pausing to juggle her platter onto one hand. With her other, she reached for Richie's wriggling toddler fingers. "When Celia Cruz sings, especially when it's about enjoying la Nochebuena, it's a Cuban's duty to dance," she winked at her wide-eyed nephew.

"Go Mima! Go Tío," Ariana called out as Tío Ernesto, hand-in-hand with his sister, Abuelita Mañoso, executed a graceful little dance move on their way to the table. With a wink at Stephanie, Abuelita said, "Mi nieta tiene razón, aunque en realidad es el deber de todo los guajiros bailar mientras están vivos, rodeada de familia." Then she pointedly switched her hawk-like gaze to Ranger.

Glancing between Stephanie and Julie, he translated. "She agrees with Reina about dancing, but says it's every Cuban's duty to dance while we're alive and with family." No doubt seeing the squint in Stephanie's eyes as she reflected that she'd never seen Ranger dance, he shrugged. "It's not a duty to dance when capturing skips or redecorating a gang hideaway, Babe."

Well that was just a darned shame, Stephanie thought as she imagined tactically garbed Ranger busting out into a couple of close-hipped salsa moves while shoving a cuffed perp into his Explorer. And maybe she'd accidentally said that out loud, she realized as she heard Julie snort on the other side of Ranger.

"Well, it's this Cuban family's duty to eat dinner," Mrs. Mañoso asserted while striding into the room with the platter of artistically sliced pork. "Time to sit down, everyone." Her husband, Ranger's father, followed with the vase of flowers she'd brought, putting it in the center of the table with a waggle of eyebrows in Stephanie's direction.

As with any large family, it took several minutes for everyone to finish filtering into the room and get sorted. Linda sat at one end of the table, next to Zoe's high chair on one side and Ranger's parents on the other. Rafael, man of the house, was next to Richie on one side, and his Abuelita and her elderly brother Ernesto on the other.

Having spent so much time with Ranger, Stephanie was sure that he had, by long habit, chosen his seat along the long side of the table by the wall to have an easily defensive position. She was also sure that he had seated Julie and Stephanie on either side of himself to be centrally located as their protection. However, leaning forward to catch Julie's guarded gaze, Stephanie was fairly sure that the two of them were actually a united front to defend Ranger.

Mr. Mañoso began the process of ladening plates with slices of pork, after which bowls and other platters began their progress around the table. Stephanie's stomach rumbled again in a lull in the conversation.

"Yeah, what she said," Ariana nodded across from her, with a smile. Then she turned to her sister. "Reina, this year you can't hog all the moros y cristianos." (In an aside, Ranger murmured, "Cuban beans and rice.")

As the sisters began their playful bickering, their Abuelita seemed to be supervising what went onto Rafael's plate along with Tío's, because obviously they took too little on their own. She also raised a glare at Ranger when he passed Stephanie the bowl of yummy fried chips ("plantain chips, Steph, deep-fried in oil") without taking any, himself.

And then Rafael began the dinner prayer. Stephanie discovered that, like the bouquet of spices wafting from the platters and bowls on the table, the family prayer was both familiar and new. It began almost identically to her family's blessing, then continued briefly into Spanish, to which Abuelita uttered a quiet yet emphatic "" of agreement. Then Rafael ended with a blessing for the table and the assembled family.

"Dig in, everyone, enjoy," Ranger's mother said. Then Ranger's father began telling a story about a Nochebuena dinner when he was a boy, and conversation picked up with the liveliness of movement of the bowls and platters around the table.

Stephanie smiled as she saw Ranger lean toward Julie, murmuring something in the girl's ear that made her giggle. Then Ranger sat back up, nudged Stephanie, and murmured "I'm really glad you're here, Babe."

"Me too," she smiled through the salty fullness of emotions that momentarily blurred her vision. Whether tonight was the first time to spend time with Ranger's family, or the only time, she truly was glad. "I really wouldn't have missed this for anything."

To be continued…


Notes regarding songs: Bachata en Navidad is a classic recorded by Cuban singer Celia Cruz, an important figure in Cuban American culture, also known as the Queen of Salsa. I'm sure you all know Feliz Navidad, but if you want something a bit different, try the version by Michael Bublé and Thalía. Or the bachata version by Ralphy Dreamz. The children's burro song that Ariana dislikes is Mi Burrito Sabanero (or El Burrito de Belén). It's not Cuban, but it's played all over Latin America, thankfully only during the Christmas season. (Yup, I agree with Ariana on the relative, um, virtues of this song.) There are bunches of versions, including a disconcertingly rap-inspired one.