Story disclaimers are in Chapter 1.
Chapter 5: Christmas Through Your Eyes
Stephanie had to admit that Ranger's mother was discreet, though she obviously double-checked that all hands were above the table and that no other funny business was happening. But other than that, and a couple of initial glances from Ranger's sisters, nobody in Ranger's family seemed concerned about Stephanie's happy sounds of enjoyment all throughout dinner.
Which seemed exactly right, as anyone who was sensible would agree, since dinner was all delicious.
Although, as Ranger had predicted, his Abuelita had smiled as Stephanie had moaned over dessert. She wondered if she could find turrones in any of the bodegas around Vinnie's, or the sweet fried dough ("buñuelos, Babe") that had an amazingly sweet, spiced drizzle. Because… oh. my. god.
Finally sitting back after her final buñuelo, with even her dessert stomach almost too full, she discovered it was now time for spiced wine in the extended Mañoso household. While Ariana and Reina took turns bringing filled goblets from the sideboard, with grape juice for the younger set, Stephanie found herself looking at the bowls and platters still covering the table. She realized that dinner had been like a differently spiced reflection of Plum Christmas dinner.
Similar dishes, similar chaos during the pass-around-the-serving-bowls phase, and similar overlapping conversations over music. Though, admittedly, what Ariana had termed "old-people's Latin Christmas" programming on the stereo was significantly peppier than the Christmas song selection that she recalled from her father's old-people's radio station. Obviously, Ranger's Abuelita hadn't been kidding that Cuban Christmas Eve was a night for dancing.
Despite that, what was really different from Stephanie's perspective was that there was much less discussion of weird relatives, alive or deceased. Maybe the Mañosos didn't have any, which if they'd lived in the 'Burg would have given immediate rise to rumors that they were space aliens. After all, there was the well-known precedent of aliens among us that everyone knew from 3rd Rock from the Sun.
Happily, she could easily refute that theory by the fact that they did bring up funny childhood faux pas stories— always a popular topic in the Plum household as well— though Ranger's parents steered them away from them when they got too scandalous. For example, she oh-so-wanted to hear more about the time when six-year-old Ranger socked Goofy in the nuts at Disney World for disrespecting his older sister Celia.
She'd been happy to see Julie almost snort mashed potatoes at that story. Alas, though, that moment had been the catalyst for Mr. Mañoso's diversion into football.
Where it turned out that both he and Rafael were big Giants fans, and that Ranger was also able to hold his own. Huh, the Mañoso men would actually be able to sustain a conversation with her father, since sports was basically the only topic where he extended to multiple sentences at one time. And the Giants were a big topic in Mr. Plum's sports repertoire, right behind the New York Rangers hockey team.
Huh. Who knew?
While the men talked NFL, Ranger's sisters discussed movies. Having been stretching money for a while had recently limited Stephanie's movie and cable fare. As a result, she could only contribute when older movies were mentioned, though she took mental notes of newer ones for when she could finally binge again.
Finally, Richie squirmed his way out of his chair after a startlingly well-behaved interlude of playing with unused silverware and a pair of dice that Tío Ernesto had retrieved from his pocket. "Prezzies," he cried, starting toward the living room, arms waving like the yellow inflatable tube man outside of Joey's Check Cashing and Cellphones on Hamilton, in the 'Burg.
"That's your son, Rafi," Linda intoned from the other end of the table, looking heavenward. "Eyes on the prize at all times."
Rafael rose from his chair to pursue his son, which was the signal for the rest of the family to stand up from the table. Ranger's sisters begin to gather plates and glasses onto trays, while his mother picked up a couple of bowls. "Carlito, can you please carry the meat platter back to the kitchen?" she asked, after first gesturing to Linda that she should stay seated with her baby.
"I'll help," Stephanie picked up a couple of the serving bowls and followed into the kitchen, with Julie trailing behind her and Ranger.
After a couple of trips, the table was cleared and Mrs. Mañoso began shooing people from the kitchen. As Stephanie was about to follow Ranger and Julie back to the living room, Ranger's mother asked for her to hand over a bowl from the counter. After dropping the bowl into the running water, she turned back toward Stephanie and wiped her hands on a towel.
"I just need to start a couple of these to soak; it won't take but a minute." She gazed directly into Stephanie eyes. "Before we head to the living room, I wanted to say how much it means to me and Raul, my husband, that you're with us tonight." She put her hand up, forestalling Stephanie's polite reply. "I know you think we're crazy because we keep thanking you. It's just that this is the first year since he was in the Army that my son has invited anyone to a family gathering, other than Pierre." She tilted her head, then added, "I guess you call him Tank." She sighed. "And, of course, Julie's mother during the year that they were married."
Before Stephanie could think of what to say, Ranger's mother continued speaking. "Of course, he's always been quiet but, unlike Rafi, Carlito really closed himself off after the Army. So, we're glad he finally has lights in his life to brighten it." She looked down before adding, "Though, of course I wish it had been for a different, better reason."
"I don't understand," Stephanie said.
The older woman's eyes darted toward the dining room door. With her voice lowered so it was just barely audible over the running water, she said. "I'm sure Carlito didn't mention this, because he's so proud, but the doctors told my husband that he almost didn't make it back to us this last time." She swallowed audibly. "Raul said that they almost lost him in the ambulance. Then in surgery. They had to use that heart-starting machine a couple times, I think."
"Oh," Stephanie exhaled, feeling as though her own heart had shoved aside her lungs, expelling the sound from deep inside. She remembered fearing that he'd lost too much blood, at first. There had been so much…. But, after he'd recovered, Ranger had reassured her that Scrog's shot had looked much worse than it was, and that he was fine. And, since it was Ranger, she'd taken that on faith.
Her mind served up an image of the faded rug she had in her Trenton foyer to cover up that memory. Irrelevantly she pondered that maybe she needed to buy a bigger, thicker one. Or maybe she could pay Dillon, the super, to replace that part of the flooring altogether.
Or maybe she should finally move somewhere else….
With a sniff, Ranger's mother reached over for Stephanie's hand before she continued. "I had the flu so they wouldn't let me come anywhere near the ICU. My husband, though, stayed there over three days straight. I know you were there, too, in the waiting room, along with Carlito's friends and coworkers." The older woman's suspiciously watery gaze fixed on her. "Raul told me that, after Carlito was breathing on his own but still sedated, he talked about Julie. And about you, Stephanie. We think you gave him courage to come back to us. So, you're family, Stephanie. Always."
As Stephanie felt heat flush up her chest to her cheeks, Ranger's mother surged forward and enveloped her in a brief hug. It was even tighter than the first hug when they'd met earlier today. This time, though, Stephanie knew that her returning embrace was equally heartfelt.
Backing up, Mrs. Mañoso dabbed briefly at her eyes while regaining her composure. Finally, she murmured, "We hope you'll tell us if he needs us." Probably seeing the confusion on Stephanie's face, the older woman explained, "Carlito wouldn't tell us if he's having any trouble. But we'd want to help him, if he was."
"Of course," Stephanie replied without hesitation, but then realized she had no idea if she really could do that. First, she believed that when Ranger occasionally confided in her, he expected that she wouldn't pass along what he told her. Beyond that, as the current conversation revealed, he rarely confided weakness.
Ranger's mother turned back to the sink and resumed rinsing. "It's good Julie is comfortable with you, too. She's so much like her father at that age." She rested her current bowl in the sudsy water that filled the sink's side basin, then picked up the last platter from the counter. "You know, before this summer, the last time I saw her she was about Richie's age." She frowned in profile. "But that's not because of Carlito; it was her mother's decision."
More quietly, just above the sound of running water, she murmured, "But, of course, we all try to protect the ones we love from the world's harms. Without knowing that it causes its own problems."
Stephanie gazed at the ramrod straight woman in front of her, unsure what to say. If she were standing next to the woman's son, Ranger, she'd simply reach out for his hand to let him know she was there. She'd reassure him that there was a chance to make things right, going forward, and that she'd help. And it would all be true.
In this case, though, she didn't know Ranger's mother well enough. Beyond that, she was concerned that the Mañosos seemed to think that she was more entwined in Ranger's life than she was. Especially recently, since Ranger had come down to Miami. Where he was maybe planning to stay.
But she was still Stephanie Plum, whether she was talking to Ranger or his mother. So, she stepped forward and said, "I'll do what I can to help." Then, just as she'd marshalled the words to say more, Ranger's sister Ariana breezed into the room.
"Feliz Nochebuena, queridas. Mama, Stephanie, come open gifts with us."
Stephanie and Mrs. Mañoso both turned as Ariana was followed by Ranger. "Everything okay?" he asked casually. Stephanie, though, saw his concern in his brows, which had drawn together.
"It's all good, Ranger," Stephanie moved toward him, temporarily shielding his mother from view. "Pots soaking, hands dried."
"And time for… prezzies," Ariana called out with a wide smile, waving her hands above her head in imitation of her nephew. Even Ranger's mother laughed as they all turned to file out of the kitchen. Stephanie knew she'd seen the start of a new Mañoso holiday story. If they were anything like the Plums, the story would follow Richie his whole life, no doubt with larger-than-life enactments during key moments, such as when he brought dates home to meet his family.
Settled into a section of the sofa, Stephanie felt the secure solidness of Ranger beside her. She suspected Julie, again on Ranger's other side, felt something similar. Vowing to never take Ranger's stoic, selfless presence for granted again, she leaned her shoulder against his. Smiling in response to the question in his glance, she whispered "Feliz Nochebuena," copying Ariana from before. A smile washed his face; it was as bright as his 100-watt smile, but something different. A smile she'd never seen before.
Within seconds, though, her attention was diverted to the gift exchange when Reina brought over a brightly colored package addressed to her. "They're lovely," Stephanie exclaimed at the set of tropical colored bracelets that were a gift from the Mañoso family. She immediately put them on, only noticing Ranger's nonchalant smile after she mentioned that they matched a fair amount of her dressed-up wardrobe's color selection.
She then jumped up since she'd discovered it was family custom for each recipient to hand out the next present, though she'd seen that nobody gave out their own gifts. So, it wasn't until a few turns later that it was time for Ranger to open the gift she'd brought for him.
Holding her breath, she watched as his strong fingers carefully undid the wrapping to reveal a handmade, wooden picture frame she'd bought this morning from a Key Biscayne artist's shop. Inside was an enlarged photo of Julie, standing outside of Trenton's St. Francis Hospital, which Stephanie had printed from her phone. One hand on her hip, face tilted, the girl's entire being conveyed the agile mixture of awareness, amusement, and skepticism that Stephanie pictured on her face whenever she thought of Ranger's daughter.
"I hope you don't mind, Julie, but I really like that picture," she leaned forward and confided to Julie on Ranger's other side. Sitting back up to look at him, she added, "But you maybe have a newer one you can put in there if you want."
His fingertip lightly traced the outline of Julie's face through the framed glass, and then a slow, almost perplexed smile lifted his lips. "It's perfect, Steph. I like this one. Thank you." His arm reached around her shoulders for a brief hug. Feeling herself enveloped in his strong embrace, even momentarily, was all the thanks she needed.
As Ranger's mother asked Julie to bring the picture over so she could see, Ranger murmured, "I'll give you my gift later, on the drive home."
Deciding quickly that this wasn't an innuendo, given that he was in front of own mother and daughter, she shrugged. "Okay," she replied as he released her, keeping his arm across her shoulders on the sofa back. "But if that's code for you didn't get me anything, I'm fine. I consider your invitation to join your family tonight as my gift. It included dinner and dessert and it totally fits in all the right places. No gift receipt needed."
Ranger's lips smirked, and she heard Julie chuckle as she sat back down on Ranger's other side. From across the room, though, Abuelita's voice cut through with a firm "Carlito" followed by more gimlet-eyed Spanish.
"Sí Mima, es verdad, son los billetes que mencioné antes," Ranger asserted as Stephanie tried to memorize the syllables to look up later. But then he turned to her and said, "I'm reassuring her— and also you— that I really do have a gift I'm giving you later."
"Okay," she repeated, then elbowed Ranger, grinning. "Because waiting patiently is my absolute best thing." Ranger's smirk returned, along with Julie's chuckle. To her other side, she heard Ranger's sisters Ariana and Reina giggling quietly.
At that moment, Ranger's father walked over to Julie with Stephanie's present for her. Then, perching on the arm rest next to Stephanie, he murmured, "Can you share that picture of Julie with Alma and me? I wished I had taken some this summer, but I'm afraid my attention was elsewhere." His chin jutted in Ranger's direction.
"Of course. And I'll get both you and Ranger the one that Julie's opening, too," she replied while watching Ranger's daughter unwrap the small frame and photo she'd picked out for the girl. Amused, she noted that Julie had none of Ranger's precision care with wrapping paper.
"Wow," Julie said, looking at the picture of Ranger that Stephanie had printed for her. It was another photo from this summer, this time featuring Ranger with Julie. While his daughter gazed knowingly at the camera, Ranger was looking at his daughter with a rare, proud smile lighting his whole face. They were obviously in the hospital, but Stephanie had done her best to crop most of his bandages and the hospital bed from the photo.
"Thank you," Julie breathed, blinking, as Ranger peeked over his daughter's shoulder. "I don't have many pictures," she added. At which point a thin chain fell from the wrapping still in her hands, into her lap. She put down the picture and straightened out the chain, eyebrows knit in puzzlement. "Wonder Woman?"
Both Ranger and his father had shifted to look at the lightly tarnished necklace in Julie's cupped palms, while Stephanie felt Ranger's sisters' eyes on her. "Yup, it's Wonder Woman's Lasso of Truth, with the star from her headband as a charm," she admitted, while recognizing that this had seemed like a much better idea back in her condo.
But, forging ahead, she went on to explain, "I know, it's kinda goofy as a gift, since it's something of mine that I brought with me. My bestie, Mary Lou, gave that to me in high school to remind me that I'd always been brave. Or maybe, that it was okay that I didn't care about what others thought of me… but whatever. The point is that I figured a resourceful and brave girl like you could use a little Wonder Woman power in her life, too."
Julie glanced back at the necklace. "It's actually cool, thanks. And I like Wonder Woman," she paused, dangling the chain from her fingers as its charm rotated with the chain. "So, it's like an heirloom, right?"
"That's me, old enough that my high school belongings are now heirlooms."
Shaking her head, Julie stood. "That's not what I meant, silly." She then came over to embrace Stephanie. "I get it. It's something special that means something to you. And it says 'Friends Forever' on the back. So, it's personal, like the photo which is also really cool. So, thanks."
"You're so welcome," Stephanie exhaled, blinking back moisture from her eyes. In her periphery, he saw Ranger with that same almost-100-watt smile he'd had before. As Julie released her, Stephanie saw a smile similar to Ranger's on his mother's face, while she felt Mr. Mañoso's hand on her shoulder. Apparently she'd gotten something right, she thought, seeing Abuelita's proud eagle's nod from the corner.
Standing up, Ranger's father murmured, "Your gifts are perfect, Stephanie. In our family, we don't buy too many gifts, even now when we have more money between us. Not as many toys; more keepsakes." She looked up in time to see him smile in the direction of his wife. "My first Christmas gift to my Alma was a book of poetry I'd enjoyed while growing up. She still has it."
"Thanks for letting me know," she murmured back.
"Any time," he nodded with a pat to her shoulder, and then returned to where his wife was sitting.
After that, there were only a couple more presents under the tree; one for each of Ranger's sisters. As they opened them, Stephanie sat back, realizing that the lightly playing background music was finally in English. At the refrain— something about seeing Christmas "through your eyes"— she smiled. She looked at Ranger, wondering how this year's celebration seemed through his eyes. She hoped it was a bright moment for this man, who always seemed to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders.
It made her hope that, next year, she could spend this holiday with him again.
At that moment Ranger's nephew Richie, who'd been on the floor playing with his new Power Rangers set, sat up and shared a colossal yawn with the room. Rafael's wife Linda, who had just returned from feeding and tucking their baby into her crib, shook her head. "And... another one," she sighed. "Rafi?"
"My turn," her husband Rafael stood and reached for their son. "Bedtime, m'ijo," he said, pulling the boy to stand while scooping up a handful of the boy's most recent toys. "Say goodnight, and then we'll go brush those teeth like true Power Rangers do," he said. After the boy quickly ran to his mother for a sloppy hug and then waved his toddler goodnights, Ranger's brother and his son headed down the hallway.
"In Cuba," Ranger's mother said, "they had Nochebuena dinner later in the evening, and then everyone would leave for midnight mass. But we changed it around because the kids either slept through the service, or their sleep schedules got messed up."
Ranger's father added, "Plus we had to work, or were on-call, on Christmas. I know the first time I went to work on Christmas after an hour's sleep wasn't a good time for anyone. It was even harder than when you kids were teething," he looked toward Ranger and his sisters. "And your Mama was always on-call at the nursing home where she worked, back then."
"See Steph?" Ranger leaned close enough to her ear that his breath tickled. "I come by my holiday work schedule honestly."
As Stephanie snorted, Ariana leaned forward.
"Well, I appreciate the earlier schedule," Ranger's sister said. "I have a full day of work ahead of me tomorrow."
"And, since you've so nicely enlisted me to work for you, while I'm here supposedly on vacation, so do I," her sister Reina elbowed her.
"Hey, I'm paying you. Time-and-a-half, too. But, beyond that, I appreciate it mucho, mucho" Ariana replied, taking a moment to hug her sister. Then turning toward Stephanie, she explained. "I'm an estate manager for rich people. It's the most fun and weird job ever."
Stephanie thought that she could give Ariana the proverbial "run for her money." At least at the "weird" end of the spectrum. Based on Ranger's smirk, she could tell he was thinking something similar.
Meanwhile, Ariana continued, "Mostly I love it because who wouldn't like a job where every day is different and you get to drive around, hang out at rich peoples' houses, make sure their cable still works, and that their five-foot, Chinese Fu dog statues get delivered and installed properly?"
As the family chuckled, she leaned forward, waving her hands dramatically around her head. "But sometimes it all happens at once and makes me crazy. Like right now, because I have to make sure six different houses are ready for their families to host New Year's parties. One needs a new caterer, last minute. Another needs someone to supervise their cleaning service because they're still in Belize, a third decided they wanted to add cable service on top of having dish because of some special cable-only event. And they all need to the usual crud like having batteries refreshed in their TV remotes and lightbulbs checked."
Reina laughed, next to her. "And there's that family that's been overseas that just decided spur-of-the-moment to return, so that's where I'm going tomorrow. Gotta make sure the fridge is stocked, the towels and linens are all clean and seasonally spiffy, and there are flowers in every room." She opened her eyes, comically. "Whoa, I need someone to do that for me. Too bad I'm on a student's budget."
As Stephanie thought that what she really needed was Ranger's Ella, he rumbled quietly into her ear. "Ella's our second cousin, Babe. She got Ariana started. And I do sometimes ask her to help out Reina and our other sisters, Celia and Carmen."
"Ah," Stephanie nodded, while Ariana continued talking.
"Next week will be just as jam-packed, and I'm down a couple people," she frowned. Then, her face turned and her lively chestnut eyes speared Stephanie's.
"Hey Stephanie," she said. "Want to make some quick money over the next few weeks?"
"Um," she darted a glance toward Ranger, worrying her lip momentarily between her teeth.
"You know," he said thoughtfully. "I'd never considered it, but you'd be good at what Ariana does, and would probably like it. It's better all ways around than working for Vinnie. Not as good as working at Rangeman," he smirked, "but it's better money than waitressing."
"Seriously, way more money than waitressing," Ariana nodded.
"Um," Stephanie repeated. "Well, I can't. I'm actually going back up to Trenton tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Ariana asked, echoed by Mrs. Mañoso's more emphatic repetition of the word.
"Carlito," his mother glared from across the room while hand-waving a polite shush to Ranger's Abuelita. "You run a big-shot company that has actual national governments as clients. Yet, you have her flying home on Christmas Day? You couldn't do better than that? And, you couldn't invite her to meet us before today?"
"Mama," he began before Stephanie leaned forward to interrupt.
"It's not his fault, Mrs. Mañoso. I didn't tell him about the flight until just yesterday." Turning to Ariana, she added, "It's tempting, and sounds like fun, but my family is really expecting me. I've been away for a lot more time than originally planned."
"Ah, too bad," Ariana said, shifting to reach in her pocket. Pulling out and opening a slim metal case, she passed a business card to Stephanie. "Well, give me a call when you get back." She smiled. "No need to wait for Carlos, since he's apparently been hiding you from us."
"Okay thanks, will do," she answered, peeking at Ranger's enigmatic expression as she pocketed the card. She wondered briefly if, in fact, he'd been hiding himself from her over the past several weeks. But then he turned toward Julie, gently reaching out to brush a lock of hair back from his daughter's face, and Stephanie realized he simply had a very different focus right now. As he should.
While conversation resumed around her, she sat back and watched Ranger. He whispered something to Julie and she smiled quietly in reply. Then he nodded and turned toward Stephanie, and she couldn't help but notice how calm his eyes and relaxed his face looked. Fatherhood certainly looked good on him, Stephanie thought with a quick grin.
"Babe," he murmured, his own lips lifting in a smile. "We need to leave soon so I can get Julie back in time. You ready to leave?"
"Whenever you are," she replied, regretting the end of the evening even while admitting that it was, indeed, getting late. At least she'd get to ride along while they drove Julie back to her house, and then for the drive back to Key Biscayne.
With that, Ranger leaned forward to stand, announcing that they needed to leave.
His brother Rafael, who'd returned while Ariana spoke, stood again as well. "Hermano, so is this a Cuban goodbye, with conversation for the next forty-five minutes with maybe more time for a virtual cigar? Or an American goodbye that's on the clock?" He asked with a laugh.
"American, you know me," Ranger shrugged, at which point the rest of his family joined in the laughter.
Despite Ranger's preferences, though, Stephanie estimated that it took over a half hour to get out of the door, with the flurry of hugs, goodbyes, confirmation that everyone had all their presents, and the final gift of dessert leftovers in shopping bags. Finally, though, they'd made it to the foyer where Ranger was helping Stephanie into her jacket, having first helped Julie into her coat.
At that moment, his Abuelita made her way through Ranger's parents and siblings. "Gift from Santi Clo," she said, pressing a small coin into Julie's hand and another into Stephanie's. She then turned to Ranger to say the rest, and waited for him to translate.
Nodding, he explained, "In Cuba, Santa Claus gives another gift on Christmas Day. Since you'll both be elsewhere then, she wants you to get your gifts tonight." He paused, reaching out to hug his petite Abuelita's slim shoulders, kissing her lightly on the top of her head. Then he continued, "Those are each twenty centavo coins from old Cuba. They weren't worth anything when our family came over, so Mima was able to keep them. Even now they're not worth much to collectors. But, to Mima and her generation, they're a connection to where our family is from. She's saying you're each a part of the family."
"Wow," Julie said, stepping toward the small, gray-haired woman, the coin clutched in her hand. "Thank you... Mima?" she looked back at Ranger, who nodded. As soon as the girl's gaze returned to Ranger's grandmother, the older woman reached out her arms, enfolding Julie in a hug.
"Bisnieta mía. Siempre," Ranger's grandmother said as Julie visibly relaxed into the embrace. "Always, you are daughter of my grandson. Daughter of mi corazón, my heart. Never have fear." She hugged her great-granddaughter once more and then, releasing her, turned to Stephanie.
"Y tú también," Abuelita said, one wire-strong arm reaching around Stephanie to pull her close to her side. In a low voice, she said, "Family. Make Carlito bring you back to us, m'ija."
"Gracias," she returned the older woman's hug. "I'll tell him you said he should."
The old woman exhaled in laughter, her lips pursed in a smile that was startlingly similar to her grandson's smirk. "Do. Sometime my Carlitito need la dirección."
Stephanie couldn't help the Jersey snort that overtook her like a humor filled sneeze at that moment. Which made Abuelita laugh. And then, possibly having overheard some of what the older woman had said, Ranger's parents echoed her with quieter, decorous laughter. All of which led to yet another round of goodbye hugs and handshakes.
So, when Ranger finally ushered Stephanie and Julie out the front door into the cool night, it almost felt like she'd been at Rafael's and Linda's house for untrackable amount of time. But in a good way. Pulling her coat closed, she glanced around her at the flowering hedge along the driveway, the soaring palm trees, and then up to the sky.
"It's beautiful here," she murmured. She reached out to hold Ranger's free hand as they approached his car. "I like your family," she said.
"Me too," Julie added.
"I'm glad," Ranger replied, unlocking the car with his key fob. "They're good people."
He opened the car doors, settling Julie in the back and Stephanie in the passenger seat. As he was about to close the doors, Julie looked up. "Ranger," she exclaimed. "I left my sweater inside. The one with the stripes. My mom will be P. ." She started to get back out of the car.
"Stay put," Ranger said. "I'll get it." With an amused expression, he added, "If you went in by yourself, I'd have to mount a professional extraction operation to get you out in less than an hour."
Julie and Stephanie snickered as he strode up the sidewalk.
Taking her own quick hand-patting inventory to make sure she hadn't left anything behind, Stephanie ended up at Abuelita's coin, which she retrieved from her pocket. With a shiver that had nothing to do with the temperature, she considered that it was clearly from a time before when she and Ranger were born. A coin that had come to his family when they were still in Cuba, where she would never have met him. A connection to his whole family, back through time.
Something similar must have been going through Julie's mind, as well. "It's weird, and I know Ranger would take this the wrong way, but I never really thought that I was part of his family until his grandma said it the way she did. I mean, I knew he was my father and that he'd protect me and stuff. But now I get that I have this whole other family. And they're pretty nice; not nearly as scary as my mom always said."
"I know what you mean," Stephanie replied, turning to the backseat. "I never imagined Ranger having a family with houses with cluttered foyers and baby pictures on the wall. I guess I thought they'd all have showroom-clean apartments in office buildings," she said as Julie laughed quietly. "But, don't worry about what your mom told you; she probably has her own reasons. I know my own mom and I don't agree about some things, but it's still okay."
"Yeah," Julie agreed. "I just have to get used to it, I guess," she looked out the window, toward the house. Then, she returned her gaze to Stephanie. "I sometimes have bad dreams, you know. Dreams that I'm in trouble and Ranger doesn't come. I know they're not real, but I still wake up all sweaty and scared."
"Oh sweetie," Stephanie reached between the bucket seats and put her hand on the Julie's knee. "Ranger does everything he can to protect you, and will always save you. It's what he does."
"I know," she nodded. "But now I also know his family would, too. So, maybe that will help."
As Ranger emerged from his brother's house, sweater in hand, Julie flashed a smile. "And, even better, I can almost imagine his grandma walking into, like, a gang standoff and yelling at the guys so much that they slink away in tears. Maybe she'd show up along with your grandma and her gun."
Stephanie, following along with Julie's words, could picture it too. Then, adding Grandma Mazur to the mix sparked an almost irrepressible laugh. "I can totally see that," she managed to say before Ranger opened the driver's side door.
"Babe?" he asked, eyebrow hovering upward as he handed the sweater to Julie.
Controlling her giggles, Stephanie answered, "We were just comparing notes about grandmothers."
"Good to know," he said, looking unconvinced as he started the car. "As long as you don't sic your grandma on me, Steph, I'll be fine."
At that, both Julie and Stephanie dissolved back into laughter, while Ranger put the car into drive.
"Never underestimate our grandmas," Stephanie replied, wiping tears of laughter from her face.
"I never underestimate women who have power and know how to use it," Ranger replied, his lips quirked with knowing amusement.
To be continued…
Note: Christmas Through Your Eyes is a poetic, poignant song by Cuban-American Gloria Estefan. In the song, she longs to once again see the innocence and beauty of life the way her child sees the wonder of Christmas. For me, it evokes what Ranger must be feeling deep inside during chapters 4 and 5.
