Disclaimer: Anything familiar belongs to JE and the creators of Criminal Minds.
Warning: Adult Language, adult situations
Translations: nieto/a—grandson/daughter; abuela—grandmother; bisabuela—great-grandmother; bisnieto/a—great-grandson/daughter; tia—aunt; novia-girlfriend
Chapter 76: Saturday, September 3rd, 1000-1400
Abuela Rosa's Home
Ranger's POV
Last night was a tough night. I got home from Rangeman around 1700. Stephanie and Lester had picked up Julie and Tommy. When I arrived home, everyone was outside, with Bob running around. I must say, Bob looked like a new dog. It was after I joined everyone in the yard the Steph told me that Bob's name was changed to Champ. I am secretly thrilled for him to have a better name, as I was not looking forward to calling for "Bob" while running in the morning. Calling for Champ is a much better, more masculine male dog name. Champ came over to me, greeting me with a wagging tail and a lick to my hand. No more jumping, no more barking. I'll have to give Zip a raise.
I call Julie into the house, asking her to assist me with dinner. I want a chance to talk to her without making it obvious. Even though we have grown closer in the three years since Scrog, we still don't have a 'normal' father-daughter relationship.
"Julie, what's going on at school? Are your teachers giving you a problem with missing the first month?"
"No, Papi, the teachers are fine. School is fine." She says with more anger and malice in her voice than I'm used to hearing.
"Princesa, are you sure?" I implore her to respond.
She sighs, rolls her eyes in a manner that would make Stephanie proud, then starts talking. "It's nothing. Besides, you wouldn't understand."
"Julie, try me. I was a teenager once myself. What is going on?"
"My so-called friends have abandoned me. They don't talk to me. Instead, they talk about me. They say that I wanted to be raped, that I enjoyed it. They don't want to associate with me because I'm a slut. We've been friends, or so I thought since we were in kindergarten. I'm really hurt, and I don't understand why they are acting that way. I hate it here in Miami. Why can't we move to New Jersey, Papi?"
"Princesa, I'm sorry. You know that nothing that they said is true. You, of course, didn't want that to happen to you. You're right, they were never really your friends if they could abandon you when you need their support the most. I'm sorry that you have to go through that rejection on top of everything else. You should be able to have a normal childhood, but between Scrog and now Ron, that didn't happen. I'm sorry I wasn't here to protect you. As far as moving to New Jersey, once the custody situation with Tommy is taken care of, we can move there. For now, until Steph and I either legally adopt him or Florida places him with another family, we must live here. But, if you want to move to Jersey, we will do that. Do you have anyone to talk to at school?"
"Yes. A group of kids that I used to ignore because they weren't the cool kids approached me. They have all experienced some type of trauma in their lives and understand what I'm going through. They seem nice and genuinely empathize, but I miss my other friends. It's not the same."
"Julie, give them a chance. It seems that these friends will be true friends. To stick together because of their shared experiences is a lot like your Uncle Lester and me. We weren't close until I came to live here with Abuela. We were both trouble-makers, going against our parents, and getting arrested. We were both considered outcasts in our families. Our road back to the right road was traveled together. Then, you add our experiences in the Army, which gave us a different bond, a stronger bond. It makes Uncle Lester closer to me than Uncle Javier. People will always judge you, and you need to learn to ignore what they say because not everyone will be your friend or your supporter. You have me, Stephanie, and all your Uncles who will always be by your side. Until Stephanie, very few people in Trenton saw us as worthy of respect. Most viewed us, and many still do, as thugs and lowlifes. But Stephanie accepted us all. Your new friends seem to be more like Steph than your old ones. Embrace them and show those old 'so-called friends' that you don't need them. Hold your head high, Julie, and be strong."
"Thank you, Papi, I feel a little better," Julie replied as she gave me a hug. During our talk, we managed to make grilled vegetables, a quinoa salad, and roast chicken thighs. I call everyone else in, and we sit down to eat. Julie is smiling again. Stephanie notices, smiling at me. I guess she approves of the way I handled Julie.
Once the kids went to bed, Steph and I retired to our room, where we made love before falling asleep in a tangle of limbs. I woke up at 0430, to find Steph and I spooned together. I feel myself react to my Babe, and I gently start to fondle to her breast, kissing the back and side of her neck. When I feel her wake, I slide into her from behind. She lets out a quiet moan, as I gently pump into her hot core. She turns her head slightly so we can kiss. After a while, I reach down to rub her clit, bringing us both to a climax. Once our heart rate returns to normal, I say, "Good morning, Babe."
"Morning, Carlos. What time is it?"
I glance at my watch. "0500. You can go back to sleep. I'm going for a run. I'll bring Champ."
"Mmm, okay. Love you."
"You're not going to join me?" I ask, a little disappointed.
"No, Carlos. Today is Saturday. I don't get up early on the weekends."
I kiss her forehead, tuck her in, then head to the bathroom to take care of nature. I put on a pair of shorts, my socks, and sneakers, heading downstairs. I find Lester and Hector are already up, and both are ready for a run as well. We each grab a bottle of water and down it before heading outside. After some quick stretches and warm up, we start running along the beach with the dog. Bob, no Champ, does a great job keeping up with us, with his tail wagging the entire time. An hour later, we returned to the patio, drinking another bottle of water before heading inside to get showered. I decide to use the shower in the gym, so I don't disturb Stephanie. At 0800, I start to make breakfast. I decided that chocolate chip pancakes were on the menu, for both Julie and Stephanie. The guys grabbed bagels, not wanting to intrude, to give us family time. Mariela was back at her apartment, agreeing to help us out by babysitting when we needed her. Though, with Julie being fourteen, we really didn't need her.
I prep the batter, get the turkey bacon on the Forman grill, cut and clean the fruit before going to wake up everyone. As I head towards our bedroom, I see Julie walking out of her room.
"Morning, Papi. I'm going to help Tommy get dressed. He's already up."
"Thank you, Princesa," I reply after kissing her forehead. I continue to the master suite, opening the door to find Stephanie walking out of the bathroom naked into the closet. I feel my pants tighten at the sight of her. Dios!
"Morning, Babe. I see you're awake." I tell her, watching her jump.
"Geez, Carlos, make some noise. You nearly gave me a heart attack. Are the kids up? Do you need help with breakfast?"
"Yes, the kids are up; no, I don't need help with breakfast. Come on down when you're dressed. We're having chocolate chip pancakes with bacon."
"Let me guess, turkey bacon," Steph replies, her eyes rolling.
"Yes, Babe, turkey bacon. I want to spend many more years with you. Eating pork bacon is not going to help you live a long life. I'll see you downstairs." I tell her as a grab her around the waist, kissing her neck where it meets her shoulder.
"If I didn't love you." I hear her say to herself. I hide the smile as I head back down to the kitchen. I start heating up the skillet, mixing the batter once more. Once the skillet is hot enough, I place the batter on the surface. I quickly make three silver dollar sized pancakes for Tommy, followed by five for Julie. Stephanie gets three normal sized pancakes. I make myself three plain, non-chocolate chip pancakes.
Each person arrives, and I place their dish in front of them. The bacon is cooked to perfection, and everyone is eating. I'm glad that Julie and Tommy added fruit to their pancakes, but my Babe didn't. I sigh. "Babe, would it kill you to have a little fruit?"
"No, it wouldn't, but I rather have it after I finish these pancakes. I don't like syrup on my fruit."
That's a reasonable response, so I watch to make sure that she follows through. Steph does, which makes me happy. As we are finishing our breakfast, my cellphone rings. I pick it up without checking the caller ID.
"Yo."
"Carlos! Is that any way to answer your phone for your dear old Abuela?"
"No, Abuela, I'm sorry. Buenos días, Abuela." I answer.
"Much better. Adaliz told me that you took your novia to the restaurant the other night. When are you bringing her to meet me? And what about my bisnieta?"
"I was planning on calling you to set up a date later on today."
"Good. Then bring everyone over to a late lunch today. I have nothing planned. Also, bring Lester. He hasn't been here recently."
"Si, Abuela," I reply, resigned.
"And Carlos, you better not put a bun in her oven before you put a ring on her finger. Do I make myself clear?"
"Si, Abuela."
"Good. I'll see you at eleven-thirty. Adios, nieto."
"Adios, Abuela," I said before waiting for my Abuela to disconnect first.
"Babe, we've been summoned to Abuela Rosa's for a late lunch. We must be there at eleven-thirty. Tia Adaliz told her we were at the restaurant."
I watch as Stephanie freezes momentarily, then she relaxes marginally. "Okay. I guess I better start getting ready. What I'm I going to bring to your Abuela?"
"Nothing. We don't need to bring Abuela anything."
"Carlos, I can't go to your grandmother's house for the first time without bringing her a gift. Maybe we can stop and get her a bouquet of flowers?"
"Okay, Babe, if it will make you feel better, we can do that."
"Perfect."
"We're going to see Bisabuela Rosa?" Julie asks, excitedly.
"Yes, Princesa, we are."
"Oh my, Tommy, you're going to love her. She's the best. She makes the best food and has the best stories."
"What's a 'besabula'?" Tommy asks.
"Tommy, bisabuela is how you say great-grandmother in Spanish. I call her my Abuela, which is Spanish for grandmother."
"Oh, okey dokey. How do you say it? Bezabula?"
"Close, bes-a-bue-la." I sound out.
Tommy gives it a couple of more attempts before getting it right. I tell him I'm proud of him. His face lights up with a huge smile.
At 1100 on the nose, we leave the house for my Abuela's. I can tell that Stephanie is nervous about meeting Abuela Rosa. Tommy is full of excitement, along with Julie. Lester is afraid that he's going to get the "you better stop fooling around and settle down" lecture again. I'm afraid that Abuela's going to scare my Babe by telling her that she needs to give her more great-grandchildren. We pull up in front of her house five minutes early. I help Julie and Stephanie out of the backseat while Lester helps Tommy. Stephanie has a bouquet of wildflowers in her hand, ready to present to Abuela Rosa. I glance at the door, seeing that she was waiting for our arrival.
"Prompt as always, my Carlos." She says.
I kiss my Abuela hello, as does Julie and Lester. "Abuela Rosa, this is Stephanie Plum, and this little guy here is Tommy. Stephanie and I are Tommy's temporary guardians."
Abuela greets everyone warmly, absolutely loving the flowers that Steph gave her. "How come my nietos never give me flowers?" She asks as she hits us each in our arms.
"Gracias, nieta. I love them." She says.
Abuela Rosa is eighty-three years old. She immigrated from Cuba right before Batista was overthrown in 1958. She was twenty-three. My father was five, and Tia Adaliz was three. She is a small woman, barely 5'3", but she is formidable and fierce. You don't mess with Rosa Manoso. She had silky smooth black hair when she was younger, but her hair has since turned silver. She wears it in a low bun at the base of her neck. Her bun is far from severe. I have my Abuela's eyes and skin tone. My sister Celia looks exactly like my Abuela did at her age. She is still fairly trim, but on the heavier side of normal. She takes excellent care of herself, walking a lot, and doing all her housework. I hope to be as spry as she is when I'm her age.
She ushers us outside onto her veranda, where she has lemon-mint water waiting. When we first sit down, she spends time catching up with Julie first, then asks Tommy about his life. Tommy never came out and said it, but we could tell that he wasn't happy with the Winstons. However, he is very happy with us. She dismissed the kids to go play, which they did. Now, Stephanie's inquisition will start.
"Estefania, do you love my Carlos?"
Talk about starting off with the big guns. I see Steph almost fall off her chair in shock. She quickly composes herself before replying. "Yes, I do. I've been in love with Carlos for a long time now, I was just afraid to admit it."
"My Carlos, he loves you greatly and has from the beginning. I know he told you many things, estúpido things. From all the tales that I have heard from Lester, Carlos, and the other boys, I know that you are perfect for him. But I see you doubt that. Do you doubt Carlos' love for you?"
I watch Steph struggle to hold back the tears before she speaks softly, "I know I'm not good enough for Carlos. I'm not pretty enough, I'm not sexy enough, I'm not enough in any way for him. I can never be the type of lover he needs. I mean, my husband cheated on me before we even received our marriage certificate in the mail and my ex-boyfriend was with several other women during our relationship. I don't understand what Carlos sees in me."
My heart breaks at her insecurities. I still can't believe that she thinks that she isn't enough for me. I'm about to respond when my Abuela gives me 'the look' the look that means don't talk.
"Estefanía, Manoso men don't cheat. Manoso men love with their whole being, their soul. Once they find their mate, their other half, they will never stray. They seek out their mate, and once they find them, they never let them go. Carlos has picked you because you complete him. You give him back his spirit, his love of life, his daughter, and his sense of self. You are the only woman that he sees because, in his eyes, you are the most beautiful woman in the world. You are very beautiful, nieta. If men cheated on you, it's because they didn't appreciate the gem they had in their possession. Nieta, you are already part of the family, just not officially yet. You are never escaping the Manosos."
By the end of Abuela Rosa's speech, I observe that Steph has relaxed a bit. It seems that my unconditional love for her is finally starting to sink into her brain. I'm glad that my Abuela can help her see what she can't see. Abuela moves on to safer topics, asking Steph about her favorite foods, flowers, movies, etc. I can tell that they will get along well, which makes me happy. Before Abuela stands to get us our lunch, she talks to Steph and me.
"Carlos, you need to make Tommy yours. He wants to be with you and Estefania. You are the perfect parents for him. Don't let him back into the system. Adopt him. He fits you both. He will fly with you."
Steph's eyes meet mine, and I see our silent agreement that we will start the adoption process for Tommy. We both already love him, and abuela is right, he's perfect for us. We eat an amazing lunch, then help Abuela cleanup. Once we finish, we bid her goodbye and leave for the house. I'm glad I took the time to see Abuela.