Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. Those are copyright of Janet Evanovich, though I do wish Ranger was real.
Chap. 5 Mothers
I have to thank you all for the lovely reviews and comments. It's great encouragement and they are very addicting. Thanks to ladyofkeegan for editing this chapter for me. She's a supermom. I hope you guys enjoy it.
Steph's POV
The Burg's streets were quiet. The heat was keeping everyone inside their homes. I left the guys parked two houses away from my parents' house after they wished me luck. Glancing inside the house through the front window, I noticed everything looked calm. I squeezed Ricky's hand and walked up to the door. I was about to knock, when the door swung open and my mother awestruck eyes stared into mine. We faced each other for what it seemed an eternity, until I felt Ricky tug my arm for attention.
"Mommy?" he looked up at me, eyes filled with anticipation.
"Who is it Helen?" I heard my father's voice coming from the living room.
"Grandpa!" Ricky cried happily recognizing my father's voice. Dad came to the door smiling, and opened his arms to Ricky. My son brushed past my mother and launched himself in my father's arm.
"What's going on?" I heard Grandma Mazur's voice coming from somewhere in the house. She walked to the door looking at my father with Ricky in his arm.
"Frank, where did you get that child?"
"He's my grandson."
"Why do you keep talking like that?" she asked. "You don't have a grandson." Dad pointed at me.
"Stephanie," grandma gasped. "You're back!"
I had tears running down my face, and my mom did too. She walked out the door and hugged me tight. I knew she was upset with me, but she was holding me and that's all I needed for now.
"Mom," I whispered hoarsely in her ear.
We walked together into the house, and I heard Sofia greet my father. I had completely forgotten that she was there. I hugged Grandma for a long time and then my mother once again.
"I know I have a lot of explaining to do," I told them. I was surprised when my mother shushed me. She grabbed some tissues and cleaned her tears.
"I found your letters," she stated remorsefully. She could only be referring to the letters I sent my father through the years, the ones I disguised as bills.
"How?" my father inquired from across the room. He still had Ricky in his arms.
"Oh please, since when do you care about bills?" My mom responded bitterly, and she was right. My father never paid attention to the bills. As long as mom paid on time, he was fine.
"I can't believe you didn't trust me," my mom turned to me again. "I wouldn't have said anything."
"Mom," how could I explain this to her. What could I have told her? I left the day of my wedding, running from a commitment I couldn't make. I was afraid of the rumors, afraid she might want me to come back to fix everything. I wouldn't have been able to say no. I was afraid she would hate me for not marrying Morelli and making a family with him. He was 'my last chance at happiness.' Then, I feared she might hate me for having Ricky. I could only say one thing, "I'm sorry."
"Of course you're sorry," my mother said surprisingly calm. She crossed her arms and started sobbing. "You hurt my feelings Stephanie. I'm your mother."
I glanced over at grandma. I couldn't help feeling guilty. I just wish things could have happened differently.
"But, it's partly my fault," mom said. The words froze me on the spot. I didn't understand.
"I pushed you," she continued regretfully. "I wanted what I thought was the best for you, and ignored your wishes. I pushed you away from me, that's why you didn't trust me. My own daughter doesn't trust me."
"Mom, it's not your fault," I replied urgently. My mother was putting too much weight on her shoulders. This day has been a river of tears for me, and I didn't know when it would be over.
"My granddaughter," grandma stated. She came closer to me and started playing with a strand of my hair. "Look at you! You're so pretty. Helen, doesn't Stephanie look good?
Mom studied me with her bloodshed eyes. I was starting to feel my cheeks burn under my mother's scrutiny, once again after four years.
"She's curvier," she chuckled drying her tears with the back of her hands.
"Things aren't as much fun as they used to, I'm glad you're back" Grandma told me. I'm sure she was trying her best to make this less awkward for all of us. I love my grandmother. "Helen's changed a few things since you left. She's graduating from nursing school this year, did you know?"
"Dad told me," I said proudly. "Mom, I'm so happy for you."
"When you left," she started pausing to suppress a sob, "it made me rethink everything. I couldn't believe you would run away like that, and disappear for so long. It made me realize I had no life other than trying to run yours so I decided to make a change."
"I could have run away with you. Why didn't you take me? It would have been fun." Grandma interrupted. My father made a noise of approval, and I saw my mother roll her eyes 'Burg's style. "The bounty hunter with the nice package has been looking all over for you. He comes to talk to Helen sometimes."
"He does?" I asked incredulously, looking at parents for confirmation. Dad nodded, but he never told me about that.
"He was the only one worried enough to keep searching for you," my mother said, sighing when she finished her sentence. "He wanted to find you as much as I did. Stephanie, you're my daughter, I would do anything for you."
I was shock by mother's confession. I know she loves me, and there is no doubt about it. She has killed for me, for goodness sake (of course, not intentionally). We just used to have very different and strong views about the development of my life.
"What about all that stuff about my job, and about getting married?" I asked, "what about Morelli?"
"Joseph Morelli used to come asking for you too, but he gave up on the idea of marrying you. I don't blame him. He married someone else, as you already know. The telephone has been ringing all day, something about you ruining Amy Morelli's baby shower. Stephanie, what were you thinking? What am I supposed to tell everyone? I didn't even know you were back in town!"
Now my mother was yelling questions at me, asking me why I didn't come straight home. What was I doing at Morelli's shower? Why couldn't it be someone else's shower? I silently asked myself the same questions. Okay, I needed a quick escape. I needed something to distract my mother and drive her away from that conversation. It wasn't my fault.
"Mom, Grandma, you haven't met my son," I said to them innocently. Well, as innocent as it sounded. My mother gasped and walked hastily across the room. She took Ricky from my father's arm, and examined him. There were droplets of tears descending on her shirt.
"Grandma?" Ricky asked, and I could tell he was scared. He was looking from my father to me, looking scared. He was probably starting to feel anxious and nervous, not understanding why we were all crying.
"Is this Ricky?" It was more a statement than a question. Of course, she knew about my son. He's all I wrote about in those darn letters. "This is my grandson."
"Yes," I said, "this is my son."
"He's Ranger's son too," she said accusingly. A slight sense of fear coursed through my body.
"Well, ain't that a pip," grandma added excitedly. "I guess the bounty hunter is taken. Stephanie, maybe you can introduce me to the other nice packaged men."
"Mom!"
"What? Steph, your baby is a cutie. He looks like Ranger too, he's a mirrored image of him."
"Are you talking about my daddy?"
"Yes, sweetie pie," she told him gently. He was doing his puppy-eye thing again. I saw my mother rescue herself by sitting on the sofa. Yep, he played his charms on her. "Oh, Stephanie, how could you deny me such a precious thing?"
My grandmother was smiling at me. She patted my back and leaned in to whisper in my ear, "well done. I'm proud of you." I just shook my head. This was more than I expected. My mother had me flabbergasted. What kind of relationship does my mother have with Ranger?
"Mom, please tell me you didn't tell him," I begged my mother pointing at my son. I wanted to be careful with my words around Ricky. She looked at me with hurt in her eyes.
"It's your problem to solve," she snapped, "I know how to keep a secret Stephanie."
I exhaled in relief. My mother smiled at my son, running her hand through his hair.
"You can talk to him when he gets here. He's about twenty minutes late," she said.
"What?" I exclaimed. Dad took a deep breath and removed Ricky from my mom. She looked at my father with disapproval.
"Talk to your daughter," he said, and she relented. I saw him take my son upstairs.
"I have a present for you," he chimed. Ricky squealed with excitement.
"Sorry, my name is Sofia," my friend introduced herself to grandma. "Would you like to join me outside to do some surveillance? You never know how this might turn out, you know." I gave Sofia a look that said you are a coward for leaving me alone but thanks for taking my grandma with you…. I have gotten really good at giving looks that say a lot.
"Yes, you never know," Grandma followed her out. "I'm actually very good at surveillance. Are you a bounty hunter?"
"Mom, I need time," was all I said when they left.
"How much time?" she asked grimly. I was wondering if she was going to give me an ultimatum. I felt the tears pool in my eyes. I wanted to procrastinate on meeting Ranger, seeing him would trigger many emotions. I knew that I had to build my strength, somehow.
"I don't know," I said softly, "not too long though."
"You are in love with him," my mother stated standing up and walking to the kitchen. Suddenly, I felt naked. Only my mother could do that. She stripped me down in the middle of the living room with her statement. A statement that in my ears sounded more like an accusation, but it was very much true. I'm in love with Ranger. I'm in love with Ricardo Carlos Manoso, and this love's killing me. I don't want to get hurt again.
Mom brought a bottle of whisky and filled a glass for each of us. We stood there in silence and chucked down the liquid.
"I'll figure something out," she said in a business tone. "You know something to tell the neighbors."
I smiled. My mother didn't totally change after all.
Lester POV
Ranger gave me the blank face. I saw his eyes narrow a little, and the blank face turned to a subtle glare. Jesus!
"Let me get this straight," he said, "Your big problem is that you can't get a woman to go out on a date with you."
I nodded vigorously, too much maybe. Tank kept his eyes on the Plum's house the whole time. We had to find a way to stop him.
"It's not just any woman," I complained. "I'm quite sure this is the one."
"Okay," Ranger said stepping out of the car. "You guys can go back to Haywood and start working on our new case. We have a missing teen, sixteen years old Leticia Movio. This is a very important case, possibly related to the selling of sex slaves, but the last has yet to be confirmed. I was going to offer you the rest of the day off, but seeing that I played relationship expert…"
Tank cleared his throat, "Ranger."
"What?"
Tank was pointing Plums' house. Now, the Merry Men really do not fear many things, but Grandma Mazur was at the top of that short list. She was probably Ranger's only fear. The boss looked slightly uncomfortable. I would have laughed, but it just happens that Grandma Mazur scares me too. She liked us too much, and the idea of her loving my package is just scary, frightening.
Grandma Mazur and Sofia were making their way towards us. She looked at us mischievously. "Sofia this is Ranger, and he's also a bounty hunter."
Mrs. Mazur whispered something in her ear.
"I see," she said knowingly, studying Ranger with her eyes. I didn't like it.
Ranger stood straight, but kept himself a reasonable distance from Grandma. He had his blank face on once again, his eyes piercing into Sofia.
"Sofia Mendes," he said bitterly, and I snapped my head to his direction. What in the world is going on? Does he know her?
"Carlos Manoso?" she half asked and half stated, frozen on her stop.
"Do you know each other?" Grandma Mazur asked the question running wild in my head.
"I don't think so," she said, but Ranger's eyes told the opposite.
"How's your father?"
"He's fine," she responded flatly. Ranger pager beeped. He took a second to read it and then refocused his eyes on Sofia.
"Mrs. Mazur is Mrs. Plum home?" he asked, his face devoid of expression.
"She's not," Sofia answered quickly before Mrs. Mazur could answer. I noticed how she pouts. It's just so sexy! I wonder if she does it every time she's upset or when she lies about something. "She left a few minutes ago."
"Yes, yes," Grandma Mazur nodded in approval. "She wanted to buy a few things for dinner."
"I should go then," Ranger replayed quickly. "Tank, lets go, we might have a problem. Lester, you stay here for while. I'll call you."
Tank immediately got out of the car and followed Ranger to the truck. I looked up at Sofia through my window. She looked puzzled, but she gave me a sly smile when she caught me staring, and walked back to the house. She left Grandma Mazur at my window smiling down at me.
Steph's POV
My mother requested that we join them for dinner the next day. She said Valerie was coming for dinner today, and it was probably best for her not to know about Ricky so soon. Mom wanted to talk to her privately, and explain the whole situation. I didn't know how much I could trust Valerie with this secret.
My mother made me a delicious pineapple upside down cake to make up for the lost dinner. I took it home to share it with my son and with my friend.
When we got home, I made another addition to my "to do" list, 'get something nice for Grandma.' She deserves something good after what she did for me. I wish I could get her a RangeMan uniform. She would love that. Then, I also mentally kicked myself for being such a coward. I knew I was being self-fish, delaying the meeting between my son and his father because it will hurt me. Ranger will still be out of my reach. I banged my head against the kitchen counter.
I need to get more things done. I need to be efficient, I told myself. Instead of completing things on my list, I just keep adding to it. As I was reflecting on my procrastination, I reviewed the list on my head. If you don't feel like working on something important, work on the next important thing on the list. I wonder if Ranger was tapping Morelli's phone.
"Just let it adsorb the water for a while," Sofia said interrupting my train of thought. I was trying to make rice with black beans, and lasagna. There was only one thing I knew how to do well, and that was my lasagna. I was proud of it. If I ruin something, at least my lasagna is always good.
I decided to do at least one thing from my list that would help me feel better, and hopefully would please my mom at the same time.
"Could I use your computer for a second?" I asked Sofia, and she nodded taking care of the kitchen. I walked over to the living room where I found Ricky hovered over the huge picture book dad gave him. It was all about space, and he seemed amazed with all of the pictures of the stars and the planets. My son, the astronaut, I thought smiling.
Ricky is the only thing that makes me happy, knowing that he's mine, and that he loves me. He's the result of what Ranger and I had together, because we had something. He's the reminder of the last night Ranger and I spent together, and I felt his love. Ricky is the link between us, and will always be the link between Ranger and me.
I turned on the computer and did what I thought was the safest thing to do. I sent Morelli an email.
I trust you.
I know that you're upset, and you probably hate me. I get why you'd give my location to Ranger the way you did. I promise I'll talk to you, but only if you promise not to do it again. I owe you an apology and an explanation.
Love, Cupcake
P.S. Are you having twins?
-rs-
Ranger: Sofia Mendes, again.
Sofia: uhm, where's my gun.
Steph: I just want to sleep.
Ricky: I want Cheesecake...and ice cream, it's my favorite.
Me: The litle of the next chapter is Ranger. Thanks for reading, you guys are awesome. Please, send me your comments, reviews or theories. My best wishes to all of you.