Simple Hearts
Chapter 21
"Babe, the movers are here," Ranger called to Stephanie.
Arriving in Wilmington two days ago he found Stephanie and Reilley had been busy, everything not in use for their last few days was boxed, and the only remaining thing was to go to Miss Fitch's storage locker. He told Stephanie to wait for him to arrive with his pick-up truck to do it. He had recovered from his visit with the airport authority. Actually the entire plane was questioned as to the reason for the fit of giggles before embarking on the plane. Ranger volunteered his government security immediately to them and showed those hilarious pictures of Tank. They understood completely and the plane departed a little behind schedule.
Her neighbor's personal items were in the corner of the living room where Ranger and Stephanie placed them after unloading and waiting for their short journey to Trenton. Once that was accomplished, the three of them had almost two full days exploring Wilmington. There was a visit to the tall ship 'Kalmar Nyckel' and roaming around Riverfront. They even watched a 'Blue Rocks' baseball game. The Bad Ass was enjoying a preview of the activities they would be doing around Trenton.
Reilley told his mother in his excited voice, "Mommy, it's time to move!" He saw the large white moving truck parked along the sidewalk.
"Come here, Pudding," she came from the kitchen scooping up the cat. "I don't want you to get out."
He 'MEOWED' loudly in protest being placed in a cat carrier.
"You can come out in the car," she reassured the cat.
Ranger was shaking hands with the trio of movers at the front door and introduced Stephanie.
"To make this simple," the blue eyed beauty explained, "everything marked with a blue 'X' goes with us. What is not marked, St. Agnes church will be taking." Taking blue painter's tape, she made 'X's on boxes or tags for furniture so it wasn't marked. "All the things lining the hallway upstairs go."
The three movers were looking over the pieces moving deciding what to place on the truck first when coming through the open storm door was Mr. Orwell, the building manager. He stopped in his tracks seeing Agent Maweeney standing their big as life in casual clothes.
"Mr. Orwell, you must want these," Stephanie said dangling her keys on a chain.
"Yes," he spurted, "and here is your deposit." His hand was shaking and the envelope when he handed it to Stephanie keeping an eye on the man standing in the room with hands on his hips. "Just close the door when you leave. I'll check back later," he said and bolted out the door.
"I think he remembers you," she teased.
"Babe." He returned a sexy arched eyebrow.
Working quickly and steady, it wasn't long before all of their belongs were on the white truck. In the back-seat of Ranger's pick-up were the antique dishes and stoneware bowls of the late neighbor.
"That goes on the floor in the front," Stephanie told Ranger as he took a box from her. He knew what was in it, the Santa hot chocolate set and book from Christmas Eve. He gently placed the box in her Baha.
She and Reilley made one last walk through of their row house making sure nothing was forgotten. The only items remaining were what were being donated to the church. Coming down the stairs, she saw Father Francis and a few men from the church talking with Ranger.
"Are you sure you won't be needing these, Stephanie?" Father Francis asked.
The used washer and dryer, beds, and other inexpensive things or hand-me downs in the way of the coffee table could be used by someone else. "No," she replied shaking her curls, "Reilley and I are going home and it's a fresh start for us. Our new furniture will be arriving soon. I hope you can use these things in the 'warming' shelter".
Grateful for the donations and that of the reclusive neighbor, the old house behind the church which was purchased with the money left to St. Agnes. The three floors would be almost furnished. "They will be put to good use. It has been a pleasure to have you and Reilley in our congregation," Father Francis told them. He hugged the mother and son whom he was going to miss.
"Thank you for making us feel welcome all this time. Ready, Reilley? Ready, Ranger?" she asked picking up her purse and cat carrier with a cat who wanted out of that thing.
Her son picked up Woody sitting on a step and his 'Snuggie'. "Ready, Mommy."
"Ready, Babe." Ranger shook the kind priest's hand. "Thank you," he told him before following Stephanie and her young son.
"Good-bye," Father Francis said waving from the porch. He had to laugh to himself because that once closed off man slipped into his palm more folded one hundred dollar bills.
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The large moving truck was parked in front of the white Cap Cod when the blue SUV and black pick-up trucked pulled into the alley beside the house in a little more than an hour later. Stephanie recognized her father's white Buick stationary behind the carport. There were Frank's saw horses positioned in the backyard already at work. He was making frames for the back porch to screen it in for his daughter. Ranger gave his approval and had the supplies delivered when Mr. Plum insisted on doing it himself.
"Grandpa!" Reilley went running after his mother unbuckled him into his grandfather's arms. "I'm here to help."
"I've been waiting for my helper." He swung his grandson up into a big hug. Frank Plum was so glad and relieved to have his younger daughter and the grandson he loved to pieces home where they belong in Trenton.
Stephanie quickly kissed her father and carried the cat into the unlocked back door to direct the movers. She laughed, her mother was feeding them coffee cake and coffee. "Stephanie, since when does a house you rent come with food?" Ellen Plum opened the refrigerator door; there was a gallon of milk, a tub of margarine, bread, eggs, bacon, and other food items on the shelves. Even the freezer had packages in it.
Stephanie turned around to the Cuban man with the box in his hands coming in the back door. He gave his all knowing smirk. "Babe, Ella just got a few things so you didn't need to run to the grocery store right away."
Opening a cupboard there were her son's favorite cereals. "And she just happened to guess Reilley's favorite breakfast cereal?"
Ranger shrugged his shoulders placing the box on the counter. "She is a mother."
She rolled her eyes and carried the cat into the bathroom. "You have to stay in here until the movers have our stuff unloaded."
"Meow." He agreed jumping up perching on the toilet seat.
The movers were finished with their energy break. Stephanie began dishing out instructions. "All the boxes I want them to go in the front bedroom. I'll open them later. The dining room furniture goes in there," she instructed pointing through the doorway. "The other table and chairs go here." She pointed to under the window as the place for Miss Fitch's table. "My lounger, TV, rocking chair, and small table go in the living room. The computer and desk will go in this small back room." There wasn't a whole lot of furniture; it was more boxes, which were moved.
Each worker handed Mrs. Plum an empty Styrofoam cup before heading back through the house to begin unloading their possessions. Ranger decided to stay out of the way backtracking outside to help the carpenter and his assistant.
The master bedroom began filling up with boxes that were removed first from around the bigger pieces. Piece by piece the small empty house began to fill with the furniture Stephanie brought, the beds and new living room would soon follow in about a week.
The three movers were paid. They drove off deciding where to go for a big steak dinner with the $100 tip Ranger gave them. The house began taking on the semblance of being lived in as some of the dishes for the cupboards were unpacked. A bright green polka dotted dish towel hung on the stove handle and on the sink a 'Woody' cup full of cool apple juice waiting for a little boy.
Reilley ran through the kitchen into the dining and living rooms and back. The sound of his sneakers made his mother smile. He paused in the kitchen doorway looking around spotting his favorite cup. 'Woody' was smiling on the black granite countertop at him. Hopping across the tile floor for a drink, Reilley took one. He turned around to his mother watching his antics saying, "It's home, Mommy."
"It is, Rye."