Hope you enjoy! There was no beta-ing so I tried to edit the best of my abilities. I live off of reviews and it makes me write faster! (hint, hint :) )

Not mine.


I wasn't sure how I wanted to tell Carlos that I was ready. It was a big decision and shouldn't be blurted out. That's as far as the planning got. Should there be a party? Should I make the apartment all romantic? Should I stand in front of the door naked?

The last one was crossed out because I didn't want to give Ella the wrong idea.

I took a shower and called my doctor, making an appointment for the next day. Feeling somewhat accomplished, I toasted a bagel and smothered it with cream cheese. Grabbing a paper towel, I went down to five.

"Beautiful, where did you get that?" Lester asked, looking at my plain bagel. Ranger only stocked whole wheat in the kitchen.

"Upstairs."

"What? Jeez, maybe I should start sucking up to the boss."

"Because that will get you everywhere." Carlos said behind me. He put an arm around me. "Hi." He said, giving me a kiss on the cheek.

Lester was grinning at us. "You two are so cute."

"Don't you have some work to do?"

"Right." Lester turned around. "Oh, congrats!"

"For what?" I asked.

"The engagement."

I looked down at my hand. Sure enough, there was the ring. Lester chuckled and went back into the monitor room.

"You should give him a raise."

"Babe, I pay them to be observant. Just because you're not aware, doesn't mean the whole world isn't." He guided me into his office.

"Uh oh, this looks bad."

He sat me down on the couch and kneeled in between my legs. "My mother is throwing us an engagement party."

"What?"

"I told her that we were engaged and she wants to throw us a party. And she wants you to bring your parents."

"Why?"

"Because she's my mother. My mother is about as crazy as yours."

I really couldn't argue with that. "When is it?"

"Tomorrow."

"Great. That'll give me enough time to break the news to my mother that I'm getting married."

"I think she'll be happy that you are getting married."

I wasn't so sure about that. Sure, she'd be glad that someone, anyone would marry me at this point, but I wasn't sure how she'd feel when she found out that it was Carlos.

"I smell something burning." Carlos said.

"I guess this means that we're going to my mother's for dinner tonight."

Carlos shivered. "Don't make me sit next to your grandma."

"I won't," I said, grinning at him. I kissed him and headed to my cubicle. The rest of the day went remotely slow. Of course, that could be because I was hanging around the office all day. Nothing really fun happens in the office.

"Ready yet babe?" Ranger asked, coming into the doorway of the bathroom.

I put down the mascara wand. "Does it look like I'm ready?"

"Yeah, it does."

"Carlos, I'm in my underwear!"

His eyes darkened. "I know."

I rolled my eyes. "Out. You're distracting me."

He kissed my curls and went to wait in the living room. I finished putting on the mascara and went into the closet to get dressed. I decided on a nice blue sweater and dark jeans with cute black ballet flats. I fluffed my hair and went out to meet Carlos.

"Beautiful." He said. He grabbed my hand and we went down to the Porsche.

"Oh, what a nice surprise." My mother said when we pulled up.

"Hi, Mrs. Plum, Mrs. Mazur." Carlos said.

My mother, always the hostess. "Hello, Ranger."

"Please, call me Carlos."

My mother smiled and let us in. I could see that her eyes were glazed over. Jeez. Everyone is affected by the please card.

"Does this mean I get to call you Carlos too?" Grandma asked, moving her dentures around in her mouth.

"Sure," he said, bringing me in front of him.

"See? That wasn't so bad." I said when Grandma went into the kitchen.

Carlos shrugged and went to say hi to my father. I went in and braved the kitchen.

"Can you cut the carrots?" My mother asked.

I picked up the knife and waited for the inquisition to start. My mother never said a word.

"Mom." I said when she wiped her hands on the towel.

"What Stephanie?"

"I brought Carlos home for dinner."

She looked at me. "And?"

"Well?"

"He's hunky." Grandma said when she came back in from setting the table. "I bet he has a nice package. Does he have a nice package?"

My mother signed the cross. That was the first thing she did that was remotely normal. I continued to stare at her.

"What do you want me to say, Stephanie?"

"Something. Anything."

"I like him."

I almost cut myself with the knife. "What?"

"I said I like him."

I was shocked.

"You like him?"

She nodded. "I'm not thrilled that he carries a gun, but he makes you happier than Joe ever did." She looked down at my hand. "Plus he got you to say yes and marry him."

"You're so cool about…everything."

"After you grandmother and Valerie, you seem so much more normal."

Calling me normal after Valerie was saying a lot.

"Are you still against children?" She asked me.

"Actually…"

"Oh God, you're pregnant. I knew I spoke too soon!"

"No! Mom, we're trying." Except Carlos doesn't know that yet.

"Trying? You're not married yet!"

"But we will be by the time the baby's born."

She made another sign. I smiled. There's my mother. We grabbed the food and went to serve.

"I guess there's a congratulations in order," Grandma said. "Stephanie's getting married again!"

My father looked up and winced slightly. I knew that he would go with anything that made me happy, but since Carlos wasn't Italian, he still had some reservations.

The rest of dinner went surprisingly well. For the first time in…ever my father actually talked at the dinner table. Maybe it was because he thought he was actually getting a son-in-law who was more composed than Albert Kloughn.


Carlos and I were sitting in the car after dinner.

"I can't believe how well that went." I said.

"Babe." He said. Like that stated everything. I rolled my eyes.

"What did you say to my father?"

"That I loved you, wanted to marry you and if we could have his blessing."

I nodded, that seemed reasonable.

"He gave it to us as long as we promised never to move in with them."

I laughed. That was my dad. Always worried that we'd take his bathroom time.

"I also told him not to worry about the wedding costs."

"Carlos!"

"What?"

"It's tradition that my father pays for the wedding!"

"Why should he pay for the second? He should take any money that would go towards the wedding and spend it on your mother."

I was silent and crossed my arms.

"If it makes you feel any better, he said no."

It did, a little. I shrugged.

"We worked out a compromise."

This got my attention. "How so?"

"Your father will pay for the wedding and I'm taking care of the reception."

That seemed reasonable, I guess.

"Knew you'd agree, Babe."

I rolled my eyes again. "Let's go home, Batman."