Better than myself Part 33
(Sequel to As a Man)
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, I'm not making any money, and all the wonderful characters belong to the lovely JE. I would borrow Ranger and maybe Tank, at least Tank as I write him.
Frank's POV
I just hung up from an exhausting but necessary call with Valerie. In a surprising show of honesty, Helen told Val that Joe Juniak was her father. I always knew, but I never thought Helen would ever say the words out loud.
Val says that there is nothing that she needs from Juniak because I am all the father that she needs. That makes me feel great. I don't know if I deserve it, I wasn't the father I should have been to either of my girls. I let Helen run the show and only stood up for them when I thought that it was a matter of life and death. I should have stood up more; maybe I could have made Val more independent, more willing to stand on her own. And Steph, there is so much I should have done for Steph, but she seems to be making her own way now.
I am glad Valerie has decided to take some charge in her life. If Morelli is the father of that baby, I think she has a more difficult job ahead than she realizes. Even though I think Albert is a wimp, I don't believe he could raise Morelli's child as his own and I don't blame him. It took a lot for me to do that. I am glad that we have opened the lines of communication and she felt that she didn't have to hide her indiscretions from me any longer. I can't and will not advocate on her side with Stephanie. Steph isn't ready to talk to her; I will not try to convince her otherwise. She still feels deeply betrayed by what Valerie did. They have to work that out between themselves, on Stephanie's terms. I am not sure where they go now.
I know exactly where Stephanie is going, she is headed to be Mrs. Manoso. He asked me for her hand. It was a nice gesture, but as I told him, Stephanie is her own woman. If he is what she thinks is best then I will support them 100%. Getting to know Ranger these past few months showed me a side to him I would have never seen in Trenton. The man who loves his nephew unconditionally, I have watched them walking the building together, like two peas in a pod.
The respect and caring he has for all of his employees. He will go above and beyond to make sure everyone around him is comfortable and happy. The impression I had of him in Trenton was just the tough as nails bounty hunter who was all about money and business. It is nice to know how wrong we were. Oh, I know he could and does kick ass without breaking a sweat, but there is so much more to him than that.
I saw how nervous he was when his daughter was coming to visit; I never thought he had nervous energy in him. He gives such and impression of calm, but he wanted her to like his new home and have a good time so she would come back.
Witnessing the relationship I can tell he is working on with his brother and seeing how different they look. I can only conclude that they have different fathers. It is amazing how selfish and reckless people can be with their bodies and other people's feelings.
From what Ella has told me, without breaking any confidences, is that Ranger didn't have the easiest start in the world. But no matter how he started out. I can see the man that he is trying to be. And that is a man I would be proud to call my son.
Thinking of Ella brings a smile to my face. That is a very beautiful woman. We have spent a lot of time together, just trying to get to know this new city. We have spent entire afternoons at Centennial Olympic Park, evenings at the Fox Theater. She has even taken me to see the Braves play. There is nothing she wouldn't do, no where she wouldn't go. That is a far cry from the homebody I was used to. It is nice to have someone to experience life with.
I am not going to say that I think all women should cook, but I adore good food and being around someone who can cook good food is a revelation. I hadn't had food with all this flavor and taste in years. The food Helen cooked, while it was good, it was always the same, Pot Roast, Chicken and Potatoes, Spaghetti Bolognese, Fried Chicken and Mashed Potatoes. It was just food that was typical in the 'Burg and of course Helen would not stray from that typical menu. But eating Ella's cooking is a revelation of flavor. The same way she approaches life, is the way she approaches food. There is no part of the world that she will not try and with Hector's Mexican roots, Tank's roots deep in New Orleans, Stephanie's love of her Italian roots and Ella's Cuban cooking. I have eaten around the world in a week. Oh, not to mention the strange but always delicious cookies she and JJ make.
It is a good thing that Rangeman has an all access gym or I would be as big as a house by now, when actually I feel better and younger than I have felt in years. I don't want to put a label on the time Ella and I spend together. We are just two adults, spending time together and enjoying helping these young people realize their dreams, while I think we are finding ours.
A/N: I am trying to make sure we hear from everyone as we move this story forward. I think it will be time to hear about Tank next.
I am a little behind in posting so please bear with me. I am working to get this and my other fic caught up, between unexpected family dropping by and 3 days no power things are a little behind everywhere. But I have not and will not abandon my fics. I had been trying to write on notebooks, but without being able to go back and read other chapters. The voice of the characters seemed off. But it is better now.
As always reviews/comments are appreciated.
