Chapter 12

JPOV

It's been two weeks since I last saw Stephanie. The longer that we're apart the more I realize that I screwed up. I shouldn't have taken her for granted. After that faithful night showing up to Rangeman the next morning my Mom and Grandma Bella showed up on my doorstep. I figured they were here to offer me support, I couldn't have been more wrong. After the marriage that Mom and Dad had she proceeded to tell me how ashamed of me she was, she thought that I had broken the curse of the Morelli men. Grandma Bella threatened to put the eye on me and make my privates shrivel. They stayed for about two hours telling me how badly I screwed up and that I should just give Stephanie the divorce and try to get my life back together. The more they talked I started to realize they were right.

Stephanie didn't deserve any of this, and if I was in her shoes I would want to kill her. I had taken to drinking heavily the past few weeks, maybe the fact that I wasn't drunk gave me some clarity. Not only was I fucking up my life but hers as well. I had been put on leave at work until I sorted things out. My family was pissed at me, and worst of all they didn't think I was much better than my father. Growing up I always said that I would turn out nothing like him. For many years that was true. I went to the Navy, became a cop, tried to live on the straight and narrow. I don't know what changed.

About an hour after my family left Frank Plum showed up on my doorstep. He was probably the last person I was expecting to see. I think in all of the time I've known him he's spoken 10 words top.

"Morelli we need to talk, " Frank said as he side stepped me and entered the house.

"What about Frank?" I said already knowing what he wanted to talk about. Stephanie was his pride and joy, they were always closer than he and Valarie were. This was not a conversation I was looking forward to.

"I know about everything. I have not told Ellen because truthfully I don't want to hear her mouth. I know you have been cheating on Stephanie and I'm here to ask you to just let her go. That poor girl has been through enough over the past years. Dickie Orr cheated on her, and now you. Spare her the pain and just sign the damn divorce papers." Frank said as she stared straight in my eyes.

"I know that I screwed up, but I'm hoping that I can make things right and try to salvage our marriage. I love your daughter and I want to be married to her." I say.

"If you love her you will let her go. Let her find her wings again and let her go. You caused her a lot of emotional damage. I talked to her this morning and she seems to be finding herself again. Don't take that away from her. She doesn't know I'm here, and if she did she'd probably kill me. Just let her go so she can get back to her life. She is staying away from everyone, and I miss my daughter. She doesn't want to run into you or deal with your crap." Frank says.

"Let me think about it, I'm starting to realize that Stephanie isn't the typical Burg girl. She doesn't want the home and the 2.5 kids. She wants to find herself and fly. I can't help her fly. Thank you for stopping by Frank." I say as I lead Frank out of the house.

"Thank you Morelli. I may not like you, but I figured for Stephanie to even give you the time of day there had to be a decent person underneath." Frank said as he closed the door.

I knew what I had to do. As hard as it as to do I needed to let Stephanie go. What is the saying? If you love something let it go, if it comes back it's meant to be. Maybe if I let her go she will eventually come back to me. One can only hope. God I hope that Stephanie comes back to me.

Two days later

SPOV

I'm sitting in my cubical running a few searches since Silvio is on vacation. I hate doing this with a passion, it is so boring. The only plus is getting to look over the report afterwards and see if something jumps out. I always wanted to be a spy growing up, this was as close as I was going to get.

"Babe, I just got off the phone with Tim Parker. He has news on your divorce." Ranger says as he puts his hand on the back of my neck.

"Good news or bad news? Honestly I don't think I can handle anymore bad news." I say.

"Good news. Morelli signed the paperwork and turned it in to the courthouse. He fired Dickie Orr and went and filed the paperwork by himself. It went to the judge's chamber today, as soon as the judge signed off on it you will be a free woman again. Tim said that once everything is finalized he will send you the certified copies so you can go down and get your license and social security card changed to show your maiden name. We should have all the paperwork in the next 30 days." Ranger said.

I did something that I wasn't expecting to do, I started crying. Not girly sniffles either, full out tears with ugly mascara streaks and snot coming out of my nose.

"Babe? I thought you'd be happy. What's going on?" Ranger said, his voice laced with concern.

"I am happy, but this is a big chapter of my life being closed. I mentally prepared myself for more of a fight and this really took me by surprise." I say.

Ranger pulls me close to him and hugs me to his chest. I pull away after I quit crying, realizing I have drenched Ranger's shirt in my tears and snot. That's really classy, guys want a girl who snots all over them!

"It's fine Babe, I have extra shirts upstairs. I don't care if you ruin all of my shirts, I'll just start working around the office shirtless." He says with a wolf grin.

"Oh shut it Ranger! If you walked around all day with your shirt off I'd never get anything done. Thank you for everything you've done for me, I'm so glad this is over with." I say with one final hug. "Now go change your shirt."

"Have dinner with me tonight Babe. I'll have Ella cook us something, I'll even have her make you dessert" Ranger says as he starts to leave my cubical.

"Sure, I'll see you at 6."

I don't know what caused the change of heart for Morelli, but I'm glad that it happened. Part of me still loved that asshole even after everything that he did. I really hope that one day he finds happiness.

***So what did you think of Morelli's change of heart? I could make this into a terrible divorce, but deep down I believe that Morelli is a decent guy caught up in his own ego. Not the right guy for Stephanie, and deep down he knows that. He can be an asshole, but he knows right from wrong. **

-The more you guys review the faster I want to write. If you guys start reviewing today I might just post another chapter. The next chapter will skip a month until the divorce is finalize and be R&S first date :o)