Olive's pigtails and Tank were what convinced me to post this week. Everybody and everything familiar belongs to Janet.
"You know that if it were just the two of us, you'd be with me for this," I told Steph, who was playing with one of the pigtails Julie made with two giraffe barrettes in Olivia's hair while we'd been talking logistics of this takedown.
"I know. Believe me, if it weren't for Olive and Julie ... you'd have to threaten me with a safe house-stay, and actually accomplish my kidnapping, to keep me from following you. I'm trying hard to just be satisfied with my acting skills that led our Trenton and Atlanta guys from Miami straight to Espada."
"Hell hath no fury like a woman who was tricked into thinking she's been scorned."
"As if I'd be interested in that slimey-haired mob boss wannabe. I can't believe anyone else would be either."
"Dad is hard to top guy-wise," Julie added and then turned to me. "Don't worry. I already asked Mom if I could stay with you guys longer ... and she said yes. So Olive and I will keep Steph super busy so she won't worry so much."
"As soon as I get word that your Dad has this guy, I'll take you ladies out for ice cream," Tank said, entering the room 'on little cat feet' as Sandburg famously stated, looking down at Julie's new Jersey/Florida bracelet, "since jewelry's been taken care of."
Not entirely. Stephanie still has her gift from me awaiting her.
"Uncle Tank!" Julie yelled, running over to him, trying to get both arms fully around him for a hug. "Dad's responsible for the bracelet."
"He's responsible for you, too," I reminded her.
When she's an adult and her arms are finished growing, she may complete a full circle Tank-hug.
Olive was no less affected by his presence, except she played coy. She tipped her head into the curve of her Mama's neck and gave her Godfather a smile as big as her cheeks would allow, her pigtails perfectly framing her beautiful mini-Steph face.
Tank tried to remain stoic, but I know his insides are melting like a speared marshmallow being burnt over one of Lester's campfires, seeing that adoring expression on Olivia Adora's face.
"Launcher said he's ready as soon as his key-thief returns them," Tank told me. "Smith and Álvaro are already in the garage."
"Olive, we have to give 'Oncle Lanceur' his toy back," Steph explained, snagging a familiar Rangeman-fleet keychain off the desk. "But now we have a bigger and better toy to play with ... Uncle Tank. Right, Julie?"
"Yup. I'm reeeeally looking forward to teaching Olive how to say Tío Pierre."
"You're a funny girl," he told her, hugging her back before turning to me. "Go get this guy. I'll take care of things here."
"If Shiv attempts a prison break, shoot him in the back and dump him in the ocean," I ordered him.
"Will do."
Steph was already shaking her head, which had Olive moving her pigtails in a similar way. "No. Shiv should go with you. That way if Espada gets cranky when he realizes he's caught, he'll have a target that isn't you."
"A vacation hasn't mellowed her any," Tank commented to me.
"Our 'vacation' involved dead bodies, psycho husbands, and random shooters, plus Kane," Steph told him. "I need more than two or three days of strictly family beach/monkey-time to forget about everything I have to worry about."
Julie left Tank and came over to us, winding an arm around each of us. "Don't stress, Steph, you have us."
My wife looked at me before glancing down at Julie. "Yep, I do. And on days like this one, I'm more thankful for that than usual. Olive, kiss Daddy for good luck so he can go get the bad guy. I want that ice cream." She glanced at Tank as Olivia leaned my way. "Even though Olive can't eat it yet, you're still paying for three cups. Today's a two - possibly three - scoop day."
Olive hugged my neck using all of her upper body strength and did the same to my ribcage with her little legs as she watched Tank fish out a twenty.
"I stole this from Bobby before I left Trenton," he informed us. "You're covered for a brownie sundae if you need one."
"Now if you could just promise me Ranger will be okay," Steph told him, "I'll be happy."
"I can promise you that, Babe. You know it's impossible to lie when holding Olive, so you can take my promise as fact."
That had her shoulders relaxing, but they had to in order to take Olivia back. She held onto her Mama like I wanted to.
"Would it distract you too much to call me before and after you get him?" Steph asked me, letting a little of her earlier fear creep back in.
"No. You may not be there in body, Babe, but you'll be right there with me in spirit, in my head, and also in my ear."
"Then I'll echo Tank ... go get 'em, Batman. And then bring him to me so I can have a shot at him."
Without any prompting from Stephanie, Olivia sealed that deal with a kiss blown to me before I turned to go make Espada kiss his own ass goodbye.
