Stephanie wiped a tear from her face as she packed the last of her possessions into her car. The apartment she rented in Newark got fully furnished, meaning none of the furniture belonged to her. She returned to the unit to ensure she got everything.
How was she supposed to survive in Trenton? She didn't want to move back home, but there wasn't anyone hiring in Newark. When the potential employers saw E E Martin on your resume, they politely said they had no open positions.
She trailed her fingers over the soft leather of the couch and groaned. Stephanie would miss the coolness of the textile material beneath her bare thighs. "I'm going to miss it here," Stephanie said. She opened every drawer and closet to ensure everything was in her car. A thick envelope was in the drawer beneath the fake plant in the living room.
Stephanie pulled the envelope from its hiding place and sighed. She knew her divorce papers were inside. "I'll have to give this to Daddy to keep safe," Stephanie mumbled. She shoved it into her purse, then glanced around the room again.
"Goodbye," Stephanie said to the empty room. She went to the main floor and knocked on the superintendent's door. The woman peeked through the peephole before opening the door.
"Are you leaving so soon? You have another two weeks before you need to leave," Stella asked.
"My friend found an apartment for me in Trenton. I needed to move in today before someone else gets the unit," Stephanie explained as she relinquished the keys. "Thank Flora for leasing her place to me. I truly appreciate her help and kindness." Stephanie wanted to leave Flora a gift, but she couldn't spare the cash.
"I'll tell her, dear. Take care of yourself in Trenton," Stella said. "Email your address so I can forward your mail to the right location."
"Sure. It's probably unnecessary, but I appreciate the assistance, Stella."
"Please call to visit when you're in town," Stella said before closing the door.
Stephanie left the building for the last time. There was no reason for her to visit Newark. She didn't know anyone outside of work. Her focus on the job was to haggle lingerie prices, not making friends. It was a horrible job, but it paid well.
While Stephanie climbed into the Miata, her phone rang. "Hello," Stephanie politely answered.
"Oh, thank goodness you answered," Mary Lou gushed. "I've been trying to call you for thirty minutes."
Stephanie pulled the phone away from her ear and checked the call log. "You called sixty-two times in thirty minutes," Stephanie said, groaning. "I left my phone in the car."
"But you're okay, right?" Mary Lou asked.
"I'm fine, Lou. Sad, but fine," Stephanie replied. "Is something wrong with the apartment?"
"Well, not exactly," Mary Lou cryptically said. "I just don't want you to be mad at me."
"What did you do?" Stephanie asked.
"Um. I called our friends, and we furnished your apartment. Everything except your mattress is secondhand," Mary Lou explained.
"Oh. That's fine, Lou. I wondered how I was going to afford furniture. Who do I owe for the mattress?"
"Nobody. Your dad bought it." Stephanie panicked, thinking her dad knew about losing the job. "Steph, I didn't tell him. Your dad overheard Eddie ask Big Dog if he still had the chair to donate."
"Daddy's an intelligent man. I'm sure he figured it out by now," Stephanie groaned. Stephanie had no idea if she could find a job.
"They have openings at the Tampon factory," Mary Lou helpfully supplied.
"Doing what?" Stephanie asked.
She heard paper rustle in the background. "Stuffing boxes," Mary Lou replied.
"Hard pass. I'd go insane if I worked there. Thanks for checking the ads, Lou. I don't know what I'd do without you," Stephanie said. She talked for a few more minutes. "I have to go."
"I'll see you when you get here," Mary Lou said before ending the call.
Stephanie thunked her head on the steering wheel. "Why me?" she mumbled her mother's favourite words, then shook her head. "I'm not my mother!"
It didn't take long for Stephanie to drive home. She parked behind the building on St. James and Dunworth. The apartment complex wasn't challenging to find. It was the only red-bricked structure on the corner.
A car pulled into the driveway as Stephanie pulled her bags from the back. Stephanie recognized Eddie's vehicle. "Do you need a hand?" Eddie offered.
"I could use a few," Stephanie joked. She grinned when Mary Lou arrived. "We could probably do this in one trip."
Mary Lou and Stephanie loaded the boxes into Eddie's arms. They weren't heavy. Just a bit awkward. Mary Lou and Stephanie carried all the bags. As predicted, they got everything upstairs in one trip, however, Eddie did drop a box of shoes when they exited the elevator car. They tumbled from the box and prevented the elevator doors from closing.
"Shit! I'm sorry, Steph. I didn't mean to ruin your shoes," Eddie said, pointing to the silver shoes with crystals around the ankle straps. Stephanie brushed off his apology.
"Those shoes gave me horrible blisters. They may look pretty, but they are uncomfortable. I considered donating them. Now they're destined to get tossed instead of becoming someone else's torture device."
Mary Lou and Eddie looked nervous when Stephanie carried her sparse collection of utensils and cutlery to the kitchen. Stephanie could hear them arguing in the living room. "What did you do?" Stephanie asked. She opened the cupboard and gasped. Stephanie turned on her heel to glare at her friends with a hand on her hip.
"Um. We bought groceries?" Mary Lou replied, which sounded more like a question.
"Who?"
"Eddie, Frank and me," Mary Lou reluctantly replied. Stephanie's head dropped to her chest. "Steph, your dad knows E E Martin sold to Baldicott. It isn't too difficult for him to make the connection about why you moved to Trenton."
"I know. I can practically hear my mom's litany of "Why me? Why does my daughter have to get fired from the perfect job?" I really could do without her inane lectures."
"You should be more concerned about the blind dates," Eddie said. "Aunt Helen asked if I knew any eligible single men. Morelli is single."
Stephanie's eyes hardened, and she glared at Eddie. "I would never date that asshole even if he were the last man on earth and humanity depended on us procreating," Stephanie snapped. "I would rather marry a stranger than get saddled with that lying, cheating abuser." Eddie stepped back while raising his hands.
"I'm just warning you, Steph," Eddie said. "Does he know you moved home?"
"Nope. I want it to stay that way, too. Hopefully, Daddy or Grandma warn me if Morelli got a dinner invite."
"You won't run into Morelli anytime soon, though," Eddie said. "He's working on a case with the FBI and DEA."
"Good. If I never see Morelli again, it will be too soon," Stephanie added. She shook her head and mumbled about the sick things Morelli did to her as a child. Stephanie should have charged him for the incidents, especially the Tasty Pastry one. It was pure luck that Stephanie didn't get pregnant or get an STD. She asked her Grandma Plum to take her for testing.
It wasn't the only time Stephanie had to get checked for sexually transmitted diseases. She got tested for three years after divorcing Dickie Orr. Who knows what he could have picked up from Joyce Barnhardt? Stephanie and Dickie always used condoms, but they don't protect you from everything.
Eddie answered the door when someone knocked. "Hi, Uncle Frank," Eddie said loud enough for Stephanie to hear over her mumbled words.
"Hi, Daddy. Why are you here?" Stephanie asked.
Frank passed his daughter the pizza box and case of beer. "I figured you'd be hungry when you got home," he replied.
"Thanks, Daddy."
Mary Lou checked her watch and excused herself. She had to get home to cook dinner for the kids and Lenny. Stephanie hugged her best friend and thanked her for the furniture and groceries. Eddie decided to let father and daughter catch up on their lives.
"You're looking good for a woman who lost her job last week," Frank said, breaking the tension.
Stephanie relaxed. "I assumed you would know," Stephanie said. "Does mom?"
"No. How much do you owe on your car?" Frank asked.
"More than what I'm comfortable with having you pay off," Stephanie replied. "You've done enough for me, Daddy. I'm sure I can find a job soon."
"Let me know if that changes," he added. Stephanie promised, then dug into the pizza.
"Mmm. Sausage, hot peppers and onions. My favourite," Stephanie said before taking a bite. She set the pizza down on the napkin to open a beer.
Frank chuckled. "My favourite too, Pumpkin."
"So," Stephanie awkwardly said. "Did Mom figure out you didn't attend a convention last week?"
"You know about that?" Frank asked.
"That you went to DC to convince some Rangers Alpha team members to sign for another five years?" she asked. Frank looked at Stephanie in shock. She wiped her mouth and hands on a napkin. "Daddy, I know you're a General. I saw your uniform in the basement when I came home for Christmas. The contracts are coming up for renewal in May. Did your men sign on for another term?"
"No. However, one man agreed to field train," Frank replied.
"Field train? Does that mean he will accept the missions where the newer teams could benefit from his guidance?" Stephanie asked.
"Very astute, Pumpkin," he answered, grinning. "Your mother expects you home for dinner on Saturday night."
"Any surprise guests?"
"Not that I'm aware. Your grandmother will call if it changes." Frank noticed Stephanie visibly relaxed. "Who are you hiding from?" Frank asked.
"Morelli," Stephanie snarled. "I cancelled the last four times because of that asshole."
"I wondered about that. Are you finally going to tell me what Morelli did to you?" Frank asked.
"Can I avoid it?" Stephanie sighed when Frank shook his head. "Fine. You'll be disappointed with me when you hear the truth."
"Nothing you say or do could disappoint me, Pumpkin."
Stephanie drank the remaining beer in the can before opening a second and drinking half of it. Frank raised an eyebrow as he patiently waited for Stephanie to talk. He never expected what his daughter said.
Frank crushed the beer can in his hand, causing the liquid to spill out onto the carpet. Stephanie ran to grab paper towels to clean up the mess. "I knew you'd be disappointed," Stephanie said as tears ran down her cheeks.
"Pumpkin, look at me," Frank gently said. "I'm not upset, angry or disappointed in you. Your mother's reaction pissed me off. The poems that Morelli wrote in the washrooms made it appear you wanted what he offered."
Stephanie shook her head. "I was curious. But I was saving myself for marriage," Stephanie whispered. "I told him to stop."
"Nobody deserves to lose their virginity that way. You never pressed charges," Frank said.
"Mom wouldn't let me. She called me a liar and a slut. I was underage and needed a parent with me," Stephanie explained. "You weren't home." Frank rubbed his chin, then ran his fingers through his short curly hair.
"Why did you marry Dickie Orr?" Frank asked, changing the subject. He was furious with Helen for how she treated Stephanie after Morelli took advantage of her. Frank didn't want to use the word which best described what Morelli did to his favourite daughter.
"I wanted to make Mom happy," Stephanie whispered. "It didn't work because I divorced his cheating ass."
"Do you want children?"
"No. They give me hives, see?" Stephanie replied, pointing to the raised bumps appearing on her arms.
"Why not?" Frank asked. He suspected he knew the answer but wanted to hear it from Stephanie.
"I don't want to be like Mom," Stephanie replied. "Staying at home to raise children would slowly kill me. I need adventure."
"You can have a career and raise children," Frank explained. Stephanie shook her head.
"Then I'd have to listen to Mom dictating what I should do and how to raise the children. I get enough lectures without the added responsibility and stress of tiny mouths to feed."
"There's no way to make your mother happy unless you live the way she chose," Frank said. "You are destined for more than the Burg has to offer."
"I know, but would Mom ever understand?" Stephanie wondered.
"No. Never stop being true to yourself, Pumpkin. Life has a way of working itself out," Frank replied. Stephanie thanked her father for understanding how she felt. "You'll meet your soulmate someday."
Stephanie snorted. "When that happens, I'll marry him."
"Whether you get married or remain single doesn't matter to me as long as you are always true to your heart. I love you, Pumpkin. I never say that enough," Frank said. "I left you my old laptop to use. The password is your birthday in military code." He kissed her curly hair before letting himself out of her apartment while carrying the trash.
Stephanie leaned against her apartment door. She couldn't have asked for a better father. It didn't take long to enter her birthdate as year, month and day. A notice popped up, asking if she wanted to change the password. Stephanie smiled and entered 19840812, which was two months before her birthday. Nobody should be able to crack that code.