Stephanie and Vince started dating when she returned home from the hospital. Vince was a remarkable father figure for Nando. The boy loved his papa. It was hard to believe how much had changed in Stephanie's life.
Nando celebrated his first and second birthdays with the people who loved him the most. Frank surprised Stephanie by attending the parties. Stephanie loved spending the two weeks with her father. Nando loved his Nonno. She could picture them going fishing together. However, that wasn't likely going to happen. Stephanie made a life for herself in Italy. Returning to Trenton would be taking ten steps backwards.
After receiving closure from Ranger, Stephanie could move on with someone else. Enzo was attentive and loving. They took their time learning about each other before taking their relationship into the bedroom - a year after their first date. Stephanie noticed the difference in her reactions to Enzo. There wasn't a rush to orgasm, though Enzo ensured Stephanie peaked at least twice before chasing his own release.
Nando's cries often interrupted their sexual encounters. Stephanie giggled every time it happened. Enzo left their bed to change Nando's diaper. "Is our boy settled?" Stephanie asked when Enzo returned.
"Yes. Nando got tangled in his blankets. I changed his diaper and rocked him. He's sleeping," Enzo replied.
"Now, where were we?" Stephanie joked, stroking him seductively.
"Here," Enzo said, plunging into her warmth.
Stephanie screamed as Enzo pushed her over the edge. She prayed Nando slept through the noise. Thankfully, the baby monitor on the bedside table remained silent. "Have you thought about having a child?" Stephanie asked.
"I have a son," Enzo replied. Stephanie smiled at his answer.
"Enzo, I meant a biological child. I'm not getting any younger, and I want Nando to have a sibling," Stephanie explained.
"When is the contraception injection due?"
"Next week."
"Okay."
"Okay, as in, you acknowledge I'm getting the next injection, or okay, you want another child?" Stephanie asked, hoping for clarification.
"We can work on having another child," Enzo replied. He pulled Stephanie onto his chest. She straddled his hips to rest her knees on the bed. Stephanie wiggled until Enzo was ready for another round.
The time flew by raising Nando and working at the vineyard and winery. Enzo got named CEO when his grandfather passed away. Aria, Enzo's mother, worked as the receptionist for the office staff. She also managed the Human Resources department. It was a family-run business. Maria dedicated her time to volunteering in various organizations in town. She was excited to have freedom from the obligations of the winery.
Inside the Trenton Rangeman branch, Hector stumbled upon an exciting document. Everyone was searching for the wrong information. Hector buried the data before reaching out to Stephanie on the dark web.
Obscuretear: Huntinshadowww, I discovered things.
Huntinshadowww: What things?
Obscuretear: Ancestry.
Huntinshadowww: It took you three years. That's a long time for you. Should I be concerned?
Obscuretear: No. I have your back.
Huntinshadowww: Thanks. BTW, I wanted you to find me.
Obscuretear: Oh?
Huntinshadowww: Yes. I'm not hiding anymore.
Obscuretear: LOL - only in here.
Stephanie laughed at Hector's message. He wasn't wrong. Stephanie wasn't hiding from Rangeman for another day. But she was still hiding in the dark web.
Huntinshadowww: Since you know my name, feel free to visit.
Obscuretear: I want to, but I can't.
Huntinshadowww: Ah. Got it. I'll visit whenever I'm in town.
Their exchange made Hector smile. He could hardly wait to see Stephanie again. She wasn't hiding. But Ranger and the others stopped looking. Not Hector, though. He wanted to find the woman he classified as a sister.
~~~~~
Frank took Helen to the hospital. She was vomiting blood. He felt it was the end of the line for his wife. After the doctor's warning about liver disease and cirrhosis, Helen refused to stop drinking. She wanted to live her life as pleased. "How bad is it?" Frank asked the doctor who examined Helen.
"She doesn't have long. Maybe a few weeks. Her only hope of survival is a liver transplant," Dr. Stevens replied. The news didn't surprise Frank.
"I'll have to discuss the options with the family," Frank said. Stephanie had the same blood type as Helen. He hoped she would be a close enough match to donate part of her liver.
With his heart feeling heavy and his stomach flopping, Frank called Stephanie. "Daddy, what's wrong?" Stephanie answered when the caller ID indicated it was Frank Plum calling.
"It's your mother. She's sick," Frank explained.
Tears dripped off Stephanie's chin as Frank discussed the prognosis. Stephanie knew what her father wanted before he asked. "I'll do it, Dad," Stephanie offered. She searched the airline for availability. "Shit. I have to come alone. They don't have enough seats available for the family."
"You don't need to help, pumpkin. Maybe we should let your mother go," Frank replied.
"Too late, Daddy. I booked my flights. I'll see you in the morning." Stephanie ended the call. She had to tell Enzo, who was bathing Nando.
Enzo patiently waited for Stephanie to stop crying and explain what had happened. "Who?" Enzo asked.
"Mom. She needs a liver transplant. I'm the only family member with the same blood type," Stephanie replied. She was sad about putting off a potential pregnancy for a few months. The pregnancy test Stephanie took a week earlier was negative.
"Sweetheart, we'll have our baby when the time is right," Enzo said. He always said the right words to make Stephanie feel better.
Nando splashed the water with his rubber toy truck. Stephanie smiled when Nando blinked from getting water in his eyes. Blue eyes, her shade, stared in shock at the intrusion. Stephanie grabbed a towel to dry his face. "Momma!" Nando squealed, delighted to see her.
"Momma has to visit Nonno in New Jersey," Stephanie said. She knew Nando didn't understand.
"Up," he replied. Stephanie glanced at Enzo, who nodded. Having finished his bath, Nando stood in the tub, waiting for Stephanie to remove him from the water. She wrapped the towel around Nando, then carried him to the bedroom.
"Nando, I need you to be a good boy for Papa, okay?" Stephanie asked after covering him with a diaper. She felt the warm pee as she pulled the pyjama bottoms over his butt.
"Papa," Nando repeated. He was twenty-nine months old. His vocabulary was impressive, but he was less chatty closer to bedtime. "Momma, is Papa reading my bedtime story?"
"Yes, sweetie. Papa will read your bedtime story. Momma has to go for a little while, okay?" Stephanie asked.
"Okay, Momma. I love you," Nando said.
"I love you too, sweetie."
Stephanie tucked Nando into bed and kissed his forehead. She kissed Enzo before going to their bedroom to pack her bags. "Are you telling the family you got married?" Enzo asked.
"Dad and Grandma know," Stephanie replied. "I'm not interested in sharing the news with anyone else. Valerie isn't capable of keeping things to herself. Though, I might tell Hector when I see him."
Stephanie packed her warmer clothes for the cooler temperature in Trenton. She knew a few inches of snow covered the roads. Enzo helped Stephanie by grabbing her jeans and long-sleeved shirts. Stephanie packed her lingerie inside the zippered pocket to protect them from getting tangled with the other clothes.
"Could you call Dino to give me a ride?" Stephanie asked.
Dino was Enzo's personal assistant at the winery. He was also Enzo's cousin on his mother's side of the family. Most days, Dino was hilarious. Dino reminded Stephanie of Lester Santos. Enzo called his cousin, who jumped to drive Stephanie to the airport after offering to watch Nando.
"Did Dino offer to babysit?" Stephanie wondered.
"He did. We know what happened the last time," Enzo replied with a chuckle. Dino kept Nando awake past his bedtime. It took two weeks to get Nando back on his sleep schedule. "I can't handle that craziness without you. Please, call me when you land."
Entering the bathroom, Stephanie grabbed her toothbrush, putting it into the plastic travel case. Enzo raised a brow when she took Nando's toothbrush. "I rinsed it," Enzo said, realizing what Stephanie wanted to do.
Stephanie shrugged and went to see Nando. "Open your mouth, Nando," Stephanie said. Nando followed her instructions. She rubbed it along his cheeks to get some skin and saliva to stick to the soft bristles. Stephanie placed it in the plastic tube to carry it. "You're a good boy," Stephanie said, kissing her son's forehead. He grinned and hugged Stephanie.
Enzo followed Stephanie from Nando's bedroom, carrying her luggage down the stairs. "Please, call me when you land," he reminded her.
"Are you sure you don't want me to text?" Stephanie asked.
"Positive." Enzo wanted to hear her voice. "Dino's here," Enzo said, reading the message on his phone.
"Thanks for understanding, Enzo. I love you," Stephanie said. Enzo reciprocated. He walked Stephanie to the door and told Dino to drive safely. Stephanie kissed Enzo before leaving. Dino grinned and carried Stephanie's luggage to the car.
"I've never seen Vincenzo look so happy," Dino said as he backed out of the driveway. He drove a few more blocks before adding, "You and Nando saved his life. Did you know?"
Stephanie assessed Dino. She liked the man but wondered why he claimed she had saved Enzo's life. Dino kept talking, telling Stephanie that Enzo was withdrawn and going through the motions until he met her at Rangeman. "How would that save his life?" Stephanie asked.
"Your reaction when things didn't go your way. Enzo was impressed by how you continued doing your job despite the setbacks. You held your chin high and moved past every car catastrophe or injury suffered at the hands of those criminals you chased. Steph, you cared about those criminals. Enzo said a few were grateful for your assistance and for proving their innocence. You saved his life by being the woman you were born to be," Dino explained.
"Oh," she replied, overwhelmed by Dino's knowledge of her past failures.
"Steph, nobody sees those incidents as failures. Enzo and I see them as stepping stones through the ambiguity and tragedy of the situation. He never saw himself worthy enough to be a father. Nando shows him daily how wonderful it is to be a dad," Dino said.
Dino stopped in the loading zone. He jumped from the car to grab Stephanie's luggage from the trunk. "Thanks for the ride and kind words," Stephanie said while hugging Dino. "Keep my family safe."
"Will do. Call if anything changes, okay?" Dino asked. Stephanie promised before disappearing into the terminal.
She went to the ticket booth to collect her boarding pass. The attendant smiled, then asked for her passport. Stephanie reached into her bag for the document. "Ah. You are American?" she asked.
"Yes. I'm applying for citizenship," Stephanie replied without thinking. Did Stephanie want to live in Italy permanently? She wasn't sure. It was a thought for another day. Stephanie wouldn't leave Italy without Enzo.
"Have a safe trip," the woman said.
Stephanie walked to the terminal and waited for the attendant to call the flight, which happened ten minutes later. She smiled and boarded the plane. A few men gave Stephanie appreciative looks. Her brow furrowed when a man resembling Zero caught her eye. Stephanie had her hair pulled into a low bun, concealing her curls.
The man happened to be seated beside Stephanie. "Steph?" he asked. Stephanie ignored him.
"Excuse me, do I know you?" Stephanie asked, speaking with an accent.
"Oh. I'm sorry, ma'am. You resemble a woman from home," he said. "I'm Bruno Marchino. My friends back home call me zero."
"Stefania," Stephanie replied, using the Italian version of her name.
Zero chucked, "You have the same name. What are the chances?" She wasn't fooling Zero. He knew she was the Stephanie they missed.
"Tell me about your Stephanie," she asked.
It shocked Stephanie to learn the Merry Men lost respect for Ranger when he revoked her privileges and access to Rangeman. Zero said the guys do their jobs and nothing more. They don't hang out for non-working hours or days off. He claimed, "Stephanie made us a family. With her gone, we returned to the shell of men we became after serving the country."
"I'm sorry for your loss. Don't you think it's a disservice to your friend, Stephanie, for reverting to your hermit lives?" Stephanie asked.
"I never thought of it that way," Zero replied. "Where are you headed from here?"
"New York," Stephanie replied. "You?"
"Same," Zero said. "Stephanie, I won't tell anyone I saw you. Ranger stopped looking for you over a year ago."
As she told Hector, she wasn't hiding. "Is anyone searching for me?" Stephanie asked, giving up the pretence of being a total stranger.
"No. Santos and the others couldn't find you anywhere. I had no idea you'd be in Italy. I'm on my way home from a deployment," Zero explained, hoping Stephanie understood. "Have you run into Vince? He's from Florence."
Stephanie grinned. She couldn't wait to tell someone. Turning on her phone, she put it on airplane mode, then sent Enzo a message through the wifi connection. "Okay. I can share the news since you two served together in the military. I'm married to Vincenzo Bianco," Stephanie whispered.
"Shit! You married Vince?" Zero asked. Stephanie nodded. "Are you coming home?"
"For a little while. My mom needs a liver transplant. I offered to be her live donor," Stephanie replied. The plane landed in Rome, where they would catch a flight to New York.
Zero felt Helen Plum didn't deserve Stephanie's help. The woman was horrible to Stephanie when she lived in Trenton. Her rants and tirades about Stephanie were disparaging and mainly lies. Zero couldn't blame Stephanie for leaving. "I heard you had Morelli's baby," Zero said as they waited for the connecting flight.
Stephanie snorted, "Ranger's baby. He's the only person saying my child is a Morelli. Mom doesn't know I have a child."
"Boy or girl?" Zero asked. Stephanie smiled, then showed him a photograph of Nando with her and Enzo. "He's a handsome boy. If you never told me differently, I would assume he belongs to Vince."
"That's the nicest thing you could say," Stephanie replied honestly. "Nando is a sweet child. I couldn't have asked for better. I'm afraid my second one would be wild like me."
"Are you expecting?" Zero asked.
"No." Zero thought Stephanie sounded sad. He dropped the subject.
"What happens if the transplant fails?" Zero asked.
Stephanie grimaced, "Then we'll be burying my mom."
Nothing could have prepared Stephanie for what was about to happen.