Stephanie went into labour on August 26, 2022, in the early morning. Nando celebrated his third birthday precisely two weeks earlier. He was excited to see his baby sister. Stephanie got to the hospital an hour before Keira Edna Bianco was born. She weighed eight pounds even. Her eyes were blue, and her hair was pale blond. Stephanie had never seen such a beautiful girl.
Enzo had arranged to get a vasectomy. He had his child and didn't want Stephanie to risk her life having another baby. Nando would carry his name until he was old enough to change it. Stephanie and Enzo agreed to give him that choice. Until then, Nando's surname was Bianco.
"She's beautiful," Caterina said when she visited Stephanie during visiting hours.
"Thanks, Nonna. Where's Nonno?" Stephanie asked, looking for her grandfather.
Caterina giggled, "Smoking a cigar with Enzo."
"He did the same when Nando was born. Speaking on Nando, where is he?" Stephanie asked. Caterina drove to the house to watch Nando when Stephanie went into labour.
"At home with Aria, his other grandma," Caterina replied. "Dino's at the house." Caterina laughed. She wondered if Aria would have trouble getting Nando to take an afternoon nap.
"Have Zero arrive for nap time. He can get Nando to fall asleep after Dino winds him up," Stephanie suggested.
Caterina brushed the curls off Stephanie's face. Stephanie looked exhausted after having her baby. "Is everything alright?" Caterina asked. "Did they discover why you got pre-eclampsia?"
"Nonna, I'm thirty-eight in October. The doctor said my age was the likely factor. I don't have any symptoms of eclampsia. You don't need to worry about me. I'll be fine. Have you called Dad?"
Taking a deep breath, Caterina busied herself by checking Keira's fingers and toes. Stephanie gave her grandmother a few minutes to find the words to explain everything happening in Trenton. "Nonna, is it my Grandma?" Stephanie asked.
Caterina sat on the chair beside Stephanie's bed. She took Stephanie's hand and said, "Edna had a stroke. Her prognosis isn't promising. They are closely watching to see if there's any improvement."
"Does she have any paralysis?" Stephanie wondered. Caterina nodded. "Okay. Please, keep me informed. I want to know if anything changes. Can you ask the nurse to get Keira a bottle?"
"Aren't you nursing?"
"She won't latch. We tried for the first six hours before Keira got too hungry to wait," Stephanie replied. "It's probably for the best. Especially if Grandma doesn't recover."
"Steph, you can't fly with Keira for another three to six months. The doctors recommend waiting until the infant's immunity system develops before taking them on a plane," Caterina said.
"I know. Nonna, if Grandma doesn't recover, I need you to watch Keira while I attend her funeral. Aria will help." Stephanie would take Nando and Enzo with her. It would allow Angie, Mary Alice, Lisa, Anna, Bert and Bea to meet their cousin. Stephanie couldn't wait to see Lisa, Anna, Bert and Bea. She never met them at her mother's funeral. Albert kept them from attending. Stephanie would visit the children before leaving Trenton.
"I'll do anything for you, Steph. Maria, Aria, your grandfather and I will watch Keira while you travel. I pray it doesn't come to that," Caterina said, praying Edna would recover. Caterina lifted Keira from her bed and placed her in Stephanie's arms. "Smile, Steph."
Stephanie gave her grandmother a sleepy smile. Caterina snapped a few photographs, then sent them to Frank, asking him to show Edna.
A few weeks later, on September 12, 2022, Edna passed away in her sleep.
Stephanie returned to Trenton to attend Grandma Edna Mazur's funeral. She was surprised to see Ranger standing with Lester, Tank and Bobby at the back of the church. With her hair straightened and auburn and blond highlights, it masked her appearance. Stephanie wore a black hat with lace hanging down a few inches to cover her eyes and nose. It tickled her lip as she spoke. Nando squirmed in his seat, having to use the bathroom. The trip in his Nonno Frank's car was too long, and they got stuck in traffic.
"Momma, I have to go pee," Nando whispered. Stephanie took her boy to the women's washroom in the church since the family washroom was occupied. He sat on the toilet to pee, carefully ensuring his penis wasn't pointing toward the front of the seat. "Thanks, Momma," Nando said as he washed his hands. He was three years old and a big boy. Nando asked about his father a few times, but Stephanie couldn't give him an honest answer, promising to tell Nando when he got older.
She didn't answer, afraid someone would recognize her voice. Stephanie heard strange noises from the family washroom. "Call me Babe," a woman said.
"Babe," she heard as a woman screamed, "Ranger." It seemed Ranger found another fuck buddy to call by her nickname. The reality came crashing down. Ranger had other women he called Babe. Was it a name he used so he didn't have to remember who he was fucking?
"But he called you Stephanie during sex," her inner voice reminded her. It didn't matter.
"Momma, is someone hurting the lady?" Nando asked.
"No," Stephanie whispered. She led Nando back inside the church.
Stephanie watched Ranger slip back into the church with Joyce Barnhardt following close behind, looking well fucked. "Another one bites the dust," Stephanie mumbled. She couldn't believe Ranger would succumb to Barnhardt's charm after all those years. Stephanie suddenly remembered it was part of the case for the FBI. They hadn't caught the Burg criminals in the act.
Didn't Ranger have respect for the church or the dead? It was Edna Mazur's funeral mass. Ricardo Carlos Manoso desecrated the church and event by fucking Joyce Barnhart in the family washroom. A bathroom children use with parental supervision. Stephanie was glad Ranger issued documents renouncing his paternal rights to Nando. Thank goodness the boy was a perfect blend of Stephanie and Carlos.
"Where did Papa go?" Nando asked, searching the church for his dad.
"I don't know," Stephanie whispered. Stephanie caught Enzo's eye and winked. She knew he was avoiding her to protect Nando from Ranger. "It's time for the service." The residual affection she felt for Ranger dissipated. The intrusive thoughts of what could have been between her and Ranger dissipated. She felt free. Stephanie rubbed her stomach, missing her daughter Keira. The three-week-old beauty was too young to fly overseas. Keira was at home with her grandmother and great-grandparents.
Stephanie tried to nurse Keira, but she wouldn't latch, forcing Stephanie to bottle-feed the baby. It was a blessing in disguise, as she told her Nonna after giving birth. Stephanie didn't want to miss her grandmother's funeral.
Valerie sat at the front with the family. She had seven kids and appeared to be pregnant again. Stephanie wondered why Valerie didn't get her tubes tied or forced Kloughn to get a vasectomy. They had more children than they could afford.
Frank noticed Stephanie sitting alone with Nando. He caught Enzo's eye and raised a brow. Enzo pointed toward the back, where Ranger sat with the others. Frank understood Enzo was protecting Stephanie and Nando from the asshole, Carlos Manoso.
Stephanie told Frank that Ranger knew where she was living. He couldn't visit her, which was perfect. Nando peeked over the back of the pew, catching his Uncle Lester's eye. "Momma, why is my uncle here?" Nando asked, speaking in Italian.
"I'll tell you when we visit Nonno," Stephanie replied. Nando faced the front of the church.
As he walked to the front, Frank dropped a note with Stephanie. He would meet her at the lodge before she went to the bingo hall where Edna's friends held her repost. Frank would keep Nando and his other young grandchildren busy at the lodge while Stephanie attended the reception. He wanted Stephanie to catch up with her friends and talk to Edna's friends without worrying about the probing questions regarding her son.
The funeral mass was perfect. Edna would have been proud.
Stephanie felt someone staring at her and resisted the urge to glance around. Nando sat beside his mother, hands folded in his lap. He smiled when a few kids ran down the aisle. Stephanie covered her mouth when Albert chased after his children. Albert never changed, except for the few extra pounds he carried around his middle.
Ranger, Lester, Bobby, Tank, Enzo and Hector went to the front of the church when called. They carried Edna Mazur's casket from the church to the hearse. It was the ideal time for Stephanie to slip through the other exit with Nando. Unfortunately, Joyce Barnhardt found her buckling Nando into his booster seat in Frank's car.
"Cunt," Joyce yelled as Stephanie closed the door.
"I'll meet you there, Dad," Stephanie said through the open window. "Nando, behave for your Nonno." Stephanie smiled when Nando said the ugly woman said a bad word.
"I see some things never change," Stephanie said.
"What are you doing here?" Joyce snarled.
Stephanie raised her brows. "Wow. I'm attending my grandmother's funeral. I should be asking you that question. You didn't know Edna."
"I'm here to support my fiancée, Ranger," Joyce replied, flashing the diamond. Stephanie glanced at Joyce's hand. She wore an engagement ring - the same one Dickie gave Stephanie for their engagement. The diamond was fake.
Ranger approached Joyce and Stephanie's showdown. He thought the woman appeared to be familiar. "Stephanie," Ranger said, pulling her into his arms. Ranger reeked of Joyce's cheap perfume.
Speaking Italian, Stephanie said, "Don't kiss me. I don't know where your mouth has been," when Carlos attempted to kiss her cheek.
"Not buried between the skank's thighs," Ranger replied in Italian. Joyce caught the air of an insult but thought it got directed at Stephanie. "You look beautiful."
"Thanks," Stephanie replied. "I have to go." Enzo pulled the rental car beside Stephanie. She climbed in with a wave over her shoulder.
"Are you okay?" Enzo asked. "Does Dad have Nando?" Stephanie removed the hat, tossing it into the backseat. She didn't need it anymore.
"I'm fine; Dad took Nando to the lodge. Daddy knows we didn't want him at the reception. It would be too boring for Nando, and people would ask too many questions." Enzo held Stephanie's hand as they drove to the bingo hall.
It was time to initiate the second part of the plan. Joyce and the others hadn't moved money to the account in Holland. They were waiting for a larger payout or access to the Rangeman account. Stephanie suspected it was the latter. The Burg quintet could derail and shut down Rangeman if the FBI suspected money laundering for the mob.
Enzo parked the car in the back, farthest away from the door. Stephanie wanted them to use the alley off the back to leave the area. She called Hector to relay the changes. They needed to make a fake account for Rangeman and transfer significant money into it. Stephanie's stomach felt squishy, and her spidey sense indicated it was for the best. She updated Lester, who agreed with her assessment.
After receiving Bobby and Lester's approval, Stephanie created the fake account with all the bells and whistles to show that Joyce was "legitimate" to bite. Hector promised to create the necessary bank cards associated with the account. He slipped the card and "client" cheque into my purse as we entered the bingo hall.
Stephanie and Enzo entered the bingo hall much later than the other funeral guests. People rushed at Stephanie, wanting details about the boy sitting with her. Stephanie evaded their questions by asking about what was new in their lives. It worked like a charm.
Catching Ranger's eye, Stephanie motioned to talk privately. Ranger excused himself from Joyce, who refused to let him out of her eyesight. He demanded that she stay put, knowing she would follow anyway.
"Is something wrong?" Ranger asked.
"Mr. Bennett gave me a cheque to pay for their quarterly fees. I told him to e-transfer, but something happened, and Bennett said he couldn't complete the payment. The bank cancelled the transaction. Enzo and I are supposed to visit Valerie after we leave here. I can't get to the bank before it closes. Do you mind handling this for me?" Stephanie asked. Quietly speaking Italian, Stephanie added, "She's listening."
Ranger smiled and accepted the cheque. "I don't have the bank card with me," Ranger replied, quickly realizing Stephanie arranged another way to trap Joyce.
"It's not a problem," Stephanie replied. "The pin to access the account is my birthday."
"People do the online access now. Nobody uses their birthday as the pin," Ranger said.
"True, but I haven't memorized access codes like you do. My birthday is easier to remember," Stephanie replied. "Thanks for taking care of this for me today."
"No problem," Ranger said, tucking the card and cheque into his jacket pocket.
Joyce waited for Stephanie to disappear before approaching Ranger. She slid her hand inside his jacket, feeling where he tucked the card. "Don't you have an accounts receivable person to manage the deposits?" Joyce asked.
"Yes, but he's on vacation," Ranger replied. "Stephanie fills in whenever she's in town." It was a lie that Joyce never realized.
"I never see her in town," Joyce said. "Where does she work?"
"Miami," Ranger answered, giving her something to go on. Lester overheard his response and contacted the Miami branch to say Stephanie worked in the office there. Someone could always indicate she's unavailable if they called her. It was risky but necessary. Ranger hoped they wouldn't have to worry about that minor snafu.
Lester sent messages to everyone involved with the FBI operative. Collins added Stephanie to the case after she had Keira. He felt her assistance would be vital to solving the case. She would work whenever her daughter was asleep, which seemed to be most of the day.