Valerie
Stephanie found me in my office, arranging Angie's seventh birthday party. I had a challenging time finding a venue close to Thanksgiving, so I decided to have the party during the second week of December. It was already the beginning of December and I was running out of time to organize the party.
Angie wanted a princess party at the house. I wasn't sure how I would manage all those children Angie wanted to invite. Hopefully, Mom could help. Would Ella come over if I asked?
"Are you busy?" Stephanie asked. I shook my head and moved my party notes.
"Is it important?" My heart fluttered when Stephanie nodded. She put the sealed envelope on my desk.
"The results are back," Stephanie replied. Mary Alice failed using her puppy dog eyes at Joe Morelli. He refused to get a paternity test as part of my witch-hunt. When Joe finished drinking his cola and left the restaurant, Bobby collected everything potentially containing Joe's DNA. It proved Joseph Morelli was Angie and Mary Alice's biological father. When I presented Joe with the information, he demanded another test using blood.
Stephanie paid to have an unbiased lab run the test. We waited four weeks for the lab to mail the results. The lab technician promised to send a copy to Joseph Morelli. I wouldn't have to contact him.
My hands shook as I tore the envelope open. I slowly unfolded the letter. Then, I gave it to Stephanie. "You read it. I can't," I whined.
"Valerie, we know it says Joe's the father." Stephanie read the results and touched my arm. "Look. It says the subject tested is the biological father of the minor children, Angie and Mary Alice Plum," Stephanie said. I changed the girls' last name when I moved to Trenton.
"Do you know what this means?" I asked, wiping the tears off my cheeks.
"Yes. Mom's going to force you to marry Joseph Morelli," Stephanie replied.
"That's not going to happen," I defiantly said. Stephanie believed me. I was in a relationship with someone at Rangeman. He was tall, dark and handsome. Mom would disapprove.
I started dating the dark man after the pregnancy test proved to be negative. My man didn't want to date me while I carried another man's child. We haven't had sex yet. He preferred to take it slow, ensuring I overcame the shit I endured with Steve and Morelli.
After the pregnancy scare with Albert, Stephanie introduced me to a lovely woman named Mackenzie Tanner. She was the psychiatrist Stephanie visited in Miami to get over the shit Mom put her through. It was how she healed from the emotional abuse. I had many Skype sessions with Mac and loved talking to her.
Mac made me realize I sabotaged my relationship with Steve because I wanted Mom to be proud of me. I did whatever possible to earn her favour. When that didn't work, I got involved with Morelli, hoping the scandal would get back to Mom and she'd talk about me to the neighbours. It was really fucked up reasoning, but when Mac suggested that was how I behaved, I realized she was right.
"What if Morelli sues me for custody?" I asked, fearing the worst after Joe insisted on irrefutable proof the girls were his daughters.
"I don't think that would happen," Stephanie reasoned. "He won't care about the girls. Valerie, I explained all of this years ago. Joseph Morelli would only want custody if the children were boys."
"Do you know that for sure?" I asked.
"No, but I know men like Morelli. They only care about their male heir."
Even if Joseph Morelli only cared about his male heirs, I doubted he would want his progeny around the men he called thugs and criminals. Angie and Mary Alice are safe with the men. They treat the girls like their nieces. I had never seen men that fiercely protective of unrelated children. The men were adorable when Stephanie's children were in the building, which was frequent.
Stephanie shared intel about that type of man she met while accompanying Ranger to client meetings. I heard the women flirt with Ranger, but he never reciprocated. A few times, those women tried to swindle money from Ranger for sexual harassment but failed. Stephanie was always with him and recorded the meetings. Lester suggested telling the flirtatious women about the recordings after their meetings ended. Stephanie loved the idea. It didn't take long for word to spread across Trenton. Stephanie trusted her husband. I couldn't say the same about the Burg men.
"Valerie!" Stephanie said, slamming her fists on my desk.
"Sorry. My mind wandered," I replied, ashamed I let those thoughts run rampant inside my head.
"Are you going to sue Morelli for support?" Stephanie asked, repeating the question.
"No," I answered. Stephanie looked angry. "Stop it, Steph. I'm not suing for support. Why should I make Joe pay for my mistakes?"
"Because Angie and Mary Alice are his daughters. Valerie, I'm not doing this to be a bitch. Either Joseph Morelli pays for support, or you ask him to relinquish his paternal rights," Stephanie replied. "You must do this for the girls."
"I know. Mom wants us over for dinner tonight," I warned.
Stephanie sighed. She saw Mom around town but found excuses to avoid attending dinner. "I may as well face the inevitable," Stephanie replied. "Unless you think a client meeting would get me out of it."
"That won't work, Steph. Mom asked if you had appointments tonight. I said your calendar was open. Call Dad and tell him you're bringing the family to dinner. He'll ensure Mom sets the table with enough place settings."
I waited for Stephanie to call Dad. She took a few deep breaths before dialling the number of his mobile device. "Hi, Daddy. I've got you on speakerphone. Valerie's here."
"Hi, girls. To what do I owe this pleasure?" Dad asked. I sensed him smiling on the other end.
"I told Stephanie about the dinner invitation," I replied.
"Ah. How many?" Dad asked, understanding why Stephanie called.
"Nine," I replied after adding Stephanie's five and my three plus one.
"Are you bringing a date, Peanut?" Dad wondered.
"Yes," I answered. Stephanie giggled when I blushed. She knew who I was inviting to dinner. "I have a feeling Mom invited Joe Morelli."
"That asshole isn't welcome inside my house," Dad calmly said.
"True, but that's why Mom only invited Stephanie, me and the girls," I replied.
"Dad, let Mom have Joe at the table. It's best to deal with all this shit at once," Stephanie suggested. "I'll wear a wire and camera."
Dad laughed. "Gathering evidence. I like your style, Stephanie. I'll pass the message to your mother. See you at six," Dad replied. He ended the call.
Stephanie checked her watch. She noticed it was already five in the afternoon. Angie and Mary Alice were at Mom's and Dad's house. They would help Mom set the table. I knew she was making pot roast with potatoes, beans, fresh bread and lots of gravy. You needed gravy to cover the dryness of the beef. I tried to tell Mom she overcooked it, but she refused to cook it for less time than indicated in her cookbook.
"We should bring additional food," I suggested. "Can Ella whip something up in the next thirty minutes?"
"You're right. It's pot roast night. With how much your man eats, we need more food," Stephanie teased, texting someone. I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't disagree. "Ella roasted two chickens and baked macaroni and cheese. She said we can take those. Ricky and Liana would prefer the pasta."
"So would Angie and Mary Alice. How do you think Morelli would react to seeing you with Ranger?" I asked.
Stephanie giggled and shrugged. She didn't really care about Joseph Morelli. Joe often asked Eddie Gazarra and his partner, Robin Russell, if they knew where Stephanie lived. Eddie, as our cousin-in-law, refused to release intel about the family. He wouldn't tell anyone, not even a fellow officer. Eddie heard about what Joe did to Stephanie when she was sixteen. The poems Joe wrote about Stephanie ruined her reputation. I felt horrible for my sister. Why her? Joe left for the Navy before Stephanie could confront him.
I called Dad again, telling him we were bringing three more adults. Dad laughed and said he couldn't wait to see Mom and Joe's reactions.
Bobby, Tank, Hector and Lester met me in the garage. Lester held up the bags containing the extra food. Tank smiled as he produced a bouquet from behind his back. I giggled. He was adorable. Not to be forgotten, Bobby showed me the two bottles of wine he purchased to pair with chicken and beef. Hector grinned and showed me the knives he hid on his body. I laughed, knowing Hector would keep the obnoxious Italian in his place.
"You guys are the best," I said. I went on my tiptoes to kiss each man on the cheek. Then I kissed my man on the lips. The other three teased him.
We used a Rangeman SUV with extra seats for the girls. Lester went to my vehicle to grab the booster seat for Mary Alice. I let Bobby drive. Tank sat beside him, leaving Lester, Hector, and me in the back. I didn't mind. It was logical to give Tank more legroom.
"So, what made you invite Hector and me?" Lester asked.
"Stephanie's bringing the children. Mom invited Morelli. He knows Angie and Mary Alice are his biological daughters. We can't predict how he'll react," I confessed. Hector grinned while using a knife to clean his fingernails. Lester unnecessarily translated in Spanish for Hector. I knew Hector spoke and understood English.
Bobby parked a few houses away from my parents' house. I had to wait until Lester climbed from the seat beside me. He extended a hand to help me from the car. "Thanks," I said, grinning. Lester returned my smile. Bobby passed Hector a bottle of wine to carry to the house. They didn't want to show up empty-handed. I loved how considerate they were.
Carlos and Stephanie arrived a few minutes later. Stephanie carried Liana while holding Ricky's hand. Carlos had the diaper bag and Teddy's car seat. I kept the door open for them to enter. "Hola, Tia Valerie," Ricky said, removing his jacket. I hung it on the hook behind the door. Stephanie passed me Liana's coat before handing me the little girl. Liana wrapped her arms around my neck and squeezed.
"Not too tight, Lia," I said. Liana giggled and released her grip.
Stephanie removed Liana from my arms. She reached into her purse and removed a manilla envelope. "This got delivered after you left," Stephanie explained. Tank took it and tucked it into the side pocket of his cargo pants.
Ricky tugged my hand, pointing to the chair with the booster seat. I helped him sit on his chair and tucked the napkin in his shirt.
Mom was busy putting the beef and vegetables onto serving platters. Stephanie grabbed the food from Lester and asked me to help her in the kitchen. "Hi, Mom," Stephanie greeted.
"Stephanie Michelle Plum. How dare you move to Trenton and wait for two months before visiting!" Mom yelled.
"Enough!" Stephanie snapped. I grabbed another platter to serve the chicken Ella cooked. Ella had the macaroni and cheese in a casserole dish I could place on the table. "Listen, Mom. You don't have the right to yell at me. I got married, and I have children. Isn't that what you wanted? Before you go off on some delusional tangent, I got married before getting pregnant, which happened on my honeymoon."
"When do I meet your husband?" Mom sweetly asked. Oh boy. Hang on, everyone; Mom would blow a gasket once I introduced her to my boyfriend.
"He joined us for dinner tonight. I brought our children. Would you like to meet them?" Stephanie asked. She waited a few minutes for Mom to pour the gravy from the pot to the gravy boat. "Since we have extra guests, I brought pasta for the children and roasted chicken to accompany your meal."
"How many people?" Mom enquired.
Stephanie smiled and said, "My family of five, Valerie's boyfriend and my children's bodyguards." I stifled a laugh. "Mom, didn't you ask Angie to set the table?"
"Your father got the girls to set the places. Why do you have bodyguards for the children?"
"Mom, why don't we discuss this over dinner?" I suggested when Dad announced that Joe Morelli arrived.
"Hurry," Mom demanded, shoving serving platters into Stephanie's hands. Stephanie winked at me and exited the kitchen. She placed the pasta closest to the children.
Mom was taken aback when she saw the flowers on the table. Dad grabbed the vase from the china cabinet. He opened the wine, placing them on either side of the flowers. Carlos passed Dad a box of Cuban cigars. Dad couldn't be happier.
I placed the chicken and gravy on the table. Joe reached for the macaroni and cheese. "No," Stephanie said, shoving his hand away. "The pasta is for the children."
"What kids?" Joe sneered, ignoring Stephanie's children.
"Mama, may I have pasta?" Ricky politely asked, speaking English. Stephanie and Carlos were raising the children to be trilingual. They spoke Spanish, English and Italian at home.
"Of course," Stephanie replied, dishing a few scoops onto his plate. Joe's mouth dropped open when he glanced at the children sitting at the table. Stephanie's children resembled her in some way.
"Don't say a word," Frank warned Morelli. Joe wisely remained quiet while waiting for Stephanie to finish serving the kids pasta. He hoped to grab some.
"Oh. I'm sorry, Joe. There isn't any left for you," Stephanie said after giving Mary Alice the last serving of the pasta. Stephanie sat beside Carlos and took her usual portions of meat, potatoes and vegetables. Carlos raised a brow when Stephanie covered her beef with gravy. She shrugged, saying something in Spanish. Dad laughed and agreed.
I was sitting beside my man. He squeezed my knee beneath the table. Lester nudged me with his knee, then looked at Joe, who was staring at Stephanie.
"Is there a problem with the food, Joseph?" Mom asked.
"No," Joe quickly replied. He took whatever he could.
Hector grabbed a bottle from the diaper bag and disappeared into the kitchen. Stephanie smiled when he removed Teddy from the seat to feed him.
"Which one is your husband, Stephanie?" Mom asked halfway through dinner. Her eyes kept flicking to Ranger.
"Carlos," Stephanie replied, touching Ranger's arm. Mom appeared ready to explode. She took a drink from her glass. When I arrived, I caught her adding a healthy shot of Jimmy Beam to the iced tea.
Mom looked at Joe, who nodded. "You married that thug?" Mom screeched.
Hector asked Angie to help him with Stephanie's children since Liana and Ricky finished eating their pasta. She excused herself and had Mary Alice take her plate to the living room. She could finish eating while watching television. Angie removed Liana from the high chair after wiping her face and hands on the bib.
Carlos pushed Ricky's chair back from the table. Lester grabbed some wet wipes from the diaper bag to clean the pasta from Liana's face and hands. Ricky used his napkin to wipe his mouth.
"Leave them on the empty plate," Stephanie told Lester and Ricky.
Stephanie waited until the noise of the television would drown out their conversation. "Mom, Carlos is not a thug. He's the owner of Rangeman and ex-military," Stephanie said.
"I don't care for your lies. Joseph said that building housed thugs and criminals," Mom snarled. Mom's tone indicated she believed Joe's deception over Stephanie's truth. Yikes.
My sister stopped Carlos from getting out of his chair with a gentle touch. He would wait for her signal. "Am I a thug or criminal, Mom?" Stephanie asked.
"You're a Burg woman," Mom replied, smiling at Joseph. "I want…No, I demand you divorce Carlos and marry Joseph."
Picking up on the thread, Joe added, "We can visit my lawyer and free you from that prison. Ranger can keep those nasty half-breeds."
It was Ranger's turn to keep Stephanie in her seat. She was ready to tear Mom and Joe apart.
Dad tried to diffuse the situation by asking, "Which one are you dating, Valerie?"
Smiling, I looked into my man's face and replied, "Tank."
Mom and Joe jumped up from the table. "My daughters are not going to be raised by that thug!" Joe yelled when Mom shouted, "But he's black!"
Tank calmly removed the envelope from his pocket. I nodded, permitting him to open it. Frank stared at Morelli and pulled a pen from his shirt pocket. Dad didn't miss a trick.
I read the papers and smiled. Joe would pay back support for the girls, but his responsibility would end when I signed the document accepting his proposal to terminate his parental rights. The judge must agree with the case, but I doubted there would be issues. Tank and Dad signed as witnesses. I gave Joe his copy, then tucked the cheque for child support in my wallet.
"Angie and Mary Alice are not your children according to this order I signed. Thanks for dinner, Mom. It's getting late, and I have a routine to keep with the girls," I said. Tank put my copy of the document in his pocket.
The vein in Joe's head pulsed. Bobby, Lester and Hector were taking the children outside to the cars. Carlos had Stephanie tucked close to his side, protecting her from Mom and Joe. Mom tried to prevent Stephanie from leaving while Joe rounded the table, trying to stop me.
Using his quick reflexes, Dad had Morelli pinned to the wall. "Leave my daughters alone, or I will gut you," Dad snarled loud enough for us to hear.
"Frank," Mom whined.
"Stay out of it, Helen. I will deal with you later," Dad calmly replied. Mom dropped into her seat and drank her iced tea. She stared ahead as we left the house.
Hector and Lester watched us drive away. "How are they getting home?" I asked.
"Manny, Cal, Junior and Binkie are in the area," Tank replied. "We wouldn't visit your family without backup, knowing Morelli was there."
"That's why I invited Bobby, Lester and Hector," I said.
Tank reached across the console to stroke my cheek. "They protected the children. You chose well. I'm proud of you."