Stephanie refuses to acknowledge Helen at the rehearsal dinner. She barely speaks to Valerie, unable to forgive her for asking their mother to pick her up from work. Valerie feels guilty for lying to her father. She didn't want to pick up Stephanie. Spending sexy times with Steve was more important.
"Talk to me," Valerie begs as Stephanie eats her dessert. Stephanie wants to go home. She doesn't care that Valerie is getting married the following afternoon. Stephanie continues to ignore her sister.
Frank catches Stephanie's eye and raises a brow. "It isn't her fault, Pumpkin," Frank says, speaking Italian.
"Yes, it is," Stephanie argues in Italian. "She cared more about having an orgasm than my safety."
"You could have called me for a ride," Frank replies, continuing their conversation in Italian.
Stephanie sighs. "True, but my sister," Stephanie says the word sister with utmost contempt, "promised to pick me up." Turning to face Valerie, Stephanie says, "I will be your bridesmaid tomorrow. It's too late to change the program and find a replacement for me."
"I'm sorry. I didn't know that would happen," Valerie cries. Stephanie pushes away from the table. She ignores Helen and Valerie and walks to the restroom to wash her hands.
Edna Mazur and Faith follows Stephanie. They prevent Helen from entering the washroom, giving Stephanie a moment of solitude. "Are you okay?" Faith asks when Stephanie exits the toilet stall.
"I'm fine, Mom," she replies. "Helen laced into me after you sat in the pews. I don't have the energy or patience to deal with her. Tomorrow is going to be worse than today."
"You have your father and I on your side, Steph. Stick with us. Though I suspect your brothers would love to give Helen a piece of their minds," Faith giggles.
"What would the neighbours think?" Stephanie mocks.
Edna enters the bathroom, giggling. "I'd like to see that, Faith. Your boys, especially Cal, are rather protective of their sister." Edna embraces Stephanie. "Don't let your mother get you down. She doesn't understand that the Burg and its antiquated ideals do not define you. You were born to be free."
"Aren't you disappointed?" Stephanie asks.
"Heck, no!" Edna replies. "I'm proud of you for being true to who you are. The Burg will ruin a gentle soul such as yourself. I would love to visit you more during the summer, but I understand why you can't. You're helping Faith's family by working at the Tasty Pastry. It took extreme bravery to return to the bakery after Joe Morelli assaulted you. I'm incredibly proud of your strength and courage."
"Thanks, Grandma," Stephanie whispers. She kisses her grandma's cheek before letting Faith embrace her.
"Your grandmother couldn't have said it better," Faith adds, making Stephanie giggle.
Stephanie looks in the mirror and grumbles. She uses some paper towels and hand soap to clean her face. Faith smiles as she removes the moisturizer from inside her purse. "Thanks, Mom," Stephanie says, accepting the lotion. She applies it liberally to her face and smiles when it removes the redness from her eyes and cheeks.
Faith smiles and passes Stephanie the mascara. "I know this makes you feel brave," she teases. Stephanie giggles and uses the makeup. Faith gives Stephanie the lipgloss she thoughtfully grabbed. "The gloss is yours. I hope you don't mind that I took it from your purse."
"Speaking of my purse, where is it?" Stephanie asks. Faith opens her bag to show Stephanie.
"I shoved it in my purse before Helen took it and snooped through your phone," Faith replies, blushing. Stephanie hugs her stepmother and thanks her for keeping it safe.
Edna links arms with Stephanie. "Faith told me about your friend. Has he asked you out yet?" Edna asks her granddaughter. Stephanie blushes.
"He's my date for the wedding, but we're just friends," Stephanie confesses.
Faith giggles, "You two were mighty cozy before you came to Trenton."
"Stop it," Stephanie whines, making Edna and Faith laugh harder. They leave the restroom with Stephanie walking between them. Mentioning the boy brought back memories of their first encounter.
After removing Stephanie from Helen's care, Frank took Stephanie to Point Pleasant. He filed for divorce and custody. It happened to be the week Faith and her son, Cal, spent on vacation there. They happened to rent the beach house beside Frank's parents' summer home. Frank and Faith were surprised to see each other after so many years. Faith and Trevor moved to Georgia when he joined the Army. Frank lived on the base, while Faith and Trevor lived in the housing assigned to married soldiers. They rarely crossed paths.
Frank heard Faith returned to Trenton after Trevor's death, but he was too engrossed with his own military career as he moved up the ranks. He planned to move Stephanie to Georgia to get her away from Trenton and the influences of the Burg. Faith convinced him to stay until he finalized his divorce and custody.
Stephanie remained in her father's sight as she danced on the beach. She loved the fluidity of the motions. Helen had Stephanie taking ballet since she could walk. Stephanie hated ballet and refused to cooperate with the instructor, who recommended moving Stephanie to modern dance classes. Helen reluctantly agreed. However, it was on a different day from Valerie's lessons, and Helen refused to take Stephanie. Frank's parents offered to pay for the lessons and take Stephanie to her classes. It suited Helen just fine.
Using the steps and motions she learned in the Latin component of the dance lessons, Stephanie danced on the beach. Her toes kicked the sand, making Cal laugh. Stephanie closed her eyes and let the music inside her mind control her movements. She felt someone beside her. Stephanie opened one eye to see who joined her on the beach. The boy was a few inches shorter than Stephanie. His skin was much darker than her own. She assumed he was younger. "Do you want to dance with me?" he asked, speaking Spanish.
"I don't speak Spanish," Stephanie replied in English, gazing into his brown eyes filled with excitement.
The boy smiled. "I speak English. Do you want to dance with me?"
Stephanie grinned and asked, "How old are you?"
"I turned seven yesterday," he answered. "How old are you?"
"I'll be seven on October 12. My name is Stephanie," she replied.
"Ricardo, but Mama and Papa call me Carlos," he said, making Stephanie laugh.
"Why do they call you Carlos?" Stephanie asked, gently taking his hands to dance with him.
"Papa's name is Ricardo, and I don't like Ricky. Carlos is my second name."
"My middle name is Michelle," Stephanie replied. Carlos stepped closer to Stephanie but maintained a six-inch distance between their bodies. "I could feel you. Did you know?"
"What do you mean?" Carlos asked.
"I knew you were here before I opened my eyes," Stephanie confessed, rubbing her neck.
"I was in the blue house down there," Carlos pointed to the home a few houses away from her grandparents' summer home. "I had to come outside. Mama and Papa told me to stay out of the water." Carlos sensed her on the beach and knew he had to introduce himself.
"Daddy said I couldn't go into the water without him and must wear a life vest."
"That's the same rule with my family. You're a good dancer," Carlos said.
"So are you," she reciprocated. Stephanie and Carlos danced until Frank called her for dinner. "Thank you for dancing. I'm here for two weeks. Do you want to dance tomorrow?"
"Where did you go?" Frank teases, breaking Stephanie from the pleasant memories.
"Remembering that first summer on the beach with Faith and Cal while practicing my dance lessons," Stephanie replies. Frank knows Stephanie's thinking about her best friend, Carlos Manoso.
Helen pinches her lips in annoyance. She thinks Frank had an affair with Faith before leaving her. Faith catches Stephanie's eye and motions for her to look at Helen. "I thought you stopped taking lessons," Valerie says, confusion visible in the tightness of her brow. Valerie glances at Helen briefly, adding, "Mom said you quit."
Stephanie snorts. "I stopped taking ballet. Grandma and Grandpa Plum took me to modern dance classes and competitions."
"You're such a liar," Helen exclaims. Faith shakes her head while removing the small photo book from her purse. She silently passes it to Stephanie.
Valerie watches over Stephanie's shoulder as she flips through the album. Picture after picture shows Stephanie, at various ages, wearing different costumes for her dance competitions. Stephanie won first place in a few couple's dances and mostly second place with her individual component. Valerie is surprised, "Wow. You placed in nearly every competition."
"The only time I lost was when I had the flu. I had to withdraw from the competition," Stephanie confesses. She never shares her plans for the future. Stephanie wants to open a dance studio.
"Hmph," Helen says, turning her nose up at her youngest daughter.
"It's getting late," Valerie announces. "I have a lot of appointments in the morning. Steph, are you coming to Mom's house at noon for lunch and get dressed for the wedding with my other bridesmaids?"
"I'm unable to make it, Valerie. I have my hair appointment at noon. I'll meet you at the church," Stephanie replies, lying through her teeth. She has no intention of visiting her mother's house. Faith suppresses a smile, knowing she is doing Stephanie's hair. After all, she has many years of practice forcing Stephanie's curls into submission for the dance competitions.
Frank stands and waves to the waitress. She approaches and accepts the cash to cover everyone's meals. "Keep the change," Frank says.
"Sir, this is more than generous," the waitress argues. Frank waves her away, feeling the woman deserves the hefty tip for dealing with Helen's nastiness throughout the service.
Helen titters and complains about Frank not paying enough for alimony. Frank raises a brow and contacts his lawyer to learn he finished his term. The judge ruled that alimony payments should only last for half the years they were married or until Helen remarried. It has been nine years since the dissolution of the marriage. Frank is only responsible for five years of alimony payments. He asked the lawyer to review the agreement's details and ensure he paid his due.
Stephanie and Faith listen to Frank talking to his lawyer in Italian. They understand the language but don't comment on the conversation. It isn't about them. Frank opens the car door for Faith while Stephanie quickly hops into the back. He tells the lawyer they'll be in Point Pleasant for the night, making Stephanie smile.
The drive to Point Pleasant is long and boring. Stephanie stares out the window, watching the scenery speed past. She wonders if Mary Lou had trouble with the boys. "Mom, do you have my phone?" Stephanie asks.
Faith smiles and opens her bag. She removes Stephanie's purse from its depths. "Your phone's in the bottom below your wallet. I turned it off during the rehearsal," Faith replies.
"Thanks," Stephanie replies, smiling. She turns on the phone and reads the messages from Mary Lou. Stephanie laughs at her friend's commentary about her youngest brother, Cody.
"Pumpkin?" Frank asks.
"Mary Lou has a boyfriend," Stephanie jokes. "Cody is smitten with her."
"It's probably from the stories Mary Lou shared about you," Frank teases.
It's after ten when they arrive home. Mary Lou is fast asleep on the couch. Stephanie squeezes Mary Lou's nose, making her jump. "Why do you do that?" Mary Lou whines.
"You don't wake up unless I pinch your nose," Stephanie confesses. "Get up. Your parents saw us come home. I bet your dad's waiting on the porch."
"Thanks. Your brothers are hilarious," Mary Lou says. "Thank you for the babysitting job, Mr. Plum. I enjoyed watching the boys." Mary Lou hugs Stephanie before going home with her dad. Stephanie goes to bed and falls asleep immediately.
The following morning, Stephanie waxes her legs and shaves her armpits. Faith helps Stephanie sculpt her brows and plucks the stragglers. Stephanie paints Faith's toenails and squirms when Faith returns the favour. Frank watches his wife and daughter enjoy their time preparing for the wedding. He loves how their relationship grew over the years.
Faith babysat Stephanie whenever he went overseas on a mission. He trusted Faith with his daughter. Sure, his parents checked in with her several times and invited Faith and Cal for dinner. Frank's mother, Gia, saw a connection he missed. It didn't take long after his divorce from Helen to ask Faith on a date. They got married before their first anniversary of dating. Stephanie loved spending time with Faith and Cal. She always wanted a younger brother.
"Why are they laughing?" Cal asks. Frank sees his adoptive son finds his mother and sister amusing, which pleases him.
"I imagine they are divulging secrets about feminine hygiene," Frank jokes.
"Ew. Gross. I know way too much about women's periods," Cal says before leaving.
"Son, you need to shower," Frank calls after him, chuckling. Cal waves dismissively but goes to the bathroom to shower. Frank knows Cal will have Cody shower before getting ready for the wedding. He loves how the children protect each other. Stephanie is a caring big sister. The boys barely know Valerie. She refuses to acknowledge or visit her brothers. Frank thinks Valerie will come around when it's too late.
"You look beautiful," Frank says when Stephanie emerges from her room several hours later. "I thought the dress had more ruffles."
"It did, but they made Stephanie look fat," Faith replies. "Your mother fixed the dress."
"Helen isn't going to like that," Frank laughs.
"She can kiss my ass," Stephanie says. She covers her mouth when Cody runs from his bedroom, repeating her words. "Sorry, Dad. I forgot Cody was in his room."