Valerie and I are taking the children to a playhouse in Philadelphia instead of going to her house. Albert is staying home with Bert, who is sick. My two-month-old niece, Lori, is with Mom and Dad since Albert can't handle the newborn. Valerie seems happy to have a break from the crying and demanding children. "Is your mother-in-law helping Albert?" I ask, buckling Tyler into the booster seat beside Mary Alice. Angie is in the back with Lisa, who is talking excitedly about playing inside the life-sized dollhouse. I smile at my niece, who is more like her sister Angie than Mary Alice.
"Yes. Albert can't handle sick children or newborns. I think it short-circuits his mind," Valerie replies, smiling at Albert's propensity to fumble everything he touches. Valerie's wise to leave Lori with Mom and Dad. God knows what Albert would do while trying to change her diaper. We double-check Lisa and Tyler's restraints before climbing into the front seats. I tuck the duffle and my purse near my feet. Valerie's van is an older model, but thanks to Dad, it's in perfect working order. I could have taken a Rangeman SUV, but I'm unwilling to borrow a vehicle for pleasure.
"Mom, can I go on the trampoline with Mary Alice?" Angie asks, looking at the venue on her phone. Mary Alice looks over her shoulder at Angie. I can tell she wants to play on the trampoline, too. Hell, I want to go on the trampoline and taking the girls will allow me to let loose.
"We'll see," Valerie replies. "Ty and Lisa are too young for it. We should find an activity we all can do together." Valerie's comment engages my rhino mode. Angie's old enough to go on the trampoline without supervision. All Valerie needs to do is sign the waiver before Angie can play.
"Yes, Mother," Angie sadly replies.
Unwilling to let Angie get stuck with the activities appropriate for Lisa's age, I whisper, "I can take them if you can handle the little ones."
"Ty doesn't know me," Valerie argues.
"He likes you," I reply, looking over my shoulder to catch Tyler smiling. He never misses anything. "It took him longer to adapt to Mom and Dad."
"I don't know," Valerie says, uncertain about managing Tyler. Her only reference to raising a boy is her son Bert. I'm not lying when I say Tyler likes Valerie. He took to her immediately. I suspect it's the girls who make Tyler relax around my sister.
"Would you feel more comfortable having Zack and Ranger accompany us? That way, I can stay with you, and they can handle the other two," I suggest.
Valerie considers it. I think I have her ready to agree to Zack's accompaniment when my phone rings. "Sorry, I'm waiting for Mary Lou to return my call," I say, retrieving my phone from my purse.
When I read the number listed on the screen, I see it's Mary Lou calling me. I answer with a polite, "Hello, Lou."
Her children's excitement about visiting the playhouse for children aged two to fifteen drowns out everything she's trying to say. "Be quiet, or we don't go!" Mary Lou yells. The threat immediately silences her kids. "We'll meet you there unless my children misbehave," she says, guaranteeing her children will cooperate during the drive. "I'm bringing Shirley and her boys."
"Oh boy," I say after ending the call with Mary Lou. "We're going to need reinforcements. Shirley's boys are coming too." The last time I babysat for Eddie and Shirley, their oldest son, Michael, cut my hair. Eddie maintains it's my fault for falling asleep before the boys.
Valerie must remember how rambunctious our cousin's sons get at family reunions. Her eyes widen in fear of keeping the girls calm. She demands, "Quickly contact Zack and your friends. We need all the help we can get." I barely form an answer when she asks, "Is Eddie coming too?"
"Mary Lou said she's bringing Shirley and the boys. I assume that means Eddie's working, and Shirley needs the boys to burn off some pent-up energy because it's raining outside. We know how much of a mess they make by playing in the dirt," I reply. I text Zack, explaining the situation. He replies with a thumbs-up, followed by three ninja emojis. I assume he's bringing two men to help us wrangle the children, and I wonder who he recruits. My favourite guys are in Miami, and Ranger's too busy with client meetings to assist.
"Are you asking for help?" Valerie asks, stopping at the red light. I glance up from my phone, and she's watching me, awaiting my response after my phone pings a few times. Worry lines appear on her pretty face, displaying the fear that I'll be unsuccessful in recruiting help.
I return my focus to reading the texts to see if any belong to Zack. A few are from Ranger. He's requesting my help running background checks on the Smith, Connolly and Winston employees. Money is missing from the firm's account, and Gary Smith needs to know which employee is stealing. I reply to Ranger, promising to start the research when I return to Rangeman after my outing with Valerie and the children. He asks where we're heading, so I give him the name. Ranger tells me to have fun, ending his message with a wink.
"I asked Zack to meet us. I'm trying to see if he answered. Ranger ran into some issues, which are blowing up my phone," I reply, reading the texts and his promises to meet me at the venue. I mention the extra children we need to watch, and he immediately sends the best response. Smiling, I say, "He will bring help. Hopefully, the guys are ones your children already know."
"They moved to Miami to be with you," Valerie says, sounding sadder than she should for a married woman. I wonder which man Valerie is upset about relocating with me. "Mary Alice misses Hector and Lester," Valerie adds, making me smile. Hector and Lester always let Mary Alice gallop to release her energy before sitting at the table for dinner. Valerie hyper-focuses on the road, proving she's keeping a deep secret.
"Vince, Binkie and Cal are still here. The girls met them at dinner a few times," I quickly correct, feeling irritated that Valerie forgot about the three nicest men still working in the Trenton Branch.
Blushing, Valerie confesses, "I forgot about them. Is Ram, Hal or Junior still in Trenton?"
"Ram and Hal are in Miami, and Junior has relocated to Boston to live closer to family," I reply, providing information about the Rangeman staff she met during the legendary family meals at Mom's and Dad's house. Did Valerie have a crush on Ram? He's handsome but not the type to date or marry a woman with children. Ram is content with playing the field when the urge strikes. Hal dislikes domineering women. He's currently dating a woman much like himself. They're adorable together.
The man driving the vehicle behind us honks when Valerie doesn't start moving when the light turns green. She rolls her eyes and cautiously drives through the intersection, likely expecting someone to run the red light. It's common near Stark Street but not on this stretch of Hamilton. Valerie turns left to take the road leading to Route 1. Our trip should take about forty-five minutes if we don't encounter too much traffic on the highway.
Angie reads a book while Lisa plays with her doll. Mary Alice is playing with her toy horse. Tyler is watching Mary Alice and fidgeting in his seat. "Would you like your tank and Army man?" I ask. Tyler nods and claps his hands. I reach beneath the dash to grab the duffle. Everything I need for Tyler is inside. It takes a few seconds to retrieve the Army man hiding beneath the change of clothes. I pass the items to Tyler, who immediately tries to put the Army man inside the tank, making Mary Alice giggle. Tyler and Mary Alice play horses and soldiers, similar to cops and robbers, except the horse chases the tank to jump over it. I find it rather amusing, and it kills the time.
Valerie parks in the spot closest to the door. Judging by her squirms, she needs to empty her bladder. Losing control of your bladder is another mark against getting pregnant. Every time Valerie gets pregnant, she gains a few more pounds. It's noticeable on her small frame. Valerie barely shed the pounds from having Bert when she got pregnant with Lori. She has to be the most fertile woman in the Burg.
I exit the van, reaching to the floorboard to grab the duffle and my purse. Slipping the straps over my shoulder, I open the sliding door on my side of the van to release Tyler from the booster seat while Angie helps Lisa. "Are we bringing the toys or leaving them in the van?" I ask. Tyler wants his toys in the duffle. The others tuck their toys into the pockets on the back of the seats.
Valerie takes her children inside the playhouse to use the washroom when I offer to pay for using the facility. I'm completing the transaction for my group as Mary Lou and Shirley arrive with their children. I hug them before asking the clerk to ring up their admission fees. Zack, Binkie, Vince, and Ranger also arrive in time for me to pay for them. I'm happy when Ranger allows me to pay for everything. I have more than enough money to cover the trip's costs since Zack didn't let me contribute to our household finances.
With so many helpers, Valerie, Shirley, Mary Lou and I caught up with the latest gossip and incidents in Trenton. Mary Lou says, "Joe's dating Mia Randall, Michael's teacher." I don't recognize the name.
While I'm searching my memories, Shirley adds, "She's eight years younger than us and recently moved to Trenton after a nasty divorce. Mia doesn't have children yet."
"Is she pregnant?" I ask.
"That's the rumour," Valerie replies. "Mia's really nice but hates Terry Gilman and Joyce Barnhardt."
"Can you blame her? Terry is Joe's side piece, and Joyce can't accept anyone being happy. Joyce interferes with too many marriages, especially when the man has money. I'm surprised she hasn't gone after Joe when we were together," I say.
Shirley and Mary Lou exchange a pained look. I roll my eyes and wait for someone to spill the beans. Valerie touches my arm. She's reluctant to say what she knows. Her voice cracks as she says, "Steph, I'm sorry, but when you went to Vegas to find Samuel Singh, Joe slept with Joyce multiple times. I know you were dating him then, and I didn't want to be the bearer of bad news."
I'm speechless. I glare at Shirley and Mary Lou. "We didn't know until you permanently ended your relationship with Joe," Mary Lou says regretfully. Shirley confesses to knowing one day before Mary Lou. I suspect she's responsible for Mary Lou knowing. I can't get past Valerie knowing for over a year and not telling me; so much for repairing our relationship. I need to get away from her until I get past the betrayal.
I'm calm when I find the men in the area with the trampolines. I realize it didn't matter. Joe isn't capable of being monogamous. Joyce is manipulative. She likely let Joe do the butt stuff to get into his bed. I should have known. If he thought it acceptable to sleep with Terry while dating me, it isn't that much of a stretch for him to sleep with Joyce. I hope Mia knows what she's getting with Joe Morelli.
Zack is on the trampoline with Tyler, who giggles as they jump. I watch my fiancé with my soon-to-be son and smile. My life is perfect just the way it is. I can't be hurt by Morelli cheating on me. It's in the past and needs to stay there. "Join us," Zack says, sensing me watching him.
I remove my shoes and hand them to Vince, standing beside the lockers, to ensure nobody steals our belongings. He uses a key to unlock the locker and tucks my purse inside with the duffle bag I gave Zack earlier.
Tyler squeals when I climb onto the trampoline. The three of us hold hands as we jump for several minutes. "Have a pee," Tyler says, releasing my hand to grab his crotch.
"I've got him," Zack says. He's a wonderful father to Tyler. I can't wait to have his children. Hopefully, we can start our family before we're too old to chase after them. Tyler knows he's part of our family. Maybe Zack and I should talk to him before we finalize our decision.
I use the time alone to jump and do flips in the air. It's freeing, and it makes me feel better. My life with Zack is more than I could ever imagine. I feel stupid for getting upset about Morelli cheating on me. If I never knew, would I be this upset? No. It's my fault for bringing up the subject.
When they return, Tyler says, "Momma jump high. " I love hearing him call me momma. His acceptance of me becoming his mother fills my heart with love. I bend my knees when I land to stop myself from bouncing as high. Flipping off the trampoline's edge onto the safety pads takes a second. I scoop Tyler into my arms and pepper his face with kisses.
"Fancy seeing you here," a woman coldly says, interrupting my precious moment with Tyler.
Zack immediately takes Tyler from my arms, leaving Vince to protect me from the intruder, whose voice I recognize. "What are you doing here, Rhonda?" I ask.
"Searching for Manoso," she replies. "Wherever you go, he follows like a puppy."
I resent her referring to my best friend as a dog. Ranger does whatever he wants and rarely goes where I do. I know he's with Angie and Mary Alice on the other trampolines while Binkie is in the life-sized dollhouse with Lisa. He has young nieces and enjoys having tea parties with them.
"He isn't here," I lie.
"Then I suggest you get him here," she snarls, removing a gun from her pocket.
"No," I defiantly say. Rhonda cocks the gun. It discharges as Vince attempts to wrestle it from her grip. I feel the bullet hitting my leg, and I lose it when Tyler cries. "Never hurt me in front of my child," I yell as my fist flies and hits Rhonda, breaking her nose. She's lucky that breaking her nose is all I do. If she hurt Tyler, she'd be dead. As it is, I want to rip her apart for traumatizing my son. Vince removes the cuffs from his pocket and pulls Rhonda's hands behind her, attaching them to her wrists. Hearing the gunshot from the next room, Ranger arrives with Angie and Mary Alice.
"I knew he was here. You'll pay for this, bitch," Rhonda screams as blood from her broken nose drips onto her shirt.
Ranger takes Tyler, allowing Zack to check my leg and wrap it with the yoga pants from the duffle. I hate getting shot. I'm thankful the bullet didn't hit my femoral artery, or I'd be dead.
The facility owner arrives and asks us to leave, banning Zack, Vince and me from returning, likely suspecting we are at fault for Rhonda arriving with a weapon. He apologizes to the others for not checking us for guns upon our arrival. "None of us are armed," I argue. "That woman isn't part of our group."
"Steph," Zack whispers, warning me to maintain composure before the owner has the police arrest me for assault.
Everyone is waiting for me near the entrance. I apologize to Valerie, Shirley, and Mary Lou, who refuse to accept my apology. They blame themselves for telling Rhonda where to find me after believing her lie about our friendship. They didn't know she meant to harm me in her quest to find Ranger.
The police arrive to escort Rhonda from the facility and ensure I leave without causing a commotion or scaring the other guests. I roll my eyes and get Zack to carry me outside. My leg hurts too much to walk.
"Are you going to be okay, Aunt Steph?" Mary Alice asks, following us to the car.
"I'll be fine, sweetie. The bad lady got arrested," I reply. Her lip quivers when she sees the wet spot on my yoga pants. I know what's going through her mind. "Mary Alice, the bullet didn't hit anything major. I might need surgery to remove the bullet. Everything will be fine. This isn't the first time I got shot."
Zack sets me on my feet so I can hug Mary Alice. Angie joins us, hugging me too tightly to be comfortable. Like Mary Alice, she's crying. I catch Valerie's eye and see the devastation she's incapable of hiding. Glancing at Shirley, I see the same fear on her face. I can't convince them that I'll be fine. They're all afraid I'll die like Grandma Edna.
"Uncle Zack, please take Aunt Steph to the hospital. I can't lose her too," Mary Alice cries.
"I will," Zack promises. He helps me climb into the Rangeman SUV and runs to the driver's seat. Ranger puts Tyler in the booster seat behind me before sliding into the backseat beside him.
I wave to my family and friends as Zack drives us away.