Frank returned to Trenton on Wednesday afternoon after visiting Stephanie in the hospital to share the paternity results. He had received the results from the paternity tests the previous day. Stephanie was ecstatic to have proof that she was Frank's daughter. She felt sad that Valerie was not his biological daughter.
It broke Frank's heart that Helen had lied about the pregnancy. He never would have married Helen if he didn't think he was the father. However, wishing the past was different would mean wishing Stephanie, his biological daughter, away. That conclusion made everything he decided, based on Helen's lie, worth the hassle. Stephanie was the light in his life. He would do right by Valerie and walk her down the aisle. Frank was the only father Valerie knew. But Valerie deserved to learn the truth for her future children's sake and prevent them from marrying their cousins.
Needing privacy, he went to the lodge and contacted a buddy who was in the Navy. Frank asked for a sample of Joe Morelli's blood, claiming he needed it to determine paternity for his stepdaughter. The man had one on file but requested that a military organization compare the results. He said, "It might confirm they are siblings, but I can't guarantee the accuracy. Anywhere between a twenty-two and a twenty-six percent match would suggest they are half-siblings or cousins."
"That will be enough," Frank replied. "Where should I fax the information?"
The man gave Frank the number and promised to give him the results once the medic completed the comparison. "If you can get a sample from the potential father, it would provide a clearer result," he said before ending the call. Frank ran his fingers through his hair. How could he get a sample without Tony Morelli catching onto the plan? He felt resigned to continue with his initial plan.
"I have a different suggestion," Vincent, Frank's older brother, said, having heard enough to understand what Frank wanted to know.
"What do you have in mind?" Frank asked, hopeful his brother had devised a feasible and easily executable offer.
"I owe Tony a black eye for seducing my oldest daughter away from her husband," Vincent replied. "If I break his nose, which will bleed, you can use the napkins for testing. Your involvement is only to collect the napkins."
Frank felt disappointed that he couldn't get in a few punches. Vincent was right, Frank had to reduce his involvement in the assault. It would affect his military career if he got arrested. "Wouldn't Flora get angry at you for starting a fight?" Frank asked, referring to his sister-in-law.
"She has no right to care or say anything. I divorced her yesterday. The bitch supported Helen's actions against Stephanie and spread rumours about my favourite niece," Vincent explained. "Has Helen realized Valerie is pregnant?"
Smiling, Frank said, "Not yet. She doesn't know Stephanie isn't pregnant. I want to tell her, but Helen would only accuse Stephanie of getting an abortion. She wouldn't care that Stephanie was never pregnant. Helen's narrative is all that matters to her and the Burg's gossiping bitches."
"Hold off on telling Helen anything. Meet me at Pete's Pub in an hour. Tell Helen you stayed here to catch up with the guys. She thinks you always tell her the truth," Vincent said, laughing at Helen's stupidity while hinting about Frank's post-office conferences, which were his military deployments. Vincent never told Flora the truth. She was a bigger gossip than Helen. Besides, Vincent wasn't supposed to know about the deployments, but Frank trusted him to keep Stephanie safe.
In under two hours, Vincent had delivered on his promise. Tony's nose broke from Vincent's punch, which knocked out a few teeth for good measure. Frank slipped into the bar to grab the napkins Tony used to staunch the blood flow. The bartender kicked everyone outside when a few men joined the fight, taking their anger out on Tony for sleeping with their wives, daughters or sisters. Nobody cared that Tony Morelli would eventually succumb to his internal injuries after leaving the hospital against medical advice.
Frank used a private lab outside Trenton to run the tests. He received the results a few days before Valerie's wedding. Unfortunately, he had already paid for everything. It wasn't worth arguing the point, but Frank planned to ask, in court, for Helen to pay at least half the expenses for the event and extra funds required for moving the date forward. The paternity results proved, without a doubt, that Valerie Plum was Anthony Morelli Sr's biological daughter.
Helen, Frank's wife of nineteen years and girlfriend of two years prior, had cheated on him with Tony Morelli. She lied. Frank realized Helen convinced him to have sex within weeks of her sleeping with Tony. The paternity could have gone either way. Since he was going away for a few months, he didn't see the harm in having sex with Helen. Frank married Helen because she was pregnant with a child she claimed was his.
He called his parents to share the news the night he received the results. They knew Valerie wasn't Frank's daughter, but hearing that Helen carried Tony Morelli's child and passed it off as their granddaughter was unforgivable. That man's son taking Stephanie's virginity was appalling.
Michelle and Francis were happy they declined the invitation after Valerie moved her wedding date forward. They sent money in place of a gift. Francis warned Frank to wait until after the wedding before confronting Helen or sharing the paternity news with Valerie. Frank had to bear that albatross for another few weeks, which frustrated him.
Whenever Frank attempted to talk privately with Helen, she found another excuse to avoid the inevitable conversation. She feared Frank uncovered her secret. Helen noticed Frank's cold demeanour upon returning from Raleigh. She imagined the lies Stephanie told to swing his loyalty away from her. Helen never considered everything to be her fault.
The confrontation between Frank and Helen happened a month later when Valerie called Helen from LA with the pregnancy news. Helen was over the moon with happiness and began vilifying Stephanie, calling her a whore for having sex with Joe Morelli after being warned to stay away from the Morelli boys. It was the last straw for Frank when Helen said Stephanie deserved to get pregnant as a punishment. Frank snatched the phone from Helen's hand, congratulated Valerie on her pregnancy and admonished her for swapping Stephanie's negative test for her positive one. Valerie gasped in surprise, but she never attempted to deny her actions. He promised to call her later because he needed to talk to her mother.
As Frank expected, Helen denied everything, insisting he falsified the results. Her denial solidified Frank's desire to divorce her. She went to the kitchen to pour herself a drink. Helen returned and demanded proof. Frank presented her with the paternity test, first presenting the one proving he was not the father and ending with the evidence that Valerie belonged to Tony Morelli.
For the next few months, Helen screamed that it was all Stephanie's fault. She told anyone who would listen that Stephanie was not her daughter. Frank used that to his advantage. He met with a lawyer and filed for divorce and custody of Stephanie. After hearing from her mother, Valerie called Frank, begging him to reconsider.
Frank reminded Valerie, "Your mother created the mess, and I'm tired of cleaning up after her. She forced me to marry her by insisting you were mine. Why did you swap the pregnancy tests with Stephanie?"
"I didn't want Mom to be disappointed with me. She's always disappointed with Stephanie and didn't see the harm," Valerie confessed. Frank wanted to strangle Valerie.
"You didn't see the harm. Swapping the pregnancy test is unforgivable. It proves you are a pathological liar and conniving. You helped your mother ruin Stephanie's reputation and gloated when I moved her to Raleigh. Making Stephanie out to be a whore after having sex once was despicable. Stephanie endured emotional distress after taking more pregnancy tests and the stress of worrying if it was still too soon to detect a pregnancy. She was never pregnant. Your lies made her needlessly suffer at your mother's hands and from others in the Burg. I know you snuck out at night to have sex with Steve. I never said anything because you were an adult. Stephanie was still a child," Frank calmly said. Valerie gulped loudly. Tears streaked down her cheeks, falling off her jaw. "It is time to move on with my life. You and Helen deserve each other."
Valerie kept apologizing, and Frank said she needed to ask Stephanie for forgiveness since the deceptive actions hurt her the most. At the end of their last call, Valerie said, "I know we aren't biologically related, but you are still my father." Frank hung up without commenting. He knew Valerie would lament to Helen. All Frank had to do was sit back and watch Helen self-destruct.
Without having to air his dirty laundry, everyone in the Burg knew the sordid tale of Helen tricking Frank into marrying her. Angie was furious that Valerie was her late husband's bastard child. It came to light that Helen told Joe where to find Stephanie that night. Frank didn't have to say a word or publish a public announcement to display Helen's misdeeds. Helen was her own worst enemy; she spread the rumours herself. Her attempt to justify her actions bit her in the ass. Nobody wanted to have anything to do with her.
In mid-September, Stephanie and Hector entered the Plummeri household after school. They attended the local public high school together. Hector was in grade nine while Stephanie was starting her final year. It was rare for a freshman to be friends with a senior, but neither Stephanie nor Hector cared.
During their second week of school, Stephanie realized Hector was gay. He stared at the boys' asses as much as she did. She waited until they got home before asking, "Did your parents know you're gay?" Stephanie couldn't believe she never realized it sooner.
"No. My sister knew. I never kept secrets from her. How did you know?" Hector asked, curious about how she discovered his secret. He wanted her to know but chickened out every time he tried.
"I caught you watching Billy's ass when he walked past. It wasn't obvious, but I know you well enough to recognize the signs," Stephanie replied. "Hec, I promise not to tell anyone. Does your aunt know?"
"Yes. I told Tia Ella last year," Hector replied. "She will keep my secret."
"I wasn't worried about her telling anyone," Stephanie laughed, gently slapping his arm. She stopped laughing and sheepishly looked at Hector. "I had my career meeting with the guidance counsellor today. She suggested I take business administration because I want to design clothes. It means I'll have to be in school for four years for an undergraduate degree and another four in fashion design. What should I do?" It was odd for Stephanie to ask a fourteen-year-old boy for advice, but he was wise beyond his years.
"Angelita, your designs are beautiful. You should follow your heart. Take business classes to learn the basics of starting your clothing store. Your grandparents have friends who could teach you everything needed. I want you to be happy in life," Hector replied.
"What about you? Have you decided what to do?"
"I like my computer classes. They're too easy, and the teacher is often wrong," Hector laughed. "I can learn more from home."
"You're a genius. I bet you can write the equivalency exams and pass with flying colours," Stephanie said.
"I will if you do," Hector challenged.
Stephanie thought for a minute. She grinned, offered Hector her hand and said, "It's a deal. We'll study for a few weeks and take Nonna's practice test. Her friend gave her the booklets in case I was pregnant. Thank goodness that second pregnancy test was negative." It was the scariest two hours of her life.
"What about the other tests?" Hector asked, referring to the STD results. Something in his eye indicated he knew the answer despite her silence.
Frowning, Stephanie replied, "Joe gave me gonorrhea. I had to take more antibiotics. Didn't I tell you?"
Shaking his head, Hector needlessly answered, "No. You hid inside your room for a few days. Michelle wouldn't tell me. She said it was up to you to share. I know you as well as you know me. El gilipollas, the asshole, gave you a disease from unprotected sex."
"So… do you want to write those tests without studying?" Stephanie asked, changing the subject.
"What are you two up to?" Michelle asked, catching Stephanie and Hector searching the books on the shelf.
"Trying to find those books to write the GED equivalency test," Stephanie replied.
"I have the GED and HiSET study books. Passing either test will give you a high school diploma, but the colleges and universities in many states accept the HiSET over the GED," Michelle explained. "Why are you interested in writing the equivalency exam?"
"The guidance counsellor told me to get a degree in business administration before taking fashion design. I don't want to spend that much time in college and waste Daddy's money. Hector and I think finishing our education at the high school, when we know more than the teachers, wastes our time. I want to take fashion design and business courses as my electives if allowed," Stephanie explained.
"Give me a minute," Michelle said. She disappeared for a minute and returned with two copies of the GED practice exam. "Write this to decide your path."
Shrugging, Stephanie and Hector sat at opposite ends of the dining room table. Michelle gave them a test and two pencils. She sat between them to ensure they didn't cheat. A few hours later, Michelle collected the tests. As she marked them, Stephanie and Hector cooked dinner. It was something they enjoyed, especially when it was taco night. Instead of ground beef or chicken, Hector used the fresh fish he asked Michelle to purchase for dinner. He helped Stephanie cut the fillets into strips and batter them. Hector heated the oil and dropped them in the pan.
Stephanie shredded the cabbage, minced onions, jalapeños, ripe tomatoes, cilantro, chipotle chiles and green onions they planned to eat with the fish tacos. She mixed the shredded cabbage and green onions in a bowl. Half the minced onions and chipotle chiles went into another mixing bowl for Hector. Stephanie mixed the remaining ingredients to make the pico de gallo, which was like salsa but chunkier. Hector made a spicy sauce from ingredients such as mayonnaise and vinegar in the refrigerator, adding to the dried chiles, white onions, chipotle chiles, garlic, cumin, oregano, and tomato paste. "I never realized mayonnaise, vinegar, and chipotle chiles would mix with everything else. How did you learn to make this?" Stephanie asked after sampling the sauce. She was impressed Hector could make a deliciously spicy sauce without measuring most of the ingredients.
"Tia Ella. She wanted me to cook for myself," Hector said.
"The sauce is delicious. It will enhance the fish and vegetables. I can't wait to eat dinner," Stephanie said, her stomach roaring in agreement.
"Is your sister mad at you?" Hector asked. Stephanie rolled her head to look at him.
"She isn't talking to me, so I have to say yes," Stephanie replied. "She had to ask Shirley The Whiner to be her other bridesmaid since I refused to attend the wedding. Valerie swapped our pregnancy tests to make Helen mad at me and not consider her as the pregnant daughter."
"And Frank?"
Stephanie tried to push the hair off her forehead using her forearm. It bounced back, refusing to stay in its place. She blew at it when it hit her eye. "He filed for divorce. Since I'm almost seventeen and Mom publicly denounced me as her daughter, the judge gave interim custody to Nonna and Nonno," she explained. "Dad will move here after the judge rules on the divorce." Stephanie had already told Hector about Valerie not belonging to Frank, Helen lying to get him to marry her and her denial when confronted with irrefutable paternity tests.
It hurt Stephanie to learn Valerie was Joseph Morelli's half-sister. Stephanie realized Helen knew or strongly suspected it all along when she remembered Helen's reaction to Valerie kissing Anthony, Joe's older brother. Helen must have told Valerie that she was possibly related to the Morellis, which explains why Valerie maintained her distance. She started dating Steve Donatello that summer.
"When will that happen?"
"Hopefully, by Christmas. Dad will stay here until I graduate, and we're moving to Miami in the summer," Stephanie sadly replied. She wanted to tell Hector but was afraid of his reaction.
"I'll move with you. Tia Ella and Tio Luis can find a job anywhere. If they can't find a job in Miami, I could always live with you and Frank," Hector said, hoping Stephanie would agree.
"I would love that, but we must clear it with Dad," Stephanie replied.
"Frank told me about the Army," Hector said, surprising her. Stephanie planned to keep it a secret. "He's teaching me how to shoot a gun and wield knives."
"Daddy taught me those already," Stephanie replied. "I never leave home without a knife in my pants. Except for school. I keep it in my bag. What about self-defence? Has he taught you that yet?"
"I can fight," Hector replied. "Mi Papa taught me."
"I took some classes, but the boys are afraid to hurt a girl," Stephanie said, rolling her eyes.
"I'll teach you," Hector promised. Stephanie laughed and agreed.
Hector heated the mini tortillas, made by his Tia Ella earlier that morning, in the oven. "We could have used ones in the stores," Stephanie said.
"These taste better."
"I'll let you know when we eat," Stephanie replied. She removed four plates from the cupboard to set the dining room table. Stephanie grabbed the cutlery and cloth napkins from the kitchen drawer. She found the placemats and tablecloth with the dish towels in the drawer. After piling everything on the plates, Stephanie went to the dining room to get everything ready so that Hector could bring the platters of food.
Michelle had finished grading the tests and set them aside. She helped Stephanie set the table. Stephanie kept glancing at the tests Michelle placed on the table where she kept the phone. "You want to know your score," Michelle said, leaving the dining room to grab the items Stephanie had forgotten.
"Of course. How did I do?" Stephanie asked.
Hector carried the food to the table using the serving tray from the cabinet above the fridge. Stephanie smiled and placed the trivets in the centre to prevent the hot food from damaging the solid wood table.
Francis entered the house as Stephanie grabbed the glasses from the kitchen. Hector brought the wine he had chilled in the refrigerator. Pouring a little in his and Stephanie's glasses before passing the bottle to Francis. "Dinner smells delicious. Is this one of Ella's creations?" he asked.
"Si," Hector replied. He said grace before they served themselves.
"This is so good," Stephanie said between bites. The sauce ran down her hand as she ate. Stephanie licked it away after eating the taco. She ate four loaded tacos before she started feeling full.
Michelle collected the empty plates to rinse and load the dishwasher. She returned with the cake from the fridge. Stephanie rubbed her stomach, trying to speed up digestion so she could eat the cake. "You can eat it later," Michelle suggested.
"I'm fine, Nonna," Stephanie said. "There's always room for cake."
"How did we score?" Hector asked when Michelle had served him a slice of the birthday cake she had made the previous day to celebrate Hector's birthday.
"Amazingly well," Michelle replied. "Stephanie scored one-ninety-nine, and you scored one-sixty. With some studying, Hector, you can improve your score to become college-ready. The GED has four parts and you must pass each section with a minimum score of one-sixty-five."
"I'll help you," Stephanie promised. She could hardly wait to write the official tests to bypass her senior year. Stephanie was impressed with Hector's results. Some questions were challenging, and she was three years ahead of him in school. "When can I write the HiSET practice tests?"
"I can have Juniper Wellesley bring them over tomorrow, if you want," Michelle replied. "Like the GED practice test, the HiSET has fewer questions. However, the official test will take you hours to write. Juniper will not recommend writing the HiSET before you've scored nearly perfect on the practice test."
"Does Hector need Ella's consent to write the tests?" Stephanie asked.
"He needs their written consent, but he can't take them until he's sixteen. Hector has to pass other tests before the state will allow him to write the HiSet," Michelle replied. "That's the extent of my knowledge. Juniper explained everything when I inquired about you taking them."
"We don't need to write the tests, Nonna. I'll stay in school for the year to keep Hector company. He can attend his sophomore year while studying to pass the HiSET once he's sixteen," Stephanie said. She felt sad, but resigned to keep her surrogate brother happy. Hector only enjoyed school because Stephanie was there.
They ate their dessert and retired to the kitchen table to do their homework. Stephanie helped Hector with his English assignment, and he helped Stephanie with Spanish. Although Stephanie hated conjugating verbs, it was necessary to learn the language.
Ella arrived at eight to drop off groceries and take Hector home. Michelle tried to refuse the food, but Ella insisted that she accepted because Hector ate a lot.