Hope

2 Months Later

Lying in her bath, grateful that Hope had finally gone for her morning nap, Franky remembered her dream from the previous night. She’d dreamt that her mother had come to her and said that she could grant her three wishes. But she’d been woken up by Hope right then, and the dream had ended but now, remembering the dream once more, she contemplated what she’d do if she reallydid have three wishes.

Franky immediately knew what she wanted; she didn’t really have to think about them.

Her first wish was just totally impossible and she knew it couldn’t happen, never ever.

Her second wish was possible, there was a chance it really could come true.

But it was the last wish she couldn’t help but think about. She’d always wanted it, it was practically her lifetime’s wish and for a time, not that long ago she thought there was a chance that it would finally happen but now, after the events over the past couple of months she decided that was impossible too.

She sighed. A huge sigh.

She was growing cold in the bath so decided to get out and stop these stupid, childish thoughts about having three wishes. As if they were going to happen.

Wrapping the towel around her she couldn’t forget them though, she could still see her mother standing in front of her, beautiful still and she always would be, asking her what her first wish would be.

”To have Charlie back, of course,” she said out loud to herself then glanced at herself in the bathroom mirror. She missed him so much, unbelievably so. He’d always been there for her, her lifelong, oldest friend who knew her secrets. Knew that the father of her baby wasn’t the one night stand that she’d made it out to be.

Charlie.

What she’d give to have him back or just to see him once more and talk things through with her.

It had been a dreadful couple of months; Hope being in hospital and having to have stitches, she herself had almost died and then she suffered the slight concussion afterwards but the news that Charlie had died, driving her car had shocked her. Perhaps she should have driven after all. May be they should have just have taken a taxi and then this wouldn’t have happened. Everyone kept telling her over and over, particularly her father that nothing could change it. It was circumstances. It had happened and you could go on forever, letting eat away at you thinking about what you would have changed about that evenings events but in the end it came down to the same thing.

Charlie had died.

Charlie had died and he was going to be a father.

A father to twins.

He’d never see them grow up; he’d never hold them close or hear their voices.

He was gone, he was never coming back and that was the sum of it.

It was devastating for Franky and had brought back all the memories of the loss of her mother and sometimes, sometimes she wondered how she’d carried on and knew it was because of Hope. She carried on because of her.

There was a knock on her bedroom door, bringing her back from her stupid thoughts of three wishes, then her father’s voice.

“You OK Franky? Julia and I are going to visit Adrienne shortly, are you coming or not?”

Adrienne.

Everyone was rallying around her because of what had happened, it was only Franky that hadn’t visited her. She couldn’t face her, couldn’t bear seeing her in that wheelchair looking so sad and lonely and what she couldn’t bear most of all and she knew she was being so selfish about it was…that Billie was doing everything he could for her and then…yesterday’s headlines, splashed right across the paper, their words imprinted in her memory. She couldn’t forget them:

GREEN DAY STAR BACK WITH EX-WIFE

Punk rock star Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day has moved his ex-wife back in with him. Adrienne, Billie’s wife for many years was drastically injured in a horrific accident, which killed her boyfriend. Adrienne has been leaning on Billie for the past few weeks and he’s been there for her and her two boys. This news will come to a blessing for Billie’s fans as they’ve always believed that he and Adrienne should be together.

It was like a slap around the face when she’d seen that. He couldn’t be back with her. Could he? But she hadn’t spoken to either of them properly since the funeral so she didn’t really know. May be they were. She hadn’t coped well that day, saying goodbye to Charlie had been devastating and had brought back all the memories of her mother’s funeral. Seeing Adrienne so upset had upset her and the way Billie had held Adrienne had upset her too.

So…may be they were back together after all, may be they were meant to be. But she still couldn’t visit Adrienne because…because may be she didn’t want to find out the truth about them, may be she didn’t really want to find out that Billie did realise that he and Adrienne were meant to be together.

“No, I…I’ll go and see her tomorrow, I’m going over to their house today. Its time I went.”

“OK sweetheart,” said Tre knowing that his daughter was hurting and confused. “Do you want me to come with you?” He asked. Billie had called up yesterday saying that Adrienne couldn’t face sorting through Charlie’s things at their little cottage that they had bought together. He asked Tre if Franky could do it for her. Of course she’d said yes, even though she’d find it difficult he knew Franky would do it.

“No, I need to do it myself. Are you OK to have Hope?” He heard through the door.

“Of course we are. Julia can’t wait to take her out for the day. I’ll see you later sweetheart, there’s some breakfast on the table when you’re ready.”

“OK Dad, yeah. Thanks.” Said Franky pottering around her bedroom but not really knowing what she was doing, she was so confused right now.

She went to her dressing table and sat down at the stool and looked at herself.

”For Billie to be Hope’s father,” She said, still looking at herself and thinking about the answer if she had a second wish.

Yes. He was definitely the one she’d choose to be Franky’s father. Possibly Gerard but definitely not James. Hopefully, when she’d got over the fact that Billie and Adrienne were together she’d get to find out.

She put on a little make up to try and brighten herself up, not looking forward to going to Charlie and Adrienne’s house. Why did everyone think that she could manage to do this herself? Everyone thought she was strong and tough and capable.

Well she wasn’t.

She was hurting too but nobody seemed to notice.

Quickly she got dressed into her jeans and t-shirt, quietly so as not to disturb Hope. She’d have to go and do it now, get it over and done with and sort through Charlie’s things.

Going to the crib where her daughter lay she couldn’t help but smile at her. She loved her so much, she thought bending to kiss her little warm cheek.

She turned away and spoke to herself.

”To be with Billie. For him to love me, for us to be a family and…well, just to be together.” She spoke her third wish out loud but doubted now that it would ever come true.