‹ Prequel: Purple Hearts

Hope

Something To Say

The Present Day

That night, Hope couldn’t sleep for thinking about her 18th party the next day but mainly because she couldn’t wait to see Eddy again. Since she’d last seen him they hadn’t stopped texting one another. She couldn’t wait to tell Charlotte and Jared about him, her oldest friends. She’d kept it from them up until now, she’d kept her thoughts of Eddy to herself but she needed to tell someone. She felt it, deep inside of her, there was going to be something between them.

**

Eddy couldn’t wait to see Hope either; they’d just finished packing and were going to fly to California early in the morning. He could hear his parents arguing again. He hated it, hated living here with them and their constant bickering and then making up but he’d made a decision. He hadn’t told his parents yet but…he’d decided not to come back with them to New York.

Somehow, the last time he’d been in California he’d felt some sort of an affinity with it and with the people there. He liked Hope, very much and he felt some sort of bond with her, a bond he couldn’t describe and he couldn’t wait to see her again and her family, her mom Franky who was so kind to him and he remembered her from his early childhood and her father Tre, the Green Day guys, all so welcoming. He and Tre shared the same sense of humour.

Yes. He’d decided, on the flight to California, he’d tell his parents that he wasn’t going to go back with them.

**

“I don’t like it.” Said Ed. He was pacing, something Hannah noted that he always did when he was anxious.

“I don’t know what to do.” Said Hannah. She knew it had been a mistake taking her son on a visit to her old hometown to meet up with her old friends, Franky and little Hope.

“May be its best that we don’t go, make an excuse.” Said Ed staring at his wife. A wife he still loved but at the same time hated just a little because he’d never felt as though she truly loved him back.

“But then we’ll have to give him a good explanation as to why,” said Hannah staring at her husband Ed. She liked Ed. Liked. That was it. She’d never really loved him; she cared for him for he was a good man but love? No. She’d only ever loved one man and he’d let her down. Tre Cool. She’d had his son without him knowing as a punishment but now, all these years on she felt so guilty. Guilty because she’d robbed a decent man of his son, kept a son from his true father and she hated herself and now…now it seemed that her son Eddy was interested in Hope. His niece. And neither of them knew. If she thought long and hard about it which she often did at night when she couldn’t sleep she’d also robbed Franky of a half brother, Ramona of a half brother and when she really thought about it, it hadn’t been Tre that had been punished for all these years, it was herself.

May be things would have been different if she’d told Tre about it in the beginning, of course they would. Eddy would have got to have known his real father and brought up in the way he should have been brought up, there would have been no secrets and Ed, poor Ed wouldn’t have felt as though he’d had to marry her and keep her secret.

Everything was such a mess.

The Past

Franky got into her father’s car and headed over to the cottage that Adrienne and Charlie had bought together, not that long ago. It was a beautiful English cottage, unique in the area and Franky had always loved it. It had been built by an English lady and she’d lived there for fifty years until she died and lucky for Adrienne and Charlie they’d bought it just at the right time.

Why on earth did I agree to this? She thought, a slight pain in her right temple beginning. She was getting used to this pain, it had often occurred since the accident when she got a little anxious and stressed and the visions she had of her mother talking to her had also appeared. They didn’t scare her, in fact she enjoyed them. But she didn’t tell anyone, they wouldn’t believe her anyway.

Pulling up onto the cottage’s driveway she glanced at the building. A pretty brick building with red roses growing around the door and smiled. It reminded her of a time, a long time ago when she’d lived in England with her mother. And Charlie.

She sighed a huge sigh and got out of the car, searching for the keys her father had given her.

She really didn’t want to do this but knew she had to.

**

Julia glanced at Tre who was looking at little baby Hope waking. They’d been trying for a baby but nothing was happening. Her period had appeared that morning and she’d cried, silently in the bathroom wondering if they’d ever have a child of their own.

“Look at you Grandpa,” said Julia coming up and wrapping her arms around him, leaning herself against his warm, firm back and closing her eyes.

She loved him so.

“I hate that word, it makes me sound like an old guy with white hair, pipe and slippers.” He said turning to her and pulling her close. He kissed the top of her head.

“You OK?” He asked but he sensed she wasn’t and had a feeling why.

“Not really, I’m…its not happened again.” Said Julia.

“It will honey, it will, give it time. We’ve got all the time in the world and…hey, think about all the practising we can put in, huh?” He said.

“Yeah, that’s the best part.” Said Julia as little Hope began to cry.

“Come on, let’s take this little one out for a walk. Grandma.” Said Tre, slapping Julia on the butt.

**

“Jen. The doctor is here.” Said Mike in a slightly cold voice. Jen had pissed him off but he still loved her. She’d hardly interacted with her son and if it wasn’t for Ramona, Estelle and Emily he wasn’t sure what he’d have done. His sister had been great too, he’d be forever thankful. But he wasn’t sure what was wrong with Jen. Only this morning she’d left Sam to cry and when Mike found him in his crib after having been to see Adrienne and Billie he was soaking with wee, his little face red and blotchy from crying. She’d just left him, left him in his crib while she lay there sleeping.

“OK.” Said Jen sitting up. She looked dreadful, she wasn’t taking care of herself but Mike had enough to do without reminding her that she needed a bath.

“I’ll send him in.” Said Mike, turning and leaving the room.

**

Everything was so neat and tidy.

That was Adrienne for you, neat, tidy and a natural homemaker. Would she be a natural homemaker? Franky thought to herself. Would she ever get the chance to try?

She’d sorted through his clothes and had bundled them up into a bag to take to a charity shop but it was his photographic stuff she was dreading touching. All the equipment that he had collected over the years, the photographs that he’d taken, the portfolios he’d made up, it made her sad just thinking about them.

She’d hardly seen most of his work before, just a few pictures here and there. He was an amazing photographer but she’d never really had a chance to go through all his work and now, now she had to and the worst thing of all was that he wouldn’t be here to show her, he couldn’t point out things and tell her what were his favourites.

The room was full of his stuff and after about an hour of clearing out paperwork and boxing up some of the expensive equipment she decided to make herself a coffee and go downstairs with a couple of his portfolios.

They were heavy but she managed to get downstairs with them and after making herself a drink settled herself down onto a sofa.

She noticed that they were dated and went way back, years back.

The first she opened was of his family, a few shots of him as a kid on a scooter and some at the seaside in England. Ice cream all over his face, a few silly captions underneath.

Then there were some of her and him together as small children, playing in the garden, naked in the bath together and she smiled again, a slight tear in her eye. Remembering all the good times they’d shared.

She snapped the portfolio shut and reached for the next one.

She recognised the date. June 2006 – Milton Keynes Weekend

And there they were, the two of them, laughing and looking so young and innocent together.

The first picture caught her breath. It was the one she remembered of the two of them, arms around each other and underneath was a caption that made her sob out loud.

Me and Franky, my best friend in the entire world. She always will be

She flicked through the rest but could hardly see through the tears that had formed in her eyes and then she heard a noise out in the hallway. She stopped, wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her sweatshirt and stood up just as Billie came into the room, taking her by surprise; he was the last person she’d expect to see here.

He looked tired, a worn out kind of tired, his hair all mussed up, just the way she’d always liked it. She stood looking at the man standing in front of her, the man she’d always loved and probably, most definitely always would. She couldn’t speak, she felt and looked a mess but he came to her, wrapped her in his arms and held her.

Straightaway she felt a sense of relief. She could stay here forever, wrapped up like this, protected by this guy but she knew it was probably over now. He was back with Adrienne, taking care of his first love, possibly his only true love so she’d make the most of this hug while he was here.

“Franky, I’m sorry I’ve not been around for you but….there’s something I need to say.” He said.

She felt sick, so this was it.

She knew he was going to end it.

She was sure of it.

“How about we fix a date for that wedding? I want you to be my Mrs Armstrong and…I need to be with you.” He said holding her even tighter if that was possible.

She couldn’t believe what he was saying. He needed to be with her, like she needed him. She started crying then, for all that had happened, for losing Charlie, for all that lay ahead to do with Hope’s real father.

But she was so happy.

Well…for now anyway.