‹ Prequel: Purple Hearts

Hope

The Day Of The Party - Part 1

Franky hadn't slept a wink all night.

How could she have?

She'd given her own daughter three envelopes, one of which contained the name of her real father.

Had Hope opened them yet?

Did she now know who her father was?

Why hadn't she come in and told her then?

Why?

Franky had tossed and turned all night, these questions going through her mind, tormenting her but she didn't do anything about it, she didn't go and knock on Hope's door she just continued lying there, worrying and wondering what the outcome of all this would be.

Glancing across at the clock with her tired eyes she saw that it was only 6am. The light was filtering through the curtains but she didn't want to get up yet.

It was going to be a big day today. Everyone was coming here, to attend the party, everyone including Hannah, Ed and their son Eddy who Franky knew Hope liked. Adrienne and the twins, Uncle Mike, Samuel, Ramona and Emily, Billie and his boys her father and Julia. The members of MCR and she even thought that James would come, her father it seemed had forgiven him, Billie had forgiven him so she supposed she should too.

But how would it turn out now? Now that Hope knew who her father was.

Franky sighed deeply, rolled over and closed her eyes willing sleep to come just for a little while longer but it didn't. Many thoughts kept her awake. Thoughts of the past and all that had happened, some good, some not so, thoughts that kept rolling around in her mind.

Her daughter was 18 years old today and Franky couldn't believe how fast the years had flown, how so much had happened since then, her and Billie had never got it together, not really. They had always had this strange on/off relationship, often more off than on. They hadn't been together properly for three years now, just after Hope was 15 when he...when he'd got so angry that he'd slammed the door in her face.

She'd never forget that night.

She'd deserved it, she'd been hell and she knew that now but she was as stubborn as ever, always had been but couldn't help it. They'd been polite with each other after that though she rarely saw him.

Especially since she'd found out that he'd been seeing someone.

Millie.

Beautiful tiny blonde Millie who she couldn't help but like, who everyone liked and Billie seemed to more than like.

Still, it was all her own fault, Billie had just had enough of her not committing to him and she couldn't blame him really she just....she just couldn't help it.

Glancing at the clock once more she saw that it had hardly moved and she knew she'd have to get up, make a strong cup of coffee or something so that she could face the day.

She got up and went to the window to look out. She loved it here in this cottage and had lived here with Hope and sometimes Billie had stayed, ever since she'd got back from Ireland. Billie and her had decorated it for themselves but when she'd got back from Ireland she decided that she couldn't marry him.

She knew what everyone was thinking back then, that she was a fool, an idiot not to go ahead and marry him, they could see that they were meant for each other but something stopped her, something that she couldn't quite understand, it had always been the same, she never could quite get it together with Billie even though she wanted to.

She loved him, she knew she did but she hadn't been able to commit to him.

There hadn't been anyone else, of course nobody could compare to him, she threw herself into her charity work, she had Hope to take care of and she wrote songs. There was this new band she was writing for at the moment, she loved it, loved writing and wouldn't know what she would do without it.

Coming away from the window she saw her purple dress hanging there waiting to be worn later. She smiled, purple was still her favourite colour and always would be.

She caught sight of herself in the mirror and saw her face, dark circles under her eyes and pale skin.

It was going to take lots of make up to make her look good today she thought.

She crept down to the kitchen, the house was in total silence but her heart was pounding thinking about Hope and what she'd found out.

The kitchen door creaked open and she glanced around knowing that it was going to be hectic in here later, they were having caterers in to do the food, her father had insisted, he was going to pay for it all so she'd let him go ahead and plan it, he loved doing things for her, he'd always been around, she loved him so much.

After making coffee she sat at the kitchen table on her own, pondering once more, thinking about all the guests that were coming later when suddenly the kitchen door slowly creaked open and there stood Hope, the envelopes in her hand and Franky's heart missed a beat, she was sure of it.

"Before you say anything Mom, I haven't opened them. I want to wait until later, I want to wait until the party is over. Is that OK?" She said.

"Of course its OK," Franky said, tears springing to her eyes as she went to her daughter and hugged her.

"Mom, I have to ask something," said Hope.

"Yes honey, what is it?" Franky asked still holding on to her daughter.

"Is there....is there one of these guys that you...that you really want to be my father?" Hope said so quietly that Franky just about heard her.

"Yes Hope, there is someone I really want it to be. I've always wanted it to be." Franky said.

"Me too." Responded Hope.