‹ Prequel: Purple Hearts
Hope
Maybe Its Not Meant To Be
“Ed it’s Franky, hi. Yeah, I’m well thanks, yes, she’s beautiful and you’ll have to see her soon. The thing is Ed, its Hannah, while she was visiting here she…she’s gone into labour so you’re going to have to get over here otherwise you’ll miss the birth of your baby. OK. That’s fine Ed. See you soon and good luck.” She said pressing the red button on her phone.
“You OK?” Said Tre noticing the strange look appear on his daughter’s face.
“I think so, Ed just sounded a little weird that’s all, may be its because we all haven’t spoken for a while he…he didn’t sound that excited that Hannah had gone into labour.”
“Hey, never you mind about Ed, lets get you and that gorgeous little bundle home shall we, everyone’s waiting for you.” Said Tre scooping up bags and an assortment of teddies as Franky headed over to her daughter Hope, wrapped her in a pale pink blanket and carried her out of the hospital.
She turned and looked around the room, she didn’t know what made her do it but she remembered suddenly the scene where it was just her, Billie and little Hope.
She couldn’t wait to see him again.
**
Ed was scared. He’d never seen a baby being born before and he didn’t really want to see one now. How would he feel if it was his own baby being born? He didn’t know, all he knew that the baby that his wife was having wasn’t even his. He didn’t wantto go to the hospital and he didn’t want to see this baby that had nothing to do with him.
He just wanted to run away.
**
On the drive home Franky thought about Billie and wondered what would happen now. She loved him so much, she always had, and she’d always known it but had kept it hidden for ages thinking that it was so wrong, thinking that he’d belonged with his first true love, Adrienne. She’d tried to get him to get back together with Adrienne but Adrienne was so in love with Charlie and while Billie was away in Ireland she realised that she’d been a fool.
She should have admitted her love for him way before now.
So…how would it work? Did they shout from the rooftops their love for each other or should they just take it slowly? Would they live together? If so, where would they live? Would they ever marry? Could Hope be his? All these thoughts were going through Franky’s mind as they pulled up onto the driveway of her home, her home that was festooned with pink balloons and baby girl banners.
She so wanted Hope to be his.
It looked like a huge welcome home was to be had as she turned to her dad and said thanks to him. He looked so proud and he was, he was a proud grandfather.
“Your mom would have been proud too you know,” said Tre as if reading Franky’s thoughts.
“I know.” Frank responds then Tre reaches for her hand squeezes it tight letting her know that everything was fine.
Then the small cries of Hope coming from the back seat of the car bring them both back to the present day, a little reminder to everyone that she was there.
“Hey look,” said Tre looking out of the car window, “I think there are a couple of cooing aunts coming over.”
Franky looked out too and saw Ramona and Emily heading for the car, Estelle close behind them.
“Hi Franky, is it OK if we get Hope out?” Says Ramona looking excited.
“Of course it is,” said Franky.
“Hi Estelle, so, how’s your little brother then? I hope Sam is here I can’t wait to see him properly and hold him, he’s just like a mini Mike.” She said opening the car door and talking to Mike’s beautiful tall daughter.
“Yes he is here but Jen’s laying down upstairs in the guest room. She’s tired.”
“OK. I won’t disturb her then, I’m sure I’ll get to speak to her properly later on,” she said watching all three girls coo over Hope and knowing that her daughter was going to be hugely spoilt by the look of it.
**
Jen was lying on the bed in Tre’s guest room and was utterly exhausted.
Its Sam that’s making me tired, nothing else she thinks to herself, its not the lump and the lump is probably nothing anyway, it’ll just be a cyst like the one I had years ago. I’m just tired from Sam, that’s what it is she kept thinking over as she fell into a deep sleep.
**
Lying hope in her crib Ramona looked up to see Emily smiling widely at her.
“What?” She said looking at Emily.
“I saw him looking at you, definitely.” She said then smiled at Ramona.
“Of course he looked at me, I was talking to him, just now,” she said leaving the bedroom door ajar and taking one last glance over at Hope’s crib.
“No, after that when you walked off he definitely followed you with his eyes, he was looking at your butt.” She said as they headed back downstairs to where everyone was.
“Stop it; you’re making it up. I wish I hadn’t told you how I felt about him now.” said Ramona but she was glad she’d told someone, it was about time someone knew how she felt, these feelings that she’d had for Joey for years. She hadn’t even told Estelle.
“Well you did tell me and I know what I saw,” said Emily linking her arm through Ramona’s as they entered the kitchen. “Anyway, lets find Estelle, she is so funny. She has such a great sense of humour.”
“Estelle’s great said Ramona. I’m glad she’s living back here with Mike, we always did get on and any she’ll even answer any question you have about Uncle Mike – your idol by the way,” she said then winked at Emily.
“Oh shut up,” said Emily then they both laughed together and went to find Milton and his girlfriend Rose.
**
”When shall we tell them,” said Adrienne whispering into Charlie’s ear.
“I don’t think tonight is the right time, its Franky and Hope’s night. May be in a few days,” said Charlie.
**
Franky couldn’t see him anywhere.
Where was he?
He was the first person she’d looked for as she entered the house as everyone crowded around her to see if she was OK but he didn’t appear to be here. Everyone else was so where was he?
She was desparate to see him, she wanted to tell him she loved him again, just to make sure that he knew.
**
Billie was late. He knew he was late but he couldn’t help it, something somebody said yesterday at the hospital about Franky looking beautiful and young had made him think.
Beautiful and young,
Young.
She was young and he was old.
May be he had been a fool, she was a young mother and he was almost middle aged, when she was his age he’d be an old man.
And she wouldn’t want him then would she?
May be he should just forget the whole thing, may be it wasn’t meant to be after all.
“You OK?” Said Tre noticing the strange look appear on his daughter’s face.
“I think so, Ed just sounded a little weird that’s all, may be its because we all haven’t spoken for a while he…he didn’t sound that excited that Hannah had gone into labour.”
“Hey, never you mind about Ed, lets get you and that gorgeous little bundle home shall we, everyone’s waiting for you.” Said Tre scooping up bags and an assortment of teddies as Franky headed over to her daughter Hope, wrapped her in a pale pink blanket and carried her out of the hospital.
She turned and looked around the room, she didn’t know what made her do it but she remembered suddenly the scene where it was just her, Billie and little Hope.
She couldn’t wait to see him again.
**
Ed was scared. He’d never seen a baby being born before and he didn’t really want to see one now. How would he feel if it was his own baby being born? He didn’t know, all he knew that the baby that his wife was having wasn’t even his. He didn’t wantto go to the hospital and he didn’t want to see this baby that had nothing to do with him.
He just wanted to run away.
**
On the drive home Franky thought about Billie and wondered what would happen now. She loved him so much, she always had, and she’d always known it but had kept it hidden for ages thinking that it was so wrong, thinking that he’d belonged with his first true love, Adrienne. She’d tried to get him to get back together with Adrienne but Adrienne was so in love with Charlie and while Billie was away in Ireland she realised that she’d been a fool.
She should have admitted her love for him way before now.
So…how would it work? Did they shout from the rooftops their love for each other or should they just take it slowly? Would they live together? If so, where would they live? Would they ever marry? Could Hope be his? All these thoughts were going through Franky’s mind as they pulled up onto the driveway of her home, her home that was festooned with pink balloons and baby girl banners.
She so wanted Hope to be his.
It looked like a huge welcome home was to be had as she turned to her dad and said thanks to him. He looked so proud and he was, he was a proud grandfather.
“Your mom would have been proud too you know,” said Tre as if reading Franky’s thoughts.
“I know.” Frank responds then Tre reaches for her hand squeezes it tight letting her know that everything was fine.
Then the small cries of Hope coming from the back seat of the car bring them both back to the present day, a little reminder to everyone that she was there.
“Hey look,” said Tre looking out of the car window, “I think there are a couple of cooing aunts coming over.”
Franky looked out too and saw Ramona and Emily heading for the car, Estelle close behind them.
“Hi Franky, is it OK if we get Hope out?” Says Ramona looking excited.
“Of course it is,” said Franky.
“Hi Estelle, so, how’s your little brother then? I hope Sam is here I can’t wait to see him properly and hold him, he’s just like a mini Mike.” She said opening the car door and talking to Mike’s beautiful tall daughter.
“Yes he is here but Jen’s laying down upstairs in the guest room. She’s tired.”
“OK. I won’t disturb her then, I’m sure I’ll get to speak to her properly later on,” she said watching all three girls coo over Hope and knowing that her daughter was going to be hugely spoilt by the look of it.
**
Jen was lying on the bed in Tre’s guest room and was utterly exhausted.
Its Sam that’s making me tired, nothing else she thinks to herself, its not the lump and the lump is probably nothing anyway, it’ll just be a cyst like the one I had years ago. I’m just tired from Sam, that’s what it is she kept thinking over as she fell into a deep sleep.
**
Lying hope in her crib Ramona looked up to see Emily smiling widely at her.
“What?” She said looking at Emily.
“I saw him looking at you, definitely.” She said then smiled at Ramona.
“Of course he looked at me, I was talking to him, just now,” she said leaving the bedroom door ajar and taking one last glance over at Hope’s crib.
“No, after that when you walked off he definitely followed you with his eyes, he was looking at your butt.” She said as they headed back downstairs to where everyone was.
“Stop it; you’re making it up. I wish I hadn’t told you how I felt about him now.” said Ramona but she was glad she’d told someone, it was about time someone knew how she felt, these feelings that she’d had for Joey for years. She hadn’t even told Estelle.
“Well you did tell me and I know what I saw,” said Emily linking her arm through Ramona’s as they entered the kitchen. “Anyway, lets find Estelle, she is so funny. She has such a great sense of humour.”
“Estelle’s great said Ramona. I’m glad she’s living back here with Mike, we always did get on and any she’ll even answer any question you have about Uncle Mike – your idol by the way,” she said then winked at Emily.
“Oh shut up,” said Emily then they both laughed together and went to find Milton and his girlfriend Rose.
**
”When shall we tell them,” said Adrienne whispering into Charlie’s ear.
“I don’t think tonight is the right time, its Franky and Hope’s night. May be in a few days,” said Charlie.
**
Franky couldn’t see him anywhere.
Where was he?
He was the first person she’d looked for as she entered the house as everyone crowded around her to see if she was OK but he didn’t appear to be here. Everyone else was so where was he?
She was desparate to see him, she wanted to tell him she loved him again, just to make sure that he knew.
**
Billie was late. He knew he was late but he couldn’t help it, something somebody said yesterday at the hospital about Franky looking beautiful and young had made him think.
Beautiful and young,
Young.
She was young and he was old.
May be he had been a fool, she was a young mother and he was almost middle aged, when she was his age he’d be an old man.
And she wouldn’t want him then would she?
May be he should just forget the whole thing, may be it wasn’t meant to be after all.