‹ Prequel: Purple Hearts
Hope
I Love Him
There was a knock on the door and Franky knew straightaway who it was. She’d just finished breastfeeding Hope and was just laying her back to sleep in her crib.
His familiar face peeped around the door.
Her Dad.
“Is it OK to come in?” He asked.
“Of course Dad,” Franky whispered. “I’ve just finished feeding her, she’s so good,” said Franky touching her daughter’s brow. Had her mother done that to her when she was a tiny baby? Of course she probably did.
Tre came over and peered into the crib.
“She’s beautiful,” said Tre unable to take his eyes from his little granddaughter.
“I don’t want to wake her, shall we go down and join everyone?” Said Franky hoping that Billie had finally arrived. She’d been home now for over two hours and still no sign of him.
“Yes, in a bit, I wanted to…check how you are, are you OK? All this happened so unexpectedly didn’t it and you know, for someone who was born a month early she…she sure is a big baby,” Tre whispered so as not to wake Hope.
Franky didn’t answer; she knew what her father was getting at. He was one of the ones that knew that the father could be one of three guys. He’d guessed when she’d broken the news of her pregnancy to him that one of them was Billie but he didn’t know who the others were and she was surprised, nothing much could get passed him.
“Lets go into my room and talk there,” Franky said aware that they could wake Hope at any moment.
**
Milton and Rose were in her bedroom lying side by side at the bottom of her bed and Franky laughed as she noticed them.
“Look at this cosy twosome,” she said going over to pet them both. “They make a great couple.”
“Yeah, don’t they,” said Tre going over to look out the window to the garden below where some of their guests were out there having fun. He noticed Charlie and Adrienne giggling and whispering together about something or other. Mike was talking to his daughter Estelle and Tre realised that Jen must still be asleep. She looked dreadful after giving birth but he knew Mike would look after her well. Ramona and Emily were talking to Joey and his girlfriend Ellie, Ellie holding onto Joey for dear life, not wanting to take her eyes from him and Ramona trying to hide the fact that she liked Joey, this fact so obvious to him and his two friends Mike and Billie, they’d known for years.
Ramona had always liked Joey and he and Billie had often joked about two of their kids getting hitched. Of course he’d never said anything to Ramona, had never joked about the fact that they knew because she could be quite sensitive sometimes.
“Dad, is Billie coming over?” Said Franky going over to stand next to him and watch everyone down below in the garden having fun.
“Well I told him what I had planned so he knows about it,” said Tre. “Is everything OK Franky?” He asked putting his hand out onto his daughter’s arm.
Franky just started out into the garden, “I love him.” She said then turned to Tre with eyes that mirrored his own, he noticed they filled with tears.
Tre reached for her and pulled her close.
“Hey…what is it?” He said kissing the top of her head.
“I don’t know why I’m crying but…the day I had Hope I finally told Billie that I loved him. I finally admitted it and I realised I should have told him long ago, I’ve always loved him but I also thought it was wrong for me to love him. That time we…we stayed at his house he was still with Adrienne and it was wrong of me, I….”
But Tre interrupted her. “They weren’t together though, not properly it was kind of over at that time, you remember?” Said Tre trying to reassure her.
“I know but it still felt as though those two were meant for each other. I sort of wanted them to get back together, they were always good together and I felt like the bad guy…for ruining it.” Franky said into her father’s shirt.
“Of course you didn’t ruin it, like I said it was over. Billie loves you Franky, he told me ages ago and its pretty obvious. You’re good for each other, you need each other.”
Franky sniffed.
“I’d like to think that but…what will other people think?” Said Franky.
”What other people?” Said Tre turning his daughter’s face to his.
“Everyone, the family, our friends, Uncle Mike and Aunt Jen, the…the fans.”
“I think most people around here think the two of you should be together anyway and as for the fans, well…”
“Well I suppose it doesn’t matter about the fans now because you’re no longer together. What are you going to do? Will you get with another band, loads of bands need great drummers Dad, isn’t it about time you got back to your playing?” She said.
“I…I’m not sure, Julia and I are just starting out, I…can’t think about it right now.” Said Tre looking away from Franky.
“Are you keeping something from me? I think you are, I can always tell if you’re lying, are you getting it together with some other band?” She said.
“Of course I’m not lying,” Tre snapped at his daughter. “Why would I lie about something about that, I’m not playing for another band and that’s that. Please, don’t mention it again,” said Tre.
“I’m sorry,” said Franky not realising how touchy her Dad was about the subject.
“Look, I’m sorry I snapped… its…it’s just a lot has happened just lately, I’d like to spend some time getting to know Julia properly.”
“You’re right, I’m sorry Dad, I think a little bit of me wanted Green Day to re-form and when I knew that wasn’t happening well…I think it would be a waste Dad, I love hearing you play. Have a think about it.” She said, how could her Dad, who she’d always thought of as the greatest drummer on earth not play again?
“To make you happy, I’ll think about it but it won’t be happening yet. Hey…how about I call Billie up and tell him to get his butt round here?” said Tre.
“Could you?” Said Franky.
”Course I will and Franky I really think you should have a thought about telling Billie,” said Tre as he opened her bedroom door.
Franky turned away from him and looked out onto the garden once more, knowing what he meant.
“Franky.” Said Tre.
She turned.
“He needs to know that he could be Hope’s father, please don’t keep something like that from him.” Said Tre then he left the bedroom and left Franky alone with her thoughts, thinking about Billie and once she told him that he could be the father it would mean that she’d have to contact Gerard and explain to him that he could also be the father. Then there was James, the arsehole. He could be the father too.
Franky didn’t want to think about it, but she knew she’d have to.
**
“Jen, are you OK sweetheart?” Said Mike. Tre’s guest room was in darkness and his wife was snoring quite loudly.
“Huh,” said Jen waking from a deep sleep.
“I feel awful waking you honey but…Sam needs to be fed, Estelle and the girls are with him, shall I bring him up?”
“Yes, please Mike,” said Jen sitting up and feeling slightly dizzy.
Mike kissed his wife on the end of her nose then left the room.
Sitting up in a daze Jen just wanted to go back to sleep again, she didn’t want to feed Sam, she didn’t even really want to see him, deep down she wanted to slip away, slip away to her own home and just go to sleep.
But she’d have to put an act on for Mike because he loved her; she’d given him the son he so longed for. She just wished she could love little Sam like Mike did.
She wanted to.
But for some reason she couldn’t.
**
“I saw you.” Ellie spat at Joey.
“Saw what?” Said Joey glancing at Ellie, shocked at the venom in her eyes.
“I saw you looking at Ramona. What are you doing looking at her?” She said looking up at Joey. She’d loved him for so long, back when he hadn’t even known she’d existed and when they became an item she was ecstatic. He’d even shown her the gun. The gun that had caused so much trouble, the gun that her brother had given Joey to look after for some gangster friends of James. They’d shared so much and now…now she felt she was losing him. Well, she wasn’t going to give up on him that easily, there was no way he was going to treat her like that.
“I was actually talking to Ramona,” said Joey who was beginning to wish that he’d dumped Ellie when he wanted to instead of feeling sorry for her and giving her one more chance. “How can I talk to her and not look at her.” He said, “you’re nuts, I’ve known Ramona all my life she’s like…she’s like family for gods sake.”
“I’m not fucking nuts,” said Ellie. “You’re going out with me and I don’t want you looking at other women.”
“I’ll do what I like and if you don’t like it Ellie you can just fuck off. I don’t need this,” said Joey and he stormed off back into Tre’s house to get himself another drink.
You’ll be sorry thought Ellie.
Nobody treats me like this.
**
Jakob Armstrong was glad that his father hadn’t arrived at Tre’s yet. He couldn’t talk to his father just lately, he was having weird thoughts about other guys and he just didn’t know what to think.
Who could he turn to? Who would understand him? The last person on earth to understand him was his father.
There’s no-one to talk to, no-one at all, he didn’t know anyone that was gay and liked men, everyone he knew, Uncle Tre, Uncle Mike, Charlie, his father, everyone just liked women.
They wouldn’t understand him.
**
“Hey Bill, you OK?” Said Tre. He’d called up Billie and he’d answered the phone pretty quick.
“I was just about to call you up,” said Billie. He’d been pacing around the living room, all sorts of things going through his mind but not being able to put an answer to any of them.
“Oh yeah,” said Tre.
”Yeah I…I was wondering if you could get over here. I need to talk to you.”
His familiar face peeped around the door.
Her Dad.
“Is it OK to come in?” He asked.
“Of course Dad,” Franky whispered. “I’ve just finished feeding her, she’s so good,” said Franky touching her daughter’s brow. Had her mother done that to her when she was a tiny baby? Of course she probably did.
Tre came over and peered into the crib.
“She’s beautiful,” said Tre unable to take his eyes from his little granddaughter.
“I don’t want to wake her, shall we go down and join everyone?” Said Franky hoping that Billie had finally arrived. She’d been home now for over two hours and still no sign of him.
“Yes, in a bit, I wanted to…check how you are, are you OK? All this happened so unexpectedly didn’t it and you know, for someone who was born a month early she…she sure is a big baby,” Tre whispered so as not to wake Hope.
Franky didn’t answer; she knew what her father was getting at. He was one of the ones that knew that the father could be one of three guys. He’d guessed when she’d broken the news of her pregnancy to him that one of them was Billie but he didn’t know who the others were and she was surprised, nothing much could get passed him.
“Lets go into my room and talk there,” Franky said aware that they could wake Hope at any moment.
**
Milton and Rose were in her bedroom lying side by side at the bottom of her bed and Franky laughed as she noticed them.
“Look at this cosy twosome,” she said going over to pet them both. “They make a great couple.”
“Yeah, don’t they,” said Tre going over to look out the window to the garden below where some of their guests were out there having fun. He noticed Charlie and Adrienne giggling and whispering together about something or other. Mike was talking to his daughter Estelle and Tre realised that Jen must still be asleep. She looked dreadful after giving birth but he knew Mike would look after her well. Ramona and Emily were talking to Joey and his girlfriend Ellie, Ellie holding onto Joey for dear life, not wanting to take her eyes from him and Ramona trying to hide the fact that she liked Joey, this fact so obvious to him and his two friends Mike and Billie, they’d known for years.
Ramona had always liked Joey and he and Billie had often joked about two of their kids getting hitched. Of course he’d never said anything to Ramona, had never joked about the fact that they knew because she could be quite sensitive sometimes.
“Dad, is Billie coming over?” Said Franky going over to stand next to him and watch everyone down below in the garden having fun.
“Well I told him what I had planned so he knows about it,” said Tre. “Is everything OK Franky?” He asked putting his hand out onto his daughter’s arm.
Franky just started out into the garden, “I love him.” She said then turned to Tre with eyes that mirrored his own, he noticed they filled with tears.
Tre reached for her and pulled her close.
“Hey…what is it?” He said kissing the top of her head.
“I don’t know why I’m crying but…the day I had Hope I finally told Billie that I loved him. I finally admitted it and I realised I should have told him long ago, I’ve always loved him but I also thought it was wrong for me to love him. That time we…we stayed at his house he was still with Adrienne and it was wrong of me, I….”
But Tre interrupted her. “They weren’t together though, not properly it was kind of over at that time, you remember?” Said Tre trying to reassure her.
“I know but it still felt as though those two were meant for each other. I sort of wanted them to get back together, they were always good together and I felt like the bad guy…for ruining it.” Franky said into her father’s shirt.
“Of course you didn’t ruin it, like I said it was over. Billie loves you Franky, he told me ages ago and its pretty obvious. You’re good for each other, you need each other.”
Franky sniffed.
“I’d like to think that but…what will other people think?” Said Franky.
”What other people?” Said Tre turning his daughter’s face to his.
“Everyone, the family, our friends, Uncle Mike and Aunt Jen, the…the fans.”
“I think most people around here think the two of you should be together anyway and as for the fans, well…”
“Well I suppose it doesn’t matter about the fans now because you’re no longer together. What are you going to do? Will you get with another band, loads of bands need great drummers Dad, isn’t it about time you got back to your playing?” She said.
“I…I’m not sure, Julia and I are just starting out, I…can’t think about it right now.” Said Tre looking away from Franky.
“Are you keeping something from me? I think you are, I can always tell if you’re lying, are you getting it together with some other band?” She said.
“Of course I’m not lying,” Tre snapped at his daughter. “Why would I lie about something about that, I’m not playing for another band and that’s that. Please, don’t mention it again,” said Tre.
“I’m sorry,” said Franky not realising how touchy her Dad was about the subject.
“Look, I’m sorry I snapped… its…it’s just a lot has happened just lately, I’d like to spend some time getting to know Julia properly.”
“You’re right, I’m sorry Dad, I think a little bit of me wanted Green Day to re-form and when I knew that wasn’t happening well…I think it would be a waste Dad, I love hearing you play. Have a think about it.” She said, how could her Dad, who she’d always thought of as the greatest drummer on earth not play again?
“To make you happy, I’ll think about it but it won’t be happening yet. Hey…how about I call Billie up and tell him to get his butt round here?” said Tre.
“Could you?” Said Franky.
”Course I will and Franky I really think you should have a thought about telling Billie,” said Tre as he opened her bedroom door.
Franky turned away from him and looked out onto the garden once more, knowing what he meant.
“Franky.” Said Tre.
She turned.
“He needs to know that he could be Hope’s father, please don’t keep something like that from him.” Said Tre then he left the bedroom and left Franky alone with her thoughts, thinking about Billie and once she told him that he could be the father it would mean that she’d have to contact Gerard and explain to him that he could also be the father. Then there was James, the arsehole. He could be the father too.
Franky didn’t want to think about it, but she knew she’d have to.
**
“Jen, are you OK sweetheart?” Said Mike. Tre’s guest room was in darkness and his wife was snoring quite loudly.
“Huh,” said Jen waking from a deep sleep.
“I feel awful waking you honey but…Sam needs to be fed, Estelle and the girls are with him, shall I bring him up?”
“Yes, please Mike,” said Jen sitting up and feeling slightly dizzy.
Mike kissed his wife on the end of her nose then left the room.
Sitting up in a daze Jen just wanted to go back to sleep again, she didn’t want to feed Sam, she didn’t even really want to see him, deep down she wanted to slip away, slip away to her own home and just go to sleep.
But she’d have to put an act on for Mike because he loved her; she’d given him the son he so longed for. She just wished she could love little Sam like Mike did.
She wanted to.
But for some reason she couldn’t.
**
“I saw you.” Ellie spat at Joey.
“Saw what?” Said Joey glancing at Ellie, shocked at the venom in her eyes.
“I saw you looking at Ramona. What are you doing looking at her?” She said looking up at Joey. She’d loved him for so long, back when he hadn’t even known she’d existed and when they became an item she was ecstatic. He’d even shown her the gun. The gun that had caused so much trouble, the gun that her brother had given Joey to look after for some gangster friends of James. They’d shared so much and now…now she felt she was losing him. Well, she wasn’t going to give up on him that easily, there was no way he was going to treat her like that.
“I was actually talking to Ramona,” said Joey who was beginning to wish that he’d dumped Ellie when he wanted to instead of feeling sorry for her and giving her one more chance. “How can I talk to her and not look at her.” He said, “you’re nuts, I’ve known Ramona all my life she’s like…she’s like family for gods sake.”
“I’m not fucking nuts,” said Ellie. “You’re going out with me and I don’t want you looking at other women.”
“I’ll do what I like and if you don’t like it Ellie you can just fuck off. I don’t need this,” said Joey and he stormed off back into Tre’s house to get himself another drink.
You’ll be sorry thought Ellie.
Nobody treats me like this.
**
Jakob Armstrong was glad that his father hadn’t arrived at Tre’s yet. He couldn’t talk to his father just lately, he was having weird thoughts about other guys and he just didn’t know what to think.
Who could he turn to? Who would understand him? The last person on earth to understand him was his father.
There’s no-one to talk to, no-one at all, he didn’t know anyone that was gay and liked men, everyone he knew, Uncle Tre, Uncle Mike, Charlie, his father, everyone just liked women.
They wouldn’t understand him.
**
“Hey Bill, you OK?” Said Tre. He’d called up Billie and he’d answered the phone pretty quick.
“I was just about to call you up,” said Billie. He’d been pacing around the living room, all sorts of things going through his mind but not being able to put an answer to any of them.
“Oh yeah,” said Tre.
”Yeah I…I was wondering if you could get over here. I need to talk to you.”