Lily Baby.

Frank’s POV

I glared at Alicia, who seemed to be very happily avoiding my gaze. Her eyes were settled on Lily, who was hiding behind the couch.

“What are you doing here?” I hissed; Alicia looked away from Lily to me and she smiled.

“There’s this whole thing going down,” she said, grinning annoyingly.

“What’s going down?”

“Mikey and Gerard have gone to beat up Jeph.”

“Why?” I asked, my eyes suddenly wide as I realised that there might actually be a valid reason for Alicia to be annoying me in the comfort of my own home.

“He attacked Lily!” she gushed, her expression unreadable but I barely heard what she said afterwards. I clenched my fists and I knew my face had gone red. I stood up abruptly, Lily’s eyes following me as I stormed into the kitchen. My hands shook as I pressed them angrily against my face. The mere fact that I had once trusted Jeph, well sort of. I thought he was a good guy. I acted nicely to him and then he goes and does this?

I threw my hands out wildly; limbs colliding with the cool work surfaces recklessly. I didn’t give a shit if they heard me trashing the kitchen. I just didn’t care.

Lily’s POV

I played with this little piece of softness for a while. Its colours were brown and red and green and another one I forget the name of and my fingers liked it. Frankie walked past. His steps were loud. He looked really angry. Or sad. Like when Mommy’s sad.

I went into the kitchen and saw him throwing things. Why is he doing that? He’s gonna get in trouble.

“Frankie?”

“Lily?”

I don’t know why he asked when he could see me.

“W-Why are you throwing things?” I don’t know why my words don’t come out my mouth like they do in my head. They never sound the same.

“I’m just very upset about something, go back and sit with Alicia.”

“You scare me.”

His face went funny. And then he hugged me, like back when he used to kiss me ‘hello’. He doesn’t do that anymore though, ever since Mommy made me do a bad thing.

He smelled the same as he did last time.

“Sorry, I’m just very angry right now,” he said.

I nodded and go back to see Alicia, sitting back on the floor. The softest thing falls back into my hand.

Frankie sits down on the sofa again and I clamber onto the seat next to him, pressing the soft thing into his palm.

Maybe he needs it more than I do.

Frank’s POV

I look down to see Lily’s small delicate hand in mine, momentarily. When her hand was gone, I saw a small piece of fabric. I recognised it immediately, which may sound pathetic but it’s one of those things you never forget. It had the exact same texture.

It was a small piece from one of the stuffed toys I’d had as a child. It had been my favourite.

“Where did you find this?” she shrugged, squirming to the other end of the sofa and hugging her knees.

I looked up at Alicia, who was sending me a puzzled look.

“Don’t worry,” I said.

“There’s something else I need to tell you,” she said, leaning closer, glancing apprehensively at Lily.

I nodded for her to continue.

“Donna forced Lily to break up with you.”

I blinked, “You what?”

“She didn’t want to. If anything she tried to rebel but she doesn’t like disobeying her mom. Mikey said that Lily was really angry with Donna, but couldn’t do anything about it because she doesn’t know how… Mikey was pissed too… you were so good for her..”

“She didn’t want to break up?”

“No.”

“So I can win her back?”

“Probably.”