Sequel: Hope

Purple Hearts

The White Trunk

Tre awoke and saw the sun streaming in the through window. He felt contented at that moment and rolled over and glanced at the photograph of his three children on his bedside. Frankito, Ramona and Franky just standing there and smiling back at him. It was taken a couple of years ago and he loved it when they were all together. His kids.

I love them so much he thought smiling to himself but he was worried about Franky. He could see how tired she was since she got back from her trip and he didn’t know why, and then he felt slightly anxious that may be she could get ill, just like Sammi did. He was so proud of her but she looked dreadful lately. Perhaps he would mention it to Adrienne tonight when she came over, tell Adrienne that he was worried about Franky. He couldn’t bear it if the same thing happened to his beautiful daughter too.

He was glad that she had found Gerard but the CD that he found was haunting him, the song that Billie had sung. He’d played it a couple of more times and realised that his old friend did really love his daughter and he was convinced that was one of the reasons why he had gone away. It was one of the reasons why he had put the announcement in the paper because if Billie ever got to read it he would realise that Franky was now taken and may be, just may be he would come back and it would make it easier for him to get over her.

Tre knew Gerard was a good guy but there was something niggling at him about this situation. It had all happened so fast and he just hoped that Franky knew what she was doing.

He was sure she did. Franky was sensible after all and today she was going shopping with Hannah to look for bridal gowns. He’d told her last night that he would buy it, that money was no object and if she saw the dress she really wanted then she was to get it.

**

Hannah woke up and noticed that Ed wasn’t lying next to her. This wasn’t like him, it was usually so difficult to get him up in the morning but she knew what was bothering him and she was scared now. She didn’t think he could cope with being the father of someone else’s baby, Tre’s baby, the baby she had growing in her belly.

She rolled over and reached into the bedside drawer for the picture of her baby. She was going to be a mom and it was going to be a little boy and Ed had promised her that he would be there for her and the baby and now she was worried that he was having second thoughts.

What would she do if he left her? The truth would have to come out because there was no way in the world that he would leave her if she was really carrying his baby and he wouldn’t want people to think that about him.

She put the picture away in the drawer, closed it then turned over in bed and that’s when she saw it, a piece of paper sitting on Ed’s pillow.

Reaching over she saw it was a piece of paper folded in half and her name was on it.

She felt sick, what the hell was this all about? Had Ed left her?

**

Ed was sitting at the kitchen table drinking a coffee. He’d been up for about three hours, he’d been out for a walk to think about things and he’d finally come to a decision about what he was to do.

She would be waking soon he thought, waking up and finding the note that he’d written to her.

He just hoped he’d worded it OK.

**

Dear Hannah

I’ve been an ass, a stupid, stupid ass and I’m apologising for my behaviour. This has been hard for me but I hope you understand that.

I love you. It’s as simple as that. I don’t think you love me back as much as I’d like but I’m just saying that may be you could grow to love me. It’s been hard for me to accept that you are carrying Tre’s baby but accept it I have.

What I’m saying is sorry for everything and I really want to make this work, I’ll bring this little boy of yours up as if he was my own.

That’s if you’ll let me after I’ve been so awful to you just lately.

I love you and I think I always will.

It’s been so hard to write this, you know what I’m like but hey… I’ve said it now.

Ed x

p.s. I’m downstairs.


Hannah had never felt so happy. Ed still loved her and this could still work after all she thought as she got her dressing gown from the hook on the back of the door. She loved it here in this small rented place that they had found. It was there’s and there’s alone and for a moment back then she thought she would have to leave it.

Now everything was going to be all right she thought as she headed downstairs to see Ed.

He was in the kitchen with his back to her and she went to him and put her arms about him. He was a good guy and she thought fondly of him.

“Hey,” he said as he grabbed her hands.

“Thank you,” she simply said.

“I do love you Hannah, everything’s going to be fine,” he said.

But she didn’t respond by saying I love you too or anything she just squeezed him tight and just hoped that everything would be alright.

“I just don’t want Tre to know,” said Hannah all of a sudden.

“Don’t worry,” Ed said, “he wont find out, whose going to tell him? Not us and nobody else knows. So… you still going out with Franky today so she can choose her bridal gown?” he asked still holding on to her.

“Yes, I’m looking forward to spending time with her.”

“Do you think she’s doing the right thing?” asked Ed.

“I’m sure she is,” said Hannah but a small part of her wasn’t so sure but she’d never say anything to Franky.

**

Charlie awoke and glanced over at the clock. 7am. He groaned and rolled back over thinking once again about his love for Adrienne. He knew that she was coming over that evening so that Tre could cook her a meal. This could be it he thought, this could be the night that they get together, may be Adrienne will confront Tre with her feelings and Tre will admit he has felt that way about her for a long time.

Charlie sighed but he was quite sure that Tre didn’t feel for Adrienne in that way at all, he hoped he didn’t because he wanted to approach her soon, just to ask her out somewhere to thank her for helping him with his photographs.

He was desperate to ask her but then the next minute he didn’t. He didn’t want to be rejected, especially by Adrienne. May be he’d just leave it, just let things lie and find someone else.

**

Ramona woke, all excited as her dad was taking her and Frankito to their grandparents for an overnight stay. He was going to stay for lunch then head back home. She loved it at her grandparents, they always spoilt her and Frankito and she secretly loved it when her grandmother got out photographs of when her Dad, Uncle Mike and Uncle Billie were young.

But she also felt it would be weird looking at the pictures and knowing that Green Day were no more. It was all she had known; she had grown up with their music and loved all their songs.

She didn’t want to think that there wouldn’t be any more.

**

Adrienne woke early and thought about Tre once more. She was so excited about meeting up at his house for the evening. What on earth would she wear? She so hoped that Tre felt the same way, she thought they’d be good together. She thought then of how she could live at his house if they got together, how she’d always felt at home there. Was she too old to have a baby? She’d love to have Tre’s baby she thought but I first have to get over this evening and see what Tre’s real feelings are for me.

**

“Come on you,” said Tre knocking on the door. “Time to get up, Hannah will be here soon, I can drop you off in the town and then I’m heading of to Grandma and Grandpas, hurry up Franky, you’re getting worse in the mornings,” he said.

Franky noticed slight annoyance in his voice, which was unusual for him.

“Just coming,” she said getting up straight away and going into her bathroom and getting straight into the shower. As the shower washed over her she thought about going shopping to buy her bridal gown. It didn’t feel like she was actually going to get married, they’d not set a date and she didn’t feel excited about dress shopping at all.

Washing her stomach made her aware once again that she was pregnant and it wasn’t going to go away. She made a mental note to make an appointment at the doctors over the next couple of days.

“Hey Franky,” said Tre once again at the door.

“Some good news honey, your song has got to no. 1 in the UK charts.” He said.

”You’re kidding,” said Franky getting out of the shower.

“No, its true,” said Tre, “now get your ass moving, I want to get off soon.”

No 1 thought Franky that was a huge achievement. She was so excited for her band. They’d agreed they wouldn’t tour for a while just let the songs and videos do their work for a few months and then arrange something. She was more excited about this than choosing a bridal gown.

But then that was normal she was sure of it.

**

Tre had got back from getting some groceries for that night’s dinner, he was just putting the food away when he decided to put some music on while he prepared some of the vegetables.

Checking the CD’s he noticed the Billie song was still in there but decided not to play it so instead put the radio on. Somehow he was going to have to tell Franky to remove it from the CD player without her knowing that he’d heard it.

**

Finishing off the vegetables he could hear Franky’s key in the door and she came into the kitchen without having bought anything new it seemed.

“Hi baby any luck?” Said Tre wiping some of the surfaces down

“No, nothing, there’s nothing around that I like at all. They are either too glittery, too sparkly, too frilly or too detailed, just not my style at all. Still I’ve got ages yet.”

Yeah, ages until I get married and ages until my baby is born.

“What does Hannah think? How can you not find anything?” Said Tre astounded that two young women couldn’t even find a wedding dress between them.

“She hated everything too, everything I try on is just… wrong,” said Franky slumping down into a kitchen chair. She felt exhausted.

Suddenly Tre turned and looked at her.

“I have an idea,” he said.

“What idea?” Said Franky looking up at him. What was he up to?

“Come with me,” said Tre and before Franky could ask again he was heading out of the kitchen.

“Where to?” said Franky watching her father head down the hall.

“Just… follow me,” said Tre and he bounded off upstairs, then to the smaller door on the landing that lead to the attic.

“We hardly ever come up here, just to get the Christmas decorations in and out,” Franky said carefully following Tre up the ladder.

Tre switched on the light and glanced around there were loads of boxes, a few items of furniture, pictures leaning up against the wall, dustsheets and a couple of old boxes of toys lying around.

“Here, over here,” said Tre heading off over into a corner, “this is what I want to show you.” He was over in the corner of the attic looking at a trunk. A white trunk with some stencils of flowers and butterflies on.

“Hey I’ve not seen this before Dad, what is it?”

“It… it was your mothers, its… its her stuff from when we got married. Her wedding dress, shoes, everything is in there.”

Franky’s stomach turned. Of course, mum’s wedding dress. I’d not seen it since the day she’d worn it only in photographs. I remember it being so beautiful but it was quite a few years ago now and I could hardly remember what it looked like.

Dad knelt in front of the trunk and I knelt beside him. He unclipped the front and lifted back the lid. It was full of white tissue paper and dried rose petals, red ones of course.

“These petals were from her bouquet, red roses they were,” he said picking up one of the petals and holding it between his thumb and forefinger.

“Go on… take a look,” said Dad.

I hardly wanted to touch it, everything seemed so neat and put away… just as she’d left it, put away, oh so neatly. That was mum, she was a perfectionist.

I gently brushed aside some of the petals and lifted up the crunchy paper and there underneath was mum’s wedding dress.

I sat back on my heels.

Remembering.

I remembered her walking in front of me, she smelt beautiful, heads were turning to glare at her and I could hear the swish of her dress as she moved along and Dad’s face up ahead beaming widely.

“Well… take it out then,” said Dad breaking into my thoughts.

Hesitating at first I just brushed my hand across the shiny off white material. It felt so satiny and smooth.

I hooked my fingers under the straps and lifted the dress up in front of us.

“Oh my god Dad, its beautiful,” I said.

“Yep. She was the most beautiful bride that I’ve ever seen.”

Then I noticed where the straps met the dress there were a couple of tiny silver stars.

“These are beautiful,” I said glancing over at Dad.

“Yes you know what she was like for her stars and if I remember rightly,” said Tre reaching to the back, “yeah look at all the buttons right down the back, they are silver stars too,” he said remembering how he undid them on their wedding night.

I gasped because they were so beautiful and I couldn’t remember them on the day. My dress was a miniature version of mums but it didn’t have the stars. I still had it hanging in the wardrobe but hadn’t looked at it in ages.

I stood up with the dress holding it out in front of me. It was gorgeous. I hooked it over my arm and checked out the hem and there, dotted around here and there were some more silver stars.

I put my finger out and touched them. They felt beautiful.

“Try it on,” Said Dad.

“I’m not sure,” I said looking away.

“Go on, try it on,” he said encouraging me.

“May be later, lets take a look at what else she’s got in here,” I said still holding onto the dress.

There was a pair of dainty shoes. They were like old-fashioned 1920s style, round toed and with a strap going across with a button holding them. The button was a silver star.

There was a garter with silver stars all round.

“Hey I remember this,” said Tre picking it up and spinning the garter round on his finger.

“..And here’s the jewellery she wore on the day,” said Dad picking up a velvet purple heart shaped box and passing it to me. I flicked it open and there was a pendant with a silver star hanging from it, silver earrings with two silver stars on each one and a bracelet with different sized silver stars attached to it.

Dad put his hand up to his neck and brought out the chain he wore on his neck from out of his shirt. It was mum’s engagement ring that he had always worn there.

A platinum band with diamonds forming a star.

“I think this belongs with those don’t you?” Said Dad unclipping the ring and placing it into the box.

I looked at him.

“I’ve felt like doing this for a while,” he said. I was glad, again, another obsession of Dad’s over with. I just needed to get those booth photographs from him but may be that was too much to ask.

That was everything out of the trunk or so I thought but there in the bottom corner were two things, one was a diary and the other looked like a tiny envelope.

“Ok look,” I said getting them out.

”What’s that?” Said Dad looking over.

“It looks like a diary in white leather and a small note. There is something written on the envelope,” I said.

“Open it then,” he said looking intrigued.

“Actually… it’s got your name on it so you’d better open it.” I said passing the small envelope to him.

He took the note; he didn’t hesitate, that was until I watched his face change as he read something. Suddenly he stood up, roughing his hand over the top of his head and said, look honey, I’m just going downstairs for a while.

“Ok Dad,” I said putting everything back in the trunk but it would never be as neat as mum had had it.

**

I quickly packed up mums things the best I could then went to find Dad was a little concerned, what on earth had the note said? I grabbed the white leather bound diary and left the attic turning the light off behind me.

He was in his bedroom on the window seat looking out. He hadn’t seen me and I noticed a lone tear trail down his cheek, he brushed it away quickly and then I spoke.

“Dad? Are you OK?”

“I’m fine sweetheart, come here.” He said indicating for me to go over to him.

I went to him and we hugged then I sat down beside him on his window seat. He looked slightly upset.

“Are you sure you’re OK?” I said putting my hand on his arm.

“I’m fine Franky”. He still had the note in his hand I noticed.

“I remember she carried this in her bouquet, but she never gave it to me on our wedding day. I don’t know why. You can read it honey, I don’t mind,” he said holding out the little white envelope to me.

“If you’re sure.” I said watching his face. He wasn’t looking at me but he just nodded.

I took the note from him and opened it, then read the words written in mum’s beautiful handwriting.

You are my world, my life and my light,
You stole my heart and you keep it warm,
You are my one true love; I’m so glad I found you,
You Tre,
You are my star.


“That was beautiful Dad,” I said. “How sweet. I wonder why she never showed you before?”

“Who knows?” said Tre shrugging slightly.

“Tell me about mum,” I said out of the blue.

“What do you want me to say?” he said then smiled.

“About when you met her, what you thought of her. I heard mum’s version but I never did ask you yours, I didn’t want to bring it up in case I upset you but I always wanted to ask.”

Then he looked away, away out into the garden just staring out.

“We played in this pub in England. I remember sitting at my drum kit and I could see her behind the bar, she caught my eye. It was quite packed in the pub but I kept stealing glances at her every now and then. She was smiling at the customers, really taking an interest in what they were saying. She sparkled and she shone and that’s how I noticed her. I noticed her first even though she always insisted she saw me first. I didn’t believe her.”

“When we finished she was wiping down tables and such and I couldn’t take my eyes from her. She had long brown hair and she kept brushing it out of her eyes. I almost wanted to go over and brush it out for her,” he said dreamily.

“Later she came and brought us drinks, she seemed quite shy and sweet and right then I could have just picked her up and slung her over my shoulder.”

I laughed then imagining him doing that, it was definitely something he would have done.

“She was leaving the pub that night and the guy who owned it and someone else who worked there brought over farewell gifts, champagne and flowers if I remember. She was struggling with them so we offered her a lift. I sat next to her and she laughed at my name knowing full well it wasn’t my real name. She offered us a bed for the night and we ended up staying there for two weeks. I fell under her spell completely and utterly and hated when I had to go away but we swapped numbers and I was pissed off that the airline lost all my details but, like your mother said, when she lost mine I thought she had my details and would contact me but she never did.”

“It made me ill because she didn’t contact me but I didn’t want to give up on her, didn’t believe she wanted to give up on me so I tried contacting the schools I thought she worked in but they wouldn’t give out information. When we went back to England I knocked on doors but… nothing. Weeks turned into months, months turned into years and I decided that she’d probably have moved on and met someone else, married and had children. I then met Lisea, had Ramona, divorced Lisea, met Claudia, had Frankito, divorced Claudia and then… your Mom was back.”

“Did you ever think of her, you know, when you weren’t together?” I asked him.

“Only all the time,” said Tre. “All the time, that’s why I divorced because I still loved your Mom and when I found her again well, nothing was going to stop me getting away from her and you, you were an extra bonus.” He said smiling at me widely.

“We didn’t have much time together, not enough time and it sickens me still. Of course I’ll still love your Mom, she will constantly be here,” he said putting his hand to his heart. “Always, whatever happens, if I meet someone else they won’t change it, your Mom, her love flows through my veins. She’s a part of me still, always was and always will be but it’s a little easier now.” He said.

My god I felt so sorry for him, I didn’t realise he still had it bad for my Mum but then of course he would but I hoped one day that he would find someone else and be happy again. He deserved it.

“She’ll always be a part of me may be like Gerard is to you. You know when you meet the right person. You just know.” He said.

Was it like that with Gerard and me? Did he flow through my veins? Was he a part of me?

I wasn’t sure.

But I was sure that he could be.

**

That night Franky glanced out of the window at the stars remembering what her Dad had said to her. They must have been so in love those two she thought to herself then remembered her Mom’s journal and the little white diary. She decided she’d read more of the journal tomorrow; it was still in her holdall from her trip to England.

Yawning she turned off the light and got into bed, throwing the quilt over her. She was so tired she fell asleep immediately.

**

Outside, the guy who had moved in next door looked up at Franky’s bedroom window as the light went off.

I shall do it soon he thought to himself.

Yep, over the next couple of weeks I shall do it.