Purple Hearts

Two Days Later

Gerard and I had set a wedding date; it was going to be in three weeks time. I was excited and nervous at the same time but I’d done something stupid, I still hadn’t told Gerard about the baby.

**

“Franky, oh my god, I’ve just heard from James about your experience with the guy next door,” said Hannah. It seemed I hadn’t spoken to her in ages; she’d been away with Ed and had missed all the goings on. “Do they have any idea who the guy was?” she said.

”No, the police are still investigating.” I said, I didn’t want to talk about the guy, his face was still imprinted in my mind, the smell of his body odour would sweep over me at odd times and the hatred in his eyes haunted my dreams. I knew he looked familiar but I couldn’t place him. Dad and everybody else hadn’t mentioned him but Dad mentioned the gun this morning. He asked me where I’d got it but I said I’d explain later, it was nothing. How was I going to explain the gun? I was meant to get rid of it for Adrienne but I didn’t want to lie to Dad, I wanted to tell him the truth but if I did would Dad tell Billie that the gun belonged to Joey? What would happen then?

“I can’t believe it,” she said. “I need to come and see you later, will you be in? I have something to tell you.”

“Yes, I’ll be in, I’ve a couple of songs to show you and also…something to tell you. Two things actually.” I said.

“Tell me now,” said Hannah getting all excited.

“I can’t, it’ll have to wait,” I said. “Come over soon though, I’m bursting with the news.”

“I’ll be there in half an hour,” she said.

Dad had recovered well and he’d driven Julia, Emily and Ramona in to the town to do some shopping. Then he was going to take them for lunch somewhere. He’d asked me to go but I didn’t feel like it. I had the scan this afternoon but hadn’t told anyone where I was going. For some reason I wanted to do this myself.

**

“That is even better than ‘Tuesday’s Rain’” said Hannah after reading my song.

“You think?” I said. I hadn’t written for a while but after my experience I somehow had loads of words going around my head.

“Yes, this is by far my favourite song by you. What’s it called?”

I shrugged, “I'm thinking may be 'A Hidden Love' or something like that, not sure really. Anyway, what’s this news you’ve got for me?”

Then she held up her finger and showed me a gold band. It was on her ring finger.

“What? No way,” I said.

“Yeah, we got married while I was away, oh Franky, Ed has been so great and he just asked me to marry him, I said yes and we went and did it the next day. I’m so happy at the moment.” Well, not truly happy but happier than I’ve ever known thought Hannah.

“Come here, married woman,” I said to Hannah and she came and hugged me and I took a closer look at the ring. “That’s beautiful,” I said.

“I know, but what have you got to tell me?” She said sitting alongside me on the bed.

“Well, Gerard and I are getting married,” I said looking at her.

“I know that already,” she said, frowning.

“We’re getting married in three weeks, I’ve brought it forward because…I want to get married before…”

“Before what?” she said getting frustrated with me.

“Before the baby is born.” I said.

Her eyes widened. “Baby?” she said. “Are you serious?”

“Yeah. I’m having a baby, well it may be twins but I’m going this afternoon to find out. I wanted to get married before they were born, before I got huge.”

“I don’t believe it, we’re both having babies, I hope they’ll be friends,” Hannah said, but realisation dawned on her that they’d be more than just friends for Franky would be her baby’s half sister. Oh shit.

**

Dad still wasn’t back from his trip with Julia, Emily and Ramona. While eating my lunch with Hannah she’d persuaded me that may be Dad would like to come with me to the hospital. I’d agreed and had waited and waited but knew it was time to go soon as I’d be late for my appointment.

Ten minutes later I checked my watch and decided that I’d have to go now. Dad was obviously having a wonderful time with the girls.

I clicked the switch on my keys and the garage door opened revealing my mini, mum’s old car. I always felt a sad pang when I saw it because it always reminded me of mum. What would she have made of all this? She would have been a grandmother.

Her and Dad as grandparents.

That would have been fantastic to have seen.

The engine didn’t start the first time; I hadn’t driven for a while. I tried again, usually it started second time but this time it didn’t. I kept on trying and trying but no luck. The car wouldn’t start. I didn’t have the first clue about what was wrong with cars so I decided if I hurried, I could catch the bus from the bottom of the street and that would take me up near to the hospital.

I was just locking the car when his BMW pulled up. I looked up and saw his familiar face through the windscreen, smiling at me.

He got out, obviously aware that something wasn’t quite right.

“You OK?” He said.

”No, I can’t get the car to start and I…I have an appointment,” I said.

“I’ll take you,” said Billie. “Where are you headed?”

“I’m…I’m going to the hospital, its my scan appointment,” I said to him. My heart started beating faster suddenly wondering if it was his baby I was carrying. Oh my god, what if it was, what if he found out? Would he want to have kind of joint custody of the baby? But I was marrying Gerard so it was best he never found out.

“Get in, that’s fine, I’m free this afternoon,” he said.

I walked over to his car and got in, the scent in the car full of his cologne and gum, as it always was.

He drove fast, the one thing I hated now but absolutely loved when I was much younger, back in those days when I’d first moved to California, when I had no worries at all but thought I had loads.

**

“Miss Wright,” called the Nurse from the doorway of a small room off the waiting area.

I stood up, my stomach had butterflies, I felt light headed all of a sudden and grabbed on to the top of the chair.

“Hey,” said Billie. “You OK? Let me take you in,” he said taking my arm and taking me into the room.

I got up onto the bed then Billie was about to leave the room, but suddenly I didn’t want to be alone.

”Billie, please stay,” I said. He came over, sat down on a chair next to the bed.

They put some squishy substance on my stomach, which made me giggle it was so cold and then the nurse turned on a TV monitor so that I could see. At the same time she moved the small machine over my stomach. She did this for some time and then spoke.

“OK,” she said. “I’m just…just going to get a Doctor, I need him to check something for me,” she said then left the room, real quick.

I turned to Billie, scared now.

”What is it?” I said. “What’s wrong?”

“Hey, it’ll be OK,” said Billie. But he wasn’t so sure; he’d been to these with Adrienne but both times the nurse never left the room once.

He squeezed Franky’s hand for reassurance, but was scared for her.