Back into town

3. No more lies

Fred looked at me with his arms crossed. He knew, he was simply waiting for confirmation. I wondered how he knew, I hadn't told anyone the truth. I had spun a web of lies and it had trapped everyone but Fred must have suspected something and cut himself loose. A whirlwind of thoughts and emotions hit me and I couldn't hold back my tears anymore. Fred sighed and pulled me into a hug. "Why, Alice?" he whispered. "I just couldn't, Fred. After that reaction, I was just so angry and then Hal was there..." I sighed and went to sit back on my chair. Fred pulled his chair closer and looked at me closely. "Hal offered me a ticket out and I just took it. My parents would've been so disappointed in me and I couldn't go to the Serpents either because he would be there and as their Serpent prince, they would've picked his side anyway and I really didn't want to bother you and Hermione. So I chose Hal. He didn't know about the baby so he thought it was his when I told him a while later I was pregnant." I took a breath and looked at my hands. "Which you never denied and in the meantime you told FP that you had given your baby up for adoption. Look, Alice, I know you were hurt and believe me if I knew the reason about the break up back then, I would've scolded the hell out of FP but you had no right to lie like that. Do you know how miserable FP was when he told me everything? He had locked himself up for two months because now he hadn't only lost the love of his life but also his baby. And when he finally got out again, something had changed. Even when he married Gladys and got his children, he never seemed truly happy again." I lifted my head up, my eyes full of tears. "He, he got married? He has kids?" I knew it shouldn't bother me but it did. After all these years, even with all those years of anger and sadness, it did hurt me to know he moved on. I knew it wasn't fair of me to hope he hadn't. I did so he had every right to but it just stung. "Well he's divorcing his wife now. And I promise you he loves his kids to death but you can feel something is different. He will kill me twice for telling you this but Alice, there hasn't passed one day that you or his son haven't crossed has mind." I wiped away my tears and dusted off my clothes before I stood up. I walked back into the kitchen and placed my hands on the kitchen counter while taking a deep breath. Fred followed me and frowned. "Alice..." I turned around and put my hands in my hips. "What Fred? What do you expect me to say or do? You want me to admit it was a big mistake? You want me to go to FP and declare him my love? Or tell him that I never gave up our son for adoption? How would any of that help!? Listen Fred, I genuinely appreciate it how you've been there for me all these years and how you're trying to make things right between FP and I but the past 25 years can't just be erased alright!? I came here so my kids could start again after their father's death. Yes even Charles because as far as I'm concerned he still believes Hal was his father! So please don't talk about this again in my house. It only brings up hurt because it just cuts open old wounds over and over again." I sighed and frantically wiped away my new tears. Fred let out a big sigh and took his jacket. I trailed behind him to the door. Just before he stepped out he turned around and said "But the hurt is not because I cut open an old wound. It's because the old wound has never healed." I stared at him while hewalked back to his own house. As he shut his door I gasped for air. As if his words were a real fist that had punched me in the face. I closed the door and fell on the ground. I let all my tears come out. All the pain I hid, all the anger I kept inside, all the tears I stopped from flooding out...I let it all out. I screamed and scratched  myself. I was angry of myself, of the decisions I made in the past that led me to this. I walked to the couch and curled myself up in a blanket. Still sobbing I looked at my wedding ring. I sighed and laid down on the couch falling asleep with the tears still running down.

When I opened my eyes, the bright light coming through the window hurted my eyes. I narrowed my eyes and tried to sit up. My back hurted from sleeping on the couch and my eyes felt like they were glued together. I rubbed in my eyes and saw black stripes on my hands. I sighed while rolling my shoulders and head. Slowly I stood up and looked in the mirror in the hall. Oh dear, I looked like a real mess. Still tired I walked upstairs to the bathroom. It was still early so I tried not to make to much noise while I started to shower. I washed my hair and body and let the water just run for a while. I was trying to sort my thoughts but it was useless. After the shower I walked to my room and searched for something to wear. I chose black jeans and a white blouse. I decided I'd go talk to Sierra McCoy today to see if I could reopen the Riverdale Register. While I was putting my stuff in my purse, I heard a door open. I looked in the hallway and saw Charles' sleepy head going to the bathroom. I let out a soft smile and walked downstairs to prepare breakfast. An hour later, my three children came down, still yawning. "Goodmorning, sweethearts." I chuckled while I was putting the fresh orange juice on the table. They murmled something back which I assumed was a goodmorning back. They took a seat and poured some juice in their glasses. "I think you all could use this." I laughed while I walked back with coffee. They all nodded and held their cup up. While I was pouring coffee I asked them how the movie was. "It was really cool. And Archie and Jughead seem great too." Betty replied while putting butter on her bread. "Is his name really Jughead?" I asked while I came back from the kitchen with a plate full of pancakes. Carles shook his head. "No he is named after his father but he isn't on great terms with his father at the moment." I raised an eyebrow before walking back into the kitchen. "Maybe you know his father, mom, he has lived in Riverdale his whole life and also went to Riverdale High." Polly asked while taking a pancake. I came back with a cup of tea for myself. "Maybe, what's his father's name?" Betty laughed "Well it's a mouth full, Forsythe Pendleton Jones the second." A second later my cup was in pieces on the ground. "Mom?!"