Whilst Tristan and Ellie were having fun outside on the rain, wearing warmer jackets that kept their brittle skeletons dry and safe, in the interim Jude and Frank seated on veranda's chairs as Agnes Jude was in her mother's arms as she was slightly young to play fluently with her older siblings.
Gushing rain drops as the sky wept. Gray, grim clouds airbrushed the sky with nothing but its cloudiness. It hasn't been sunny for days as the rainy, cloudy autumn days especially the last ones equivalented the regular London days. The last time when it was sunny was actually a couple of days ago. The sun was just oblivious these days. What a phenomenon!
The youngest child of Howards family was already asleep in her mother's arms, snooring very softly as her snores were almost inaudible. The both adults indisputably relished the sight of two infants squealed in joy, filling the fall's ambience with rejoicing memories, not only of their childhood, but also their mother and their uncle's blissful years. Ellie and Tristan adore the rainy days especially Ellie as she loved to go outside, regardless what she had on herself, the heavy rain dampened her from head to toes.
The clean, sheer countryside's air sailed in every alive surrounder's nostrils, exhaling and inhaling, as they felt their rebirth.
"You have wonderful children, Judy. I assure ya." Frank stated sincerely as a broad, radiant smile curled up in the corner of his lips.
"Thank you, Frank! It has always been a miracle for me to have them." Jude said in low, merry voice, her eyes fixed on the cheerful infants.
"I know." He patted lightly her shoulder without hurting her. "You have already them."
"Exactly!" Once Frank said those heartwarming words, they lit up her face instantly as they have casted a spell on her, encouraging her pride to prevail her identity. "I am so relieved and happy that they are still little. So tiny." The former nun inhaled.
"I cannot disagree here." The former security guard clarified rather beatifically. "It's unfortunate how I haven't seem smaller."
"I know but I have polaroid pictures of them at least."
"Oh, really? If you really have, you can show me."
"I will, of course."
Then a sudden silence stumped as they stared in silence at the gleeful twins. The both adults' eyes as Jude's hazel and Frank's winter blue eyes glistened as they carried on eyeing them, liting up their faces per a passing second. All of a sudden, Frank broke the hush, fortunately.
"Do you know of who they remind me?" Suddenly Frank turned to face Jude, noting her dazzling hazel eyes focused on her little minis yet, pursuing for her eyes as soon as possible to develop a friendly eye contact as his face was centimetres away from hers.
"Who?" She shook her head, acknowledging her uncertainty behind his question.
"Dorothea and Matt." He exclaimed.
"What's their similarity with Ellie and Tristan?" She peeped down at Agnes, making sure that she was profoundly asleep, barely listening to the both middle aged adults speaking to one another.
"Well, Dorothea has exactly the same hair color just like Ellie and used to be so playful, dynamic little girl. Whilst Matt is just like the grown-up Tristan in my family." The former security guard cackled softly as he returned his gaze to the children, noting in the both Howards heirs something specific. More than specific as resemblance between them and his daughter and son.
"That's amazing. Tell me a little bit more about them, if you feel comfortable, Frank." Jude insisted as she was beyond intrigued by his words, loving to listen to his speech as friends, of course.
"Okay." He caughed as he paused for a while. "So my youngest child, Dorothea have always loved me as I was her role model, despite I worked as a cop before being a security guard in Briarcliff. Remember about this part with my former job as a cop?" He inquired inquisitively. In the meantime, the former nun just nod her head humbly, confirming his words as she had heard this part about being a police officer. "Good! She has always dreamt to become a police officer. She wanted to defend the innocent from the dangerous guys." He inhaled sharply. "The things just went in the opposite direction. She went in the university with criminology, thus working with her speciality."
Instead of uttering a word, Jude's abstinence helped Frank to continue speaking.
"Dorothea is a happily married wife with three beautiful children. Just like you and Timothy. She's lucky my little daughter." He narrated serenely.
"I am pleased for her for having a family and working she desires. Tell me about Matt too."
"He used to be the smart, mature and studious little boy. Exactly like Tristan! And he didn't cry so much shortly after his breath. He became eventually a doctor. He has always wanted to rescue innocent people's lives and help people to survive."
"What about his happy ending, Frank?"
"Well, he married a woman who loves him more than anything. They met each other when he was just 18. They have only one child."
***
The evening hours approached as Jude put them in their high chairs as Frank helped her with washing the dishes and silverware eating tools after having a dinner in silence just like friends. Jude wore an apron in case if Agnes spits the baby food and bedraggles her mother's clothes.
Jude was feeding Agnes with a grasped spoon as the youngest child sat in her high chair, while the twins ate by themselves from their baby food. Agnes weaned off months ago.
The little girl pouted when her mother insisted to eat.
"Come on, little sweetheart! That's good for you." The former nun stated in slight frustration.
"Naah, mama." Agnes Jude whined as she pushed away with her wee arms her mother's larger hand that held the spoon.
"You must."
In the interim, the phone rang as Frank promised to feed Agnes whilst Jude to answer the phone.
Once Jude walked up to the ringing phone, she answered it right away, she held the earpiece behind her ear.
"Hello?" The middle aged woman exclaimed uncertain who was calling her as her fingers tangled in the handset cord.
"Hi Judy." Kit echoed as a bashful, modest smile curled up in the corner of Jude's lips.
"Hi Kit. How have you been these days?"
"I am fine." He spoke rather with doubtful voice, disguising himself as his current condition is normal. "How about you too?"
"I am fine too. You don't seem fine at all. What's wrong?"
"Guess who I saw today in New York!"
"Miss Lana Banana, right?" Mrs.Howard enquired sarcastically.
In the meantime, when Frank fed Agnes with her baby food as they heard Jude calling Lana's last name "Banana", they couldn't help but giggle inwardly to themselves.
"Lana Banana." The former security guard whispered to himself as he grinned.
"Yes, it's her." Kit replied seriously.
"What she did to you? I would like to know what's bothering you."
"Well, we encountered in front of one cafe as she was encircled by fans, signing them autographs as I suggested her to drink some coffee and talk as she didn't reject my suggestion. Therefore we sat, initially commencing to discuss our lives as suddenly when we discussed Father McKenzie, then your name was mentioned, as a result of that she cares about you though I told her she cares about fame, besides writing lies in her book. Eventually she excused herself by having a meeting with fans as she left the cafe."
"Oh, It's so unexpected how you met her in person."
"I know but I don't know how she started to care for you all of a sudden. She has drastically changed, Jude. I cannot trust her at all."
"I understand you but I haven't readen her book. I don't know about you."
"Well..." He exhaled sharply, catching his breath as well. As his frustration was murderously apparent. "I have readen it only once and I noticed some facts which are particularly lies." The younger man kept on.
To be continued...