A Perfect Love Story - Book 9

Back In Albany

"Here are the brochures I got from the FASNY Museum of Firefighting in Hudson today. I also payed for a conductor's coffee and donuts with Uncle Johnny close by. AND I got to blow the horn at a crossing on our way back to Albany. The engineer, Donny, was very nice, and he's been friends with Uncle Johnny for going on 25 years," Jude says as Frankie had just arrived back at her Grandpa Frank's house with their moms only 15 minutes prior as she places her little bag down in the bedroom beaming and bursting to spill the news she had to at least one of her siblings.

Closing the door she sits beside Jude on the bed smiling from ear to ear as Jude looks at her oddly. "Why are you looking at me like that? It's rather strange."

"Jude, I've been dying to tell someone. DYING. I mean DYING. I wanted to call you from the hotel but I couldn't!"

"Okay, about?"

"Moms. They are back together. Like they told me. They are together! Can you believe it? TOGETHER!!"

"Shhh," the boy hushes his sister as Frankie is nearly jumping up and down clapping in excitement for she had been bursting. Bursting like crazy.

"I can't calm myself, Jude. This means we can stop living at two houses! We can! I mean they are dating, but come on! They are meant for one another, and we can stop living this nightmare."

"I told you anyway. I told all of you they just needed to figure things out."

"Well yeah, but they hated each other so much, and they were both dating other people, so I didn't think it would happen," the girl says sitting back down beside Jude as the boy stares at her.

"Sure, they will probably marry shortly too. If they haven't already."

"I don't know, Jude. Mama Dukes said they were just dating and taking it slow. Wait? You think they are married already? But they have no rings!" Frankie's eyes bug out in excitement as Jude slowly gets off the bed and grabs the honey bunn and glass of milk he had prepared on his desk.

Papa Frank had said it was fine for him to eat it in his room as long as he brought it back right after he finished and cleaned his plate and cup.

"You don't need a ring to get married, Frankie. They never really stopped being married in my eyes and were simply acting like foolish children who don't really know how to communicate. That's all," the boy takes a seat at the desk and bites into his dessert. "Plus, I am almost certain they still have their old rings from their first marriage. I can't see them tossing those as if they meant nothing."

"So, you really think they are married already? Like why wouldn't they tell us? Why hide the fact you're married from your own kids????" Frankie says as Jude looks back at her.

"You can't ever really tell with them, and I don't think they look at it as hiding. They don't wish to hurt our feelings if something goes wrong because they are terrified of messing up again. I'd say if they aren't married, they will be by the time we leave here. Your chances of Mama D living with us again and us all being in the same house before school starts in a week are about 99.9 percent. Statistically speaking."

"But whose house would we live at, you think? We aren't gonna have two. Mama Dukes and Mama aren't rich."

"Not sure, but I'm pretty positive they are discussing it, and not to be a gossip because I am far from it, but there are things that need to be settled in California that Mama D and Mama L don't know about yet," Jude looks away now as he sips his milk.

"What things? Why are you talking in code, Jude?" Frankie asks, grabbing the other chair and moving it closer to her brother as he takes another sip of his milk and looks back at her sister. The young boy of course can see she is eager to know what he thought for it was no secret Jude knew more then even the adults.