Love Will Keep Us - Book 5

Unfair

LENA POV

"I don't get why I can't go to the bakery like always. Why am I being punished!" Frankie asks at the dinner table as my mind is still numb from the letter. "Uncle needs my help and he just opened and it's not fair! Why can't I?"

"I suggest you watch your tone, Francesca. Because neither me or your Mama will listen to a word you say if you continue to shout. Got it?"  Stef warns as I look at my daughter who lets out a sigh. We knew she was annoyed about it but Stef and I really wanted to speak to Julius even if he refused to talk to either of us. "You will go back to the bakery when we say. End of story."

"But I need to make my stuff Mama Dukes. It's like the one thing I love doing and I don't get why your punishing me for the fire! It wasn't MY FAULT!

"We are not punishing you for the fire, Frankie." I say. "Not at all. And we know it wasn't your fault." My eyes look up at Corey who bows his head in embarrassment. "And we aren't casting blame but Mom and I need to talk about it."

"Ok then what? Because you guys are in big dramatic fight with Uncle I can't? What does that have to do with me?"

"Francesca, enough! I'm not telling you again. You are on thin ice my dear. VERY thin and the more you talk the worse it's getting. My patience is very low this morning." My wife warns again as Callie is trying to get her sister to hush and Corey remains quiet. I knew if she didn't stop Stef would explode and I wasn't very far behind her.

"That's so unfair!" Frankie continues as I see how red her face is getting, and I sigh as I take a long sip of my water. "Like it just is! Totally and I behave!"

"Keep talking back to me. Go ahead! I dare you! You don't even know what unfair is in life honey!" Stef slams her fork down on her plate as she glares at our daughter and I feel my headache get worse. Today was NOT the day it really wasn't.

"I know what's unfair the fact that I get whipped and Stefanie and Callie yet golden boy gets nothing! Nothing!" Frankie stands to her feet as Callie begins tugging on her shirt.

"Franks!" she growls in a hoarse whisper as I now stare at our outspoken daughter.

"Frankie do not start..." I begin but am cut off instantly by my wife.

"EXCUSE ME!!!" Stef stands to her feet now as she glares at Frankie who is not backing down at all as I knew this was about to get much worse!

"Yeah! That's unfair! He gets yelled at, or his door off for like a day! I work hard, I behave, I do what I'm told and he acts like a little asshole, nearly burns the entire bakery to the ground where we almost die and gets away with it!! I get whipped for talking back or raising my voice  and he get nothing! That's what's unfair and totally hypocritical! You're hypocritical! And I'm over it!" Frankie screeches as Stef whips around the table only to meet the young girl who stands close to her, no fear in her demeanor as this is just insane! What in the hell was happening.

"Francesca you do not! No way in hell do you ever call your mother that!" I yell storming over to her as I can see she is red in the face as well as my wife.

"Where in the hell do you get off!!! YOU DON'T EVER, EVER in life call me such a thing or any kind of name WHATSOEVER!! Who in the hell do you think you are!! HUH!!! WHO!!! I should whip your ass just for even thinking you can come at me in such a way! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR EVER LOVING MIND! HUH!!!"

"It's true! You are and it's UNFAIR!!!!" She yells again as I get in between her and my wife.

"Francesca NO!! You are way out of line! Way out of it and you apologize. Now!!!"

"I won't for saying the truth! I won't Mama!"

"Leave the room! NOW!" Stef points to the doorway as Frankie shakes her head, and I see tears surface in her blue eyes. "THIS INSTANT BEFORE I damm near throw you in the god damm room!! GO!!"

"SEE?! I'm the one who gets in trouble! Gonna whip my ass?" She challenges as Stef goes around me and steps towards her and Frankie doesn't flinch one single bit. This was new and I never saw such defiance in my child toward Stef. Not to this extreme, or if it I had it was way before they got so close.

"Frankie! Stop!" Callie pleads as she, too, gets up and implores to her sister all the while Corey hangs his head. "Please stop." Callie begs as tears roll down Frankie's eyes and this is just awful. It is as both her and Stef are staring hard at each other.

"Francesca! C'mon, now! You don't speak to Mom that way at all and you are to go to your as she says! How you are talking is unacceptable." I throw down my napkin in frustration as Corey, now the only one who isn't standing looks distraught.

"What, Mama? What? I'm not wrong, and you know it! I'm not and...."

"YOU don't get to say a damm thing about how either me or Mama parent. NOTHING.  You get NO SAY SO, and no EXPLANATION because you are the CHILD! We are the adults and if you ever want to make it to be being an adult I SUGGEST YOU GET your ass out of my face before I take the wooden spoon on the table and beat the hell out of you! GO!" Stef bellows as Frankie stands in front of her a bit longer, neither of the two backing down as the tears continue to fall from Frankie's eyes. I knew it was taking everything in my wife not to whip her ass as she steps closer to her Frankie. backing up a bit.

"You are so unfair and I'm not talking to you EVER AGAIN!" She fires back as she storms out of the room, and Stef is on her tale.

Thankfully I reach her in time to grab her arm. "Hey, just let her cool off..."

"FRANCESCA!!!!!!" She shouts as she cuts me off, and I tug a bit harder. "Your baking days ARE OVER!!! YOU THINK YOU CAN MOUTH OFF TO ME!! GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE!!"

"Stef! Let her cool off! Please Stef." I tug her arm more stopping her from tearing into Frankie's room as she turns to glare at me.

"WHAT?!"

"I know she is out of line Stef, I know it and to be honest, you need to cool off too," I look at her with pleading eyes, and she glares hard at me, fuming.

"Lena!" She pulls away as Corey comes up on the other side of her. "HER MOUTH! HOW DARE SHE!! She thinks shes an adult? HUH? YOU THINK YOU'RE AN ADULT FRANCESCA! THEN YOU BETTER PAY ME SOME RENT!!" She screams trying to head to Frankie's room when I grab her arm again.

"STEF!" I beg again for she is just so angry she won't listen. "Please, you..."

"Mama Dukes, Frankie doesn't mean it. Please don't whip her tale. I get it she's frustrated. And I can go tell her you whipped me. She just doesn't know you did and she's upset about the bakery and Stefanie leaving. She's just bad at expressing herself. I'm sorry I caused all this."

We both look at the young boy who looks very sad, and Stef relaxes a bit as she finally nods her head. "No. You didn't cause all this ok? Look, let's go finish dinner, please." She says as both Corey and Callie take a seat visibly upset and Stef turns to look at me. "But her ass is mine, and that door is gone after dinner."

Letting out a sigh I take a seat myself feeling my headache grow even stronger.