Love Will Keep Us - Book 5

Apple Turnovers

It had been a challenging few weeks for the family as Callie was still staying with her dad despite everything. She had not returned home and Frankie still refused to speak with her when she saw her in the halls at school. She was upset, beyond upset and ignored her at the bakery as well as Callie had finally returned to help out. Corey found it stupid but he still interacted with Callie as if nothing was wrong at all, something which annoyed Frankie to no end.

But one evening after everyone had gone to bed, Frankie decided to sneak downstairs and sleep in Callie's room. She wasn't sure why, but she knew she missed the days when she had her sister there to talk to through everything she was feeling. She had also started to have her panic attacks again, something which made her feel weak, and deep inside, she really wanted Callie to come back home.

Tonight was no different as Frankie tossed and turned, and just as she was falling asleep, she was woken up with a giant clap of thunder. Sitting straight up in the bed, she clutched the pillow to her chest as her heart raced out of control, and she sat wide-eyed staring at the basement window as the rain pounded against it.

"Count to ten, Frankie. Count to ten," she lectures herself as she begins to count only to almost jump out of her skin with another clap of thunder bursting through her counting. Burying herself under the blankets, she pulls the pillow over her head and squeezes her eyes shut as she starts counting again. "One...two...three...four.."

Again and again, the thunder rumbles, and before she knows it, she is upstairs and in the middle of the kitchen having taken two to three steps at a time. Looking around, she refuses to wake anyone up, for she was not a baby, but instead managed to turn the little light on over the counter, even with her hand shaking out of control.

Taking several deep breaths, she sees a bag of apples that her mama must have just purchased that day, and smiles as she pulls down the flour and sugar. One thing she could do and that she'd always done when she was filled with anxiety was to bake, and since she hadn't baked in their kitchen in quite some time, she decides to make her apple turnovers.

As the lighting flashes and the thunder rumbles, Frankie gets into a groove as she rolls out the dough and begins slicing the apples. Measuring out the sugar, she smiles to herself as she realizes that she is conquering one of her fears all by herself, even without Callie's help, for it was Callie who had taught her to count whenever it stormed.

"Francesca?"

Frankie jumps as she hears her name fall from Stef's lips and she freezes as she sees the blonde walk over to her, her blue coffee mug in her hands. "I tried to be quiet!" She blurts out as Stef smiles softly, as she walks over to the young girl, and sets her mug on the counter.

"You're fine, love. I wasn't sleeping, but do you realize it's almost two in the morning, sweetness?"

"I...couldn't sleep, Mama Dukes. I was kinda scared from the storm."

"No reason to be scared babygirl. Whatcha making? Smells nice. Cinnamon?"

"That's one of the secret ingredients to my apple turnovers," Frankie smiles as Stef picks up an apron.

"May I?"

"Sure," Frankie smiles as she begins sprinkling her mixture over the apples.

"So, wanna know why I'm awake?" Stef smiles at the girl as they begin to work together.

"Why? Are you afraid of storms too?"

"No, my love. BUT, it's the opposite. Ever since I was a little girl, my older brother, Frank Jr and I would sit beside his big picture window. I should say in this one particular house we had because we did move all over."