Our Unknown Love
Chapter 13
Gwen and Gerard came down the stairs looking at Tommy chasing Jude into the house as he finally caught her tossing her over his shoulder and carefully throwing her onto the couch that was in the family living room and starting tickling her. Claudette stepped into the house from the verandah and joined her parents. "Hi Mom! Hi Dad!" Claudette greeted giving them both kisses on their cheek. "So I see you've met your possible new sister-in-law," Gwen said to her youngest daughter as they headed towards the couple into the living room. They watched the pair torture each other with non-stop ticking, "Tommy stop!" Jude yelled as she laughed at the same time. "No! Not after what you said about me being old and wrinkled." "Don't forget fat, bald and with a little grey hair," she added on giggling. Claudette and her parents laughed at what they heard Jude say to Tommy but were not noticed when they stood at the entry way of the room. "Yea I have, she's really nice. I think she's good for Tom-Tom." "We think so too," Gerard commented. "So has she met Tam and Do yet?" Claudette asked her parents. "No not yet. They should be arriving soon with their families," Gwen replied. "Looks like we'll be having a full house this weekend," Claudette stated.
Jude finally got control and started tickling Tommy in the spot where she knew he would give in, "Jude stop! You know that's the worst spot to get me," Tommy laughed trying to move out of Jude's way but it was not use. Jude continued to tickle him, "Do you want me to stop?" she asked. "Yes!" "So what do you say?!" "Please stop!" "Nope that's not it! Try again." "Pretty please stop!" "Nope!" "Okay, okay. You're the best!" "Almost but not quite," Jude said as she continued to tickle him. "You're the best and I love you!" Tommy shouted and Jude smiled and noticed his parents and sister at the door way and they smiled back. "What was that?! I think you need to say it a little louder," Jude said still torturing him. "I LOVE YOU JUDE HARRISON!" Tommy shouted and Jude quickly removed herself from her boyfriend and just as he was about to lunge after her, he heard, "AHEM!" and he stopped his movement, turning his head and smiled at the small audience that all had wide smiles upon their faces then turned to glare at Jude for her little tactic. "Hi! So, uh, how much of that did you hear?" Tommy asked as he stood up from the sofa feeling embarrassed because he's never expressed his love for someone in front of his family, especially his parents. Jude walked up to him this time wrapping her arms around him, "We heard enough, and we're happy for you," Claudette replied smiling.
The doorbell rang and Bernard hurried to answer it and suddenly, a commotion of little voices was heard from the foyer. The little faces saw their grandparents and ran up to them. Then behind the little trampling feet and little voices were remaining members of the Du Tois Family.
Stepping into the large entry way walking toward their parents were Tamara, her husband Patrick Le Monde and then Gwendolyn and her husband Arthur Devereaux. The couples walked in and greeted their parents and youngest sister. From the side Tommy held Jude in his arms as they watched until they were done so he could properly introduce her. Jude stood quietly observing the two sisters. They were both about her height, same build as Claudette with dark hair and grey eyes, except one had short hair cut to her jaw line dressed very business like, and the other had layered at shoulder length dressed in semi-formal casual wear. She also noticed how they were eyeing her as they greeted their parents.
From the corner of their eyes as they greeted their parents Tamara and Gwendolyn were eyeing the blonde next to their dear brother. The two sisters looked at each other for their silent conversation, 'Look at the tramp he brought home," Tamara began. 'I know. Did mom tell you that he was bringing someone with him?' 'No, did she say anything to you?' 'No. Well it looks like we have some work to do.' Gwen was closely observing her two daughters talk and notice their eyes linger to Jude and then cleared her throat to get their attention. The girls stopped their conversation and immediately put their attention to their brother.
"Thomas!" the two shouted out and Tommy walked towards them holding Jude's hand. "How are you dear brother?" Tamara asked as Tommy as did Gwendolyn. Hugging them back with his free arm never letting go of Jude he replied, "I'm doing great. How about you?" The sisters replied in the same manner, "We're fine." Then Tommy brought Jude closer to his side and pointing to his sisters to introduce her, "Tamara, Gwendolyn this is Jude Harrison my artist, co-producer and girlfriend, Jude these are my older sisters Tamara and Gwendolyn." Jude politely reached her arm out to shake their hand and they looked up and down at her before shaking her hand, "Nice to meet you both. Tommy's told me so much about the both of you," Jude said with a very sincere smile.
Their husbands and children approached them and more introductions were made. "You're all very early. I thought you weren't coming until later?" Gwen asked her daughters. "Well we both had slow days today so we decided to come here early," Do explained to her mother. "Well it's wonderful that you're all here! Let's all go out and sit on the verandah and get acquainted," Gwen suggested, her children all nodded to agree.
Unexpectedly they heard little feet and a small cry coming down the stairs. They all turned to see a newly awoken Bailey at the landing. He looked up to see a crowd of people all strangers in his eyes, he looked around and finally saw Tommy and Jude behind the group. As soon as he spotted them, Bailey quickly walked over to Jude and Tommy, raised his arms in front of Tom signaling him to pick him up and did so.
"Hi Bay!" Jude said to her son and replied softly, "Hi Mommy!" and he leaned down to kiss Jude. "Hey bud! You okay?" Tommy asked. "I'm fine Daddy. I just got scared cuz you and Mommy weren't there and I wasn't at home." Everyone in the room except Gwen and Gerard were surprised to hear what the little boy had called Tommy, no one could speak at the moment, not even with their eyes.
"Mommy, Daddy who are all these people?" Bailey quietly asked. Tommy slowly introduced him to his siblings and their husbands pointing to each of them and politely greeted Jude's son. Then when it came to the children Tommy put Bailey down and squatted to their level. Bay these girls are my sisters' kids, my nieces and pointed to each one starting with the oldest, "Bailey, this is Charlotte she's 10, this is Casey and she's 7 and this is April and she's 5, they are my nieces. Girls, this is Bailey, Jude's son." Bailey's eyes lit up when he heard April's age, "She's 5, like I'm going to be?" "Yup, just like you will be," Tommy replied. "Uncle To-To can we take Bailey to the playroom?" Tommy looked up at Jude, she nodded and said, "Sure you can, but play nice." "Okay," the girls said to their uncle. Then Tommy realized that he just sent his boy with 3 little girls, 'Oh no,' he thought then quickly spoke out before they got any farther, "Girls!" "Yea Uncle To-To," "Please DO NOT put make-up, or do anything to Bailey's hair okay; he's a boy, not a girl." The girls giggled as well as Bailey, "yes uncle," they replied and walked down a hall to the playroom.
Tommy finally brought his attention back to the group of adults in the foyer who was just watching him interact so sweetly with the little boy that came to him. He looked around and noticed the eyes upon him, "What?" he asked and his mother quickly spoke telling everyone to head out to the verandah for beverages and snacks so everyone would stop staring at him.
All of the adults sat at the table that over looked the beautiful gardens eating, drinking and chatting away. While Tommy on the other side of the table talking to his brother-in-laws and father, Claudette and Jude were chatting away, "So Dette, what do you do? Tommy was about to tell me about you when you arrived," Jude asked. "I'm a free lancer," she replied. "What do you mean exactly, free lance in what?" "Well, I don't have an actual occupation per se. I do different types of things. I'm a song writer, producer, photographer, I model from time to time, travel and a teacher for kindergarten to 2nd grade kids." "Wow!" Jude began, "you sure do a lot." "Yea, not all at once though. I just get hired by contracts; it's kind of like my own business which I also majored in like Tom."
"Really, Tommy majored in business?" "Yea, you didn't know?" "No I didn't. I mean I know he was in Boyz Attack while he was in high school and graduated by correspondence, but he never mentioned anything about college." "Yea, well it's not a big deal to him really. Since he completed high school through correspondence, he graduated early at 17, and then he decided to do college by correspondence too in case maybe one day he wanted to own his own studio or record label, so that's how he got his degree in business." "Wow and I thought I knew everything about him," Jude stated. "Jude don't trip off it too much. I'm sure you do know everything there is to know about my brother, but some things he just doesn't talk about," Claudette reassured her. "You're right, I won't. But it's nice to know though that there was more to him than just Boyz Attack, being Little Tommy Q and Tommy Quincy the Producer," Jude said and Claudette nodded to agree with her.
"So Jude," Tamara began, "How long have you known Thomas?" "6 years," Jude replied. "How long have you been together?" "5 days, since Monday," she replied again, but this time feeling a bit irritated. Tommy listened from a distance as soon as he heard his sister start playing 20 Questions with his girl. "So Tam, do you think you could leave your interrogation for the courtroom instead of bringing it home?" Tommy asked as he walked around the table to sit next to Jude. "C'mon Thomas, I'm not interrogating her. I'm just trying to get to know your girlfriend a little better." "Right, and that's why when ever I have brought girls over in the past, you tear them to shreds and we end up leaving and they're crying." "Hey, it's not her fault that your playthings can take the heat in the Du Tois kitchen," Do spoke supporting her older sister.
"So Thomas, how long is this plaything of yours here going to last this time?" Tamara asked rudely. Jude gaped at what Tamara had called her, 'plaything, do I look like a hooker' Jude thought and Tommy spoke angrily, "Don't you dare degrade Jude like that you don't even know her!" "I'm not trying to degrade her. Like I said we just want to get to know her better. Let's see if she can handle being a Du Tois." "First of all, Jude can handle anything, I know that for a fact, and second she will be marrying me Tom Quincy, not you. So you have no right to judge her! You just don't want me happy! Do you?" Tommy retorted to his sister.
Jude sat there in shock at that as what she heard from Tommy's lips from the conversation, 'Tommy's right I can handle anything. Those girls he brought home must have been either really stupid or weak, or maybe both. Why wouldn't they want their brother happy? And me, marry Tommy Quincy. Sure I've dreamed about since we met, but now he's actually thinking it, saying it to his family for that matter. He hasn't even asked me, nor have we even talked about it yet, of course not that I would turn him down, I'd jump into his arms and say HELL YES!' she thought and smiled to herself.
Guinevere and Gerard couldn't believe their children were bickering. It was fine when they were younger but now they're adults. Finally Gwen shouted, "Stop it this ridiculous fighting immediately!" Everyone at the table became silent and looked at the lady of the house. "Tamara, Gwendolyn, Thomas is right. You have no right to question Jude or your brother about anything. Their lives are none of your business." "Mom, we do want him happy, we're just looking out for Thomas," Gwendolyn responded. Jude mentally said to herself, "Look out for their brother my ass. More like cut me up to pieces and feed me to sharks like every other girl why don't you.' "I know you two," Tommy said, "you just want to belittle her and you think you're better than her. That just shows your scum and really you're no better than anyone else in this room or in this world for that matter." Jude could take the arguing anymore, 'This was supposed to be a time for me to get to know his family and relax before Bailey starts his treatments next week. I need to end this now,' she said to herself.
"Bring it on!" Jude blurted out to Tamara and Do for everyone to hear. "Excuse me?" Tamara questioned. "What?" Tommy asked. "You heard me! You and your sister think you can break me or tear me and Tommy apart, well you have another thing coming. If you want him happy, then leave him alone. If you wanna know about you should have just watched the entertainment news or read the tabloids, I'm sure you two will find them very informative. But if you really want to know me, then ask away," Jude exclaimed showing no fear whatsoever to the piranhas in front of her.
Tommy stood up from his seat and pulled Jude aside to talk to her in private, "Baby as much as I love you and I know you love me, you don't have to do this. My mom's right, our lives is none of their business." Jude replied with confidence and love, "Tommy, I know I don't have to do any of this and damn right it's not their business, but they're gonna find out the truth sooner or later and better from me or you instead of the tabloids, which they obviously seem to believe. I bet if you were to have brought home a girl that was like them a lawyer, a doctor, a business woman or whatever they see as respectable in their eyes, they wouldn't be like this. I can see it in their eyes, that's why they put themselves so up high on that pedestal and in the past you obviously brought home nothing but bimbos, models and other girls with no brains or balls to stand up to them. Well guess what?" "What?" Tommy repeated. "Today they just met their match and they're goin' down." Tommy smiled at his girl, embraced her and kissed her with love and emotion not caring who saw, "I love you Harrison." "And I love you Quincy," Jude replied with the exact same smile, "Now it's time for me kick your sisters' butts."
The remaining crowd couldn't believe what was going on. Art and Patrick sat their ashamed of their wives attitude. When they were talking with Tommy earlier he did nothing but rave about Jude and her son, they could see how happy he was with them and how much he's changed over the years and for the better. They've seen it all before when their brother-in-law brought girls to meet the family. Even though it was never serious, he brought girls home to meet his family out of respect. Each time he did Tam and Do did the same things all the time and they never did anything about it, but this time would definitely be the last.
Gwen, Gerard and Claudette couldn't believe this was happening again. It always happened when he brought a girl around. They always tried to stop it, but Tamara and Gwendolyn were like vultures. They observed Jude and Tommy and could see the love and support they had for each other and for Bailey. They finally saw Tommy truly happy. Now they only hoped Jude would survive this game that Gwen and Do always played.
Tommy took Jude's hand in his bringing them back to the table. They both sat down and he kept quiet as Jude spoke, "So you girls ready?" "Ready for what?" Gwendolyn asked. "Oh, did you two change your minds; just a few seconds ago you were eager to break me down." Tamara and Gwendolyn looked at Jude with evil grins upon their faces, "No we haven't, we thought maybe you changed your mind and just couldn't take the heat."
"Jude, you don't have to play this stupid game that my daughters like to play," Gwen told her. "Gwen, I appreciate it that you want to keep the peace between your daughters and I, but I think the only way there will be peace at all is for me to put them in their place," Jude explained calmly.
Tommy sat proudly listening to his girl and smirking knowing his sisters would be in for a surprise because even he wouldn't want to be caught in the line of fire of Jude Harrison knowing her for 6 years, he knew better. Jude finally spoke, "Go ahead bring it! I can definitely take the heat let's just see if you can put out the fire once I start it."