Jude put the fifth spoonful of sugar in her tea and stirred it frenetically as she looked around to make sure that no one had recognized her. But it wasn't easy to be unnoticed when a man all dressed in black and golden and with a big hat is sitting with you.
"I didn't know you liked tea" Tommy confessed as he watched her. She just rolled her eyes.
"when
i was pregnant and during the breastfeeding period I was told not to
drink coffee so I finally got used to this" Jude said, pointing the
tea. She took a sip of it and then cleaned the table with a napkin
before she put the cup on it again.she realized that Tommy was looking
at her, totally shocked. "oh, and I got used to clean everything twice,
even three times to make sure that the girls won't catch an infection
or something"
Tommy laughed.
"What?" Jude asked, laughing too.
"It's kinda curious. Sometimes I look at you and it's like I just left yesterday, but then you say things like this and I realized that we've changed. That we're not the same anymore"
Jude looked up and her eyes met his. He had the same eyes, she thought. Even after ten years they still reflected how immature and insecure he was.
"I had to grow up Tommy. When the doctor told me that I was having twins I decided that it was time to become and adult, even if I was fifteen. And I did"
Tommy felt like he had just been stabbed. He swallowed hard as he ate a cookie and took a sip of his coffee before he opened his mouth to talk.
"Why did you come here? I thought that you were staying with your mother"
Jude got pale immediately. She didn't like to talk about that topic at all, but she thought that Tommy deserved to know what had happened after he left.
"I told her I was pregnant..." Jude told him calmly. "And she didn't like the idea of me being a teenage mother".
Tommy
wanted to say that Victoria had acted like a bitch, but he had done the
same to Jude ten years ago so he kept his mouth shut and just nodded.
"She
told me to get an abortion...I said no so she and your father kicked me
out of the house" Tommy couldn't help but smile sarcastically. His
father had kicked Jude out of the house without knowing that she was
pregnant with his granddaughters...if he had only known.
"So I and the guys decided to come to this city. My father and Speed's mother lived here and they could help us with the band and the baby"
"And I could've been there with you...help you. I was an stupid..." Tommy started, but Jude interrupted.
"You did what was the best for your career and I can't blame you for that. But you can't expect me to receive you with open arms after teen years of absence. I respect your decision, but you have to respect mine too"
Tommy frowned immediately.
"If you are talking about your marriage with the food obsessed..."
"His name is Vincent and he's the greatest man in the world"
"But you don't love him!" Tommy raised his voice. Jude realized that everybody was looking at them and tried to calm him down.
"Down man" she whispered. Tommy took a deep breath and nodded
"I'm just telling the truth. You don't love him; I can swear it for anything you want"
Jude laughed weakly.
"After you left I realized that there are more important things than love, Tommy" Jude spotted bitterly "Honesty, loyalty, trust... Speed has all that and more"
Tommy took a deep breath and stirred his coffee, even if he hadn't put sugar in it.
"If you're so determined to marry him, then why you are here, with me?" he asked suddenly. Jude stuttered. She didn't know how to respond that.
"I don't know, Tommy. I'm confused. You just come back and act like you never left..."
"I was an idiot, Jude...an immature teenager that didn't have the guts to stay!"
Jude took Tommy's hand impulsively. She realized of this and pulled away as fast as she could.
"Tommy, you can't change what you did and I understand that"
Tommy looked down.
"I just want to make it up for you, girl. You and the girls"
"And that's why I brought you here. Tommy, we need to talk...about the girls" Jude finally said, trying to avoid the "us" topic. "I told you what to do to get them back, but I think it's time for you to actually know if you want them back or not"
A smile appeared across Jude's face. She had a plan, it was a risky plan, but if it worked Tommy would disappear of her live and her daughter's forever.
Thirty minutes later they got to Jude's house. Jude opened the door and the first thing she saw was Wally, feeding the birds as they sang a beautiful melody. Wally was singing along with them, but suddenly realized of Jude's presence and stopped abruptly, turning red.
"I thought you weren't coming soon, Jude" He said, smiling at his friend. His smile faded immediately when he saw Tommy standing next to Jude. "And what is he doing here?"
Jude opened her eyes wide and gave him a meaningful look. Wally seemed to understand that it was part of the plan.
"He's here because we have a deal" Jude responded, looking at Tommy as he nodded. "Where are Kyle and Mason?"
"They're in the kitchen. And the girls are upstairs, playing with the puppies"
"Ok.
I will go to see them. I have something to tell them" she said, looking
at Tommy again "and Wally, take those birds out of the house, or at
least out of the living room.
Tommy smiled stupidly as Jude walked towards the kitchen. Wally looked at him serious.
"If you don't want to be attacked by a bunch of birds, get out of my sight" Wally threatened him, putting his hand on the birdcage and moving it violently.
Tommy swallowed hard and followed Jude towards the kitchen. The place was a complete mess. The chocolate boxes were all on the floor and an asphyxiating odor of roses filled the room. He looked up from the mess on the floor to Jude, who was totally pale. He looked at the table and found out the reason. Mason was there, putting the roses' petals inside a bottle. He looked at Jude and smiled
"Hey, you're back!" he said with a feminine tone, like a wife that waits for her husband to come home "I already solved the roses' problem. I'm making potpourri!" He exclaimed, showing her the bottle. Jude nodded as her eyes went from Mason to Kyle, who was sitting on the floor, looking inside an empty box.
"And let me guess...Kyle fixed the chocolates' problem?" Jude said, smiling at his friend. Kyle looked up from the box.
"I wgant Mogre!" He screamed, throwing the box across the room.
"I'm glad you found a way to fix this mess...or kinda" Jude said as she looked around. "Did speed call?"
Mason and Kyle shook their heads no at the same time.
"Well, then I will call him later to tell him what's going on" Jude said. Mason and Kyle looked at Tommy and nodded.
"Ok, I will go upstairs, if you need me" She said and walked out of the kitchen. Tommy followed her in silence.
He looked at the walls as they went upstairs. It was full of pictures of the "happy family". He stopped one or two times to look at a pair of diplomas.
"Woah...Gabrielle won a singing contest and Danielle a decathlon. Amazing" he commented as they walked towards the girls' room.
"They're really amazing...but that's just a part of them"
Tommy looked at her, totally puzzled.
"What..."
"Gabrielle Elizabeth Spiederman Harrison!!!...where did you put my book?!!!" they heard Danielle screaming inside.
"They are adorable, don't you think?" Jude said, smiling evilly.
"I didn't take it!!...ok, maybe I took it, but I didn't read it, that's for sure"
Jude opened the door and a book flew towards them. Jude was quick enough to catch in on the air before it hit their heads.
"There you have your book..." Gabrielle stopped immediately when she saw Jude and Tommy stepping into the room.
"Mom! Gabrielle took my science book to write one of her songs on it!!" Danielle complained, not even noticing Tommy's presence.
"Please Danielle, you have read that book so many times that I'm sure you know it by heart!" Gabrielle spotted back as she took one of the puppies in her arms.
"Girls, chill...and prepare your bags. You're going to spend the night at Tommy's house!"
The girls looked at each other, not knowing how to react.
Jude grinned as she looked at the girls and the mess in their room. Then he moved her eyes to Tommy.
"Ok, this is your chance Quincy. You will be a father for the first time of your life"
She gave him a pat in the back as Tommy opened his eyes wide. Ok, maybe he wasn't ready to be a father.
