It seemed like such a blessing having the rest of the day off from school, and especially at Frankie's house. Still, I couldn't help but worry about Namęšéme and how all this would be affecting him. I mean, yeah, I had pretty negative feelings when it came to how I felt about his new wife; but at the end of the day, I still cared about his mental well-being. This whole thing must have made him crazy nervous, not that I really blamed him, of course. He thought that was his kid that decided to come early. He was perfectly willing to start over yet again, especially after what I put him for the last twelve years of my life... after what Náhko'éehe put him through during her short life.

I wanted to be that kind of mother when I grew up, doing whatever it took to make sure my child was safe and had a happy life. I was willing to do all that for Mrs. Richardson's baby and make sure it never got to know what it was like to lose a parent at a young age. I was sure Frankie would want to be a good mother as well... that is, assuming she wanted kids anyway.

But this was not the kind of stuff I wanted to worry about right now. I wanted to have as much fun as I could with Frankie while I was staying at her house. As soon as Newt and Jewell drove off to pick up the other kids from school, I came up with an idea that I was sure Frankie would like.

"Hey, Frankie," I said.

Frankie leaned in closer. "What is it, Jessica?"

"I kinda wanna explore the basement and see what secrets are lurking down there. You wanna join me?"

"Sure. Besides, it's not like we have anything better to do anyway."

"Okay, then. Let's go down there and see what we can find."

We both giggled like crazy while we descended into our destination. Once there, we took a good look around at all the boxes and containers that surrounded us. There were also piles of newspapers tucked away in a corner, some of them even dating back to 1950. I kinda wanted to read through them and find out what interesting things happened that year or some other year, but my mind was itching to see what was in one of those boxes that sat over at a desk identical to the one Jewell had in her old room.

"Hey, Frankie," I said again.

"Yeah, Jessica, what is it?" Frankie asked curiously.

I pointed in the direction of that box that caught my attention. "You don't think your folks will mind if we look inside this box, do you?"

Frankie shook her head. "I don't think so. They said it was just old family stuff."

"Okay."

I opened up the box and we looked inside, hoping to find something interesting. At first, nothing seemed outwardly unusual: just the kids' birth certificates, Newt and Jewell's marriage certificate, some tax documents, et cetera. I pushed some of that stuff aside and dug deeper, wondering what sort of secrets could be hiding inside the box. All of a sudden, I spotted something weird.

"Hey, Frankie," I said. "I think maybe you should see this..."

I fished out an envelope that hadn't been properly sealed, and to my surprise, it appeared to be addressed to Newt and Jewell. I watched Frankie slowly lift the envelope out of my hands and then dig out a written letter from inside.

Frankie started reading aloud.

Dear Jewell,

We're so happy to hear that you're going to carry our child for us. For us, after all those prayers and heartbreaks, it seems like things might finally go our way. Leota herself has been waiting for this for a long time, and you will forevermore be her favorite sister for helping us to build our family. Thank you so much for helping us make this dream come true. Here's hoping that you and God will bring our child to us safe and sound.

With love,

Leota and Kevin

The date at the top right corner read "9/11/72." That was the part to catch Frankie's gaze.

"September 11th?" Frankie asked, confused. "Mom and Dad told me they found out I was on the way on September 10th."

"That's not all," I interjected. "The letter was signed 'Leota and Kevin.' Wasn't Leota your aunt's name?"

Frankie nodded. "Oh yeah, and I also had an Uncle Kevin, too. I'd heard that he and Aunt Leota had been killed while bar-hopping before I was born. Why would they write this?"

"I think this might have been a surrogacy thing."

"You mean like those couples who pay other women money to carry their babies for them?"

"No, like politicians who ask them to run for office for them. Of course like those couples who pay other women money to carry their babies for them!"

Frankie looked on in abject shock. "So... what does this mean, then?"

I wasn't sure how I could answer her. "I... I don't know. Maybe we should get out of here and go watch cartoons or something..."

"Good idea."

We didn't talk the entire time we ascended back into the living room. Wordlessly, we plopped down on the couch and started watching "Muppet Babies" to try to get our minds off the family secret we just discovered. Over and over again, my mind kept coming back to the letter and then to Namęšéme and how he must have been holding up at the hospital. I couldn't imagine how badly he must have been taking all this. I wasn't doing so well myself. I just wished he could have been right here to tell me things would work out somehow, and I wished I could've been there for him to comfort him while his emotions overtook him. I'd never seen him cry before, especially when he was in a vulnerable spot. He was part of a generation that told him that he shouldn't cry or outwardly express anything that wasn't "manly." Even before I started living as a girl, I thought that was bullshit, and I'd been guilty of it myself.

What the hell could I do now? Frankie and I just found out something that could change everything for her. I just hoped Namęšéme would be back soon.