Frankie looked in the mirror and smoothed her shirt, her hands were shaking, but she chalked it all up to her first day of job hunting, too bad it didn't explain her bloodshot eyes. She looked guiltily away from the mirror, amazed at being able to look at her reflection in the first place, she had betrayed Bianca in two ways last night, neither of which she wanted to remember. She turned around and walked to the door, she would go eat breakfast and forget about Bianca, no use worrying about someone she would never see again, someone she never wanted to see again.
She got to a little diner on the corner but she could only bring herself to order a cup of coffee. She opened a packet of sugar and poured it into the cup, then slowly stirred it, the dark liquid captured her reflection and she wondered who she was. Mary Francis Stone was nothing but a name, Frankie, well that seemed to symbolize her life on the streets, the bad things she'd done, but when Bianca had said her name it hadn't felt dirty or shameful, she'd felt like a complete person.
Her hands clenched in frustration and she felt like throwing the coffee across the room and just screaming for a good five minutes, how could she move on when behind her was something so precious, so special, how could she stay here when she wanted to be back in Pine Valley so bad that it hurt, every moment she breathed was a reminder that it was another moment not spent with Bianca.
Frankie picked up the paper and began reading the ads, trying to ignore her feelings, telling herself not to think so much. She circled some of the ads, two for fast food restaurants, one for a department store, one looking for a waitress, and one for a cleaning lady. She smiled cynically, she'd better get started, at least she had something else to dwell on, something to occupy her mind if not her heart.
Bianca slowly opened her eyes and she was greeted by a grey overcast sky. She sat up and stretched her neck, she'd fallen asleep in the chair looking out the window. "How pathetic am I?" she asked out loud, yawning, she was freezing, not having slept with a blanket, she took a hot shower to warm up and then blow-dried her hair. She looked into the mirror as she brushed her teeth, silently chanting that she was going to be okay and get through the day. She had to go visit Myrtle, her Uncle Jack and she was going to spend time with her mother, and she was going to do it smiling.
She got dressed and walked down the stairs where her mother was waiting, they'd open presents and then seat breakfast.
"Are you feeling better to day, Bianca?" asked Erica touching her forehead gently.
"Yeah, I feel fine, I'm sorry we had to postpone Christmas."
"Oh, don't worry about it, it's fine, here, let's open your gifts."
Bianca pretended happiness even thought it was far from what she was feeling. A new laptop, books, CDs, clothes, jewelry, her favorite perfume, all seemed meaningless but she smiled and hugged her mother, thanking her for the wonderful gifts.
She then handed her mother a small wrapped gift, Frankie had gone with her to pick it out.
Bianca watched as her mother opened it, inside was a small silver locket with both their pictures inside.
"Oh Bianca! I love it, help me put it on," she said handing Bianca the necklace.
Bianca clasped it around her neck and smiled. "It looks beautiful, Mom. So what are we having for breakfast?" asked Bianca standing up, eager to get the day started and over with it.
"Hold on," said Erica grabbing her wrist. "here," she said handing Bianca a small box.
"What's this?" asked Bianca.
"Well open it and find out," said Erica with a laugh.
Bianca unwrapped and opened the box and inside were two tickets to the New York Ballet.
"I thought you and...Frankie might like to go...together," Erica said with a slight note of hesitation in her voice.
Bianca looked up at her mother, she was trying to accept Frankie and it hurt ten times more than it would have if Erica would have condemned Frankie then and there. Her mother was finally willing to try and except their relationship but there was no relationship. Bianca swallowed the tears in her throat and smiled, "Thank you."
"I hope you have a wonderful time, well let's eat breakfast," she said giving her daughter a tight hug.
Bianca sat through breakfast, she wanted to tell her mother the truth so badly, but she couldn't, as she formed the words in her mind, how to tell her mother that Frankie had left for good, they vanished, she just couldn't tell her, it would ruin her good mood and the holidays for both of them, at least this way one of them would be happy, after New Years' she'd tell her mother the truth. Bianca held back a sigh, they seemed like an awful long time away. She stuck her fork into her food and pretended to enjoy herself, after all, what else could she do?