Alicia's Revenge: Chapter 2
Faith woke to the sound of silence. No tv blaring. No children crying for toast or milk or juice. She remembered that Bos had promised the kids that he would take them to the park this morning. She turned her head to look at the clock. It was 10:30. She wondered how long they had been gone.
She sighed, content. She was thinking about how lucky she was. She had a great husband and she had been blessed with two more children. When Emily and Charlie had died in a fire, she thought she couldn't go on. It was Bosco who was there for her. Bosco who handled the funeral arrangements and Bosco who wouldn't leave her side for a minute, not Fred. She and Fred had divorced shortly after.
Bosco had always been in love with her, but was too afraid to show it. He felt guilty about loving a married woman. But he couldn't help what his heart felt. He had fallen for her in the worst way.
It had become pretty clear to her, just how much she meant to him, after the fire. After the funeral home, where she had to lean on him to support her as her two precious ones were taken away in caskets. At the grave site, where he caught her when her legs gave out and she fell, sobbing, beside her children's freshly dug graves. He held her back, when she struggled to jump into the ground where they lay, not wanting her babies to be alone their first night in the graveyard.
The days after, when all she wanted to do was die. He never left her side. Fred? He spent the whole visiting hours drinking. He missed the funeral. That was something that she would never forgive him for. She left him the night of the funeral. She had stayed with Bosco ever since.
She had been so blind. For years she had sat beside him every day, listening to his incessant gossip about some girl he had slept with or his whining and complaining about stupid stuff. He always had a racist comment or a nasty remark about something or someone. His mother told her that she used to call him the 'lemon'. He was always sour. He never could see the good in anyone. He had grown up way too fast, and he learned not to trust anyone. He had been hurt and he wasn't about to let his guard down. That was, until he realized he was in love with his partner. Then he was scared, but he began to treat her different. He had changed and the world around him had changed. He couldn't deny what was happening. He was in love.
Not many people got to see the real Bosco. The side of him that could make her melt. The one where he could be kind and romantic and just plain giving. Not many men would be so thoughtful as to come home from a hard day at work and run his wife a bubble bath, just because he loved her. Not many men would come home on the same evening and look after BOTH babies, just because he thought she looked tired.
Now, the other side's of Bosco were still there. There was still the whining and complaining and his insensitive comments, but nobody's perfect. You take what you can get.
She grinned, thinking about the conversation she had had with Rose before they got married. Rose had turned to her and held her hands. " Faith, I love you like you were my own daughter. Thank you for loving my son and giving him two beautiful children. I know that he'll do fine, because he has you by his side. You saved my Maurice, Faith. You saved my son from a path of self destruction and for that, I love you.
Of course, they had both started crying. Touched by the sentiment, Faith had walked down the isle that day without a doubt in her mind. She and Bosco belonged together.
***
She decided to get out of bed and have a quick shower. Maybe she could catch the three of them at the park. Then they could go on that nature walk and maybe see some ducks. She rummaged through her dresser drawer looking for a nice pair of shorts and a tank top to wear. She glanced at a large picture frame in the center of the dresser. It was of Logan and Olivia on their second birthday. They had their arms around each other. Cake was smeared all over them both. Boy, they were cute! She kissed the tip of her finger and put it to both of their faces.
Not for the first time, she wondered what would have happened if Alicia had not been incarcerated. Would she look at Logan and see the baby boy she thought she had? Or would she have the sense to believe what the doctors had told her. She had been told time and time again, what had ACTUALLY happened. That she never was pregnant and that Faith and Bosco had had twins. It didn't matter how many times she had been told, she never believed them. Faith and Bosco kept in touch with one of the nurses at the institution. She happened to be Mary Proctor's sister, Etta. Etta always kept them up to date on how Alicia was. Faith had the faintest hope that some day Alicia would understand that there was no baby, so she would never make the mistake of thinking that Logan was her son. In the back of her mind, she always worried that some day, somehow, Alicia would find her way back into their lives. Knock on wood.
As she headed into the bathroom she heard the phone ringing. She dropped her stuff on the bathroom floor and ran to answer it. It was Etta Proctor.
" Faith, it's Etta. You and Maurice better get out her fast. Alicia's gone!"
Faith woke to the sound of silence. No tv blaring. No children crying for toast or milk or juice. She remembered that Bos had promised the kids that he would take them to the park this morning. She turned her head to look at the clock. It was 10:30. She wondered how long they had been gone.
She sighed, content. She was thinking about how lucky she was. She had a great husband and she had been blessed with two more children. When Emily and Charlie had died in a fire, she thought she couldn't go on. It was Bosco who was there for her. Bosco who handled the funeral arrangements and Bosco who wouldn't leave her side for a minute, not Fred. She and Fred had divorced shortly after.
Bosco had always been in love with her, but was too afraid to show it. He felt guilty about loving a married woman. But he couldn't help what his heart felt. He had fallen for her in the worst way.
It had become pretty clear to her, just how much she meant to him, after the fire. After the funeral home, where she had to lean on him to support her as her two precious ones were taken away in caskets. At the grave site, where he caught her when her legs gave out and she fell, sobbing, beside her children's freshly dug graves. He held her back, when she struggled to jump into the ground where they lay, not wanting her babies to be alone their first night in the graveyard.
The days after, when all she wanted to do was die. He never left her side. Fred? He spent the whole visiting hours drinking. He missed the funeral. That was something that she would never forgive him for. She left him the night of the funeral. She had stayed with Bosco ever since.
She had been so blind. For years she had sat beside him every day, listening to his incessant gossip about some girl he had slept with or his whining and complaining about stupid stuff. He always had a racist comment or a nasty remark about something or someone. His mother told her that she used to call him the 'lemon'. He was always sour. He never could see the good in anyone. He had grown up way too fast, and he learned not to trust anyone. He had been hurt and he wasn't about to let his guard down. That was, until he realized he was in love with his partner. Then he was scared, but he began to treat her different. He had changed and the world around him had changed. He couldn't deny what was happening. He was in love.
Not many people got to see the real Bosco. The side of him that could make her melt. The one where he could be kind and romantic and just plain giving. Not many men would be so thoughtful as to come home from a hard day at work and run his wife a bubble bath, just because he loved her. Not many men would come home on the same evening and look after BOTH babies, just because he thought she looked tired.
Now, the other side's of Bosco were still there. There was still the whining and complaining and his insensitive comments, but nobody's perfect. You take what you can get.
She grinned, thinking about the conversation she had had with Rose before they got married. Rose had turned to her and held her hands. " Faith, I love you like you were my own daughter. Thank you for loving my son and giving him two beautiful children. I know that he'll do fine, because he has you by his side. You saved my Maurice, Faith. You saved my son from a path of self destruction and for that, I love you.
Of course, they had both started crying. Touched by the sentiment, Faith had walked down the isle that day without a doubt in her mind. She and Bosco belonged together.
***
She decided to get out of bed and have a quick shower. Maybe she could catch the three of them at the park. Then they could go on that nature walk and maybe see some ducks. She rummaged through her dresser drawer looking for a nice pair of shorts and a tank top to wear. She glanced at a large picture frame in the center of the dresser. It was of Logan and Olivia on their second birthday. They had their arms around each other. Cake was smeared all over them both. Boy, they were cute! She kissed the tip of her finger and put it to both of their faces.
Not for the first time, she wondered what would have happened if Alicia had not been incarcerated. Would she look at Logan and see the baby boy she thought she had? Or would she have the sense to believe what the doctors had told her. She had been told time and time again, what had ACTUALLY happened. That she never was pregnant and that Faith and Bosco had had twins. It didn't matter how many times she had been told, she never believed them. Faith and Bosco kept in touch with one of the nurses at the institution. She happened to be Mary Proctor's sister, Etta. Etta always kept them up to date on how Alicia was. Faith had the faintest hope that some day Alicia would understand that there was no baby, so she would never make the mistake of thinking that Logan was her son. In the back of her mind, she always worried that some day, somehow, Alicia would find her way back into their lives. Knock on wood.
As she headed into the bathroom she heard the phone ringing. She dropped her stuff on the bathroom floor and ran to answer it. It was Etta Proctor.
" Faith, it's Etta. You and Maurice better get out her fast. Alicia's gone!"