Chapter 52: Truth

The weather was exceptionally driver-friendly for a winter day. It was sunny, the clouds had parted in the morning, the wind had died down enough to make only a small gust audible, it was even a bit warm (although the temperature was still below zero and it was necessary to put on a jacket), it made a friendly atmosphere to say goodbye to Judy, who was sitting thoughtfully in the back seat staring at the car window, looking at the blurring background, which was passing by as fast as it was blurring. It was hard to see anything interesting, except for the snow-white trees or single houses surrounded by fields covered with white powder. The village in which they lived was very small, one could even say that there were few inhabitants, the modest village at least meant that everyone knew each other well and life in such a place was maybe linear, but rabbits like such a life the most...or at least most of them do.

Judy's right leg was trembling a little from the stress of when they would be on the platform and she would have to have a serious talk with them about her relationship. Her sister Suzanne is sincerely cheering her on to make it work, but she also knows what their parents are like and that it won't be that easy to pass on. Communicating is one thing and explaining it is another, which Judy didn't want to do, at least not now. But what she feared most was their anger and disappointment when they found out, the stereotypes are clear: foxes are evil and should be hated, although no one knows why. Judy's first resentment towards them came when she met Gideon, her school days made her remember the "hate foxes" rule for quite a long time It wasn't until she met Nick that she realised it wasn't the species that mattered, it was the personality. She understood this, it could be worse with her parents and especially with her father, who is very stubborn. At times it can even seem as if he doesn't listen to anyone, or so pretends as not to admit he is wrong!

"Are you all right Judy?" Asked Boonie at one point glancing at her daughter in the mirror. Concerned by her confusion she decided to ask about her daughter's condition, which she confirmed was ok.

"She's fine...I'm just going to miss this place a bit" replied Judy quietly.

"You can always stay at home" replied Stu.

"They need me there...in Zootopia" laughed Judy quietly, then calmed down again staring at her reflection in the window.

"Well...when you're free you can come to us" replied Boonie.

'Then I won't be the only one coming' thought Judy.

Soon they reached the station from which Judy was to take her train. They arrived with more than half an hour to spare as they were already there at 3.30 p.m., perhaps quite early, but at least they have time to be with each other for a while and talk frankly.

Thanks to the fact that Judy didn't have any luggage, everyone could wait in the car, they didn't have to waste time standing in the cold, it was warmer and more comfortable in the car than outside where a cold gentle wind was blowing. There were already several people standing on the platform, most probably already waiting for the same train as Judy, each of them carrying at least one suitcase, which, judging by its size, was not the lightest. If Judy had taken what she wanted with her, she would also have had to carry several overstuffed suitcases, which would have made the trip difficult.

The time for departure laboriously approached, Judy waited impatiently and with some anxiety until it was time to get off at the platform where the white and blue train she was to take to the metropolis to continue the case of the disappearances would stop. She missed this life, which was much faster than here in the village, but living together with the fox made it a very cool time in her life and she would like to continue in this rhythm. The only obstacle at the moment is the conversation with her parents, before which she was stressing too much than she should, her heart was making her dizzy, once she was close to not fainting! But in order to worry her parents, she tried to behave normally and talk without much ado, so as not to make them think that she wanted to say something. And they were good at it, too good. They could understand their children without words, as if they could read their minds. There was something about even the slightest strange behaviour in someone that made Boonie and Stu take notice, they knew there was something to it. Judy in the car was also asked once if she was sure she was okay, she defended herself this time with the stress of the trip. Luckily for her, they had to fall for it.

At 3.50p.m., the train stopped at platform number 5, the long locomotive stopped making a loud sound letting everyone know it was stopping so passengers could board.

"Train to Zootopia, leaving in 10 minutes. Please take your seats" informed the conductor from his cabin where he sat inspecting the powerful machine. Mr. and Mrs. Hopps were already standing in front of the train looking at the vehicle which stretched several dozen metres and had a dozen carriages connected behind it, in each there were characters who were heading for one destination - Zootopia.

Standing in front of the train, Judy knew that this was the moment to confess the truth in front of her parents - she couldn't hold it in anymore, she wanted to confess it as soon as possible, this was the right moment. She expected that they would not be happy, that was certain! However, she couldn't hold it in any longer and wanted to stop hiding her relationship.

"Mum...Dad...before we leave I would like to tell you something" Judy said quietly. It seemed to her that her legs could fall apart at any moment, that she was about to collapse from stress, her heart was working very fast, almost on the edge of endurance.

"What do you want to say Judy?" Stu asked calmly.

"I haven't told you this before, but I'm in a relationship. I have a boyfriend, for a few months now," replied Judy. A smile and satisfaction came over Stu and Bonnie's faces when they heard this, they were downright overjoyed with the news! Judy didn't share their enthusiasm, only she knew they hadn't heard the worst yet.

"That's wonderful darling! To be honest we've been wondering since Christmas if it would help you to find some boyfriends...you know, everyone needs a relationship..."

"But we can see you've managed in this cruel city! Tell us, when can we meet him?" Asked Stu cheerfully rubbing his hands together in curiosity. The positive emotions of her parents made it even harder for her to admit her relationship with the fox, they were so happy...the last time she had seen them this happy was probably only a few months ago when she got a job at the police station!

"Well...only you might be a bit surprised...he's a bit different" replied a confused Judy. She could hardly look into their eyes, which were filled with pride and contentment.

"Everyone is a little different in their own way, more or less" Boonie replied. Judy knew they hadn't even guessed what they were about to hear, their conversation was interrupted by the conductor who made one last announcement before the train was about to leave.

"The train leaves in five minutes, please get on board!"

Judy took a deep breath after hearing the announcement, it was time to confess the truth.

"The truth is that my boyfriend is a fox" said Judy. Boonie and Stu's gazes immediately changed from one of contentment and pride to a state of surprise and seemingly slight bewilderment when they heard their daughter's words. Judy, on the other hand, had to stare at them with more shame, who looked at each other not knowing if it was true or some really weak joke.

"What are you talking about?" Stu asked trying to sound calm. But the emotion was too much to ask the question so calmly, his voice asking for an explanation in itself for a situation that Judy couldn't calmly explain.

"Nick, he's the fox who went missing and he's my boyfriend. That's why I wanted to go back to Zootopia so soon," Judy added. At these words Stu and Boonie must have experienced a real shock, Boonie momentarily fainted moving back a few steps catching herself by her head. Judy was devastated to see them clearly disappointed, but at least she felt it had to be done. Stu for his part stood still in place and swung his head slightly from side to side lowering his eyebrows low. He was nervous, it was clearly visible. He was perhaps even angry. It was hard to draw any other conclusion, the situation added nothing else to discuss.

"You'd better go. " Stu said quietly. He turned away from Judy and headed for his wife, who stood behind him trying to regain her composure. Time was practically up, with less than a minute left to board the train.

"Sorry," Judy said quietly then turned and boarded the nearest car of the train.

By the time the locomotive had managed to roll forward with a slow gasp, Judy was already sitting comfortably in her compartment. She looked through the glass one last time at the platform - her parents were already gone. In all likelihood, they had already gone home to get over the truth that Judy had presented to them. She knew she had disappointed them completely and put them into a state of shock that she could understand. They hated foxes, she knew it well and yet she had bonded with him! It sounded unbelievable and yet it was true. Judy felt a kind of relief that she had finally revealed this to them. She didn't want to keep it inside anymore, it had been going on for too long and she had to tell them one day anyway, this was the best chance. She expected their reaction, it happened as she expected, it was obvious that it saddened her, but now at least she knew she could not lose anything, the dice were thrown. Either they would accept it or their relationship would be severely strained. The love for Nick was too strong to break, she didn't want to do that. She would rather lose contact with her parents than break up with him.

'At least I have support from Suzanne' thought Judy comforting herself. At least her sister understood how strong and special the love between them was, strong enough not to be bothered by the difference in species. Paradoxically, it was the younger sister who understood their needs, which honestly surprised Judy, who had thought Suzanne would laugh at her, but she took a mature approach. Possibly it was because of the generation difference, both representing a younger generation, with fresher views and a wider angle on the situation and more tolerance than the older people.

After more than two hours of travel, the train entered the Zootopia area. It had already become dark, the grey sky had turned into a black cloak covering the view, the lights on the train switched on warming the carriages with warm light. The travelling passengers didn't show much willingness to talk, so most of the time the doe stared at the lands behind the glass or tried to sleep. Maybe that was better than another brawl on the railway. The dark expanse of fields combined with woods became a bright, colourful place filled with architecture, skyscrapers that towered high beyond visibility. Judy watched the city from behind the glass with a slight smile, she was glad to see familiar places that she missed even though she knew there was hard work ahead. She wanted to lie down in her flat and feel at ease, to relax for the last few hours before she got to work.

After passing through the nearby areas of Zootopia, the train entered the centre of the mighty city, driving between skyscrapers until it finally reached its destination - it slowly came to a stop at the Zootopia Central Station.