2 weeks later...

20th of February, 1966

The late February with its frigid weather responded to the late winter days as a month remained until spring. The last days even today have been nothing special but with glacial instead of snowy unlike the beginning of the month. The last time when it snowed was in the beginning of February.

Moreover the Howards' family had spent their days with their children especially in their leisure time as Timothy was working in the week days, whilst his wife stayed in home with Ellie and Tristan as they were almost 5 months old babies. They had seen almost every time in the grocery store Valerie and Velika especially Valerie, the young maid. For sadly, they had a few minutes to spend them in brief conversations how are they and so forth. Howsoever, the last time when Jude went shopping in the supermarket, she saw the red-haired woman again as they striked a conversation, as a result leading to an appointment. Mrs.Howard was invited to the Russian family in the weekend. 

The days passed quickly as the both adorable twins grew abruptly with every passing day, besides they enchanted, glistened like stars. Whilst their parents were aging slowly, gradually but aging beautifully as their wisdom was prevailing their physical appeal. 

As Jude was already to leave her home as she wore casual, nonetheless comfy, warm garments, due to her appointment with Ms.Volkova, she said goodbye to her lovely husband, Timothy, and their children, of course. As an addition, Mr.Howard promised his wife to look after them during her abscence. A several seconds before their seperation for a couple of hours, they embraced and kissed one another.

Additionally, the middle aged woman knew already where's exactly located Valerie and Velika's house, thanks to her helpful source. Valerie. 

***

The young Russian-American maid stopped visiting Casey's apartment as she gave up to being his maid, cleaning after his tobaccos, empty bottles of strong alcohol beverages and messed up hollow. She was currently jobless since the beginning of the month, despite her partner's cardinal contribution in their month budget. But still Velika's salary was decent enough to nourish 3 throats. Inlcuding herself in this number. 

As Velika was first shift at work since the morning, Valerie and Shona stayed at home as the little red-haired girl helped her mother with cleaning and sorting their cosy, sweet, humble home as they expected a visitor quite soon. 

Once they had finished with their chores, cleaning and sorting process, the 1 story house, located nigh the groccery store, was sinking in glamor. No dust on any furniture. No spiderwebs in the corner of the walls. No residues of garbage, eaten food and pollution contacted the floor, the practical carpets and rugs. No dust on the window glasses. No traces of lacking house hygiene. Every room's air was sheer, fresh as a vegetable. Everything was in matter-of-course. 

Whilst Shona was reading a book for adults in her bedroom as she sat in the middle of her bed in yoga position, being surrounded by the loneliness, but the radiant shining sun rays that tied up with her petite hands' skin, her face, her denim overalls with solid iris turtleneck under her overalls, keeping her brittle skeleton warm. Her mother, Valerie was smoking her cigarette in the kitchen as the window's wings were widely opened, purifying the fumy room's air. As she agaped her mouth, in the meantime puffing of her cigarette, a dim escaping her mouth and nostrils like an igneous dragon, a few rings on the front door, followed by mild door taps, enticed the young woman as she sighed a sigh in relief, shrieking "I am coming!" with her husky voice, leaving her unsmoked yet cigarette in the ashtray, exiting the kitchen as she headed directly to the hall, unlocking the door as she saw her invited guest, the former nun, Judy Martin Howard. 

The middle-aged woman stood with a frugal smile, spreading on her youthful face. Her ideal, long, glossy golden wavy hair immaculately framing her face, outlining her flawless facial traits such as her naturally rose-colored lips, her twinkling hazel eyes, her pale complexion, her cute button nose, her uniquelly formed dark eyebrows matching well and contrasting her golden hair.

A smile illuminated the young former maid as she saw her new guest, standing in front of her. What it radiated off from the both women was actually glee. In Mrs. Howard's case is mostly nervous glee as she settled a feet in her property for first time.

"Hello Valerie." She said with a smile on her brighter than before face.

"Hi Judy." The red-haired exclaimed blissfully.

Then the blonde stepped in the hall as she settled free herself from the thick, warm coat, hanging it on the hanger, in the interim asking her host if she should take her shoes. As a reply back, she was being told to take them if she wants actually. As she had convened with visiting different properties, the first and the last thing she should do is to kick off her boots.

"Don't worry, dear. You can come either with me in the kitchen or wait for me in the living room." Ms.Volkova's yelling came from the kitchen as she turned off her cigarette in the ashtray.

"Okay." Jude's sole possible response told Ms. Volkova that she's definitely nervous and bashful especially by the way she spells the words.

When Jude stepped in the cozy, abstract living room with slippers on her feet, first and foremost, she was rather fascinated by its room's creative abstraction even if it's very modest, mere looking from first sight. Her amused hazel eyes liked every detail, besides she liked anything that she sees.

Hanged on the walls discrete paintings even if they are a handful of them, lacquered floor lamps, surrounding the leather chestnut couch from both sides like guardian angels. The coffee table that was located in the middle of the living room, encircling the sofa and armchairs. A vase, a small white cotton cover, embellishing humbly the almost emptiness on the table. After the impressive paintings, the furnitures, something grabbed immediately the former nun's eyes as her eyes met a record player that stood next to the left armchair.

A smile enveloped on her face, in the meantime she heard Valerie's voice, coming from the kitchen as it got closer with every inch per a millisecond as she saw her new guest in the living room. The red-haired lady gestured the blonde to take a seat.

As they sat on the armchairs, they started mutually to chat.

"So how are you?" The younger woman enquired with genuine smile.

"I am well, thank you. How about you?" Mrs. Howard replicated her question honestly.

"I am too. Thank you for asking back!"

"Would you like some coffee, tea, glass of water or anything?" The hostess asked candidly as she was caring for her guests as always.

"No, no, thank you."

"Okay. May I offer you a cigarette, Judy?"

"No!" Her firm response astonished the younger lady as she smiled slyly.

"Why?" The Russian-American arched an eyebrow in perplexed way as she was perplexed to hear her guest rejecting a cigarette offer as her tranquil voice inquired with a simple why.

"I quit smoking since the beginning of my pregnancy.  And alternatively the last time when I puffed and smoked a cigarette was actually in December 1964." The former nun explained everything detailed as she didn't miss a single detail, despite the fact that she was an inmate and a nun in the mental institution where she spent almost 16 years, luckily.

"Oh. I forgot you have such little angels that I saw no longer than a few months ago." The unemployed maid sighed a sigh in relief as she recalled lastly to see Ellie and Tristan in their baskets with their parents in the grocery store. "Pardon my memory, madam." The younger lady excused herself.

"It's okay, Valerie." She stood from her armchair, walking up to her hostess, comforting her in a tight, friendly embrace as she crouched down, clasping her arms around her upper back as Valerie managed to pull closer the blonde towards her.

"Everyone hasn't a crystal, lucid memory at all." After they broke off the hug as it reassured the younger lady, warm, authentic sensation diffusing her heart, due to Mrs. Howard's positive, radiant energy, Jude re-sat on the armchair. "You are like everyone of us."

"At least, I am not 80 years old granny with dementia." She demonstrated her dark humor as well, followed by chuckles by the both adults.

"Yeah, but please don't mock the elders."

"I'm not. I just possess dark humor. The minority of the people could comprehend the non-literal meaning behind my jokes." The red-haired lady justified herself as she defended herself with composed, slightly sarcastic voice. "Oh , I almost forgot anything. How old are Ellie and Tristan?"

"Uhm, Ellie was born in the late night of 30th of September whilst I laboured Tristan in the morning of 1st of October. The last year."

"Ah! Ha! That's so sweet. They are currently almost 5 months old only." Thereafter the former nun nod her head. "It is true... it's evident they are twins." Ms. Volkova exclaimed frankly as she stammered initially.

"Exactly!"  As Mrs. Howard was about to carry on with her speech after her exclamation, then the noises of opening and closing squeaky door prevailed the discussion between the both female adults. Interrupting them as Shona left her bedroom, walking up in the living room as she stood in front of the lacquered wooden doorway, her face all flushed in embarrassment as she beholded the hardly known lady. In the meantime, the both women's eyes were darted to the little girl, smiling amicably to her.

"Oh, I am sorry for Interrupting you, ma'am. I didn't mean to." Miss Volkova went up to the couch timidly, slowly taking a seat like she had been late for work, smiling uneasily to Jude, besides apologizing her.

The both adults accepted her apology as Shona greeted warmly the eldest person in the room, speaking yet to one another until the both ladies started discussing their jobs.

"So what are you working, Judy?"

"I used to be a nun in an institution for mentally sick criminals for the last 15 years but afterwards I started to work as a waitress until I got pregnant and I cannot return back at work when I am still in maternity." She confessed honestly as she felt somewhat guilty for being a nun especially tormenting some innocent inmates and imprisoning them cluelessly, besides she had aboundancy of horrible memories from the place, where she was an administrator and a patient alternating one after another. 

"Oh."

"It's a long story. I just cannot..." When Jude was about to keep on with her utterance, she was cut off by Valerie.

"You don't have to explain everything. I mean, if you don't feel comfortable to be more specific in details, just don't go for it."

"Oh okay, thank God!" She whispered to herself with a sigh of relief. "What are you currently working, Val?" The former nun questioned as she noted Valerie's grin when she was being called "Val" instead her full name as the hush dominated thereafter. Then the hush was cut off when Jude stuttered as she posed another question. "Do you mind to be called Val?"

"Sure." Valerie confirmed as she didn't mind to being called on shorter name. "Well, I worked as a maid for somebody until I didn't quit my job, because of this imbecile." A little before to start with her monologue, as a sharp exhale escaped her lungs.

"Oh! That's not good. I am really sorry to hear it."

"Don't be sorry!" Then Valerie's smirk emerged on her face it illuminated all over her shining face, her smirk admiring Jude's facial traits especially her facial expression. "I am rather proud to get rid off him."

As the middle aged mother listened attentively the younger one, she was more than curious to find out who is that imbecile who compelled herself to quit his home as a domestic maid. 

"Well...good for you!?" Mrs.Howard replied as she didn't know what else to say whilst Shona was listening cautiously each adult's speech as she kept herself quiet.

"Yeah. Away from his stinky apartment with smoked cigarretes, drank and left away glass bottles of alcohol and fragnance of banged women."

Once Jude heard the keywords alcohol, smoked cigarettes and banged women, she was completely certain who she meant as she could guess the monster that tortured the poor former Casey's maid. The blonde was sure that Casey is involved in this case as she was deliriously panicked to hear those words, coming from another woman especially who has something to do with Jude's former fiancé, that forsakened her like a pest. Her heart missed a beat, awaiting more from the red-haired lady/

"Urm, as I think of what you had told me..." 

"Let's not mention that a few months ago when he snapped at me and I clashed him verbally with my snakish tongue, he mentioned the word "whore", telling me about the woman he had dumped without spitting out her name, besides comparing me to her as I was worse than her." As soon as the red-haired lady admitted the dialogue between her and Mr.Goodman, she can perfectly recall the flashbacks that happened back then as her mind's thoughts stormly waves sailed in the morbidly eerie, deep sea.

Flashback

25th of November, 1965

"You are bullshit." 

"No, you are bullshit! A bullshit man for whom I need to clean and dust after daily. Not valuing my hardwork. What do you expect more, Mr.Goodman?" 

"Who deserves to value a maid's work like you especially who is a psychopath that contemns every man?" 

"I have my own reasons for everything. Howsoever, you act like a misogynist." 

"If you say so..." 

"I can see in which case is worse to be."       

"What do you mean?" 

"One more snap at me, I am going to be a maid in somebody else's house. Am I clear, Mister Casey Goodman?"   

"Who is going to be clear, Miss Valerie Volkova? Who?" 

"I can eventually realize who is worse." 

"The whore who I threw out of my life is horrible though she isn't as morbidly horrible as you, Valerie."  

"I don't think you had a reason so that to dump her. I pressume she used to be a loving, caring lover until you insulted her and abandoned her, besides I bet you had cheated on her."  

Back to nowadays...

As Valerie closed her eyes for a while, imagining the ideally recalled drama between her and Casey, Jude looked up at her with puzzled expression as she was uncertain what was going. In the meantime, Shona rocked her mother by grabbing her by the shoulders with her tiny hands.

"Mommy, are you okay?" The little girl asked concerned.

"I am just okay." She rose her body as her back relaxed on the armchair, rubbing her eyes with her knuckles of her vanilla, smooth flesh as she gave her sole daughter a cheek kiss as she stood right in front of her, rubbing her back to relieve her that everything is alright. "I just had flashbacks."

Jude eventually realized for what she was talking about as she was getting closer to the truth, figuring out that she couldn't be the only woman who is being detested by a man, who left her and had ruined her life. It would be great if she had an ally with whom to collaborate in her fight with Casey, besides Timothy was always by her side. 

"So I am glad that he didn't mention its woman's name." She pretended like she didn't know its female's name. 

"Yes, besides I defended the woman who was forsaken by him in our debate as I called him before that a misogynist."

"Just wait a second, Val!" Jude interrupted the younger woman as she finally came to the conclusion for whom she was talking about. "The man for whom you were a maid was Casey, right?"

"How do you know that?" The red-haired lady abruptly emitted her words like a powerful volcano with mildly emotional voice as the both women realised that they had something like a spiritual or not exactly a spiritual connection. Nevertheless, they had something in common. Judy and Valerie.

"He was my first boyfriend and my former fiancé." 

To be continued...