11th of October, 1968

During Velika's funeral as she was being encircled by Valerie, Shona, Jude and Timothy with their lovely children, who were enforced everyone of them to wear dark, grim clothes to the prominent, mourning event, tear stained, miserable faces lowered as their eyes fixed on the mere wooden casket that was being burried by one of the grave-diggers. Held firmly the shovel in his both large, monstrously strong hands as he scooped in his shovel the dirt, forming an underground hole that could fit the coffin.

The cold, rainy days of October were passing smoothily like a falling leaf. The crystal drops of the rain poured reluctantly down as it moistened everything below.

Valerie and Shona couldn't stop to sob since the beginning of the funeral as Shona burried her face in her mother's belly as she dangled her secure arms around her daughter's back, dragging her closer to her to comfort her.

Timothy and Jude were hugging into another one's arms as Ellie and Tristan were beside them as Agnes Jude was in her mother's arms, being secured in possibly the best way. Jude's face was burried in the crook of Timothy's neck as she sobbed inwardly, refraining to cry as her moisten, puffy hazel eyes looked down at the fresh dew, bathing the grass.

Timothy's hands were rubbing his wife's back as his fingers caressed every inch of the long black coat that she wore. Further, the former priest informed his boss about one of his friends' funeral, in fact he would arrive at the kindergarden a bit later.

After Jude finished with nursing Ellie, Tristan even Agnes, she left her work place as she prefered to stay at home with the children, supervising them, playing with them, cooking and baking with them and so forth. Nevertheless, Ramona, Charlotte and even Jonathan himself visited Jude from time to time, whenever they can afford to pay a visit to her and her husband's residence. The former nun's years after leaving Briarcliff with her husband even the church, were the brightest, the happiest, by all means. After every passed hazard impediments before and after her downfall in the madhouse, her life's fate played its cards right, walking through the vivid, abstract path to the happiness and salvation. In a much different world, where she would truly belong after decades of misery and false hopes.

"She was really a splendid person. I have always loved her since the beginning until her last breath." The young maid murmured as she gaped at the coffin with welling in eyes, her tears tumbling down her fresh, youthful face as her heart was enveloped in severe grimness. "She was truly everything to me. I loved her more than my own life. She was the woman who I loved." She admitted candidly as her eyes kept staring at her heeled shoes with straps as her legs were layered in thin black pantyhose, protecting her frail skeleton legs from the fall's coldness.

"I hope she's on better place. With God and her husband." Timothy and Jude said in unison.

***

As Timothy was gone at work, Jude was home alone with the children as she watched with Ellie, Tristan and Agnes through the mist window's glass the autumn view with cascading rain as it resembled the paradise weeped, mourning over one more soul being taken in the heavens, being secured and encompassed by sea of angels.

Ellie and Tristan sat on the armchairs as Agnes was in Judy's protective, loving arms, absorbing warmness that ensured them even more maternal, mutual love.

Agnes was already a year and almost five months old and her parents helped her so much to develop her speaking skills even improving her vocabulary and walking. She started walking without her parents' help no longer than months ago. Further, Jude and Timothy taught Ellie and Tristan to ride a bike in their spacious, huge yard as they got for their third birthday new bikes. The first time when they seated on their bikes, the experience was overwhelming as they were clumsy and having a hard time initially, in spite of Timothy and Jude's intervene. Shortly after they were taught excellently to ride a bike, they fell from their bikes reluctantly as they wounded, abrading their knees as they weeped then after the happened. Nonetheless, they were proud with their parents for riding a bike without their aid.

Tiny, radiant smiles curled up in the corner of the children's lips as they watched out the window.

Suddenly the phone rang as Jude sighed, leaving the twins with Agnes by themselves as she kissed each of them, walking up to the phone, picking it up.

"H-Hello?!" Jude exclaimed uncertain as she looked behind her, noting Ellie and Tristan were playing with Agnes as the twin boy was nicer and attentive unlike his slightly older sister Ellie, whose games were rougher.

"Hello Judy. Oh thank God, it's you.". Mother Claudia inhaled sharply as she was relieved to speak with Jude.

"Is there anything wrong, Mother?" Mrs. Howard questioned sceptically as she recognized something odd in the older nun. Heart beats diminished its pace.

"Well, I am sorry for telling it right now imstead of earlier but..."The older woman paused to catch her breath as she was currently panting, sensing Jude's imminent dissatisfaction as well.

"Frank is still alive." The both women were heartbroken especially the former nun who heard her old friend's name, lowering her head as she gazed down at her slippers, panting slowly.

Frank is pressumed to be murdered by the possessed Mary Eunice as she slit his throat, thereafter putting the blame on Jude as she was utterly innocent. She hadn't known until nowadays that her old friend still roamed around the world. It panicked her as she sensed her heart cracked.

In this time, abundance of questions swam in her mind as her heart sank to find out the truth about him at last. Furthermore, she wondered how Frank survived all loathsome obstacles, in fact she didn't know his current position nowadays.

"But how he is supposed to be still alive?" The blonde asked incredulously as her pale face lost its vivid colors and glossiness, temperatures dropping drastically.

"I-I thought he was dead after they falsely involved me in his murder." Jude stammered, scarcely finding peace as her core was drownijg in cauldron, full of bustle and desperate inquisition.

"I want to know more about him." Jude insisted as she gritted teeth, tears building in her puffy hazel eyes.

"Quiet down, my child. I owe you credit for telling you all this. He is lucky for surviving after his throat was slit, attempted to be killed by the possessed Mary Eunice." The superior nun paused as she regained her breath as Mrs. Howard was beyond panicked.

"Oh!"

"That's not all. Afterward when you remembered that you used to be committed as a patient, he was committed as a patient too but seperating him from you as they put him in the solitary, distancing him as much as far from you."

"Oh, the poor Frank. Why am I hearing all this now? Right now? Almost four years after being released."

"I don't know , my child. I tried my best to help him to get out of this horrid place. But the lunatic Father McKenzie menaced me if I do it...I will be killed and Frank's life will be teared down to ruins." Mother Claudia said through bittersweet, fugly tears that cascaded her wrinkled face. Jude didn't refrain as her already built tears poured down her gorgeous face.

The former nun had the prejudice of having a heart attack once she listened attentively her mother figure's words.

"Oh, I really don't know. I should get him out of this morbid misery. His place doesn't belongs in Briarcliff." She said in low, disappointed voice. "But I am so relieved, he is still alive."

"You wouldn't want to know how horribly is treated Frank by the new monsignor, would you?"

"Oh. This frustrates me so much, you know. I remember how you told me about him."

"Yes, I do. But let's change the topic, if you don't mind." Mother Claudia justified as she didn't want to upset anymore the former nun. 

"I don't mind. It is fine."

***

"How your day was?" Timothy enquired as he and Jude were eating their favorite meal Coq au Vin on the dining table as Ellie, Tristan and Agnes were sitting in their highchairs as they held their spoons as the twins ate what their parents were with exception of the youngest child, who actually was eating her baby food.

"Oh, it was amazing with the children. As always." Jude held the fork as her hand was trembling, almost not having control over the terror that tormented her, not leaving her mind completely alone to find peace. The eerie thought of realising that Frank is still alive but behind the gray, cold walls of Briarcliff particularly corrupted her mind.

"Glad to hear it." He closed his eyes as he savoured every bite from his wife's scrumptious meal, munching as he opened his eyes, noting something sceptical about his wife as he looked down at her trembling hand that held a fork as he raised an eyebrow. Plenty of worrisome questions swam in his mind. 

"Is there anything wrong, honey?" He left his fork in the plate as he grabbed her hand in his, fitting perfectly as he stared straight into her hazel eyes, a hint of inkling that prompted Timothy. A sheepish smile formed on his lips. 

A hush floated in the kitchen as Jude paused, catching her breath to mention the topic as Jude's silence caught the children's attention, giving their parents' confused looks, interrupting themselves to continue with dinner process. 

"Mother Claudia called me earlier today. And..." Her eyes were moisten as she sobbed silently, welling with tears eyes. "Frank is alive, fortunately." 

Timothy grasped her hand as you can tell she was weeping because she wanted to rescue Frank, give him opportunity to escape from the madness in Briarcliff, deliver him a freedom though she just can't go all alone in the madhouse. Another hand wiped her bitter tears as she was feeling incapable to do all this by herself, thinking that Timothy will strongly disagree with her.

"She told you this?" Timothy inquired as his wife nodded honestly as her face grimaced. "How is that possible?"

"I really don't know. But I am so relieved he's still alive after surviving so much pain and sorrow."

"Even that's not everything what I have being told."

"What more?" Mr.Howard sipped of his lukewarm glass of water, asking curiously. "I am listening." He stated as he paid utterly attention to his wife's words.

"Well, Frank was committed as a patient shortly after me, seperating him from me as they put him in the solitary. But also he was being treated unfairly, inferiorly by the new monsignor himself, Father McKenzie."

Although listening to Jude's words, he realised that if they rescued Frank, taking care of him until he heals from the physical and mental scars from Briarcliff, otherwise Timothy's jealousy would overtake him whenever he sees his wife with her old friend. Not because of his apathy or something, he was just afraid of the worst that would drive him insane for the rest of his life, unable to forgive himself: to lose Jude in variety of ways. Howsoever, when he realised how much she does love him, he was relieved, in fact she wouldn't fall in love with another man as her heart already belonged to the man who she is madly in love. Furthermore, Timothy doubted that his rare bird would fly away as she finds somebody else to love. 

"It's unbelievable how he's being discriminated by this..." Timothy was far speechless after hearing this, completely understanding his wife's sympathy for Frank as he put himself in her shoes, already imagining the bind that she will face when they go back in Briarcliff to rescue one more innocent soul. "Son of the bitch McKenzie." Timothy verged to shout as he kept his voice decibels moderate. 

"I know he doesn't like you. I mean Frank."

"Probably he doesn't like me but we had respect for one another back in the old days at least."

"Yeah, I know. But McKenzie is nothing but a garbage."

"He's doubtlessly." As her tears stopped cascading down her face, his hand moved up to her hair, stroking gently her soft hair to soothe her. "After dinner we shall go back in Briarcliff as Valerie will look after Agnes and the twins. Everything will be alright, sweetie, okay?"

"Okay, darling." She murmured as their faces approached, pressing their lips on one another as they kept on eating the scrumptious dinner whilst Ellie and Tristan stared at their parents with gleeful looks on their tiny faces as they have grown already much bigger. In the meantime, Agnes continued eating from her babyfood in the jar.

To be continued...

Author's Note: Pardon for not posting in the previous chapter an author's note but here we go. I have promised back in my previous chapters of including a new character who is actually Jude's old friend though he's committed as a patient in the madhouse. I delivered my promise as either I have pleasantly surprised the readers or otherwise disappointing them.