A few weeks later...

12th of August, 1966

The weeks had already swiftly gone like it was yesterday. August welcomed its days and weeks with hotter weather than July, as a result of the heating, unbearable and wearing days especially at daylight time. There were some rainy days of August though they weren't apparently many.

At last, it was Friday. The always expected day after four rough weekdays, passed under pressure and stress.

The Howards had already booked their tickets for Dublin, Ireland, in the beginning of the week as they had a tough family discussion to make their final decision what they should do with their children. They were pendulating between taking them to their short, but cloak-and-dagger trip or leave them under somebody's care whom they can trust mostly.

4 days earlier...

8th of August, 1966

"Honey, I am going to put the children to sleep as you prepare our green teas before our grave family discussion, okay?" Jude promised to put Ellie and Tristan to sleep after her husband helped her to bath them and change the twins in new, sheer garments.

"Yes, sure." He didn't take his chocolate eyes off the pot as he waited patiently the water to boil.

Then Jude walked away from the kitchen as she went upstairs as held, opening the children's room door as she left the room's door halfly opened, putting each twin in their wooden cots, singing to them a lullaby with her mesmesrizing, eloquent voice. Whereas her both smooth, protective hands managed to move down to their soft heads, stroking slowly as she continued lullabying them sweetly.

Their eyelids grew heavy with every passing moment. Their mouths emitting a rough infant yawn, whilst flattering in their mother's lullaby.

All through the night
I'll be awake and I'll be with you
All through the night
This precious time when time is new
Oh, all through the night today
Knowing that we feel the same without saying

Not after a while, after singing a little part of the lullaby, she peeped at every cot, noting their sleepy condition as they were already asleep, their motionless bodies resting from their dynamic day. Their shutted eyes protecting them from the turned on lights in the room. She couldn't aid herself as she watched them with a curling up broad smile spreading across her lips, stroking each twin's head with affection, warmness.

"Good night, my little angels!" She leaned down every cot as she kissed their foreheads.

***

"It's ready the tea." Timothy announced as he put the mugs with hot luquid on the dining table as they took seats next to each other.

"I know." In the interim, she pulled the chair closer to the table as she sat momentarily.

"So, I have already booked our tickets to Dublin, Ireland." He commenced to speak as his fingers played nervously with his hot mug, his fingertips warming after contact.

"Mhm." She hummed, listening to him attentively as she expected more to hear.

"And..." He nervously scratched his head precariously. "I thought about what to do with Ellie and Tristan though it might be a difficult choice to go without them." Mr.Howard carried on anxiously.

"What you have thought about it?" She inquired as she sipped of her hot tea.

"Well, leaving the children under the supervision of somebody whom we really trust."

She swallowed a gulp in her throat, opting to figure out as she had already imagined the heartache that she will experience when their children far away from them, despite being looked after by either of their friends during their abscence. She craved to take the children with her, although her heart told her exactly the opposite. Timothy didn't want to leave Ellie and Tristan under somebody's care either too. But their alternatives were limited.

"Oh. That will be really tough to be seperated from our children for 2 days." She sighed frustrated as she held her face with two hands, looking up at his warm, sympathetic chocolate eyes.

"I know. But it's just 2 days under Valerie's supervision, sweetheart. You need to chill." Timothy replied her calmly as he refrained himself from demonstrating any kind of an emotion as it would otherwise exasperate his wife especially during a serious discussion.

"To chill?" She slammed a fist on the dining table as the mugs' luquids slightly flinched as her voice turned from serene to frustrated, even disappointed. "It's just..." Tears built in her eyes as they poured down like rain her face as she felt powerless to speak. Her anger hadn't crossed borders yet, although Timothy abided composed yet, for her surprise.

"...heartbreaking...to be away from our little precious angels." She continued as she attempted to regain her tranquility, wiping her tears as she sipped of her hot tea to calm down.

Initially Timothy wasn't afraid when she slammed the table, illustrating her frustration, disapprovement of not taking Ellie and Tristan with them to Ireland. He knew how painful is going to be this decision. But they need to solve it sooner or later. Luckily, they sat next to one another as he took her small hand into his large, secure one, squeezing it as he ensured her love, serenity and understanding.

"I know it's going to be such a morbid experience to be on a trip without Ellie and Tris." He soothed her as his unlooked-for composure soothed her even more than the usual as it granted her a hope. "But they are still young. There will be always time to take them with us on our trips."

She sipped of her hot green tea as she verged to sob even weep moments ago when her bitter tears welled in her eyes.

"I just cannot disagree they are slightly young to come with us on a trip." Jude agreed finally as she retrieved her composure.

"Absolutely. So, who we are going to hire to look after Ellie and Tristan?"

"Val?"

"Good idea. She is the ideal candidate to look after them during our absence."

"Yes but first and foremost, we should inform her." Timothy clarified as he sipped of his colder tea.

"That's the only thing we should do. On Friday night, we should pack our things in a suitcase as..." She stuttered, scarcely having memories at what time they should be out of their house to the airport. "What time we should flee from home, darling?" She asked as she moved from one sentence to another.

"In midnight." He answered honestly.

"Oh. Then Val should be earlier here, besides our luggage be packed 24 hours before our flight."

"Of course. It will be a sleepless Friday night after four days." He exclaimed teasingly.

"I know..." In the meantime, she cupped his cheek in her sole free hand, looking up directly into his chocolate eyes with a deep regret that inhabited her soul for showing her anger a few minutes ago, besides slamming with a fist on the table.

"I would like to apologize for my rage and slamming the dining table with a fist." She confessed with regretful voice. "It drove me insane the idea of being far away from the children for 48 hours. Just imagine the pain and sorrow without them. Even their when Mommy and Daddy aren't with them."

"It's okay, Judy. I really can relate to this insane feeling." He squeezed tighter her hand, his thumb kneading the back of her hand.

***

The Howards had already informed Valerie to look after Ellie and Tristan for the weekend, besides packing every piece of their baggage in small suitcases with their important stuff such as clothes, shoes, money, food and so forth.

It was 9 o'clock as Timothy had already took a relaxing shower, thereafter changing his garments as he put something different than casual. Further, Jude wore a satin amber sundress, knee length, with white wooden platform sandals, her ruby-sapphire bracelet encircling her wrist. Additionally, she wore her glossy golden curly hair down as it cascaded down her upper back and shoulders. It framed perfectly her face, full of excitement, nervousness and frustration.

She was beyond excited to travel somewhere especially out of America. To discover a new world with its mystic, undiscovered mysteries, places, landmarks, culture and history. On one hand, she was nervous too, because Ireland is utterly alienating country to her as she scarcely has any idea how she is going to adapt to the Irish, the obscure atmosphere. On other hand, she was frustrated for being unable to take Ellie and Tristan, in fact they were almost a year old.

Whilst Ellie and Tristan were in their room, playing with their toys as Judy and Timothy watched them playing, spending their final hour with them, they couldn't be more gleeful.

Likewise, they have already had a dinner. They should leave the house exactly at 10 as the maid should arrive fifteen minutes prior.

Whereas the twins were vigorous, crawling on the carpet as they played with their wee toys. They weren't sleepy at all. It was quite odd for almost 11 months old twins to be more active during nighttime. They had a lot of energy tonight. It's not due to anything. They were quite clever. They had sensed that they weren't going to be with their parents in the weekend, factly somebody else will fend for them. Besides they noted, recognized anything much different in their parents especially in the last hour with them. 

"Just look at those vigorous cuties." Jude commented as she rested her head on her husband's shoulder.

"Aren't they?" He asked a rhetorical question as he kissed his wife's face. 

"Yeah." She confirmed contented. 

"They are beautiful children too."

"Definitely."

Then they chuckled as they kept watching Ellie and Tristan moving forward and backward their toys, playing with them whilst crowling on the carpeted floor, babbling to themselves. 

To be continued...