➳Proverbs 27:17➳

➳As iron sharpens iron,➳

 ➳So one person sharpens another.➳

--- Three Months Later ---


--- 22nd of December, 1965 ---

Three months of safety have elapsed along with the gradual development of their toxic relationship, even when they yearned to change the things for better, by focusing on the toxic knot of their relationship. For these months, Edward Ralph has already gotten bigger, and he could not only babble but also utter certain syllables and vowels, analogizing a baby symphony.

Furthermore, the Christmas holidays were approaching along the chilling and snowy weather, resulting in the hints of autumn already dying as they have relinquished.

The former sister of the church's voice has already improved, subsequently, sounding clearer and less hemming as the scars and bruises after her electroshock therapy, besides Leigh's torture were already ebbing as if a temporal tattoo was wiping off itself with the advancing time.

The former members of the church spent the majority of their time at home with their son since exceedingly necessary heed is at the very top of their responsibilities as parents.

Even more so when Timothy's fortune was the least problematic for Jude. She would rather find a job by being somewhat independent, earning it on her own without anybody's help and counting on it.

Jude, Timothy and Edward were in the kitchen. They were having breakfast in the wee hours of the morning as the former clergyman woke up first, due to the fact his right hand was profoundly asleep and their baby son squealed, weeping, longing to be encircled by love and his parents' affection, besides being fed.

In the interim, the love child was sitting in his high chair, contemplating his parents, who had been equipped with forks by pronging the fried eggs with the bacon. The motion of the consumed which conveyed downwards the throat after being munched a couple of times.

The motion of the hot morning caffeine beverage lingered inside the former man of the cloth's oral caverns by instantly resurrecting his body from the drowsiness, which once was bedded in his body, incapable of freely moving his muscles and his nerves relax.

Both middle-aged adults have never raised the topic, even alluding about the older woman's financial independence from her former lover by finding a job, via the newspapers, contact its manager and organize an appointment for her interview, determining whether the position would fit her or otherwise being rejected within a couple of questions.

Furthermore, Judy dithered whether to raise the topic or intimate it, in fact, she has stayed at home for three straight months as each new garment, piece of lingerie, a pair of shoes, food or anything else depended on Timothy's tremendous wealth, instead of her.

Besides finding and socializing with more people by finding new friends and perhaps a new love interest, attempting to erase the past and the sinister betrayal as its vicious cycle as its sandstorm traps them in eternal darkness.

"Timothy, I have thought of something doing for myself and being slightly independent." In the meantime, at the mention of the keyword independence, the former holy man's heart sank as he had never thought of his former lover moving on in life without him after three months of looking after her and their son. Besides nurturing and aiding her to improve her once-despaired condition.

He has done anything to help her to be as stable as the old herself, unlike the temporal episode when she was institutionalized and stripped of her clerical title and possessions.

"W-What do you mean with this? Are you planning to go live somewhere else by taking away our son from me?" He posed the question beyond gravely nonplussed as calmness accentuated his questions as the rational response was necessary for them.

That was the crucial task for Jude, sorting her mind and pensively nibbling on her bottom, plumpish lip after masticating some fried eggs.

The thought of taking away their son as he lives with his mother and the younger man seeing him once a week was as backstabbing as the betrayal towards Jude. Nemesis was probably the suitable word for this, inundating the British aristocrat.

"No, of course, not!" In the interval, the middle-aged mother stuttered, struggling to spell the syllables, factly, she wanted to rationally explain to him what she exactly wanted without her utterance being deemed as a contrast of her wishes. "Urm, I have thought of finding a job or rather being mildly financially independent by earning on my own money, besides making new friendships with other people if they're eventually necessary."

The blonde was deliriously serious and emphatic behind her exclamation as the former priest's pair of chocolate brown irises widened at shocking befuddlement, infecting his facial expression which was blanched as if her words were as toxic as bleach.

"Which means I will reside on this property even when I'm working."

Silence gapped the vacuum patches as their proximity wasn't more approximate than a handful of inches. Meanwhile, Edward's look on his baby's face changed drastically from content to bewildered, due to the fact his parents' voice tones altered in their nuances as the darkness shadowed them, instead of allowing the light to disperse through them.

His bottom, rosy-coloured lip pouted as his big hazel brown pools, fueled with sheer concern and innocence were darted to both adults, whose discussion intensified and the silence was far from better, ameliorating.

"I don't mind, of course, Jude! But I am concerned about you."

"What do you mean by this?" She instantly knew right away he wouldn't fully approve and support her decision, questioning it. A grotesque, insouciant frown cradled her naturally, silky rosy-coloured lips. "Are ya scared I will hang out with other people?"

"Of course, I am scared for your welfare! You can't trust anyone or interact with them since I have enough of hurt you and I don't want seeing you hurt ever again, whether by me or somebody else." In the meantime, she took a deep breath, afterward exhaling sharply as her former lover's complexion wasn't as soft as a desolated, roving homeless puppy. A grimace interwoven with glare, caricaturing his traits as his thick eyebrows furrowed, whereas his slits blinked and his lips weren't smiling.

"So now yar starting with this shit again? Caring about me since this betrayal, which ripped my heart into trillions of pieces and now starting to care about me?" Meantime, the muggy blood boiled in her veins, when her former boss demonstrated signs, referring to jealousy and murderous overprotection. The heartbeats expedited its speed in her ribs as its pulsation resembled the final moments of hourglass's sand elapsing, indicating the exact time.

"Rare bird, I made mistakes as every human being would do if they were dumb enough to let themselves be fooled!" Suddenly, the former woman of the cloth got from the table as she verged to raise her voice and horrified Edward since she was conforming, attempting to balance her voice decibels.

At the time, she finished her breakfast by soaking it in the kitchen sink, releasing jet water to wash some food chunks, and abiding on the unwashed plate.

"Don't ya just know how damn hurts this? I have my own life as you can see Edward anytime and look after him but," At this moment, she paused by picking up their three-month-old son from the high chair, subsequently rocking him in her protective, loving arms as his baby face was nestled in the crook of her neck. "But I won't let ya control my life. This is my life and it is my personal choice whether I am going to work and earn my own money. I am not a fifteen-year-old schoolgirl, who can rely on our general budget which is yar money."

She nagged at him as she was walking away from the kitchen, her bile rising in her throat, due to Timothy's obvious, readable as a book with widely opened pages mettle as it plagued each muscle, even his facial expression.

"I respect your decision, but I don't want to see you hurt again." By the time, she held their son into her arms as she opted to flee, his utterance was a whisper in the desert.

As soon as the former member of the church fled the kitchen with Edward, consequently, the younger man heaved a dramatic, timorous sigh from the top of his flaring lungs, flooded with volcanic angst.

--- *** ---

An hour after breakfast, the former nun fed their little sweet ray of sunshine as she left a couple of baby bottles, filled with milk, in case Edward is peckish.

She dressed up herself in comfy black as an ebony wool dress in its hem descended to her knees with long sleeves and V neckline, followed by black boots, knee-length, black stockings and charcoal, pelvis length winter paletot, shielding her frail skeleton against the chilly winter climate.

Thereafter, she let her halo ringlet of glossy old Hollywood aureate curls cascade down to her shoulders, framing ideally her still gorgeous, pale as ghost complexion with its elegant features.

The recent garments that concealed her mossy, soft satin skin along with the boots were bought shortly after her recovery as she had chosen wisely what she would wear on the shopping day with her love interest.

Whilst she was applying some make-up such as ebony mascara, waxing her long as flapping wings eyelashes and conservative mauve, high-quality lipstick, and painting her lips, the suddenness of Edward's blubber sounded as nails scratching gradually wooden plank.

It distressed her as she got from the dressing table, zinging up to the cot, to alleviate her baby son and not get herself in trouble Judy was dressed up differently as Timothy commences to track her.

Luckily, the former holy man wasn't nigh on the second floor as he was busy vacuuming the living room's mildly dusty, sunk-in chunks of flooring.

"Shu, shu, shu, sweet little boy! Everything is alright! Mommy has got ya!" In the interim, the blonde peppered the infant's temple and cheeks with doting, feather kisses, to alleviate him, besides kneading lightly his shoulder as his blubber subdued in the background, fortunately.

"Mama!" Edward babbled as it was his first time saying the word with slight hemming, burying his face in the crook of his mother's neck as she rocked him yet, finding comfort in her scooped embrace.

"Aww, my heart! Did ya just say yar first word?"

"Mama!" The young boy recited as he repeated smugly his first ever word weeks after his advent in this world.

"I love you too, Edward! I am so proud of ya for saying yar first word, ya know!"

--- *** ---

An hour later the former nun had already left the private property as she wandered the Vermont countryside's streets along with her baby son. Her boots stomped the snow, leaving tracks of her as if she'd disappeared from home as a missing child. The multitude of crystal wee snowflakes they danced, tumbling down by lightly tickling the solely exposed part of her body as her facial skin contacted it.

Meanwhile, Edward was peacefully asleep in the baby stroller as the wool blanket, blanketed his motionless body, inhaling inwardly the freshly chilly winter air, cleansing his nostrils.

Jude hasn't left the two-story mansion for three months as the last time she was somewhere than in her recent and only home was her plotted escape from the nuthouse in the late September days.

All of a sudden, the middle-aged mother found an old, nevertheless, unarguably dilapidated cabin as the disintegrated glasses of the broken window carpeted the interior and exterior's ground as the door was fractured.

The prospect resembled as if burglars had broken it with their entire might and stolen away any prominent paraphernalia, that this abandoned cabin had once possessed and stored it inside the unkempt, peeling-off old pale green walls.

Even through the large-sized window, the middle-aged lady could notice other discreet details behind the forsaken one-story property. No furniture embellished the empty room. The walls were readily peeling off as they once were stable.

The reek of pungent mold and filth emanated from the interior, taunting the former holy woman's fragile, sensitive nostrils as they flared, coughing coldly halfhearted, pretending as if she had the flu.

Proletariat of recently active questions flooded her mind as the brain cells invigorated as the hazelish-brown orbs surveyed the unoccupied area, nibbling on the silken skin of her bottom, plumpish lip reluctantly.

For how long this place has been abandoned? Did it use to be somebody's property? If yes, who were the former owners and what happened to them to leave this place in ramshackle condition like a hellhole?

All of a sudden, a feminine, creamy gloved hand was on top of Jude's shoulder, sending shivers down her body of embarrassment and prejudice as the goosebumps which sleeved every inch of her flesh electrified along with the muscles.

The blonde hesitated whether to turn as she exhaled sharply from the top of her frail lungs as she thought it was a particular stranger behind her.

"Excuse me, ma'am! You seem terrified." The young woman, who mumbled behind instantly smelled that things weren't alright at all as her instincts were as potent as the animals'.

"W-Who are ya, miss?" Sanguine nuances tinged the unwed mother's cheeks as additional, sweltering heat brushed the facial skin. Her mouth was mildly agape, widening her honey-brown pools as she was caught off guard, wondering who's the young lady in front of her. At that moment, she mousily turned to the stranger lady. "I doubt I know ya."

"I didn't want to scare ya, ma'am! But I am Madeleine Wilson." She offered her ebony gloved hand, offering a sheepish, humble smile, honed up in the corner of her naturally rosy-coloured, soft lips as her hazel abysses met another pair of hazel ones, locking up her stare.

Madeleine Wilson was actually a young woman at age nineteen as a halo ringlet of silky aureate curly tresses cascaded her mid-back, framing ideally her youthful, fresh face with fair skin tone and hazelish-brown eyes. She was tall approximately 5'2 and possessed a slender body structure. She didn't seem a native Vermont civilian at all especially judging her firmer accent as if she was actually from somewhere else.

Last but not least, the blonde was dressed up in black wool stockings, a black and white dress with long sleeves and a round neckline as its dress's hem flared her knees, ebony booties, a black coat and leather gloves.

"Oh! It is a pleasure meeting ya, Madeleine!" The middle-aged woman stuttered, hemming to spell the words, in fact, the awkwardness was sketched upon her complexion, giggling uneasily by extending her hand, shaking Madeleine's gloved one. "I am Judy Martin. Aren't ya coming from Michigan eventually?"

"Yes, I am from Michigan and I came here when I was 17 years old with my brother. We are living on the next street!"

"Oh, it doesn't surprise me why ya have moved there!"

"Well, we moved there, because of my parents as they weren't alright with that I want a fresh start in my life, besides my brother despises them with each bone." The younger blonde chuckled wryly as she suddenly noticed the kipping infant in the baby stroller a calmly blissful smile flourished on her lips by moving from one topic to another as the older lady pursed her lips. "Hey, you have a child! How precious it is!"

"I know! Thanks, Madeleine! He is the most handsome baby boy and his name is Edward Ralph!" Judy added as her lip curled after popping them up, glimpsing at her son.

"He is handsome for sure! I can't agree more! I like his name." Then, the girl shifted her gaze up to Jude, meeting hers as she bit her bottom plumpish lip. "Please, Judy, don't call me by my full name as Maddie would be better."

"Maddie?" The elder blonde enquired, stammering.

"Mhm!" Madeleine bobbed humbly her head, thrumming mellowly.

"Well, as you say, Maddie! In addition to the awkward situation, I am accepting yar apology as I didn't think you would love to talk to an old lady like me especially with a child of on her own!"

"Hey, Judy! Don't talk shit about yarself! You aren't old yet." Madeleine rolled her eyes dramatically, due to the middle-aged mother's obnoxious pessimism, and vomited in her voice. "You don't seem even older than thirty-five years old, ya know!"

"I am eventually forty-five years old! But thank ya for the nice compliment!"

"Oh! I am nineteen. And I couldn't believe you stared up at the old, demolishing one-story cabin."

"Why? I have thought of creating my own business as a saleswoman in a flower shop as Edward is by my side!"

"Hmm! Don't you know I have ever thought of creating my own business in a flower shop?"

"Oh really? It would be spectacular if we do it together, Maddie!" A brighter idea just popped up in Jude's mind as she opted to persuade the younger woman to create their own business as saleswomen in a flower shop as they gave one another high five, attempting to not wake up the young boy in the baby stroller. "And this little precious angel of yours," In the interval, the juvenile blonde crouched down as she gingerly extended her hand, in order to fondle gently the little boy's cheek without interrupting his slumber. "Being part of our business as an assistant!"

Her fingers traced faintly his well-defined cheekbone as a soothing, sheerly angelic smile cradled her soft as satin lips, darting her honey brown moons to Edward.

"Of course! It looks like he is going to be taught such complicated stuff for adults." The former sister of the church giggled softly, tickling the corners of her mouth.

"Why not? Unless we explain to him. I am sure he is a smart boy."

"He is only three months old. What do ya expect, Maddie?" At this moment, the Michiganite rose up as she readjusted her gloved hand absently.

"I truly mean it he is a smart boy."

"For sure! And here's my phone number, in case, ya want to phone me as we discuss along things about the flower shop by cleaning the place and investing money into its repair." Meanwhile, Jude handed a card with the domestic phone number to Madeleine to phone each other as they discussed together their ideas about their future business.

--- *** ---

As soon as the middle-aged lady got back home after unlocking by herself the front door. Thereafter setting foot in the corridor by shutting and locking the door within seconds, the piquant fragrance of mushroom salad quickly reached her nose as Edward came to his senses, being embraced by the lovely scent. A serene, childish smile distorted across his lips.

Little did the former nun know where her former lover was as the piquant fragrance of mushroom salad hinted at her first version of recent Timothy's location. The first version was he could be found in the kitchen, preparing the lunch as twelve o'clock in the noon was elapsing. The second version was perhaps he was somewhere else in the mansion doing something else.

"I am home, Timothy!" She evoked out, taking off her winter coat by hanging it on the coat hanger, afterward kicking off her boots, releasing her clammy socked feet from at last, acquiring the utter freedom to be shooed in comfy slippers.

"Hold on a second!" The younger man untied the plain alabaster apron by draping it on the chair as he marched away from the kitchen, noting his right hand, scooping their baby son. His façade was nestled in the crook of her neck, babbling absentmindedly anything past her petite ear. "Oh, hi, Jude! I was wondering yet where have you been up to now after breakfast!"

"It is not of yar business, Timothy Howard! Not again with this bullshit. Can't I have my own life?" She attempted to overlook him by going upstairs with their baby son as the former holy man escorted her without giving up. A grotesque, scowling frown hugged her lips by imposing the stairs, patting lightly Edward's shoulder, in order to alleviate him and not focus on his parents' heating debate.

"Of course, you can unless you don't hide anything from me! Do not act like I am a stranger to you!" He tried to be as diplomatic as possible by keeping his voice decibels lower, softer with his decent British accent, accentuating the pronouns. His mammoth, veiny hands were into his slacks' pockets self-consciously as his lip curled, whereas the mushroom salad's bowl was sitting stock-stilly on the counterplot.

"Why not? Didn't you act like I am a stranger to ya, when you blindly believed them, and they turned you against me? Huh?" Sarcastic, inciting unconditional sorrow snicker danced upon her oral caverns. "Like I was nothing to ya except your sacred whore, pregnant with our bastard child." Gradually ire palpitated its rhythm, lingering on her tongue. "And let me tell ya something. Unless, I don't hear I am sorry,"

She imitated the last words in Timothy's voice as if he uttered them curtly, rocking yet their little sweet ray of sunshine.

"I won't tell ya why I was gone."

"I am sorry, Jude! I didn't mean to be overprotective even obsessed with you. I just want you to be safe if you are planning to move on in your life." In the interim, she slammed the bedroom door by locking up herself as she placed Edward on the edge of the king-sized bed, whereas she was taking off her outdoor garments by tossing them in the basin, storing already worn garments.

Thereafter, she dressed up in casual clothes such as a bright red sweater, coupled with gray comfortable trousers.

"How sincere are ya?" Meantime, she sat on the dressing table, cleaning her make-up as the brush contacted her facial skin, thereafter brushing each inch that was baptized in makeup.

"As much as I am indeed!'

"Do ya think I will accept it?"

"At least, I am glad you aren't ignoring me!" Throughout she got from the dressing table by taking Edward into her protective, doting arms. She was about to unlock the bedroom door until she was met with her love interest, standing in front of the door with a handful of inches of proximity against her figure with his hands into the pockets of his slacks.

"Anyway I am accepting yar apology, I was down the streets when I saw an abandoned from a long time cabin as its former owners are unknown yet." In the meantime, both adults descended the stairs after she shut the bedroom door, taking a deep breath before her monologue. "And suddenly one stranger girl in almost the beginning of her 20s caught me off guard as her name is Madeleine, and we had a small chat."

"That is splendid!" Perfunctory ducking of his head persuaded her to resume her monologue about the stranger lady she met. "Go ahead!"

"And she is coming from Michigan as she moved on there with her brother when she was only seventeen. She was so kindhearted and open-minded as we shared the main idea of altering the cabin, transforming it into a flower store as we are working together and investing some money in its repair, due to the sinister condition."

As soon as both adults stepped in the kitchen, Judy placed him in the high chair her baby son by approaching the kitchen sink, twisting the faucet as jet water gushed down and washing her hands.

Meanwhile, Timothy fixed the plates with the meals from the day before, mixing them with the marinated mushroom salad.

"Oh, I see! Well, I can help you with investing money in the cabin's renovation and purchasing some pieces of furniture, but I want you to be safe and careful, okay?"

"Of course, I will be safe and careful since this girl is going to work with me and Edward is going to be with his Mommy since he needs his mother to nurture him rather than spending our entire spare time at home as prisoners." She replied dryly with a tad vexation, oozing off her utterance as she dried her drenched hands in the towel.

Then, Judy sat on the kitchen table as she extended her elvish, creamy hand to stroke the baby's head, admiring the softness of his sparse chestnut hair that had grown abruptly for the last three months.

"Edward to be with you?" In the meanwhile, the older woman bobbed her head, thrumming melodically to their son as the former priest was preparing the dining table, serving the plates with marinated mushroom salad and bowls of potato soup, besides equipping with silverware eating tools.

His heart sunk in the thought of their love child spending more time with his mother rather than with his father as the profound, nonetheless mist, pitch-black seas of dark thoughts flooded his head, chewing his upper lip in frustration and clearing his throat coldheartedly.

"No, no! You can't do this. This child is supposed to be with his parents, spending equal time with both of them, no matter how much you want to be at work with our little angel!" Serpentine venom lingered on his tongue by envenoming his words in mild exasperation.

"Tim, I am deadly serious! He needs his Mommy and he can see his Daddy tonight as much as ya don't want it." Meanwhile, her response was as emphatic as a piercing arrow in the rib cage as her bile just rose up in her throat, due to Timothy's stubbornness. "However, ya should know I am urgently and very responsible for our sweet ray of sunshine as much as your remorse how they eat you slowly."

She pecked an affectionate, feather kiss on the top of Edward's head, seconds before equipping herself with a fork, pronging a few marinated mushrooms and masticating them.

"Alright, alright!" He was fed up with her crystalline stubbornness as he commenced scooping with the silver scoop some pool of potato soup, consequently masticating it.

➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳

➳ What are your thoughts on the new addition to our prominent story- Madeleine Skyler Wilson? ➳

➳ Do you think Jude and Timothy will keep in touch, in spite of the fact that our fellow heroine is going to start her new business as a saleswoman in the flower store in the company of Maddie? ➳

➳ Don't forget to leave a honest feedback, besides to vote! It will truly mean a lot! Thank you very much for taking your time to read the chapter! ➳