love within the silence

nineteen

Ally soon woke up from her nap, I heard her feet as she ran down the stairs to find us. Jughead was sitting at the table with his laptop while I was on the sofa reading my book. She came over to the sofa and got my attention, I smiled and picked her up to sit with me. Did you have a nice sleep? I signed while pulling her in for a hug, she settled in my arms and nodded her head. Dada? I smiled and pointed over to the table, she slowly got out of my lap and she saw Jughead. She smiled before running over to him, she grabbed his arm and his attention faded from his laptop onto ally who wanted to sit on his lap. He picked her up and she cuddled down into his embrace and he signed hey monkey she smiled and said hi dada. I watched them together for a while until my phone started ringing, I got up and as I passed them I kissed both of there heads. When I reached my phone it was an unknown caller, I answered the phone and was surprised to hear my mother on the other end:

Betty: hello?
Alice: Betty, hi
Betty: mum...? how did you get my number?
Alice: I've had it for a while but I didn't think you'd want to hear from me
Betty: your not wrong there
Alice: look, I know I messed up. Badly. But your still my daughter Betty.... ally's still my granddaughter. I really want a chance to say I'm sorry, to the both of you. I want to be apart of your life and hers
Betty: how do I know your telling the truth? How do I know your not just doing this so Robbie can have a insider to try and play me off to a court I'm an unsuitable mother?
Alice: you don't, but I want a chance to talk to you. Show you I've changed, I'm not with Robbie but when he came to me he didn't tell me anything. I want to explain why I did what I did all those years ago. Then if you want to, it's your choice on whether or not you let me meet ally.
Betty: you get one chance, but there are some rules for when you meet ally and your around her.
Alice: of course, anything. Maybe we could meet for lunch, to talk?
Betty: okay, yeah. How's Tuesday? 12 o'clock, at pops?
Alice: I'll be there and Betty.... thank you. I know I don't deserve a second chance but I'm really grateful
Betty: okay, then I guess I'll see you Tuesday. Don't mess it up

I hung up the phone and took a deep breath, I was still hesitant about letting her into ally's life but I want to hear what she has to say. I placed my phone back on the kitchen side when I heard a small knock on the back door. I saw FP standing there, I quickly let him in and he said 'sorry to bother you guys, I was just going to head out and get some food from Pops and wondered if you wanted anything?' I smiled and said 'how about we all go to Pops together?' His eyebrow raised and he said 'you don't have to, if you guys were planning on having something else?' I smiled and said 'no, ally could use a trip out and I think it will be nice for us all. Only if that's okay with you?' He smiled and said 'it's more than okay' I nodded my head and said 'perfect then, I'll grab ally and I'll see if Jugheads coming then we can go' he nodded and waited in the kitchen while I headed into the dining room.

Go and get your shoes I signed to ally when I got her attention, she smiled and nodded while hoping down off Jugheads lap. He looked up at me and said 'where you going?' I smiled and said 'Pops, we're going to join FP, are you coming?' I saw his smile fade a little and I said 'I don't have a problem with him living here, jug I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon, I'm going to need to talk to your dad. So me and ally are going to go, you can come if you want?' He smiled again and said 'I'll just grab my jacket' I kissed his cheek while walking over to Ally who was struggling with the zip on her coat. I zipped her up and said ready to go? She nodded and said where we going mummy? Is dada coming? I nodded my head and said pops with FP she smiled and jumped up and down getting excited. Jug soon came downstairs now in his jacket and picked an excited ally up and carried her to the back door where FP was still waiting.

We walked in an easy silence, ally was holding Jugheads hand, FP lagging a little behind. I was walking next to Jughead when I stopped slightly and waited for FP. Ally and Jughead kept walking and FP's head rose when he saw me and I said 'are you okay?' He nodded his head and said 'I'm good, how are you?' I smiled and said 'I'm okay, but your proving to be harder to talk to then your son was' he laughed slightly and said 'he had to get it from someone' I laughed with him and then said 'we haven't really had a chance to speak, properly' he nodded and said 'I don't think I'm completely welcome home just yet' I raised my eyebrow and said 'what do you mean?' He shrugged his shoulders and said 'I don't think jug wants me around, don't really blame him. I did push him away, same with Veronica. Guess I'm still finding where I belong but I'm not to sure if it's here anymore. It might be time to move on' I frowned slightly and said 'you do belong here FP. Even if jugs not showing it just yet, I'm sure he did miss you. I think over the time you were away he needed his dad and you weren't here. If you give him some time he'll come around and he'll realise he needs you more than he cares to admit. So please, stick around. At least for a bit longer, he might just surprise you' he smiled and said 'jug picks the right ones. You don't even know me yet your trying to fix something that's been broken for a long time. I really like you Betty, you and ally have changed my family in a positive way. You've given jug hope, something I haven't seen since jelly and his mum left. Thank you, for tonight. It was nice to be able to talk to someone' I linked my arms through his and said 'of course FP, since ally I've relied on friends. I'm starting to like the idea of relying on people who I now consider my family. That includes you to. Ally's taken a liking to your family, something that doesn't come easy for her. I couldn't be more grateful' we walked up to the brightly lit diner and he said 'it's a pleasure Betty, that little girl really is something' I smile and say 'don't we all know it' he wasn't wrong. That little girl could have you wrapped round her finger, just with one smile or hug. I was proud to be her mother and in that moment I forgot about how she came about because in that moment it was me, ally, her dad and her grandpa about to enjoy a meal at pops.

We sat down and had a good meal, we were all talking and laughing. When we walked home ally was holding onto Jugheads hand but soon let go and ran over to FP. She raised her arms and FP looked at me and jug, when I gave him a nod he picked ally up and she rested against his shoulder and yawned. I saw Jughead watching his dad closely and I took his hand in mine and said 'she's fine with him, you need to relax baby' he sighed and said 'I'm just worried, he's never really dealt with kids well' I smiled and said 'he's doing great, he's trying so hard isn't that enough?' Jughead shrugged his shoulders and I said 'please try and talk to him. He wants to leave jug, he believes his son hates him so much that he wants to go, let you get on with your life because he thinks you don't need him anymore. I feel sorry for him jug, he's been away for a long time and all he wants is to belong somewhere. I can't force you to talk to him but ally likes him and I want him to be around her, he's good for her and she might be good for him.' I looked at him and he ran his hands through his hair, he sighed and said 'it's your choice, look I'll meet you guys at home. I need to clear my head' I sighed and said 'yeah, sure' I walked off to catch up with FP and ally when I heard Jug shout my name after me. I turned to him and said 'no jug, do want you need to do. Guess I'll see you at home' a frown appeared on his face and I turned to walk away.

The walk home was quiet and when we got in FP took ally upstairs to her room, she was already in her pyjamas so I let FP put her to bed. I went into the kitchen and boiled the kettle when FP walked downstairs again, he headed into the kitchen and said 'I'll leave you too it, I'm sorry if I caused any problems between you and jug' I shook my head and said 'it wasn't you FP, he's been avoiding all day. It doesn't matter anyway, would you like a coffee?' He gave me a confused look and then said 'are you sure you want to Betty, I can tell my son doesn't want me getting to close?' I rolled my eyes and said quietly 'that's his choice, not mine. Have a coffee with me?' He smiled and said 'I would love one.'

I poured us both coffee and we went to sit on the sofa, we spoke about ally, my childhood, FP even opened up a bit about prison. He was an extremely nice guy who just made some bad decisions, he told me how he changed in prison. He went to AA meetings and therapy, he told me why he didn't keep in contact with Jug and Veronica. It was because he had let them down so many times he didn't want to make them anymore promises he couldn't keep, getting out 6 months early was his reward for his behaviour over the 2 and a half years he was there. He really tried to change and in the next month he would be 3 years sober and he was getting a new chip to show his accomplishment. 'You should tell them' I said, he shrugged and said 'they wouldn't care. I've made them promises before, I wasn't able to keep any of them. I don't want to let them down again' I smiled and said 'it's your choice FP but I think they might benefit from knowing you won't go back there again, it's been almost 3 years that's a really good accomplishment. You should be proud. So what you made some mistakes when they were younger, you can try and make up for them now. Everyone deserves a second chance when they earn it and you have' he smiled and said 'thank you Betty, for tonight. I really needed it' I smiled and embraced him in a hug 'anytime FP' he smiled and just as we went to walk into the kitchen I felt someone grab my leg. I looked down and saw ally, still half asleep and carrying hot dog in her arms. I turned to FP and said 'I'll see you tomorrow, my mum duties await' he laughed and said 'goodnight Betty, I'll lock the door behind me' I nod my head while picking ally up. She cuddled down into my chest and I carried her up to her room again.

I went and quickly got changed and then went back into her room to see her waiting for me. I got into her bed next to her and she cuddled into my chest and I signed get some sleep princess, I love you she smiled sleepily and said night night muma, where's dada? I frowned and said you can see him in the morning, but he loves you she nods and closes her eyes. I run my fingers through her hair and settle down next to her, I start to fall asleep as well. I didn't know where Jughead was and he hasn't messaged me. He needed time so I'll give him as much as he wants.