4 months later...

4th of July, 1966

It has been more than 10 days since the beginning of a new season. A new season with its abstract, flamboyant vibes and aesthetics. For short period of time to collect priceless memories that abide in your heart forever. 

4 months had already passed. It was just in the middle of the year. Roughly said. Ellie and Tristan were already 9 months old as they developed plenty of skills through these months for example, they were almost able to utter their first word but mostly they babbled, making sounds as they practiced by using their lips to address their parents. It wasn't easy for them, nor Howards themselves. Furthermore, Jude commenced nursing Ellie and Tristan less than a several weeks ago as beginnings of weaning her infants. 

Moreover whenever Jude goes to the supermarket, she had hired somebody to look after the children during her abscene. It was her friend who revived her career as a maid. Valerie has been Howards' family maid for 3 months as she had a solid, serious discussion with Judy and Timothy, receiving a salary approximately $300 per an hour. The red-haired maid usually spends 8 hours in Howards' mansion daily as she got to know better more the both adults, having a good time with the children when the both parents are absent or just occupied so much. Despite her underestimated, mere profession, she still enjoyed to go visit her friends' house daily, spending her leisure time in discussions with Jude and possibly Timothy if he is eventually at home. Mother Claudia, Kit and Grace with their children, besides Charlotte and Ramona had paid to Howards' family house as they wanted to see Judy and Timothy with their lovely growing yet little angels that drastically change with every passing week, every passing day. In addition, they had the chance to encounter Ms.Volkova, the maid herself, who shared common things with Jude. 

Actually Valerie hadn't one of the best childhoods, howsoever, she was a half orphan. Just like Jude. But in Valerie's case, she hadn't got a mother, who was unconditionally similar to Jude's unidentified father that left their family when they needed them mostly. Valerie's father, who was a Russian emigrant named Maksim, was tremendously loving, caring and hardworking father that had ensured sufficiently enough for himself and his daughter to survive the hot and freezing months of the year. According to her words, her father had always supported her daughter, regardless if she is either wrong or right in certain situations. Additionally, she had talked with Jude many times about her father Maksim and her younger years including her school years especially the high school ones which can be considered as the most critical, the difficultest ones in her life. She hadn't got any friends in her high school, they bullied her even more, calling her a nerd, anti-social and so forth. She just prefered to read books, educate herself and to speak to some teachers which were her last hope at school, discussing and arguing philosophically over some vexed topics especially in the sphere of the Literature, Philosophy and Psychology. The teachers were like her friends. She had always spoken to teachers since 1st grade until she graduated from high school. She was much different than her peers. The boys loved and relished to get on her nerves, in spite of her overlook and lack of attention that she delivered them.  Valerie usually felt misunderstood by them as she was like an old soul unlike them. Her father, Maksim, had called her a special child since her birth, according to her words. The difference between Jude and Valerie's first love was ruthlessly evident. When the both women madly fell in love with their first crushes, they vowed to themselves and them to be loyal, loving girlfriends though they ended their relationships heart broken. Jude's relationship with her first boyfriend, Casey, ended when she found out she was infected with syphilis, ceased to have her own biological children and when she announced it to her fiance a day before their wedding, he got murderously mad at her, slapping her face, addressing her with inappropiate, irreverent names that left her desolated, fearing of loving another man again, having trust issues and bitter tears welling on her face. Whilst in Valerie's case was that when she fell in love with the boy, who had captured her heart in her last 2 years as a high school student, thereafter she spent less time to read her textbooks as she prefered her partner's company and the night on her graduation, she was being proposed by him, initially she thought it for any kind of a joke though he was deadly serious. After she was proposed, 3 months later she got impregnated by him as they lived blissfully the first year together as she wanted to study philosophy in the Boston university. Nevertheless after Shona's birth, perhaps when she was 3 months old, Valerie's husband named Carlos cheated on her with a high school senior student and leaving behind her wife and her daughter to handle all circumstances that they were dealing with. Furthermore, Valerie debuted her career as a maid a little after her graduation as she wanted to have her own money. When she was neglected by Carlos, struggling with the heart break, no sooner she resigned from the university she wished to study and filled the divorce documents as her final words to Carlos were to never and ever return back and dare to touch or say anything to her and Shona. At least, she had her little daughter's and her father Maksim's support. Luckily, he was still alive, according to her monologue. After she broke up and divorced with Carlos, she developed trust issues, besides she started hating men as she stared at them with scornful stare or approximate glare, sensing in her stormly boiling blood her intense hatred towards the opposite gender. The only male she loved cordially is actually her father. As an addition, she wasn't religious at all and she hadn't attended a church since her teenage years. However, she respected everybody for who are they until they disrespect her. 

Briefly, she and Jude are alook like in certain things but Valerie could be something like either Jude's spiritual daughter or much younger sister, who is indifferent about the religion and God, besides she has such intellect and wittiness that enthralls everyone and detests men, scarcely believing in falling in love with a person from the opposite gender. 

As Jude and her maid, Valerie were having lunch whilst Ellie and Tristan were already fed as they were playing with their toys on the kitchen floor, the both female adults couldn't help but smile at them with a curling, broad smile on their faces as they were the only sources to lit their faces of happiness. In the meantime, Timothy was gone at work. 

The both women were eating Coq au Vin, the Howards' family favorite meal as they had glasses of water aside. Furthermore, they losed a focus on their lunch as their eyes were rather pierced into the little angels, scrunitizing each action and step of their as they didn't stop babbling, rendering unfinished word sounds. 

"Just look at those cinnamon rolls!" Valerie said with a laughter as Jude joined her laughter either too. Eyes glued to Ellie and Tristan, hardly looking away from them. "Tristan reminds me so much of my daughter Shona." The red-haired lady carried on as she sipped from her glass of water.

"They are my cinnamon rolls, Val. Don't forget it!" Mrs.Howard responded sarcastically as she increased her decibels when she spelled the possession pronoun. Thereafter Valerie let out a mischievous titter as she placed her hands on her thighs instead of holding her silverware spoon in her hand. 

"How? Why?" The blonde enquired as she was curious with what Tristan resembles Shona.

"Well, just look at your son." Jude looked away as she glimpsed at the younger woman, throughout her eyes moved from her interluctor on the children especially the younger twin. "He is so mature. I mean, he barely cries and whines. He is a witty baby boy."

"Ahahah! You are actually right." A light chuckle escaped from the former nun as she observed Ellie and Tristan's play with the toys. "I remember how you told me about Shona when she was nearly my son's age even younger she hardly cried. Besides after you laboured her, she didn't cry at all."

"Definitely! However, Ellie and Tristan cried after their birth, right?"

"They did but not for too long. Especially Tristan hadn't cried since the last time he let out a blubber when he was born."

"Oh, they are such special children, Judy! Believe me!" All of a sudden, Mrs.Howard flinched as she felt her hands being held, cupped in the younger lady's ones, feeling the warmth sensation as her eyes moved from the twins to Ms.Volkova's warm, splendid hazel green eyes. Hazel encounters hazel. An awkward smile curled on her rosy-colored lips. 

"I know they are special, Val! However Shona is too." 

"She is too. Our children are meant to be much different than this cruel society."

"Definitely!"

Sometime later on...

As Jude put Ellie and Tristan to sleep in their cots, gaining an extra afternoon nap, with the help of her maid, kissing each twin's temples, singing to them a lullaby as Valerie joined her duet, despite her artificial singing skills which were nothing compared to the former nun. Jude was quite talented in singing as her eloquent, precious singing voice helped the children to fall asleep, flatter as their shutted eyes and radiant smiles were evidence of their enjoyment of the lullaby.

Afterward they walked out of the couple's bedroom as Jude walked in the corridor with the maid who was behind her, descending the stairs, heading to the living room as walking up to the goth sofa, taking a seat, meanwhile Valerie sat alongside the middle aged woman as they faced one another, hazel eyes meeting hazel ones like identical sisters though in Valerie's case the green hue prevailed a little bit more than Jude's. Gleaming smiles on pale faces. To one another as well.

"Have you ever kissed a girl?" All of a sudden, this question popped up from Ms.Volkova as her friend was perplexed initially, staring strangely at her. 

"W-what? I am confused." Mrs.Howard inquired as she stuttered puzzled even frantic as she sensed her cheeks slowly heating, her heart raced. She didn't know what to feel recently. 

"Have you ever kissed a female on the lips?"

The former nun swallowed a gulp in her throat as she was about to have a heart attack after that question, regenerating some strength to speak her mind, inhaling sharply as Valerie expected the worst, seductively smiling to the middle aged lady.

"N-no. Why would you ask me such a question, Val? It's so weird." Mrs.Howard gazed oddly at the maid that she employed to clean and dust after in Howards' house as she didn't know either if she should sob or even cackle. The homosexuality was just like another universe, another world to her. Not her cup of tea, of course. 

"Because...you are beautiful." Ms.Volkova didn't miss her opportunity to compliment the older woman than her as a smirk spreaded across her lips. She slowly raised her small, creamy hand as she cupped her chin, tilting her head to have a direct eye contact with her. "I am not just telling you like that. I truly mean it."

A hush floated in the living room like a fog as Mrs.Howard was undisputably embarrassed by her maid, incapable of uttering a single syllable until her power recovered. 

"I am sorry to tell you, dear Val," Jude paused as she exhaled sharply, noting how she is going to disappoint the red-haired maid but she couldn't be more direct rather than to disguise herself as Tartuffe himself. "But I am not a lesbian." 

"It's evident, however, you drive me crazy." The red-haired maid moved even closer to the former nun as her another hand cupped her face, pursuing for her abysmal, amorous hazel eyes to look at them for eternity like she didn't wish this moment to have a border, an end line. 

To be continued...