5 months later

15th of May, 1969

The months fled and fled. The seasons were altering casually.

A couple of marvelous things happened in a matter of months as they changed some people's lives like almost never before.

Not only Jude and Timothy celebrated the New Year's eve with Frank, Valerie and Shona, but also the young maid had the opportunity to go on a date with Ms. Winters, in fact the both women were dating shortly after the New Year's holidays. They commenced liking one another, as a result, leading to their dates by attending diversity of places either in Boston or New York. Valerie and her daughter have been in New York at least twice times as they have been in Lana's apartment that she shares a roof with her son Johnny who turned four years old in February.

The spring days were warm and filled with exquisite blooming flowers and trees, chirping birds, genial and radiant sun shining as its light bathed everything in sun light. The life's sensibility ressurected after the winter's morbid chilling days. Nevertheless, the summer days were dawning slowly and gradually. 

By the way, Agnes Jude's birthday was today. Her parents prefered to stay at home with little with the almost four-year-old twins and the youngest child. 

As Jude was filling the tray with biscuits as she determined to bake a home-made vanilla biscuit cake, wearing an apron as an overgarment, the twins were playing outside as their laughs and screams were clearly audible. Agnes Jude was playing with her rag doll that she got for her second birthday from her parents, her obsession over her present was particularly evident. She didn't stop grasping the doll's mellow hand. Timothy was being busy with watering the flower-bed of abundance of colourful, abstract flowers with its alluring fragrance. 

Whilst Ellie was playing hide and seek with her slightly younger twin brother Tristan as she clammed her eyes with her small hands, shouting "1...2...3..." , Timothy listened to their eloquent, infant voices ringing in his ears just like the chirping birds in the mid May's afternoon. Tristan concealed behind a tree, reclined against the severe grand tree, without peeping if his sister is ready though he can ideally hear her counting. 

The former priest hummed inwardly to himself though he wasn't actually talented in the singing unlike his wife who was actually a singing freak with an extraordinary vocal strings. However, he relished the moments when he was alone or he was nigh some people, just dronning to himself as he grasped the water can.

"4...5...6..." The eldest child proceed with counting as she span like a whirl on one place, giggling to herself as her hands covered her eyes yet, without daring to open them. 

Timothy candidly adored to hear children's voices jingling his ears. He never felt that content and lucky not only for finding his ideal soulmate especially in a mental institution where they first cooperated and became very close friends after every Friday dinner as he least expected to switch his roles from the aspiring, ego-centrical, proud priest to a mere man with family values, moreover getting the love of his life out of the mental facility, dwelling somewhere where they are being encompassed with serenity and desolation, forming their own family and future generation that will inherit their traits. Much far away from the mortifying and sinister horrors in Briarcliff as the facility gradually demolishes, experiencing an eerie downfall since Jude was stripped off her clerical name and she ran away with Timothy from the place where their soul didn't belong anymore. At last but not least, he never thought of having children when he was still wore the clerical attire until he realized what he had done to his rare bird, his right hand, as a result of his stark impulsivity of blindly believing in the wrong people, instead of consulting and giving Jude's first and last word for her explaination about Frank's speculated murder and Leigh Emerson as she was completely innocent in the case though her foes didn't allow her foreword. 

Flashback

December 1964

"Timothy, why you are such a fool?" He seated in old Jude's office as he was all alone with his thoughts, gripping his face in two hands as his face met the hard wood cold desk, burying his shamefaced in the solid material. His judgmental whispered echoes in his head, full of mingled thoughts and assaulting accurately his cracked heart, full of remorses and guilt. 

It was just days after Jude was committed as an inmate to the mental institution for mentally ill criminals. Initially, he believed what Arden, Mary Eunice even Jude's worst rival Leigh Emerson accused her, blindly perciving their words as the truth and without listening to her point of view. Then after a couple of days later, he realised how stupid it was to blindly believe in somebody's words especially which he scarcely would believe about the nun he worshiped mostly. 

The fireplace's fire was dancing as it burned slowly the thick woods, warming its spacious office where once belonged to the woman, who caught his eye and attention since the beginning. Melanholic church songs played on the gramophone in the background. 

He grunted vigorously as he sniffled inwardly, in spite of he almost never cried in his life and attempted to abide strong though he felt powerless without Jude as he instantly lost its power and his mind after she was institutionalized in Briarcliff. The early winter's snowflakes gushed down, blanketing everything with its snow caps. It was already ten o'clock in the morning. 

"You stupid foul! What have you done to your rara avis?" He muttered outraged as he scarcely believed he could do such heinous things to the woman, in whom he had an aroused interest for a couple of years. He couldn't get out of the plaguing guilt barrier that absorbed him. Jude thought he was the harmless man who would never do such unbelievable things that could harm her and him. She was actually unsullied lady with her own sinful past. 

"Damn it! Why didn't you listen to her words and stay with her to comfort her for a while for goddamn sake?" He kept on with his self-criticism, unable to escape the beasts of remorses that haunted him in the pitch-black night. 

It took him a few more minutes to calm down as he determined himself something that would be better for him, lifting weight off his shoulders from guilt, shame, ego-centrism and impetuosity. He wanted to pay a visit to Jude's cell, speak to her without anyone disturbing them and listen to her story. 

"You should talk to her! It will purify your mind and lift ounce off your shoulders!" The echo trembled inwardly to him again, clarifying him what's the wisest decision.

***

Once he headed directly to the women's wing as he told one of the guards that he should speak to one of the inmates in person, they let him since he was the boss of the institution with Mary Eunice, the nun who turned from the irreprochable, lovely and naive young woman into the tempting, abhorrent and hating lady whose spirit was smitten by the evil...by the devil himself; or if they didn't give him an access to the women's wing, otherwise the consequences for the guards would be merciless and cold-blooded. 

As soon as one of the guards escorted the young priest as he had the key to the cell, unlocking it specially for him, then the guard stood in the long, cold hallway, without pertubing the monsignor. Once he entered in the dark, stenching and ratty cell, Jude stirred as she yawned drowsily, rubbing with her filthy fists her half-awake eyes as the ajar cell door was left open, slightly illuminating the compact room. She sat on the bed as she rose her torso, beholding a tall, slender figure in clerical clothed garments as he walked up to the terrified, mightless patient who once used to be a confident, almighty nun, running with an iron fist Briarcliff.

"Jude!?" Timothy took out a simple flashlight from his slacks' pocket as the flashing light darted directly to the dull, gray cell wall. He addressed her name in velvety voice.

"T-Timothy? What brings you here in the middle of night?" She inquired anxiously as he seated on the edge of the bed, sensing his warm breath tickling her unwashed face and filty, untamed wavy golden hair for days as it lost glossiness after passaging through one of the worst stages in her life- committing as a mentally sick patient to a madhouse. 

"I wanted to talk to you in person." He responded as he knew right away she would react insanely after he shows concern and compassion days after he didn't believe her and throwing her away like a rabid animal in a facility where they collaborated and shared a mutual golden marvel together.

Her mouth was agape as she tremendously missed so much his soft and comforting touches and hugs that were illegal against the church's norms. Her hazel eyes filled with anxiety darted to Timothy as she breathed effortly.

"To talk to me?" 

"Yes!"

She sniffled as she couldn't handle the icy tears that were about to well in her eyes, gushing down her gorgeous, pale face. These days she was beyond distressed after losing everything she got. Her heart was broken once the love of her life unquestioningly believed in her rivals. Her heartache stiffed even more when he wanted to speak to her after the cruel betrayal. She sobbed as tears commenced to well in her eyes, pouring down her cheeks. 

"How dare you to be blinded by them?" Under the word them he comprehended for who she was exactly talking about. 

"They didn't even..." Timothy was in the middle of his sentence when she cut him off brashly, incapable of enduring the heartache.

"You didn't listen to me. You believed in them like a little boy." In the interim, he moved up his hand to her face, wiping her tears as his other one placed on her shoulder. His palm warmed her chilling shoulder as her body was dressed in a rag patient's stone blue dress. She sensed the comfort, warmness and love she truly missed for days even week. 

Timothy's heart cracked even more watching his rare bird in such vulnerable, heart-rending condition. He wanted to cry too as frosty tears commenced building in his chocolate eyes that she adored to contemplate all the time. He sighed desperately as he hasn't plenty of opportunities.

"I am deeply sorry for this. Tell me everything!" 

She inhaled wearily, moments before beginning with her monologue.

"Well, I was in the bakery with Dr.Arden as we had a short discussion about bringing Mary Eunice in my office as he locks the door and then instead of entering Mary Eunice in my office, I got locked with the psychopath Leigh Emerson, dressed as Santa Claus. Not only he violated and canned me with one of my canes, moreover he tried to rape me on my own bed. Luckily, during the canning, I picked up the letter opener and when he removed my wimple on my bed, I stabbed him with his neck in self-defense." The vulnerable inmate continued sobbing as Timothy wiped her tears, approaching her as he threw his arms around her, pulling her in a tight and warm embrace that would comfort her. He couldn't feel more profoundly heartbroken than listening the woman he betrayed what damage withstood, when he was absent. "Then I lost consciousness after smelling the blood scent and suddenly I woke up on a bed in freezing room, wearing nothing but my patient's tattered dress, confined to bed as I couldn't move a single muscle of my arms and legs."  She muttered steadily as her face was buried in Timothy's ribs, sensing the warmness that overtook her body as it was the sole warm source that could shield her freezing body. She grasped their embrace as her arms were dangled around his upper back, pulling him in an embrace, absorbing the heating sensation that ensured her with comfort and warm. It sent shivers down her body of sweetness and pleasure. 

"I am sincerely sorry for what I hear, my Jude! It just breaks my heart what Leigh has done to you." He apologised. 

Jude didn't want to break the hug off as she prefered this moment to last for eternity, sensing his strong arms dangled around her shoulders and reassuring her. She didn't peel a word after his apology as her last tears dryed. 

"Are you okay?"  He enquired concerned. 

"I think so." She affirmed as a small, coy smile distort across her lips. 

"Good!" He exclaimed as they broke off the hug as his arms were around her yet, his hands rubbing her back, comforting her as he didn't want to leave her all alone to sleep somewhere where the coldness embraced her like an uninvited guest. "I promise to speak to you in person in the bakery all alone on the next morning. Okay?" 

"Alright."

"Okay!" He pecked a kiss on her lukewarm temple as she closed her eyes, sensing his soft lips contacting her facial skin. "I hope you sleep tight and see you on the imminent morning after breakfast in the bakery." He rubbed her back once again, just seconds before getting from the bed as she flattered after his sympathy and care he demonstrated, besides his memorable and loving touches. 

She just nod her head as he wished her a good night and vice versa, leaving reluctantly the cell as he stepped out of the barely furnished room, closing the iron door as Jude's head relaxingly flopped on the cotton pillow, sensing the warm, loving and amorous touches that overtook her body, leaving wonderful tracks of memories that left her wide-awake in the middle of remorseless night. The smile it tugged on her face, stilled as it heated her face and body. 

The next morning...

The imminent morning approached far from sluggishly.

After the inmates and Jude had a sickening breakfast with a glass of blood, Jude went in the bakery as her hands kneaded a bread dough as she seated on one of the chairs, wearing an apron that shielded her gown and amber cardigan from messing up her clothes as she had much limited choice of wearing anything as a patient. Her grimaced face beamed poker-face as her heart pounded firmly in her chest as she craved Timothy to arrive as soon as possible. To speak to her in person as he promised. Howsoever, the minutes after the breakfast, declined the chance of meeting him.

All of a sudden, she stopped kneading its bread dough as her hands were on it yet, gaping blankly at the doorframe as she heard clicking foosteps of the young priest as he entered in the kitchen, announcing the inmates that wandered around the bakery and everywhere to leave as he wanted to speak in person with Jude.

Couple of seconds later, Timothy stepped in the bakery as he was all alone with Jude as he sat against her, his hand reaching for her as he took it in his larger one, their eyes met as they locked up in one another's stares. 

"Jude, remember when I promised you to come here the last night?" 

"I do!"  She answered timidly as her plump, dry lips trembled. 

"Well..." He inhaled, shortly before starting with his sore monologue that would momentarily break Jude's heart. "Why didn't I listen to you? Why I was so stubborn? She's destroyed you. And now she's destroyed me. My virtue is gone,Jude. She took it from me, violated me. I tried to resist, but I don't know where else to turn. I'm struggling with whether I should renounce my vows. I need your counsel. Should I confess and walk away from my beloved Church and my dream? What should I do?" He stated as he swallowed a heavy lump in his throat after finishing his last sentence. 

Jude casted a panicked look at him as she was unaware how wounded spiritually he was. She wanted to help him but her heart crannied even more after listening attentivelly what he has just told her. She wanted to know more behind his lost virtue who he gave it unintentionally to the devil or rather, he was violated. 

"W-what? What the devil had done to you? You lost your virtue to it?"

"Unfortunately, yes. She stole it from me as she raped me these days. I tried to exorcise her as I heard speculations she was possessed by the devil that lived in her body. I saw with my eyes that the Satan played its own cards right and overtook a harmless person's body."

"I am so sorry for hearing this. I don't know what should I do." Jude confessed painfully.

"But I know what to do. I want to escape from this madness." He cautioned briskly as he narrowed his eyebrows. He was beyond ashamed and livid for being incapable of protecting Briarcliff from the possessed young nun.  

Jude's heart sank as her mind flooded with mortifying thoughts that she is going to root for the rest of her days in a madhouse, where she truly didn't belong at all. 

"With a prominent woman who gave her life and helped me very much. I truly appreciate and cherish it." 

Jude's abrupt smile loomed on her face as she flattered after hearing his words, despite she didn't trust him as much as during her nunnery. Her heart raced as it molted after hearing such heart-warming words as she was in seventh heaven. She paid utterly attention to his utterance. 

"It's you, Jude." He stated gloriously. "I don't want to be part of the church anymore. It deprives my ability to be a happy and loving man. To be a family man, to be a future father. Briefly, I cannot be fully content man who found peace in his life." He proceed as his thumb kneaded her smooth knuckles.

Jude had opulent choice of questions that swam in her mind. Her heart flared as a flame of hope stimulated her mind and heart. It kept dancing in her chest, keeping it alive. Immense curiosity prevailed her as she wanted to discover his motive to leave the church, factly to abandon his Rome miracle. 

"W-why do you want to flee the church, besides you want to be with me as a family?" 

"Because I came in another land to become not only an Anglo-American revered priest, but to relish and worship the beautiful land, the nature and nurtured greenery that God created there. Do you know what, Jude?" He paused as she pursed her lips, without peeling a word. "There will be no Cardinal even a Pope from the both countries. There will be no Rome with a new Pope by his side a Mother Superior. I realised as a regular man with a woman by his side...I can be still pious and believe in God. This Rome dream won't satisfy me to bones as much as to share a mansion with the woman that helped me a lot and I owe her so much, living in a harmony."

She smiled encouragingly as a fresh hope just throb her heart. She peculiarly hoped he gets her out of Briarcliff as soon as possible.

"I promise to get you out of her on the next morning. I am going to pack your things and in 11 o'clock we will meet in the common room, okay?"

"Okay." She confirmed. 

***

"Daddy, Daddy?" Ellie and Tristan encircled their father's motionless body as he fell asleep on the ground, conceiving the painful past five years when he was still a priest. The empty water can was in his hand as it loosened its grasp. The twins cried as they noted him catnapping. 

The early evening approached as Jude finished with baking the cake whilst Agnes was accompanying her mother, playing with her rag doll as she was on the chair that her mother helped her to mount and seat and being fed with baby food as she had already weaned off. 

Ellie tried to poke her father's shoulder as she crouched down to him whilst Tristan ran to the front door, looking for Jude as she was in the kitchen, placing the tray with home-made biscuit cake on the countertop as her hands were gloved in oven mitts, protecting her arms from the hot tray. The slammed door sound rang in her ears as she heard Tristan sped up, hearing his panting and shouting:

"Mommy, Mommy! Daddy's on the grass." 

"Is he alright?" She asked concerned.

"I don't know. Let's go check him!" 

Thereafter Jude and Tristan sprinted as they rushed to check Timothy who stiffed as it startled Ellie. Jude didn't make the effort of taking off her apron and oven mitts as she cared much more for Timothy and his condition in this moment. 

"It's Daddy! Don't worry, sweetheart." Timothy murmured as he grunted as he still laid on the grass.

"Daddy, are you alright?" Ellie inquired concerned for her father as she planted a kiss on his forehead, meanwhile Jude and Tristan stepped in front of Timothy's body.

"What's going on here?" Jude glimpsed around her surroundings as she looked down at her husband. "Timothy? Darling, are you alright? The children told me you were found in the grass..." 

"It's fine, sweetie." He shifted his chocolate eyes from Ellie's hazel eyes to Jude's hazel ones as she crouched down to check him, cupping his face in her hands. "I just fell asleep accidentally." He lifted up his hand, reaching for her shoulder, pulling her down as she flinched, her body pinning his toned one, her chest pressed against his. 

"I see." She inhaled leisurely. "Did you dream anything?"

"Hmm, yeah. I dreamed and recalled the events five years ago how I blamed myself for locking you up in the asylum and I blindly believed in your foes, thereafter paying a visit to your cell, comforting you and listening to your story and I promised to see each other in the bakery tomorrow morning, as a result of telling you my final decision, leaving the church and fleeing together from Briarcliff."

***

"Biscuit cake time!" Jude yelled as she cut a piece of cake in each dish for herself, Timothy and the children as they all seated on the dining table, waiting impatiently to savour from the scrumptious home-made cake. 

The twins licked greedily their lips as they were unable to wait anymore to taste a bit from the cake as they were keen fans of sweets just like their younger sister. Despite Timothy hasn't eaten sweet things and he refrained from eating sweets as they weren't his cup of tea, he didn't want to offend his wife anyway. 

After Jude cut pieces of cake in every plate, she served them on the table, equiping them with forks, consequently she sat alongside Timothy as they ate in silence the first few minutes as the twins thrummed inwardly as they adored the biscuit cake.

"How's the cake, sweethearts?" Jude asked everybody on the table.

"Mmm..." Ellie was incapable of uttering a word as the cake's munched piece melted in her esophagus.

"It's so perfect, Mommy!" Tristan said amiably after munching.

"Glad to hear it, cupcakes!" Then she shifted her eyes to Agnes Jude, the birthday girl in the family, scrutinizing her face as she realized the youngest family member even likes the cake.

"How about you too, Timothy?" 

"It's scrumptious as always, you know." A smug grin loomed on Jude's face as she heard his response. "You are not only the most beautiful woman that I have ever seen and met, but also you are the most fantastic cook." 

She couldn't help but smile once he said these loving and gratifying words as they continued to eat from the biscuit cake.

To be continued...