"But Mommy, I don't want to go sleep." Agnes's plea was ignored as Jude held her tightly in her secure, loving arms until she stood before the bed, putting her in the right corner of the bed, covering up her shoulders with silky blanket as she slept alongside to her twin siblings. "I want to watch more Elsa Mars's show." She furthered as she pouted, bit her lips uneasily. 

"I know, sweetheart." Jude fondled her head gently, leant as she pecked kiss on her forehead as seated on the rim of the bed, her warm hazel eyes fixed on the disappointed little girl as the twins were deeply asleep. Her fingers pushing delicately the scalp of her mane as beneath her fingertips the sensation was indisputably loving, addictive. "But you should sleep because it's unhealthy to go bed late or be insomniac, you know." She explained rationally. "Likewise you don't want to wake up your brother and sister, right?" She maneuvered her to peep at the other direction alongside her, affirming her words.

"Yeah, Mommy. I am so sowwy!" Agnes Jude apologised as she didn't want to wake up Ellie and Tristan, being already awared what's the imminent step to not ignite the wildfire. A coy smile formed across her lips. 

"It's okay, Agnes! You can watch your idol tomorrow again, okay?" Jude soothed her daughter as the young girl found comfort in her mother's words at last. In the interim, the youngest child nod her head as Jude caressed her head. "Good girl!" She bended as she pecked kisses on the temple and cheeks once again, afterwards rosing her torso. "Now sleep tight and good night, Agnes! I love you so much, sweetheart!" She moved out from the grand bed as she turned to the door.

"Good night, Mommy! I love you too vewy much!" 

Then Jude turned the lights off as the bedroom where was located the sole bed in the entire cottage was actually their last hope, besides the couch in the living room though it might be uncomfortable for some reasons. 

After the youngest sibling was left with Ellie and Tristan, her eyes eyed blankly the pitch-black room as she was apprehensive and having phobia of being left without either her mother or father in the darkness. She was feeling unsafe in a room where she was being encompassed by slightly older twins, nevertheless, too young to protect Agnes. Moreover, they were profoundly asleep, drowning in their own world. Full of infant dreams and miracles. 

Once Jude left the bedroom, she headed to the living room to turn off the TV as Elsa Mars's show verged to its epilogue as Timothy was in the kitchen, pouring some champage in two empty glasses, humming inwardly to himself. Just for him and Jude. Sharing a prominent, romantic night together. As an ardent, monumental couple. 

As soon as she grabbed the remote control as she aimed it at the television, she pressed the button for turning it off, leaving it on the coffee table as she walked out from the living room, stepping up in the kitchen as she attempted to surprise Timothy by sneaking subtly behind him without his knowledge. When he finished with pouring champage in each glass, he left the bottle of champage on the counterplot as he felt two feminine, frail arms thrown around his shoulders as she creeped down, studying his facial expression as he didn't startle at all.

"Oh, I have been expecting you, my love." Timothy said in velvety voice as he turned to Jude, facing her as their eyes met, locked up in one another's gazes. A smirk curled up in the corner of his lips. "Is already Agnes in bed?" He furthered as he inquired concerned.

"Oh yes, she's." She muffled a chuckle as a grin loomed on her face. "I put her to sleep despite her protests to still watch her idol Elsa." Meanwhile Timothy handed her a glass of champage as they raised a toast, celebrating their prominent night along, thereafter their glasses of liquor clincked swiftly as they sipped the lukewarm beverage that cooled down their heating bodies as it gushed down. 

"She's obsessed over this German artist just like Ellie and Tristan." In the interim they walked out of the kitchen as they headed to the living room, seating on the couch, reclining on the sofa's arms, admiring one another's beauty and charm as they left their champage glasses on the coffee table. "It's normal to start to develop their interests and preference. I mean..." Jude cut him off a bit coarsely though she apologised.

"Excuse me if I interrupt you, but I understand what do you mean, Timothy! However, I was never into this woman, honestly." The former nun responded in disgust as Elsa indisputably, eerily reminded her of her sinful, somber past. Her face grimaced when her speech about Elsa escaped her plump, dry lips. Timothy wasn't amused that his wife disliked the German-American Hollywood star. "Furthermore, I noted by the way you oddly looked at her when we watched her earlier tonight." 

"I know but this woman cryptically looks like you." Then Jude's heart fell in her stomach once she heard the resemblance between the former nun and the former freak show owner. Further, she swallowed hard as she listened attentively, gripping the glass of champage from the coffee table, sipping in one gulp as she finished the alcoholic beverage as the liquor burned in her body like lava, licking her lips devouringly. "Is it possible Elsa to be somebody significant of your family, isn't it?" He posed the question as the blonde arched an eyebrow, putting down the emptied, filthy glass on the coffee table.

"You have mistaken with somebody, honey. This woman has nothing to do with my family. I don't have any siblings. I am just the only child in current Martin's generation."

"Oh." Timothy scratched his slight damp eyebrow with his fingertips as he sighed astonished. "Pardon me but..." He stuttered as he opted to sort his mind, pausing and sipping his cool champage, his fingertips touching delicately its glass like a mother who caresses her newborn baby's creamy head. "...I thought you had something in common." He kept on puzzled.

"I used to be a singer just like her but I didn't sing in front of a huge audience, you know?" The former priest nodded. "I don't know about her family but neither I don't have German roots, nor being a native German like her." 

"You don't seem even German or to possess some kind of German roots at all." Timothy verged the conclusion. "You seem to have somewhat Netherland ones, if I am not lying myself."

"Not only fifty percentage Netherland roots, moreover I have French."

"Splendid! Do you know more about your roots?"

"Not exactly but I remember my mother and my grandparents when they were still alive told me the history about our family."

"Go ahead, sweetheart!" He insisted to continue her speech as he paid utterly attention to each word of hers, scarcely daring to cut her off. 

***

Flashback

April 1933

As the fourteen-year-old Judy Martin finished with one of her chores, she rushed up to her exhausted mother in the living room as she fled out the kitchen, beholding Hazel fatigued. Her physical stamina peaked after spending hours in a hotel as a maid, working extra hours for higher salary to afford for her family.

The middle aged woman flinched on the tattered couch, her head resting on the couch's arm leisurely. She gasped sorely as she experienced back pains though Hazel refrained from emitting an impulsive, reluctant sound. She wasn't in condition to do anything that could drain her physical stamina and energy.

In the interim, Judy ambled up to the sofa, murmuring barely audible for Hazel's ears:

"M-mom?"

Then the weary woman turned to the young lady as she realized she wasn't alone in the living room. Her dark brown eyes darted to her sole child, offering her a mild, genuine smile as she was irrefutably gleeful to behold the single reason of her life: Namely her daughter and the heir of the Martins!

"Judy! Sweetheart!" The middle aged mother burst out cheerfully, despite her fatigue tormented her body, infusing with dark holes which must recover if they abide untouched. "How are you?" Meanwhile the teenager seated abreast on the sofa as she lifted down her head to cup her mother's cheek. 

"I am fine. And you seem very exhausted."

"That's right, dear!" She confirmed her reply. "Phew! At last, I can rest until the next morning." Hazel carried on as she wiped her sweaty temple with a forearm. "Is there anything bothering you?"

"Not exactly but I have wondered about our family."

"What about our family, sweetie?" Meanwhile the older lady's hand lifted up as it reached her forearm, holding it in her warm palm. She wanted Judy to be more specific in her explaination. "Be specific."

"I have wondered what are our family roots actually. You know what I mean."  She paused as she inhaled relaxedly, noting her mother's flushed face of fatigue and perspire. "You don't need to answer my question right away."

"What a good question, darling! Well, our roots aren't Native American as it's pretty obvious as you know." Afterwards the both ladies tittered as Judy's stomach hurted from such good laughter. Welling in her precious, amorous, innocent hazel eyes tears of joyous laughter. Shortly after the titter, Hazel went ahead as Jude nodded her head, paying utterly attention to her mother.

"I don't know very much about our roots with exception of having French and Netherland ones as the French ones are via paternal line, whilst the Netherland...you have guessed already which one already!" The blonde nodded her head again, listening attentively. "It's paternal. Exactly!"

Then the middle aged mother proceed with her monologue as her single child gained sufficient piece of information about her family and its roots though she informed her daughter to pose this question to her grandparents who are alive yet, fortunately.

To be continued...