This will be the hardest blog post I will have written, and almost certain will ever write in my life. Over the last two years I have grown in ways that I couldn't see happening, but I have also felt lower than I ever thought I would feel.
I want to tell you a story, a story about a naive girl who so afraid to step up to the plate and do what she had to to. The ending isn't bad, but it isn't good either. In reality, you could say it isn't the end but the beginning of a real life. No less easy.
Let's call this girl, Nora for privacy. She meets a boy, let's call him Jude. The children in this story, let's call them DD-1, DD-2 and DS-1.
A long, long time ago in a not so very far away place Nora met a boy named Jude. Nora and Jude talked a lot, through all different forms. Email, text, phone, messenger, they were high tech.They spent time together, telling each other stories about their life and where they came from.
Nora's life story was sort of basic. Teenage angst, boyfriends, and sneaking out to go to parties. The typical life of a teenager in a full household. Nothing too crazy, nothing too impressive. Just a girl.
Jude's life was full of fun, exciting, and wonderful experiences. Stories that Nora couldn't get enough of. He loved to share these stories with Nora. Want to hear some of Jude's wonderful stories?
Okay.
When Jude was 15 he and his best friend, (let's call him Jerry) hacked into the NSA computer network. Yes, hacked into the NSA computer network. Two teenage boys. Well Jude went home from Jerry's house. Jerry, (not as smart as Jude) hacked in again that night by himself. Only Jerry messed up a little, and left a trail. The next day while Jerry and Jude were attending High School, like normal teenagers, some FBI Agents showed to "talk" to them. (Details here are a little blurry) Those two teenage boys were offered one of two things, 1. Go to college for free and work for the government. 2. Go to federal prison for treason for life. (I think it is safe to say what we all would have picked) Well, off to college those boys went at the ripe old age of 16. (Since they graduated early, of course) One went to a prestigious University and got a PhD in Information Theory and Mathematics by 23 years old. But little did Jude understand that in trade for going to school for free, he would be a well trained "spy". Yes, Jude in his younger years was the Jason Bourne of reality.As if this story wasn't cool enough to make a girls heart crazy with excitement, there is more. So. Much. More.
Jude was trained in all different styles of combat, trained with Navy Seals, Rangers, you name the Special Forces, he was trained. Jude could shoot, Jude could kill. Jude was awesome. In fact he would tell of a story that happened to one of his friends on a training mission. Where they walked for so many days and nights trying to navigate in the mountains, that this man lost the sole of his foot. Not shoe, but foot. Just flopped right back into his shoe. Gross, right?He told this story over and over, all at the prompting of Nora. She just couldn't get over the craziness of someone's life being this exciting. Well Jude had a daughter from his first marriage. Dear Daughter-1, let's call her DD-1 for short. DD-1 was pretty young when Nora and Jude started getting serious. He was skeptical of letting Nora into DD-1 life, for obvious reasons. He told Nora all about the mother of DD-1.
The mom was a crazy drug addict that he tried to help out so many times. One day he came home from work and she was in the kitchen. First Wife pulled a gun on Jude and tried to shoot him! (Can you believe it?!) Jude broke her arm to get the gun away, grabbed DD-1, and booked it out of there. He filed for an annulment the next day. Lucky to escape with his life and DD-1.Well, Nora just felt so bad for Jude. With all he went through up until she met him. His dad remarried, step mom kicked him out of the house. His mom was a thief and stole everything under the sun. But things soon were to get so much more worse for Jude and Nora.
Jude finally came clean about something that would have been a deal breaker for most people. Not Nora, no she was fully equipped to handle this little piece of information. You see Jude had a Gleoblastoma tumor. Cancer, he had a brain tumor. It was stage four, no surgery would cure him. Nora was devastated by the news. She had a family member with a similar diagnosis and the outcome was not a good one. Nora put on a brave face and vowed to love him for as long as she would be given the chance. Eventually things developed, Norma met DD-1 and Jude moved into Nora's place with her roommates. The mother of DD-1 was no where to be found and due to Jude's diagnosis, DD-1 custody was awarded to Jude's ex-in-laws. And since DD-1 went to a local school, it only made sense for the inlaws to live at Jude's house. The in-laws were extremely wealthy anyway, since their family was the inventors of canned soup. So they could be away from home and their life for an extended period of time.
A short time later Jude and Nora moved into another friends house closer to their work. (Did I mention they worked together? Well they did, so now you know.) One specific event stuck out in her mind. She was spending time with DD-1 while Jude was working. DD-1 said she was always with her mom. Nora brought the subject up with Jude, indicating she didn't think it was safe for DD-1 to be around First Wife, seeing how she was a crazy drug addict. Jude said he agreed and would talk to the inlaws to get a handle on it.
Pretty soon, Jude brought up the subject or marriage. Which warmed Nora's heart. All she wanted in life was to be a wife.
Now we have overlooked a crucial side to this story. Jerry. Remember Jerry? Well Jerry was this amazing body builder, HUGE I tell you! His mom was the CEO of a famous computer company, and his step dad was the retired CEO of a major phone company. Needless to say Jerry was pretty well off. Jerry was also a real life Jason Bourne. (So cool!) Downside is he was kidnapped by Islamic insurgents and held captive, and toured! Well Jude was off to save the day. Jude left for a weekend and said he wouldn't be reachable until he returned to the states. Off he went.
Now when Jude returned from saving the day, he said Jerry was in hiding until they could find out who outed him at the NSA. He was well taken care of in a safe house. But Jerry still communicated with Nora through a chat program.
Now back to the whole idea of marriage. (YAY!) February 14th Nora came home and went to her bedroom. Inside her bedroom was Jude and 12 balloons, each one had a card attached. 11 reasons why Jude loved Nora. (Sweet right?!) Last but not least, the 12th card said, "Will You Marry Me?"
Nora was elated. There were no words. (She didn't cry, didn't seem to be her style) But she said "YES!"
The planning began! Nora waffled back and forth between a big wedding and a small family only wedding. It was a hard one. She just couldn't decide. But one thing was for sure, the wedding wouldn't happen until Jerry was home safe and could be the Best Man. So the planing drug on and on.
Over the next, what seemed forever, few months it felt as if Jerry would be in hiding forever. So a plan was hatched and a wedding date was set. Only not the wedding of Nora's dreams. Vegas, baby, Vegas. The weekend arrived and off went Jude, Nora and a handful of friends. January 22nd, 2005 at the Little Chapel of the Flowers in Las Vegas, Nevada. Fun weekend, full of using change to pay room service after the wedding for dinner. But hey, they were finally married!
Mr. and Mrs. Jude Calvert
Here is where I will end for the day. Part 2 to come soon....that is if ya'll want to read it. Let me know!
Loves to all of you!
