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Frank is not as dumb as people treat him to be.
But when compared to his sister and Mary, there was no way he was ever going to compete with their combined genius intellect.
He watched as the pressure of academia had deteriorated his sister. Watched as she succumbed to the burnout, fatigued beyond exhaustion. Watched as it sucked the life out of her until she was an empty, lifeless husk running on fumes.
She felt like there was the only way out. She didn’t know what it felt like to feel alive anymore. She asked him once. “Is there anybody else out alive there? Or does everyone feel like this?”
He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know how to tell her that she wasn’t alone but that he didn’t understand.
And when she took her life, he knew that he could never let Mary every feel the way her mother did.
Frank is not as dumb as he lets people believe.
All he’s ever wanted for Mary was for her to be happy, whatever that meant. And so he gives her the most normal childhood he was able to.
He knows that Mary can do more. That her mind is a sponge taking in the world and constantly evolving and expanding beyond what Frank can even fathom.
And he knows that he will never be able to give her enough.
But he tries. He tries with everything he can and it’s not enough but it’s enough for her and that’s all that matters.
Her and Frank and Roberta and Fred the Cat. Them in their little home with their endless stacks of puzzles and puzzle books.
Frank is not as dumb as he thinks he is.
He loves Mary like his own and he gives her the world because Mary is his world.
He is able to keep up with her ever changing thoughts and spedfast mind. He comprehends the complexity of things beyond her and reaches out too to the unknown, longing to understand it.
He’s got a sharp mind and quick tongue and eyes that observe the world with caution and curiosity.
Frank is not dumb.
Mary loves Frank and loves everything he does and everything he is. Mary knows Frank and she knows that he is the kindest, most caring man that has ever graced her life.
He knows everything about Mary, even things she doesn’t know about herself, and knows exactly what to do when she needs him, even when she doesn’t know that’s what she wants.
Frank is the expert in Mary and that makes him the smartest man on the planet to her.