herophine - Trouvaille

Chapter 5

Crosby, Liverpool - England, 2026

The only solution that Hero found was to forget about Josephine. Despite the fact that he would be raising her child, he deleted every picture with her and forbid himself to google her. Alcoholics know that it is not good to have alcohol at home if you want to stay firm. So Hero did the same and forced his family to respect it.

- Daddy, come on. I'm gonna be late. - Sofía whines from the door.

Sofía is one of those kids who love school. She has become a beautiful five year old girl and each day Hero inevitable sees more of Josephine on her. Her long hair is getting much blonder and her big eyes are of an intesive blue. Genetics also gave her Hero's dimples and of course his height. She is even taller than most five year old kids.

After Sofía was born, he flew back with her to his hometown in England. He spent the first year of her daughter's life at his mom's house. Well, it still was his too because he never become independent. Since he started working as a model and actor, he had been having good financial savings, but he always liked to spend the few days he got free without any work with his mother at his old house.

Martha was a huge help with the newborn baby but, as Sofía grew up, Hero started feeling the urge to find his own home. After all, one doesn't give up a lifetime in order to not dedicate oneself fully to the cause of renunciation.

Living with his daughter in his hometown while trying to hide her existance was getting more difficult. Hero had to make a huge effort at the beggining because he gave up some friendships. However, Sofía has become his number one priority and if that means protecting her, he will do it any cost.

- Okay, let's go baby girl. - He zips up Sofía's coat, puts her small school bag on his shoulder and grabs her tiny hand.

Hero and her daughter moved to Crosby when she was almost two years old. Crosby is a coastal town near Liverpool. When his sister Mercy told him about a job she found there for him, he didn't doubt on starting looking a new home for Sofía and him.

They start their days walking together to school. The journey from their house to Forefield Infant & Nursery School is around fifteen minutes. Sofía attended for the first time as soon as they moved there and now it's her favourite place to go.

She is a really smart, curious and active girl with Hero's same sense of humor. But she is also stubborn, organized and never wants to get late to school, some traits that surprisingly came from Josephine even though she has never been there.

The school is not very big because there aren't many students. The educative attention that children receive here is very individual and all the tutors make sure to spend some minutes per day talking with each of their students.

- Good morning, Sofía. - Miss Mary greets her once they reach the main entrance.

- Good morning, Miss Mary. - She says happily. - Today my auntie is picking me up.

Mercy is Hero's younger sister. She is 20 now and some years ago she decided to start studying Fashion Design & Communication at Liverpool John Moores University.

She had been only two months there when she found Hero a job as a soccer coach for young boy players at Crosby. She lives on campus and when Hero needs it, she babysits Sofía.

- Oh, great! - Miss Mary smiles to her. - Come on, go put your backpack on your hanger.

Sofía turns to her dad who is already kneeling down with his arms wide open for a warm hug from her baby girl.

- Bye daddy. I love you. - She says before smacking a kiss on his cheek.

- See you tonight, baby girl. - Hero kisses her head and then watches the blonde girl run through the hall into her class.

Miss Mary stands there watching the lovely scene with a dumb smile on her face. When the little one dissappears, the silence becomes a bit awkward. Hero has noticed since last year that Sofía's tutor spends some more minutes to talk to him than to other parents. She says that Sofía is a "very gifted girl", but Hero thinks that she might have a crush on him.

Miss Mary might be around Hero's age, maybe one year less. She is the youngest teacher at school and this is her second year working since she graduated college. She has large dark hair, brown eyes and even though her shyness she loves her students and her job.

- Sofía's aunt will be picking her after school. I won't be able to do it today. - Hero is the one who breaks the silence. 

- Okay. - The teacher answers with a timid smile on her face. 

- Okay. - Hero scratches nervously the back of his head before turning around ready to leave.

- Hero, wait! - After a year and a half, formalities have already dissappeared and she went from Mr. Fiennes-Tiffin to just Hero, something that he hasn't debated either. 

- Yes?

- Are you avaible for another parent meeting about Sofía next week? - She asks softly and Hero notices her cheeks turn into a pink-red tone.

He hasn't been with anyone since Jo in Bulgaria and that was almost six years ago, so maybe he needs to go out for some fresh air with someone that is not her five year old daughter.

- Maybe we could go for a coffee next week. - He shrughs and sees the excitement rising in Mary, who nods happily.

Hero walks back home while the only thing that comes to his mind at the moment is the expression "back in the saddle again". He doesn't know how will this turn out, he is sure that going out with Sofía's tutor is not the right thing to do but it's been a long time since he had a friend and not gonna lie, she is attractive.