herophine - Trouvaille

Chapter 7

Crosby, Liverpool - England, 2023

When little Sofía Jane turned into a two year old toddler, Hero broke part of the plan that Chartier had made up.

Father and daughter had moved from his hometown to Crosby just a few months ago. Everyone knows that moving out can be exhausting, plus Hero had been working for some weeks since they arrived and trying to balance everything with a toddler in her terrible twos.

The terrible twos is a normal stage in most child's development. At one moment, the child may cling to you desperately and, in the next, run away from you in a screaming rage. Those who are parents can asure that the terrible twos can drive you insane at some point of the day. For this reason, after a long day of setting new furniture, taking Sofía with him to his new job and trying to deal with her rapid mood-behaviour shifts, he reached real desperation.

Hero knew it wasn't right to call her. He knew that nobody except his family should know about Sofía. But he hadn't slept well for some nights now and he really needed an adult conversation with someone who wasn't from his family. He dialed her number, for a second he regretted and almost hang up the phone. Maybe getting in touch with his previous life was similar to a drug that is hard to give up, like those cigarettes hidden in the drawer of the nightstand. Although he tried when Sofía was born, he wasn't able to give up smoking. Now he only does it when he is anxious.

- Yes? Hello? - Hero had changed his phone number. Part of the plan too.

- Hey, Inanna. It's Hero.

- Wait... Hero Fiennes-Tiffin?! - Hearing her again, made him start to regret calling her even more. - Wow, man! It's been so long! Where have you been?

Little by little and after Inanna had promised she wouldn't tell anyone, Hero started telling everything to her.

During the After filming they had become really close friends. The truth is that Inanna had always been more friends of Hero than Josephine's. And right know, knowing about Sofía Fiennes-Tiffin just brought them closer.

Hero didn't know anyone but Inanna, who had a child near his daughter's age. He needed someone to share feelings and experiences about the terrible twos. Inanna was really surprised that her friend or maybe ex-friend Jo, had reacted that way and hadn't want to know anything about her own baby. She loves her daughter Nova and she can't think a life without her.

Los Ángeles, 2026

It is obvious that the little girl is not referring to her, but it made her stomach shravel up.

- Hey, baby girl. - That voice. - Weren't you going home?

- But you forgot this! Daddy and I brought it back for you! - The little girl says all excited.

- Thank you, my love.

In that moment Josephine wishes she could have invisibility superpowers, so she could sneak out like she was planning before. But it's too late.

- Josephine? - She turns around when she hears her name and there she is, Inanna.

- Hi Inanna.

Josephine notices that Inanna hasn't changed much physically. She is as beautiful as always, even more now with 33 years old, and she bets that the little girl has inherited that too. Again, her stomach shravels up.

- How have you been? I haven't heard of you for a long time... Oh, give me a minute. - She answers before giving Jo time to do it.

She grabs her daughter's hand and walks a couple of meters away. Matthew Noszka, Inanna's boyfriend and father of their daughter, is standing there. Josephine tries not to stare at that happilish family, but it's impossible and she feels again the bile coming up through her throat. She forces herself to swallow it when Inanna comes back again next to her.

Jo doesn't know how she should greet her. A hug is out of place for two people, who used to be friends but haven't had contact in six years.

- Listen, Inanna... - She tries to establish a conversation.

- You never called me back. - Her voice is not hard or loud, but Josephine detects a look on her face with a bit of... contempt?

For an instant, she questions herself if Inanna knows what happened. Nevertheless, she dismisses the idea. The plan was that nobody would know about what happened.

- I have to get back inside to the table read. - She says while pointing to the folder in her hand, the one her daughter gave her. - You too, don't you? - Jo nods in response. - Maybe we can grab lunch afterwards. - Inanna says before turning around and walking back to the building. - Are you coming?