herophine - Trouvaille

Chapter 8

Los Ángeles, 2026

- Was that your daughter? - Josephine finally dares to ask Inanna, after a long and awkward silence.

Once they got out from the first table read, they agreed to go to a cafe to talk. They had much to talk. With difficulty Josephine told her about how sorry she was for not have called back and that she had been diagnosed depression some years ago. But she omitted the part of the story about having a baby.

- She is. Her name is Nova. - Inanna answers proudly.

- How... how old is she? - Josephine thinks she knows her age, but she needs to confirm it.

- Six years old. - The other girl answers. Again that awkward silence. - I'm sorry that you were sick, Josephine and I'm glad that you are better now. - Inanna's voice is still not loud, but her next words are hard on Jo. - However, I cannot get my head around how you gave up your own daughter and left Hero take a step forward by himself.

Jo who had been looking down most of the time, suddenly stares up at her like if she has received a smack on her face. Absolute panic is reflected on her eyes. For the first time in all those years, she is in front of someone who also knows about the existance of the baby. Probably someone who knows more than Jo about her own daughter. No words come out of Josephine's mouth.

- I know how Hero is and since I laid eyes on both of you during After, I know he would have thrown himself in front of a train for you. So I get why he took responsibility and did what he did. - She continues. - But I don't get you, Josephine. - Now her voice sounds disappointed.

- Anything that I tell you will sound as an excuse Inanna, and it maybe is... It's been little time since I understand what happened to me, about my sickness. - Her voice starts wrecking. - Do... do you know how are they? Where are they?

Inanna softens for the first time since she saw Jo and feels sorry for her.

- Jo. - She calls her by her nickname, the one she used back during their friendship. - I swear I don't know where they are. Hero never wanted to tell me. I talk with him once a month or so, but we haven't lately. - To Josephine's disbelief, she continues. - He contacted me in a moment of weakness and then we kept talking, but he never gave me details or his address. - She pauses before saying - They are fine, Jo. Sofía and him are happy.

Josephine feels a sudden punch to the stomach. Almost six years is a lot of time. A whole life.

- Sofía? Did he... he got a girlfriend? - She feels an idiot and childish for asking this.

- My gosh, Josephine... Not even that. - Inanna realizes now the complex situation. - Sofía, Sofía Fiennes-Tiffin is your daughter.

The young aussie lets out a grumble. Of course, she is. Josephine didn't know her name and now she wants to die because fuck, she didn't know her daughter's name.

- Inanna, please. If you know something, where are they... If you are hiding it from me, because you think... - Her heart is racing so fast. - I just want to know they are okay.

It's not entirely true. The truth is that she still doesn't know what she wants or what to do. Maybe she should call her pshycologist at that very moment and ask her to help her know what she should be feeling.

It is too much information, but in turn, it is not enough information.