Herophine: All Good Things

Chapter 6

Jo's POV:
Another week has come and gone since our last interview for the new movie. The weather has been so nice here in LA and it's been nice to explore the city a bit without it being so overly crowded like it usually is.

Hero and I have found plenty of ways to occupy ourselves over the last few months. There never seems to be a dull moment with him. I don't think I'd mind if we just stayed inside of our little space together forever. It just feels safe.

Later this afternoon, I have another online interview scheduled. This time, it's just for the women on the cast. Hero was happy to know he didn't have to be in the spotlight this afternoon when I got the call about it a few days ago. I know he gets tired of answering similar questions all the time. But he's so good at it.

"You look nice," I hear him say as I walk out of the bathroom, turning off the light.

"Thanks," I smile at him standing in the doorway of our bedroom, his phone in hand.

"What am I going to do with myself while you're in here without me," he teases.

"It's literally for less than an hour. I'm sure you'll live," I laugh, making my way towards the desk. I open my laptop and sit down in the chair.

I have my back turned to where Hero had been standing but I can sense his presence still there. I can feel him silently watching me from a few feet away.

"What?" I ask, turning my head back towards him. He waits to reply for at least ten seconds, his green eyes staring deeply into me.

"I just love you."

My swear my heart skips a beat and I feel my cheeks flush at his words.

"I love you too," I almost whisper. His lips slightly turn up on one side of his mouth, showing the beginnings of a smile. God he is so handsome.

I've heard these words from Hero many times. He says them to me often. And I in return. I don't think I could ever get tired of hearing them and I pray that I never have to.

Our silent communication is interrupted by my phone alerting me that it's time for the interview to start. I turn to face my computer once more and hear the click of the door that Hero must have just closed. In less than a minute my screen is filled with the faces of Khadijha, Inanna and Louise. We all wave through the screen and the interviewer introduces herself as Amy from an online magazine based in Chicago.

Amy doesn't waste any time diving into the endless list of questions she seems to have prepared for us, each of them directed at the group mainly as a whole. The interview is much more laid back than others I've been apart of and it before I know it, the hour is almost up.

"...and as for the rest of your quarantine, what are each of you hoping to focus on? Inanna lets start with you!" Amy asks.

"Well, as you know I recently had a baby girl. I've really enjoyed this time at home to be able to really be here at home with her and I just plan on watching her grow more and more! It would be nice though to have more friends in the mom club, guys," Inanna winks into the screen smiling.

The mom club. Her words hit me like a ton of bricks in the stomach. I could have been just like her. Taking the time over the last few months to really focus on being a mom. My thoughts drag my attention away from talking voices on the other side of the screen and my mind starts to wander with what could have been. Something I haven't allowed myself to do in a long time.

"And Josephine, what about you?" I'm quickly snapped back into reality and think of an answer on the spot.

"Yeah, I just want to take this time to really focus on my health and catch up on hobbies I haven't had time for," I answer. Everyone smiles and nods at my response and within minutes we are all saying goodbyes.

After I exit out of the portal, I stare at the screen for a few seconds. My heart is racing, my hands have become shaky and I can feel my throat starting to tighten. No, Jo. Stop it. You've been strong for this long. I tell myself.

I need to gather myself before I leave the room and see Hero again. I don't want him to pity me or start to feel bad for himself again but I can feel the tears beginning to well in my eyes. Before they can fall, I wipe them with my fingertips, take a deep breath and clear my throat.

As I open the door to the bedroom, I can hear the faint sound of the tv playing in the living room. Hero must be watching sports highlights again, I swear that's all he likes. I step into the hallway and his eyes move from the screen towards me and he begins to smile.

"Hey babe, how was it?"

"It was good. The girls all seemed good and the interviewer was super nice. Whatcha watching?" I say as I sit next to him on the small couch.

"Oh some show on SuperBowl highlights over the years. There's nothing else on." He motions to the screen with remote in hand.

I stare directly ahead at the screen, not really watching whatever is on, biting on my bottom lip; something I have a terrible habit of doing out of nervousness. Hero seems to notice and he shifts his weight towards me and runs his hand over my thigh.

"Hey what's wrong?" His voice is full of worry.

"Nothing. Just tired." I reply and give him a half smile.

"Jo, I know you well enough to tell when somethings wrong. What happened? Did something happen in the interview? Did someone say something?" Hero mutes the tv and turns his body to face me.

"It's dumb, really. I'm just being over sensitive," I laugh, placing my hand over his.

"Don't make me call the girls and ask what happened," he playfully says.

"Inanna was just talking about her baby and I guess I just got to thinking th..." my voice breaks and I can feel the tears surfacing again. I place my head in my hands to try and muffle the crying.

"Baby.. I'm so sorry. Don't cry," Hero almost whispers as he runs his fingers through my hair and pulls me to his chest.

"I'm sorry I don't mean to cry. I don't want to upset you or ruin our day. It just made me sad, that's all," I explain, my head resting on Hero's chest. I can hear his heartbeat through his shirt pumping loudly and his breathing has increased a bit.

"Don't be sorry. That shit is hard. I'm sorry that the topic was even brought up."

We sit in silence for a few minutes, staring at the silent tv screen while Hero holds me in his arms. I've stopped crying now but I know my eyes are red and my face feels puffy. Hero's heartbeat has returned to normal and he continues to run his fingers along the side of my head through my hair which has caused me to become sleepy.

I glance at the clock on the stove a few feet away in the kitchen and it reads 5:48.

"I'm going to take a shower before I start dinner," I say as I begin to sit up on the couch.

"Okay, love. Take your time," Hero moves his body weight to the arm of the couch and reaches for his phone on the side table. Before I reach the doorway to the bathroom I hear him again, "and, Jo... I love you." I turn around and his eyes look slightly sad but he's begun smiling.

"I love you too."

AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Hey, everyone! Sorry I've been MIA with this story for a while! I've been so busy with life in general but honestly, I have had a bit of writer's block too. I didn't want to write something that wasn't good or had purpose for the story so I've held off until I could come up with something. I don't want to bore you guys and I hope you're enjoying part 3 so far! If you guys don't mind, I would love to hear what you would like to read in the upcoming chapters. Give me some ideas or inspiration to kind of work off of and what direction you'd like to see this story go! Thank you so much and hope you're enjoying so far. 🧡