herophine - Trouvaille

Chapter 23. Part I

Crosby, Liverpool - England, 2026

The day after Sofía referred to Josephine for the first time as her mother, Jo awaits sitting in the kitchen as every morning since she arrived. She is willing to wait once more that Hero takes Sofía to school.

However, something changes that morning. 

Sofía comes downstairs already dressed up with her blue school uniform. Her blonde hair is well combed and decorated with a blue bow hair-clip. She runs to the living room and picks up her small backpack, which Hero helps her put on her back. Then, she whispers something to him.

- Sofía thinks that it is better that you walk with us to school. - Hero says, while the little girl looks on purpose to a book she is holding. - If you want to. 

Jo almost trips when she stands up quickly from the chair. In a matter of seconds she is next to them and ready to go, just like puppies are when they are offered to go out for a walk. The last days since she arrived, her journeys have been limited from the hotel to their house and back. 

The walk to school is only fifteen minutes. Sofía holds her daddy's hand and jogs happily, although she ignores Josephine. One thing is testing the swimming pool's water and a very different thing is jumping right into the pool. Same way with Jo. Baby steps.

Hero has mixed feelings towards that walk. He wants to be happy because Sofía opens up little by little to Jo, but he can't avoid feeling afraid about Josephine coming to their lifes and then running away. He is not sure he can handle it again, for a second time.

The walk is silent. Sofía normally spends the whole time talking or singing, though this time she is a bit more shy. 

When they get to school, Hero starts getting nervous and Josephine could swear the rest of the parents won't stop staring at her. Hero's new companion, who has never been seen in the area, attracts their attention and curiosity. Sofía runs to a curly haired girl, her friend Sutton, who is waiting at the entrance with her mother. The girl's mom notices Josephine and smiles to her, although she contains herself from asking who she is. 

Miss Mary appears at the main door and starts greeting her students as every day. Josephine got to know Hero very well, despite the few years they spent together. For that reason, when they get closer to the teacher and Hero puts his arm behind his neck to scratch it, she definitely knows that he is even more nervous. Miss Mary kneels down to welcome Sofía with a warm smile and when she stands again to greet the adults, her smile turns a bit more artificial. Or maybe Jo is just being paranoid and it looks that way to her.

Sofía says goodbye to Hero, hugging each other tightly. With an almost invisible nod, she says goodbye to Jo and runs straight to her classroom after Sutton. Hero also says goodbye to Miss Mary, and leaves the school with Josephine following him. He has not introduced her. He has not even introduced her as Sofía's mother. Or as a strange woman who has been following them through the streets. Hero has behaved as if Jo wasn't there beside him. Maybe Josephine is not being paranoid. 

On their way back to Hero's house, they stop on a coffee shop to buy another coffee and then they continue their walk in completely silence.

- Is there something going on between you and Miss Mary?

Josephine could have been more subtle, but it has never been her style. Hero practically spits the coffee surprised. He knew that Jo had felt something weird, but he did not expect that she would be so direct.

- Gosh, Josephine!

He doesn't know what to say. On one hand, he thinks that she has no right to ask about his sentimental life. On the other side, he understands that the woman they are talking about is Sofía's tutor. So, Josephine might also have the right to have interest on knowing it. Just as Sofía's mother, of course. Not because she is interested on what Hero does or doesn't do. 

- Nothing happened. - He finally says. 

Jo looks at him in disbelief raising an eyebrow. 

- I... We were going to go on a date together. Nothing else. - He admits, before entering the key in the red door of his house.

It's the truth. At the end they never got to do it, because Hero cancelled it. Jo takes a sip of coffee, while trying to figure out how she feels about it. She reviews all existing emotions. Jealousy? A little bit, she is not going to deny it. Curiosity? Much, it has always been curious. Anger? A little bit too.

She decides for this last emotion, because she thinks it's the easier one to manage right now.

- Don't you think that it's a bit irresponsible to date your daughter's teacher? What happens if it goes wrong? 

"Where would I fit in this, if it went well?" she wants to ask. Nevertheless, even a little angry, she is conscious that question is too much. Until ten days ago, Josephine was not even part of the equation.

- What happens if it goes well?  - Hero asks back. Truly, he knows that dating Miss Mary would have been a terrible idea. But he is not willing to admit it in front of Jo. - Now is when you are going to tell me that you've been a nun for six years.

At this, Josephine remains silent. She can't say the opposite. Before starting the treatment with her psychologist, there are some aspects on her love life that she isn't proud of. Jo has never been that kind of girl who kisses random guys at a party, much less sleeping with them. Yet, in those years she needed anything that could help her forget. But the reasons why she used to do it, weren't the correct ones. 

Therefore, she remains silent. She doesn't want to talk about those years with anyone. Much less with Hero.