herophine - Trouvaille

Chapter 40

Crosby, Liverpool - England, 2027

Even though the tension with Lena, they have really enjoyed their five days-stay in Brixton. They have been able to properly welcome 2027 and to relax for some days.

However, Sofía has to go back to school very soon and their busy-messy lives need to continue. So, after loading up the car with their suitcases, saying goodbye and promising to visit soon, the three family members got in the car road to Crosby. 

Just as Hero had predicted a few days ago, there are already reporters in Crosby. He hasn't seen them personally yet, but Felix has made sure to let him know. According to his text messages, he was doing his shift when they decided to camp in front of the Premier Inn, hotel in which Josephine used to stay, trying to seek for a good scoop for their media. 

He locks the screen and puts his phone back into the pocket of his sweatpants. Sofía is watching television in the living room and Jo is... he hasn't seen her for some minutes now. He walks upstairs to find her and when he enters into their daughter's bedroom, there she is. 

Jo is sitting on the floor surrounded by Sofía's clothes lying all over.

- Are we moving? - He asks with a small smirk of his face. 

She looks at him with a bit of frustration on her face and then goes back to pay attention to the pile of shirts, jeans and shoes. 

- I don't know Sofía's shoe size. 

There is surely a logic behind her affirmation, but Hero isn't capable of comprehending it when there are photographers camping at the hotel and probably not far from camping at their front door. 

He sits on the small bed in silence, observing how Jo keeps getting clothes and then writes down something on a notebook she has. 

- There are reporters at the hotel. - He informs her, not needing to detail in which one they are at.

Josephine abandons the task she was on and her frustrated face from before turns sad. She knew it in the same way Hero knew this moment would arrive, although she had hope that after the New Eve's holidays this issue had dissolved.

She clenches her teeth and goes back to the investigation of the clothes' labels.

- Why are there jeans from size five, six and seven? - Her eyebrows frowning and a clear confusion on her face.

It worries him Jo's change of topic. But in honour of their recent start life as a couple, he decides to play along.

- Mercy buys most of her clothes. Each brand sizes differently, plus she says that even though Sofía just turned six, she is very tall for some of the jeans they sell for her age. - He shrugs.

Jo throws to a pile the trousers she has on her hand before speaking.

- This morning I wanted to help Sofía get dressed and I didn't know which of these ones was the right one. - She sighs. - Then I started looking all her clothes' labels and my mind just exploded.

Hero thinks in silence that deep inside all this, it's about Josephine not knowing her own daughter as she should. And it is true, Jo feels that way. She barely has started to know the names of Sofía's friends, and only this morning she discovered that her favourite animal is the goat.

She didn't know it before because a month cannot be compared to six years. And it hurts. Not that Josephine is trying to compete against Hero. She has clear who is and will be the main reference in Sofía's life. However, and even the big progress she has made with the little girl, she still needs to find her space to keep building a relationship with her daughter and it's resulting a bit difficult to her. 

Since she arrived to Crosby, she has felt this way. Jo hasn't told him yet, but she is not completely sure of wanting to live in Crosby. Here is where him and Sof have created their life and home, and even though here is where they have met again, Jo feels like she will always be an outsider.

Moreover, Sofía has not called Jo "mom" or "mommy" again since the night of New Year.

She has no one with whom to vent her frustration. It mustn't be with Sofía, nor with Hero. And now, there are reporters in town. And she doesn't want to live in this town. Nevertheless, it isn't the time to talk about this. 

She starts picking up all the clothes without saying anything and Hero, who has been staring at her all the time, sits on the floor next to her and puts his hand over hers rubbing it gently.

- Little by little. - He kisses her forehead, resting it against hers afterwards.

Jo has a lump in her throat and tears in her eyes, which she didn't know she had. It seemed so easy during Christmas Eve when they were opening the gifts or during New Year's Eve when they were dancing at midnight. Hero's touch soothes her and she anchors herself to him.

- What are we going to do with those reporters? - She asks once she is calmer.

Lena tells them that they are probably from a news agency, so once they get the pictures and information they want, they will start distributing it to the communication media. And that's when Lena will share the true story to the media, just like she talked with Josephine at their meeting in London.

That night after Sofía goes to bed, they decide an action plan. They both get to the agreement that it's best not having an action plan, but to continue with their normal life. At least with Sofía and Hero's normal life in which Jo tries to fit with all her strenght.

Next day they explain to Sofía, as far as possible, the situation they are facing. Her parents show her pictures of them during After's behind the scenes, interviews, photoshoots and Internet pages where they talk about them. And Jo suffers when her daughter looks at her again as a complete stranger.

She curses the reporters and she curses herself.

___________________________

Hii,

i noer i noer (insert Jo's aussie accent), and i'm sorry! 

i have been on holidays and so off from writing... but, i just started penultimate year of college today and i will try to keep up with the updates again!

⚠️however, i have to tell you that this story is coming to an end... i have some more ideas that i want to develop in seven-ten more chapters as maximum. there will probably be more time lapses (not big ones, only lapses of days) and they will be similar to one-shots, although they will remain having the same plot/drama.⚠️

before i close this author note... HAVE YOU SEEN AWF ALREADY?!?!? i will be going to the cinema on monday, even they release it tomorrow in my country. i'm too impatient to not watch the spoilers though, my bad...😅

hope you enjoy my chapter, and of course the movie!

thank you for reading.

Xx.