Our Second Chance

Chapter Three

^^ My best friends getting married! 🤗 Photo creds to me!

Hi! I got a new phone recently and I have NONE of my old pictures for the separation things - YAY - so, I'm just winging it!
I know these aren't as long as most peoples' chapters are, but this is how I envision my story going, so here goes!

P.S. I think the song kinda fits for how Josie feels at the end of the chapter!

Enjoy!

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Two Months Later...

"You know how when you turned 16, your parents told you that you're adopted and that your biological parents gave you the choice on if you wanted to meet them or not?" Josie was jolted from her daydreaming at Della's words. "Yeah, why?" Della grinned. "I think you should agree to meet them. I mean, you could have siblings - biological siblings - that you've never met. You know."

Josie let out a little laugh and shook her head. "I don't want to know them. If they wanted to know me, they wouldn't have given me up when I was born." She said, softly. Recently, Josie could physically feel and see Ashton pulling away; he wouldn't even come near Lucy anymore, let alone Josie. She guessed that's why she kept daydreaming - dreaming of the time before Lucy, when Ashton treated her like she was his world.

Della groaned and rolled her eyes. "You're day dreaming again, Josie. Remember how you always feel like you don't belong? If you met your biological parents, you might feel like you belong somewhere.." Josie sighed. "If I agree, will it shut you up?" Della grinned and nodded. "Fine. I'll do it."

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Josie bounced her leg, nervously, while Della sighed. "Calm down, Josie. You're fine. I mean, how neat is it that you're meeting your actual family?" Josie shook her head. "What if they don't like me? What if they tell me that I'm not what they expected?" Josie chewed on her thumb nail, shaking her leg faster.

Della rolled her eyes. "They'll love you. Who wouldn't? And they'll love Little Lucy. Oh, yes, they will." Della said, ending in a baby voice as she shook Lucy's little hand that had fisted around one of her fingers. Josie smiled a little. "Everyone's going to love Lucy. She looks so peaceful and oblivious to how horrible the world is. I don't ever want her to grow up." She said, softly. Della grinned.

"Alright, ladies, we're here." The cab driver said, putting the car in park and unlocking the car for the two ladies plus Lucy to leave the car. Josie gripped Della's hand and the handle of Lucy's car seat until her knuckles turned white. "Della, I can't do this. I'm going to throw up." She said in a shaky voice, coming to a stop.

Della sighed and put her hands on Josie's shoulders. "Yes, you can. If they don't like you, you can cut it short. If they love you, you can stay and have a wonderful time bonding with your biological family." Josie nodded along with Della's pep talk. "You're right, you're right. Let's go before I chicken out again."

Della reached forward and pulled open the door, letting Josie walk in first. "Josie? Della?" A familiar voice called out. "Luke, baby! What are you doing here?" Della asked, walking over and slipping her arms around Luke's waist, turning her face up towards his with a smile on her lips. "I'm here to meet my biological sister. What are you two doing here?" Josie and Della both froze, turning their heads towards each other with wide eyes. "I'm meeting my biological family." Josie said, barely above a whisper.

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As it turns out, Josie was actually Luke's twin sister; their parents deciding that taking care of four kids - two of them being newborn - would be extremely difficult for the two. So, they decided to let Liz's younger sister and her husband adopt Josie, being as the two had tried for years to have a baby with no luck. Shortly after adopting Josie, the two had twins.

Josie couldn't believe the story. Frankly, she never knew her mother's family; she never talked about them and there weren't any family visits at Christmas time or birthdays or any other holiday.

However, the three Hemmings boys and Josie got along fantastically; in fact, they acted exactly like siblings would, like they hadn't just met each other. Not to mention, her biological parents loved Lucy; and Luke was thrilled that he had a niece whom was named after himself, even though Josie insisted that she wasn't named after him.

When darkness finally fell, the girls decided that they should probably head back home so Lucy could go to sleep. They said their goodbyes to the oldest Hemmings children and the parents before following Luke to his car where he drove Josie and Lucy home before heading back to the home he shared with the other two members of the band.

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As the days turned into weeks and the weeks turned in to months, Della and Luke grew closer while Ashton and Josie continued to grow apart. Approximately 9 months after Lucy's birth, Della showed up, a grin on her face. "Josie! Oh my gosh, you won't believe what happened." She said, breathlessly.

Josie opened the door wider for Della to come in while she half-listened to Della's story. "Josie? Earth to Josie.." Josie blinked and focused back onto Della's face. "Oh, sorry, I zoned out for a second." She said, quietly, sitting down on the couch and putting a pillow on her lap.

Della frowned and sat next to Josie. "Honey, what's wrong?" She asked, laying a hand on Josie's arm. Josie shook her head and stared down at the pillow, picking at a loose string. Della rolled her eyes and rubbed her arm. "You can talk to me, Jo. You know that." She said, as soft as she could.

Josie's face scrunched up as tears filled her eyes. "Della, I don't know what I did to him. He used to be so sweet and loving and...and he was Ashton!" She covered her face with her hands. "He won't even stay over here anymore. He's always with Luke or Calum or Michael or if he does stay, he comes home after I've fallen asleep and he sleeps on the couch and makes sure he leaves before I even wake up.

"I don't get it, Della. All I did was have a baby - a baby that he helped me create. He was so happy when I told him and he said he'd be here for me through everything but he's NOT and I'm raising my baby on my own and I can't do it! It's so hard!" Josie's shoulders shook violently as she sobbed, lifting the pillow to cover her face.

Della, shocked at Josie's explosion, continued rubbing Josie's arm until Lucy started screaming in her nursery. Josie stood up and headed to the room, taking care of Lucy before she came back. "I have to leave, Della. I can't stay here anymore. I don't belong here." Josie whispered, tangling her fingers together. "I need to be around my family - the family that I grew up with." Josie continued, looking up at Della with red rimmed, tear filled blue eyes.

"I'm going home."

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Voila! Chapter 3! I hope it's okay! 🤗