Ever After New York

Unwanted Exposure.

Two months later...

I sat in front of the tub, bathing Annie before our shoot withVogue today. I couldn't believe she was already five months old. It was amazing how fast time was flying. She already had a tooth growing in, and her hair was getting blonder and blonder as the days passed.

I wasn't as nervous about today's photoshoot as I thought I would be. When Carine had called me, I wasn't so keen on the idea of unwanted exposure for Annie.

Even after Hero had called Carine back to let her know that we decided to do the shoot, I still wasn't entirely sold on doing it.

But somehow, I knew like everything else we would get through this. I had learned not to care what people think about me, and I was going to do everything in my power to make sure that Annie wasn't turned into an object of the press' affection.

She looks up at me with her big green eyes, her cheeks a rosy color.

"Almost done, Annie." I smile at her. "Just have to get the rest of this soap off."

"Hey Jo?" Hero says, opening the bathroom door.

Annie glances up at him, and in one swift motion she lifts her arms up and down, splashing water all over me.

"Annie!" I gasp, looking down at my now soaked t-shirt.

"Bad time?" I hear Hero say with a laugh.

I turn my head, my eyes narrowing at him. "Come on Hero, you know she gets excited when she sees you."

"I can think of someone else who gets excited when they see me." He smirks, dropping his right eye in a wink.

"Nice." I scoff.

Hero moves to sit down beside me and kisses my cheek. "Am I wrong?"

"Not in front of Annie." I say flatly, feeling the heat rising in my face.

"Oh, come on. She can barely understand." Hero counters.

"Yet." I challenge. "What did you need?"

"Oh, erm your mum called. She wanted to talk to you about Christmas."

"I already told her I'd let her know." I say with a sigh.

"You don't sound too excited." He laughs.

My mum had called about a week ago, asking if Hero and I wanted to fly to Australia for Christmas.

I didn't jump at the offer, given how things went down the last time she asked.

I did however, like the idea of bringing Hero and Annie to Australia with me for the first time. It seemed like a great idea. My fiancé, daughter, and family all in one place for the holidays.

But there was a part of me that knew it was a disaster waiting to happen.

It always was.

I was surprised my mum had offered so soon in advance. Perhaps she was just trying to make up for the fact that her and dad made a change of plans within hours of me getting on a plane.

It never failed with them.

"I'll have to think about it, babe." I tell Hero as I lift Annie out of the tub. He hands me Annie's towel and I wrap her in it. "You know how my parents are. I mean, you heard their reactions when I told them we were engaged."

"It's not their place to tell us we're too young." Hero huffs. "We have a bloody child!"

"I just don't need any more drama." I say.