-Diana's POV-
"This town must have been a great place to grow up." Josephine says as we walk through the park while kids scream on the swings.
Natalie basically forced me to wear a jacket and I could thank her for it now because it's freezing, there's basically a cloud of smoke when I breathe out, I feel like a dragon.
Josephine has everything, a light brown trench coat, she has the rope of it tied around her waist, a white scarf and white gloves.
"Its an okay place now." I shrug, and I can feel her eyes going to me. I keep looking at the damp concrete.
"Did you not like growing up here?" She questions. Those kids must be freezing on the swings, I could never. I'm trying to avoid the question by bringing my mind elsewhere but...
"I didn't like growing up in general." I say, putting my hands into the pockets of my jacket.
"Why not? Were you anxious about the big world of work?" She bumps my shoulder and I smile a little. I Shake my head, scrunching my nose a little since it's freezing—why did I decide to leave the house. I want to go back to bed.
"Um...Josephine, my childhood wasn't...good, so growing up you know, it was rough or whatever." I tell her, glancing to her and she looks at me before nodding.
"I relate to that, actually. My Mother passed when I was thirteen." She tells me and I nod looking around. Very similar...
"What about your Dad?"
"He...was abusive, as he thought it was me and my sisters fault, I had to take care of my little sister Robin from a young age." She says and I kick a Little Rock on the floor after she speaks.
"I'm sorry for that. It wasn't your fault." I tell her as I'm unsure of what else to say but she smiles.
"Ah, it's fine. My father got his act together when I was around twenty, he is a very successful business man, sends me and my sister money to make up for the bruises. Like...great job, you are an amazing father now, I will get you a medal with the money." She says and I shouldn't, but I do laugh because she does.
We keep walking and I begin to calm down again, she lets out a breath causing a little cloud to escape her mouth because of how cold it is. I shiver a little, I should have wore fluffy socks.
"Do you want to tell me about your Parents?" She asks and I keep walking, I nod a little.
"My Dad was also abusive, he got really addicted to alcohol...ended up hitting me and my Mom. He left when I was young which led to my Mom getting into alcohol then drugs...then the abuse began again until my Aunt took me in." I say and she sighs.
"You did not deserve any of that...You are brave for speaking up and getting out of there. I never spoke up, you know, just tell everyone I had the best life." She says and I scrunch up my nose again.
"I didn't speak up, Charlie found out and he told Jane to get me out of there....You know, I thought I was going to die in that house, whether it be from my Mom or from myself because at times I almost—" I stop talking as I feel her eyes on me and realise my words. I stop walking and she does too.
"I understand that, at times, my own mind would wonder to the thought of making it stop." She says and I look at her.
She looks back at me and smiles a little.
"You are shivering, here, take my scarf." She pulls it over her head and I shake mine quickly.
"No, it's fine—"
"I would hate for the one person who understands what I've been through to freeze to death." She says, smiling as she holds out the scarf, I take it slowly, she helps me put it on and I smile. My body warms a little but my nose stays cold.
"You're the only person I know that understands what I've been through too." I tell her and she nods.
"You know...sometimes the greatest intimacy comes from truly understanding what someone has been through." She says and as I go to walk again I stop, looking back to her again.
"I like that." I tell her and she smiles.
"It's the truth, maybe we understand each other more than we had thought." She speaks, she glances down—at my lips? I look away as she does.
"Yeah...I guess there's not a lot of people around here who's parents left them with bruises and other things..." I joke and she laughs a little as I begin walking again.
"Is that a cafe?" She bumps my shoulder before pointing across the street, I nod.
"How about we get a hot chocolate? On me?" She asks and I shrug.
"Yeah, why not." I respond before we both quickly run across the street, me just desperate to get out of the cold.
She pulls the door open for me and I smile stepping inside. It's practically empty, just two tables are taken.
We both walk up to the counter, it smells like Christmas in here, while Christmas is over, winter isn't.
"Hello, what can I get for ya?" A woman in an apron smiles at us from behind the counter.
"Two hot chocolates, please."Josephine says. I tap my shoes off the floor as the woman taps at the little screen.
"Would you like whip cream on top?" She smiles again and Josephine glances to me.
"Yeah." I say and the barista nods.
"Marshmallows?" She asks.
"Yes, please." Josephine says.
"Could I have extra marshmallows please?" I ask the woman and she nods.
"Perfect, anything else?" The barista questions looking up. Josephine looks to me again.
"No, thank you." I say and she smiles. Josephine pays and I walk over to a table pulling out a chair, sitting down.
"The woman told me that our drinks will be brought to us, how kind." Josephine pulls out her chair sitting down. I fix the sleeves of my jacket as it's uncomfortable with my casts.
"Thank you for the hot chocolate." I say and she shakes her head.
"You are very welcome." She smiles putting her small purse into her pocket. I glance outside the window, across to the park where some kids are playing in the freezing cold.
"It's a beautiful park." Josephine speaks up and I nod.
"Yeah, me and Charlie used to come here as little kids. Our old houses were about a five to ten minute walk, our parents would bring us here as kids, I remember Cindy, his Mom showing me photos of us. Me sitting between his legs on the slide as his arms were wrapped around my shoulders, both of us laughing as always...We tried recreating that photo when we were like seventeen, someone's Mom started shouting saying we were too big for the kiddy slide..He told her she was too big to be eating the cookie she had in her hand, I was mad at him for days over that. I told him he shouldn't judge what someone's eating..even though she was rude, I apologised afterwards and told her she was beautiful because she was and I think words can really affect someone at times..." I take a big breath as I finish speaking and Josephine stares at me, I smile a little.
"You are very kind hearted, make sure to not let this world turn you cold." She tells me before a woman sets our mugs down, both of us thank her.
"I know...Kindness is hard to find sometimes." I say.
"Not if you look in the right place." She smiles and I smile back before slowly picking up the warm mug.
✺
"Natalie." I call out for her as Josephine shuts the door, I look around, peaking into the kitchen before I hear her creaky office door.
"Look who decided to come home." She says and I smile looking over to her as she holds Dorothea in her arms.
"Is it okay if I take a shower? I am absolutely freezing." Josephine touches my shoulder and I break Natalie's eye contact glancing to Josephine before nodding.
"Yeah, of course." I say and she smiles before nodding to Natalie then making her way upstairs.
I look back to Natalie as she glares up the stairs after Josephine.
"Don't be like that." I whisper, smiling and she looks back to me.
"Is she begging to end up in casts too?" Natalie questions and I roll my eyes walking closer.
"I got you a hot chocolate, extra marshmallows like me." I lean up kissing her cheek before kissing Dorothea's head.
"A cheek kiss is all I'm getting after being alone in this house all day?" She questions, taking the plastic cup, I take off Josephine's scarf before looking at Natalie.
"If she isn't here in the morning, I had nothing to with it." Natalie says and I smile again putting the scarf on the hall table.
Natalie puts Dorothea down.
"Where's Maggy?"
"In the living room...Now, you look awfully cold, darling." She tells me, taking a sip of her hot chocolate. I look at her before smiling a little.
"I feel cold." I respond and she raises her eyebrows, she walks backwards nodding behind her, to go into her office.
"I better warm you up then." She says and I pretend to shiver as I follow her into the office, shutting the door.
"How are you going to do that?" I ask, locking the door before being pushed back against it.
A/n
I'M SORRY DON'T ATTACK ME.
I will make up for this 'robbery' I just wanted to post something since I have it somewhat edited(there is probably million of mistakes and I could have added more detail) but it's something and I will make up for not writing what you all wanted to see..
I still don't have a posting schedule since I can't set a day to post when I might not have the time to edit a chapter or even write one so be a little patient with me for awhile.
How is school or work going for everyone by the way???