Josie's Pov
Being huddled in the apartment unpacking all day is exhausting but so worth it when you're finally done. Moving across a few states is a lot of work, but it's the right thing for me and my daughter Luna. She is two and we both need this, a fresh start.
"Come on little Miss Munchkin, let's go find a coffee shop so mommy can get her fill" I coo my daughter before putting her in her stroller. Sure I could have had her walking beside me, she is a good walker, but also a good runner.
We head from our apartment building, which happens to conveniently be within walking distance of both her daycare and campus. My dad hooked us up with a two-bedroom apartment and my stepmom Mindy decorated it all. She is an interior designer, so all the decor was done when we got here last night.
The campus is big, Washington University is a gorgeous campus located pretty much smack in the middle of Seattle. Old buildings surround us, as the campus in itself is ancient, but I love it. I have an appreciation for detailed architecture, so I'm excited to see the inside of the library. The library here happens to be one of the prettiest in the country, at least according to all the lists online.
The courtyard in the heart of campus has a decent amount of people in it, even though classes don't start until Monday. Trees line the courtyard, separating the paths and grass from the buildings surrounding the courtyard. I'm sure it's gorgeous once we get closer to autumn and in the spring too. Autumn is my favorite season with all the pretty colored trees and all things pumpkin spice and cinnamon.
I must say I think I'm going to love it here. Getting away from Chicago is the best thing for me and my daughter. I don't think I could take another day living in my mother's house with her "new family" she got when I was six, only six months after she and my father split up. It's not that Greg, his son from his previous marriage, and his son from a previous relationship Andy, are bad people. I get along with both of them, but that doesn't matter much when your mother hates you. She won't come out and admit it, but she certainly doesn't like me much.
Compared to my sister Lana, and brother Lucas, I'm like dirt under her shoe. It's been like that since I was a kid, I'm just not as talented as my siblings. Lana, my twin, is a ballerina attending college for dance in Chicago. She chose to stay close to home. My brother Lucas moved here to Seattle to play football for the Washington University Huskies. The same team my father coaches. So needs to say little old disappointing me isn't that popular in comparison.
I'm a teen mom, which was the ultimate disappointment I'm sure, it was the right thing to take freshman year of college online. But now that she is two and I'm going into my sophomore year I needed a change of scene. Hence why I followed my father and brother to Seattle.
I'm not sure where the best coffee around here is, so instead of looking for hours and be late to the stadium I go on Google Maps to find a cute cafe. According to Google, there is one if I go out of campus towards the west side and cross a green patch called Parrington Lawn. It's called Cafe Solstice and the Google pictures show a cute cafe with a good amount of seating. Looking down at my Apple watch I see that I'm pretty sure I have enough time to grab a coffee, hurry back to my car, and drive to the stadium. It's not really within walking distance to the campus.
After another look at the directions, and figuring out which was is west, I head in that direction. Since I'm passing between two buildings, I get a better look at the architecture up close. They're not the most spectacular buildings I've seen, but I like them still.
"Mama" Luna coos and I stop for a moment before handing her a toy she threw out of her stroller. Thankfully I have one of those clip lines so it can't hit the ground. "A few more moments sweetheart. Mommy just needs her caffeine and then we are going to go on a drive again. Won't that be fun?"
It's easy to find the cafe, thankfully, and looking through the window it doesn't seem like it's too crowded.
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I head inside the coffee shop, determined to get my fix, and take in the scenery. The furniture is a dark wood, with both tables and booths. The counter is a continuation of the same wood as the flooring and there is one of those glass disks with all sorts of pastries and sandwiches. There are even some juice boxes for kids and fruits in single-serve packages. My favorite scent, ground coffee beans, fills the cafe and I take a good inhale of it as I stand in line.
There are only two people in front of me before it's my turn. A girl with long curly hair and fair skin stands behind the desk and lights up when she sees my daughter. "She is adorable and looks like you," she says before taking my order of a chai latte with two shots of espresso.
"And Thank you. We are taking in the campus, and this looked like the cutest cafe nearby" I say and hand Luna her toy again.
"You're a student here? Me too. And you're right, this is one of the best places in walking distance" Her smile is radiant after she talks. "I'm a sophomore STEM major, how about you?"
I would step out of line, but we keep talking while another worker is making my order and there isn't a line behind me anyway. "I'm an English major, sophomore too" I answer her.
"Are you a transfer student?" she asks before biting her lip "Sorry for all the questions, I'm sure you have better things to do than talk with me" She blushes, and I shake my head. "No worries. And I was an online student for my first year, to take care of this little one" I say and look at my daughter for a moment before looking back at this girl. "But she is two now, so I decided to be in person" I shrug.
My order is done, and I excuse myself as I need to rush along to be on time. "I'm so sorry, but I need to rush along now. Maybe I'll see you around" I smile at her, and she nods slightly "Hope I'll see you around."
"Oh and I'm Josephine, but everyone calls me Josie" I turn around and add making her smile "i'm Serafina, but everyone calls me Fina"
With one hand on my cup and the other on the stroller, I head back the way I came to make it to my car. I wish the stadium was in driving distance as well, but it makes sense that it's not in the center of the city. One would think I'm a huge football fan with the amount of time I have spent watching the sport over the years, but I'm not that into it if I'm being honest. I prefer more artistic sports if I'm going to watch something. Otherwise, I like to rock climb and do regular gym workouts to stay in shape. However my brother is the star quarterback, and my dad is the head coach of the Washington University Huskies, so spending time at the football stadium will be a recurring event. Not to mention a certain someone I'm also meeting there... My dad is a former NFL player with two Super Bowls under his belt. So my brother has big shoes to fill, and I think he feels the pressure.
It doesn't take that long before I'm at my car, so I strap my little girl in before taking a seat behind the wheel. My dad got me a Range Rover Evoque for my 16th birthday. Whatever that means, I'm not into cars, I just know it's a safe and reliable car. I'm lucky that my apartment complex has assigned parking, so I don't need to worry about figuring out where to park my car.
I know I'm privileged that my dad provides completely for me, it's not the usual, I think. But his long career in the NFL, and now his job as a head coach, means a lot of money. My mom couldn't be bothered to help me out, especially after I got accidentally pregnant, but my dad has financially been there for me. Physically we haven't spent too much time together up through my life because of his busy work life. Now that I'm here nearby I hope that I will finally get to know my dad on a new level.
There are people all over the place, which makes sense since it's central Seattle, and I love it. I'm a city girl, it's always been like that. Growing up in Chicago, which is a big city, it's what I've always known. Moving to a small town was never on my list of must-dos in my life before I die.
My dad is busy, so I won't run into him, but I'm off to see my brother and Luna's father, both part of the football team.
Joe's Pov
Practice today was brutal, coach Coleman put us through the wringer like always. I'm a wide receiver at the University of Washington Huskies, which is one of the best football programs in the country. Their player development is top of the line and several people get drafted to the NFL every year. I'm determined to be one of those people. The program here doesn't only focus on the time on the field but also in the gym, physical therapy, manual therapy, nutrition, and therapists. They have put a ton of money into the program to keep it at the top of the country.
After a shower, everyone is getting dressed and chatting. The community among the players is good here as well, with not much friction except from a few people and a few incidents. It's impossible to keep 60 guys friends all the time, but when we hit that field, everyone knows they got to put the outside stuff aside and play ball. It's no secret that most of us have aspirations about playing professionally one day, and those who haven't want to reach a bowl game during their college careers. To accomplish one, preferably both, of those you need to keep your head in the game.
"Yo everyone, listen up" Lucas Coleman, our quarterback and team captain, calls out and everyone turns to give him their full attention. You don't want to be on the legacy quarterback's bad side. His family has several NFL royalties, so it was probably a no-brainer for him to play as well.
"My sister, Josephine, is starting UW and she is off limits, I mean it. Don't go flapping your dicks around her" he announces and with the mention of Josie my throat closes for a moment. We have history, and that's an understatement. One drunken night at a party almost three years ago ended in two pink lines and a baby girl, Luna. There was never any romantic relationship between us after that night, but still, three years later I can't get it out of my fucking head. She might not have feelings for me, but I sure as hell have some for her. It doesn't matter when she isn't interested in that way though, and I can't fuck up the co-parenting thing.
Not to mention that Coach Coleman and Lucas would have my ass if I messed with Josie again. They have accepted that I'm Luna's father, and I don't think they hold it against me anymore, but they don't want us together. Lucas made that crystal clear on several occasions and might have given me a black eye when he found out I slept with his sister. Bro code on the team, even back in high school, was that you don't mess with someone's siblings. It just turns messy when it eventually ends. The same thing goes for our college team, you don't mess with someone's sibling, so it's sort of unnecessary for him to say it. He isn't eh only one with a sibling at the same school, but he is a protective dude, especially after Luna.
I'm just excited to have Luna and Josie in the same city for the first time since high school. She stayed back in Chicago for her freshman year, doing online school, while I moved straight here after I got drafted by the Huskies. It's been a year where I've only seen them when I've visited home and over Facetime. It's been hard but it is what it is. Thankfully Luna isn't old enough that she remembers me being absent, but now that they are here, I fully intend on being a present parent. The only thing that's missing is making our little trio a real family, and getting Josie to love me. It's easier said than done though, so I won't get my hopes up too much.
Lucas comes over to me and bumps my shoulder with his fist "Look Walker, I know you've got football and all of this, but remember what's important. The two of them" he mutters before heading off and talking with another teammate Ben Patel.
He doesn't need to remind me what's important, I have my priorities straight. Now I just need to see them, and they will be here any minute
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