With Me by Gabbie S. Duran Page B

Can we start with breakfast?” I quickly ask, hoping she’ll agree.
    “Sure,” she answers. “Josephina wakes up around seven, so why don’t we meet here at eight?”
    “Sounds perfect, I’ll see you then.”
    Ending the call, a couple of seconds later, I call Elizabeth back. Even as she answers, I brace myself. “Why haven’t you been answering my calls?” she snaps at me, clearly irritated.
    “I’m sorry, babe. I’ve had a lot going on, that’s all,” I tell her, still thinking about the conversation I just had with Kasey as I ignore her irritation.
    “What can be more important than talking to your fiancée?” she whines, making me realize that Josephina doesn’t whine as much as she does. Actually, now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve ever heard Josephina whine. Kasey always manages to keep her from doing so.
    “Well?” she asks, still waiting for me to respond, breaking my thought.
    “Nothing,” I lie to her.
    The only way to distract her is to start asking her questions about the wedding, which I do. Before long, she settles down and we’re soon making more plans. An hour later, I have a headache, but I’m finally hanging up the phone.
    The entire time I was on the phone, I was wondering how I was going to break the news to Kasey about Elizabeth. One thing was clear; I was going to have to tell her before I left.
    I already knew Elizabeth wasn’t going to take the news about Josephina too well, but somehow she was going to have to accept it. Elizabeth will soon be a permanent part of my life and Josephina is too. She’s my daughter and with Josephina came Kasey. There was no doubt about that.
     

 

     
     

     
     
    IT’S NOT QUITE eight a.m. yet and I see Josephina’s excitement as she’s looking out of the window, which means Joseph has arrived. I told her that he would come over when she awoke this morning and of course she was excited about the notion of spending the day with him. She immediately got up and dressed herself faster than I’ve ever seen her do before, making me laugh.
    Now that I know he is here, I'm beginning to grow nervous. I don’t know why it keeps happening, but it does. I didn’t sleep much, from tossing and turning most of the night. The conversation I had with Joseph kept repeating itself in my mind.
    The more I thought about it, the more I was seeing how selfish I was acting by not telling Josephina the truth. The truth is, I’m scared of the repercussions that will come from telling her. She’s so young. I would hate to have to break her little heart when she finds out that he needs to leave. I have to keep reminding myself that I am doing it to protect her. Her emotions and well-being come first, no one else’s.
    Watching as Josephina flings open the door that leads to the driveway, I follow her out and see Joseph already scooping her up; a huge smile on both of their faces. Josephina immediately begins to bombard him with plans for the day. He’s probably already feeling overwhelmed from her non-stop chatter, but he doesn’t once interrupt her; instead staying quiet as he nods his head in agreement, taking in every word she says.
    He briefly looks at me as he walks both of them in my direction with a smile across his face that makes my body light up inside from head to toe. He stops directly in front of me, with the smile still on his lips, “Are you ready for breakfast?”
    I can feel my body heating up. A spark is igniting, that I can feel rapidly roaming throughout my body. I’m rendered speechless when he makes me feel this way. I can only nod my head in agreement to his question as we continue staring at one another; our eyes locked with each other’s.
    Josephina’s eagerness to leave reminds me that we have plans, so I quickly head back inside for my purse and lock up; meeting both of them outside. We decide it would be easier to take my car for the day, since it already has Josephina’s booster seat. Before long we’re