only a phone call away

Camille didn't have to help, after all. Henry took care of the business about the apartment.

"And..you're sure..you like it?" Camille felt so defeated. They'd taken it with one look. Why couldn't they have waited? She wanted to blurt out her pain so bad, but she didn't. Live and learn, she thought. This had to be a bad idea. Had to be. But she could hear Henry squealing in the background already, about something exciting.

Camille winced hard. This was the man in Josie's life.  She sighed heavily. Yes, she liked Henry when he was Josie's friend. Not her boyfriend. Not the guy she proclaimed she was going to live with for the rest of her life. Maybe it would be over in 3 weeks. She smiled to herself and went on with something she needed to do for work on her laptop at the radio station.

Oh, she hated to poo on their parade. She wouldn't, but she couldn't be exactly happy with them, either.

Naturally, Josie said how much she loved the place. She had to go. They had to think about furniture.

Camille put her cell away and wondered how much this would cost her. She knew Duncan wouldn't want to hear about it. Perhaps it wasn't the cost with him. It was listening to all her stress. He'd decided, maybe it was best if Josie got out of the house, but Camille was going to have to stop being a whiner.

Of course, Camille protested she wasn't a whiner. That wasn't what this was about.

She thought of Duncan's perturbed look.

There was Carrie to worry about. She need more socializing. And swim classes. Had she forgotten about swim classes? It took both of them to cheer her on,  Which also meant being in the pool with her. After all, he was the only Dad that Carrie knew, and he made the most of it. Reading her stories at night, and listening to everything that mattered to her, and restating it like it mattered to him, too..which it did.

Camille guessed he was right. It was time to let go. But Josie was still a little girl. She thought of how the management lady was at the place where Henry and Josie tried to get in. She said she thought Josie was in middle school and thought about calling the cops on Henry.

Perhaps, Josie did need to grow up.

Camille sighed. She guessed this was growing up. She had to let this happen.