Daycare// Joshler

7

tyler's point of view

'please'

that message, with josh's voice. it rang in my head all day, it hurt. i wanted to forgive him. but what if he was lying. what if he didn't really fall asleep. what if he didn't love me back. what if what if what if.

i missed him, and knowing i wasn't going to see him to pick rosie up. it kind of stung. i mean, i know im 'supposed' to be mad at joshy. but i just can't commit to that action.

and then. a heart breaking thought was brought into perspective. josh was just rosie's teacher. if anything just a sub. he happened to be places at the right time and all he cared about was rosie's safety. because rosie was his student.

he didn't care about me. nor did he want to take care of me. if i ever became more than rosie's dad. he would never see me as more. i was just tyler, rosie's twenty five year old dad. and josh, was just mr josh.

i was signing off on paperwork. doing.. business things. having meetings and more boring things. i missed my daughter. i hasn't been to work in so long. they understood after the divorce how much harder my life was going to be and gave me a year off paid.

mostly while rosie was at daycare i'd be a stay at home dad. but i needed a way to make money. i couldn't be a stay home dad all the time.

it's my first day back since then. june seventeenth. all i could think about was rosie... and josh. "tyler, you must sign here and here." a man said. the pencil was shaking in my hand. i nodded and started to write. "you also.." the man got droned out in my brain.

the man eventually left and i had no idea what i just signed. i was typing an email when i got a phone call. "h-hello?" i answered. "tyler- you need to hurry up over here."

"m-maddie?? what happened?" i asked freaking out. "rosie won't stop crying since you left." i heard a little bit of ruffling and then a scream of 'daddy'. 

"tyler! this is your mother speaking! i don't know what's wrong with my granddaughter but get over here now!" then i heard rosie yell 'mr josh'. "i don't know who that is rosie." my mom said over the phone and then i heard the dial tone.

i pretty much ran out of my office.

----

"DADDY!" rosie yelled when i walked in the door. "I WANT JOSH!" she screamed and crawled into my arms. my suit was getting wrinkled but i didn't care. "you'll see him tomorrow sweetie." i said.

"BUT I WANT HIM NOW!" she said and then rolled off my lap. swinging her legs and pounding on the floor. i picked my daughter up as her legs swung and i put her in her seat. i dialed josh. he replied, silence.

and then rosie screamed again. "rosie?" josh spoke and rosie was quiet. "rosie, why are having a tantrum?" josh asked calmly. "i-i miss you josh!"

"i missed you too. but i'm at work rosie." josh said. "i can maybe i can come after work." josh said. "DADDY DADDY PLEASE!" rosie yelled at me. "of course." i responded although i was completely uncomfortable. "alright see you soon." josh replied.

_______

it was almost an hour until josh was supposed to be here. the doorbell rings, "he's... early?" i said to myself. i could hear the pitter patter of my little daughters feet.

"JOSH JOSH!" rosie yelled as she held her arms up. josh picked her up without a second thought. he shut the door behind him. then looked at me with a smile. he must've remembered our conversation, the smile disappeared and he set rosie on my couch.

"josh?" rosie said cocked her head. "not now rosie." josh said flickering his hand. josh stared at me.  "tyler i-," i cut him off. not paying attention to his words. not wanting to have this conversation in front of rosie.

"you hungry, pumpkin?" i asked rosie and she nodded. "how about we have some mac n' cheese and some fries from le french." rosie jumped off the couch and ran into the kitchen. "she knows the in french?" josh asked as we made our way toward the kitchen after my daughter.

"i've taught her, yes." i replied. "eeee daddy! hurryyyyyy you and mr josh are sooooo slowwwwwww." she said and then giggled some more. josh laughed. "rosie you can call me josh if you'd like and if it's okay with your father."

"DADDY!" rosie said to me as i got a bag of chicken nuggets out of the freezer. "yes ro ro?" i replied. "can i call mr josh just josh?!!" she said bouncing in her chair. "of course my dear ro."

"aHhHhHhHhH," she said and i turned around. josh was bouncing her on his knee. "j-," i started and then reminded myself 'you're still angry at him.' although i must've admitted to myself. seeing josh act like a fatherly figure to rosie... was a bit of a turn on.

i don't know if that's wrong of me. but it was. i just turned, shaking my head and grabbed a pan. plopping a buttload of delicious chicken nuggets on the pan, after spraying it of course.

i started to make the mac n' cheese when rosie pulled on my shirt. "dadddddyyyyyyyyy me and josh are hungryyyyyy." she said. "ro ro. josh is a big boy, he can wait." i said and then picked rosie up, stirring the mac n' cheese in the process.

"as for you, young lady. you must wait too. cause ya know what." i said and rosie smiled. "what?" she replied. "daddy's hungry toooooooo," i said. i set rosie down and pretend to fall. playing dead, "d-daddy." rosie said and shook me lightly. "daddy."

"tyler. the food's burning," josh said in my ear. "excuse me what?" my eyes opened immediately. josh was holding rosie and they were both laughing. "seems your daddy is quite the cook." josh said as i stood. then he set rosie down and she ran to the living room. josh ran after her.

a/n: i think if ro wasn't in this story, and they had a fight like that, i don't think that josh and tyler would've made amends. so applaud to ro for accidentally fixing her dad's heart.