Maya's Next Step

Part 100

Maya POV

"Is mama coming home soon?" Elva asked, looking up from her colouring book.

"She should be home any time now little bug," I said, continuing to prepare dinner while Elva sat at the dining table.

"Have you finished your homework?" I asked her as I sliced up an onion.

"Yes mommy," she replied.

"Are you sure Elvie?" I asked playfully.

"Wellll," she said cheekily.

"Get it finished please Elva, you can finish colouring later," I firmly told her.

"But mommy," she whined dramatically.

"But Elva," I mimicked.

"I just have to read some of my book mommy," she said.

"Is that all you have left?" I asked, glancing over my shoulder at her.

"Yes mommy," she nodded.

"Okay well you read to me while I make dinner," I smiled.

She climbed down from the chair and rushed over to her school bag, quickly running back over to the table.

I began peeling some carrots as she started to read.

"Do you ever carry a lot of things around with you? I do. For ex-exam example, in my pocket I carry a little silver star necklace that Mum bou-bought me," she read almost fluently.

"It's sup-supo," she stuttered, pausing at the word.

I moved to look over her shoulder.

"Supposed," I corrected, gently squeezing her shoulder before returning to what I was doing.

"It's supposed to be part of the..."

"Mommy what does this word say?" She asked with a concentrated frown.

I finished preparing dinner and put the dish in the oven. I washed my hands and joined Elva at the table, lifting her and placing her back down on my knee.

"Let mommy see," I said, following her finger as she pointed to the word.

"It says constellation baby," I told her.

She looked confused.

"Another way of saying group of stars," I explained, running  my fingers  through her hair.

"It's supposed to be part of the constellation Canis Major, which means "greater dog'" she continued.

"I don't have a dog, but I do have a cat called Jupiter. I'm always carrying him around too, bec-because he's lazy and sometimes he won't bu-budge from under my bed,"

"Good reading Elvie," I said genuinely, grabbing a pen to update her reading record for school so they knew she'd read at home.

"Miss Rowlands said I was a good reader but I didn't want to read when it was the whole class," she told me, leaning back to rest against me.

"Why not bubs? You're an amazing reader," I encouraged.

"Everyone stares," she said, shrugging her shoulders.

I thought back to what her teacher and I had discussed earlier. Maybe she was a little behind socially.

"Mama's home!" Elva squealed excitedly hearing the key in the door and snapping me out of my thoughts.

She jumped down from my knee and ran to the door to meet Carina who came in from work looking beautiful but exhausted.

"Mama!" Elva shouted, holding her arms up to Carina.