She's With Me

Weeds

Evie wasn't much of an early riser. She never had been, especially after leaving home. Not having to rise and feed a bunch of children had a way of doing that to people. But morning sickness was really kicking her butt now and waking her out of many deep sleeps. Usually, it was in the middle of the night, but today it was around 6am that she woke up to knots in her stomach. Would she throw up though? That was the question that always passed her mind.

The room was still dark. Only the dim light of the morning came through the windows, blanketing the room in a melancholy blue glow. Not much could be seen, but it wasn't like she wanted to see much. But she did want comfort. Eyes still closed, she feels through the mountain of blankets for Josh's sleeping figure. He always made her feel better when the babies were giving her a rough time. But to her surprise, she was met with more cold fabric. Evie opens her eyes, frowning. If he wasn't here, then where was he? It wasn't like him to not be in bed. Or was it? Evie wasn't exactly aware of Josh's sleeping schedule just yet. Evie knew he got up earlier than she did because he was already ten steps ahead of her, dressed and making breakfast right as she was waking up. But 6am? That was such a stretch.

Intrigued, Evie gets up out of bed and grabs a blanket to wrap around her figure. Nausea was taking a backburner; she needed to make sure he was okay. Creeping down the stillness of the hall, Evie checks the second bedroom and finds the boxes untouched. The kitchen was empty, sans for a coffee pot that was on. But there was someone in the living room. Josh was sitting in the middle of the room on a mat that Evie recognized from her very brief stint in taking yoga classes. But he wasn't doing yoga. Instead, he was sitting quietly cross legged with his palms resting upwards on his knees. His shirt was gone, but his sweatpants remained. Along with that was his signature bead necklace that he wore every day. Quiet music filled the room, just enough so you could hear it there. Josh opens one eye and smirks, "Good morning," he whispered, "I didn't think you'd be awake."

"What are you doing?" Evie whispered back, taking a seat on the edge of the couch while completely ignoring Josh's greeting. "Meditating," Josh whispered back, "Clear my mind before the day. Say some affirmations. Care to join me?"

Evie purses her lips together and looks around. Why not? Didn't seem like a bad idea. She shrugs and takes a seat next to Josh on the floor, mirroring his crossed legs. They sit there in silence for a few moments, listening to the quiet music Josh had put on. Was she doing it right? Evie couldn't tell. She opens her eyes a bit to see Josh was still unmoving next to her. Dare she ask? She didn't want to be a bother. "You're staring," Josh said without opening his eyes, "Something wrong?"

"I'm... I'm um– not sure I'm doing this correctly," Evie admits quietly, "It feels weird." Josh replies with a husky chuckle, now fully opening his eyes, "It can be kind of awkward in the beginning, yes," he explains, "Especially if you have a racing mind. The trick with meditation is you're supposed to not think of anything. Just close your eyes, clear your mind and relax. Maybe say some affirmations in your head. And–" he holds up his necklace, "-- count your breaths with this." It was a beautiful necklace. All white opaque quartz beads. "What is it?" Evie asked curiously. "It's called a mala. It's used for meditation, and just general wellness. They have different colors, all having a special meaning. You're supposed to wear whatever color you need help with in life."

"What does the white stand for?"

"Purity, peace, innocence, wholeness. I don't have anything specific I'm looking for right now, it's just general wellness. Grounding, I guess," Josh says, "You thread the beads through your fingers, taking breaths in and out. One hundred and eight of them." That was a lot of breathing. But, maybe it would help with the nausea. "We can make you a mala one day," Josh resumes his cross-legged pose, "That way you can do it on your own. You can meditate with me in the morning."