the city // joshler

2

tyler's point of view

laying in bed with mason, i'm unable to sleep. i can't believe josh was there. it seems odd that we've lived here for so long, that grace has been going to this school for so long and i haven't run into him.

i decide to carefully slide out of bed and walk to the kitchen to get a glass of water. on my to the kitchen, i find myself stopping in the hallway, staring at a painting i hung on the wall when i first moved in.

josh painted it for me.

i run my finger along the canvas, tracing each brushstroke and remembering my time with him in that treehouse.

something heavy settles in my chest and i tear my eyes away from the art to finally get to the kitchen.

i make myself a glass of water and take a sip, closing my eyes and leaning against the counter.

i take the time to walk through all my memories, reliving them one by one.

mason knows about most of them, about the important ones. he knows the basics. he knows josh was my first love.

what i don't think either of us knew when these memories were being shared is that there was the possibility of seeing him again, of my heart stopping when it was near him once more.

i finish my cup of water and stop to check in on grace. she's sleeping soundly in her bed, soft little snores escaping her.

i can't imagine life without her. even on her bad days, i could love no one more.

i walk into her room and press a soft kiss to her forehead before leaving again, closing the door behind me.

when i return to my room, i lay down, this time with a different feeling in my chest.

-

when i wake up next to mason, i feel a smile spread across my face. his blonde hair is messy and covering his eyes just a bit. i love him, but today something just feels a little different.

i'm glad to have the day off work, that i'll be able to spend time with gracie. mason might be off too since he's still asleep.

"mason."i push his hair out of his face, "wake up, love."

"hmm," mason hums and shakes his head a little. "don't wanna."

"c'mon, babe. let's get up." i lean forward to kiss his forehead.

he finally opens his eyes, an almost-brown hazel color, and smiles at me. "good morning, sunshine."

"good morning." i kiss his forehead again and then get out of bed. "i'm gonna get dressed and then wake grace up." i walk to the closet and begin to change. i can feel his eyes on me before he says anything.

"you're beautiful, you know?"

i turn to look at him and shake my head. "whatever you say."

after getting ready, i go to wake grace up. i sit down at the edge of her bed and rub her shoulder gently.

"gracie, angel, its' time to get up." i stand up and open her curtains to let the sunlight in, hoping it will help.

"what day is it?" grace stretches and then sits up, rubbing her eyes with her tiny fists.

"it's saturday," i answer, returning to sit on the edge of her bed, "what do you want for breakfast?"

"cupcakes."

"you can't have cupcakes for breakfast, silly girl." i tickle her sides and my heart melts at her giggle. "but donuts come kind of close. how does that sound?"

"donuts!" she jumps out of bed and runs to her closet to pick out an outfit. she holds up a pink dress we got her for her birthday and looks to me for approval.

"you get dressed, i'll go get dad. brush your teeth!"

-

at home, the three of us eat donuts on the couch while cinderella plays on the tv.

"i'm glad i have two daddies. mommies look mean." she takes a bite of her food and dusts off the sprinkles that fall to her lap.

"not all mommies are mean." mason pats her head once, much to her dismay.

"dad, no!! don't mess up my hair!" she looks to me, a pout on her face. "when can auntie summer do it again?"

i am absolutely clueless with hair. i have one younger sister, but because grace is black, maddy isn't the best at working with her texture. a friend i made senior year, summer, has stayed by my side since we met and has done her best to help me learn the things grace wants and to make time to do the things she can't teach me.

"i'll text her today, g. promise."

"what else do you want to do today, munchkin?" mason pokes her side and she swats him away.

"no tickling, i'm thinking." she sits for a minute, her hand holding her chin. "can we make cupcakes?"

"sounds great." i boop her nose and stand up. "to the store! cupcake mix awaits."

(an: hiya! margo here to remind you that you shouldnt let anyone pressure you into changing your hair, your clothes, your face, or anything else. do what you like. you are perfect!!! ♡︎)