Ever Since New York // H.S. - ON HOLD

CHAPTER 4 - NO FOOKING WAY

A/N - If you don't understand the chapter title or pic attached...girl, what're you doin??? 

. . .

It's been a couple days since my night out with Cara, or rather lack of Cara considering I spent probably 15 minutes with her the entire time I was there. She called me the next day to scold me for "chickening out" when really there was just too much going on for me to handle. I don't tell her about any of my issues or my triggers because she wouldn't understand. No one understands. Hell, sometimes I even wonder if I understand it.

It's a beautiful Sunday morning here in Echo Park and I woke up counting my blessings. I've got a well paying job that I mostly like, a nice home, food to eat, and a beautiful daughter that brings so much sunshine to my life. It's a little after eleven and I decide that Ginny and I are gonna spend the afternoon downtown today. I am always down there for work, but rarely do I ever go shop and explore, but since I am in need of a distraction, I think it's a good idea.

Strolling out of the kitchen, I see Ginny in the same spot she was thirty minutes ago. Eyes locked on the television screen as she is enamoured by the world of Tangled, as if she hasn't already seen it fifty times. This girl, like myself, loves Rapunzel. But after listening to the same songs and dialogue over and over again for months on end, it gets extremely boring.

We're both still in our pajamas since we had a rather lazy morning, which I don't mind. She woke up early, around 6:30, from a nightmare and my heart sank as I heard her cries echo throughout the house. I ran to her room to calm her down, but she just clinged to me like her life depended on it. So, I brought her back to bed with me and cuddled with her until we both fell back to sleep. We woke up again around 9, ate some breakfast, read some books, and played for a bit before she decided she wanted to watch Tangled.

"Ginny, we need to go get dressed, love." I say as I stand behind her on the couch.

"But Rapunzel..." She frowns, pointing at the television screen.

"She'll be waiting for you tonight. I promise she isn't going anywhere." I assure her as I scoop her up in my arms, hearing her sigh in the process.

"We're gonna get you washed up and put on some fresh clothes." As I head up the stairs, I feel her squirm around in my arms trying to be let down, which is not going to happen.

"But whyyyyy?" She cries out and I know she is just mad that I made her stop watching Tangled.

"Because we're going to eat some yummy food and go shopping." I try to make it sound enticing.

"Foods?" God, she loves food.

"Yes, food, now let's wash up." I bring her into my bathroom where all of our toiletries are and sit her on the counter. I begin by brushing her teeth with her pink, sparkly toothbrush that she picked out herself. Next I follow up with a gentle face wipe since she has leftover bits of breakfast crusted on her chin and cheeks. For how much she loves food, she seems to always get it everywhere but her mouth. But I guess that just goes along with toddlerhood. Finally I turn her around and work on her hair, brushing through her goldilocks curls and putting it into a single french braid down the back.

Bringing her to her room down the hall, I let her pick out her own outfit, which surprisingly wasn't tacky at all. She chose a pair of jean shorts and a plain purple tank top. Easy enough. I dress her and bring her back to my room, forcing her to use the bathroom while I get myself changed. I put on a pair of black biker shorts and an oversized t-shirt I got from a thrift store. This is apparently very trendy now, but I have been wearing outfits like this for years. Mainly because it was all I could afford. I would take old pairs of leggings and cut them into biker shorts for the summer, which was pretty genius if I must say.