Variables | Joshaya ✔︎

Nicknames

𝕞𝕒𝕪𝕒

I wake up to no one in my bed. I freak out for a second when I check the time, 10:30. Sh*t! It's Monday! I panicly get dressed and run out of my room with my bag in my hands and run into the kitchen, literally running into Josh, but he catches me.

"Woah, slow down there hummingbird," he says, and I stop and look at him confused.

"Sorry, I wanted to find a nickname for you, so I looked up spirit animals, and I thought the Hummingbird was perfect-" he rambles, and I stop him by putting my hand on his mouth.

"Chill out Boing; I get it now, I was just a little confused at first," I say, kissing him on the cheek and quickly making my way to the fridge and grabbing an apple, "Bye, I'm crazy late."

Right as I'm about to leave I hear Josh call me, "Gorgeous! Wait!"

I turn around and walk swiftly back to him, "What is it?"

"There's no school today," he explains, grabbing my hand and pulling me to his computer, which is at the dining room table. He opens it and opens up an email from Mr. Matthews.

Hey Josh,
Any chance you could tell Maya there's no school today? The school did email her, but I know she never checks her emails, and I know you will. Please make sure she doesn't go to school today, there was a small flood in one of the bathrooms, and some of the water hit an exposed wire, so there's the big mess of water plus some electricity problems. They cancelled school for the week.
Hope to see you again soon!
Ya brotha,
Cory

"Ohhhhh" I intone as I finish the email, "Thanks."

He smiles and looks up to me, "Of course Maya, don't want you just waiting at school all confused."

I laugh lightly, knowing that's probably true. I put my bag down on the ground and start to eat my apple when I hear the padding of footsteps from the hallway.

"Mommy!" Gabi exclaims, running to me and jumping onto the bench.

'Why isn't she at preschool?' I turn and mouth to Josh.

'Fever,' he mouths back, 'I called her in sick.'

I smile and nod, mouthing a 'thanks' and he gives a thumbs up from the kitchen as I turn back to Gabi.

"Good morning Sweetheart," I say, "How are you feeling?"

She shrugs, "Meh. Gross."

I nod in understanding, "Have you taken anything for your fever?"

She shakes her head, "Josh said he didn't want to mess it up."

I laugh lightly and look back to Josh, him giving me a shrug and lifting his arms up in an 'I don't know' way. I nod and stand up from the bench, grabbing Gabi's hand and saying, "Okay, I'll get you something."

We walk into the kitchen and I open the cabinet closest to the fridge, grabbing the kids' fever meds. I grab one of the medicine syringes, since she'll just dump it out onto the floor if it's in a cup, and Josh helps by picking her up and putting her on the counter. I read the box to remind myself how much she needs, and filling the syringe to 7.5 mL. I turn around and go over to Gabi.

"Okay, now you want to feel better right?" I ask, "Don't want to feel all icky?"

She nods, "I don't like that," she says, pointing to the medicine.

"I know sweetie, but you have to take it, it'll help you not feel so icky and maybe you could go back to school soon," I say, praying that she doesn't put up too much of a fight and making me have to put it down her throat, I hate when I have to do that. I hate having to see her or Dillon cry.