Family

Treinta y seis

Miami, Florida
9:30 A.M.

Please Excuse Any Mistakes.

Farah and Treyton had just dropped Novah off to daycare and we're on the way to their appointment. Both of them were scared, neither of them voiced it, of course, but it was definitely there. Farah was feeling it worse, though. She didn't want to get there and the doctors find more things wrong with her because she'd already begun to slowly accept the fact that she was having a baby.

Treyton was a little more calm. Of course he too was scared but he didn't want his wife to see that and it make her more uncomfortable. He was just thinking of the many possibilities and how this could be a deal breaker for Farah if it were to go the wrong way. In the end they'd just have to wait and see.
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Back at the daycare Renée had just finished giving the kids breakfast and greeting, as well as story time  and songs, so they were now having time playtime for about 30 minutes.

Novah was playing in the little kitchen area with Lonzo and another little girl, Millie, who dislike Novah because Lonzo was only nice to her now.

Novah and Lonzo were "boiling" food while Millie was "baking." She saw Lonzo grab Novah's hand so that she wouldn't "burn" herself and that set her off completely.

"Lonzo, come see!"

"No."

"Now! Come see!"

"I'm play with Novah, k?"

"Her ok. Come see, Lonzo! Come see!"

The little boy was getting fed up. And one thing about Lonzo is he's going to tell you when he's tired of your shenanigans.

"NO! YOU GO PLAY THERE, K!"

Renée was walking around to check on the groups of kids as well as the ones playing alone when she heard the yelling. Her helper wasn't there today so she was on her own with the kids.

She speed walked to the area just as Millie was about throw one of the play pots at the back of Novah's head.

"Hey! Stop that, Millie. What are you guys doing?"

Hearing their caregiver's voice got the attention of Lonzo and Novah partially. Lonzo turned around in time to see her taking the toy from Millie.

"Lonzo mean 'cause her here! Her need to leave! NOW!"

"Ok let's calm down. What happened? Come walk with me, guys."

Renée took Millie's hand and motioned for Novah and Lonzo to follow behind them. She walked out in the hall, still being close to the door so she could keep an eye on the rest of the class, and had the three kids stand up against the wall. Lonzo stood in between the two girls as his own way of making sure Mille did nothing to harm Novah.

Renée crouched down in front of the children and let them all speak.

"Lonzo not playing wit' me 'cause the black girl here."

"Okay, Millie. That's not nice. No name calling.

Lonzo glared at Millie and reached to punch her before his hands were grabbed. Lonzo, being at his young of four almost five, had been called out by a few kids because of his darker skin as well.

"No hitting, Lonzo."

Novah just stood there. She didn't feel any type of way towards the girl, she just wanted to get back to playing.

"Novah, are you okay?"

"Okay."

"Good. Millie why can't you just play with them both?"

"Lonzo be my friend first! Not her!"

"Okay. And why can't Anovah be your friend?"

"Because."

"If you can't play fair you won't play at all. Okay?"

Millie just rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her small chest. She was so used to getting her way at and away from home.

"Okay, Millie?"

"Kay."

"Now, Millie and Lonzo go back and play. I'll bring Novah in."

Millie smirked and tried to pull Lonzo with her, but he snatched his hand away. She looked at him with her face scrunched up and shook her head as a way of showing her disappointment.

"She'll be fine, Lonzo. We won't take long."

"Okay."

Lonzo followed behind Millie into the class, but while she ran off to the play area he stood by the door.

Outside, Renée was looking over Novah as if she was checking for any bruises.

"Are you okay, Anovah?"

"Yes. I okay."

"Good. Do you want to go play?"

"Play!"

"Okay. Do you want to play with Lonzo or-"

Renée was cut off by one of the kids crying. She slightly rolled her eyes and gently grabbed Novah's  hand and brought her back into the classroom.

When they walked in, Lonzo grabbed Novah from her and she didn't have time to protest; she had to tend to the problem at hand.

When Renée got the problem solved and everything to run smoothly, it was already time for the kids to be cleaned up and put down for a nap. She had a helper for this part, so everything was done in under about 30 minutes.

While the kids were falling asleep, Renée sat at her desk watching one child; Novah. For some reason, she just felt drawn to the girl.

Her phone lighting up was the only thing that got her attention off the child, and after responding the message she stared at her lock screen.  It was a picture of her daughter that she lost in a car accident about three years ago.

She heard movement and looked up to see Novah and Lonzo unconsciously moving closer to one another. Upon taking her eyes off of them once again and catching sight of her screen, it hit her; Novah made her feel as if her daughter was still there.