Variables | Joshaya ✔︎

Reasons Why I Love You

𝕞𝕒𝕪𝕒

Just then, I see Gabi running over towards me and my heart stops as she crosses the road, not taking a second to make sure it's safe. Oh god.

She surprisingly makes it across to the other side, making me let out the breath that was completely obvious that I was holding.

"Mommy!" she says, and then I notice that she's holding her owl in her hand, waving it around as she runs up to me.

"Gabriella! Do y-" I start to scold her, but then she cuts me off.

"I know I'm in trouble, but can I help you first? Then you can yell at me?" she flinches timidly, and I nod in confusion.

She smiles and hands her owl over to Dillon, and he takes it gratefully as my eyes widen in surprise.

"Moony?" I say, and she nods, "But you love that thing, you nearly have a tantrum every time I have to take her to wash her."

"Uncle Josh helped," she shrugs, "He said that the cool thing about babies is that they love their siblings, so they wanna be like them. So when he was having a little tantrum the other night I gave him Moony and he calmed down."

I see the bright smile on her face, and my heart melts, "You love Dillon, don't you?"

"Yup!" she says, sticking her chin up proudly.

I laugh and shake my head as I take the opportunity that Dillon isn't squirming and screaming to change his diaper, and hand Gabi back her owl as I position Dillon to latch on, lifting my shirt for him and covering him with his blanket as he latches on. Oh thank god, he's going to fall asleep in about 30 minutes. Hallelujah!

I sigh in relief, "Thanks Gabs, I was freaking out."

"Of course mama," she says, cuddling into my side and my heart melts at her calling me 'Mama.' I know it's generic but it's what I called my mom.

About 15 minutes of comfortable silence, I can hear Dillon's muffled coos from under the blanket indicating that he's done.

I take the blanket off, laying it down on the ground and swaddling him, making him extra comfy in my arms. I stand up, grabbing the diaper bag as Gabi stuffs everything that I took out back into it. We walk peacefully back to the restaurant, hand in hand.

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*time jump back to when Gabi runs out*
𝕛𝕠𝕤𝕙

The second Gabi runs out, I panic. I cross my fingers that she's running after Maya, but then she's still putting herself in danger and then I di-

"Chill out brotha, I know that girl. She'll find Maya; she'll be fine," Cory says, scooching over to me as I take a deep breath, nodding.

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*back to present*
𝕞𝕒𝕪𝕒

We walk back into the restaurant, still hand in hand, but now with an adorable baby completely passed out in my other arm.

As we get to the table, I see Josh's stressed out demeanor as he has his elbows on the table, his fingers threaded throughout his now messy but still incredibly hot head of hair. Someone needs to teach this man some manners. I mean, seriously? Elbows are like, number one!

"Josh," I say, and his head whips up and he immediately relaxes, and my heart breaks. I was the reason he was so stressed. I completely forgot the fact that Gabi came on her own, which means she also ran out of the restaurant alone.