sᴇʜᴠᴇɴ ᴠᴀʀɢᴀs
"Ma Ma?"
Zuri's voice pulled me from my thoughts and I looked down at the mini version of Migi Vargas — well, if he had some wild curls pulled into a messy bun.
It was supposed to be her wash day, but Little Miss Zy wasn't in the mood, and honestly? I didn't feel like fighting her. So I put some moisturizer in her hair, slicked it up into a bun, and wrapped a ribbon around the base for the day.
Now? My task was folding towels that just finished their drying cycle.
"Yes, baby?"
"This...um, here." She said, holding out my iPad mini. Undoubtedly, Zuri had pressed something on accident, pausing the YouTube video of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
"You don't want to watch this on the TV instead, boop?"
"No, ta-ta." A very clear response was given as Zy waited for me to hand back over the device.
Turning on the television in the den would require her to stay in the area. Meaning, that she couldn't follow behind me, track for track, while still enjoying Minnie Mouse. So, of course, it was 'ta-ta'.
After handing her the iPad, the video resumed and Zuri took her seat again while I continued my handy work.
Within ten minutes, she had stopped me to skip multiple ads and finally, we were moving out of the laundry room to make rounds on the first floor of the lake house. There were facial rags needed in the half baths downstairs and prior to washing and drying towels — I had some throw blankets to put back in place plus dish rags. Afterward, I left the basket on the staircase to take up later. But first? Some cleaning supplies from the pantry in the laundry room.
"Ma Ma?"
"Yes, baby?"
"I get duece?" Zy waved her Princess Tiana cup in the air while following behind me. The video was paused again, her attention stuck on a new task.
"Yes, let me put this down first, okay?"
"K."
Zuri watched as sat down the four cleaning bottles, pushing them out of her reach. She was overly curious and ready to mimic anything she saw me doing around this house.
Finally, I was free to make her connotation of purified water and fruit punch from the Minute Maid juice carton. In the time it took for me to complete that task and turn back around Zy had walked away with Paw Patrol's intro song playing loudly.
The music was heading in the direction of Migi's office and as many times as I have told her 'Dada is at work,' she insisted on visiting that office.
"Zuri, come on, boop. We going upstairs,"
My call went unanswered and soon enough, I gave up and found her in his office. Zy was sitting on the plush shag rug in front of Migi's executive-style desk. Smart enough, she propped the iPad up to free her hands. A goofy grin on her chubby face when I found her comfortable in the spot.
"Why you wanna be in here, ma? Dada had to go."
"I call Dada?"
"May you call Dada?" She nodded at my correction and I simply shrugged it off. What was the harm? If Migi is busy, he'll let us know and call back later. If he was free, he'd be able to talk. "Okay, let me see the iPad. You can call him from off here."
Happily, Zuri gave me the device while trading off with her sippy cup. Migi went to Dallas this morning, at the last minute, for a meeting with his leasing team concerning unpaid rental fees in the building. I wasn't sure how long he'd be gone, but usually, he's back in Houston by dinner time around eight o'clock. Ideally, the meeting is to determine the next steps for unpaid fees.
