But Who's Counting?

Chapter Forty-Two: "You deserve to be happy."

"But-" Maya start. Alexander doesn't give much space for her to speak because he immediately speaks.

"Are you done eating?" Maya frowns at her father's questions, crossing her arms across her chest.

"You cut me off. I don't like when you do that, Daddy." She actually turns toward him this time, her small frame facing the left side of the breakfast bar now. He glanced up at her before rolling her eyes.

"Maya, can you please eat and get dressed? I'm tired of seeing your belly button." Alex groans, shutting his laptop and tucking it under. He grabs his water bottle and take a sip while looking between Maya and I.

"I'm tired of seeing your belly button!" Maya retorts, covering her own with her hand.

"If you go today, you don't have to go tomorrow."

"I actually want to go tomorrow. It's Elizabeth's birthday so we get cupcakes, even though I don't really like cupcakes. That's Justin's bestfriend so she's kind of my bestfriend. I don't like her though but usually we get goodie bags when it's somebody's birthday so maybe it's okay. So, let's make a deal: if I don't go today, I have no choice but to go tomorrow." He nods, sounding like she was perfectly fine with that plan.

"What's happening today that you don't want to do?"

"Daddy, I don't feel good." She whines, pressing the back of her head to her forehead.

I have a feeling she's going to win this argument.

She puts up a pretty good fight.

"Stop lying." He snaps.

"I'm going to throw up if you make me go to daycare." She threatens, making Alex bellow out a laugh.

"I invited that; ask Nana."

"I'm not going."

"One, but only because I have a really important meeting tomorrow and I can't have any interruptions. Maya, that means you cannot FaceTime, call, text, don't even think about me. I can't have any interruptions." Alexander basically pleads, sliding down into his chair.

Maya smiles triumphantly, turning around back in her chair and finish eating.

"You should had said yes a long time ago," she gloats, biting into her bagel with a smile. I smile at her joy of not having to go to daycare today while Alex rolls his eyes. "I'm going to go get dressed," he sighs as he stands up, laptop in his hands.

"Have fun." Maya says before sliding out of the chair. I watch as she grabs her plate and walk around into the kitchen, tossing the paper plate into the trash.

"Do you want some water?" Maya's head pops around the side of the counter. I shake my head feeling around in my stomach again. No more movement.

I probably my need to get out of the house. Im starting to feel nauseous and I don't know if it's from how hot it currently is inside this place or because I forced myself to drink that apple juice when I knew it made me want to vomit.

My head was still aching from earlier, not as bad, but enough for me to feel the constant lingering pain.

"Do you want anything else to eat? You didn't eat your bagel." She says and my eyes dart to my untouched bagel.

Damn her and her observation skills.

"No thanks, I'm not hungry."

"Are you sick?" She asks, finally coming towards me. I had to stop my self from laughing at how much she looked like Alex. Neither of them had a shirt on and both wore a pair or red basketball shorts. Their green eyes both matched each other, which only made them look even more like each other.