Variables | Joshaya ✔︎

What to do...

𝕞𝕒𝕪𝕒

After about a 15 minute walk, we make it to the park. By now, Dillon is up and squirming in his seat, ready to go. I sigh in relief as we get there and I immediately see Cory, Riley, and Auggie ahead with a blanket laid out on the ground.

Josh obviously notices Dillon, and immediately stops us (we switched roles about halfway through the walk, so he is now carrying the diaper bag and I am pushing the stroller), unbuckles Dillon from the stroller and picks him up and out of it. I smile at him and he returns it as I fold up the stroller, rolling it that way for the rest of it. Right as we get there, Josh throws Dillon up gently, making him squeal as Josh catches him again and I smile at the two.

I immediately go and embrace Riley in a hug, Riley whispering in my ear, "You feeling okay?"

I just nod in response and she replies, "Good. Now, I'm going to steal your son."

I laugh as she pulls away from me and reaches her arms out to Josh and Dillon, "Gimme the baby."

Josh laughs and gladly hands him over and mutters, "Hello to you too niece."

"Ma brotha!" Cory exclaims, and Josh's smile immediately returns.

"Ma brotha!" Josh exclaims with the same amount of excitement, bringing his brother in for one of those 'bro hugs' and I laugh at the two as they pull apart.

"What's so funny, love?" Josh smirks, and my heart flutters at the nickname.

"You guys are ridiculous," I say, smiling and shaking my head.

"You love me," Josh says.

"I do," I agree, making Josh smile, "But you're still ridiculous."

He laughs as he wraps his arms around me and places a quick kiss on my lips, "I love you too."

Even if we do say it multiple times a day, that doesn't mean that it still makes my heart soar when he says it.

"Mommy?" I hear Gabi say, and I break out of my loving gaze in Josh's eyes to see her pulling at my shorts.

"Yes honey?" I say, pulling away from Josh's embrace and kneeling down to Gabi.

"Can I have my toys?" she asks, "I wanna play with Auggie."

"Of course," I say, and Josh hands me the diaper bag. I place it down on the blanket and look through it, seeing a Barbie and her owl plush. I grab both and hand them to her, "Here."

"Yay!" she exclaims, getting up and kissing my cheek, making my heart flutter, "Thank you mommy!"

"Of course love," I say as she runs over to the playground where Auggie dragged Cory over to watch them.

"Mommy?" Riley smirks, with Dillon in between her legs as she sits on the blanket too.

"Yeah," I breathe out.

"That's new," she points out.

"Josh actually talked me into it," I mutter, but Riley heard and her eyes widen.

"Really?!" she says as Dillon starts to whine and reaches out his arms to me. I smile as I take Dillon in my arms, placing him against my chest in between my legs, his back against me.

"Yeah," I say, still surprised.

"How?" she asks, "I tried to get you to do that for so long."

I laugh, "Well, I honestly don't know. He just really explained that if I did let her, then it could allow me to take the next step in starting to move on, and I can say that he wasn't wrong; I've been able to finally be genuinely happy for the first time in a long while."