1.
"Hey Quinn. I'm sorry I haven't been here in a while, I've been really busy and work has been killing me." Maya wiped a tear from her eye and shook her head. "Wow, of course I would say something like that. That's fucked up, I'm sorry." She straightened up and dusted her pants. "I brought you some flowers. The other ones were getting pretty old so I brought you new ones." She put the flowers in a vase and tied a ribbon along with them. "There's not a day that goes by that I don't miss you. I love you, Quinny." Maya let out a deep breath, gathered her things and kissed her sister's tombstone.
She hated the cemetery, and the cold air sent a chill down her spine. It had been years but the memory was still present in her brain. She remembered it vividly and would've given anything to take her sister's place. Life was unfair sometimes and even though she missed Quinn everyday that went by, she knew she had to keep living. She had a purpose and she was going to fulfilll it, for her, for Quinn.
"Farkle, I'm home." Maya announced, closing the door behind her and tossing her coat on the couch.
"Hey, how was it?" Farkle came out of the kitchen with a plate of chicken avocado pinwheels.
Maya was thankful for Farkle. They had moved in together after college and for her sake, Farkle had decided to take the role of chef after Maya tried to cook pasta and almost burned the apartment down, almost giving their landlord a heart attack and earning them a very specific warning, on the verge of getting them kicked out.
"I took her some flowers and cleaned up a little bit." She slumped down on the couch and Farkle sat down beside her. The blonde leaned her head back and covered her face with her hands.
"I would give anything, Farkle, anything to take her place. This wasn't supposed to happen. People like her, they're not supposed to die. They're not..."
"Stop." Farkle put a hand on her knee and made her look at him. "I'm sorry that this happened to you, Maya. I'm really sorry, but you need to continue living your life. Quinn wouldn't want to see you like this, this isn't living, this is merely existing. Quinn died and for that I am sorry but there was nothing you could do. There was no way you could avoid that car accident. That's what it was, an accident, okay? I need you to understand that.
"I do." Maya let out a deep sigh. "But that doesn't make it any less painful. Today has just been a really shitty day with it being her anniversary and her birthday coming up, but I'll be okay, alright? I promise."
"I know you will. It's hard and I say this because I love you. You know that, right?" He smiled and kissed her forehead, taking the plate of pinwheels and heading back into the kitchen.
"Oh, hey!" He yelled loudly so Maya could hear him from the living room. " I invited Riley over for dinner, she'll be here in about twenty minutes so wash up and get ready for dinner."
"Yes sir, I'm on it."
"Great!" Oh and, Maya?"
"Yeah?"
Farkle set down the rest of the food on the kitchen table as Maya got up from the couch.
"I know this is a sensitive subject but could you not wear gloves to dinner tonight?"
"Farkle..."
"It's just, this is the first time Riley comes over since we started dating and I want it to be special and for us to look our best."
"I can't do that, Farkle. I'm sorry but I can't run the risk of Riley knowing about my scars. She can't see them."
"Why not? They're just scars?"
"They're not just scars, Minkus!" Maya traced her hand with her thumb. "They don't even look like normal scars. If Riley sees them, she's going to ask questions that I won't be able to answer. Are you forgetting I can heal people?"
"No, Maya. I't just-"
"I'm not doing it, Farkle, okay? Don't even try to convince me."
"Got it. Forget I asked."
"Hey," Maya gave Farkle's shoulder a light squeeze. "I'm sure we can get through dinner without my gloves interfering, sound good? We'll be fine, all we're gonna do is eat."
Shortly after, the doorbell rang, stahis way to the the pair.
"Shit, she's early." Farkle said, taking off his apron and made his way to the door.
"Hey, Riley." Farkle gave his girlfriend a kiss and stepped aside to let her in the apartment.
"Hi, Farkle. Hey, Maya." Riley stepped inside and put her purse on the small table that was near the entrance. "I brought some dessert. I hope you both like raspberry cheesecake."
The duo nodded in agreement and everyone headed to the kitchen.
"This is delicious, Farkle!" Riley announced happily, taking a bite of her rice.
"Thanks, Riles. I take care of the cooking around here." He seems very proud of himself.
Maya wishes she could just take her plate into her room and put on a good movie and go to sleep, but this is important to Farkle and because she didn't help with the cooking, the least she can do is sit with her best friend's girlfriend through dinner.
"...hospital? Maya?"
"What?" The mention of a hospital brings Maya back from her daze.
"I said Farkle mentioned you were volunteering at the New York Memorial Hospital on Lincoln Street, is that correct?"
"Yeah." She's careful with her words. She doesn't want to give too much away. "I just started yesterday. Farkle and I are going together tomorrow, there's someone I'd like him to meet."
Riley nods, listening carefully to what Maya has to say. "This must be really hard for you."She says in between bites of her pinwheel.
"Hard?" Maya furrows her eyebrows in confusion. "I don't understand."
"It must be hard seeing all those kids. You must think about your sister alot, right?"
Riley seemed genuinely concerned for Maya. She meant well, she probably did, but Maya could feel herself getting hot and picking at the sleeve of her shirt to try to calm herself down.
The brunette continued on, oblivious to what was happening. "Farkle told me about your sister, Quinn."