He meets her when he's ten and she's seven.
She comes barreling into the house with his niece in a flurry of blonde hair.
His breath catches as he takes in the sight of the little girl.
She looked so… sad.
At that moment he wanted nothing more than to be her knight and save her from whatever monster was making someone so pretty so sad.
"Uncle Josh!" Riley squeaked, hugging him lightly.
God he loved Riley but she treated him like glass.
"This is my friend Maya!" She introduced but Josh had already figured that out.
He'd been hearing about her for well over a year.
"Hi I'm Josh." He squeaked out.
"You don't look sick." She blurted out and Josh's stomach twisted.
"Maya!" Cory admonished.
"I have asthma. I'm not sick!" He huffed before storming off, ignoring his brother and sister in-law's calling his name.
He hated having asthma.
How was he ever going to be able to save that pretty little girl if he couldn't even breath?
His mother had a check list he was to follow before he left the house.
Coat?
Check.
Hat?
Check.
Inhaler?
Josh looked down at the red inhaler in his hands and frowned.
He hated his asthma.
He couldn't run or play like the other kids.
He couldn't be anyone's knight in shining armor.
He threw it at the wall.
He'd prove to that pretty little girl he wasn't sick.
That he could be her knight.
"Stop it!"
Josh looked up from his book when he heard Maya's voice cry out sharply.
He looked the park and saw her surrounded by Johnny Straza and his gang of fifth grader.
Johnny had Riley by the pig tail and was yanking.
Hard.
"Hey leave her alone!" He yelled, running over as fast as his lungs would let him.
Johnny laughed.
"What you going to do about it Wheezy?" He sneered, letting go of Riley's hair and grabbing Josh by the front of his shirt and lifting him up.
His mom had always told him not to get in fights but his dad had told him to be scrappy when he did get in a fight so Josh spat at him.
Johnny let out a cry of rage and tossed Josh to the ground.
He hit the ground and felt all the breath leave his body.
"Leave him alone!" Maya yelled, launching herself at Johnny and decking him right on the eye.
At that moment, just as consciousness began to leave him, Josh thought that maybe he had been wrong.
Maybe he didn't have to be Maya's Knight in Shining Armor.
Maybe she could be his.
He woke up in the hospital and groaned.
His mom was going to kill him.
"Hey mommy." He said weakly at the sight of her.
"Hey baby. Heard you had quite the day." She said soothingly.
"Mommy I had to save her." He said weakly.
Something in his mother's eyes shifted and she smiled fondly.
"And she had to save you baby."
Cory brings Maya and Riley to visit an hour later.
Riley is in tears and Maya just looks mad.
Well at least she wasn't sad.
"You saved me." She said softly once Riley shut up long enough for her to talk.
"S'no big deal." He said blushing deeply.
Maya punched him in the shoulder and smiled.
"I'ma marry you." She declared.
"Boys are supposed to ask girls Maya!" He protested.
"That's dumb. Boys leave. Girls gotta make sure that don't. So we're getting married." Maya said firmly.
"Ok."
They get married three days later in his backyard.
Riley is Maya's maid of honor and Cory was his best man because he was Josh's favorite brother.
Just don't tell Eric.
His dad gives her away because Maya's daddy isn't around no more and Josh gives her a ring he spent a whole five dollars on as Mr. Feeny marries them in front of the fence.
His mom and Topanga smiled at each other with that same look they always have in their eyes.
Them being married didn't really change anything.
Maya still spent most of her time with Riley that summer but that was ok because sometimes Maya would crawl in his bed after everyone went to sleep and tell him about how her daddy had left and how she never saw her mommy anymore.
He'd just hold her hand and listen.
He didn't know how to make it better but he does know that she looks a little less sad the next morning.
By the end of winter break the two of them are inseparable.
Cory sets up an email account for Maya and they agreed to stay in touch.
She kisses him the night before they leave for New York.
He had seen adults kiss but never understood the appeal.
At least till now.
Maya's lips are soft and sweet and Josh thinks he could kiss her for the rest of his life.
Maya broke the kiss and bit her lip.
"You aren't gonna stop lovin' me are you Josh?" She whispered.
Josh blinked.
"Why'd I do something like that Maya?" He asked.
"My daddy left my mommy and I'm 'bout to leave." She said.
Josh took her hand and smiled.
"I don't know everything Maya but I know that your daddy is dumb if he thinks he can get anything better than you." He said firmly.
He hadn't met anything more special than Maya Hart.
Maya threw her arms around him.
"One day when we get older I'm gonna marry you for reals Maya. Someday." He vowed.
He intended to keep that promise.