When he had proposed this deal, it had never occurred to Josh just how difficult it would be to keep his space from Maya until their someday finally came. They were constantly together for family get-togethers even more so after Shawn and her mother got married and Shawn adopted her. Every time he saw her, it was getting more and more difficult to maintain the boundaries, which was not fun, particularly given that both their families were usually present for their encounters. Even when he was at college, his mind could never drift far away from her, he would find his thoughts wondering away to her during his intro to anatomy class, during parties, his mind would even find her when he was talking to other girls. It was getting ridiculous, even his roommate noticed something had shifted.

"Dude are you doing drugs?" Matias asked out of the blue one day when they were lounging in their dorm tossing a football "because I'm totally not cool with that"

"What?" Josh sat up "No!" he answered quickly "why on earth would you ask that?"

"You've been totally spaced out this semester, ever since you got back from that cabin trip"

"And you think I'm on drugs?" Josh laughed, "don't jump to any conclusions or anything"

"Hey we have a good dynamic here; I don't want you to mess that up"

"I am not doing drugs, I'm just stressed out" he tossed the ball at him.

"You were stressed out during finals last semester, this is different. What is it?"

"It's nothing dude, I'm just stressed"

"Is it a girl?" he threw him the ball and a smirk.

"…"

"It is?" Matias laughed "come on who is she?"

"It's no one dude"

"Yeah alright" he rolled his eyes.

"It's just some girl but nothing can happen"

"Just some girl?" he cocked an eyebrow "you've been lost in your own head for three months it is not just some girl and what do you mean nothing can happen? You're not that ugly dude"

"That's not the reason moron" he threw the ball a little more forcefully.

"Then why not?"

"This is a pretty long story…"

"It's also the only thing between me and my econ paper so make as long as possible please"

"Her name's Maya, she's my niece's best friend"

"Your niece the high school freshman?"

"Yup" he popped.

"Dude a four year age difference is kinda gross"

"It's not four years; it's two years, forty five weeks and three days"

"Oh wow, you've counted the days? You got bad bro"

"and twenty seven minutes"

"Oh man I do not envy you"

"Nope" he popped again.

"So what, you met her at the cabin and it freaks you that she's your niece's best friend cuz two years isn't so bad"

"No I've known her forever"

"Then what's changed"

"I guess I just finally gave in, she's been telling me for a few years now that she's into me and I haven't exactly discourage her but last semester when I had to go so long without seeing her, it just kind of hit me"

"So, you like her, she likes you. I fail to see a problem"

"Dude she's a freshman"

"It's not even three years"

"That wouldn't be fair to her; she should have the normal high school experience without worrying about a boyfriend"

"But I don't get it, what happened at the cabin, what's changed now?"

"We talked"

"Only talked?"

"Yes"

"What about?"

"Us"

"Going to need some more details"

"It's so easy to talk to her, she just gets me I can't explain it"

"It seems to me like you're trying to explain it to yourself more so than to me"

"Maybe but anyway we basically agreed that someday we would give it a shot"

"Well that was stupid"

"Don't I know it?"

"And now you can't stop thinking about that someday right?"

"It's like now that I know what I might have one day, I can't think about anything else"

"Like a ticking bomb only the end will be good"

"Yeah but the waiting is torture"

"Man I wish I knew what to tell you"

"It's cool; at least I aired it all out with someone"

"For what it's worth, you wouldn't even contemplate doing this if she wasn't special and that should tell you everything you need to know"

"She's worth the torture"

"And you're a pretty good guy to put yourself through that"

"Good and stupid"

"Hey you never know, she might be suffering too"

And suffering she was, it had now been six months since she and Josh had made their agreement but to Maya it had felt like an eternity and now that the summer had rolled around it was going to be much much worse. They had all driven to Connecticut to spend the first month of summer at a lake house and although she was looking forward to spending more time with Josh, she was not looking forward to being stuck under the same roof as him, along with their entire families for three weeks.

"So the first meeting wasn't so bad right?" Riley asked once they had unpacked and gotten into their beds in their shared bedroom.

"Did you see how hot he looked?" Maya groaned "and how sweet was he helping my mom with her bags?"

"Maya this is my uncle you're talking about so if you don't mind I think I'll refrain from calling him hot"

"Riles I can't do this, I can't take it anymore"

"Believe me none of us can, enough already with the pent up tension"

"I'm so sorry that my agony has inconvenienced you" Maya rolled her eyes.

"Come on it's not so bad, just think, there's only three more years of high school"

"ughhh"

The next morning found everyone sitting around the breakfast table digging into Amy's delicious pancakes, scrambled eggs and bacon. Having ten people around the table wasn't exactly quiet but everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Auggie and Josh had woken up early and gone out on the jet skis while the girls had decided to take an early morning walk to find a spot that would serve as a temporary bay window.

"So are you all ready for the barbecue this evening, remember you all need to be dressed and at the door by seven"

"Do I have to go mommy?" Auggie asked.

"Yes and don't put the shirt on until just before we leave I don't want you to get it dirty before the party"

"So what kind of party is this grandma?" asked riley "What should I wear?"

"You'll look beautiful no matter what you wear sweetheart"

"Unlike me" said Katie "I'll look like a whale no matter what I wear" she looked down at the bump just barely beginning to pop out.

"You look beautiful" he husband smiled.

"Thanks but this is all your fault"

"Then why don't you go into town and have manicure, your hair done, buy a new dress, whatever you want"

"What do you say girls you want to have a girl's day out, we could go dress shopping and have manicures"

"We're in" Maya and Riley answered in unison.

As it were, it took slightly longer than any of the women had anticipated to find a dress that would help Katie feel better, so the older women, having gone through the very same thing themselves, stayed and helped while Maya and Riley browsed through the store.

"Oh Maya you have to buy it" Riley whined a little while later as she walked out of the changing room "you look so good"

"I don't know"

"Mom!" Riley spotted the older women "will you please tell Maya that she needs to buy that dress"

"Oh Maya" Started Amy "you look beautiful you really should buy that"

"If you don't then I will because you look stunning Maya"

"Give it here baby there is no way we are leaving this store without that dress, you look way too beautiful"

Beautiful was and understatement, or at least that's what Josh thought later that evening as she descended the stairs, he was just grateful that none of his family were around to see him make such a complete idiot out of himself.

"Put your tongue back in your mouth son" Allen said as he breezed past them on his way to the kitchen.

Okay so maybe he embarrassed himself a little but who could blame him? She was the absolute image of radiance in her blue and pink floral summer dress, her hair was falling around her like golden waterfalls and the sunlight was casting an almost angelic light on her face but best of all was the smile she wore. Josh was pretty sure that shy smile was reserved only for him and when their eyes finally met his heart stopped and his breath hitched, unable to form a string of words because he was so in awe of her beauty.

"You look…" he tried again "you look"

"Thank you Josh" she smiled at him.

The rest of the night seemed to go pretty smoothly with minimal teasing from the older part of their party about just how close they had been dancing or the fact that Maya had been wearing Josh's jacket for the better part of the night. He had even managed to slip his hand into hers for a few glorious moments during the firework show without any of the family noticing. Or at least that's what he thought, but the next day his mother cornered him in the kitchen with a cup of tea and a knowing smile that was beyond troubling.

"So are you going to tell me what's going on or am I going to have to pull it out of you?" she asked while passing him the hot mug.

"Nothing's going on mom"

"Try again"

"Nothing's going on yet"

"Care to further explain"

"We've come to an agreement"

"An agreement?"

"Someday"

"Well that was stupid, how are you supposed to focus on anything else"

"I'm beginning to understand just how stupid it was"

"Stupid and incredibly sweet"

"Thank you"

"Maybe you just need to air it out, just because you're waiting to move into something more doesn't mean you can't start working on the friendship now" she smiled "the best relationships are based on strong friendships"

"That's actually great advice mom, thanks"

"It's what I'm here for son"

"Thank you anyway"

"And holding hands and cuddling is cute and fun Josh but I'm pretty sure Shawn would kill you if he saw you two, you're lucky it was only me"

"It's not like that mom"

"It isn't hard to see the way you look at one another"

"Be more careful; got it"

"And you know when you do get your "someday" you'll have to talk to Shawn right?"

"I know"

"I am happy for you Joshua" she smiled "you know we love Maya and I think you two will be great together, when the time is right"

"I think so too" Riley smiled from the doorway.

"Riles-"he began.

"Do you really think you could do anything with Maya and she wouldn't tell me all about it?"

"So you're ok with this?"

"Of course, so long as you don't hurt my peaches, then I'll kill you"

"Riley I'm your uncle" he chuckled.

"And she's my peaches, she comes first, always"

"Ok, I promise I won't hurt her"

"She's also going crazy by the way, if it helps" she shrugged.

"Weirdly it does"

"And I Will never call her my aunt"

Later in the night, when everyone had been tucked into bed and a symphony of breaths could be heard in the hallways, Josh tiptoed downstairs only to find Maya sitting on the porch.

"Couldn't sleep?" he asked.

"You too huh?"

"Yeah"

"You want to join me?"

"Actually I want you to come with me; I want to show you something"

So a few minutes later Maya sat between Josh's legs, tightly wrapped in his embrace on the porch roof trying to enjoy the closeness they both knew they would not be able to enjoy for much longer.

"How did I not think of coming out here before?" Maya asked, as she looked at the lake, just visible over the treetops

"The only window is in my room"

"That's even more reason to come out here"

"Stop it"

"No" Maya giggled.

"You can come out here to sketch whenever you want, this can be our spot"

"Our spot" she looked back at him "I like that"

"Me too" he nuzzled his face in her hair. "God this isn't working is it"

"This sucks Josh"

"I know, I hate this but come on we only have to hang in for a few years"

"Maybe we should set some rules"

"Like?"

"Like if we start dating someone we have to tell, no showing up at birthday parties with a date unannounced"

"Ok and you have to warn me when you're going to look as beautiful as tonight, I need time to mentally prepare so as not to make a complete fool of myself "

"That doesn't help Josh"

"Okay how about we always have to tell the other if we start feeling insecure"

"Okay and if I wanted to just talk…"

"Always Maya"

And so with their strengthened friendship and slightly more costly phone bills, their wait became a little more bearable, though both continued to struggle to move on from the other. They both tried dating, and both failed miserably, Maya couldn't get five minutes into a date before her mind inevitably drifted back to Josh and the promise of someday. Josh on the other hand had been so consumed by jealousy and hate for every boy that took her out that dating hadn't even entered his thoughts. He was still human and of course there was the occasional hook up at a party but he knew that trying to get into anything more serious was an absolute waste of time. So without even wanting it, he had gone two and a half years without so much as a second date, and it didn't bother him in the slightest. It did however bother him to hear Riley and Maya discussing who the later would be taking to their senior prom. Some idiotic freshman had set a fire in the dorm room directly below his so he and Matias were currently sleeping on his brother's couch while their room was being treated for fumes.

"I just don't see why you won't ask him?" They head Riley ask from the stairs.

"Because I want to go wi-"

"Uncle Josh" Riley smiled "you're back early?"

"My class got out early; Maya this is my roommate Matias"

"Maya" he raised an eyebrow "this your chica Josh?"

"He's my Riley, I tell him everything" Josh answered Maya's unasked question.

"Nice to meet you" she shook his hand "and I'm nobody's chica but my own"

"I like her" he smirked.

"Yeah she's alright" Josh chuckled "So how was school?"

"Horrible "good" the best friends answered in unison.

"We're getting ready for prom"

"You're" Maya corrected, "you are getting ready for prom, I'm not going"

"You have to come Maya, you came last year"

"And it sucked"

"Your date was a jerk you just need to pick someone better"

"By jerk she means complete and utter ass hole" Riley squeaked at her best friend's language.

"Let's go to prom," Josh said.

"What?"

"Let's go to your prom, me and you"

"Today would be a really nice day for someday" she smiled.

"Is this happening?" Riley yelled, completely ruining their moment. "YAY!"

"Crap" Josh groaned, "where is he?"

"You don't have to do that"

"You know I have to talk to him, it wouldn't be right not to"

"No you don't"

"Where is he?"

"He and mom went upstate they'll be back tomorrow"

"Then our someday will have to wait one more day" he tucked her hair behind her ear "if Shawn doesn't kill me that is"

"He won't" Riley yelled, "he'll give you his blessing and the two of you will live happily ever after" she finished dreamily.

"You're ruining this for me" Maya teased her best friend "Tomorrow?" she asked Josh.

"Tomorrow" he smiled.

"In the mean time you chicas want to go get a slice of pizza?" the other boy asked, "I have love issues too"

"Come one buddy" josh chucked as he through an arm around his friend "I'll buy and you can tell us all about her"

Maya swore that the twenty-two hours and thirteen minutes were much much longer than the years they had already spent pining after one another. So the next day, as she sat in the Matthews kitchen waiting for Josh to arrive for dinner with Amy, Allen and the rest of the family she was feeling slightly uneasy. He had taken longer than she expected and she was beginning to get nervous. What if Shawn hated the idea, what if he really had hurt him. She was getting herself into a fit when Josh finally walked through the door.

"Hey how did it-" she was going to ask him if he had any luck, if Shawn had been hard on him, if they were finally, after three years of waiting, going to be able to have their someday. But Josh had no intention of letting her finish her question, he waltzed right passed his parents and brother and captured her lips in a kiss.

"Hello to you too, son I haven't seen in months" she vaguely heard Allen say but she was too wrapped up in Josh to notice anything else. She's sure the kiss lasted less than it felt, it seemed to go on forever or maybe that was just what happens when you're living the best moment of your life, eventually he did have to pull away.

"Someday" he whispered before giving her a quick peck.

"Someday" she smiled.