Risenfromash: Ok, readers! Sorry for the super long chapter, but there si s a lot going on with our star-crossed couple in year four. I'm hoping year five will be significantly shorter… Thanks for continuing to read…
Today is the fourth annual Whaler's Cove secret lover's getaway for me and Maya. My mind is so absorbed by the anticipation of it that as I walk Trucy to the train platform I'm not really there. I'm already with Maya. I'm imagining her soft skin pressed against me and the silky feeling of her hair and…
"Daddy, are you even listening to me?"
Oh, crap! I wasn't. What had she been talking about before I zoned out? I think it was something about a new magic trick or it could have been some current event. Trucy likes to watch the news and talk to me about it.
"Sorry, I've got a lot on my mind."
"Yeah, I understand. I put a couple dinners in the freezer for you. Just pop them in the microwave if you want."
Trucy's always taking care of me. Sometimes I feel like she's my mom more than my daughter.
"Give my love to Grandma and Grandpa."
"I will and you have a good time with Maya."
"Yeah, I'll tell her you say- HEY!!!"
Trucy has trapped me with one of the oldest tricks in the book. I can't believe I fell for that!! She has roped me into inadvertently revealing that Maya and I are getting together and is now grinning smugly at me. She just loves to get one over on her daddy.
"You think I don't know what you two are up to. But I'm on to you guys. You ship me off during spring break every year so you two can have some alone time."
She emphasizes "alone time" in a way that makes me highly embarrassed. "I'm right aren't I?"
"I'm not really sure that this is your business." Or something I want to talk about with my thirteen-year-old daughter!
"Daddy, I want Maya to be my mom so I think it is my business. Why are you sneaking around like you're doing something wrong?"
"Trucy, it's complicated."
She looks down. I expect her to say she's not a little kid and to fight my unwillingness to discuss this, but instead she looks up at me with sad eyes, "It's my fault isn't it. It's because you adopted me."
"Oh, Trucy, no, no this isn't your fault." I hug her and she sniffles. "There's lots of reasons."
"And I'm one of them." Her disappointment is genuine. She'd probably be just as happy to have Maya with us all the time, as I would be.
"No, the Department of Child Safety is one of them. Not you. Maya loves you."
"Daddy, you'll make her my mommy someday won't you? Please?"
I smile.
"I'll try."
"No. That's not good enough! Maya is your special someone. Promise me. Promise me you two will get married some day."
I sigh. The more Trucy and Pearls hang out together the more they start to sound alike.
"Trucy, I don't like making promises I'm not sure I can keep."
She starts with the puppy dog eyes and when they don't work progresses to the dagger eyes.
"Ok, ok. I promise. It's not like I don't want to or something. I just don't know what the future holds and Maya has a lot of responsibilities in Kurain."
Trucy is quiet as she contemplates this. Her own life has been a saga that could inspire some Dickens-like novel with magicians and lawyers replacing the Victorians so I figure she will understand that you just never know what crap might happen tomorrow. The sad thing is it is always bad crap happening day after day to me. I try to teach Trucy to take the good with the bad but for me other than her and Maya its all bad. If it weren't for them my life would be totally without purpose and I'd probably find a rock to crawl under and die. When is the good part of my life going to happen? Don't tell me it was college! Those days sucked.
"Daddy, why do the elders in Kurain hate you so much?"
"Because I came very close to marrying Maya's cousin and then I dumped her."
"Pearls?" Trucy looks alarmed, more than alarmed, disturbed.
I bust up laughing. "No. Iris."
"Oh, that's the one that got married last year…" Trucy crinkles her nose in distaste. "Daddy, what were you thinking? She sounds totally boring. She's not your type at all."
I laugh. "Well, I wasn't lucky enough to have you around at the time to tell me that. So I had to figure it out on my own and I, of course, did it the long way."
Trucy gives me her "poor Daddy" look of sympathy. I know she totally wonders how I ever functioned without her. Apparently I'm a person who needs a lot of support at least if you listen to Trucy and Maya I am.
They're starting to board Trucy's train and she gives me a kiss on the cheek and says, "Have a really good time, Daddy. I love you."
As she jogs to the train I get curious so I call to her, "Hey, Trucy what is my type?"
"Maya, silly!" She shouts at me with a wide grin on her face.
I shake my head, "Stay out of trouble!"
"Always!" and then I lose sight of her amongst the crowd.
At Whaler's Cove, I am relieved to find no treasure hunt waiting for me. While that was an enjoyable adventure last year and it gave me a chance to tease Maya endlessly about her antics as a drunken teenager all I really want is a quiet evening in number fourteen. I don't know why I feel so tired. I guess I haven't been getting much sleep.
I check in for the two of us and wait in the room. I tell myself that this year Maya and I will have a complete conversation before we start making out. That would be the gentlemanly thing to do and for some reason it never seems to happen. I blush. Thank goodness Trucy is too young to really understand what we do here. I'd die of embarrassment if she knew how when left alone Maya and I are all over each other.
It's not my fault really. We only see each other a few times a year so it's hard to tell but Maya may be some kind of sex addict. She acts like I'm some kind of god. It's embarrassing, extremely flattering, but very, very embarrassing. She says we're in love and that this is what people in love do it's just nobody talks about it so I don't realize its normal. I bought into Maya's theory for about a day until I remembered that Larry tells me everything he does and with who (even when I tell him not to) and that he doesn't even do it as often as we do when we're in Whaler's Cove, at which point Maya had hit me and said never to compare anything we have to anything Larry Butz has ever had. And I had reluctantly agreed that I shouldn't be worried about what is or isn't normal. Maya and I deserve to be happy even if it is only one week out of the year and "normal" has never been an adjective anyone has used to describe us.
I hear a knock and go to the door. It's Maya and she embraces me, but doesn't say much and proceeds to drag her huge roller luggage only far enough into the room to allow the door to close. Then she heads over to throw herself on the bed.
"Hey, Maya. So how was your trip getting here?"
"Fine." She stretches to her full length and then pulls herself to a sitting position. She's looking at me in a way that makes me self-conscious. I sit beside her on the bed, but something doesn't seem quite right. Her hug wasn't as exuberant as it usually is and typically she either talks a blue streak when she first sees me or kisses me till I have to fight to get air. Not that I'm complaining…
She turns to face me on the bed and looks at me with the same dreamy expression on her face she has when watching like the Steel Samurai sweep his lady off her feet. She leans towards me.
"I love you, Nick."
"I love you, too." She climbs on top of me. So much for conversation…but a year is SUCH a long time to wait. I reach up to brush her hair behind her ear and I feel heat radiating off her.
"Maya. You're on fire! Are you ok?"
"Oh, it's nothing I have a little cold is all." She dismisses my concern and leans forward as I pull back.
"I dunno, Maya. You feel pretty hot to me."
"You always say I'm hot even when I'm not."
"Ha, ha." I mock laugh at her joke.
"What you worried I'm gonna give you cooties?"
"No, I just think maybe you should take it easy. You feel really feverish."
"I'm fine. I am a little thirsty, though. I'll go get a glass of water. Don't go anywhere!"
She slides off the bed and scampers into the bathroom to help herself to a glass of water. Leaning against the doorframe, she sips at the water giving me that wistful look again. I know that look all too well.
"Maya, how 'bout you come here and rest. We can snuggle up together and watch a movie or some Steel Samurai."
But Maya knows what she wants even if her body isn't cooperating. Even the Steel Samurai is not going to be enough to dissuade her. She steps towards me. "No, I'm fine."
And then as if someone turned her into a rag doll she collapses onto the floor. I leap up from the bed and run to her. I pick her up. Her body is limp and she feels like she's just come out of an oven. I don't know what to do. We're in Whaler's Cove for God's sake! At my place I'd head right for the Hickville Clinic or call an ambulance.
I pick her up and carry her out of the motel room leaving the door standing open. The hotel manager is working at the front desk and sees me coming. He runs out to meet me.
"What's wrong with her?"
"I don't know. She just got here, but she's got a really bad fever. I need to call an ambulance I think."
He looks at Maya. She is drifting in and out of consciousness and making little murmuring sounds. "I'll drive you. It'll be faster." He turns around and locks the office and points to a big red pick-up truck.
I talk to Maya but she doesn't respond much. It scares the shit out of me.
"Maya. Maya, just relax." I say this to her, but she couldn't be more relaxed. It's me who's freaking out. If Maya were watching this situation I'm sure she would point that out, too. She can be very blunt about pointing when I say or do stupid things and telling a person whose passed out to relax is pretty dumb, but Maya is on fire and I don't know what to do!
"We're going to get you to a doctor." I tell her by she doesn't respond to my voice.
The motel manager helps me hoist Maya into the high truck and then dashes around to get in the driver's seat. I climb in and hold Maya in my lap. On the way to the hospital she lays there never fully regaining consciousness. The drive feels like it takes forever, but this guy knows the back roads and he is definitely not driving the speed limit. We pull into an emergency drop off spot and he gets out and runs inside.
"We have a sick woman. I think you'll need a stretcher." I climb out of the truck and carefully lift her out and turn around to find myself in a sea of staff in scrubs. A couple of nurses attend to Maya and one with a clipboard starts asking me questions. I turn around and realize they are wheeling Maya away from me, but there are so many of them they are like a roadblock. I can't keep up with her as they wheel her off. I take a desperately large step to try to follow.
"I'm sorry, sir, you can't go with her. We'll let you know what we find. Now, what exactly happened?" The nurse is in her early twenties with the type of unnaturally blue eyes that only contact lenses can create.
"She's got a fever and she's weak. She collapsed just about twenty minutes ago."
"How long has she been sick?"
"I don't know. I'm her boyfriend but we don't live together…we don't even live in the same city."
"I see. You have any idea what medications she's on?" Her aquamarine eyes stare at me.
"Nothing that I know of other than birth control pills."
"Any idea when she last ate?"
"No. She had some water right before she collapsed."
"Does she have a history of fainting episodes or collapse?"
"No."
"Any allergies to medications?"
"Not that I know of."
"Any vomiting or diarrhea?"
"I don't know."
"Any history of asthma?"
"I don't think so."
"Any chance she could be pregnant."
"No. I don't think so."
I feel like an idiot. She's my girlfriend and I haven't got any information to tell them and I didn't even think to grab her purse, which probably would have had some helpful information. Some investigator I am. Finally, the nurse with the electric eyes gives up on getting a history from me. I've got so little to tell her that I find it a relief. The more questions she asked the more tense I became. Having to say I don't know over and over again has never agreed with me. I don't like answering questions. As an attorney I got to be the one asking the questions; being on the receiving end of them feels awkward to me.
I find a seat in the waiting room and put my head in my hands. I talked to Maya three days ago and she didn't mention being sick. Did she really get something that virulent or was she hiding this from me?
The motel manager walks in and sits down beside me. "You ok, Nick?"
"I guess. I feel like a jerk. I didn't even know she was sick."
"You mind if I ask you something?"
I shrug. Sure, what's one more question at this point? Besides I owe this guy big time.
"Normally in the hotel business we don't ask questions, but my wife and I have wondered about you two. You married to somebody else?"
"No, we're not having an affair. We haven't even dated anybody else in…" I do the math slowly in my head. Four years. Can that really be right? How can the years go so fast? "…Four years."
"So, why aren't you two married? That girl thinks you walk on water. I've seen how she looks at you. And I'm pretty sure you feel the same way about her."
I smirk. "My daughter asked me the same thing earlier today."
"Daughter?" He looks at me with surprise.
"I adopted her. I knew her dad. Anyways, things are complicated."
"Look, I know a lot of men complain about their wives and I sure as hell never saw myself running a motel in a podunk town like Whaler's Cove, but we're happy. Marrying Charlotte was the smartest thing I ever did. I think you and that girl belong together. So if I were you I would work on uncomplicating things."
"Believe me I'm trying."
"Good. And I tell you what, Mr. White. You marry her and my wife and I'll give you a week at the motel on us as a wedding present. Well, give me a call at the motel if you need a ride back. You got the number?"
I nod.
"And try not to worry. They do good work here. I'm sure Maya will be fine."
I stand up and shake his hand. "Thanks, thanks so much." He pats me on the back and leaves. What a genuinely nice guy, makes me embarrassed I can't recall his name. Normally, I'm not one to forget stuff like that, but my mind is kind of feeling like mush right now. Visions of Maya and me on our previous vacations to Whaler's Cove intermingle in my mind with the horrible image of her fall in the motel room today.
I sit deep in thought. I'm wondering if I should call Pearls and let her and the rest of Maya's family know she's ill. It would probably be the right thing to do. Maybe they could provide some piece of information, some evidence to the doctors of what is wrong. On the other hand, I think Maya would kill me if I call Kurain without her permission unless the doctors tell me she's dying. By me calling I'd be revealing that we're together and lying about it and I'm not sure where exactly that would leave us or her. It's probably not proper for the Master of Kurain to be lying to all the elders and all those who study under her. It's weird. She's supposedly the head-honcho, but sometimes I get the feeling she's more of a figurehead and that the elders are even more of a pain to her because of her title. When she's better I need to talk to her about it. I need to better understand if she's happy there or not, because I feel like giving up. I know Kristoph is still running around, but how much longer before everybody knows about us? Trucy knows. The motel owners know.
And why does it bother me to have people know? Is it just my fear that she'll end up in prison, dead, or kidnapped? No, there's a little shame there, too. Sometimes I get relapses of the old familiar she's-way-too-young-for-you feelings. And then there is the fact that I can't provide for her. Me and Trucy are barely making ends meet. Truce says she's performing magic at birthday parties for the experience it provides her, but I know that she's actually doing it to help out with the bills. She doesn't want the electricity or the water to get shut off… again.
But I have to tell myself it isn't all pride that's keeping me and Maya apart. It just isn't our time yet. Like it wasn't our time when she was my partner. Then she was too young. Now things are too weird. I vowed a long time ago I wouldn't let anything happen to her again and things happen around me. They just do.
I just can't help but feel like if the wrong people found out that Maya and I are together it would spell disaster for her. Didn't I have to defend her two, three times and we weren't even an item then? What would they do if they knew I was in love with her? And I'm not even in a position to care for her anymore. I couldn't defend her if she got imprisoned and Edgey's moved away. It isn't just an excuse. There are just too many loose ends from that last case.
I sit and stare at a poster on the wall that informs people of how to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. People come and go. Nurses and orderlies mingle and talk about what they did on their days off. A woman comes in with four kids. One of them has a nasty cough. I wonder how she can have the energy for so many kids. I can barely keep up with Trucy sometimes. A guy comes limping in. He says he fell off his dirt bike.
What are they doing with Maya? Why is this taking so damn long? Can't they at least come tell me if she's awake or something? Maybe they've forgotten about me. I hope this place isn't anal-retentive about visitation. As an attorney I know all about visitation rights and I know I don't have any in this situation. In fact, I've got no rights to make any decisions either. It doesn't matter that Maya refuses to be with anyone else. It doesn't matter that she's my other half. If something serious is going on it will be the elders making the decisions not me. The thought angers me. If only she and I had gotten married I wouldn't have to worry about that. I'm sweating and tugging wildly at my hair. I know perfectly well that I'm working myself up, but I'm mad.
Maya didn't tell me she was sick. She sacrificed her health to come see me, because she's crazy about me for some insane reason. Sometimes I wish I could make her quit loving me, but I can't. She has always cared about me more than any reasonable individual would. The girl is insane. And I love her. I love her with every fiber of my being, but we still aren't together, not really. My agitation continues to grow. I feel like busting through that big door that says employees only and demanding to be taken to her. I've had two people tell me today how I need to marry Maya, but marrying Maya isn't the problem. The problem is me and my screwed-up life. I've promised to Maya that I'll make this right, but I'm not making any progress. I'm forced to act all buddy-buddy with Kristoph and I still haven't found a lawyer I can trust…
"Sir, are you the gentleman who brought in Miss Maya Fey?"
"Is she ok?" The sound of my own panic-stricken voice alarms me. "Can I see her?"
"Sure."
They take me behind the thick automated door and down a series of long identical hallways cluttered with medical equipment.
"Nick!"
Maya is still in a room in the emergency area. She has had an IV placed and seeing it causes me to flashback to Trucy's grandfather's death in the hospital. Damn case, it's always there in the back of my mind nagging at me. How long am I going to have to live like this? Why does Maya have to pay the price for my inability to solve this case? Why can't I be like a normal lawyer and not give a care about people? I try to push the unpleasant memories out of my mind- Maya needs me now.
I drag a chair next to her. She looks pale and tired.
"What am I going to do with you?" I tease her.
She kind of smiles.
"Maya, how long have you been sick?" I ask taking her hand in mine.
She bites her lip a little and looks up to the ceiling as if her calendar were hanging there. "I dunno. Maybe three weeks."
"Three weeks? Haven't you gone to the doctor?" I can feel a lecture formulating in my brain about how she is not the Pink Princess and she needs to take better care of herself and how they need to get a freaking heater installed in Fey Manor or I'll go do it for them whether they like it or not.
"I did once but it didn't help."
"Well, then you go back, Maya, and you keep going back till they make you better."
"You're supposed to be making love to me right now." She says sadly.
"And you're supposed to be well enough that I could without killing you." She looks down at her IV and repositions the infusion line. I shouldn't scold her. I know perfectly well why she did it. This is our week. Our only week of the year to do whatever we want. She couldn't very well take a rain check. I probably would have done the exact same thing. Not that I'll let her know that.
"Oh, Nick, I just wanted to be with you so bad. I miss you all the time. You don't know how bad I've been wanting to have sex with you." As soon as she says this I sense that we aren't alone and I look up to see that a doctor has entered the room. The doctor looks like she's fighting cracking up. I sigh, at least Maya's in her twenties now. With the things she used to say when she was underage, it's amazing I never ended up at the detention center for any of them.
"You must be Maya Fey. I took a look at your x-rays. A radiologist will review them to see if they see anything additional, but what I'm seeing are classic signs of pneumonia. We're going to need to keep you in the hospital for a few days so we can give you IV antibiotics and get your hydration level back up. We're arranging for your transfer to a room now."
Maya looks terrified, but I feel relieved. They seem to think they can give her some medicines and in a few days she'll be better.
"But…but…what about Nick?" she grabs my hand as if the Evil Magistrate had just sentenced her to a year in his dungeon.
"Your friend is welcome to stay in your room during visiting hours. As long as he doesn't do anything that would compromise your health." Maya is too sick to catch the insinuation, but I put my head in my hands with embarrassment. I'm sure I must be red as a tomato. I hope I never have to see this doctor again. Please, Lord, don't let me ever fall ill or get injured in Whaler's Cove. I can tell this woman is not going to forget me and Maya.
They wheel Maya into another room. It is weird to see Maya so weak that she doesn't have the energy to say or do what she wants or bark orders for other people to do it. She must really feel lousy or I'm sure she would be chatting with the nurses and telling me that my new top secret assignment was to smuggle her in three juicy hamburgers.
They get her settled in the room and try to make her comfortable and then they depart telling Maya she can use the call nurse button if she needs anything else.
I sit on a chair beside her and look her in the eyes. For once Maya is on eye level with me. She has the most beautiful expressive eyes.
"Maya, I know we have our traditions, but please don't do this ever again. We can figure something else out. You could have come to my place in a couple weeks or something."
"Nick, I just love you so much and I wanted to be with you so bad! I've missed you a ton." We really got busy this year and didn't see much of each other.
"I know. I feel the same way, but don't go killing yourself over me, ok?"
"Ok."
I run my hand through her hair and touch the side of her face. She still feels really warm, but not as bad. The IVs must be cooling her down some.
"You look beautiful."
"And your eyes are brown for a reason."
Sure, Maya blow off my compliment but it's the truth. It's true that she doesn't look well, but she looks peaceful.
She smiles ever so slightly and her eyelids droop. I kiss her forehead, "Go to sleep. I'll be right here."
I wake up to a tapping on my shoulder.
"Our policy is that visitors need to leave the private rooms of patients at this time. You can come back in the morning. Ms. Fey needs her rest." Hold it! What a contradictory statement! If she really wanted Maya to get her rest than why is she waking me up? Maya and I have always slept better together. I'm sleeping better here in this uncomfortable chair than I have in months at home in my bed just cause Maya's here.
I really want to shout my objection to this woman's flawed testimony, but I figure pissing off the people caring for Maya would be a bad move. So instead I step out of her room and scope the hospital for the nearest waiting area. I'm not leaving the hospital without Maya no matter how long she's here for. I find a sitting area at the end of the hall and purchase a handful of different snacks from the vending machine and chow down on a mix of corn nuts, corn chips, and something that is supposed to be like a bearclaw but instead resembles sugar-coated cardboard. What a vacation this has turned out to be.
I'm the only one in this waiting area so I shove a bunch of chairs together in an attempt to make a little bed for myself but I'm really too tall to make it work. After trying multiple different chair configurations I finally give up.
My dreams are filled with Maya and me at the beach and younger Maya creeping into my room late at night to snuggle up. I can barely remember my life before she came into it. It's like I only truly started living after I met the Chief. It's sad that I never really got to see Mia and Maya together. Having Pearls channel Mia doesn't really count to me. I miss Mia a lot. I wonder if Mia knows about me and Maya. I've often wondered why Maya doesn't channel Mia anymore. I figure it's because the last time felt like the final goodbye to both of them. It didn't to me. Maya may have come to terms with Mia's death, but I still haven't. I miss her. I need her guidance probably now more than ever. I figure she could help me to make progress on the mysteries I need to solve or kick me in the butt for having Maya's future rest upon such things.
"Excuse me are you, Nick?" a nurse with chocolately dark skin wearing a brightly colored flowery scrub top and blue pants is leaning over me.
"Yeah."
"I need you to come calm Maya down. She's quite upset that you aren't with her. She insists you promised not to leave her."
"I'm sorry. The other nurse kicked me out."
This nurse smiles sweetly, "I know. She doesn't like to bend the rules, but I work the graveyard shift. I can do what I want 'cause they'll be hard pressed to find someone to replace me." I like this woman already. People who bend the rules in the name of what's right have always been heroes to Maya and me.
She walks with me back to Maya's room. I can hear Maya hollering my name as we enter. "Niiiiiiccccckkk? Niiiiiccckkk?"
"Here he is. I found him sleeping in the hall. The nurse caring for you earlier told him he had to leave."
Maya looks worse than when she collapsed. She's all sweaty and her face is bright pink. "You said you were going to stay with me. I can't believe you'd leave me all alone like this."
"Sorry, they kicked me out and I didn't want to wake you up. You needed your rest."
"Well not anymore. I'm awake now. I'm bored. Amuse me. Talk to me. I want to feel like we got some time together."
I hold her hand and tell her, "Well, my clever daughter has seen through our charade and knows I'm with you."
"Really? I guess we should have known, but I was betting Pearls would figure it out before Trucy."
"Well, Trucy's got that super perceptive thing going for her. I think she noticed the spring in my step as I took her to the train station. Plus this is the only time I never call her to check in." I realized that after our first week in Whaler's Cove any other time Trucy spends the night away from home we check in with one another, but when I'm in Whaler's cove with Maya I figure phone calls between us are on an emergency basis only. I wonder if that makes me a bad father or simply human.
"So, the jig is up?"
"I don't think so. Trucy's not going to tell anyone. She'll just bug me more and more to have you over all the time."
As Maya and I sit and talk about things I'm overcome by a strange swirling sensation. It's a kind of full body déjà vu, but more of a premonition than a memory of a past event. I see Maya in a hospital bad and she's screaming. It's terrifying to me, but it's gone so fast I can't study it. I can't investigate it. I don't know what it was I saw, but Maya's going to be back in the hospital and she's gonna be in a hell of a lot of pain. Or at least that's what it felt like. I wonder if Trucy's perceptiveness is contagious…no, I must just be half asleep again.
"Nick! Nick! Wake up! I get to go home!"
"That's great." I smile ruefully. "But I don't sleep that soundly." I heard her arguing with them. They wanted her to stay another day, but she refused.
"Nick, you'll take better care of me than they will. You'll be with me the entire time. They only come in every two hours. They didn't even notice when my IV had run out. I don't think they're very competent here. I mean what were they thinking kicking you out. It's obvious that I need you."
I laugh. "You can rationalize all you want. But I am not a doctor. I'm not even a lawyer anymore. I have absolutely no qualifications to take care of you."
Maya gives me the puppy dog eyes, but her's are way more effective on me than Trucy's. Maya is the master of the look and she has had years to perfect it and it's effect on me. I sigh. "Come on, let's get out of here."
We get a bottle of mind-bogglingly huge antibiotic tablets from the hospital pharmacy and head home with instructions to take it easy, drink lots of water, and have Maya recheck with her doctor as soon as she gets back to Kurain.
We take a cab home and I help her to take a bath.
Sitting in the bath she says, "Nick, how'd I get so lucky?"
"Lucky?" I shake my head. It's official Maya has the weirdest ideas. This is stranger than that time she "researched" making me a teleporter to save me time commuting to the courthouse.
"You just spent two nights in the hospital when you're supposed to be on vacation. I'm missing the part of that that's lucky."
"You. Us."
I want to say that there is no "us" that it's just an illusion, that I'll never get my act together enough to really get to be with her. She deserves so much better than me a washed up, has-been who can't even move on with his life enough to get a regular job. Piano playing and illegal poker playing. I must be insane, too.
Sitting there thinking of all the things Maya deserves hat I can't provide for her reminds me that I actually have a gift for her.
"Oh! I forgot I have a present for you."
Maya's face lights up like a kid seeing Santa Claus. She splashes the bathwater in excitement. "Really, Nick?"
"It was supposed to be a Christmas present, but I didn't want to give it to you with the girls around and then I forgot to give it to you before you left. I suppose I could have mailed it…"
This has, of course, peeked her interest and as I run out to get the present out of my bag I see her leaning halfway out of the bath to watch me.
"I don't know that you'll want it now, but-"
She snatches the wrapped box from me.
It's a black satin nightgown and a black satin robe printed with butterflies. I know it will look great on her, very sexy. I'm kind of regretting I didn't keep it for when she's feeling better.
She opens it and gasps, "Nick. It's beautiful."
I'm a little embarrassed. I've never bought her anything to wear before, except a couple t-shirts printed with her favorite TV characters. This is much more intimate and I hope she doesn't think they're some kind of expectation along with it. Guys buying women sexy outfits or lingerie has always kind of cracked me up. It's so obviously not a present for the girl.
She gets out of the bath and dries off.
"Shoo. Shoo. Go out and I'll model it for you."
"Oh, ah you don't have to do that. I…ah…just saw it when I was out shopping with Trucy and thought you'd like it."
"You bought this with Trucy and you wonder how she deduced we're dating?"
"God, no! I saw it and went on a secret mission to get it later. She never had a clue. I was very covert about looking at it." I was. I can never look directly at lingerie in stores.
I go out and lay down on the bed. It is way more comfortable than sitting on the toilet in the bathroom, but I feel like maybe I should move to the desk chair. Why do I get so self-conscious around her? I mean, she is my girlfriend.
Maya appears in the doorway and I let out a little gasp. She looks amazing. She gives me a naughty smile and steps forward.
"What do you think?" She twirls around and the butterflies look like they are swimming in an inky sea of silk and satin.
I don't have the words for how incredible she is. She looks amazing and two days ago she was practically dying in my arms. She climbs on the bed and gives me a hug.
"Thanks. This is a really nice surprise after two days in those ugly hospital gowns."
I'm trying really hard not to stare. I'm convinced Maya can make anything look good, but this takes it to a new level. I'm so used to her flannel pjs and fuzzy slippers that seeing her in something like this makes me remember it's been a year. A year of lonely nights spent dreaming of her. A year of constantly thinking about her.
"Thanks for staying with me in the hospital."
"Well, what would I do in Whaler's Cove without you? It's only fun cause of you." Everything in my life that's fun is because of Maya or reminds me of Maya.
"Oh, Nick! I love you."
"I love you, too." And before I know it her lips are locked on mine.
"I don't think we should…you're still…" but she won't let me complete the sentence. Her lips and tongue are teasing mine. The satin sleeve of her robe brushes against my arm as her silken hair billows down on me. I wrap my arms around her waist and her hands roam around my back. I close my eyes and decide to give in. I can't fight her. Not about this. Not like this.
We don't leave number fourteen other than for me going out to get us food. Maya is doing better, but she's still pretty weak and it's been nice to just hang out. It reminds me of those times between cases when all we could do was wait for the next adventure to fall into our laps.
Our last night at the motel Maya and I are watching TV while I think about how to ask her for something.
"You know, Maya, I've been thinking…"
"Uh, oh. You sound serious and your forehead is crinkled. Out with it. What am I in trouble for?"
I laugh. "Have you done something I should know about?"
"I ate the last of the barbeque potato chips… and the last of the sour cream and onion ones."
"I think I'll survive at least as far as snack foods are concerned…"
This is so embarrassing and she might be really mad about it. I mean I'm the one who keeps saying we can't be together…
"What would you think about us…" oh, God I don't want to have to have this conversation. It's so embarrassing. I just want her so bad. I can't stand it anymore. "Maya, let's do this at my place. Please."
"What exactly?" She eyes me. She has enough courtroom experience to not like vague statements. She knows not to agree to something without reading the fine print or in this case dragging the embarrassing truth out of me.
"Maya, it's just…" I groan and roll my eyes. "I can barely stand it when you come visit me."
"You don't want me to come visit you?!"
"No, that's not what I'm saying! I'm saying…." What was I saying? Oh, my god I can't ask her this. It's just not right.
"What, Nick? What are you so embarrassed about?"
"I was hoping that when you come visit you can sneak into my room at night or when Trucy's not around and we can…."
I close my eyes expecting to be punched. I can't even look at her. I make fun of her, accusing her of being some kind of sexual deviant because she wants it all the time, but here I am admitting I can't take it anymore and telling her I want her to covertly sneak into bed with me at night.
Instead of hitting me she doesn't even take her eyes off the TV. "Is that all? Sure! No problem! I can be quiet like a mouse. I won't get caught by Trucy or anybody."
I blink. She's not upset at all. She's not saying that's breaking the pact or that I have a lot of gall. She's just smiling.
"You're really ok with that? I mean, I just don't want to set a bad example for Trucy…"
Maya turns to me her big eyes taking me in.
"Nick, you should know I'm practically a professional when it comes to sneaking into your bed! Come on I bet you couldn't even count how many mornings you woke up with me when I wasn't there when you fell asleep." This is true. Maya used to sneak in bed with me. The first time it freaked me out when I rolled over and found another warm body in bed with me. I had leapt up and caused a ruckus telling her how bad it would look if someone found us. But all she had done was hit me for disturbing her sleep and told me I worried too much and that it was too cold in the other room. She had three main excuses for this behavior: she was cold and it conserved heat thus lowering the heating bill, she was scared and she felt safe with me (this was mainly after she was kidnapped) and that we were like brother and sister so what did it matter. Brother and sister, indeed!
"You're really ok with this?"
"Heck, yeah!"
"Well, I suppose you won't be having to kill yourself to come see me in Whaler's Cove then."
"Naw! I'll still come if the Old Man can manage it surely I can take a week off."
It's our last morning in Whaler's Cove and we're packing up and soon we'll be fighting. I know this for a fact because I've done something Maya won't approve of. I rented a car so she won't have to take the bus back to Kurain. I know she won't be happy about it, but I can't let her take the bus. She's still sick and I want to make sure she gets home safely and fairly comfortably instead of being crammed on a bus with a bunch of strangers sneezing and coughing all over her.
I grab Maya's ginormous roller luggage while she's in the bathroom and carry it out to the rental car. I wanted a cheap car, but the word "economy" gives this car more dignity than it has. The thing is a two door roller skate. I'm not even surprised to discover that Maya's suitcase doesn't fit in the trunk. I'm fussing with it trying to cram it in the back seat when she walks out the front door of number fourteen. Her face is scrunched up in displeasure.
"Nick, why are you cramming my stuff into that car?" I'm sure she knows why, but I merely grunt as I give a final push to get her neon iFly suitcase in.
"I'm not letting you ride the bus. You're not well enough. Instead, I'm offering you the luxury of your own chauffeur and clown car."
She laughs.
"Besides, we never take road trips together it'll be fun." I rarely suggest things for us to do, so I'm hoping that she'll take pity on me and just go along with this.
She narrows her eyes. "This isn't a good idea and you know it."
I shrug. "Neither is you riding the bus when you're still weak. This way we can make as many stops as you want, whenever you want and we can listen to the radio and have a good last day together."
She puts her finger to her lips in her concentrating pose. "Besides, maybe it's time I return to Kurain. You know, start reintroducing myself."
"No." This kind of surprises me. I thought maybe she had been waiting for me to volunteer to come back to the village.
"Maya, we changed one rule last night didn't we? Maybe we need to look at the entire agreement? I mean don't you think it's time for your family to know about us?"
"No."
"Why?"
"The Master of Kurain is supposed to be…well there's traditions. Very old-fashioned traditions."
"I see." But actually I don't. All I know is Maya has a lot to offer and I bet she could be the best Master ever if they just let her do things her way.
Maya looks sad and frustrated like when she can't get the lid off the pickle jar by herself.
"You don't think that even if we played it off as that we're just friends that they would be ok with me in your life? Is that it?"
She nods.
"Maya, how long are you going to let them boss you around? You're an adult. It's not your fault Mia left and you should do the same thing…if you're not happy."
"I won't be Master forever. I'm going to hand the job over to Pearls when she's ready."
I have hoped she would say this. She's hinted at this for a very long time, but I've never heard her so plainly say that she'll step down as Master. I'm not sure if my happiness at hearing this is selfish or appropriate. Shouldn't I be encouraging her?
"How long before Pearls is ready?" I ask trying not to sound as eager as I feel.
"How long before you get over the fact Kristoph Gavin is still running around and you still don't know if Trucy's dad killed her grandfather?"
I sigh. We appear to be at an impasse. Again. We seem fated to never actually get to be happy.
"Come on, Maya. Let me visit you in Kurain. It makes me feel like a jerk that you always have to come to me."
"No. They've had their suspicions over the years, Nick. Suspicions I denied same as you did. And remember how they freaked out when they learned you carry a photo of me?"
I nod. I do remember that. I was just presenting evidence. Doing my job and Morgan Fey totally freaked out that I would have in my possession a photo of "Mystic Maya". It's not like Maya was in a bikini in the photo or something…Maya in a bikini…we need to come to the beach in the summer sometime…
"Nick, you're zoning out on me, Old Man."
"Huh?"
"Having a senior moment?" I blush.
"Just let me take the bus, ok? Forget the whole chivalrous boyfriend routine. I'm fine."
"No, I already paid for this car and you're getting in it even if I have to put you in it." And I mean it.
Maya rolls her eyes in a sign of defeat and turns around to grab the rest of our stuff. I take one last look around the room. Another secret mission almost complete…
Taking a drive with Maya is kind of a nice change. Though I always feel a little odd behind the steering wheel. I drive so rarely that Maya admitted to me that she didn't even think I still had a license.
"Of course I have a driver's license. I keep it up-to-date for emergencies. Being able to drive is on my list of skills every parent should have along with knowing how to swim and how to perform CPR."
"You know what else every parent should know how to do?" Maya is gazing out the window looking at some cows in a field as we pass.
"What?"
"How to make those origami hats out of newspaper. If every parent knew how to do that kids everywhere would be so much happier."
I smile. "I guess your kids will be the happiest then."
She turns away from the view to look at me.
"No, I don't know how to do it. Mia never got around to teaching me."
It's so sad. Even a medium who can bring her sister back can't make up for the reality that Mia is gone, passed over to someplace else.
"Oh, I just thought…" I stumble for what to say, Mia's death may have brought Maya to me, but I would give anything to have had things go differently. Why couldn't we have been fated to meet at the burger joint or in the office without Mia having to be murdered?
"No, it's ok. I'm not a parent yet. I have time, but it's an essential parenting skill. I need to learn before I have a baby." This isn't unusual conversation. People talk about their future hypothetical children all the time, but for some reason today I notice it more. So, Maya wants to have kids. She's such a kid herself that I'm sure some people would have a hard time imagining her being a parent but I can see it. Her kids would be so lucky to have such a cool mom.
"Don't worry. I know how to make origami hats." Nick, why are you saying it like that? You sound like you're applying for a job. Oh, my god! You are. Shut up, Nick, or think of something else to say fast so she doesn't notice what you're implying… "…And I know how to fold a one dollar bill into a boot."
"Really? You actually know something cool that doesn't involve legal stuff?"
"Hey, I resent that. I know how to do lots of cool things." Including diverting Maya's attention from my obvious insinuation that I want to be the father of her kids…
"Name five."
Ugh! She's put me on the spot. Ok, Nick. Five cool things- come on prove to Maya what a fun to hang out with person you really are…
"I know how to do a few card tricks. Trucy taught me."
"Ok. That's one."
"I have the magatama and I know how to use it. So that's mega cool."
I lean over and give her a quick peck on the cheek while keeping my eyes firmly glued to the road ahead of us.
"That's two."
Uh, oh. I don't really want to talk about my spy cam and secret agent skills. I'm not sure Maya would like knowing I have a camera in my hat. She might accuse me of making movies of us…
"I'm waiting!"
"I'm pretty good at Pac Man."
She contemplates this.
"Ok, I'll count that, but it's not really a skill…"
"And origami is?"
"You never know when you'll need a hat to shield you from the sun or rain."
"And I'm sure a newspaper hat is really going to hold up to a downpour like we've had at the cove before."
"True, but quit stalling. That's still only three things. Nick, I'm disappointed in you."
I chuckle. "Ahhh…I'm really good at resisting the romantic advances of underage girls."
"That's not cool. That's just annoying." She crosses her arms in irritation.
"To you maybe, but it kept me out of trouble so now we can be together…"
Crap. Don't talk about this, Nick. It hurts both of you!
"I guess, but people are way too uptight about things."
I nod. Maya and I just have a relationship that exists outside of much of the world's comfort zone. That's not necessarily wrong, but it is annoying.
With agitation Maya says, "Nick, you're one of the worst. It takes you like half a day to loosen up around me."
"That is so not true."
"It so is. Trucy and Pearls would both agree with me. Now, two more cool things or you're a total loser."
I want to say how I'm undefeated at poker, because that is SO COOL, but I'm not letting Maya know about my poker playing. Technically its illegal and it's definitely shady so I'd prefer if she didn't know I was doing it.
"I've seen every episode of the Pink Princess and the Steel Samauri."
"Only because I made you, but yes that is really cool. Especially since I can talk to you about the Evil Magistrate's plot and you know what I'm talking about. The acolytes in Kurain must think I'm insane."
Poor, Maya. She doesn't really belong there, does she? She should be with me.
"Ok, one more and I will be forced to call you Totally-Extreme-Cool-Dude for the rest of the day."
"No, "Old Man?""
"Nope."
"Only one more thing, huh?"
"Yup."
I lean into her. "I have this totally cool girlfriend who assures me that I'm an amazing kisser. Though, I don't believe it. I think she just says it because she's so hot for me. Almost as much as I am for her."
I lean over expecting a smooch, but she just rolls her eyes.
"Lame!"
"What?"
"You have officially failed, loser boy. You can't come up with a fifth cool thing about yourself. Half that stuff is because of me."
I think about it and she's absolutely right. She gave me the magatama. She forced me to watch the Steel Samauri until I grew to like it or at least had the acquired the ability to tolerate it and NOBODY besides her has ever told me I was a good kisser. Damn, I am a loser or at least without Maya I am.
We drive on through the countryside. Maya fiddles with the radio and tortures me with some new pop song about crime and punishment. It's awful. I complain until she turns it off. Finally, we approach the outskirts of Kurain and I can find no way to prolong our vacation. Its inevitable end is here.
"Nick, drop me over there." Maya points to a little patch of gravel on the side of the road.
No, I should take you home and never let you leave. Damn magicians and murderers and spirit channeling mediums. What did Maya ever do to deserve this mess? Me, I've made my mistakes, but her? I'm kind of losing it. It's been a tough week and I have to admit part of the reason I drove her home was just to get to spend a few more hours with her. I feel like I'm on the brink of something with her. Something life-altering.
"Maya," she turns to me. Her big eyes looking sad just like they always do at the end of our week together. I don't think I can take this. "Maya, will you…" the corners of her mouth start to curl upward. Her eyes sparkle. I want with all my being to tell her to come with me. Run away from all the responsibilities in Kurain: the formality, the early morning ceremonies, and the cold waterfalls, but I feel like as much as she doesn't like it she's putting up with it for a reason. It is her family legacy. I chicken out. There are reasons we're apart and I still haven't figured out how to protect her.
"Will you… please, call me to let you know how you're doing tomorrow?"
She slugs me in the upper arm hard. She knew what I was going to say, but she'll never call me on it. I'm not sure why.
"Yeah. Thanks for the ride."
She glances around and seeing the coast is clear leans over and places her lips on mine. It feels wonderful, but she cuts it short. She pulls away and sighs.
"See you next year."
She's pouting.
"Maya, come see me anytime. Just call first, ok?"
She nods and gazes out the passenger window. I lean in to give her one last kiss, when she grabs my hand.
"Nick, duck!!!"
As she pushes me down I get a split second view of Pearls walking down the road.
"That was close." I comment, peering out the bottom of the window. "I don't think she saw us."
"I told you not to drive me here. I don't know how to explain being in a car with you when I'm supposed to be flying home."
"Yeah, where were you this week?" She knows I mean what is her alibi, her excuse for escaping Kurain for a week.
"I've been in a little country in Eastern Europe. Borgian, I think it's called researching spirit mediums effect on their unique culture."
I nod. Maya has done an amazing job of researching her imaginary trips she takes while actually on her secret missions with me.
She surveys the scene. We're both crammed on the floor of the little tiny vehicle.
"Nick, this car thing was a bad idea."
"I have another one." And I pin her down.
And all I can hear is giggles as she tries not to bang her head into the underside of the glove box. I guess life isn't so terrible after all.