October 2016
The rest of their morning together was great. They checked out of their hotel and had breakfast at a little café before heading home. Shawn was sitting on the stoop as they approached the brownstone. He greets them with a halfhearted smile, "Riley," he turned to the brunette. "Why don't you go up to your room, okay?" his voice was calm and low.
"Dad? Is something wrong?" Maya was concerned due to her father's behavior.
Shawn inhaled sharply, "I need to talk to you, alone." Getting the hint, Riley dropped a quick kiss to Maya's cheek before slipping passed and into the apartment.
With a friendly arm, Shawn pulled Maya into a hug. "There's someone here to see you," he sighed into her hair.
Maya, confused, tried to read her father's face, "Who? You're scaring me a little."
Shawn rubbed the back of his neck anxiously, "Parker is inside…"
In that moment, Maya felt like the rug had been ripped from under her. "Why?" Her eyes went wide in fear.
"Last night his mom called us. Apparently, he had never told his parents you'd been pregnant until recently. We'd never contacted them when you miscarried, so they assumed you were still…" Shawn explained somberly.
The blonde stormed passed him and into the brownstone. She found her mom, Parker, and his mother in the living room. "Get the fuck out of my house!" She bellowed at the boy as he stood.
"Maya, I'm -" the young man started to explain, but was cut off by Maya raising her hand.
Raising her shirt with a huff, "Look! See? No baby." She pointed to her flat stomach. "That means there's absolutely no reason for you to be here! So, leave. Now." She tugged her top down before dropping her bag to the floor with a slight thud.
"Babe, I -"
"God, do not call me that! You lost all privilege to call me jackshit when you left me pregnant and alone."
Parker nodded, "I am sorry about our daughter, okay?" he stepped towards her.
Maya shuffled back quickly with a scoff, "My daughter. Mine. Not ours."
"And I'm sorry for what I did to you. Truly."
With a shake of her head, Maya let out an exasperated laugh. "I had bruises on my thighs in the shape of your fingers for about, oh, three weeks after you fucked me by force. Do you remember why you pried my legs open for you? Hmm?"
The teenaged boy stared at the floor as Maya eyed him. "Your silence tells me you do, but why don't I remind you just to be sure? I had just told you I was pregnant and you immediately claimed it wasn't yours. You said I was a crazy nympho who probably screwed every guy in school, so it could be anybody's. Because you are such a major dick, you made a vulgar comment about me not being able to use my period as an excuse to get out of sex anymore, but I still pushed you away. You recall what you did then?"
Parker raised his face to her then, "I'm sorry."
"You pulled me down, so I was laying on your bed. You pinned my arms above my head and when I held my thighs together, you forced them apart. You then proceeded to fuck me until I bled. Bet mommy here didn't know that about her precious Parker," The young blonde hissed as her eyes remained locked on the boy in question.
With tear filled eyes, "I am so sorry, dear," Parker's mom spoke, breaking Maya's focus on her son.
"None of this is your fault, Mrs. Foster," Maya explained.
The aforementioned woman handed a long envelope to Katy before putting a hand on her son's shoulder, "Let's go."
Parker acknowledged his mom, "Yeah. Like I said, Maya," they started towards the foyer. "I am sorry. For everything."
Just then, Riley came quickly down the stairs. "Hey, Parker?" she greeted the boy warmly.
Shawn, Katy, and Maya all watched closely as the boy confirmed with a nod.
"Yeah, well, this," Riley pulled back her fist and swung it at Parker, "is for Maya," She finished as the boy held his now bleeding nose.
All the adults and Maya stood in shock over the scene they'd just witnessed. "Riles!" Maya called out as she was the first to get her senses back.
Shawn helped Mrs. Foster get a moaning Parker out the door as Maya approached her girlfriend with a wide smile.
"I love you, you know that?" The blonde giggled as Riley was examining her hand.
Riley let out a groan, "Yeah, I know. Enough to break my hand for, apparently.
Four weeks later - November 2016
Maya loved her job. It was like her dream come true. She'd always had a pipe dream about teaching young children art. Three weeks into her position and she could see herself doing this long term. Add to how well things were going with Riley and the future was becoming an exciting prospect.
It was a chilly Wednesday afternoon when a new group of children started. They were all from a local group home that was in the same district. Out of the five newbies, only one was in Maya's assigned age group. She was tiny girl at almost seven with wildly curly raven hair.
Maya was helping the little girl get settled, "What's your name?" She asked as Mrs. Mack, head art instructor, prepped for the lesson.
The little girl had the deepest pair of green eyes Maya had ever seen, "Thea Joy Walsh. My mommy died and my daddy went to jail."
Maya blinked at Thea. It wasn't the girl's honestly that surprised her, being painfully truthful was a gift all little kids had. What shocked her was how the little thing even knew that about her parents.
"That is very unfortunate, Miss Thea, but it is a pleasure to meet you. I'm Maya," The blonde held out her hand for the girl and she took it eagerly.
Thea grinned, "You're nice. Do you have any babies?" The question made Maya's heart clench.
"No, not yet."
"I bet you're going to make a great mommy someday!" Thea enthusiastically reported.
Maya couldn't help the smile Thea caused, "I hope so."
"I've been thinking," Riley said as she sat down next to Maya at the table.
"Yeah?" Maya drawled out as she was sketching.
Riley smiled, "What if I started a business?"
Her girlfriend looked up then, "What about college? You said you took the year off to figure out what you wanted."
"Do you think you'll go? I know we talked about it before, but I want to know if that's changed."
Maya let out a heavy sigh, "I don't want to leave Thea…" She'd grown very attached to the little girl and vice versa. "Also, Mrs. Boyd says I could become a lead instructor. I don't need a teaching degree."
"I'd go if I knew it would benefit us, but I don't want to if it's not."
In the last month, their relationship had gotten more serious. They'd talked to both sets of parents about their long-term future. Moving in together, marriage, and children were all subjects they'd been discussing.
Riley looked down at Maya's sketch then. It was a little girl, but not any little girl; it was Thea. Even though they hadn't talked about it, Riley knew in her heart that the little girl would end up a bigger part of their lives someday. A major part, in fact.
"We have that money from Parker's parents," Maya shrugged. "Could be used for a start up."
"That's for when we move out, remember? You haven't even asked what my business idea is." Riley took her hand then and rubbed a thumb over it.
Maya giggled, "What's your idea, Miss Matthews?"
With an apprehensive smile, "A center for teenaged moms. It would help them from pregnancy all the way until the child starts kindergarten. There would be classes, support groups, counseling, resources; everything a young lady in that situation would need."
"Riles," A tear escaped as Maya turned to face her. "I think that's a great idea. A really great idea."
"I'm glad you like it," Riley hugged her tightly.
With a tearful chuckled, "I have an idea for a name, too."
"Oh?"
"Layla's Place."
Riley brought Maya into another hug then, "That's perfect, Peaches."
December 2020
"Mom!"
Maya had just walked into the door when she heard the familiar name. Her eldest daughter met her in the hall.
"When's mama going to be home?" The girl asked as if it was a life or death situation.
Glancing at the clock over the fireplace, "Uh, forty-five minutes or so. She had a workshop this evening."
"Can you take me to Shane's then?" Her daughter asked with doe eyes.
The blonde got her shoes and coat off just before hearing, "Mommy!" A smaller girl ran out of the kitchen in Dora The Explorer pajamas and jumped into Maya's arms.
"Hey, duckie! Is Meredith in the kitchen?" The girl in her arms nodded.
The older girl sighed in annoyance, "Mom? Shane's?"
"Is Shane a boy?"
"Yes."
"You're eleven. You're not going."
"It's for a project!"
"That's why your mother and I allow you the ability to video chat, sweetheart."
Maya left her eldest steaming in the living room before greeting the nanny. She got caught up on how things went with her youngest who, at two, was just starting potty training.
"Gwen used the potty twice today," Meredith smiled as Maya held the brown eyed, curly haired brunette toddler in her arms.
"Yay, Gwenny! Mama will be so proud of you."
"Can Nona or even Nana take me to Shane's?" The eldest rushed in from the living room.
With a huff, "No. It doesn't matter who drives you, Thea Joy. End of discussion. You can video chat over Skype as soon as we have dinner, okay?" Maya tried to reason.
Thea rolled her eyes in response, "Fine, whatever."
"Your sissy is way too young to pull that attitude stuff with mommy." Maya snuggled against Gwen's neck, making her giggle.
A/N: Thank you, betas.