A/N: Hey, guys! Sorry, it took some time to update, but I reuploaded Chapter 24 with some added little scenes during Josh and Maya's karaoke scene. It's not a big addition, but I've added more to their scene because I felt like we should've seen more of their performance. Go check out Josh and Maya's karaoke scene from the last chapter if you want. It's fine if you're not up for it.

Speaking of, this chapter will explain why Josh is the singer and Maya's the tone deaf. And I hope you enjoy this one even though it's got a more serious tone compared to the last chapter.

Chapter 25: Mending and Breaking

With a brown paper bag full of Katy's favorite foods, Maya navigated the third floor's halls to her mother's quarters. She reached the door that she'd grown familiar with since her first visit on New Year's Day, only to find it slightly ajar. Maya furrowed her brows when she heard two voices inside.

One belonged to her mother, the other was Zay's. They were talking in hushed voices, as though they expected Maya to walk in any moment. Which she thought was smart, considering that she was Katy and Zay's topic.

"How's Maya?" Katy asked.

The sound of Zay's footfalls grew louder, prompting Maya to move away from the door. She returned to her previous spot after she heard Zay's trash hit the bottom of the garbage bin, and his voice softened as he went further back in the room.

"You haven't talked to her?" he replied, wondering why Katy was asking about how her daughter was doing.

"Maya visits at the most random times. I can never know if she's gonna drop by or not. I like it, though. I like surprises, and I love that she keeps giving me one," Katy answered, laughing before thanking Zay for whatever it was that he assisted her with.

Zay chuckled. "Maya's fine. We actually went clubbing the other night with the whole gang. It was Farkle and Isadora's last night in town, so we thought we should celebrate their engagement while the six of us were still together. Let me tell you, Katy, your daughter can't sing to save her life."

Katy burst out laughing. "Well, I used to hear her in the shower and I think she sings just fine."

"The acoustics in the bathroom do wonders for everyone, Katy. But once she steps out of the bathroom, sheesh, she could definitely use some voice lessons from Josh."

There was a brief pause before Katy spoke.

"It sounds like Josh's becoming a constant presence in your get-togethers. Are you guys, like, friends now? Like, has he become part of the inner circle?" she interrogated.

"It was weird at first because I used to only know Josh as someone I work with at People's Verse, but we've gotten to know each other more over the time. He's a great guy, so I don't really mind that he and Maya have basically become a package. You can't get one without the other in tow," Zay replied.

There was some shuffling, and Maya inched closer to the small gap on the door.

"I mean, that's pretty understandable, considering that planning a client's event requires a lot of time spent together. But . . . how close are they? Josh and Maya?" Katy asked, her voice going an octave lower.

Before Zay had the chance to answer, Maya rapped her knuckles on the door and opened the door with a smile. She hoped it was innocent enough to mask the fact that she'd been listening to their conversation. Zay's eyes immediately lit up at the sight of Maya, and she found it genuinely heartwarming for she knew that she'd not only healed her relationship with her mother, but she'd also healed Zay's wounded heart.

"Mayaboushka," Katy greeted as she hopped off the bed to cage Maya in her arms.

"Hi, mom. I thought we agreed we both grew out of that nickname?"

"Never."

The two women broke away from each other, which Zay took as his opportunity to give Maya a hug. "Hey," he greeted in her ear.

"Hey to you, too," Maya said. "I didn't know you were visiting today. You should've told me, so we could've come together."

"You told me you were at Complex Sounds with Leigh, finalizing the benefit concert. It sounded serious and important, so I thought I should just head out on my own," Zay explained. He unwrapped a caramel, popped it in his mouth, and tossed another one to Katy upon the woman's request.

Maya dropped the brown paper bag on the table and took out the contents. "Yeah, Leigh's officially on beast mode. The main setback we've experienced was the lineup, and that's still a thing we're trying to deal with—I'm actually meeting with her again later because she wants to make use of the little time we have left. The concert's next weekend, but we still have one more spot to fill. It's not really the worst case scenario, but if we don't find one more act to complete the lineup, then Leigh would have to settle for just nine bands even though the posters we've put up around Manhattan clearly says there'll be ten bands playing."

Zay's brows furrowed. "It might be too late for this commentary, but aren't you supposed to list the bands that are playing to entice more people to come?" he queried.

"Oh, we did," Maya answered, nodding her head as she popped open a carton of shrimp fried rice. "We listed the bands that we've secured, but due to time, Leigh decided to just put 'plus more special guests . . .' to cover those that we aren't sure about. Besides, it's intriguing. People would come to see who those 'special guests' are."

"Josh told me Sophie's brother auditioned for a spot in the lineup. Did he get it?" Zay's words were muffled due to him chewing the second caramel square he'd popped in his mouth.

"Yeah, Donnie's officially our opening act. Leigh adores him a lot, and he thinks he's got enough theater professionalism to get the crowd warmed up for the next nine acts."

Zay nodded. After swallowing the caramel, he got a sense that Maya wanted to be alone with her mother for a moment. He told the two women that he'd step out to give them some privacy. "I'm heading down to the cafeteria to grab something to drink. Do you guys want anything?" he asked.

"No, thanks. I'm good," Katy replied with a warm smile.

"Maya?"

Maya nodded. "Coffee would be nice, please. Thanks, Z."

With that, Zay left, leaving the two women to talk.

"So," Katy began, straightening up from her spot on the bed. She patted the empty space in front of her for Maya to take. "Your birthday is coming up. Is Riley planning anything?"

For all those years Katy had witnessed the unbreakable bond between Maya and Riley, she'd known well enough that when it came to each other's birthdays, no one could come in between whatever it was that the best friend was planning for the celebrant.

"I'm not even going to doubt it," Maya answered with a grin.

Katy laughed. "I can't believe my baby's turning twenty-seven! Are you excited?"

"Eh," Maya responded, shrugging. "I'm turning another year older, who's excited about that?"

Katy chuckled at the joke, her bony fingers working on untangling the knots in her daughter's long, blonde hair. Because Maya was her daughter, Katy had everything about her memorized. She knew what each move or eye twitch meant, that was why she didn't miss the obvious wariness swirling inside Maya's blue eyes.

"What're you thinking, baby girl?" Katy asked.

Maya heaved a sigh. "If Riley ever throws a party . . . will you be there?" she wondered quietly.

Katy's breath hitched, which Maya didn't fail to notice. Her face fell, already knowing her mother's answer to her query. "You can't—"

"Maya," Katy interjected. "You know I would've been there if I was allowed to go outside the center. Zay tried to argue for a single night out for the New Year's party just so I could be there, but—"

"Zay said you didn't want to come because of me. He said that even if you were allowed to go out, you still wouldn't have come because you thought I didn't want you there," Maya stated, brows furrowing in utter confusion.

"Oh." Katy's voice faltered. "So he told you."

"Was he not supposed to?" Maya said, her tone incredulous.

Katy paused for a moment as though she was trying to stitch up together a proper sentence. One look at her daughter and she knew she took too long answering because Maya was opening her mouth to say something again.

"Were you afraid of me, mom? Are you afraid of me?" Maya asked.

Katy figured her daughter's eyebrows weren't going to unfurl anytime soon. "Maya," she breathed out. "It wasn't that I was afraid of you, which I feel like I should be. You're growing up to be this remarkable woman who's capable of doing many great things, and I know that you won't be needing me anymore."

Despite the uneasy confusion lingering about her head, Maya smiled at her mother's words. The two of them might have gone through several rocky roads in their relationship, but Maya still took her mother's wisdom to heart. After all, she was, and she would always be, the woman who carried her in her womb for nine months and raised her.

"Mom, thank you, but that's not—"

"But that's beside the point, I know," Katy interrupted, shaking her head. "Yes, it is true that I wasn't there because I'm not supposed to go out of the center. It is also true that even if I was allowed to go out, I told Zay that I don't think I should be there at all. Maya, the day you told me that you were disgusted with me was one of the darkest days of my life. Losing your father was something I could handle every day if I really tried, but losing you? That's some otherworldly kind of pain and I don't think I have the strength to shoulder that. I knew that if you saw me there at the party, it would only worsen our situation. I knew that you weren't ready for me yet, so I made the decision to step back and allow you more time on your own. So by the time you're ready . . . I'll be ready, too. And we were."

Maya was silent for a moment, soaking in everything that her mother said to her. It was after a while when she finally nodded in understanding, much to Katy's monumental relief.

"Thank you for telling me, mom," Maya said with a small smile.

"After everything I've put you through, I believe you deserve to know the truth."

The two women embraced each other but were pulled apart by Zay's arrival, who strode into the room with the biggest grin on his face. Maya teased him about eavesdropping, but Zay was too happy to even deny the accusation. His family was back together again, and there was nothing that he could ask for more at the moment.

After visiting her mother at the rehab center, Maya went back to Complex Sounds to meet with Leigh again. She entered the concert venue, and was smothered with updates by Leigh. The latter was talking frantically, her hands moving animatedly above her head.

"We scored White Reaper, but we officially lost The Monochrome Blond," Leigh announced, her eyebrows nearly hitting her hairline due to panic. "I mean, I've always known we were never going to get them because they're busy with their debut album, but they're kind of a big deal, you know? Rolling Stones called them the next big thing in the pop rock industry, so I thought if we got them—"

"Leigh, breathe," Maya instructed, taking deep breaths herself to get Leigh to do the same thing. "We got White Reaper, everything's gonna be fine."

"No, it's not," Leigh breathed out. "When we got White Reaper, we finally got our ten acts. But then, The Monochrome Blond . . ."

A flashbulb idea immediately hit Maya. "I think I have someone that will help us with that problem," she declared with a knowing smirk.

Leigh's shoulders sagged with relief. "Who is it?"

"Remember when you told me I can choose a band that I like to include the lineup?" When Leigh nodded, Maya continued. "I was actually—well, Zay and I wanted to suggest the Backstreet Boys because they're like the ultimate band for us, but considering their holiday schedule, they're impossible to get. So, I said I'll scout for some cover bands instead—and although we got some, none of them were really my chosen band. But then, my friends and I went clubbing the other night, and I came across someone I know who's got a set of amazing pipes. You wouldn't believe how I felt when I realized that the solution to our problem had been in front of me the whole time."

"Well, who is it?" Leigh prodded.

"Josh Matthews."

Leigh paused. "Is he some kind of solo indie artist that only plays at small pubs? His name sorta gives off that vibe."

Laughing, Maya shook her head. "No, he's actually a journalist for People's Verse. He told me once that he'd originally wanted to be a Broadway star, so I find it incredulous that I didn't put the pieces together. But get this, though. I met Josh because he wants me to help him plan the perfect marriage proposal for his girlfriend. It's a slow process—shocking, right? You would think we'd get through it quickly because it's just for a proposal, get down on one knee and boom, you're on the road to forever—but we've been working on this poem for his girlfriend—"

"That he can convert to a song and sing it in front of everyone—in front of his girlfriend!" Leigh finished, clutching Maya's hands in pure excitement. "God, Maya, that's perfect! That'll definitely make the concert more fun and memorable!"

Maya nodded, ecstatic about the idea, too. "We can put him as the middle act. Because, you know, that's when the audience's energy usually depletes. When you've got a great set, people are as energetic as you are. They'll dance and jump to your every song. Imagine that kind of set but ten times more. Then, we'll get Josh up on stage, let him rile up the crowd with his proposal, and get them more pumped for what's next to come."

Leigh's eyes glimmered. In her head, she could already imagine the benefit concert taking place swimmingly. All of her worries wouldn't be for anything because, by the end of the night, she knew she and Maya and her team delivered remarkably. Everyone would have had a great time, and that was all that matters.

"Great, I gotta break the news to Josh," Maya spoke, taking Leigh out of her daydream. "The concert's next weekend, but we're still not quite done with the poem. I want to give him more time to finish it, then convert it into a song."

When Leigh nodded, Maya excused herself and went to message Josh.

"The least you could do is to just tell her, man," Andrew advised as he made another water ring on the bar counter. "She deserves to know."

Josh and Andrew went to The Sixth Box after work, mainly because Josh needed it. After spending a great weekend with Maya's friends, reality hit him once again the moment he stepped inside the People's Verse's building on Monday. He was stressing about his assignment—before, it was because he didn't have a story to write, but now that he did, it was because he didn't want to ruin his friendship with Maya. After all that she'd done for him without asking for anything back, how could he have the nerve to do this to her in return? He chose to sell her story and Josh absolutely hated himself for it.

"I can't," Josh replied, shaking his head, eyes downcast. "Not when I've finally made a decision without asking for her consent. I already told Filomeno I'd do it. Doesn't matter what Maya says, I can't back out now."

"Well . . . then, you just gotta make sure Maya doesn't see a single page of the magazine," Andrew said.

"Can't do that either," Josh ventured. "I can't possibly buy every copy of the anniversary edition. Besides, even if Maya doesn't see the spread I'm doing about her, every single citizen of New York City would read her story and know about it. Her friends would read it; Zay would read it; her mother would read it—everybody will know Maya's secrets. It's only going to be a short matter of time until she hears about it."

"I'm sorry, man, but that's what you get for bargaining with Filomeno," Andrew stated before he sipped his beer.

"I need to get off Filomeno's list . . ." Josh defended. It was a weak argument, but it was the truth.

Josh's phone buzzed on the bar counter, prompting both him and Andrew to look at it. Upon seeing Maya's name, Andrew gave Josh a questioning look.

"Please tell me she's texting you because you already told her about the story and our trip to this bar is actually just part of a prank," Andrew stated, turning in his stool to see if he could spot a few hidden cameras around The Sixth Box.

"Drew . . ."

Andrew returned to his previous position, which faced the bartender. "Yeah, I should've known that's too good to be true."

Ignoring Andrew, Josh turned to his phone and read Maya's text.

Maya — Told Leigh about your amazing voice and your plan to propose to Sophie, and if you're up for it, she wants you in the lineup.

His phone buzzed with a follow-up message.

Maya — Your poem will be your song, BTW. I know you're talented, so I'm not even going to doubt that your poem will make one killer song.

Josh smiled at the winking emoji at the end of her second message. Pressing the text box that prompted the keyboard to appear, Josh typed his reply.

Josh — That's an amazing idea, Maya! Sure, I'm up for it. It'll give me the chance to make my dream of becoming a Broadway star come true.

For consistency, Josh added a winking emoji at the end of his message before he hit send. Maya replied right away, and after sending back a message, he pocketed his phone. He was genuinely excited about the idea, thinking that it was more than what he had planned regarding his marriage proposal to Sophie.

Josh's excitement was short-lived because as soon as he stepped back inside The Sixth Box, he remembered the reason why he was at the bar in the first place. He plopped down beside Andrew and ordered the bartender for another drink.

Fun Fact: The Monochrome Blond is actually a fictional band. They're part of a story that I'm planning to write in the future. The band is also inspired by a real-life band, which my high school crush was a part of. I remember when my high school used to do this Battle of the Bands, and I would always ALWAYS come to see my ex-crush's band play. They were amazing - won the competition every time! I just wish the band didn't break up after graduation and all the members went to different colleges.

On the other hand, White Reaper is an actual band. They're one of my all-time favorite bands, and they will have a song that's definitely going to hint at Josh and Maya's situation. You'll get to hear it in a couple chapters when they play during the benefit concert.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this one. We get to see the mending of Maya and Katy's relationship, while Josh and Maya's are slowly breaking. Although only one of them knows it's about to crumble.

Thanks for reading and let me know what you think! Oh, and don't forget. If you want to, you can check out the additional "moment" I put in the last chapter. I decided to include more of the song's lyrics to Josh and Maya's karaoke song to REALLY HIGHLIGHT the meaning of the song they're singing together.