Maya was upset.

She pouted as she stirred together wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Ever since the panic attack she had at school, she'd been extra on edge about people approaching her. She was taken out of school that day before school even began, and spent the rest of the day sleeping off her panic medication. That wasn't even the worst part of it all, either.

The worst part was that it made her want to cancel her date tomorrow.

Maya knew that if she attempted to go outside, even with Josh she'd be just as vulnerable to the panic as she had been at school, maybe more so since she would be out in the city. It was ridiculous! She didn't ask to be cursed with all of these anxieties! Still, it felt like no matter what she did, they wouldn't go away. She didn't want to have to cancel on Josh, but there was no way she would be able to just causally step onto the busy streets of Manhattan.

"Geez, Maya, the butter was creamed like five minutes ago! Be careful or you'll over-mix it!" Riley scolded, pushing the blonde aside and taking the wooden spoon from her. Maya hadn't even noticed her ingredients were fully mixed.

While Riley focused on adding the dry ingredients into the batter, Maya pulled out her phone and prepared herself to cancel on her date with Josh. Her heart complained pitifully, knowing she probably wouldn't get another chance like this any time soon.

"You know, Josh would fully understand if you had to cancel, or even just reschedule. Did you even tell him about what happened this week?" her best friend asked as she mixed. Maya sighed.

"No, I haven't, because I still really want to hang out with him tomorrow," she whined pitifully. It wasn't fair, she really wanted to go, but she didn't want to look like some scared little girl to Josh. She also wanted to prove to herself that she was getting better, but judging by the incident earlier this week, she hadn't.

"I'm sure he really wants to see you too, but there's no sense in rushing it peaches," Riley continued.

It all made sense and Maya knew it was true. But that didn't change the fact that she'd been looking forward to this date since he asked and she didn't want to risk it not happening. Josh had texted her last night and gave her a full itinerary of his plans. He wanted to take her to an art museum that was reservation-only, and he purposefully chose the time slot that had the least amount of people signed up so that it wouldn't be crowded. He made lunch reservations at one of her favorite rooftop restaurants. And then they were going to end it at his apartment and watch movies and eat popcorn. He even said they didn't have to walk anywhere since he planned on taking cabs and Ubers the whole time.

It was her dream date, basically. It didn't matter if it was just to get her out of the house, it was time spent alone with one of her favorite people. A person she hasn't gotten to see that often since she'd gone back to school.

She was anxious, yes. Incredibly so. Some might even say she was terrified, but this simply was not an opportunity she wanted to pass up or reschedule. She wanted to prove to herself that she'd gotten better, that the incident at school didn't set her back ten steps. In a way, she was excited to take on the challenge. If she could make it through the date and have a great time with Josh, then that would mean that she's improved more than she thought. All she had to do was do it.

"I'm going to go, Riley. I've decided. It's not just for him anymore. I mean it's half because I really want to see him and I don't want his plans to go to waste, but I think this could be a really good opportunity to prove that I HAVE gotten better," she said, more confidently than she thinks she's said anything in months.

Riley smiled a little to herself. That sounded more like the Maya she knew. Maya was never one to back down from a challenge, especially when she thought she had something to prove. Even if the person she had to prove it to was herself, Riley was a little glad that she was finding her old spark. She probably didn't even notice it herself.

"Okay, peaches. Whatever you want to do, I'll support you. Always!"

The next day, Maya woke up the earliest she'd been up ever on a weekend. Josh was picking her up at nine and she needed to be dressed and ready by the time he got there. At seven, her alarm went off and she all but rolled out of bed and into the shower. She used all her best body products and borrowed some of her moms "special" conditioner to give her hair some extra shine. She hadn't blow-dried her hair in months, so she was a little out of practice but she managed. Bringing out her curling rod, she styled her hair into her signature large waves.

Makeup was another thing. She used to be generous with things like eyeliner, lip gloss, and blush, but ever since that night she'd been clean faced. She'd come to appreciate her natural look, but decided to add a little extra for her date today. While leaving her face clean of foundation, she concealed her few blemishes and added a natural looking blush. She curled her eyelashes and applied her mascara, and added a teeny bit of tinted balm to her lips.

Satisfied with her look, she moved onto her wardrobe. For this very special occasion, she wanted to dress up, but still feel modest and comfy. She'd all but thrown out her ripped jeans, cropped graphic tees and revealing tank tops (that she never knew how her mom let her get away with) and decided on something simple yet cute. Maya was never much of a girly girl, but she still liked skirts on occasion and she would be lying if she said she gave ALL of the clothes Shawn bought her back.

A simple, dark blue, oversized T-shirt dress belted at the waist along with her trusty black leggings and short grey booties would suffice for this occasion. She felt dressed up and pretty for the first time in a while. A long while.

After eating a quick breakfast of oats and berries, she took her medications and saw that she still had about twenty minutes before Josh was set to come pick her up. Right as she was sitting down to watch some TV, her parents' door opened, revealing a very tired looking Shawn.

"Hey squirt, I see you're all ready for your date today," he greeted, kissing the top of her head before heading to the kitchen for some coffee.

Strange, Maya thought, I thought he'd be trying to talk me out of this date. Not only because of his overprotective nature, she thought for sure he'd be worried sick about the of her having another panic episode on the opposite end of the city.

"Uh, dad?"

"Yeah?"

"I know I asked already but, are you okay with me going with Josh today?" She asked timidly, already wishing her curiosity didn't get the best of her.

Shawn took a long sip of his coffee, contemplating. "Look, Maya. If you're wondering if I'm worried, of course I am. Not only am I a parent, but given the circumstances I think I have every right to be worried. But I trust you, and I trust Josh. I think if there's anyone that knows what to do should things go south, it'd be him. And yeah, that whole thing happened the other day at school but aside from that, you've been doing a lot better. I think you'll have a lot of fun today on your date and you deserve it."

He didn't mention that he'd already given Josh the rundown on what to do if Maya went into panic, or that he made sure that Josh had him on speed dial. She didn't need to know all of that. Truthfully, he was very reluctant to let her go in the first place, especially after what happened when Lucas took her out to get frozen yogurt. Cory, who had heard the plans from both his younger brother and his daughter, was the one to finally convince him.

He'd been through a lot of bad times in his life, but everything paled in comparison to the feelings he had watching Maya suffer. He wouldn't wish those feelings on his worst enemy. The helplessness, the worry, the fear. He never thought he'd be a parent, but he'd never regret becoming one. If it meant not being in Maya's life and not being able to be there for her during this time, he wouldn't change a thing about his life right now.

Maya looked up at her adoptive father with watery eyes. His words had been so honest, and so full of love and hope for her. There had been many months of well maybe you're just not ready and why don't we take things slow. But now he's just as hopeful as she is, that things will get better and the future isn't as bleak as it had seemed.

"Thank you, dad," she smiled, reaching up behind the couch to hug him. He wrapped his free arm around her shoulders just as the doorbell rang.

"Well, if I'm not mistaken, that must be your date."

Josh looked cool and casual in a jacket over a plain t-shirt and dark jeans. Maya felt her heart speed up slightly at the side of him. The webcam on his laptop really didn't do him justice, and well, it had been quite a while since she'd last seen him in person.

"Hey Maya," he said, a slight grin on his face. "Ready to go?"

This time Maya's heart sped up for an entirely different reason. Was she ready for this? It'd been so long since she enjoyed time outside in the city. What if something happened? What if she saw him again? There were so many possibilities she felt herself getting overwhelmed. Her breathing must've gotten faster without her realizing because Josh's face suddenly looked alarmed and concerned.

Shawn looked her, face one of hope and resolution. "You've got this, Maya. You're strong, and you can enjoy life."

His words were so strong, she desperately wanted to believe him. "I don't know, dad. I don't know if I can do this. Josh, I'm sorry."

Josh stepped slightly into the apartment, just enough to reach out and touch her arm. To her credit, she didn't flinch, instead leaning into the touch.

"Maya," he said seriously, "if you really don't want to, I understand. But I think you do want to. Don't let the fear win. Trust me, I'll take care of you."

She did trust him. That was one thing he always had on her. She trusted him with her life. It was just that… the last time someone said those words to her she was the reason she got lost in the city and went into panic. It didn't matter if he could or would protect her, her anxiety made her do unpredictable things.

"I don't know, Josh. I'm scared…"

"I know you are, and you're allowed to be! But don't let that fear control you. Yes, things could go wrong, but you could also have the time of your life today with me. So please, will you give it a chance?"

Maya bit her lip. She really wanted to.

Maybe… just this once… things would go well.

"Okay, I'll go."

And when she looked up, two smiling faces were looking down at her.