February 10th 2021
Chapter 41
Our Hopes For Encounters
"Your hands are freezing," Lucas whispered with a laugh when Maya regained her seat and they briefly hugged.
"Are they?" she asked, like she was just noticing. He responded by pressing both of his own to cover hers. "I'm not saying they are or aren't, but you just keep doing that for as long as you want, yeah?"
"I might not get to do it for too long, once your next category gets called," he pointed out, even as Ree was taking her chance to hug and once again congratulate Maya.
"Yeah, but that's not…" she tried to tell him, but she had to leave it there, didn't she?
Sure, the results from the last ceremony had prepared her for the likelihood that they'd get at least one of the five awards they were collectively up for on this night, but never… never had she believed they could carry out another sweep. But after one, and two, and now three, it didn't feel completely out of the realm of possibility, right? If it did happen… Oh, this whole award business was not good for her nerves…
The rest of the show left her feeling like Lucas had to keep hold of her hand, or else she would have floated away. She was downright buoyant as they progressed and as the nominees were called for record and album of the year. When their names would be heard, Maya would turn to Ree, only to find that she'd turned to her, too, and they would have a laugh. It happened both times, and that wasn't the only thing that happened twice. They'd done it. They'd swept their categories again. No one would miss that realization, least of all Maya, and Ree, and all their people near and far.
Both times, it felt like gravity had reclaimed her for a moment, and she was so sure it must have shown on her face. Both times, Lucas was right there, with a kiss and a hand squeeze as she stood, moving with Ree so they might take the stage. They said their words, trying not to sound like they didn't know what to say anymore on the third or fourth go around… and then it was all done. There was a bit more of this and that before they could go from here to the party afterward, though honestly the whole thing was a blur even as it was going on. All Maya knew was that, as soon as she was able to stop and do so for a minute, she had to pull Lucas aside, to have a moment to stop, and freak out a bit, and hug him, and kiss him…
"Remember when I said I wouldn't make it through the night with you in that suit?" she breathed, laughing as he nodded. "Give me one good reason not to skip that party and just go back to the apartment?"
"Could probably give you a few, just not sure I want to right now," he countered, giving her a loaded once over. It had just been one of those nights, hadn't it? "So, what's it going to be?" It felt like the most intense staring contest in the world, waiting to see who would tip the scales one way or the other, but then Maya's face scrunched up, and he rightly read it as 'I'd really like to ditch, but that wouldn't be the smart move.' "Hey, we're all dressed up," he smiled, reaching for her hands. "And you and me on a dance floor, I never say no to that."
"Never," she agreed, nodding with him. "And, hey, you play your cards right, we get both prizes in the end."
"You are getting pretty good with that whole clean sweep situation, aren't you?" Lucas suggested, and it only reminded her of the awards, and that made her heart trip up again. "See?" he laughed. "You definitely need to be at that party. Come on."
Leaving their little hiding place, they were soon swept along with Ree toward the party. Peter had taken Christina back to the hotel and would rejoin them as soon as possible. Until then, the evening trucked on, and they entered the party venue. It was one thing to be at the ceremony, all of them for the most part sitting in their seats or standing at their seats. They'd gotten to speak to some people here and there, but now they actually got to move around, and mingle, which meant many more of these moments where they suddenly found themselves talking with people they had known from afar, some of them for years and years of their lives. How they didn't lose their minds once was just a bit remarkable.
It wasn't the first time Maya had gotten to interact with famous people, but it was definitely the most all at once, and coming out on the other side of it, she could say – as Lucas would agree, too – that the whole thing had been very eye opening, though not always for the better. She got to discover some people were actually really nice when you got to chat with them, while others tipped their hands for how fake and kind of rude they were, and that was really just so disappointing. They wouldn't focus on those though; it wasn't worth it.
The first side now… Many times over, they were asked about the baby, and Maya felt that proud mama side of her easily revved up, speaking about her, showing a photo… The other parents she and Lucas met would swap stories with them of their own kids, especially their first ones, as babies, and it really got it to hit home for them how much these people were really just that… they were people.
"Hey, look who's coming over," Lucas whispered at Maya's ear, leading her to turn from where she'd been getting a refill for her drink. "Here, give me that, I'll hold on to it," Lucas suggested, and she gave him a thankful look before passing him the glass, ahead of being joined by Neil Tolliver and bandmate Tamsyn Grady. Everyone seemed convinced that the two of them were seeing each other in secret, and there were way too many of those people who were almost hell bent on proving it. Whether or not they really were seeing each other – and both Maya and Lucas would have to say that they didn't exactly behave in any disproving manner – it was only their business, so they wouldn't call attention to it.
"I have been trying to find my way over to talk to you all night," Neil greeted Maya with a smile very reminiscent of that night six years back, in Houston. Ree had said he'd remember her, and right now Maya was forced to agree. "Now I get to say hello and congratulations," he nodded, holding out his hand. Maya shook it at once, preventing herself from coming off too eager.
"You, too," she smiled, even as she was reminded that, even though he and his band had won a couple of awards that night, they'd also lost a couple… to her and Ree. Both Neil and Tamsyn seemed to catch on to this realization though, and they each gave a look that seemed to say not to worry about it. They were happy for her.
"When I heard that you were out there, writing for Ree, and the others after that, I was really curious to see where you'd end up, and now look at you," Neil went on, and Maya could only smile in thanks, especially as he went on about how Ree had been speaking of her, presenting her as much like a protégée as like an equal, a dear friend. "So, I was told you'd be out of commission until summer?" he went on now, and it took Maya a moment to understand what he was getting at. He'd tried to get in touch with her, about working with him and the band, and he'd been told about her hiatus.
"Yeah, that's the plan overall," she nodded, bordering on apologetic.
It wasn't as though no one knew she'd had a baby recently, not if they had been in any way aware of the tour. Even so, she had definitely run into a couple of people here tonight who had met this notion of her taking a break from that whole part of her life because of having a kid and wanting to be there with her like she was generally shooting herself in the foot, tanking her career. To those, she took an additional pleasure in sharing the fact that she was also – and primarily – a high school art teacher, like all her choices in life made no sense to them when they made all the sense in the world to her.
"Tell you what, as soon as you're ready to get back, I would love for you to reach out to us, so we might see about working on something together," Neil declared, the picture of understanding.
"You'll be the first to know," Maya nodded, then, tipping her head to Lucas, "Well, after him, probably." They all laughed at this, more so as Lucas pointed out they might not have to wait so long as they thought. Maya couldn't even say he was in any way wrong. She knew herself much too well to presume she wouldn't feel the scratch of a song coming together, now that there was intent toward making it happen.
"By all means, take your time. I know how fast that first year goes by," Neil nodded, and Tamsyn gave the same gesture to show she agreed with this statement. He had two children by his late wife, while she had one of her own with her ex-husband.
"It really does," Maya breathed out, looking to Lucas.
"You really want to get back there, don't you?" Tamsyn guessed.
"Like I can almost hear her," Lucas nodded.
"How old is she now?" Neil asked.
"Two and a half months, coming on three," Maya replied, and Lucas' claim that he could practically hear their girl didn't feel so far off, though in her case it settled almost more like a tugging at the guts, beckoning her back to where she might get to hold her daughter again.
Neil and Tamsyn shared knowing nods at this, and before long they were all bent over the picture that she'd carried out on to the stage with her, showing Maya and Lucas both lying on their sides, facing one another, with Marianne between them on the mattress, as they looked down to her and she just yawned with her whole little body, by the looks of it. They could have chosen any of hundreds of pictures, at this point, but this one had been a favorite since it had been captured just a couple weeks back. Already, it almost felt outdated. Marianne had grown since then.
"If I can give you one piece of advice," Neil started, "For tonight, that is. Give yourself three chances to call it a night. Say no on the first two, but when you get to the third, don't force yourselves to stay, alright? Go on home to that baby girl."
It was more than reasonable, and they thanked him for it. They followed the advice, too, and after a bit of dancing, and some talking, they finally agreed it was time to go. They weren't a hundred percent beat yet, which would be ideal, both for getting them back to Katy and Shawn's place and for the chatter that was bound to take place before any of them went to bed.
So that was the night… Four new trophies would be making their way to the house in Austin, four new awards for the case, and so many more stories to share as they all considered the effect of this ever grander status on Maya and her music career.
TO BE CONTINUED
See you tomorrow! - mooners
