Northern Constellations
Summary: Explore a year in the life of Joshua Matthews and Maya Hart as they discover the wonders and woes of young parenthood.
Chapter Eleven
"I really can't believe that you're having a kid," Eric Matthews expressed to his baby brother, placing a steady hand on the brunette's shoulder. As they had planned earlier in the week, Eric and Josh Matthews sat on a bench in the middle of Central Park. To their right stood one of Eric's hired body guards. During times like these, Josh wasn't quite sure why his eldest brother—a state politician—needed body guards to begin with, but he shrugged it off. It made Eric feel important—and he definitely was—so that was all that mattered in the end. "Before me. I'm getting kinda old, buddy. You're like sixteen and a half."
"I'm nineteen, genius," Josh laughed. Sometimes he wondered just how much his older brother knew about him overall. Eric had been well into his twenties when Josh was born and wasn't around that much when he was growing up, so they really only ever saw each other on holidays and sporadic visits. Josh and Eric never bonded on the same level that Josh and Morgan did, and Eric didn't have any children for Josh to connect with like Cory did. However, now that they were both grown adults with lives of their own, they came to a general consensus that they wanted to spend more time together. It had proven to be quite difficult considering their conflicting schedules. With Eric's senatorial duties, it was hard to find the time to sit down and chat without much interruption, especially with several injustices plaguing their great state.
"Yeah, I knew that," Eric mused, looking off into the distance with a blank expression plastered on his face. It was hot outside and he was wearing a two piece suit. He really didn't know why he was wearing a two piece suit to the park of all places, but his assistant said that it made him look very spiffy. He liked that. "Isn't Maya like fourteen..the same age as Riley?"
Josh paused. It always came down to age. Not that it mattered though. He had come to terms with their age difference long ago because truthfully it wasn't anything to stress over. The gap between them was so small in retrospect, and more importantly, Maya had been of consenting age the night that they conceived Aurora. He didn't force her nor did he take advantage of her vulnerabilities that fateful night, he was just there and he was a firm believer that whatever happened that night was simply meant to happen. It was fate. The universe had led him to Maya Hart, his baby girl, Aurora, and also pushed him one step closer toward adulthood.
"A little older than Riley," Josh answered truthfully. Maya was a tad bit older than Riley but not by much. "She's sixteen actually. I know what you're thinking."
"Oh yeah?" Eric asked, raising an eyebrow as he peered mindlessly into the crowd. Truth be told, Josh found it quite difficult to look into the mind of his eldest brother. Whenever they spent time together, he sometimes wished that he had decided to major in psychology instead of business administration. Maybe then he could successfully psychoanalyze the enigma that was Eric Randall Matthews. "What am I thinking?"
"That I messed up," Josh said, answering after a brief pause. Eric had known about the baby for months now, but since they barely spoke, this was all unfamiliar territory. It was true though. Josh did mess up, but it was the best mistake he had ever made. Josh was visibly taken back when his brother made an eccentric noise indicating that he had given the wrong answer.
"Au contraire, baby brother," Eric chirped, readjusting himself on the park bench. It was extremely hot outside, and Josh was beginning to regret meeting outdoors. "I don't think you messed up at all. You're exactly where you're supposed to be. The universe led you to this moment for a reason. Plus, I actually think that Maria would be really good for you. She's like an onion, you see."
"Maya, Eric," Josh clarified, making sure to place a great emphasis on her actual name. Eric was annoying sometimes, but Josh knew that he wasn't truly dense. He was wise beyond his years, observant and inquisitive. That didn't mean that he couldn't get a kick out of annoying his loved ones. "And an onion? What do you mean by that?"
"She's got layers," Eric stated plainly, shrugging his shoulders. He was tempted to remove his sports coat, but he opted out of it. Believe it or not, Eric liked Maya. She was spontaneous and spunky. She was also the perfect counterpart for his beloved niece. Her life was forever intertwined with their family now, and her dalliance with his little brother solidified the fact that she was family. "Beneath the surface, she's an amazing girl with a big heart. I know she would go to hell and back for her family and friends in a heartbeat. You fall into both of those categories now, huh? You lucky dude."
"I am very lucky," Josh expressed, never failing to count his blessings. Before all else, he was a lucky man. He didn't have a doubt in his mind that Maya Penelope Hart was the love of his life. They had been through so much together in only a short period of time, and he could hardly imagine getting to experience it with anyone else. "In the long game, friends become family. Jeez, when did you get so wise? I'm glad that you didn't lecture me though."
"I like to think that I've always been wise," Eric offered, furrowing his eyebrows. It was hard for Josh to believe that this reformed man had once been the Mayor of a place called St. Upid Town. "Besides, lecturing isn't really my thing. That's all Cory. How did he take the news anyways? I haven't talked to him that much since I got back from D.C."
"Cory knew before we even told him," Josh explained to his eldest brother. Eric was surprisingly easy to talk to. It was just like talking to Cory and Morgan—although Morgan would always be his favorite sibling—and for a split second, he wished that Eric had come around a lot more when he was a kid. "Aug heard Riley and Maya talk about it, then he spilled the beans to Cory and Topanga."
"I bet you got chewed out," Eric said sympathetically. He wasn't sure what was worse an earful from the strong-willed shark and former hippie, Topanga, or his life-is-a-lesson little brother, Cory. "Mariah is like their second daughter too."
"Maya, Eric," Josh repeated. He knew that Eric was just joking around, but it still got under his skin. "They were really just disappointed in me. I've always had a plan for myself. Cory knew that."
He paused, focusing his attention on a family of little ducks walking along one of the running trails. He then thought back to the moment he came clean to his older brother and sister-in-law. It was a tough day. It was all so bittersweet, and Josh thought back to that moment.
"I would appreciate it if you cut the act, Josh," Cory Matthews sighed, chastising his younger brother. It had been a quiet Thursday evening in the Matthews home. Riley and Maya were spending quality time with their friends at the cafe, and instead of intruding on their small gathering, Josh made the split decision to visit his older brother and his favorite nephew. It had been disheartening to learn that Auggie was at a playdate of his own, leaving Josh alone with Cory and his wife, Topanga. He loved Cory and Topanga. In fact, he envied them. He respected them. That's why it was so hard to even look him in the eyes. "We know."
Upon hearing those last two words, Josh felt his heart stop: "Know what?"
"You know what we know," Cory pressed on, moving to take a seat at the kitchen table next to Topanga, who sat in front of what looked a lot like a criminal affidavit. "Sit down. I think we need to talk."
Cory then gestured for Josh to sit in front of him at the table. Josh could practically feel his face burning. He had yet to tell his parents the news, and he feared that his older brother would throw him under the bus. Maya's pregnancy was Earth shattering news.
"So you guys know," Josh said, mentally face palming himself for being so dense. In that moment, he wondered if Riley told her parents, or if Maya came clean herself, but surely she wouldn't have. They planned on telling his family together, but then again he hadn't heard from her since about noon. "Awesome."
"I'm speechless, Josh," Cory said slowly, interlocking his hands in front of him. For the first time in his nineteen years of life, Cory looked at him with utter disappointment in his eyes. "Just speechless. I really don't think you know what you're getting yourself into here."
Josh's face fell in seconds. It was especially difficult hearing that from his older brother, the only man aside from his father that he idolized wholeheartedly. Cory Matthews was a good guy. He had his head screwed on straight. He lived out his wildest dreams and became the person he was always meant to be.
Sensing the tension building in the room, Topanga made the bold move to interject. In all of her years in court, she developed a sixth sense. She knew exactly when to cut in before anymore blood or damage could be shed.
"What your brother means by that is having a baby is kind of a big deal," Topanga intervened, sounding much more like a caring mother than a cut throat lawyer. Topanga Lawrence-Matthews was a rational thinker with a big heart, and that's one of the things Josh loved about his sister-in-law. "You're still so young, Josh. You're finishing up your first year in college. And Maya? God."
"I spoke with Maya after class," Cory said, an unfamiliar strictness in his tone. "I asked her not to say anything to you until we could talk in private."
"I can tell that you're upset," Josh pointed out. That much was obvious. He cared so much about what his brother thought of him. He tried his best to make him proud, and he knew that he had done the complete opposite. That stung. "I was going to tell you about it, I swear."
"You swore that you were going to look after the girls, Josh," Cory retorted. He didn't mean to sound harsh, not really, but the reality of everything was hard for him to grasp. "You promised me that you would look after Riley and Maya. I trusted you, and yet here we are. Shawn told me that they're taking things one day at a time at home—that Katy's getting used to having you around—and that's great. But what about us? What about mom and dad?"
"We just needed time—"
"But here's the thing, you don't have time," Cory interrupted his brother mid-sentence. "In a few months, you'll have a baby. A living, breathing human being that will depend on you for everything. That's a big deal. What makes it an even bigger deal is that you're having a baby with Maya of all people. Maya."
"We love Maya like a daughter," Topanga continued for her husband. Cory seemed to give her the stand to speak, and it was much appreciated on her end. "We've invested a lot of time into providing her with the best home away from home she could possibly have. We fed her, clothed her, loved her as though she were our own daughter. Before Shawn got involved in her life, we even put aside a little money for her if she needed it for college one day."
"That's where things gets complicated," Cory said, stepping in as though they were passing the baton. "We love Maya, but we also love you. You're my baby brother, and I like to think that mom and dad raised you well, that Eric and I were good enough examples for you growing up."
"And you were," Josh reassured his older brother, his mouth forming a straight line. "You are. I can't take back what happened between me and Maya, but we're dealing with the situation as best as we can."
"I know that you're trying, and that this is a lot to wrap your head around," Cory expressed, making an ambiguous gesture with his hands. "Topanga and I had scares when we were your age, so I get that it's stressful, but those were just scares. You're gonna have a kid soon, and keeping secrets from the people that love you isn't the adult thing to do. If you want to do things right by Maya, you need to try harder. Do good, Josh. That's all I ask."
"Sheesh," Eric shook his head, imagining the scene his brother brought to life. "I can't believe he Feeny'd you like that. Do good, Josh. Seriously? I bet that made you cry. I know you act macho in front of your friends, but deep down, I know you're just a baby."
"Oh shut up," Josh groaned, swatting his brother's forearm. This action immediately elicited a response from one of the guards, and Josh didn't know whether he wanted to laugh or cry. "Yeah, I am a little sensitive sometimes, but so are you."
"At least I wasn't a mamas boy," Eric countered, motioning his guards to stay put because he wasn't in any danger at all. "Speaking of our dear mother, how did mom and dad take it? I heard about your trip back home from Morgan. She said she loves her new sister-in-law."
"It went as expected," Josh admitted. He loved that Morgan and Maya seemed to get along well. His sister never seemed to care much for his ex-girlfriend or any of the other females that he had brought around the house when they still lived together. "It went well, definitely could've gone worse. Dad gave me this huge lecture about being a man, just dad being dad. We even had a beer together before I left and talked about the future. Mom? I really think that the news broke her heart, you know, but she loves me and she knows that Maya is a good girl—the best girl—and I like to think that she's excited about having another granddaughter. Everyone is really, really happy for us, or at least they try to be."
"Even your friends back home?" Eric questioned, raising his eyebrows suggestively. "The last time we talked big bro to little bro, you were hanging out with the cool kids and dating that one girl that wore way too much makeup. Your friends never really seemed like the type to settle."
"Most of them aren't," Josh answered. It was true. A lot of the kids he graduated with were still kids themselves. They were still figuring themselves out, exploring the world and trying to find their place without anything holding them down. "One of my best friends got married, but I think he's the exception. When I finally fessed up, part of me kinda felt like everyone would look at me differently, but they didn't. I guess they could tell that I was happy."
Josh didn't know what to expect when he pulled into his childhood best friend's childhood home. The moment he unbuckled his seatbelt and set foot on the pavement, he was immediately taken back to his adolescent days. His youth, a time defined by glorious, adventurous misadventures. It was hard to believe that it had only been a year since he left all of it behind. He knew that he would never forget all of the danger, thrills and laughter that shaped his suburban youth. It had only been a year, yet he seemed as though he lived lightyears away.
The night progressed as he hoped it would. He caught up with all of his old friends, had a drink—or two, or maybe even three—and doubled over in laughter time and time again. It felt nice to be around his childhood friends. Life felt easy, and he felt young like the average nineteen-year-old boy that didn't have a single care in the world. It was easy to pretend, easy to make small talk and easy to set aside his present in order to embrace the past for one night, but he never liked to take the easy route, and he couldn't help but yearn for the presence of the love of his life, the mother of his child. During their time together, Maya had become his life. He set aside his youth for her to be better—to do good—and while most men his age would resent their partners for it, he wanted to thank Maya each and every day. Josh finally had his head screwed on straight. He knew what he wanted out of life and how to get there. He still had fun, of course, and his social life in New York remained as active as ever, but things were different now. He wasn't a kid anymore.
"You alright? Kinda looks like you're zoning out over there," Kyle Oliver asked, raising an eyebrow at the tall brunette. Kyle Oliver and Joshua Matthews had been the best of friends since they were six-years-old, and although they didn't talk as much as they used to, Kyle could still read Josh like an open book. Their entire group lounged around the porch in the backyard. The air around them was thick and potent, and they all sat among bonfire smoke and bottles of alcohol. "Or maybe that drink is finally getting to you. You're such a lightweight, Matthews."
"Ha ha," Josh deadpanned, snapping out of his dreamlike trance to take another swig from his plastic cup. Lisa Moreno from his theatre class poured him some atrociously strong mix of crown and coke, and he was far too nice to decline her offer. "Lightweight my ass. I could drink you under the table in a heartbeat. I dunno, man. I'm just thinking."
"Ooh," Kyle's wife, Christina teased, earning a fit of giggles from Lisa and the three other girls that sat around his ex-girlfriend, Charlotte. Even after their breakup, their friend group remained perfectly intact. The bonds that they all had were unbreakable, and as much as he had grown, Josh would be lying if he said he never missed nights like these. "You're thinking about that girl, aren't you? The pretty blonde from the city, ya know the one with the smokey blue eyes. Don't look at me like that, Josh. She's literally all you post about."
"Aw look, he's blushing!" Kyle jumped in, hopping to his feet in an attempt to embarrass his best friend. Josh laughed. It was definitely interesting being the only sober one. "You really are thinking about Maya right now, huh. Man, you're whipped. This is where the fun stops...then, the next thing you know, you're married."
"Hey!" Christina interjected, and the gang erupted into a fit of laughter at Kyle's drunken remark. "Couch, Ky. Keep it up and you're sleeping on the couch tonight."
"Where is Maya anyways?" Charlotte spoke up from her corner of the porch. She sat unbothered, nonchalantly sipping on her signature drink, vodka neat, but the tone in her voice suggested otherwise. Charlotte would never admit it, but she took their breakup hard. Sure, they had their fair share of breaks in school, but she always knew that they would always find their way back together again. However, this time, it was different. Charlotte knew that their relationship had come to an end, that he had found someone new. The air was cold and stark on the day that he broke her heart. On that day, she declared that she wanted to move to New York to be with him, that she was thinking about enrolling in cosmetology school to be a professional hairdresser, that they could make it work in the big city once she got on her feet. She'll never forget because he said no, and he never ever said no to her. When she asked why, he said that things were different now, that he was starting to figure things out on his own. Charlotte didn't argue with him, but deep down she knew that there was someone else. For over four years, he always kept his door open for her, and then suddenly, just like that, it was closed shut and she couldn't get it to open again. Months later, traces of Maya Hart began to flood her timeline, and Charlotte knew that she was right all along. "We all thought she was coming."
"I thought so too," Josh replied, finishing off his drink. He felt a light buzz, but it was nothing compared to the blackout nights he had when he was a stupid, stupid kid. "But she kinda just wanted to stay at the house. This isn't really her scene. I think she's having a movie night with my sister. I honestly couldn't tell you."
"So you just left her at your parents house?" Charlotte asked, failing to conceal the confusion in her voice. There was also a tinge of jealousy. She never felt that welcome around Amy and Alan Matthews. Even as a senior in high school, they absolutely refused to let her stay the night. "And they were cool with it?"
"I mean, yeah," Josh answered, hoping that his response would be enough to keep her out of his hair. "My family loves Maya, and she's been around since we were kids. You guys know my niece, Riley. Riley and Maya have been best friends for years, and that's how we all got to know her."
The air was tense, and to make things worse, his wisecracking best friend decided to make another joke that would surely send him to the couch that night: "You know, legend says that Maya is the reason why Josh only dates blondes."
When she heard this, Charlotte nearly spit out her drink. Kyle's joke earned a few laughs which left Josh flustered and red in the face. It wasn't a lie. Maya was the first girl he ever had a crush on. Even in his budding adolescence, he looked for subtle reminders of her in his daily life. Charlotte was, if nothing else, a pretty blonde. She excused herself from the group, quickly making up some excuse that she needed to use the restroom.
"Don't even bother coming to bed, Ky," Christina jokingly reprimanded. "And seriously, I don't think I've ever seen you so worked up over a girl before, Josh. She really must be something special."
"And for your parents to actually like her is a really big deal," Brittany Yang chimed in. She was a petite asian girl with a brilliant smile and an armful of tattoos in true ABG fashion. Josh and Brittany were the only ones in their group who had honors and AP classes, so they got to know each other quite well during their last two years of high school. "Mama Matthews used to watch me like a hawk whenever I would come over to do homework and study...literally just school stuff."
"It sounds serious, man," Kyle commented, slowly coming down from his haze. "I'm really happy for you. I speak for everyone when I say that we all are, even Charlie."
"We were all kinda worried that you'd get caught up with the wrong crowd," Brittany admitted, and everyone nodded as if this was their general consensus. "You were the only one of us to leave Philly."
"But here you are," Christina said matter-o-factly. "And you're the same you that you've always been. Maybe a little handsomer, definitely more mature."
Josh felt touched. His friends were crazy sometimes, but they would always have a special place in his heart. He paused for a moment, then opened his mouth to speak: "I have had a lot of growing up to do. Being with Maya, kickstarting my life, it's really put a lot of things into perspective. Thanks for worrying about me, guys, but I'm doing just fine."
"Kickstarting your life?" Brittany said, raising an eyebrow. "It's definitely serious then. Do I hear wedding bells in your future? Ya know, when she finishes high school and you guys can start adulting."
"We're probably gonna get married someday," Josh answered. He would marry her in a flash if he could. "And to be honest, we kinda started the whole adulting thing early."
"What do you mean by that?" Christina questioned, sitting at the edge of her seat.
"Maya is, well, she's pregnant. Five months. We're having a girl."
"Pause," Kyle interrupted, clearly in shock. "Holy shit. Are you serious, man? Why am I just now hearing about this?"
"I don't know honestly," Josh sighed. He should have told his best friends. Maya told hers. "I was waiting to tell people for a while. I waited a little too long actually, but it's all out in the open now. I'm gonna be someone's dad."
"Congratulations!" Brittany beamed with a huge smile on her face. "I know your baby isn't even born yet but c'mon, whenever she is, I wanna visit."
"Thanks, Britt," Josh said, finishing the rest of his drink. He was starting to feel good, so he wanted to get up to pour a little bit more. "I know you love babies, and you're more than welcome to visit anytime."
"Kyle," Christina pretended to pout, leaning on her husband for support. Kyle was still frozen in shock. "Our little Josh has grown up. He's finally become a man."
"I can't believe it," Kyle said, shaking his head in disbelief. "But dude, you're gonna be such a good dad. Baby girl doesn't even know what's coming to her."
"We love you," Christina expressed, holding onto Kyle's bicep. Kyle and Christina looked into each others eyes and then back at Josh. "Whenever the baby comes, don't be a stranger. We're all family here."
"You guys will be her family too," Josh said from the heart. Maybe his party days were in the past, but his friends were forever. He slowly got up to head to the kitchen to put more ice in his cup, but before he walked through the french doors he said one more thing: "And I really can't wait for you guys to meet Maya. I know you'll love her too."
Josh shut the door behind him and walked toward the fridge, eyeing a bag of potato chips on the kitchen island before reaching his final destination. He opened the bag of chips and then began to munch. The sound of the chips crunching almost drowned out the noise of another presence in the room, so when he heard her speak, he jumped.
"Is it true?" Charlotte said, a glimmer of hope in her eyes that this was all some elaborate prank that her friends planned behind her back. She seriously doubted it though. Their responses were so genuine, she found it hard to believe that even an actress as talented as Katy Hunter could pull it off.
"It's true," Josh answered, placing the back of chips back on the counter. "Maya and I are having a baby. A daughter. Her name is gonna be Aurora."
"I see, so what happens now?"
"The same," Josh said. "I go back to New York with my family, I keep working to save money for when the baby is born and when the semester starts back up again, I'll keep taking classes to finish my degree."
"And are you happy with that? Be honest."
"Yeah, Charlie. I am. Look, I'm really sorry that I hurt you, but I hope that one day you'll be able to forgive me. We just went our separate ways, and then—"
"You fell in love with Maya. You don't have to explain it to me."
"I know that things will never be the same between us. We were better off as friends, and if I cared enough about your feelings back then, I would've kept it that way."
"Were we really better off as friends? I loved you, Josh. I still do. I always will, and this might sound stupid, but I would even look past the whole baby thing if a small part of you believes that you could love me back."
Josh sighed. "There comes a point in your life when things change. People change, and feelings change too. I was a great friend to you and I miss that sometimes, but that's it. I'm not gonna lie, I was a terrible boyfriend because my heart always belonged to someone else. You gotta move on, Charlie. You deserve better than that. You deserve someone who can love you the way that I never could."
"I guess that's it then," Charlie gulped, standing up straight to regain her composure. She refused to let anyone else see her this way. She was Charlotte Stemmer, former head cheerleader and fledgeling social media influencer. There was no way in hell that she was gonna allow his rejection to ruin her night. So she hid away her pain and turned on her heels. When she looked back one final time, she gave him a small smile. It was fake, of course. He could read her like an open book. "Congratulations on the baby, Josh."
Within the hour, she was back to posting on social media like nothing happened in the first place. She made sure to post all of the group and solo pictures that she took with Josh. She tagged him too, and deep down she hoped that Maya would see. For the first time in her entire life, Charlotte Stemmer was jealous, and she didn't know what to do.
"Yowza," Eric exasperated as his little brother finalized his story. It was quite interesting to hear about the misadventures of Joshua Gabriel Matthews. Brotherly bonding moments were rare between the two, and whenever all three brothers were together, Cory always seemed to be the crutch to hold up their conversation. Their day at the park, however, was nice, and Eric loved hearing his brother's stories. It was wild to think about how he had grown up from being a sickly premie to a man of his own actions. "That Charlie chick sounds like a real witch. What does your girlfriend think of her?"
Josh shrugged his shoulder as though he were indicating some type of indifference. "Honestly, she was pretty bothered in the beginning. She never said it to my face, but I know her like the back of my hand. We talked about it though. No secrets in the relationship, and she doesn't feel threatened or anything."
"You've got a whole lot going on in your life, baby bro," Eric remarked whimsically, straightening out his tie. He was due for a meeting with some influential lobbyists within the hour. He hated to cut their afternoon short but duty calls.
"You could say that again."
"I wanna hear all about it. Let's make this a thing. Same place, same time, next week. How about that? You can even bring your girl if you want."
"Yeah," Josh grinned. "I would love that, man."
Josh Matthews loved his big brother, and he was glad that his daughter would have someone as goofy yet incredibly wise as Eric Matthews in her life. He looked forward to brotherly bonding moments and family dinners. In his eyes, the future looked bright for the Matthews clan.