A/N: This chapter is more about Maya's family and friends and what they're going through as Maya goes through rehab. But there's a little surprise at the end to close the chapter on a happy note although it doesn't have anything to do with Maya.
"I really don't understand why we're here Cor," Shawn says to his best friend. "I'm fine. Katy's fine. We're all fine as far as I can tell. We're all happy that Maya is here and getting the help she needs." It's been four days since Maya was checked into the rehab center. It's been about twenty-four hours since Shawn and Katy have been back from their trip to Maine. The four older adults are in a meeting room at The Zachariah Rehabilitation and Recovery Center where Maya is recovering. They're waiting on Riley and Josh to get there. And they're waiting to meet with a psychologist who works at the recovery center. Doctor Anderson, the head of the center, insisted that all of the 'Maya Committee' have a few sessions with the psychologist. She said it's provided with Maya's treatment. And while they're all four willing to talk to the psychologist, none of them understand how or even if they need any help. As Shawn said, "We're all fine as far as I can tell."
The door to the little meeting room opens and Riley and Josh walk in. "Sorry we're a little late. I had some school work I needed to finish up."
Cory walks up to his school-teaching daughter and says: "Don't ever apologize for doing your school work honey. The kids you teach always come first: especially before us." He gives her a little hug then.
"I know daddy," Riley tells him. "I just wanted to let you know why we're running a little behind. Uncle Josh came to pick me up and I had him wait until I finished."
Turning to Josh, Cory greets him as he always does: "My brother."
"My brother," Josh returns and gives his favorite brother a hug. "We're all here," Josh observes. "So I guess we're all waiting for the psychologist to get here?"
"That's right Josh," Topanga tells him. "Doctor Emily Franklin, I believe Doctor Anderson told me her name was."
"Has anyone heard anything about how Maya is doing?" A nervous Katy asks. She's concerned that this meeting will be more about Maya than them and that's what Doctor Franklin will really be talking to them about.
"No, nothing since the last update we got on her. Doctor Anderson said that Doctor Franklin will be giving us the latest update."
"Okay," Katy says. That little piece of information didn't help her nerves though.
Shawn sees that his wife is worried and gives her a comforting hug. "I'm sure things are fine honey," he says. "Maya's a fighter." Katy gives him a half smile and just nods her head.
About five minutes later, the door to the room opens and a tall, brunette-haired lady walks in with a doctor's smock on that says: "The Zachariah Rehabilitation and Recovery Center," just above the left pocked. There's a nametag under the name that reads: "Doctor Emily Franklin, Clinical Psychologist."
"Good morning everyone," she greets them is a pleasant voice.
"Good morning Doctor Franklin," they all return at different times.
"Please, call me Emily," she says to them with a smile. "And everyone please have a seat." She leans back against the desk at the front of the room and faces the little group. "I know all your names," she begins. "I've read Maya's file. But I haven't put faces to names yet, so would you please introduce yourselves."
Shawn and Katy go first: "We're Shawn and Katy Hunter," Shawn tells her. "We've Maya's parents." Then they look at Cory and Topanga.
"We've Cory and Topanga Matthews," Cory says. "We're close friends of the Hunters."
"It's not official or anything," Shawn says, "but they're like Maya's Godparents. They've always looked out for her."
"They were especially helpful," Katy chimes in, "after Maya's biological father left us and before Shawn, her adoptive father, came into our lives."
"I see," Emily says with an appreciative smile. Then she turns to the two younger adults and says: "And you two must be Riley and Josh, two of Maya's friends."
"Best friends," Riley corrects her. "Nobody loves Maya more than we do," she continues, which brings soft, knowing laughter from the four older adults of the Maya Committee.
"Sorry, best friends," Emily corrects herself with a little laugh of her own. "Well, it's nice to finally meet you all. Maya has spoken highly of you all."
"You've talked to Maya?!" Riley asks excitedly. The other five of the group had the same question in mind, but Riley beat them all in asking it.
"Yes I have Riley," Emily says, "I'm working with Maya while she's here and that's why I wanted to talk to you instead of someone else doing it. Now I know you all will want to know how she's doing, so before we get started with our work, I thought I'd give you a status report on her." The six others in the room look at Emily with concerned looks on their faces and are ready to hang onto every word she has to say. "I won't sugarcoat it," she begins, "just like we didn't sugarcoat to Maya what she'd be going through. She's had some challenges. They're typical of what alcoholics go through when they detox, and they can be quite unpleasant."
Kaya gasps audibly and Shawn takes her hand in his for comfort, both hers and his.
Emily understands Katy shock, but goes on. "She's experienced quick breathing, sweating, vomiting, irritability, trouble sleeping, anxiety, and a rapid pulse. She still may experience confusion, loss of consciousness, angry or nervous behavior, hallucinations, soaking sweats, and disturbed sleep."
"Oh God, my poor baby girl," Katy exclaims as tears fill her eyes and run down her cheeks.
Emily walks over to Katy and sits down beside her. In an understanding voice she says: "I'm sorry for telling you this Katy, but I felt it was the best thing to tell you all what she's going through. Better to hear it from me now, than from her when you see her."
"It's okay Emily," Katy manages to say with a little smile. "It's a shock, but I'm glad you told us."
"So am I," Topanga says as she puts her arms around Riley who's doing everything she can not to break down.
Emily smiles at them all now, and goes on: "but's there's good news too." This perks everything up as they look at her for more news about Maya. "She's doing remarkably well. She's strong; so incredibly strong. There's surprising strength and determination in that diminutive frame of hers."
They all smile at Emily when she says that. And Josh thinks to himself: "that's the Maya I know. Now I know we're going to get her hack."
Emily goes on: "We've had grown men in here, twice Maya's size, who screamed and cried like little babies and demanded we give them a drink. And when we wouldn't do it, they'd curse us, call us the devil himself, and some even left." When they all hear this, their eyes grow wide with shock. "But not Maya," Emily goes on. "Through all her pain, even when she was vomiting her guts out, she never once begged or even asked for a drink. The harder it was on her, the more determined she became. She's quite remarkable and I know she's going to make it all the way through the program."
All six of Maya's family and friends are softly sodding now, both in shock of what she's going through and how she's handling it. "That's our baby girl," Shawn finally says. All the others agree with him.
But Emily has more. "One of the things we're teaching Maya is to get and stay sober for herself and not to just please of someone else. I believe she understands that, but one of her big motivations is not letting you all down. She told me all the things you've done for her, both before her drinking problem, during her drinking problem, and after she realized she needed help. It's obvious she loves you all very much and doesn't want to let you down. She's lucky she has you."
"We're lucky to have her," Riley interjects. "She's the best person I know and she's helped make me strong and taught me to stand up for myself. And we all love her too." Josh gives her a loving hug and the rest agree with her.
"That's obvious," Emily says with a smile as she gets up and returns to the desk. "Well, that's the latest on her. We'll keep you updated on her progress; but there's a lot of room for optimism with her." When she returns to the desk, she says: "So let's get started on why I wanted to talk to you today. I know you all are probably wondering why you're here to talk to a shrink." They all look at one another and then nod their heads. "That's perfectly normal and I'm here to answer your questions. But first, I want to ask you a question: By a show of hands, who in here thinks that if they'd just paid closer attention to Maya, talked to her more, or been with her more, then this would never have happened to her?"
At no surprise to her, all six raised their hands. "That's what I thought," she says to them. "Well, I'm here to tell you, you're all wrong. There is nothing you could have done to prevent this." They all look at her is disbelief and she can tell they're not buying what she's selling. She first turns to Shawn and Katy. "Shawn, Katy," she begins, "you're both thinking that since you're her parents you should have seen what was happening and stopped it."
"I'm her father," Shawn says, "I'm supposed to take care of her. But I failed."
Emily sees the sadness and disappointment on Shawn's face, and sees it in Katy's also. "You're did your job Shawn; and you did too Katy. You raised her right. She grew up in a loving, caring atmosphere; and she knew it. You both are wonderful parents." Then she turns to Cory and Topanga. "The same goes for you also Cory and Topanga. You both were like surrogate parents to her. You gave her hope when she needed it most. You made her believe that she was worth something. That she was worth working on. You both were wonderful for her too." Then she turns to Riley and Josh. "Riley, you've been her best friend since she was six years old. And you may have had the biggest positive influence on her. She told me that even though she didn't believe it, you constantly told her she was smart, all through middle and high schools, until she finally began to believe you. Because of that, she earned a scholarship to NYU. You saw in Maya what maybe no one else did: her true potential. Because you believed she could do anything she put her mind to, she began to believe that too. And she's putting that belief to use now as she kicks this alcohol habit."
Next, she turns to Josh. "And you Josh," she says, "even though you haven't been around her as much as the others here, you've still had a profound impact on her. She's told me how you got her out of trouble several times in high school and college when she got in way over her head so much that even Riley couldn't help her. And when she finally hit rock bottom with her drinking and knew she needed help, you're the one she called. She knew you'd protect her and help her without judging her. That says something very meaningful about your relationship with her. I hope you realize that. You've all had a huge positive impact on her life and you should be proud of that."
"Then why didn't we see this coming?!" Riley says through the tears in her eyes. "We're her friends; we're her family; and we should have seen what was happing to her and stopped it before it got so bad." Tears rolled down Riley's face as she says this. And the others feel the same as she does.
Emily gives her, and the others, a sympathetic smile. "It's perfectly normal to feel that way Riley," she begins, "but like I said earlier, 'you're wrong.'" Now Emily gets looks of frustration and even a little anger from the little group; especially Riley, who's taking what has happened to Maya very personal.
"I'm her best friend and was her roommate," Riley says in defiance. "Why didn't I see what was happening to her."
"Riley," Emily begins, "do you think Maya woke up one morning and said to herself: "I think I'll become an alcoholic today?"
"Well no, of course not," Riley answers her with a confused look.
"And did she tell you one day that she was going to start drinking heavily and ruin her life?" Emily asks further.
"No," Riley answers; not sure where Emily is going with this.
"No addict does Riley," Emily continues. "If they did, I'd be out of a job and this rehab center wouldn't exist because we'd stop all of them before it got out of hand." When Emily sees she has all their attentions, she goes on: "You've all done a wonderful job is helping Maya grow up. She's confident, strong, and knows she's a good person. But she's an adult now and responsible for her on actions, just like you all are. And you can't be around her 24/7. And we've learned that sometimes, bad things happen to good people, like Maya. Addiction doesn't happen overnight, or in a week, or months, and sometimes it happens over years. But the point is: it happens so slowly that no one notices, including the addict, until it's too late. By then, the substance they're abusing has taken over their life, and in most cases, as in Maya's, fundamentally changed them. And when YOU finally notice that change, it's too late as well. When you try to tell them they have a problem, in most cases they don't believe you, and maybe get mad at you for telling them that."
"Maya did that," Josh said. "I told her twice and tried to get her to go with me and get help, but all she did was deny she had a problem and got mad at me. It was so frustrating."
"I know it was Josh," Emily says. "I'm sure it was for all of you. But it's time to put that behind you now and move forward with Maya."
"I'm not sure we can," Cory says. The rest all agree with him.
Emily gives him her knowing smile and says: "That's why I'm talking with you today and while I want to see you all several more times before Maya leaves us. Maya will still have challenges after she leaves us. But she'll have you and others to lean on. And she'll need your strength to help her stay sober. And the one thing she doesn't need is you believing that what happened to her is somehow your fault. She'll pick up on that immediately and it could cause her to have a relapse. She already knows that she's the only one to blame for the situation she's in; she's accepted that; and she doesn't need you confusing her with any guilt of your own." When she sees them looking at each other apprehensively, she smiles and continues: "Don't worry; we'll get there; I promise you'll be ready for her when she leaves here."
After some more discussion with them, Emily sets up their next session together.
A few days later at Topanga's Café…..
"So all you're old gang will be here?" Josh asks Riley.
"Yeah, they're all coming and bringing their significant others with them. I asked them too. They haven't known Maya for as long as us, but they've all met her and I thought they deserved to hear about Maya from us as the same time as we told the gang. Maya's important to our tight little group of friends, so she's important to the significant others as well."
"How do you think they'll react to the news?" Josh asks.
"They'll be shocked, I'm sure," she answers, "but they'll all be supportive of her recovery and be willing to help in any way they can."
"That's good to know," Josh says. "Maya will love knowing her closest friends will still be her friends once they know."
"I agree," Riley says. "And thank you for being here uncle Josh. I can do this by myself, but it'll be much easier with you here."
"You're welcome Riley. I'm glad to help. I've gotten to know all or your and Maya's friends through the years. They're all good people."
"I know," Riley says with a nervous smile. She's not nervous about telling her friends about Maya. She nervous about what's she decided to tell her favorite uncle. Or rather, WHO she's decided to tell Josh about. "Uncle Josh," she begins, "can you stay for a few minutes after we're through here? I've got something I'd like to talk with you about."
"Sure Riley; not a problem," he replies with a smile.
About that time, they hear the door open to the little café and turn to see who it is. "Farkle, Isadora," Riley says with a smile as she greets two of her old friends, "I'm so glad you could make it." Farkle Minkus and Isadora Smackle are still together. They've been inseparable since middle school. They attended MIT together and graduated 'summa cum laude' with degrees in physics. They both work in the New York City area now doing research. Everyone assumes they'll be married one day.
"Riley!" They both say excitedly.
"It's been too long," Farkle says.
"Yes, much too long," Isadora adds.
The three greet each other with warm hugs.
"You remember my uncle Josh don't you?" Riley asks.
"Of course," Farkle says. He's wondering why Josh is here, but really doesn't care. He knows Riley and Josh are close. "How are you Josh?" Farkle asks.
"Doctor Turtleneck I presume," Josh answers with a smile. Farkle returns his smile at the mention of his old nickname given to him by Josh's brother, Cory. "It's good to see you Farkle. And you too, Isadora."
"You too," they both answer together. "Are we the first here?" Farkle asks as looks around the room.
"You are," Riley answers. "Why don't you two find a seat. I'm sure the rest will be here shortly."
The two nod, then find a seat together. As if on cue, the café door opens again and Zay Babineaux comes in accompanied by a tall, dark-haired, attractive young woman that Riley recognizes immediately. "Zay, Vanessa," Riley greets them. "Glad you could make it. Especially you Vanessa. Has Zay finally convinced you to say in New York with us?"
"For the time being," Vanessa answers her with a smile. She's clearly teasing Zay. The two were school sweethearts in Austin, but lost touch with each other when Zay moved to New York with his parents. They were briefly reunited in Austin when Lucas and the gang visited there to watch him ride a bull, but then they were separated again. However, that reunion rekindled their interest in one another. They kept in touch all through high school. And when Zay returned to Austin to attend the University of Texas, they started seeing one another again. Sometime in the last year, Zay finally talked Vanessa into coming to New York with him. She liked the city more that she thought and ended up getting a job there. She kept going back to Austin occasionally though, but Zay finally talked her into staying in the city longer to be with him. She met all of Zay's New York friends and soon became part of the tight little group.
"Well I for one am glad you decided to stay," Riley tells her. "We all enjoy your company."
"Thank you Riley," Vanessa says. "I enjoy being with you all too. You know how boring Zay can be."
Riley giggles at that as Zay rolls his eyes. Then Riley asks: "You both know my uncle Josh I believe."
"Yeah, we do," Zay says; giving Josh a slight nod, which Josh returns. "So is Josh included in our little group now?" Zay asks out of curiosity.
"Yeah, you could say that," Riley tells him as she exchanges looks with Josh. "I'll tell you about that later."
"Okay, cool," Zay says, seemingly satisfied with Riley's answer. Then he turns to Vanessa and says: "Let's get something to drink and say hello to Farkle and Isadora." Vanessa nods her agreement, then Zay says to Riley: "Lucas and Amanda should be here shortly."
Within minutes, the door to the café opens again and Lucas and Amanda walk in. Amanda looks every bit a Texas girl. And she is indeed from Texas; born and raised. She has a rugged and independent look about her that would be unappealing to weak men, but to strong men like Lucas, very attractive. She's a little taller that Riley with long straight black hair and a bright smile that lights up a room, which it is at this moment as she approaches Riley along with Lucas. "Hey Riley," she begins, "It's good to see you." Now some would think her greeting of Riley is forced, given Riley and Lucas' history, but it isn't. Amanda was wary of Riley when the two first met. Lucas had told Amanda about his and Riley's history together. She was his first girlfriend and they had remained together through their freshman year in high school, but then had broken up between their freshman and sophomore years. It was a mutual breakup and the two had remained and still remain close friends. Amanda didn't see at first how Riley could just remain friends with the handsome Lucas considering the two's history. But as she got to know the native New Yorker, she realized she was wrong about her and began to like the bubbly brunet for her eternal optimism and positive outlook on life. Now she loved hanging out with Riley as well as her fiery best friend, Maya. She hadn't seen either in a while and was looking forward to seeing them today as well as the rest of the group that had allowed her join them.
"Hey Amanda," Riley begins matching Amanda's smile, "it's so good to see you too, and Lucas as well. It's been too long."
"Far too Long," Lucas responds as the three exchange warm, friendly hugs. As Lucas looks around, he says: "Looks like we're among the last to get here."
"I told you we were going to be late Huckleberry," Amanda says with a smile. Lucas just rolls his eyes. Amanda had started using Maya's old nickname for him after the first time she heard Maya use it on him. She thought it fit him perfectly and used every opportunity she could to use it. He had hoped Maya would protest Amanda using it, but to his displeasure, Maya loved it, and in fact, the two young women had bonded over teasing Lucas with it. So, he decided he couldn't fight it and just went with it.
"Good to see you too Josh," Lucas said, trying to get Amanda's mind off his nickname.
"Good to see you too Lucas, and you too Amanda," he returned.
"Thank you Josh, "Amanda says. "We have been looking forward to this little reunion." After getting to know Riley, she had introduced Amanda to Josh. Amanda could see how close the two were. Riley had told her that even though they had never lived together, her and Josh were more like siblings than uncle and niece. Amanda saw that Josh was very protective of his niece and nephew, as well as Maya, who had known Josh since she was a little girl. And she could see that Maya and Josh had a strong bond as well. Everyone had told her that the two had promised each other they'd date someday, but it hadn't happened yet and most though that it probably would never happen now. But Amanda thought otherwise. She was good at seeing people's relationships and how they truly felt about each other. And what she felt about Maya and Josh went far beyond mere friendship; to the point that she felt like they belonged together. But they weren't yet, so she left it alone because it was none of her business.
"Why don't you get something to drink and find a seat with the others," Riley suggested to them. The two acknowledged her suggestion and did just that. Then she turns to Josh and asks: "Do you think I should just go ahead and tell everyone?"
"I do Riley," he answers. "There's really no way to ease into it. And they'll want to know. They all care for Maya."
"Okay," Riley says softly; not looking forward to breaking the news about Maya to everyone, but understanding that it had to be done. She waited a few more minutes for everyone to find a place to sit. Then with an encouraging smile from Josh, she decided it was time. "I'm glad you all could make it today. I have some news for you all."
Before she could go any further, Farkle interrupts: "Wait; Maya's not here. We can't start without her. And frankly I can't believe she's not already here with you Riley." The rest of the group all agree with her.
Her and Josh exchange knowing looks; Riley takes a big breath; and goes on: "That's the reason I wanted you all to be here today. Maya won't be with us. Something's happened to her."
The group is stunned into silence for a few moments, then Farkle speaks up: "Oh God!" He exclaims, "don't' tell me she's dead!" A cold chill runs down his spine as he says this. The others have the same reaction. Then he says: "No, that can't be it. You'd be hysterical right now Riley; and wouldn't be able to talk. But what is it? Is she sick? Was she in an accident? Or could…"
Isadora, sitting next to him, puts a loving hand over his mouth to stop him and says: "You're rambling my love. Let's let Riley finish, okay?" Farkle nods his head in understanding as she removes her hand from his mouth.
Riley goes on: "No, she's alive. She's not well though, but getting better. She's in rehab." Riley thought that would be the only explanation she'd need, but she was wrong.
"Rehab? What does that mean?" Lucas asks. "Does she have broken bones or severe burns she has to recover from? What's going on with her?"
Riley looks at the group of her oldest and closest friends. As tears began to form in her eyes, she says: "No, Maya is an alcoholic. She is addiction rehab."
Gasps come from several members of the group. Clearly, none were expecting this news. As wild and crazy as Maya can be, all believed that she was always in control of herself. But Riley expected them to be shocked.
She's about to tell them more when a scream erupts from Isadora: "Noooo! Not Maya. Please don't let it be Maya!" All are startled and look toward the little genius. She has her head buried in Farkle's chest now and it crying uncontrollably. Farkle is holding her gently and trying his best to sooth her by softly stroking her hair and talking to her gently: "It's going to be okay honey. I'm sure she's going be fine."
Riley is taken aback by Isadora's reaction. She knew that Isadora liked Maya very much and admired her strength and passion, but her outburst was not expected. "I'm sorry Isadora," she begins. "If I'd known you'd react like this, I'd have told you alone and broke it to you gently. I didn't mean to upset you so much."
Farkle looks at Riley and gives her a sympathetic smile. "It's okay Riley," he says, "you didn't know."
"Didn't know what, Farkle?" Riley asks.
Farkle answers: "Isadora had a cousin who she was very close to, in much the same way you and Josh are close." Farlke pauses for a second, collecting his thoughts, then continues. "He became an alcoholic as well. But he never recovered and she lost him. It was devastating to her." Isadora whimpers slightly at Farkle's words.
"Oh Isadora," Riley says as she sits next to the little genius and puts a sympathetic hand on her shoulder, "I had no idea. I am so sorry."
After a few more minutes, Isadora stops sobbing and looks at Riley. "It's okay Riley. You had no way of knowing. It's hard for me to talk about, so I don't except to mom & dad and Farkle."
Riley gives her a relieved smile letting Isadora know she appreciates being told that. But then Isadora almost starts crying again and pleads with Riley: "Please tell me she's going to be okay Riley, Please. I can't lose Maya too. One person shouldn't have to lose two good people in their life. Especially as young as me."
Riley can see the hurt and fear in Isadora's eyes and it reminds her of what she was going through while Maya was still drinking. "Yes, she's going to be okay Isadora," Riley says with a firmness that surprises everyone, "I will not contemplate otherwise." Isadora manages a small smile and nods to Riley.
"How did this happen Riley?" Zay asks. "You're her best friend and roommate. Didn't you see this coming?"
"I don't know Zay," Riley answers; trying to keep her composure. "It happened so slowly I guess I didn't notice until it was too late. By then she was ignoring anything I said to her and would just get angry with me when I tried to talk to her about it. I want to blame myself for letting this happen, but the therapist at the rehab center where Maya is, told me it wasn't mine or anyone else's fault; that sometimes it just sneaks up on you. I really want to believe that."
"And you should Riley. The therapist was right." Everyone turned to look at Amanda, who was telling Riley this. She moves next to Riley and gives her a warm hug. When she releases her she says: "I worked at a rehab center in Austin for several years. The patients we treated came from all walks of life; all economic groups; all ages. Addiction is an all-inclusive scourge. We had patients that came from good families and had good friends, just like Maya. And unlike Maya, many had parents who never left them or mistreated them in any way. Yet, they became addicted and needed help kicking their habit. So don't blame yourself Maya. I know this sounds harsh, but this is all on Maya. And the same goes for you Josh," Amanda continues; turning her attention to Riley's uncle now. "I know you and Maya are close and you care for her very much, but you're not to blame either." Josh nods his head and gives Amanda an appreciative smile. "And the rest of you shouldn't even consider blaming them either. I have experience with this and I know."
"Thank you Amanda," Riley says. "It's kind of you to say that. Uncle Josh and I need to hear that a lot." Riley knows that Amanda has been a Certified Medical Assistant for several years. And she's come to realize that Amanda is one of the kindest and most caring persons she's ever known. The rest of the group nod their acknowledgement of her statement of them.
"Who else knows about Maya, Riley? "Lucas asks.
Maya's parents and my parents; that's all." Riley answers. "My grandparents, who have always treated Maya like another granddaughter, didn't even know."
"Why didn't you tell us Riley?" Lucas asks. "We're her friends. Don't you think we'd want to know?"
"Of course I knew you'd want to know Lucas," Riley answers him. "But it was my decision and my decision alone to not tell any of you. So don't blame anyone but me. I knew there was nothing you or anyone could do at that point, so I thought 'why worry you.' I didn't even tell uncle Josh. He only found out by chance when he ran into Maya one night. Like I said, by the time I figured it out, which was about the same time our parents figured it out, it was too late to do anything. Josh tried several times to get her to come with him, but she refused and eventually cut all contact with us. For a while, we didn't know if she was alive or dead."
Riley's last statement caused the reality of what happened to Maya to come crashing down on the little group of friends; about what they, the 'Maya Committee' had gone through. "Oh my God Riley!" Farkle exclaimed. "That must have been awful for you."
"It was Farkle," Riley answers as tears fill her eyes because of those memories. "It was a hell that I don't want any of you to go through." If there were any in the group that thought Riley was wrong for not telling anyone else, they didn't any longer.
"She's in rehab now?" Isadora asks. Riley nods her hear. "How did you finally get her there?"
"It was uncle Josh finally," Riley answers. She looks at Josh as asks: "Want to tell them?"
Josh nods his head and begins: "One night I get a phone call at about two o'clock in the morning. It was Maya. This so-called friend of hers she was living with had abandoned her in a bar. She was alone; had no place to go; and had no money. She asked if I'd come and get her. She was scared. I got to here as fast as I could. Luckily she was okay when I found her, but two guys had her pinned against a wall and…..well, they didn't have her best interests in mind." Everyone cringed at the thought of their friend being in that position. "Anyway, I was able to run them off and get Maya in the car with me. I tried to take her to her mom & dad's or to Riley, but she said she didn't want them to see her like she was. I think she was finally beginning to realize what she'd done to herself. She asked me to take her to my place, which I did." Josh paused for a second while he decided what to tell them next. He finally decided that they should know everything, or at least almost everything. Then he continued: "She was weak and tired and her cloths hung on her because she'd lost so much weight." Gasps and moans went up from the group. "Her hair was matted and it looked and smelled like she hadn't bathed in a while. By the time I got her to my apartment she was shivering from being cold, even though it wasn't that cold outside. I had her to take a hot shower and I gave her some warm clothes to wear. While she was showering, I was trying to figure out a way to get her to stay with me. I was afraid she would want to leave as soon as she felt better. Luckily, I was wrong. After her shower I fixed her some hot tea hoping it would help keep her warm. She broke down and started crying then. It broke my heart to see her like that." All of Maya's friends were trying to hold back tears now. "But finally, after all our worries, she finally did the thing we'd been hoping and praying for: she admitted she had a problem and couldn't stop drinking. She said she was afraid she was going to die and begged me to help her." A tear trickled down his cheek and his voice broke as he told them. "I told her I'd help her and tried to calm her fears. She clung to me the whole night like a scared little girl." He looked at the group and said: "You all know Maya's not the clingy type. That's how broken she was. That's what the alcohol had done to her. And I wondered if the real Maya was gone and we couldn't get her back. But the next morning after I'd called Riley to come over and I was fixing breakfast for all of us, she actually made a couple of jokes that Maya would have done. And I knew then that the real Maya, the Maya we all know and love, was still in her and Riley and I were determined to get her back. So after breakfast we took her to the rehab center we had waiting for her. And that's where she is now."
"You already had a place set up for her to go to?" Farkle asked.
"We did," Josh answered. "Before I even knew about Maya, her parents, Riley's parents, and Riley had researched and lined up a place for her to go. Riley called us the Maya Committee." That evoked some much-needed laughter from the group. Retelling that story took more out of Josh than he would have thought so he was emotionally spent. Riley saw this and hugged her favorite uncle tight.
"You're a good man Josh," Zay said after a few minutes. "I'm happy you were there for her." Everyone echoed his thought. "So how is she doing?" Zay asked.
"She's been in rehab for a little over a week now. Now one from the outside is allowed to see her for the first two weeks, but we've been receiving regular reports on her. They all say she's doing very good. They've all been impressed with her determination."
"No that's Maya Hunter," Farkle says with a smile. "That's the girl that can do anything she puts her mind."
"Amen to that," Lucas says and everyone agrees. Then Lucas asks: "What can we do to help her Riley. Can we go see her?"
"Eventually you can Lucas. And I know that would mean the world to her. Her mom & dad will be the first to see her as soon as they can; then my mom and dad; then grandma & grandpa, and then uncle Josh and I. I don't know what the time line will be; that depends on her progress, but yes, you all will be able to see her eventually. In the meantime, send her texts; leave her voice mails; encourage her in any way you can. She won't be allowed to return texts or calls right now, but she will be allowed to see and hear what you've sent her. And like I said, that will mean everything to her. They're telling us that Maya feels like she's let everyone that's ever cared for her down."
"But that's just not true!" Isadora exclaims. "We all just want her to get well."
Riley gives her genius friend a warm smile and takes her hand in hers. "I know that Isadora," Riley begins, "and so does everyone here. But Maya doesn't believe that right now. So the best thing you can do for her is to tell her how much you love her and want her to get well. Tell her how much you want to see her again and can't wait for your chance. That, more than anything else, is what will help her the most."
"Done!" Farkle proclaims loudly. "We'll all start with texts and voicemails as soon as we leave here; right guys?"
"Right," the rest proclaim.
"Voicemails are best," Amanda proclaims. "That way she'll be able to hear the sincerity and love in our voices."
"Good point honey," Lucas says and gives her a quick peck on the cheek.
The next several minutes are spent with the group trying to catchup on each other's lives; but as you'd might expect, most of the talk was about Maya with Riley and Josh answering as many of their questions as they could. Finally the three couples begin to leave one-by-one with Riley promising to keep them up to date on Maya's progress. When the last ones are gone, Riley says to Josh: "Whew! That was more emotionally draining than I thought it would be, but not as hard."
"I couldn't agree more Riley. You did a great job." He tells her.
"So did you, uncle Josh," she replies. "We both did."
After a few minutes, Josh asks: "What did you want to talk to me about Riley?"
"Oh," Riley says; startled by his question. She had forgotten about that. "Well, if I'd have known that this would have been so emotionally draining, I would have done it at another time. But since he's here, I might as well go on with it."
"Since who is here?" Josh asks.
"Just a sec," Riley applies as she takes out her phone and sends a quick text. Then she takes a big breath and says: "I want you to meet my boyfriend."
"Boyfriend, I didn't know you had a boyfriend," Josh says.
"Well duh, uncle Josh," she says with a grin. "That's why I want you to meet him tonight."
Josh can see she's a little nervous about this for some reason. "Don't worry Riley, I'm sure he's a nice guy and if he makes you happy, then I'm fine with it."
"Thanks uncle Josh," she says. "I hope you feel the same way when you meet him. You see, you know him."
"I know him." Josh says in surprise. His mind races as he searches for who it could be. But he comes up with nothing. Riley's met most of his friends but they're all married or engaged. He just can't figure out who it could be. A short moment later, the door to Topanga's opens again as someone walks in. Instinctively Josh looks up to see who it is and sees Brody, the bartender/part owner of O'Malley's Pub, his favorite hangout spot. He wonders what Brody's doing there. He figures it's a coincidence since he's never mentioned his sister-in-law's business to him. "Hey Brody," he greets him with a smile, "weird meeting you here. My sister-in-law, Topanga, owns this place."
"Yeah, I know," Brody responds timidly.
Josh is about to respond, when he notices Brody and Riley looking at each other. At first her thinks: "Well, the two have met. I guess they're trying to figure out where that was. Then it dawns on him. "Wait," he says, "Is he…? Are you…?" He doesn't know what to say next he's so surprised.
"Yes, uncle Josh," she begins as she moves next to Brody's side, "this is my boyfriend Brody. Brody, I believe you know my uncle Josh." Riley is getting a little nervous at her uncle's lack of any response.
"I do Riley," Brody responds, but doesn't take his eyes off Josh, "and Josh considers me a friend, but that was before he knew I was your boyfriend." He gives Josh a nervous smile as he waits for a response. He knows how protective Josh is of his niece, which he actually found pleasing, up until now.
"Finally, Josh snaps out of his surprise fog and says: "I had no idea." Then he smiles at the pair and continues: "If he makes you happy Riley, then I'm happy."
"He's very good to me uncle Josh. He listens, really listens, to me when I want to talk about Maya, just like you do," she begins, "and yes, he makes me happy."
"Good, that's real good Riley," Josh begins with a smile, but then gets a serious look on his face and asks Brody: "What are your intentions with my niece, Brody. You do own a bar and many bar owners have reprehensible reputations." Josh tries his best to keep from grinning as he watches Brody squirm. He likes Brody and believes he'll be good to Riley. He's learned that Brody comes from a tight-knit family like his and has a high respect for all women.
As Brody is stuttering, trying to find some way to answer Josh, Riley gets him off the hook. "Oh come on uncle Josh. Stop with the third degree. I've already introduced him as my boyfriend to mom and dad."
When Josh here's this, his eyes grow wide and he begins to apologize. "Oh my god! I'm sorry Brody. I didn't know that you'd met my brother. You've already been put through enough scrutiny from my family. You'll get no more from me."
Riley and Josh begin laughing then which eases Brody's tension. "Yeah," Brody begins, "your brother was so nice when I first met him, but when Riley introduced me as her boyfriend…"
"He turned from Dr. Jekyll into Mr. Hyde," Josh finished from him.
"Exactly," Brody responded in relief.
"Mom's working on him for me," Riley says. "She'll bring him around.
"Now Topanga is awesome!" Brody explains. Then he looks at Riley and says: "Actually both of you parents are pretty awesome honey. Despite Cory's antics, it's obvious he loves you very much and that's cool." Riley gives him an affectionate smile. "And your uncle's pretty cool to. I don't think he's going to kill me." Brody gives Josh a big smile then.
"No, you're safe," Josh says returning his smile, but then says sternly: "for now." This gets a laugh from Brody and Riley. "So tell me," Josh continues, "how did you two get together?"
"Well, it happened several weeks ago before Maya came back to us," Riley begins. "It had been a stressful day at work and I decided to eat dinner out. And since you'd taken me to O'Malley's a couple of times, I decided to go there."
Flashback to a few weeks ago….
Riley smiles as she walks through the door into O'Malley's, her favorite uncle's, favorite hangout. It's fairly early for the place to be really busy, around six o'clock, but that suite's Riley fine. She prefers quite at this time. She decides to just sit at the bar instead of a table since she's alone. As she takes a seat at one end of the bar, the bartender approaches her. "Hey," he says with a smile. "You're Riley, Josh's niece, aren't you?
"I am," she answers with a smile; impressed her remembered her. "And your name is Brody isn't it? I remember you from when I've been here before with uncle Josh."
"Yep, that's me, Brody," he says. "Is Josh meeting you?" He asks.
"No, I came by myself," she answers. She gives him a mischievous smile and states: "I'm a big girl now and can go to bars,…excuse me, pubs, by myself. I don't need my uncle to watch out for me." She remembered, from when she was here before with Josh, that Brody was fun to talk to and loved to joke with Josh and whoever was with him. She remembered how embarrassed she'd gotten when Brody asked her to come work with him. She turned him down, but was flattered by his offer. And she remembered Josh telling her that Brody was from a tight-knit family and was kind. He knew this because he would always lend a sympathetic ear when Josh talked about Maya.
"Well okay, miss big-girl Riley," Brody says with a laugh. "What can I get you?"
"It's been a stressful day for me, so I'm here to comfort eat," she states. "How about one of your delicious cheese burgers with extra mayo, a large fry, and a beer?"
"One comfort meal and a beer coming right up," he says pleasantly to the bubbly brunette then turns her order into the kitchen. After that, he gets a cold bottle of beer for her, pops the cap off and sit it in front of her.
Riley takes a drink from the bottle, smiles and says: "Oh that tastes so good and really hits the spot." Then she takes another drink and waits for her food. Brody makes small talk with Riley and waits on other customers who sit at the bar until her food is ready. When he sits her food in front of her, Riley smiles and says: "Mmmm, that smells great." She asks for ketchup which he brings her and then watches, wide-eyed, as she proceeds to drown her fires in the tangy condiment.
He smiles at her then and says: "enjoy your dinner and I'll check back is a few to see if you need anything." Then he goes back to waiting on other customers. When he does check back with her a couple of times, she just shakes her head when he asks if she needs anything. She doesn't speak because she always has a mouthful of cheese burger and fries. And even though her cheeks are puffed out because she's stuffed her mouth full and she has ketchup and mayo on her mouth, he thinks she looks adorable. He can see she's thoroughly enjoying her meal. This makes him happy because he could tell that she was stressed out.
"That was so good," Riley says after swallowing the last bite of the burger. "I needed that."
"Glad you liked it," Brody tells her while taking her plate away. When he sees her take the last sip of her beer, he asks if she'd like another.
"Yes please," she says with a shy smile. She normally only has one drink at a time: one beer or one glass of wine, even though she could handle more without getting impaired. But tonight she felt she deserved another after her meal.
"Coming right up Riley," he tells her and gets her another cold brew. The crowd has thinned a little, so Brody spends a little more time talking to Riley. He's found her to be interesting to talk to. She's intelligent, thoughtful, caring, and has a wicked sense of humor that she can surprise you with. When their conversation wanes, a new question pops into his head and he asks: "Have you heard from your friend Maya lately?"
As soon as he asks, he wishes he hadn't. Riley's whole demeaner changes. The bright smile leaves her face and her brow furrows. She looks at him and replies somberly: "No, we haven't. She's completely cut herself off from us. She won't answer her phone when we call and she won't reply to any of our texts or voicemails." She hesitates a second, not quite sure if she should continue. But the concerned look on Brody's face causes her to go on. "We don't know where she lives or works, if she's working at all." She hesitates again and as tears begin to fill her eyes, then says: "We don't even know it she's alive or dead Brody; and I'm scared to death that I may never see her again." She tries to hold her emotions in, but her long stressful day has worn her down. Brody sees her lower lip begin to quiver as she looks at him. Then he sees tears begin to roll down her cheeks and she begins to cry.
Feeling sorry for the bright-eyed niece of his friend and feeling somewhat guilty for causing her to cry, he quickly comes out from behind the bar and next to Riley. "Riley," he begins, come with me back to my office in the rear so you can have some privacy." She looks at him, still crying, nods her head, and lets him lead her to his office. He looks at a young lady who is working nearby and has seen what's happened to Riley and asks her: "Liz, can you watch the bar while I take Riley to my office?"
"Sure Brody," Liz answers him, "take whatever time she needs." Liz knows who Riley is and who her uncle is. She knows that the Matthews are well thought of by Brody. He nods his head in thanks.
When he gets Riley to his office, he sits her down on the large, comfortable couch he has there. He puts a box to tissues on the end table next to her for her to use, gets her a bottled water from the small frig in his office, removes the cap, and puts it beside the tissues for her. He takes a seat on the coffee table in front of the couch so he can be close to Riley, but not too close. He doesn't want to make her more uncomfortable than she already is. He waits patiently for her to stop crying before saying anything to her. After she uses some of the tissues to dry her eyes and takes a drink from the water bottle, he decides to say something" "Riley, I'm so sorry for upsetting you. I hate that I've made you cry." He patiently waits again to see how she reacts.
Finally, after a few more minutes, she looks at him and manages a little smile. "It's okay Brody. It was kind of you to ask about Maya. I guess because of my stressful day, I couldn't control my emotions. I'm sorry I cried in front of you and in your pub. I hope I didn't embarrass you too much."
'Amazing' is the first word that pops into Brody's head when Riley tells him that. He thinks: "Here I am, sorry for causing her to cry, and instead of being upset with me, she's apologizing to me for her crying, which I caused. These Matthews people are all amazing." He looks at her, and can't help but notice that even when she's crying, she's still the prettiest girl he's ever seen. He curses himself for thinking that and puts it out of his head. "You have nothing to apologize for Riley," he tells her. "You care about your friend. That's nothing to be ashamed of."
"She smiles at him again and says: "Thank you Brody. It's nice of you to say that."
He returns her smiles and asks: "Can I get you anything? Another beer? Something else to eat? I have some chocolate ice cream if you'd like some. It always makes me feel better.
Riley is genially touched by his concern. "No, I'm fine Brody; but thank you." She uses some more tissues on her eyes and notices her mascara has run. "Oh God," she says, "my face must look a mess."
"I think you look fine, but if you want to wash your face, there's a half bath right through that door," he tells her as he points to a door in his office. "And don't worry," he continues, "I keep is very clean."
This gets a smile which he was hoping for from Riley. "Well, that'll be a first," she says, "a bachelor with a clean bathroom." She actually giggles a little at her joke which makes Brody feel better. She takes a few minutes to clean her face and reapply some makeup. When she comes back into his office, she gives Brody an appreciative smile and says: "Thanks Brody, I feel much better now. I appreciate your kindness."
"It was the least I could do Riley," he tells her. "And don't give up on Maya. From what Josh tells me about her, she's strong and smart. She'll figure out she needs help eventually. You just need to have hope."
Riley smiles. "He has no idea what that word means to Maya. Maybe I'll tell him some day." She thinks to herself. "And he's right, Maya is smart and I should have hope." She looks at him now and says: "I will Brody. I'll keep hoping and praying for her." After an awkward moment between the two, Riley finally says: "Well I guess I need to go. I need to get home and prepare for my day tomorrow. Let me pay you for my dinner tonight." She begins to go through her purse looking for her debit card. But Brody stops her.
"It's on me Riley," he informs her, "it's the least I can do since I ruined it for you." She starts to protest, but sees it's no use, so thanks him instead. "I'll walk you to the door," he tells her.
When they get to the door, Riley turns and faces Brody. But instead of telling him goodbye, she asks: "Do you have a piece of paper and pen that I can write something on?"
Brody is surprised by her request, but smiles and says: "Sure; here's my order pad and a pen." He pulls the pad from his rear pants pocket and the pen from his shirt pocket and hands them to her. She thanks him and begins to write something on the pad. When she's finished, she hands the pad and pen back to him. On the pad, she's written her name and a phone number.
When Brody gives her a surprised look, she gives him the prettiest smile he's ever seen and says: "You're a nice guy Brody. If you'd like to have a cup of coffee with me sometime, give me a call." With that, she gives him a sweet kiss on the cheek and goes out the door, leaving Brody dumbfounded.
When he gets back to the bar, Liz is waiting for him after seeing what went on between the two. She gives him a big grin and asks: "Did you get her phone number Brody?" He just nods his head; still not believing what just happened. "Good for you then," she says.
"Actually," he begins after getting some sense back into his head, "she gave it to me without me asking for it."
Liz's eyes grow wide, being impressed by this news. "Well better for you then." She says with a congratulatory pat on his back. But he's not as happy as she thinks he should be. "What's the matter?" She asks. "Don't you like her."
"I do like her Liz," he responds, "but I'm not sure I should go out with her."
"Why?" Liz asks in surprise. "She's beautiful; and from what I've seen, smart, caring, and kind. She's perfect for you."
"But she's Josh's niece Liz," he says. "I'm not sure what's he'd think."
"From what I've seen, while waiting on the two and the rest of Josh's family," Liz returns, "I'd say that if Riley likes you and you make her happy, then Josh will have no problem with it."
He finally gives her a knowing smile and says: "You're right; and Riley is a great girl. I'll call her tomorrow."
Back to Present Time….
"And he called me the next day; we met for coffee; had dinner together that weekend; and have been seeing each other since," Riley says.
Josh eyes them both for a few moments, not saying a word, until Riley is beginning to get a little nervous. As with her dad, she wants her favorite uncle to like her boyfriend, but if he doesn't, well….she's going to keep seeing him despite that. She likes being with Brody. Finally Josh smiles at them and says: "I'm happy for you both. I think you make a cute couple."
"Thank you uncle Josh," Riley says with big smile and gives him a kiss on his cheek.
After a moment, Brody says: "I haven't been in here before, it's a real nice place. Why don't we sit down and have some coffee? I'm thinking Riley may want to talk about what went on tonight and I'm interested in hearing about it. I know it was important to her."
"Good idea," Josh says and they take a seat at one of the tables.