A/N: This chapter is divided into two parts. The first part is mostly light and funny, but with a little seriousness in it. The second part is serious and uplifting with, what some might call fluff, but I call heartwarming with a little humor, at the end. I hope you enjoy it.
New Boyfriend
"So, all she told you was, she's bringing a guy over for us to meet?" Shawn asks Katy.
"Yes, that's pretty much all she told me," Katy answers her husband. The two are putting the finishing touches on the dinner they've prepared for their daughter, Maya, and the guy she says is her boyfriend that she's bringing to dinner for them to meet. Katy is anxious to meet this young man who may have captured her daughter's heart, but she's a little apprehensive as well. Maya's last boyfriend, if you want to call him that, turned out to be a disaster. Shawn, on the other hand, is very apprehensive about this new man in Maya's life; and for the same reason as Katy, Maya's previous terrible relationship.
"She didn't tell you his name or what he did for a living of where he's from or anything?" Shawn goes on.
"No," Katy answers, "just that they've been dating for a while now, she really likes him, and wants us to meet him.…..oh, and that we'll like him too."
"Huh!" Shawn snorts. "I'll be the judge of whether we like him or not," Shawn says. Then he sees Katy look at him and raise an eyebrow. "Or whether I like him rather," he quickly corrects himself. This brings a knowing smile from Katy. And Shawn can't help but grin to himself. One of the things he's grown to love the most about Katy is her strength and independence. He sees that in Maya as well and is happy both of them have it. He knows that Katy loves him and that love is unshakable, but at the same time, she's not going to let him or anyone else put words in her mouth or speak for her. Especially when it comes to their oldest daughter.
"Now honey," Katy begins, "you're going to be nice to this young man while he's here and give him a chance to get to know us and us to know him. Maya likes him and I'm sure we will to."
"I'm not so sure," Shawn says. "Considering the last so-called boyfriend she had, Max was his name I believe, this boyfriend is going to have to prove to me that he has Maya's wellbeing first and foremost in his mind."
"Shawn," Katy begins seriously, "you are not going to pre-judge this young man because of what happened to Maya in the past." He's about to say something back to her, but she doesn't give him a chance. "We've had several long talks with Maya since she came back to us, and she's said time and time again that she learned from that experience."
"Well, that experience almost killed her," Shawn finally says. "And I will not let that happen to her again."
"Shawn," Katy implores, "you are not going to make this bad for Maya and this young man while they're here. She obviously likes him very much because he's the first guy she's every brought home for us to meet."
"Exactly!" Shawn returns. "He's found some way to get close to her, so I'm going to have a little talk with junior to see what intentions he has toward her."
"Oh God Shawn!" Katy exclaims. "You're not going to have that father/boyfriend talk with him, are you? The one you always said you'd have when Maya started dating in high school after you adopted her. That may have been the reason she never brought a guy home to meet us." She's beginning to get a little annoyed with her husband now.
"Well, I don't care how Maya feels about it," Shawn goes on, getting a little upset himself. "I'm having a long talk with him as soon as he gets here."
"SHAWN PATRICK HUNTER!" Katy says loudly. "You are not going to drive this young man away from us, because if you do, then you'll drive her away with him, and we'll never have a chance to see if he's good for her!"
Shawn swallows hard. He's learned that when a woman that was born and raised in the South, like Katy, uses your entire name to address you, she's extremely serious and you'd better pay attention to her. He calms himself and says: "I'm sorry Katy. Let's don't fight about this. I'm just worried about our daughter, okay?"
Now Katy smiles at him. "It's okay," she says. "I know you're just worried about our Baby Girl, and I love you for that. You're such a good father to her." This causes Shawn to relax a bit and return her smile. "Let's trust her, okay?" She goes on. "Ever since you've known her you've given her such good advice. You've taught her how to pick up on the bad guys when she meets them, because….well, as you've said yourself: 'I used to be one.' And I know that sometimes Maya has to learn the hard way, like she did with her drinking, but when she learns a lesson, she learns it well. And by her own admission, she let her guard down and got careless and started drinking too much. So, let's trust her judgement for now and see what we think of this young man. Deal?"
Shawn smiles broadly at his wife and yields to her reasoning. "Deal," he says.
"Okay, let's finish getting things ready for dinner," Kaya says. "They'll be getting here soon."
As they're finishing setting the table for dinner, they hear their apartment door open and then Maya's voice. "Mom? Dad? I'm here."
"Remember Shawn," Katy says, "be nice."
"I will honey," he says. "I promise….at least at first until I talk to him," he finished. Katy just rolls her eyes and shakes her head at her stubborn husband.
"We're in the kitchen honey," Katy says in a louder voice so Maya can hear her. There's a small entranceway just inside their apartment which causes front door not to be visible from the kitchen.
Maya rounds the corner of the entranceway and sees her parents. "Hey mom, hey dad," she greats them and gives each a hug.
Shawn and Katy look in the direction from which Maya came, expecting to see a young man follow her in, but no one is there. Maya is by herself. "So where is this guy you want us to meet?" Shawn asks in a not-so-sweet voice. Katy shoots him a warning look, then turns to Maya.
"Oh, he got held up at work," Maya tells them, "but I just got a text from him and he should be here shortly."
"I see," Shawn begins, "first time he meets us and he shows up late; not a good first impression. Is he always late for important events?"
"No dad," Maya tells her father with an exasperated look. "And before you say it, yes, he has a job, a good job, and he gets held up occasionally at work."
"And why is that?" Shawn asks. "Is it because he keeps getting into trouble and gets lectured to by his boss?"
"No dad," Maya says as she rolls her eyes. She's beginning to see that her father may be a problem this evening while her boyfriend is here. But she's prepared for that. "He's valued where he works and because he works hard, he occasionally stays over till a project is finished on time."
"Okay, just asking," Shawn says. But Maya can tell he doesn't believe that.
"Dad," Maya begins, "will you relax. I know you're just worried about me, and I love you for that, but you'll really going to like him when you meet him. I promise."
"We'll see, we'll see," Shawn says back to her.
"Uuuggg," Maya groans in frustration, but decides to let it go for now. "Can I help with anything mom, before dinner?"
"Yes you can Baby Girl," Katy says, glad they're changing the subject. "You can help me finish setting the table and Shawn, you can check on the bread in the oven." Shawn starts to say something, knowing that his wife just wants to keep him occupied until their daughter's boyfriend gets there so he won't just stand at the apartment door and wait for him, but decides against it when he sees her giving him a knowing glance.
For the next several minutes, they get the table ready for their dinner and check on the food to see if its ready. Just as they finish, there's a knock on their door. "That'll be him, "Maya says. "I'll go let him in." Then she turns to Shawn and says: "Dad, be nice to him and just give him a chance and I know you'll like him….okay?"
"Okay," Shawn says, but not very convincingly.
Maya disappears into the little entranceway of the apartment. Shawn and Katy here her open the door and greet him, and both believe they hear them exchange a welcoming kiss. "This isn't starting out well," Shawn says to Katy in a low voice so they won't be heard. Katy gives him another knowing look and he puts his hands up in surrender and says: "Okay, I'll be nice….for now."
Maya comes back into the kitchen, alone, and says: "Mom, dad, I'd like you to meet my boyfriend….," them she puts out her hand for him to join her, and as he comes into view and takes her hand, she grins broadly and finishes…."Josh."
Both her parents are surprised to see who it is, which was what Maya was going for. She wanted to play a little joke on them by not telling them before he came over that it was Josh she was dating; and by the looks she sees on their faces, it worked. Katy was the first to say something after getting over her initial surprise. "Oh for heaven's sake," she says with a big smile and immediately gives Josh a warm hug. When she finally lets him go, she looks at him and says: "It's good to see you Josh, and I'm glad it was you she brought to see us."
"It's good to see you too, Katy," he returns. "I've been looking forward to having this dinner with you and Shawn, and Maya of course." He looks at his girlfriend and grins, which in turn causes her to grin. Then he turns to Shawn and says: "It's good to see you also Shawn. I hope you liked this little surprise. I wanted to tell you as soon as Maya and I started dating, but she insisted on waiting a while and then she came up with this idea to surprise you. So, surprise Shawn," he finishes with a smile.
Shawn looks at him for a few moments, no expression on his face, then says: "First of all, you'll call me Mr. Hunter, and refer to my wife as Mrs. Hunter". This stuns everyone, especially Josh.
"Dad," Shawn," Maya and Katy exclaim at the same time.
"Why would you tell him that. Josh is practically family, "Katy says.
"Yeah, Shawn….uh, I mean Mr. Hunter," Josh begins, "I've known you all my life and I've always called you Shawn. What gives?"
"Because you've never dated my daughter before; that's what gives." Shawn answers him, "and that changes everything."
"Dad," Maya begins with a bewildered look on her face, "you've known Josh longer than me and you know how he was raised; and it was the same people who practically raised you as well. He's a Matthews for god sakes dad."
"Yeah Shawn," Katy chimes in, "what's going on here? I know you've done some things in the past that you're not too proud of. We all know about them, including Josh and Maya, and we still love you. But surely you don't think Josh will be like that with Maya, do you?"
"What's going on," Shawn begins, "is before, if he screwed up with a girl and got her pregnant or something, it wouldn't affect us, other than us being disappointed in him. But now it's our oldest daughter we're talking about and it would affect us in a big way. So, Josh and I are going to sit down and have a little father to prospective boyfriend talk so I can see what his intentions are towards Maya."
"Intensions toward me!" Maya exclaims in exasperation. "Good Lord dad, this isn't the 1800s when daughters were the property of their fathers and had to give their permission for the daughters to go out with a man. I'm 26 years old, and I'll date whoever I want, and that's Josh!"
Shawn and Katy both look at Maya, who is getting more annoyed by the second. This little surprise she'd set up wasn't turning out like she thought it would. She thought her dad would be thrilled that she was dating Josh because of he and Josh's history together. But now she's thinking about leaving and not having dinner with her parents at all. But Josh understands and steps in to smooth things over.
"It's okay Maya," he begins, "I don't mind." When he sees Maya calming down some, he takes her hand is his and continues. "Your dad loves you Maya. He has from the day he met you. And even though her knows me, he just wants to make sure you'll be safe with me. I can understand that." Then he turns to Shawn and says: "Ask me anything you'd like Mr. Hunter; I'll be glad to answer."
Before Shawn can say anything, Katy jumps in. "Alright, you can have your little talk with Josh," she says, addressing her husband, "but after dinner. It's getting cold."
"Okay," Shawn says, knowing he better not push this any further with his wife. "I am getting a little hungry."
"Let's all get a seat and I'll put the food on the table." Katy says, then leads Shawn toward the kitchen table.
"Josh, I'm so embarrassed about this," Maya says as she turns to her boyfriend. "I thought dad would be thrilled that you and I were dating. I thought my little joke would surprise him and make him laugh and he'd react like mom did; not go all….super-protective dad on me. He shouldn't be treating you like this. My God, him wanting you to call them Mr. and Mrs. Hunter is just bizarre." Maya's anger is rising again, and Josh wants to calm her before they start dinner.
'Like I said Maya," Josh begins in a calm and soothing voice, which immediately gets her attention, "I don't mind. I'm sure after he asks me all his questions and after I answer them to his satisfaction, he'll be fine with us dating."
"You really think so?" Maya asks is a hopeful voice.
"I do," he answers her. "Do you really think he'd keep us apart, knowing we want to be together?"
Now he gets a little smile from Maya. "No, I guess not."
Josh grins broadly as he thinks of something. "Just be thankful your dad isn't Cory. If he was, he'd already have thrown me out of the apartment and locked the door."
This gets a giggle out of Maya, which was what Josh was hoping for. Then she says: "poor Riley and Brody. I bet it's been hell for him."
They both laugh at that, then Josh says: "Come on, let's have dinner. I've been looking forward to this all day." They walk hand in hand into the kitchen where Shawn and Katy are waiting.
The dinner turns out to be quite pleasant, to Maya's relief. Shawn decides not to ask any questions of Josh while they're at dinner and save them for later. But Katy does ask a few questions. Questions that any mother, or father, might ask one of their children's boyfriends or girlfriends. "So how long have you two been dating?" Katy asks.
Maya smiles at her mother's question and answers: "A little over a month, but it's been a really good month. I guess you could say we've been getting reacquainted with one another. We're both different now than we were in college."
"We know you two have been handing out, as you call it, since Maya got out of rehab, but that doesn't seem like dating to me," Katy continues.
"No, it wasn't dating," Maya answers. "It was just two friends enjoying each other's company."
"Then what changed it to dating?" Katy asks.
Maya and Josh exchange looks, then Josh indicates with a nod that Maya should answer this question. He's not sure how much Maya wants to tell her parents, at least for now, about what led up to their dating. "Well, I was getting a little stressed I guess; confused as to why he hadn't asked me out yet. We were spending time together and like I said, enjoying each other's company. Josh was being super nice to me, spending a lot of time with me, and to my knowledge, wasn't seeing any other women. We had promised each other, when we were teenagers, that we would date someday, when I got older, and this seemed like the time for us to do that, but he never asked. So, I began to believe that he thought I was damaged because of my drinking and wasn't interested in me that way anymore."
"But that wasn't it?" Shawn asked as he looked at Josh questioningly.
"No, that wasn't the reason dad," Maya answered. "Riley could tell something was wrong with me. And when she asked me about it, I told her about my frustration and worry over this." Maya decides not to tell them about her almost drinking again because of it. "I know I shouldn't have let this bother me so much, but I had strong feelings for Josh. He was being everything a boyfriend should be, except for actually being a boyfriend. And I just let that get to me I guess." Shawn stared at Josh then and it wasn't a pleasant stare, and Maya picked up on it. "Dad," she began, "don't blame Josh for that. He didn't do anything wrong. It was all on me."
"But I should have picked up on it Maya," Josh says to her surprise, "and talked to you about it."
"I was just thinking the same thing," Shawn suddenly says.
"Shawn…." Katy gently warns him; and he decides not to say anything else.
"Anyway," Maya continues, "Riley asked me why I hadn't talked to Josh about it and I told her I was scared to, for fear of the answer Josh might give me and the chance he didn't like me like that anymore." Josh gently takes one of Maya's hands in his as his way of letting her know he's sorry for putting her through that. "Then she made me promise that I would talk to him about it," she continues, "but apparently, I wasn't doing it soon enough for her." Maya and Josh chuckled at this and Katy smiled, knowing her daughter's best friend and her propensity for wanting to fix things, but Shawn just continued to stare at Josh.
"So Riley came to see me and told me what was going on with Maya," Josh says. "I knew what I had to do then. We needed to talk about us and our relationship. Avoiding it wasn't working for Maya or me. So one evening at one of our 'fiends dinners,' I told her that I never thought she was damaged in any way due to her drinking."
"So what was the reason?" Shawn asked; still looking at Josh expressionless.
Before Josh could answer him, Maya spoke up: "he was afraid that if we started dating, and broke up, that it might lead me to start drinking again. And he said he couldn't live with himself if he caused that."
As soon as those words came out of Maya's mouth, the expressions on Katy and Shawn's faces changed. Katy looked at Josh with a new admiration and so did Shawn, thought he didn't show it as much as Katy. Shawn still wanted to act like the stoic father in front of his daughter and her boyfriend.
When neither of her parents said anything, Maya went on: "When I heard that, my whole attitude about our relationship changed. Josh was just looking out for me, like he's always done. I should have guessed that."
"Well, obviously you changed his mind," Katy stated.
Maya smiled at her mother and continued: "I did. I told him that I had learned in rehab that I couldn't let my continued sobriety depend on my relationships with others. I told him that even if Riley stopped being my friend or if dad left mom and me, I couldn't let that be an excuse to start drinking again." She turned to Josh with a loving smile before continuing. "He quickly told me that those two things would never happen, and I agreed with him, but that was the two worst things that could ever happen to me, and I couldn't start drinking because of them. And, if we did start dating and broke up, that couldn't and wouldn't lead to me drinking again either. Soooo…., after I told him that, our friends dinner turned into our first date. We spent the rest of the evening together and it was really special. And Josh asked me to be his girlfriend and I agreed." When Shawn shot her a surprised and shocked look, she knew what he was thinking and put an end to it quickly. "Now dad," she began, "don't jump to the same conclusion Riley did. We went to a little park after dinner and spent a couple of hours there while I drew some in my sketch pad, then went straight back to my and Riley's apartment. Along the way back is when he asked me to be his girlfriend. And I said yes because it's not like we just me and it's something we've both wanted since we were teenagers. Our relationship is really good and healthy for both of us. So please don't worry and just be happy for us."
Maya looked at her parents to see their reactions. "I am happy for you honey," Katy tells her. Then she looks at Josh and says: "And I think you know what I think of Josh and I'm not worried about you."
Maya breathes a sigh of relief, then looks at Shawn. "Well dad, what do you think?" She asks.
Shawn, without changing this expression, says: "All that sounds good and I believe you, both of you," he finishes as he turns to Josh. "But Josh and I are still having that little talk after dinner." Katy rolls her eyes at her husband in exasperation, while Maya huffs in disbelief and it about to say something, but Josh interrupts her.
"It's okay honey," Josh tells her in a soothing tone, "like I said before, I don't mind answering Shawn….I mean Mr. Hunter's questions." He looks at Shawn and smiles at him. Shawn nods in silent agreement. Maya and Katy say nothing else and the four finish their dinner in relative ease.
As they're clearing the table after dinner, Katy says: "Shawn, why don't you and Josh go into the living room and have your little talk while Maya and I clean up after dinner."
"Okay," Shawn says, "let's go talk Josh." Josh nods, gives Maya a reassuring smile, and follows Shawn into the living room.
In the kitchen, as Maya helps her mom put dishes in the dishwasher, she asks in a low voice: "Mom, why is dad doing this? I don't understand. He knows Josh better than I do; he's been around him more than me; and I think he's a great guy. I thought he'd be thrilled with me dating Josh. What gives?"
"Don't worry honey," Katy tells her daughter, trying to calm Maya's nerves. "Everything will be fine. You'll see."
"Are you sure?" Maya asks.
"I am honey," Kath answers her. "Your dad and I both love and adore Josh and know you'll be safe with him. It's just…..it's just a guy thing or a 'father of a daughter' thing, or maybe it's just a Shawn thing; I don't know. But it's something you father has to do, even with Josh. He had his 'father to daughter's boyfriend' talk ready ever since he adopted you. But this is the first, and hopefully the last, time he'll have a chance to use it. So let him get it out of his system. Okay?"
"Okay, mom," Maya says, "I just hope everything goes okay. I don't want to have to choose between dad and Josh."
"You won't Baby Girl, I promise," Katy tells her. But when she sees a skeptical look on her daughter's face, she decides to add something to their conversation: "Maya, I'm going to tell you something, but you have to promise me you won't tell your dad, at least not right away." Maya nods her understanding. "Ever since we saw that you liked Josh, your dad and I have always hoped that you and him would end up together, and so did a lot of other people, including your best friend. And that hope became even stronger when we saw how he was with you after you came back to us."
Maya's eyes nearly pop out of her head when she hears this from her mother. "Really?" She asks in disbelief. Katy nods her head in response to Maya's question. "Well, I guess I feel a little better about dad's talk with him then." Then a smile breaks out on Maya's face as she reflects on Josh's relationship with her dad. "Josh told me a long time ago how much he loves and respects dad. And after you two got married and he got to know you, he told me how much he loved you too. So I guess I'm really lucky in the fact that my boyfriend and my parents really care for one another, and did before we started dating."
Katy smiles at her daughter and then leans down to kiss her on the check. "Come on," Kath says, "lets get everything put away and hopefully our men will be through talking about you by then." Both women roll their eyes and share a little laugh.
In the living room, Shawn begins his talk with Josh. "Look Josh," he says, "I know you're a good guy and all, but you have to realized that Maya isn't just some girl you happen to be dating. She's my daughter and I couldn't love her any more than if she had my blood in her veins. And I promised her a long time ago that I'd always be there for her. I wasn't when she started drinking too much, but I'm not going to let her down now. Even if it is you, I need to make sure she's safe with you."
"I understand," Josh says in a calm voice. "And I hope you know that Maya loves you too." Shawn smiles at this. He didn't know how Maya talked with others about him. Josh continues: "Riley's told me stories of when she's been with Maya around people who don't know her background, and so have I, and we've both noticed the same thing: Maya never mentions that she's your adopted daughter or ever refers to you as her stepdad. It's always dad, or mom and dad. And I can tell you for sure it's not because she's ashamed of being adopted. To her, you're the only father she's ever had, and if I had a dollar for every time I heard her say how much she loves you….well, I'd be a very rich guy."
Shawn smiles after hearing Josh's words about Maya's love for him. But then he suddenly looks at Josh seriously and asks: "Wait a minute…. Are you trying to butter me up so I won't be so hard on you?"
Josh grins at Shawn and says: "Not really….,but I figured it couldn't hurt either."
Shawn grunt-laughs at Josh's response. "Smart kid," he says to himself, then he continues: "I know Maya's an adult now Josh, and so are you, and I couldn't keep you apart even if I wanted to. But you need to know there will be consequences if you ever hurt her, and not from just me. Cory would have something for you and so would your dad for that matter. And I know it sounds old-fashioned, but I want to know what your intensions are toward her."
"Okay, first of all," Josh begins, "I could never hurt Maya. I'd sooner cut off my own arm than do that. And as far as my intentions toward her, she's not just some fling. I've had those in the past and my relationship with Maya is completely different. And while I'm still sorting out my true feelings for her, I can assure you they're very strong. And right now, I can't ever see myself not being with her. She's strong, she's smart, she's passionate, and she makes me want to be the best version of myself all the time. I think we make each other better. And one last thing, I know we don't need it, but I, and Maya, want you and Ka….I mean Mrs. Hunter, to approve and be happy that we're together."
Shawn just stares at Josh for a few minutes and doesn't say a word and Josh is beginning to wonder what his girlfriend's dad is thinking. Finally, Shawn smiles warmly. Then asks: "So you were really willing not to date Maya, even though you wanted to, because you were afraid of what might happen?"
"Yes I was Mr. Hunter," Josh answers.
"And now?" Shawn goes on.
"And now," Josh says, "I know that even if we did break up, she won't let that cause her to drink again. I do believe that. I know nothing is guaranteed, and so does she, we've talked about that, but I can't imagine a life without her in it."
Shawn finally says: "good, that's all I needed to hear." Josh sighs briefly. "And you can drop the 'Mr. Hunter' stuff and call me Shawn again."
"And me Katy," Maya's mother says as her and her daughter walk into the living room. "Hearing Josh call me 'Mrs. Hunter' was just strange to me.
"Me too, mom," Maya says.
"Actually, it was to me too," Shawn admits, but he'd gotten his point across to Josh.
"So, does that mean we have your approval?" Josh asks as Maya puts her arms around him.
Shawn looks at Katy, who gives him a reassuring smile, and answers: "Yes, you have our approval, even though you don't need it."
"We may not need it dad," Maya begins, "but we want it. We both love you and mom."
This gets a smile from her parents. The rest of the evening is spent in pleasant conversation and movie watching. Later that night, after Maya and Josh have left, Shawn and Katy get into bed together for a good night's sleep. Katy snuggles up to Shawn, looks at him, and says: "You can't tell me Shawn Hunter, that you're not extremely happy that our oldest daughter is dating Josh."
He looks at his wife, kisses her gently, and says: "Yes, I'm very happy. He'll take care of her and she'll always be safe with him. I just wanted him to understand how important this is to us."
Katy smiles lovingly at her husband and says: "You're such a good father to her. I'm so glad you're in her life."
Shawn just smiles back at her and says: "And I'm glad you're both in my life."
Old Boyfriend
"So, I can actually call Josh your boyfriend now without you getting all up in my face about it?" Kim asks Maya, clearly teasing her workmate and friend. It's been a few weeks since Maya and Josh had told her family and Josh's that the two of them were dating. And Maya had decided it was time to let her work family know. Kim was the first she told, since it was her who had first insisted her and Josh should be together. Maya had hated admitting Kim was right, but she was, and she wasn't going to let Maya forget it. While Maya acted annoyed at her, she really wasn't. She didn't care about the past, only that her and Josh were together now.
They were at the gallery where her and Kim worked. It was the end of the day and Josh had dropped by to get Maya because they were having dinner with Cory, Topanga, Riley, and Auggie at the Matthews' apartment. When Cory had heard that they, Maya and Josh, had dinner with Shawn and Katy, he whined and complained that the couple hadn't had dinner with them yet. When Topanga reminded him that the two have had dinner with them several times, Cory snapped: "But not as boyfriend and girlfriend." To settle Cory down, Josh told them that he and Maya would love to have dinner with them as boyfriend and girlfriend.
Josh had listened, with delight, the endless "I told you so's" from Kim to Maya. At one point, Maya saw that Josh was enjoying her distress, and asked: "What are you grinning at Mathews?"
"Oh, me?" Josh responds, still grinning. "You know me, Maya; I was just observing."
"Yeah, I know, you watch stuff," Maya says. "Are you enjoying watching me get endless 'I-told-so's from Kim?"
"Yeah, kinda," Josh answers. "You're kinda cute when you're flustered."
"Oh good Lord Matthews," Maya says as she rolls her eyes, "that was about as cheesy as it can get."
"Maybe," Josh answers, "but you love it anyway." Then he gives her a quick peck on the lips.
Maya tries to act serious and insulted, but fails miserably. She turns red and a grin breaks out on her face. "That wasn't enough to make up for you enjoying my misery, so come back here," she exclaims as she stands up, grabs his shirt front, pulls his head close to hers, and kisses him passionately while wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Get a room you two," Kim says in mock disgust.
Maya breaks her kiss with Josh and says to Kim: "Wish we could, but we've got a dinner date at his brother's apartment."
"You know," Josh says, acting as if he's in deep thought, "Riley's room in unoccupied now."
"Joshua Gabriel!" Maya says in mock disbelief and disgust, "your brother would throw a hissy fit if we tried something like that."
"So," Josh says as his grin gets bigger, which causes Maya's to grow as well, enjoying their little inside joke.
"Alright you two," Kim says; ending their banter. "If this gets any sweeter, I'll go into a sugar coma. Shoo, leave, get out of here; the days over; let's go home."
The three gather their things together, say their goodbyes, and leave. Maya and Josh had just walked out of the little gallery, when they both hear an all-to-familiar voice. "Hey Maya," the voice says. Maya and Josh turn toward where the voice was coming from, both believing they recognized it.
"Max, what are you doing here?" Maya asks in disbelief as she recognizes the face as well as the voice of her old drinking partner.
Before he can respond, Josh steps between Maya and Max to protect his girlfriend from what he perceives as a threat to her. "Don't come any closer to her Max," Josh warns. "She's already told you she's done with that life and won't come back to you."
"I know, I know," Max begins, "but…."
"But nothing," Josh interrupts. "Leave her alone and don't come near her again."
Josh doesn't want to have a confrontation with Maya's former roommate, but will, if that's what it takes to keep him away from Maya. He's sure Max could never talk Maya into returning to her old life with him, but he's not sure that Max won't hurt her in anger after she rejects him. Maya, though, sees something different in her old acquaintance. He's put on some weight since she last saw him, and he's clean and well groomed. In addition, his closes are clean and well pressed and he doesn't look angry. All this causes Maya to say: "Wait Josh, let's see why he's here." Josh nods his agreement with her but stays close as she steps in front of him to face Max. "What is it you want Max?" She asks flatly.
He gives her a slight smile and begins. "Thank you Maya. I just want to talk to you briefly and then I'll leave you alone." Then he turns to Josh and addresses him: "And Josh, I believe it is, I would also like to talk to you too." Maya nods toward Max, prompting him to continue. "I've been clean and sober for six months now Maya. I went into rehab not long after I saw you last. I asked that sergeant for help just like you told me to, and he got me into a good program. That saved my life Maya; I'm sure of it; which means you saved my live." Maya gives him a slight smile, but is still leery of him, and so is Josh. "That was the first thing I wanted to say to you Maya, but not the last. As you know, part of the recovery process is for us to contact those we've wronged while drinking and try to atone for what we did to them." Max stands up a little straighter now before he continues. "I'm sorry for what I did to you Maya. I treated you like you were my property. I took advantage of you whenever I could. And I was abusive to you. I'm ashamed of what I did to you and I hope someday you can forgive me." When he finished talking to Maya, he turns to Josh. "And Josh, I'm sorry for the things I said to you. You were only trying to help your friend. Truth is, I was jealous of you." This causes Maya and Josh to look at each other in disbelief. "Even when she was upset with you, she still looked at you with respect and even a little affection. And when I saw you two together, the last time we saw each other, I could see he had genuine respect and affection for you. She never looked at me like that, and I hated you for it. I was totally out of line with my remarks to you. And I also want to thank you for saving Maya's life. Because if you hadn't, she wouldn't have stood up to me the way she did when I last saw her. And because if that, you saved my life too."
Maya and Josh are genuinely surprised and touched by Max's remarks. Maya's about to say something to him when someone they hadn't noticed standing near them, moved next to Max and says: "And I want to thank you both for what you did for Max. You truly did save his life." Surprised by this, Maya and Josh look at the person who just spoke to them. They see a rather attractive, dark-haired woman. She seems to be about Max's age and has a bright smile. "Hello," she says to Maya and Josh as she puts her hand out for them to shake. "My name's Linda. I'm Max's girlfriend."
"Girlfriend!" Maya exclaims. "Smooth Max, you really move on fast don't?" Maya's tone isn't rude or mean, but rather teasing and playful. Max and Linda both see that.
Max grins at her joke. "Not as smooth as you think, Maya," he says with a laugh. "Linda was my girlfriend before I started drinking. Like Josh, she tried to get me to stop and get help, but I wouldn't listen to her. She finally gave up on me and left. I didn't think I'd ever see her again."
"But after his rehab," Linda continues, "I was the first person Max contacted to apologize to." She looks at Max and smiles, then continues. "I was suspicious at first, but he did seem sincere and I caught a glimpse of the old Max, my Max." Josh smiles at her last statement. He can relate to that. "And when he asked me to attend a support meeting with him, I agreed to go. At that meeting, I could see he had indeed changed. I talked with counselors that had worked with him to get him sober. Gradually my trust in him returned, and we started seeing one another again. I did put him on probation though," she finished with a laugh. "And it's been great to have him back."
Maya looks at Josh now, who nods his head at her, knowing what she's asking him, and agreeing with what she wants to do. She looks back at Max and says: "We forgive you Max. We both understand how alcohol can change you for the worst." She grins slightly and continues: "I always had a feeling that you were a better person than I one I drank with, and I guess my instincts were correct."
"Thank you Maya; thank you Josh," Max tells them. "This means a great deal to me."
"You're welcome Max," Josh says. "Everyone deserves a chance at redemption." Maya is touched by Josh's words and gives him a quick kiss on his cheek.
Linda looks at Max and says: "I think it'll be okay to ask them now honey."
Maya and Josh look at Max, wondering what Linda means. "I have a favor to ask of you Maya," Max says.
"Okay, if I can," Maya replies.
"Would you come to one of my support group meetings?" He asks. "I've told everyone there about you and how you saved me, and I would like for all of them to meet you."
Maya smiles broadly, "I'd be happy to Max. I'm flattered you asked me."
Max looks at Josh and says: "And I'd like for you to come too, Josh, if you care to."
"I'd also be happy to Max," Josh answers.
Max and Linda exchange happy smiles. "Thank you," Max says. "I think it will be good for our little group. I'll text you the address of where and when we meet and we'll come up with a time for you to come.
"Sounds good," Maya says.
"We'll let you get on your way then," Max says as he takes Linda's hand in his. "It was good to see you Maya. I'm glad you're well."
"You too, Max," she answers and the two couples head their separate ways. After Max and Linda are out of sight, Maya says: "I'm glad Max is okay and went to rehab. I hope you don't have a problem with that Josh."
He stops, turns to her and says: "Of course not Maya. Why would I?"
"Oh, I don't know," she begins as she looks at him, "maybe the fact that Max and I have a history together."
Josh gives Maya his warmest smile, kisses her gently, which takes her by surprise; then takes her in his arms and holds her tight. "I don't care about your past with Max," Josh says softly. "All I care about is that you're with me now." He releases her slightly and looks into her eyes. "You're happy that someone you've known is healthy and sober. How could I possible have a problem with that? This just reminds me, again, how amazing you are and how lucky I am that you chose me to be with you."
What Josh just said wasn't lost on Maya: 'you chose me,' were his words. It reminded Maya of one of the reasons she liked Josh so much. What she wants and needs matters, and is important to him. "Thank you Josh," she says as she looks at him. "I couldn't have chosen better."
The two hold each other for the next few minutes, until Josh says: "Come on, we'd better go. We don't want to be late for dinner. That'll just give Cory something else to fuss at us about." That brings a chuckle from Maya as the two head toward a train station hand-in-hand.
About a week later, after Maya and Max have exchanged texts and agreed on a time, Maya and Josh find themselves outside a building in which Max's addicts support group is meeting. "This is the building," Josh says to Maya. "Ready to go in?"
"I am," Maya says. "I'm anxious to meet the people at this meeting. Hopefully we can give someone who might be struggling with sobriety some hope. Let's go in."
The young couple find the room in which the meeting is taking place, and walk in. Of course they don't recognize anyone there, and weren't expecting to, but they do look for Max. Several people look at them and wonder if they've wondered in here by mistake. Maya is about to ask someone about Max, when they hear his voice. "Maya, Josh," he says as he approaches them. "I'm so glad you made it." Maya surprises Max with a quick hug. Then Max sticks out his hand to greet Josh and says: "Welcome Josh. I'm glad you came. Everyone here holds support people like you in the highest regard."
"Thank you Max," Josh says as he shakes his hand. "I'm happy to be here."
"Before we get started," Max begins, "there's someone here Maya who is very anxious to see you again."
"Again?" Maya asks. "I didn't think I'd know anyone here but you and Linda."
As Max leads them to another part of the room, Maya sees someone who seems vaguely familiar, but she can't quite place who he is. When they get to him, Max says to the stranger: "Here she is. She looks a bit different doesn't she."
"A lot different," the stranger says, 'but way better that all the other times I saw her with you. How are you Maya," he continues, "you look really good.
Maya's eyes almost bulge out of her head and her jaw drops and she realizes who he is. She didn't recognize him out of uniform. "Sergeant Bradley," she finally says. "I don't believe it. I'm doing well and for the first time in my life, it's good to see you." That gets a chuckle from the sergeant and Max. Maya turns to Josh and explains who this is. "Josh, this is the police sergeant who always booked Max and I when we got arrested for being drunk in public."
"Ah, now I see why you didn't like seeing him before," Josh says with a grin. "It's good to meet you sergeant Bradley. Thank you for getting the help that Max, and everyone else you've helped, needed."
"Please call me Walt," he begins. "Same goes for you too, Maya, call me Walt. And thank you too Josh, for helping Maya. I just knew both of them had great potential if we could just get them sober." After a few minutes of chit-chat, Walt says: "Well, the meeting's about to begin, so let's all get seated."
Max looks at Maya and asks: "Maya, will you sit with me in our meeting circle? And Josh, do you mind sitting with Linda in the visitors' section?" Both answer yes and make their way to their seats.
Walt calls the meeting to order, by saying: "Everyone please take your seats so we can get started. We have some guests tonight who'll be introduced later." The meeting begins and goes through its normal proceedings which Josh and Maya are used to. After that, Walt again addresses the group. "Okay, Max, I believe you have some guests to introduce to all of us."
"Yes I do Walt," Max says as he stands before the group. He brings Maya with him. "Everyone," he begins, "you've all heard me talk about the woman who I used to drink with all the time, who finally left me, got sober, and then shocked me into getting the help I needed. Well, this is her. This is Maya Hunter. And she's amazing. Despite the terrible things I did to her, when I tried to talk her into going back to drinking with me after she got sober, instead of getting mad at me, which no one would have blamed her for, she took pity on me and told me I needed help. And that shook me up enough for me to go to Walt and finally ask for the help he knew I needed. Maya saved my life." Maya receives grateful applause from the group, which she's grateful for. She wasn't expecting it. After the applause dies down, Max continues. I believe Maya has a few words for us.
Maya began to speak to the group to tell her story and deliver her message of hope to them. She didn't speak long; she didn't need to. Her talk was eloquent and passionate. At the end, she wanted to introduce Josh. "When I was at my lowest. When I had nothing and no one to turn to. When almost all my hope was gone, I called an old friend. I had been mean to him. Accused him of doing terrible things. But when I called him, in the middle of the night, and asked for help, he never hesitated. He came to me immediately. He took care of me. He clothed me, fed me, held me, and told me I was still a good person, despite what I'd done. And he took me to a rehab center that my parents and friends set up for me when I was ready to get sober. They had more faith in me than I did in myself. And it saved my life. If he hadn't rescued me when he did….well, I probably wouldn't be here right now. He and his niece, who is my best friend, taught me that with hope, all things are possible. I believe, that despite of what we might think, there is someone out there for all of us. He's my friend and my hero and I'd like for all of you to meet him. Josh, will you please stand?" As Josh stands, not expecting this, everyone in the room turns to look at him. "His name is Joshua Matthews, and I'm proud to call him my boyfriend." Josh receives a long round of applause for the group.
"That was beautiful Maya," Max tells her. Then he places a small kiss on her cheek. A kiss not from a former lover, but from a grateful friend.
After the applause dies down, Josh returns to his seat. When he sees Max kiss Maya on her cheek, he smiles. But he's a little concerned that Linda might see it as a threat. "Linda," he says quietly, "I don't think Max meant that kiss to be anything other than gratitude."
"He didn't," she quickly answers him with a smile. "Max has always been affectionate with others he cares about." She looks at Josh and continues: "I will admit, when he kept talking about how Maya changed his mind about his drinking, I was a bit jealous. I thought he might have ideas about getting back together with her now that they were both sober. But I soon realized I shouldn't worry. The real Max, the sober Max, is loyal and trustworthy. Still, I wondered how Maya would react when she saw him again. But on the day I met you two, all that worry left me as well. I saw that Maya only had eyes for you Josh." Josh smiles and blushes at her remarks. Linda hesitates for a moment and then goes on: "That girl is in love with you Josh. I hope you realize that." That catches Josh by surprise. "And I don't mean hero worship kind of love either because you saved her. That kind of love is a shaky foundation for a relationship. Hers is a true love that's much deeper than that. Built over a long time. And I hope you love her too Josh." She leaves it at that. Josh can only slightly smile at her and nod, because his mind is racing and feelings he didn't realize he had are coming to the surface."
After the meeting ends, several people come up to Maya and thank her for what she said to them this evening. They also wanted to meet Josh. Max and Walt thank Maya and Josh for attending their meeting and tell them they hope the two will join them again sometime. Maya tells them she was happy to do so and invites them one of her meetings, which they happily agree to.
After leaving, Maya and Josh head for the nearest train station to begin their trip back to Maya's apartment. Along the way and while on the train ride, Maya tries to start a conversation with Josh, but he's strangely quit and only gives Maya short answers to his questions. Finally, after leaving their final train station and begin their walk to Maya's apartment, she stops and steps in front of him causing him to stop and look at her. "Is there something wrong Josh?" she asks. "You seem awfully quiet."
Realizing he had been quiet on their journey, he smiles at her and says: "No, I'm fine. In fact, I'm more that fine, better than I've ever been because I've finally realized something." When she gives him a quizzical look, he takes her hands in his and says: "I love you Maya."
She smiles at him brightly and says: "I love you too Josh." But she says it almost in a too casual way. Then Josh remembers they've told each other they love each other many times before, but as friends. This was different.
"No Maya," he says softly as he pulls her closer to him, "I mean I'm in love with you, and probably have been for a while now and was just too stupid to realize it."
Maya's eyes light up. She's dreamed about this happing since she was a teenager, and now it's happened. She steps closer to Josh until their bodies are touching. She looks up into his eyes and says: "I'm in love with you too Josh. And I know I have been for a while now."
"Really?" He asks with nothing but joy in his heart.
"Really," she says as their lips come crashing together in a passionate kiss.
As they stand together holding each other and continue their kiss, a passerby says jokingly "get a room you two." This causes them to break their kiss and share a laugh. "You know Josh," Maya says, "he does have the right idea. I'll text Riley and tell her I'm spending the night with you tonight. She'll be okay with it. She hasn't minded on the other nights I've spent with you and she certainly won't mind when I tell her why I staying with you tonight."
As she begins to get her phone out, Josh remembers something. "Oh crap!" He says. "I have the worst timing in the world."
Maya just looks at him and asks: "What do you mean?"
Josh looks at her with a pained expression and says: "I have a presentation first thing in the morning and I have to put the finishing touches on it tonight. And if you spend the night with me …"
"If I spend the night with you tonight," she interrupts, "you won't finish your presentation and you won't make it to work on time in the morning, if you make it in at all," she finishes with a devilish smile on her face that he loves.
"Exactly," he says. "And I'll be looking for a new job the next day." He finishes with a smile, but then gets serious and says: "I'm sorry honey. Like I said, my timing sucks."
She gives him her biggest smile to let him know she understands. "It's okay Josh. Just hearing you say you love me is enough for tonight. But," she says with emphasis, "you better be ready to make it up to me this weekend, and I mean all weekend."
Now he gives Maya his biggest smile. "I can do that," he deadpans. The two share another passionate kiss and then head to Maya's apartment.
In the apartment, Riley is watching TV and waiting for Maya to get home. She's eager to talk to her about how her meeting with Max's support group went. She smiles when she sees their apartment door open and watch her best friend and favorite uncle hug and kiss goodnight. When Josh leaves, instead of Maya stopping to talk with her, she hurriedly walks past her and goes to her bedroom. This puzzles Riley because she expected Maya to sit and talk with her about what went on this evening. But she figures Maya might want to paint or something. However, in a short few minutes Maya comes out of her bedroom dressed in her PJs. She sits and snuggles up to Riley and pulls their blanket over their laps. But instead of saying anything, she just sits there with her head down. "Maya?" Riley finally asks. "Is everything okay?" She doesn't know what to make of her best friend's actions.
"Everything is fine Riles," she answers. Then she looks at Riley and says: "In fact, things couldn't be better." Riley sees a big smile on Maya's face and sees tears begin forming in her eyes. "Josh told me he was in love with me tonight. And you know I've been in love with him for a while now."
"Oh Peaches," Riley says excitedly, "I'm soooo happy for you. I just knew Josh was in love with you. I could just tell. I'm glad he figured it out for himself." She throws her arm around Riley's neck and hugs her tight. "And I'm so happy for my favorite uncle. I love him and want him to be happy; and I know he has a girl now that will do that for him."
"Thanks Riles," Maya says, now even happier that Riley is okay with her uncle and best friend being in love with each other. "I hope the rest of your family will feel the same way."
Riley releases Maya and looks her in the eye. "They will….they do, Maya," Riley tells her. "I can tell you now that everyone in my family and yours has hoped this would happen one day." This brings an even bigger smile to Maya's face. Then all of a sudden, Riley realizes something. "Wait," she says. "What are you doing here and not spending the night with Uncle Josh. If there was ever a night you should be with him it's tonight!"
Maya gives her an understanding smile and says: "Believe me, I want to be, and so does he. But he has a presentation in the morning and he has to finish it up tonight. Sooo…"
"So if you were with him tonight," Riley continues for her, "he probably wouldn't have a job tomorrow afternoon."
"Exactly," Maya answers her. "However, I'm spending the entire weekend with him, so you can expect not to see me from the time I leave for work Friday morning until I come home Monday evening." Riley gives Maya a knowing smile. But then Maya realizes something and says: "Riley, this will work out great. You'll have the apartment all to yourself for the entire weekend!"
"Yeah, so," Riley says, not understanding what Maya is getting at.
"So you and Brody can have the apartment all to yourselves for the entire weekend," Maya answers excitedly, "and won't have to worry about being interrupted by Brody's roommate!"
"Maya!" Riley exclaims in disbelief, "are you implying that Brody and I have been sleeping together?"
"Oh come on Riley," Maya says as she rolls her eyes. "It's been obvious to me."
"Obvious?!" Riley says, still convinced Maya doesn't know what she's talking about. "I'm a good girl and don't do things like that," she finishes indignantly.
"Oh really," Maya says with a cynical smile. "What about the times you've come home after a date with Brody and your hair is in a shambles as if you didn't have time to comb it."
"Whaaaat," Riley says is astonishment. "I didn't think you noticed that." Maya gives her an "oh really" look, which causes Riley to say: "Well, that was just the wind."
"The wind huh," Maya says with an amused look, clearly enjoying teasing Riley. "And I suppose it was the wind that caused the buttons on your blouse to be misaligned after another date with him." Riley's eyes grow bigger and she realizes Maya has noticed things she thought she'd hidden from her. But Maya isn't finished. "And I suppose it was the wind that caused your blouse to be turned inside out after another date with him, or was if the fact you had to put it back on too quickly after you and Brody were interrupted." Riley's jaw drops as she realizes Maya has caught her in what she thought she'd also covered up. She sputters and stutters as she tries to come up with another explanation for her disheveled blouses. But Maya has one more observation to hit her with. "And another time when you came home after a date with Brody, it was obvious you didn't have a bra on under your blouse." Riley gasps at this revelation, but Maya has more. "And then I saw the end of your bra sticking out of the side of your purse, as if it'd been stuffed in there hastily." Riley is about to hyperventilate now, but Maya continues, clearly enjoying teasing best friend. "And when I noticed you didn't have a panty line on your skirt, I assumed you had your panties stuffed in there too."
With that last revelation, Riley nearly goes into convulsions. "Oh my god! Oh my god!" she begins. "I can't believe you noticed all of that. I thought we were hiding this so well." She puts her face in her hands and doesn't look at Maya out of embarrassment, which causes Maya to take pity on her finally.
"Oh honey," she says sympathetically. "It's okay. I was just teasing you. And I'm sure no one else knows." When Riley still won't look at her, she takes Riley's hands in hers, which causes Riley to finally look at her. When she does, Maya says in her most loving voice: "Brody's a great guy and he makes you happy doesn't he?"
Riley finally gives in and accepts the fact that Maya knows everything about her and Brody's relationship. And to her surprise, she feels relieved. "He does Maya," she finally says. "And he doesn't just make my body happy, but he makes my heart happy too."
Maya is overcome with joy at Riley's news and hugs her tight. "Oh honey," she begins, "I'm so happy for you. You so deserve to be with a great guy like Brody."
"Thank you Maya," she finally says as they release their hug. "I actually feel relieved that you know now."
"Good," Maya tells her. "You shouldn't have tried to hide this from me Riley. You know I would have understood." Then she rolls her eyes and says: "I've been sleeping with your uncle for god's sake."
This gets a giggle out of Riley and the two old friends relax with their new-found knowledge of each other. Then Riley looks at Maya seriously and tells her: "Let's make sure dad doesn't find out though. Brody's been working really hard on him, trying to win him over, and he finally has. I don't think mom would mind too much if she knew Brody and I were sleeping together, but dad would probably go ballistic and try to ground me, even though his little girl is 26 years old and living on her own."
This gets a laugh from Maya who agrees with Riley. "Your mom has probably already figured it out," Maya tells her, which gets a pained look from Riley. "But if she had a problem with it," Maya continues," she'd have already said something. And as for your dad, unless someone tells him, he'll never believe that his 'little angle' could ever do something so naughty." This gets a howl of laughter from Riley. Maya looks at Riley now and in mock seriousness says: "but honey, if you and Brody decide to get married some say, you'll probably have to tell him that not only are you sleeping with him, but having sex with him too." Maya can't help but laugh at her little joke about Riley, Brody, and Cory.
"Oh lord," Riley begins, "well, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it I guess."
After the two stop laughing, Riley gets serious and says: "I'm sorry you couldn't be with Josh tonight, Maya. I know you both wish you could."
"Yeah, like I've said before," Maya begins, "sometimes it sucks being a responsible, sober, adult." This gets a sympathetic smile from Riley. "But I'll tell you this Riley, if I can't be with Josh on this very special night, you're the only other person I would want to be with."
"Aaawww Peaches," Riley says, "that's so sweet of you to say."
Maya moves closer to Riley and as the two lifelong friends snuggle together. "We're two lucky girls, aren't we Riley?" Maya says.
"We are Maya, we are," Riley returns. "And our guys know how lucky they are too."