July 30th 2022
Chapter 211
Our Dreams For November
"You know what I'm thankful for right now?" Maya quietly spoke into the stillness of morning. Lucas hummed, his way of asking 'what?' "Actually getting to stay here and think 'oh, good, morning,' instead of 'oh, crap, gotta run,'" she told him, and he laughed into the flowers on her shoulder, kissed them for good measure.
He could see why she'd be thankful for that, and he was right there with her. As they'd arrived now, three weeks after their anniversary, three more weeks into this pregnancy still hidden from most, the morning sickness hadn't exactly disappeared altogether, but it had definitely become less regular, telling them that it was already on its way out. This had granted them a few mornings already where they could actually enjoy this part of their mornings together, and for Maya's sake more than his, Lucas hoped that it would truly be behind them before long. Maybe it already was, and they just didn't know it yet.
It was Thanksgiving, and they were hosting this year, which meant guests coming along in due time, but right now it was just this, him, and her, and they were going to enjoy it so long as they were not yet 'summoned' by one or another of their girls. That was all of their girls, big and small, as Ella had driven in with Tori the previous evening and was currently up on the second floor in the guest room. She, like a very, very select few, knew the big secret that was to be unveiled later that day.
They had decided to tackle 'the E's' – Ella, Eliza, and Emma – in one go, which had involved a bit of tricky engineering, to bring them all together 'by chance,' away from the kids, the better to spring the news on to them about Lucky. Potentially the element of surprise may have been their greatest tool, as already the not so coincidental coincidence had gotten them in a mood which, when presented with the bonus of 'you're going to be a big sister or aunt again,' only expanded into greater excitement. It was as unexpected for them as it had been for Maya or Lucas, though seeing it in them made it funnier this time.
"Well, while we are here, just us…" Lucas slowly pondered, which drew Maya to turn about and face him, intrigue in her eyes. "There's something I'd like to know."
"And what would that be?" she asked, smiling.
"I would like to know… other than… Lucky and those who came before Lucky… and a lack of nausea… What else are you thankful for right now?"
"Mmm… big question…" Maya hummed, even as he leaned in and kissed her once, and twice…
If possible, she could say that she was thankful that she had so many things to be thankful for. It could feel like a cop out to some, but it really wasn't to her, and it shouldn't be to anyone who'd known her long enough. It used to be that she was just thankful for her mother being there, issues or none, and that she had the Matthews family, and Farkle, and that, for all its faults, she had a roof over her head. No matter the years that had gone by, she wouldn't, and she couldn't forget that which, in turn, made everything else she did have in her life, family, friends, home, career, success, security… feel that much more meaningful. It made it so that she could never ever take any of it for granted, even as she was so deeply thankful for it all.
That didn't stop her from being aware of and thankful for the more direct details of her life, not just the big picture. She could think of several of those, actually, but if she had to pick one, she'd have to pick her school. Maybe that was cheating, because it could also be seen as several avenues of thankfulness, but she didn't mind. The school felt like a world in and of itself, rich and so interconnected that it didn't feel right to highlight one part and not do the same for the rest.
Was she particularly mindful of her seniors right now, knowing that circumstances had changed, and she knew she wouldn't be there for the end of it? Maybe, just a bit. The baby was due in May, so barring any unforeseen complications, there was nothing to stop her coming in on the last day of class. She wouldn't miss much more than a few weeks, and she'd still be with them in some shape or form across those weeks. Still, she never missed a chance to get involved with the graduating class when it presented itself. The parade of 'last this' and 'last that' was working wonders in hiding her ongoing secret. She was notorious for being this invested, regardless of whether or not she was presently growing a human. She'd had her last Halloween with them, last first day of the year, last new batch of diary covers… Last final day before the holiday break was right around the corner, and she was glad at least that they'd know about the baby by then, because that one would be a lot.
This year had definitely started off a bit… shaky, what with the arrival of Jenny Marshall out in the open, and even though it wasn't all perfect across the board, that was to be expected. It was never going to be that there was not a single problem with something or someone, and if they tried to make it that way, they would only get frustrated, because it wouldn't happen. They were better off knowing that and doing their best to fix what problems they could while focusing on those parts that were good… and those were always in far greater quantity.
She could think of the quiz team, and how they'd had overwhelming success so far this year with new member Maia Bennett. With fellow team members Rolly, Nika, and Captain Ava, she had helped them own their first match, and any other matches, official or friendly, that they'd had since. Ava had been determined to make a splash on her final year on the team, her year to lead them, and she'd shown herself both a capable and worthy leader. For knowing how she'd been in the beginning, it truly was something to behold, how devoted she had become to her team, enough that they could see she was going to miss it all once it was over.
Then there were the basketball teams, and while there had been the question of Jenny, and Ash, and those reasons which had kept them both from trying out, it wasn't as though those kids who were selected for the boys' and girls' teams were unaware of any of it. If anything, it had made it so that, each time they went out and played, they were sort of… keeping them in mind, like they were as good as part of the teams, either one but also both, honorarily. They were aware of this other team that was being built, still incomplete but also active, and they would play opposite each other, outside of school. They all loved the sport, and they recognized it, and this was a lot less about practice and a lot more about playing for playing's sake. Once they'd be back in the gym to play, even if she hadn't been right there in earshot to pick it up, it did feel like they were cheering their fellow players on. Let's win this one for the Alphabets. And they would be there, Jenny, and Ash, and their teammates, in the stands and cheering them on. The whole thing made Maya so proud to call herself a former player of this school.
And there was the musical, coming together slowly but surely. A lot of it got to happen in the auditorium, and in Miranda's theater room… And some of it happened in the auditorium, too, but only at lunch time, and if it wasn't there, then it was at the Ríos house, or the Bell house, as Ash continued to coach Angel. It was, as ever, a work in progress, but the key here was that there was progress. It had been years since Ash attended Stage Ready sessions, but they had not soon forgotten, and they were passing on this knowledge to take the boy from choir ready to musical ready. It was showing even outside of coaching, in Angel's confidence and openness. None of it would have been possible if not for his own determination, his desire to make this work, and it was wonderful to see it unfold.
Even as it was helping him, it was doing plenty for Ash, too, which was just as well. Oh, they were at the top of their art class, but that was about the only place where they excelled. Everywhere else, they were struggling to keep their head above the surface. As Maya had heard, they'd been barely scraping by back in middle school, despite their best friend and girlfriend's attempts to tutor them, and since high school had started, things had only gotten worse. It was enough that it was probably a good thing that they weren't on the basketball team, or in the musical, or else their grades might have forced them out of either activity. It was an ongoing frustration for them, which in turn made it almost vital for them to lean on the parts of school that were good for them, that worked for them. Like the Alphabets, and like coaching Angel. Just how long that was going to be enough remained to be seen. Maya had offered to try her hand at giving tutoring a try, thinking back to when she had struggled in school, but Ash continued to graciously decline.
She was thankful for her sophomores, her sisters, their friends, and the rest of their classmates continuing to be a highlight on any day. She was thankful for her juniors, who'd enthusiastically welcomed Jenny, Nika, Maggie, and Lara's proposition for a senior trip project and had started helping them in making it happen. She was thankful for afternoons out by her bench, with her little daughters. She was thankful for her colleagues, close friends, and work friends alike. She was just thankful, not only to be a teacher but to be the kind of teacher she'd always wanted to be. So, yeah, that was her answer, all of it, and Lucas received it with that great Huckleberry smile of his.
"Sounds like a pretty good place," he nodded slowly, as though he didn't already know. He might not have been a teacher or worked in any capacity at that school, but through her, through Dylan, and Morgan, and Cory… He was as good as part of their world already.
"Yeah, too bad it's closed today," she laughed under the renewal of his kisses, where they got lost for a little while, took a detour where hands got involved, contact… How's that for thankfulness, huh? It would have been presuming too much to think that they could take this any further, so Maya soon tapped at his chest and that was that. "Okay…" she breathed, just barely breathless as he was. "You now," she decided.
"Me now, what?" he asked, willing himself to pull away from her before he could be tempted to let the moment follow the path it had been speeding on. He looked at her and she was waiting for him to figure it out, which he did. "Thankfulness," he pointed vaguely at her.
"Besides… the obvious," she raised an eyebrow and a smirk at him, making him laugh, and breathe, and think. Right, he had plenty of those, too…
TO BE CONTINUED
See you tomorrow! - mooners
