A/N: Long time no see! Even though, I had negative reviews from my last chapter, just trust in the process. I want to make these characters real and raw, which means they are going to make bad decisions, but they will eventually see the light again. So stick with me during this time and I promise you won't be disappointed.
Silence. Pure silence. That's what the beloved pair had been living in since their fight a few days ago. Maya went to school and home and talked to no one. Not Riley, not Zay, and not Missy. She had fallen deep into her new habit, smoking and everyone around her was not a fan of it. If you had to count the amount of times Missy snatched a cigarette out of Maya's mouth, you'd be counting forever.
As for Josh, he came and went. He made sure the water was turned on, that there was enough food in the house for Maya and Aiden, but besides that nothing. He continued with his new "job" and brought some money in while Maya couldn't work, even though he knew it wasn't the best way to do it.
Today, when Maya and Josh crossed paths in their home, the tension was especially thick. Maya was the first to speak. "Aiden is down for his nap. I need to go down to the nursery by the Church and take care of a few things. Can you watch him for a bit?" she asked softly.
Josh barely looked over at her as he scoffed. "Of course I can look after him. He's my son. It's my job."
Maya nodded her head timidly and grabbed her bag off of the table. She began to make her way towards the door but stopped for a moment and looked back at Josh. "You know I love you right?" she began. "But I don't like this right now. I don't like us and I don't like the world we're bringing Aiden into. We gotta do better if we wanna do right by him."
Maya waited eagerly to hear Josh's response, but he had nothing to say. So she nodded her head and placed her hand on the door. "I'll be back in an hour or two," she whispered as she left.
That left Josh where he was, standing there alone, not wanting to face the truth.
"Are you sure she won't kill us for this?"
"I'm sure! She'll thank us, eventually."
"I mean this is Maya we're talking about here and she can be pretty aggressive when she wants to be."
"I know that but I'm me and I can-"
"Can what? Handle me?" Maya asked as she walked into the church nursery to see Riley and Missy pacing back and forth in her place of work.
"Peaches," Riley began.
"No," Maya began as she cut Riley off. "Don't Peaches me right now, and you," she pointed to Missy. "What is this? Some kind of set up? I thought you called me here to fill out some paper work on my leave."
Missy and Riley could feel the anger building up in Maya as she began to put two and two together. "Before you get mad and yell at us," Riley began.
"Just think about the fact that me, Missy Bradford, and Riley actually teamed up to help you. So you know that we're serious."
Missy pulled out a chair for Maya as she led Maya to sit in it. Riley pulled out a chair for herself across from Maya as Missy did the same. "So you know we wouldn't ask you here unless it was important," Riley finished.
Maya reluctantly sat down in the chair. "Fine," she grimaced. "You better start talking."
There was a sudden knock at the door as Josh patiently waited for his son to get up from his nap. Confused as he wasn't expecting anyone, Josh walked towards the door hesitantly, quickly thinking back to see if he had brought home anything from "work." Concluding that there was nothing on him, he opened the door. "What are you guys doing here?"
Standing before him was Lucas, Zay, and Charlie. "It's Maya," Zay started. "We're really worried about her, and we were hoping you could help."
Josh sighed and stepped back, opening them up to his apartment. "Come on in."
"So let me get this straight," Maya said as she raised her eyebrows. "You two called me here to have an intervention about me smoking? This is ridiculous. I'm leaving."
Maya began to pick up her bag when Missy stood up. "Maya sit down. Its not just that. You've been acting weird for a while now. What the hell is going on?"
Riley looked at Maya and have her sad eyes. "Is something going on between you and Josh?"
Maya licked her lips and looked around the nursery. All the baby stuff made her think of Aiden. Maya knew what she needed to do, she said it herself, "I can't bring Aiden into a world like this," she whispered.
Missy and Riley exchanged a confused look. "Huh?" they asked in unison.
Maya put her bag back down and looked at her two friends. "Now you guys have to promise that this stays between us."
Josh sat next to Charlie at his kitchen table as he looked at the two Texas natives sitting across from him. "Yeah I know about the smoking. I found out just a few days ago."
"So what are you gonna do about it?" Zay asked.
All three visitors looked at Josh expectantly, hoping for an answer. Josh simply shrugged his shoulders and replied, "I don't know."
The darkness in Lucas started to come out in him as he couldn't believe all that Josh had to say. "What do you mean 'I don't know?'" Josh looked him straight in his eyes. "You should know something. That isn't just the Maya we all know and love but she's your kid's mom! Don't you think you should care more than you do right now?"
Josh fired back just as angry, standing up in the process. "Don't tell me I don't care about her when I do! Maya is my girl! My girlfriend! The mother of my baby! So don't tell me I don't care! A lot of shit has been going on around here. More than you could understand because you're not a father!"
Lucas stood up and stared Josh down, looking as if he was ready to strike him at any moment. Seeing this, both Charlie and Zay stood up and held back Lucas and Josh. "Hey cool down man," Zay whispered to Lucas. "This is not the way to go about this. How about you and I go take a walk."
Lucas reluctantly backed away and walked off with Zay. Leaving Charlie and Josh alone. "I'm surprised that didn't wake Aiden up," Charlie breathed.
Josh just stood there looking at the empty seat Lucas just sat in. "Who the hell does this guy think he is? Of course I care about Maya. She's Aiden's mom."
"I know you do," Charlie said as he reassured him. "But uh, what were you talking about when you said a lot has been going on?"
Josh looked at Charlie and winced. "You're gonna hate me once you find out."
Charlie backed up and looked at Josh. "Find out what?"
Josh sighed as he heard Aiden wake up crying. He looked back towards the empty chair and back towards Charlie. "Money has been kinda tight lately. With all the hospital bills and rent and everything else."
"Spit it out man," Charlie said as he grew impatient.
Josh sighed one last time and ran his fingers through his hair. "I've been dealing drugs to make ends meet."
There was a thick silence between the three girls as Riley and Missy processed everything Maya just told them. Riley was the first to break the silence. "So my Uncle is a criminal now. Good to know."
Missy glared at Riley and looked at Maya. "You have to get him to stop. This is more than just him Maya. It's about Aiden too."
Maya sighed. "I know."
Missy reached for Maya's bag and pulled out her cigarettes. "Which means you have to start by quitting these. If you wanna show him that you're about creating a safe environment for your son, then you have to start by trying to live long enough to see your son grow up."
Maya stayed silent, knowing Missy was right. Riley looked over at her best friend for god knows how long and felt sad inside. She didn't want any of this for her. She just wanted to take all of her pain away as fast as she could. So Riley did the one thing she knew how to do best, she hugged her best friend as hard as she could.
The pair pulled away from the hug to see Missy's eyes watering. "Oh shut up," she began. "I'm not completely cold hearted."
Maya looked at her and laughed before she laughed harder as she realized what was happening. Riley frowned and tiled her head. "Why are you laughing like this?"
"Because," Maya released between two laughs. "Whenever people cry near me I lactate. Look!" She pointed at her shirt and the two girls noticed the wet spots appearing right around their friend's nipples.
"Maya!" Missy laughed. "Your breasts! They're just leaking!"
Riley took this moment to start laughing as well. Laughter overtook the three young women as they enjoyed their heart to heart.
"You're shitting me!" Charlie exclaimed as Josh left the room to go pick up Aiden.
"Language! Aiden is up now!" Josh yelled back at Charlie. Josh came back into the room holding Aiden and smiling and cooing at his boy. He took a moment's break to stop and look at Charlie. "Look, I know I seem absolutely crazy for doing this but I needed to. I had to do this. For Aiden."
"Josh," Charlie deadpanned. "You can't help Aiden if you get caught doing this. This is dirty money you're using here. It's not right. Just think about what you're doing here. It doesn't make any sense."
Josh sighed and looked at Charlie. "I am a grown man who could not provide for his family. So I am doing what I have to do."
"But this isn't the way to do it!" Charlie exclaimed. "If you wanna see your son grow up the I suggest you find a different job."
"Charlie-" Josh began.
"Look I gotta go. I would love to stay and yell at you more, but I have to go pick up my son now." Charlie walked towards the door and stopped one more time before he left. "If you need help getting out of this let me know. I can help you find a job, but for now I'm no help to you unless you wanna help yourself."
"Hey," Maya called out. "I'm home."
Maya placed her bag down on the floor and walked deeper into her home. She walked back towards Aiden's room and saw Josh setting him down his crib. "Hey," she said once more as she looked over at her partner.
Josh looked back and smiled at her, "Hey." A beat of silence fell between them as he spoke again. "He was hungry when he woke up. So I gave him a bottle and put him back down."
Maya nodded her head as she backed up as Josh tried to walk out of the room. "I think we should talk," she began. "About everything, but especially about what I said earlier."
Josh nodded as he led them into their bedroom. "Go ahead."
Maya took a deep breath and looked at the man she loved. "I love you Josh. I love you so much that its crazy." Josh began to smile at her words. "But I love Aiden more, and if you don't stop with all of this I will take him and I will leave."
Josh was shocked. He hadn't expected her to say that.
"I'm ready to take the steps to getting better. Towards being better. Not just for myself, but for Aiden. I wanna be here to see him grow up, and I want you there too. Not like this though. So you choose. Us or your job."
"Maya-"
"I'm serious Joshua. You quit that 'job' of yours and find a credible one and I won't pack up and leave. I want you to choose us, I really do. Because I choose Aiden. Every day, all day."
Maya held her breath as she started at the man before her. Joshua Matthews. The father of her child. The love of her life. "Please choose us," she thought.
Josh had't realized it but he crying. Listening to Maya speak was all he needed. "Please don't take Aiden," he whispered. "I wanna be there for him too. I do. I'll try and-"
"No," Maya said sternly. "You will find a new and legal way to make money. The same way I will stop smoking."
Josh nodded his head. "I choose us Maya. I choose our family. I choose Aiden."
Maya took a step towards Josh as he began to cry. His sobs became louder and louder as the weight and stress of everything finally collapsed around them. "I love you," Maya whispered into his shoulder as she embraced him. "I love you and I thank you for choosing us."