October 9th 2020

Chapter 283
Their Celebration of Morning

"Looks good, right?" Maya breathed out. Sitting at the back of the rows of chairs now laid out on the Oswalds' land, with her husband to one side and her brother to the other, she was unsure of how she felt. In many ways, she felt exhausted, which was not encouraging when it was barely seven in the morning, but then she was also very energized, and that made total sense. Her best friend, her first friend, was getting married today.

"It looks great," Lucas promised with great confidence as he looked to what nearly an hour and a half had created. They had transformed the bare space into the perfect spot, welcoming and magical, for Riley and Dylan to exchange their vows before family and friends. They had also gotten everything for the reception out of the house, ready to be deployed in the swap that would follow the ceremony, returning their home to a more ordered and breathable state. Now, they could face the day. "They're going to love it."

"Aren't you guys supposed to go and get them now?" Sam asked, after a beat of silence. Maya and Lucas turned to one another for a moment and soon scurried back to the house.

"Wait, hey, hold on," Lucas called to his wife as she moved to get into the minivan. Maya spun back around, like all she wanted to do was to drive off and get to the Matthews house. But then she looked at him and it was clear what he'd called her back for. She smiled, moving up to kiss him. "Keep me posted?" Lucas smiled back.

"Aye, aye, Captain."

"I'm a Captain now?" he called after her as she climbed into the driver's seat, laughing.

She had already packed her bags into the minivan before they started moving things out across the lane. She'd had a feeling that she'd possibly end up hurrying out to meet Riley and the others, and it really would not have done for her to forget anything. Riley was getting ready at her parents' house, as was Maya, as were the other bridesmaids, while Dylan would be getting ready back at the house with Lucas. As ever, it was hard to stick to one side when two of her friends were getting married. As much as she wanted to be with Riley in the next little while, wanted to see her get ready, all of it, she did wish she could also see how Dylan was doing. It would be the one compromise then that Lucas could recount the whole thing to her later on.

"Hey, good morning," Maya grinned when the door to the Matthews home was opened by a tuxedo-wearing four-year-old Hunter Matthews. He was so cute, it was impossible to do anything but smile from ear to ear. "Looking good, bud," she complimented him, and he gave his best smile. It reminded Maya very much of Riley when they were both little, and she had a feeling that today would just keep doing that to her, keep prodding at her mind, her memories. She imagined Riley went through the same thing the previous summer.

"Oh, good, you're here," Nadine appeared, coming down the stairs like she had thought 'please let that be her.'

"That bad?" Maya asked, as Hunter dashed off to go and tell his mother that she was there.

"Not to speak ill, but the whole family is a bit nuts right now," Nadine sighed. Maya had no trouble believing this. For having known them as long as she had, their eldest child, their one girl, getting married, would be enough to send Cory and Topanga to reach heights unparalleled of… frenzy.

"Okay, okay," Maya considered this for a moment. "Who else is here? Is my dad here?"

"On his way, last I heard," Nadine shook her head.

"What about Eric, is he here? Or Morgan? Josh?"

"Yes, yes, and out on an errand," Nadine counted off, and Maya guessed that she'd had the same thought as she did, dispatching them to help get the parents to calm down so they could focus on Riley.

"Okay, let's go," she pointed up the stairs, and off they went. "No one in the bathroom right now? I think I need to shower first. All that moving around…" she fanned herself.

"You should probably go right now then. Cristela will be here soon," Nadine reported. When it had been decided that Riley wanted to do her whole preparation right at her parents' house, they had recruited Asher and Joey's cousin, Nando's daughter, to come and do their hair. The hairdresser, who had known most of them since they were teens and would have been in attendance either way, had been happy to do it. "Just, you know, go say hi first, do your thing with the bride."

Maya hadn't been sure what to expect in going to find Riley this morning. Oh, she had plenty of ideas of how much her best friend would be freaking out right now, but who was to say which one would actually come true?

Though she had not lived here in seven years, she still had a bedroom at her parents' house. There had been some talk of giving the space over to Hunter when he'd been born, but August had asked his parents if they might put him in his room, to share with him. He would share the space with his little brother, and once he left home for college, well, he could change the place and have it all to himself. August just wanted this chance to be close with his brother, for how long he'd hoped for one. From what Maya had heard in conversations with her fellow teacher, she had a feeling that Cory and Topanga had been as touched for their son's choice as they had seen the benefit in that he'd never go and bring a girl back there with a toddler hanging around.

"Hey, Mrs. Friar!" a cheerful voice greeted Maya when she got to the top of the stairs, and it startled her to find Milena Janacek, all dressed and ready for this wedding, clearly.

"What are you doing here this early?" Maya couldn't help but ask, smiling along. She'd known already that August had invited her as his date, their first 'official outing' as boyfriend and girlfriend, but it was barely seven thirty.

"Oh, well, August and I were talking last night, and he wanted to know how early I could come. I told him seven," Milena reported. "He went with his uncle to get breakfast. I took care of getting Hunter ready. Isn't he cute?"

"Yes, very," Maya agreed. The girl looked so happy to be here, to be involved on this day of all days, and it reminded Maya of those early days when she'd started dating Lucas, how much being around his family as his girlfriend felt so evolved from being around them as his friend. "I need to go see about a bride," she pointed down the hall, and Milena stepped aside with an understanding nod.

As she couldn't put on her dress until after her hair was done, the first step in Riley's transformation had everything to do with nails. Kayla was doing her fingernails while Rosa was seeing to her toenails. Possibly, the plan had been to get her in a position where she'd have no choice but to sit, and relax a bit, rather than to move around so much. Even then, she looked like she'd been trying to make a break for it every few seconds since they'd gotten her to sit, only to remember she couldn't and sinking back in her chair again. At the sight of her best friend coming into the room…

"Help me," Riley moved, saw the looks Kayla and Rosa gave her, and sat back with a sigh. Maya set her bags down before moving to stand behind Riley's chair, hugging her as best she could without getting in the way of their friends' work.

"How's this?" she asked. Riley smiled.

"Good," she declared. "I'm so glad you're here…"

"I have to go shower now, but I'll be back quick, I promise. Look, look," she pulled out her phone, holding it in front of Riley for her to see the photos of the Oswalds' land. The bride gasped, shedding immediate tears, good, happy ones. "Good?" Maya asked.

"It's perfect… yes," Riley promised, while Maya found a tissue to dab at her face, seeing as her hands were indisposed. "Thanks," Riley laughed.

By the time she got out of the shower, Cristela Garcia had arrived and was working on the mother of the bride, and the manicure/pedicure portion of Riley's preparation was over. She was still sitting in her room, waiting for it all to dry properly. Possibly, she'd been waiting on her best friend's return.

"You weren't nervous like this when you were going to get married," Riley pointed out. "Is it bad that I am?"

"Riley Matthews being chill on her wedding day? That would be weird," Maya assured her with a shake of the head, sitting on the edge of the bed. Riley couldn't have kept from smiling at this. "No, you're right on track. Just, you know, keep breathing," she mimed, and Riley indulged her. "Did you sleep okay?"

"Woke up a bunch of times. Didn't feel the same without Dylan there," Riley shrugged.

"Yeah, sounds about right," Maya nodded, recalling the night before her wedding. All it really got her was this thought of how in a few hours' time they would both of them be married women. They'd been little girls just a minute ago, hadn't they? This notion seemed to have been on Riley's mind, too, as she stared back at her with a thoughtful little smile.

"We wouldn't be here today if you hadn't climbed in my window that day." Maya chuckled.

"Best decision I ever made," she told her, making Riley start to go misty-eyed all over again. "We are really going to have to be careful once we get your makeup on," Maya stood and moved over to dry her face again, renewing her best friend's laughter. "I might have gotten you here, but the rest is all you and Dylan, yeah?"

"Yeah," Riley nodded in promise. When Maya's phone chirped, she went to grab it from her bag. "Is that Lucas? Is it about Dylan?" Riley asked at once. Maya pointed a finger at her. "He can't see me, it's not jinxed," Riley defended.

"Nothing to fret about," Maya shook her head, typing out a reply, sending, and slipping the phone in her robe's pocket. "Just checking in like we promised." Riley kept giving her best pout, and Maya squinted at her. "They're at the house now. And that's all you're getting on that subject. Let them do their guy thing, right now we need to get you ready."

Almost on cue, there was a knock at the door and Cristela came in, asking if Riley was ready to get her hair done.

"Couldn't be more ready, please," Maya practically pulled her across the room.

Hair gave way to makeup, and then there was the dress. For having seen it on her, the first to do so back at the store in Tucson, and then again at the theater when she'd had her fittings, today… Oh, today, with the hair, the makeup, the nails, all the other accents… Now Maya was the one crying happily. She had come so far from the wacky kid singing to herself, the one Maya had discovered on one of her excursions, and as her best friend and matron of honor… She could not have been prouder.

"Your mom is going to lose it when she sees you…" Maya sniffled, then chuckled, as she moved to embrace her. "So will your dad. Oh and Dylan… He won't stand a chance."

TO BE CONTINUED

See you tomorrow! - mooners