Baby Pictures

Maya made her way down to the kitchen, on what would be her last day at the Matthews house. Though she had not really done anything exciting it had hands down been one of her better summers. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, it was a text from her Mom, tell her that she had Shawn would be there around 7pm. Typing back a reply of "ok. I'll let everyone know" before returning her phone to her pocket.

Maya knew her mother was nervous, it was the first time she would be meeting the elder Matthew's family. Amy and Alan Matthew's meant a lot to Shawn. They had been like his parents when his own had not been around at Katy knew that. She half wondered if she should take this time to Text Josh, see what his Father had had to say to him last night after she had gone upstairs. She was curious and yet at the same time she did not want to draw attention to the fact they had been court kissing. It finally seemed like they were making progress somehow and honestly she didn't want things to go back to square one between them. Josh and all his rules, she honestly wasn't expecting to get a kiss out of him again any time soon.

Maya stepped into the kitchen to find the Matthew's woman sat around the table. Who surface was covered in old photographs. A beaming smile on her best friends face.

"Morning" Riley smiled brightly "Grandma just met Lucus" She said nodding her head towards her open laptop on the counter.

"That's great Rile's" Maya said sweetly patting her friend on the head before joining them at the table.

"His very sweet and so handsome" Amy Matthews smiled at her granddaughter before getting up from the table pouring a juice for Maya.

"Oh Huckelberry's just the sweetest" Maya teased, as Amy set the juice down in front of her.

"Anyone special in your life Maya" the older woman asked, settling herself back down in her chair

"Someday" Maya shrugged smiling. She knew that Josh was unlikely to have told his mother about there arrangement. Not that she cared either way if he had. Still it was true she wished to have someone special someday, that her someday happened to be the woman son didn't matter.

"Plenty of time for that" Amy agreed "Don't let these two fool you" She pointed to her daughter and Granddaughter "The rest of us aren't it such a rush"

That's was true, although Cory and Topanga had been together since they were kids and she couldn't imagine Riley with anyone else but Lucus. Her Mom and Shawn had taken a while to find one another. Shawn was 35 and hadn't been with anyone seriously since Angela. Her Mom 36 with a kid and an ex husband. These things happened when they happen. And if she was completely honest her life would have been easier if she hadn't fallen for her best friends uncle.

"Oh Mom says they'll be here about 7" Maya said suddenly remembering her mothers text

"Great" Topanga spoke up "I'll text Cory, he might calm down then"

"Speaking off" Maya asked, "Where is everyone"

"Mom sent them to the store" Riley smiled "Dad was a little over excited and Josh has been promising to take Auggie all week"

"They see each other all the time" Maya argued, she got it. She loved spending time with Riley, all the same they spent all the day together and she knew that since Shawn was now back living in the city he had been spending more time with his best friend.

"All my life" Topanga said in a voice of frustration.

"Speaking of the store" Amy said leaning closer to her daughter in law as if she had some gossip to tell her "Did I tell you Shea's back"

"Shea" Topanga said in disbelief

"Yep"

"Who's Shea" Riley asked, meaning that Maya didn't have to.

"She's back for the summer and asked Alan for her job back" Amy continued on with her story, completely ignore her granddaughter question.

"Really"

"I Know" Amy said "I told him to not hire her, but you know what he's like. Just don't want Josh to get tangled up with her again"

"God No" Topanga confirmed

"Who's Shea" Riley asked again louder this time.

"Aw" Amy fumbled with a photograph in front of her, clearly understanding that she had said too much in front of her granddaughter. "Look at this one of you and Morgan" showing it to Riley.

"Aww" Riley cooed, her question forgotten as she fussed over a photograph of a baby. She couldn't resist a baby, even if said baby was herself.

Maya for one was not a easily distracted, it didn't take a take a mastermind to work out that they were clearly talking about one of Josh's Ex's. Still she wasn't sure she wanted to know either. They had seemed to be doing so well over the past couple of days and honestly she didn't want to pull up all that crap again. After all she was an Ex for a reason right? Plus she still hung out with Brice. It wasn't like she broke up with him and they were completely out of each others lives. Still the way that Amy and Topanga had reacted to it there was clearly more to the story than there was to her breakup. She wasn't stupid, she had known that Josh had had girlfriends before he had confirmed into her the other night, she had even known he wasn't a virgin. No the less she knew about this Ex the better as far as she was concerned. Still part of her really wanted to Text him now, just to say "Hi" just to you know…remind him that she was there…you know someday. Lucky she was pulled from her though by her best friend

"Is this Uncle Josh?" Riley asked, holding a photograph up for her mother to see.

Topanga smiled at the photo it had been taken the day that they had all left for New York. She was holding Josh and he was waving at the camera. It had been so long ago and so much had happened to them all since that photo had been taken all the same she could not help but feel proud of the man that Josh was becoming. Not that she had much to do with that. Topanga had always been close with Josh, always thought of him as the little brother she had never had and honestly she did as much to protect him and help him as she did Riley and Auggie.

"Look at those ear" Maya teased taking the photo from Topanga to look at younger version of Josh. He was so cute even then, his sticking out ears making her smile. She knew he would hate this, them all cooing over his baby pictures but Maya thought it was sweet, that Mrs Matthews had all these pictures to look back on all the little things.

"I loved those ears" Topanga grinned.

"Can you remember when he used to follow you all around the house" Amy said sweetly, remembering the little boy that he son used to me. She really didn't understand how she had managed to somehow produce 4 amazing adults. She always sort of left like her and Alan was winging it more often than not. Even Eric had finally found his place in the world.

"How could I forget" Topanga rolled her eyes but there was a smile of love on her face telling them all she loved it really.

"Your Uncle would run around the house shouting Topanga at the top of his lungs" Amy smiled at Riley.

"He's going to kill you" Topanga teased, knowing that her brother in law would not like the idea of Riley knowing these embarrassing stories, let alone Maya. Topanga had known he was interested in Maya well before he did. She could see the attraction there on that Thanksgiving all though years ago. It didn't matter how many times Josh had told himself that she was too young for him, Topanga could see it there. She had hoped that by reminding Maya of her feeling for Josh that it would put a stop to the triangle and it had. That was why she had invited Josh to the Ski lodge that weekend. The fact that this Someday business had come out of it the better really. Honestly she had been shocked that Josh had gotten his stuff together so quickly, not that Topanga was sure she thought it was a good idea to wait around for each other. That being said she also knew that no-one thought her and Cory would work out either. That they were stupid for getting married so young. Only she and Cory really knew how much they loved each other and only Josh and Maya knew what was best for them too.

"I'm his mother isn't my job to tell embarrassing stories about him" Amy Matthew's smiled.

"Is this Josh too" Maya asked, showing the older woman a picture of all the family (including Shawn) around a baby in a incubator.

"Yeah it is" Amy smiled wistfully taking the photograph from the teenager, it was hard sometimes seeing the wonderful man her son was becoming to think about how close they had come to loosing him. She never forgot how hard it was seeing her baby fighting for his life, seeing him in that small box and not being able to hold him.

Not all the babies that had been in there with him had made it home with their parents, she thank God every day that he had.

Every time Josh had a cough or a cold growing up she had remember those first few weeks of his life, she thought of there battle. Amy worried none stop when Topanga had been carrying Riley and Auggie that something terrible would happen. She prayed to God that they would come though anything that was sent to test them.

"I still thank every day that he came though that, that we all did" Amy smiled

"Me too" Topanga smiled, putting her hand over that of her Mother in Law's.

"He's so small" Riley said taking the photo from her grandmother, to take a better look. She had known that her Uncle had been a poorly baby, that he was born early and that it had been hard for a while. But she didn't really understand how ill he had been until she had seen the photograph and heard her Grandmother talk about it.

"He came early" Topanga explained to Riley.

"Really early" Amy explained "You're Grandpa missed the whole thing, cause they needed to get him out quickly. Thank god your Mom was there" she smiled at her daughter in Law "She went down to theatre with me. He had problems with his lungs"

"Resportaty infection" Topanga explained to the younger girls. The photo was now back in Maya's hands who was looking at it intently.

"It was touch and go for a while" Amy carried on, her smile brighter now "But you know what your Uncle Josh is like, too stubborn to let go of anything"

"Very true" Riley laughed, her eyes turning to take in her best friend. Who couldn't seem take her eyes of the image of the baby in the incubator.

"Mays" Riley said softly "He's good now"

"Not going anywhere soon" Topanga agreed with her daughter "Isn't that right Amy"

"Oh God yes" Amy said rolling her eyes "Screamed the house down for hours, not bad for someone who was meant to have bad lungs" She smiled softly, thoroughly confused by the blondes reaction.

Maya thanked a God she didn't even believe in that day for allowing Josh to be in her life. It would not be the last time she prayed for that man. She was grateful for whatever strength that small baby was able to master to live and turn into the man she loved.