Sorry for the long wait who knew the last few months would cause me to be so busy. Hopefully this chapter isn't boring and I'm already working on the next one. Enjoy.
Maya turned herself round and round in her office chair not really sure if the last twenty minutes actually happened or if she dreamed it. Honestly it had been a dream of hers since she first met Josh Matthews when she was six. Maybe she was still dreaming? She thought spinning a little faster until she stopped when she felt like she had to puke.
She stopped facing forward knowing what happened was definitely not a dream. The lilies in front of her and the fresh bruise she gave herself proved in fact that Joshua boing Matthews had asked her out.
Did she say yes? Did she even give him an answer? Did he even wait to get an answer? She thought chewing her lip.
She rested her head on her hands as she continued staring at the flowers in front of her not hearing someone walk in. "Ouch what happened to your arm?" Maya shook her head as she looked at her arm and then up at Travis who was holding her arm up.
"Who did this?" He asked as Maya took her arm back pressing the bruise. "Yup it's real." She said getting up as Travis stared at her weirdly. "Okay Maya you're scaring me. What's going on?" He asked as she laid on the couch in her office.
"Yeah I found her staring at those lilies your uncle brought her earlier. I tried talking to her but she is acting weird and kept mumbling yup it's real every second." Maya turned her head as she sees Travis talking with Riley who comes over and lifts Maya's head placing it on her lap.
"Peaches are you okay?" She asked playing with her hair as Maya chewed her lip as she shook her head. "Um Travis give us a minute would ya?" Riley asked as he left the office. "Okay what happened? Do I need to go kick my uncle's butt for you?" Riley asked as Maya looked up at her laughing softly at her angry face.
"No." She smiled sitting up grabbing a pillow and playing with the end of it. "Okay then what's wrong cause Travis made it seem like you were told you had two months to live." Maya sighed as she scrunched her nose covering her face with the pillow and mumbling.
"What was that?" Riley asked as Maya moved the pillow. "Your uncle asked me out on a date." She whispered as Riley bit her lip nodding her head. "Is that all?" Riley asked as Maya frowned at her. "What do you mean is that all?! That's huge news!" Maya asked getting up as Riley covered her mouth.
"Oh peaches." Riley mutters shaking her head as she stands pulling Maya into a hug rubbing her back. "I'm going to tell you something that you have told me many times before." Maya pulls back looking at Riley who smiles at her. "Don't go into your dungeon of sadness just yet okay?"
Maybe she should just cancel? Yeah that's what she should do just call him up and cancel. Just say hey Boing something came up can't go to dinner bye. No maybe she should just text him or better yet tell him she was drunk and was on the verge of puking.
Maya groaned as she leaned her head on her shoulder. "Riles can't I just go there? Nothing good is going to come of this date dinner thing with your uncle. I know he's going to tell me that he found out we aren't married and tell me to leave him alone."
"Peaches!" Riley scolds her as Maya lifts her head looking at her. "You know very well that uncle Josh would never tell you to leave him alone. Maybe it's something good? Just promise me you won't go into that dark dungeon of sadness."
Maya looked at her weirdly as Riley lightly laughed. "What?" She asked as Maya folded her arms across her chest narrowing her eyes at her. "Do you know something about this "date" and that's why you want me to keep an open mind?" Riley looked at her and begun to laugh. "Peaches I swear I know nothing I just want you to be happy and I think Josh can help with that."
Maya sighed as she sat back on the couch with Riley following. "Riles I want to keep an open mind but you know me. That voice in my head is telling me run." Riley shakes her head taking her hand in hers. "Well then just do what I would do." Maya looked at her as Riley smiled widely. "Just listen to that Riley voice like I listen to my Maya voice."
They both begin to laugh as Maya hugs her. "Thanks honey. I'm just incredibly nervous but I promise I'll listen to my Riles voice." Riley nodded getting up to grab them drinks as Maya watched her.
She shook her head as Riley was going on and on about what she was going to wear and did she know where he was taking her. Maya had no clue where they were going she just wanted to keep an open mind like Riley suggested which was hard for her to do.
She smiled to herself before widened her eyes realizing she actually had a date with her childhood crush.
Lucas mumbled softly to himself as he scribbled furiously on the pad of paper. He was in the middle of making a pro con list that could decide his fate. He was sure if he pressed any harder on it he was sure he would write right through the pad and onto the desktop.
But he didn't care as he gulped down the rest of the lukewarm coffee in his cup getting up with his pad in hand heading for the coffee pot. He poured his coffee not really looking as he looked over the items on his list.
"Shit." He muttered softly as he spilled coffee on the counter and himself. He was in such a daze he didn't know what he was doing. "Lucas are you okay?" He looked up seeing Mandy watching him with a roll of paper towels in her hand.
"Yeah why?" He asked continuing to clean up the spilled coffee. "Well you're a pad of paper instead of paper towels." She laughed shaking her head as she gestures towards his hands.
"Great just great." He sighs tossing the pad into the trash with anger. "O...Kay let's go." Mandy says cleaning up the last of the spill and washing her hands. "Go? Go where?" He asked leaning on the counter as she tosses him his coat.
"Out. It's obvious you need some air and we don't have any patients coming in for the next two hours let's go." Lucas chuckled softly as he nodded his head putting his coat on as Mandy flipped the sign to closed on the clinic door.
She linked her arm with his as they step out walking with no destination in mind. "So.." She says after a couple of minutes of silence. "Want to tell me what has you all hulked up?"
Lucas smiled as he looked at her rubbing at his neck with his other hand. "Have you ever had to make a sort of life altering choice and you didn't know if you could make the choice for fear you were picking the wrong one and resent it in the end?"
"What kind of life altering decision?" She asked as Lucas sighed. "Let's head for the park I'll take ya to my favorite thinking spot." She tells him as he nods softly.
"Wow. I see why you come here to think." Lucas says sitting down with wide eyes looking out at the little pond where a family of ducks were swimming.
"This is actually the spot I met my husband and he proposed to me here too. Although a duck came up and swallowed the ring so we had to go to the clinic with the duck. Charlie's dad was the one that helped us get it back."
Lucas watched as Mandy smiled at the ducks and then at her ring rubbing it slightly as she stared at it. "So are you going to tell me what happened or should I assume you got another girl pregnant?"
Lucas looked at her with wide eyes choking on his own saliva. "No!" He says between coughs as she pats his back. "No! Riley is the only one." He says as Mandy nods gesturing for him to continue.
Lucas took a deep breath as he begins to tell her. He told her about Riley and the baby wanting a relationship with her and trying to find a house and he told her about his job and how Zay informed him they got the job and Lucas was due out there to oversee everything.
Something he had always wanted.
"So if you take the job you would be leaving here and living there?" She asked as Lucas stared out at the ducks nodding. "Yup." He said glancing at her as she looked deep in thought.
"How long would you be gone?" Lucas rubbed his neck and sighed. "I don't know. Depends on the job and if they decide to build more than one." Mandy looked at him and frowned. "What?" Lucas said as Mandy hit his arm.
"You should be having this conversation with someone else you know that right?" She says as Lucas nods. "How do I tell her something like this? She would be upset with me." Mandy hit him again a little harder.
"How do you know? You haven't even told her. Now get off this bench and tell her!" She shooed him making him chuckle as he headed for the subway. He shook his leg nervously as he text Riley asking to meet up with her.
The whole way to her school he went over what he was going to say. He had just built up the courage as he made for the playground when he stops spotting her playing with the kids.
He couldn't help smiling as he watched her turning the jump rope laughing. He waved as she walked towards him putting a hand to her stomach even though she wasn't showing yet.
"Hey you wanted to talk?" She asked as he stared at her. "You okay?" She asked again as he continued staring knowing there was no way he could tell her.
Riley looked at Lucas as they leaned against the railing watching the kids run around. She found it odd that he text asking to talk and yet hadn't really said anything.
"What?" He asked glancing at her as she continued staring at him.
"Well you said you wanted to talk but all you've done was stare out into space. Something wrong?" She asked as he rubbed his neck. "Maybe I just wanted to stop by." He said looking at her causing her to laugh. "That was so corny Friar and totally inappropriate." She said as he looked at her weirdly.
"How is that inappropriate?" He asked as she smiled. "Well you could go to jail for just wanting to stop by an elementary school." He looked at her with wide eyes and an open mouth making her burst out into laughter. "That's not funny Riley." He said as the bell rings.
Riley giggled as she watched her class line up to go back inside her classroom. "Doctor Lucas!" They all shouted as they see him standing by Riley. "Did you bring some animals for us?" A little brunette haired girl with pigtails asked.
"No I'm sorry." He said as she looked at him sadly. Lucas looked at Riley who was trying to hide her smile. "How about next week I bring in some puppies?" He tells as she jumps up and down. "Okay. Thank you doctor Lucas!"
"You know she is going to hold you to that right?" Riley tells him as she ushers her class back inside. "I'll keep my promise. I always keep my promises." He says with a serious look on his face. They walk towards her door as she leans against the wall near it.
"You finally going to tell me what brought you here? Besides staring into space." She asked as Lucas gave her a look. "It was nothing." He says as Riley tilts her head not fully believing that story. "Okay if you won't tell me I got to go." She said pushing off the wall heading inside her class.
"Wait." Lucas says grabbing her hand as she turns around. "Let's grab dinner tonight?" Riley looked at tapping her chin. "I'm not so sure that's a good idea." She said as he lets her hand go frowning slightly.
"Why not?" He asked as she smiled folding her arms across her chest. "Well for one thing dinner with us always ends badly." She smiles as he continues to frown at her making her giggle. "Just one dinner I'll even make it. What do you say?"
Riley looked at him bobbing her head back and forth watching Lucas groan as she did it. "Fine seven o'clock my place." Riley watched as Lucas smiled softly before smirk by at her already making her regret her decision. "Okay it's a date." He said kissing her cheek causing her class to react with oohs.
"It's not a date!" She shouted as Lucas continued to walk away pretending he couldn't hear her. She shook her head wondering if he really wanted to talk or just annoy her into accepting a date from him.
"Maya you need a nice dress for your date." Riley repeated through the phone as she browse through the clothes at the mall. "No I don't Riles and what are you doing at the mall?" Maya asked as Riley walked towards the children section.
"You're going to make fun of me if I tell you." She said as she held up a little tutu smiling at it. "You went for a wetzels pretzel didn't you?" Riley looked down at her bag which had an assortment of pretzels inside it. "I can't help it they're so good and besides my little one was craving one." She said putting her hand on her stomach.
Riley frowned as Maya begun to laugh knowing Riley couldn't blame her pretzel addiction on her growing baby since she always stopped there for one since she first tried one.
"Alright I'm hanging up and don't start getting ready until I come home okay?" Riley said as Maya sighed saying yes mother before hanging up. Riley continued looking at the tutu before clutching her heart when she sees a little tux. She smiled holding her stomach taking both and walking towards the register.
Sighing happily as she watched Maya walk away with her uncle Josh for their date Riley plopped down on the couch with her popcorn. She had just put a movie in when there was a knock at her door. "Mom, Dad what are you guys doing here?" She asked as they both walked in kissing her cheek.
"Well we were supposed to have dinner together but your father here insisted we come here. Apparently he thought something was happening here. So here we are." Her mom says as Riley shakes her head. "Well you guys should go nothing is happening here." Riley says as her doorbell goes off.
"Expecting someone sweet?" Her mom ask as Riley shakes her head. "Not that I remember...shoot." She mutters to herself when she realized who was at the door. She slowly opens it as Lucas smiles at her before widening his eyes when her dad growls.
"Yup always ends badly."
Josh couldn't help whistling as he sat at his desk filling out paperwork for an upcoming trial. He didn't know why he was in such a good mood. Okay well he did know he was in a good mood.
He had a date later that day and he was pretty excited about it. He had something he wanted to say to Maya and he was excited nervous about it.
"Okay either you're drunk or you are still in the honeymoon stage with your wife?" Josh shakes his head looking up at Alan who leaned against his doorway.
"What can I say?" He chuckled as Alan sat in the chair in front of his desk slapping files down.
"So what's on the agenda that has you whistling so happily?" Alan ask as he grabbed a pen filling out his own paperwork. "Date night." Josh says swirling in his chair as he smiled at the picture he had added of Maya.
"Date night huh? Hope you plan something pretty romantic." He says as Josh looks at him. "What do you mean?" He ask getting a little nervous. Alan set his pen down as he looked at him.
"Nothing bad I just mean if you planned extravagant dates before you got married she is going to want that times a million. That's what my wife wanted and made me sleep on the couch when I didn't come through."
Josh frowned slightly as he scratched at his neck. Did Maya expect something extravagant romantic wise? He never went on a date with her unless you counted the tea parties where Riley made him escort Maya while her bear escorted her.
The rest of the day he thought about this wondering if he should try to make a reservation somewhere or cook for her. He looked in his fridge and widened his eyes at the emptiness. He definitely needed to go shopping.
He sighed as his phone went off with a notification from pacos tacos. He smiled to himself as he knew where the perfect spot would be. He went to get dress checking the time as he fixed his hair. He grabbed his jacket filling something crinkle.
He looked in his pockets finding an old picture of Mary and himself. He sighed tossing it on the counter before opening a drawer shoving it all the way in the back. Out of sight out of mind. He thought.
Although she was someone he wanted to talk to Maya about at dinner. Hopefully Maya would hear him out and not punch him. Maybe he should write what he wanted to say on notecards?
He shook his head as he headed out the door. He chewed his cheek going over in his head what he wanted to say to Maya as he reached her apartment knocking on the door. He snapped his fingers as he realized he wanted to stop and get her more flowers.
He was ready to apologize when the door opens revealing her. "Ma..." He begins forgetting what he was going to say when he sees Maya standing in front of him in a black dress with her hair down. "Wow Maya you look...Wow." He says scratching at his neck.
"Well I didn't know where we were going and I wasn't sure if I should dress fancy fancy or causal fancy and I let Riles decide which was...well." She lightly laughed after her ramble. He was going to say she looked Wow again when he gets interrupted.
"Peaches you look amazing and this looks works for whatever type date uncle Josh has planned. Right uncle Josh?" Josh nodded as he felt his cheeks heat up looking at Maya who's own cheeks were red.
"Okay mom we are leaving." Maya says as Josh clears his throat nodding. "Okay okay fine. Uncle Josh have her home no later than midnight. Be safe." Riley adds as Maya closes the door saying bye mother.
"She needs a hobby." Maya joked as they walked outside to Josh's car. "I feel for her future kids." Josh laughs as Maya widened her eyes. "What?" Josh asked as Maya shook her head. "Nothing." Josh looked at her weirdly but shook his head.
"So where are we headed?" Maya asked as they started driving. "That's a secret." He zipped his lips as Maya lightly laughed. "Okay can I at least get a hint?" Josh nodded as he begin to hum.
He wasn't sure she would get it when she begins to smile widely humming along with him. "Did I do good?" He asked when they pulled up in front of the restaurant.
Maya looked at him and smiled nodding her head. Josh chuckled as they walked in. "So I kind of had a reason for asking you out on this date." Josh says as Maya looks at him. "I knew it." She mumbled to herself as she began to get up.
"Where are you going?" He asked grabbing her hand. "I'm not sure I want to hear what you have to say." She says as Josh shakes his head. "Trust me you will." Maya looks at him sighing but sitting back down.
"Well I...I'm not sure how to say it now. Should have wrote it down." He says as Maya looks at him weirdly. "Okay here it goes." He takes a sips of his water and grabs Maya's hand again.
"I like you Maya."