Chapter 60
The New Ways How

"I hope I'm not catching you at a bad time," Patty Robinson's voice grew fainter and then normal again as Maya squeezed the phone between her ear and her shoulder.

"You're not," Maya assured her, though a case could be made that she mostly had busy times these days, so what might have been considered a 'bad time' before now had to be endured, seeing as there were very few unoccupied moments to be found. Basically it was 'you might as well go for it now, because there won't be any better moment than this. "Oh, but my mother would like to say hello, to thank you for the flowers and the gift, hold on," she told the professor, as she finished fastening the clean diaper on to her one-week-old little brother. Finally lifting him into her arms and walking from the nursery and toward her parents' room, where her mother was sitting on her bed like she'd just woken from a nap. "Professor Robinson is calling, did you want to…" Maya whispered. Katy nodded, holding out her hand, and Maya brought her the phone before stepping out in the hall with the baby.

Alex seemed to like when whoever carried him would just be walking around, so that was what Maya did, walking the length of the hallway, back and forth, looking into his little newborn face and smiling. It was still hard not to look at him and think how close he'd come to not existing, which after so few days of knowing him was already so horrible of an idea. Their mother could have lost him, all those months ago, and they would never have gotten to hold him, and watch him evolve…

"Hey, baby brother, falling asleep on me, aren't you?" Maya smiled as he gave a powerful yawn, eyes blinking… His doctor was concerned about his eyes. Maya didn't know much, only what her parents knew, from when they'd taken him home from the hospital. They would know more eventually, and maybe it would turn out to be nothing major, but until then all they had was this uncertainty, and worries. He could see, at least it felt like he did, but then maybe the problem meant that he wouldn't stay that way. Maya could tell how much this weighed on her parents, every day when she'd come over, and she wished she could do more to make those concerns disappear, but all she could really do was what she did now, being there with them. Whatever would happen next, they would all deal with it together, as a family.

When her mother was done with the phone, Maya had gone in to retrieve it and left Alex with her. Climbing down the stairs, she found her father looking over MJ, playing with his blocks, and all the while looking after Elliott, in his seat next to him. The twins were at pre-school, which was just as well. There was some difficulty in making them understand why Katy couldn't do some things even though she didn't have the big belly anymore and their brother was clearly outside of it now. They responded to it in their own ways, of course. Nellie would throw a fit, while Gracie would just look up at Katy with big confused eyes. MJ overall was the only one who seemed unaffected by everything. They could find ways to compromise with him and he'd be none the wiser.

"Sorry about the delay, had to find somewhere quiet," Maya told the professor.

"Not to worry, I can imagine there is a lot to deal with at the moment," Patty replied, and Maya could just about picture her sympathetic smile in her head.

"A lot, yes," she agreed. Husband, son, little Bee… Dad's health… Mom's recovery… So many siblings caught in the middle… Alex… Lucas' degree… and mine…

"Now, I've been looking over some things, regarding what we talked about a couple of weeks ago," Patty told her, and Maya sat up. She'd stepped out into the yard, sitting on a lawn chair after brushing away a few leaves. She had expected this to be the reason for the professor's call. "I am starting work on a new project, at the start of the winter semester, and I would need an assistant, for research. If you would find yourself up to the task, you could do just about all of it from your home. Some materials I would be able to send to you by courier, and we would meet to discuss once a week, for which I would be more than willing to drive into Austin rather than have you come to me. How does that sound?"

Maya was just a bit stunned. How did it sound? It sounded kind of perfect, actually. The thought of it alone was enough to make her feel like something in her was waking up, something she'd allowed to fall dormant in the past few months. It was the part of her that had learned to love the work she did for school, which had been nurtured and made to thrive since she'd come to Texas, especially when Patty Robinson had become a part of it. She was already curious to know what this project was and what she'd be researching.

"It sounds like I can't wait to start," Maya laughed, which made the professor laugh along.

"Excellent, excellent. Oh, now, do you remember, I introduced you to Professor Patil, at the museum?" Patty asked. Maya recalled the woman's face at once.

"Yes, I do."

"Good, yes, now, I have been meaning to work with her for some time now, and so she will also be involved on the project. She is local, so she may be of some assistance to you in tracking down some elements of this research. I will send you her information, and now that you are on board, I will be letting her know how to reach you, if that's alright?"

"Sure, yes, that'd be great. The one thing, I… It's just, with mother… and my father, a-and everything that…"

"As I said, we will be starting in earnest only in January, which will give you the next two months to, I hope, find some ease will be returned to you and yours." Maya could only think that she hoped for the same. "I will send you more information, you look it over and whatever questions you have, I will answer."

"Thank you, Professor," Maya smiled. The woman made a noise she recognized as her wanting to be called Patty. "If I'm going to be working for you, I am going to call you Professor," Maya chuckled.

"Alright, I suppose," she replied, laughter in her voice.

After they hung up, Maya sat back in the lawn chair, taking some good deep breaths of autumn air. Sometimes it truly felt like Patty Robinson could not be real, that she was an angel who had floated down into her life two years ago… Maya had heard every word she'd said, and underneath them she simply knew there were more words, still, and primarily they were that this project of hers had not existed up until a couple of weeks ago. I have been meaning to work with her for some time now. That had been the thing that clinched it for her. In one fell swoop, Professor Robinson had supplied Maya with work, paid work, and all the while she was maintaining some flow of learning, through herself and through this woman who would get to know her, for however long the project lasted, well before the two of them became professor and student whenever Maya would at last return to university and finish her degree. And the cherry on top was this chance to accomplish her long-standing goal of working with Meera Patil, her former pupil. Patty might as well have dropped the mic for having crafted this opportunity for herself, and Meera Patil, and Maya together.

When she'd gone back inside to check on Elliott, Maya told Shawn about the call, and the project. He received this information with much the same assessment as she'd given.

"That woman is unreal," he blinked.

"She's hugged me several times, she's definitely real," Maya laughed. And for no other reason maybe than that he'd heard her, Elliott laughed, too, which earned him some good mom cuddles. That little sound had started coming from him now, over the past couple of weeks, and when they'd first heard it, Maya and Lucas had both been as stunned and enamored as they'd been convinced that he'd started picking it up from his many hours of being looked after by Pappy Joe when he'd be watching his show. "Yeah, I am pretty funny sometimes, aren't I?" Maya nodded to her son, who mostly responded by reaching up his hand and touching her face.

Maya had gone up and told her mother about the call, Katy had much the same reaction, with an added promise that, in a few weeks' time, once she was better recovered from the delivery and the c-section, she wanted to have Professor Robinson over for dinner.

"I'll bring Pappy Joe, too, then you get to see a real show," Maya smirked.

In the last week, she'd been spending her mornings with her mother and the baby, before heading to spend the afternoon with her father. She wasn't overdoing it, always mindful of the start of a person presently counting on her to get to come into the world by the time May rolled around. When she'd mentioned to her grandmother, one afternoon, how pretty soon the month would mean birthdays for everyone but her, Elizabeth Hart had pointed out she would have her own day in that month. Maya had just had to laugh. Somehow, she would have had two kids, born of two separate pregnancies, before having ever celebrated a single Mothers' Day.

After those mornings and afternoons, the evenings belonged to home, and Lucas and Pappy Joe. When Lucas' grandfather heard about Patty's project, he had been so clearly touched by this thing she was doing for Maya (even he could figure out this was very much for her and not simply with her) and he'd only managed to rein in the smitten look on his face after it had surfaced and been witnessed by his grandson's wife.

"Now I will be happy to look after the little guy while you're working," he nodded now, to distract from the rest.

"That is… very kind of you," Maya grinned. Pappy Joe nodded, turning to Elliott in his bassinet and lifting him up into his arms.

"Look at the time, wait until you hear what they're up to next," he carried the baby into the living room, even as Lucas arrived back from university. He stopped briefly to greet his grandfather, and say hello to his son, before joining Maya in the kitchen.

"Hey," he smiled, leaning in to kiss her as she stretched up from her chair to do the same. "Wow, is that a cake?" he asked, looking at the image on the laptop in front of her.

"It is, yeah. I've been thinking about the one I did, for when everyone was coming over from New York," she explained. "I think I'd like to start and do some more. If I get good enough, I could start making them for people, like a sort of… home bakery thing."

"You never met a new medium you couldn't bend to your will," Lucas replied with confidence, which made her laugh. Of course he would say as much. "Where did this come from?" he asked, and this did not surprise her either, that he would see the roots existed underneath.

She told him about the professor's call, and the project. All day, since the call, she hadn't been able to stop thinking about it, and by the time she was driving home with Elliott, after her afternoon with Kermit, her brain had started spinning around the idea of cakes. It was as though the promise of this project, and the feeling it had inspired in her, had inspired so much more. She could manifest this other project for herself, on top of the research. Months ago, she'd had other plans, yes, but now that she was living in this reality of her new life… this was the thing that felt most real to her, the thing she needed to pursue. She could hone her skills, and in time… who knew?

"I like this plan a lot," Lucas declared.

"Because there will be cake?" Maya gave him a look.

"Because it already makes you excited, I can see it."

"And the cake?"

"And the cake."

"How did it go today, with your professors?" Maya asked, smiling, as she closed the laptop.

"Good, I guess," he nodded. "I tried not to go into too much detail, but I did end up telling three of them about the baby. They wanted to know why I was going to be leaving when I just got there, and the switch over from Houston…"

It wasn't as though he'd been obligated to tell any of them anything. If he'd had them again in the coming semesters, or if he would have been meant to end up in their classes, they might have noticed he wasn't there anymore, might not… But he'd been at this university for all of two months and, in that time, they had been good to him, helping him bridge some gaps brought on by the transfer, and even if they hadn't been, it was just in his nature to show that small bit of courtesy, telling them that he was stepping away from this program, this degree, in favor of another. This would be his only semester with them.

Neither of them had expected for it to fall into place as fast as it did. Just a few weeks ago, the decision had been made, and he'd met with the advisor. And then he'd went ahead and said go, he'd put in for the school of business, so he might learn and join his father. Friar & Son. Now he had gotten to sit with someone and talk, an interview, and it wasn't exactly a total confirmation that he was in for winter, but everything he'd seen and heard suggested he was on the right track. He would have to know very soon, before the holiday break, if he was expected to register, get all that he needed…

Whether or not he got in, it didn't change the fact that he wasn't going to be continuing on in his current program. If for some reason he didn't get in for winter, then… he'd just have to try for the fall. He would be out of school for a semester, but that'd be alright, more than alright. He'd get to be home, with Maya, help her with Elliott, through the last months of her pregnancy. He'd be there with her when the baby came… He didn't wish not to get in school in the winter, but he wouldn't have been mad at it if that happened. He could join Maya on her cake ventures… eat the scraps…

He'd made that decision after the interview, which was why he'd gone on that round, telling his professors. It was the easiest way to show his commitment to the plan.

"Speaking of telling, I think Cara is starting to suspect," Maya revealed, looking down at herself.

"Yeah?" Lucas smiled, sitting forward in that way that just said 'I have been waiting to just sit here and talk about anything with you all day.'

"I was changing Elliott's diaper, some… splashing was involved," Maya's face scrunched up, making Lucas laugh. Neither one of them had been spared that surprise over the last five months. "I did my best to clean up, but then the shirt, and… yeah. Moral of the story: I need to start packing myself a change of clothes, too."

"How much are you hoping for a girl right now?" Lucas teased. Maya sighed dramatically, laughed.

"No comment."

"So Cara didn't actually say anything to you," Lucas asked, back on topic.

"No, but you know her, she's sneaky. She should be a spy."

"No secrets would be safe."

"Sam can testify to that," Maya hummed, trying not to laugh. When Lucas gave a confused look, she realized that he still hadn't found out on his own about his cousin and her brother. "Never mind, you'll get it later."

"Not gonna tell me, are you?" Lucas sat back.

"Nope," Maya did the same.

"Bet you I can figure it out."

"What's your wager?"

"If I guess correctly… I get to name your bakery business," he decided. Maya gasped.

"But I'm so good with the names," she whispered, then, with a squint, "Fine. But if you're wrong… and you get only one chance," she held up one finger. He tipped his head, inviting her to set the wager. "If you get it wrong, you have to… pose for the logo," she smirked victoriously. He snickered.

"Will I be wearing a shirt in this?"

"Why would you do a thing like that?" she shook her head. He breathed out, extended his hand.

"Deal." She shook his hand. "Dora and Sam?" he answered at once, and oh how her eye twitched, trying to rein in her poker face.

"What about them?" she asked, casual as ever.

"They're together now, aren't they?" She didn't reply. "Last time I saw Sam, actually the last few times I saw him, he won't look me in the eye, like he thinks I'm going to say something. The only reason I can think of is it would have to do with Dora, who is my cousin. Did he kiss her or… No, he'd be too shy… Did she kiss him?" She didn't reply, but by the way Maya looked to the ceiling, he didn't have to hear it. "Now, what are we going to call this thing?" Maya groaned. "Pretty weird name for a bakery," he smirked.

"Counter offer," Maya looked back at him. "I name the bakery… You get to name whoever's in here," she pointed to her belly. Now she had his attention.

"Seriously?" he smiled.

"I mean, I picked Elliott… mostly because of another wager, but still. It's only fair."

"I accept your counter offer," Lucas nodded, the 'competitive' air now dissipated.

"What happens with the middle name thing, if it's another boy? I mean, your dad was an only child, and Pappy Joe didn't have a brother, and his father… I don't know… Elliott gets to carry that on, but what about this one?"

"I don't know," Lucas considered this for a moment. He had actually been sort of proud to get to continue the chain, passing on his name as his father had done with him, and his father before that, and his before that… "We can start a different chain."

"I like that," Maya agreed, smiling. "Now… can we revisit the part about the shirtless logo thing?"

TO BE CONTINUED

See you next week! - mooners