As Maya and Riley wandered around New York searching for the smaller wedding essentials which were on Riley's list, they quickly slipped back into the easy conversation they had enjoyed as teenagers. Now almost 22, the girls were facing much more serious issues than thinking they liked the same boy. To Maya's surprise Riley grew tired quickly and begged Maya to stop for a drink. Maya didn't much like sitting in coffee shops anymore, in fact she hadn't even entered one since she left New York as even the smell made her feel something very similar to grief but for Riley she stopped immediately. Riley found an empty table while Maya fetched drinks, smoothies because they were a reminder of the past.

"So, how much can we tick off your list Riles?" Maya asked and Riley pulled out her list and made one green check mark. Maya groaned as she realised they had spent the entire morning searching for the perfect table cards.
"They had to match the invitations," Riley defended, "I don't want people to think this is a shotgun wedding."
Maya's heart stopped. Why would Riley say shotgun? A shotgun wedding? Why would anybody think that? Riley and Farkle had been together for years now.
"Actually Maya," Riley was hesitant, she wasn't sure how her friend would take her news, if she was honest she wasn't even sure how she felt about it and now thinking about everything tears welled in her eyes. "I have to tell you something."

"Farkle? Can you see to Carly please? I'm trying to sort her dinner!" Riley shouted to her boyfriend who was lying on the couch playing video games. She understood that he had a busy schedule with still studying to be a surgeon and working at the local medical centre part time but sometimes she felt like he forgot that she was busy too. She had decided to take a year out of studying after high school and had never found the right time to return so by now had settled for a job in a salon where she made idle conversation with rude customers and painted the nails of stuck up teens. It wasn't the dream, but she worked hard and she looked after her sister a lot of the time so that her parents could carry on working. Carly was almost three years old now and asides from her eyes she looked nothing like Riley or Auggie. She was the most beautiful of the three and sometimes Riley felt jealousy towards her sister who had wavy blonde hair and a tiny frame, similar to the jealousy she had once felt towards Maya. However, above that she loved Carly and spending time with her was fun but Farkle didn't think so. He loathed looking after Carly as she begged him to play games with her that he just couldn't grasp. She was too innocent and needy for Farkle's liking, there was nothing intellectual about her only playing babies and watching Barbie on T.V.
"For goodness sake Riley," he snapped, "she's your sister!" Riley sighed as she looked over to see that he hadn't moved and she knew he wasn't going to so she turned down the stove and wandered into Carly's room to fetch her.

By the time Cory came home from parents evening Riley had already but Carly to bed and Farkle had retired not long after. Riley was sitting on the sofa alone watching reruns of some show she and Maya had loved when they were in middle school. "What's wrong Riley?" Cory was concerned, "you haven't been yourself for weeks." Riley turned off the t.v and moved so that he could sit beside her. "Sometimes I think about everything that could have been," she explained, "I wonder what would have happened if Lucas had loved me and not Maya."
Cory interrupted, "If you remember Riles, he didn't love either of you. He hurt Maya way more than he ever hurt you. In fact, after everything he did I'm surprised either of you still call him friend. If that had been you…"
Riley flinched at the memory, "I know but sometimes I feel like I'm not enough for Farkle. He has so much to offer the world and maybe I'm holding him back."
"Why now?" Cory asked, "Why are you thinking this now? Do you miss Maya? You could always go and visit. Josh only called last week to say he's worried about her, she's feeling exactly the same as you by the sounds of it."
"No, not this time." Riley smiled softly as she moved her hand to her stomach. This time she had something that Maya couldn't have.

Riley talked with her Father for a while before heading to bed. She shook Farkle awake, determined that she would actually do it this time. "Farkle," she whispered, "I have to tell you something." Farkle opened his eyes slightly.
"What do you want Riley?" he grunted.
"I'm pregnant."

"I'm going to have a baby, Maya."