The quiet hum of the house engulfed Maya as her bare feet pitter pattered across the kitchen floor. Josh had left early that morning, he'd be gone all day. With no plans to rehearse for the day, Maya was left to her own devices. Sitting on the counter, her legs swung back and forth as she bit her finger nervously. She wracked her brain as she tried to figure out how to fix what she ultimately caused the day prior. Before she could even start to do the right thing that she formulated in her head, she heard the doorbell ring. That's weird. No one should know where we live. Remembering that she was a young woman home alone, she grabbed a knife from the kitchen block and approached the door cautiously.

With only a few steps left between her and the door Maya stepped to the side to peek out the side window. Her once perplexed face turned into one of relief as she realized who was there. Running to open the door, she quickly unlocked it. As the door flew upon, it pushed back her hair, moving it only slightly from the gust of wind. "Riles," she breathed.

Riley Matthews, in all her glory, stood in the door way and gave Maya an unusually stiff look. Her eyes traced Maya's frame and took note of the knife in her left hand. "A knife? Really Maya?"

Maya stepped aside, letting Riley in. Watching her as she entered in, Maya noticed her lack of luggage. "Wasn't sure who was at the door. Hey, where is your stuff? Are you staying here? Also while we're on that, what are you doing here?"

Riley sighed as she turned to face Maya in the foyer of the home. "I'm not staying long. I only flew down for the day. We need to talk."

Of all the things Maya had come to know about Riley, one was that she considered her to be a normally cheerful and happy person. So it was pretty alarming to see her so stoic and cold. "I'm confused. You came all the way down to Georgia to have a conversation with me? Riley, why didn't you just call me?"

"Because."

Maya, who quickly got on the defense, crossed her arms over chest. "Because what?"

"Because I know you. I know you're not dealing with what happened and I know you're making terrible decisions and I know that Josh is suffering because of them. And that I'm not okay with. So you have shit that needs to be dealt with, so we are going to do just that," she looked to her watch. "In the four hours and thirty-two minutes I have until I need to get to the airport. You don't have a bay window in this house, do you?"

Turning on her heel, Riley left Maya in her wake speechless, confused, and honestly worried.

.:.

With no bay window, this left the pair of friends in the kitchen. Maya slid a hot cup of coffee over to Riley as she nervously shifted her weight from foot to foot. Riley took a sip and set the mug down. "Are you going to sit down?"

Maya shook her head. "Nope. Not until you tell me the details as to why you're here. I mean, how did you even know I was struggling? That Josh and I were struggling?"

"It honestly didn't take much. I knew something was up the minute you were down here. I know you came here for him, which was smart to do by the way, but I also know that right before you guys came here you had a miscarriage and were having an honestly not so appropriate relationship with his best friend. I mean what were you thinking Maya?"

Maya didn't know what to say. She just looked at her feet. "I don't know Riley. I just wasn't thinking." Riley scoffed and shook her head. Maya darted her head up and narrowed her eyes. "I don't need any judgement from you right now Riley. I thought we were best friend's for crying out loud."

Riley sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "We are. Which is why I am even here in the first place. Maya I love you. You are the best friend that I've honestly needed all my life and I am not going to just sit here and watch you potentially ruin your life like this! I know you and I know that something isn't right." Her brown eyes started to well up with tears. "I mean in what world are you going to jeopardize your marriage for someone you barely even know? You just haven't been the same since the day we went to your last ultrasound. Right before-"

"Don't." Maya's blue eyes appeared to look like glass as the tears in them reflected all the light in the room. "Don't bring that up. I let you slip it in earlier but you don't get to do that again. Not now at least." She sniffled and wiped her nose with the back of her sleeve.

Riley's feisty demeanor started to shed as she immediately pulled her best friend in for a hug. "I'm sorry," she whispered into Maya's hair. "You're right." Pulling Maya out of her chest, Riley took a deep breath and wiped a tear of her own. "But you and I both know that you need to deal with it. The right way. With your husband. Hell, with a therapist too."

Maya nodded slowly. "Yeah, you're right."

"But before you can even do that, you and I both know what you have to do." Maya again nodded as Riley continued. "I know that your career is important to you. I know that dance is important to you. Maya, without it you and Josh would have never met but is a few weeks worth of practicing with someone who could supposedly help you, worth everything you have?" Riley licked her lips. "I mean, Maya why would you even agree to working with Andrew? Now I know Josh is an idiot for even suggesting it but you're an even bigger idiot for going along with it. Now do what I know you know is right. And if you're still the Maya I love, you would've already started doing it."

Maya looked up at Riley and smiled sadly. "Yeah, I know Riles. I was getting ready to text him this morning, to let him know everything was off. I actually had it already typed when you got here. I just have to hit send."

"Well I'll sit here with you while you do it." Riley plopped her body back down to it's original chair. "And when you're done, we're going to make sure you get the support you need. Okay?"

Maya took a shaky breath and walked over to Riley again and pulled her into a deep hug. "Thank you Riley. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Riley smiled and kissed the top of her friend's head. "Thunder?"

Maya laughed in her arms. "Lightning."

.:.

Everyday was a long day on set for Josh. I mean we're talking sometimes twelve hour days, but he loved it. He felt fulfilled and it helped put food on the table at the end of the day. Yet, today was one of his shorter days and it felt agonizingly long. So you could only imagine his frustrations when he'd realize that his long days were extended by coming home to his troublesome situation at home. Just barely missing Riley, he got home and sighed as he came home to silence. As he closed the door behind him, he could hear Maya moving towards his location. I don't have the energy for this right now. "Maya," he breathed. "I honestly don't have it in me right now. I've had a long day and I just need-"

"I know," Maya finished. "But um, you need to hear what I have to say." Maya played with her hands, a tell Josh noticed a long time ago. She only ever did that if she felt like what she had to say was important. If what she was saying really meant something to her that is. "I'm gonna be frank here. I've been a really shitty wife and there is no excuse for that. You deserve better. I um, I've been thinking about a few things and I ultimately decided that if I want to be better for us, then I'm going to have to make a few changes."

Josh stared at her as she continued to speak, intrigued by what she was saying. "I want us to not only work but I want us to thrive. I want us to be happy and go through life together and handle our problems together. So I took care of problem number one. I texted Andrew this morning and let him know that he is to never contact me or come near me again. Afterwards, I blocked his number. That's something I should have done from day one. I love you and I love dance but he does not make me better in any way. You do and I've made the mistake of choosing a career over you before and I won't ever do that again. And I won't disrespect you or our marriage like that ever again. You have my word."

Maya took a deep breath as she continued to play with her hands. "And I've found a therapist. To speak to regarding," she paused. She began to shake slightly, her nerves getting the best of her. "Regarding my miscarriage. I start going to her next week. And if you're open to it, of course, we could maybe both go to her? In a couples session of course, work through that. Because I want a family with you Josh and when that day comes, I want to be able to walk into it confidently, knowing that we both can handle it."

Maya's eyes started to gloss over as she grew emotional. "And I simply love you Josh. More than anything. And I know haven't been showing it but I just-" She took a deep breath and pushed her hair behind her ear. "I will spend every day of the rest of our lives proving to you that I am in this. That I want this, that I will do anything to just be here with you. I will show you that I'm here forever. We took vows and I meant them. And I will continue to mean them for as long as I live."

Wiping a tear from her cheek, Maya sniffled and looked at Josh's eyes, trying to read them. "I love you. And I understand that it is not likely for you to forgive me for my wrong doings right now, but that's fine. I'll fight for us. You're more than worth the battle. I love you so much Josh. I mean it."

Maya let her words sink in before she turned to go back to where she once was in the house. As she turned she felt Josh's hand grasp her arm. She looked up at him to see his face wet with tears. Seeing his, brought her own to the forefront again. They each cupped the other's face and wiped their respective tears. They leaned their foreheads against each other as they took in the moment. This was what they had been waiting for. This was their turning point.

"I love you Maya. Thank you for choosing us."

Maya shook her head. "No. It should have never been a choice because you are the only right answer. I'm just sorry that it took all of this for me to grasp what we have. So thank you, for always choosing me. Even when it wasn't easy."

With that said, they shared a kiss. A loving, soft, emotional kiss. The healing kind. Not every path was going to be easy. Their's sure wasn't. But this right here, marks the start of something truly beautiful. The happy ending that they've had coming for a long time.

A/N: Don't worry this story isn't over yet. I have loads of cute moments and wonderful things arising for the couple! Thanks to anyone who has stuck with me through this rough journey Josh and Maya have had in this story thus far. They got married young so I wanted to tackle a few things that they might have faced and I think they came out on the other side more mature and even more ready for their life together, considering everything. As always leave kind reviews, and let me know what you think!