Hi guys,

Thanks for all the support; it really means the world to me. Some of the reviews form the last chapter were really sweet!

calebcissna: I try my best to update once a week, but sometimes I might not have the chance x

beatzlc: Thank you for your amazing review, I love Life As We Know It too, It's an amazing movie

Enjoy x

Last time on Hope:

Time seems to stop as the last guest arrives. No one was expecting it, but his return was worse that his last one.

There stumbling through the door was Joshua Mathews.

A severely drunk Joshua Matthews.

Riley's POV:

I can smell the stench of the strong alcohol from across the room. He's a mess.

His blue eyes are dark and lifeless, as if they hold no emotions at all. His clothes are falling of his body, seeing as there about three sizes too big. But the thing that captures everyone's attention is the cursive writing along his wrist. Only it's not been written with pen- it's a tattoo.

"Hey guys don't seem so scared. I'm only here to join the party, anyone have a cigarette I could have?"

He laughs to himself, looking around the room until his eyes land on mine.

"Niece, could you get your favourite uncle a beer?" he asks me, nearly stumbling as he approaches me.

"Josh, you shouldn't be here. Especially not like this. Please, you have to leave" My voice is low, but harsh. I love Josh but he has no right to do this, he can't ruin one of the most important days of Aubrey's life.

I manage to get him outside, where the crowds of people are less. The writing on his wrist stands out against the moonlight.

The day I lost you, I lost part a of me.

He looks down at the writing and smiles, for a moment his eyes are bright of full of life, but dim when he looks back at the sky.

"I miss her" his voice pierces the silence of the night. He sounds so broken, I'm just not sure how to piece him back together.

"Me too. Some days I'm not sure how I survive without her" I tell him.

"But that's the thing Riley, your surviving. I'm basically dead, everything seems pointless now she's gone" His voice is no longer slurred, but is now filled with compassion. My heart bleeds for him, I can't imagine how it would feel to loose Lucas.

"Is the tattoo for Maya?" He flinches when I say her name, as if it causes him pain to hear it.

"I need the world to know I'm broken, that I'll never be complete"

"Josh, Maya's still here, she never left. She's in all of us, whether it be through the love she gave us or what she taught us. Your little girl is the closest to Maya we have, she's special, and she needs you. Because without you, she may just end up broken too"

A few hours later the party has winded down. The presents have been opened and the cake has been cut. The last of the guests have cleared out, leaving Lucas and I to deal with the aftermath.

Lucas's hands wrap round my waist, and he spins me to face him. I smile and he kisses my cheek lightly.

"I never got a chance to dance with you Miss Matthews"

He pulls me closer to him, and we dance to the slow music. He spins and dips me in time with the music, still continuing to so when it has died out.

"I love you Lucas"

"I love you too Riles"

Our lips connect and for a moment everything pauses. For a little while it's just him and I in the world we've created together. Together we're complete, untouchable. I never want that feeling to fade.

"Today's been great, Aubrey has enough presents to last her until she's at least 18" Lucas jokes.

"I'm not sure that'll she'll appreciate a pack of diapers past the age of two. But that top my parents bought could defiantly be worn till she's 15" I begin to laugh and Lucas joins in with me. It's beautiful when can be your true self around someone.

"Do you know if Josh is okay? He's changed ever since... you know..." I give Lucas a small smile, assuring him that saying what happened to Maya doesn't hurt me as much anymore, I'm learning to move past it.

"It's okay to say that she passed away Lucas. I need to move on, and learn only to think about the good memories I had with her. I want to get to a stage where I won't cry nearly every time I think about her, soon I want to be able to smile, and then after that laugh"

"When you reach that stage, I'm sure Aubrey will be old enough to understand stories about her"

I think over what Luca's has just said. I've never particularly thought about telling Aubrey stories about her mom. I fear that it will become too painful to share those precious memories with her. Although I'm still healing, I know that it would be selfish, and most of all heartless of me to keep Aubrey from learning about her mom. Plus, I love her too much to do that to her.

I drift from our last topic and decide to tell Lucas about Josh.

"I'm not quite sure how well Josh is doing. He's hurt, confused and most of all he's misses Maya. He's going through a stage of deep regret; he just needs someone to pull him out of it. He thinks the only person who can do that is Maya..."

I pause, and realisation hits me like a ton of bricks.

"Riley...what happened?" Lucas asks.

"Maya is the only one who can help him"

"I don't understand, how is that possible?" Lucas shakes his head, probably guessing that I have a plan up my sleeve.

"If it's Maya he wants, it's Maya he'll get"

Hi guys, long time no see. I'm sorry about that, I was so confused on where to even begin. So many people voted no, and about an equal amount said yes. I don't want to disappoint anyone, so I've decided to use a suggestion that a guest gave me (please leave a name so that I can fully credit you x) hopefully this will please everyone.

Until next time,

hintofmint