A/N: I will be responding to everything in full this weekend! Sorry about the lack of responses! I'm still a little bogged down with school work and I have two crazy exams coming up next week (lol goodbye to my good marks). Also, this still isn't the last chapter. We're almost there though.

If the timeline of the events of this chapter are confusing, just let me know. When I revise, I can try to make that more clear.

To the Guest who asked me to update on January 26th for their birthday. I AM SO SO SO SORRY. I READ IT WRONG THE FIRST TIME AND THOUGHT IT SAID FEBRUARY 26. Your birthday was a month ago! Happy belated birthday! And I'm really sorry that I didn't pay attention! :(

Thank you for the reviews! You guys are so sweet and I always appreciate the support! It means so much to me that you guys take time to leave these lovely reviews! The encouragement is very much appreciated! :D

Disclaimer: I do not own GMW, but Lucaya is bae.

"Maya, you alright?" Ms. Kossal asked as she walked towards her with another woman at her heel scrutinizing Maya's paintings in intrigue.

Maya leaned against her crutch, smiling and nodding. "A little tired, but nothing I'm not used to. It's my last art showcase ever. I can manage at least one evening."

Technically, she hadn't been officially discharged from the hospital yet since they were still testing the effects of the medications she was on, but Riley had managed to get a go ahead from her doctor by calling, emailing, and showing up at her office hundreds of times. In the end, provided that a chaperone went along with Maya, she was allowed to briefly leave for one evening, also to check the effects of the medication with the general public as an environmental stimulus.

She absolutely hadn't wanted to be coddled by everyone, so she'd requested only Riley come pick her up from the hospital to bring her to the art showcase. The rest of the group was planning to arrive later, once the huge crowd in the presentation hall of the early evening dwindled a bit more.

Ms. Kossal set a comforting hand on Maya's shoulder.

"Well, I just want you to know that I'm proud of all your accomplishments and everything you've done these past years I have known you. You are an incredible artist, Maya. There's someone I want you to meet."

She stepped away, gesturing to the woman who had been scrutinizing one of Maya's pieces. The woman walked up to Maya with an outstretched hand and a smile.

"Eloise Preston," she said, giving her hand good, hard shake. "Call me Eloise. I hate Ms. Preston; sounds like my mom. I've heard great things about your artwork, Maya Hart. And Gabriella was right. You don't disappoint."

Maya was a little taken aback by the unabashed compliment. "Thank you."

"What was the inspiration for this piece?" She asked, gesturing with her chin to Maya's feature piece for her portfolio.

Maya had finished it only two days prior, working her ass off to make sure she got it done for the show. Even though she'd missed a ton of school, Ms. Kossal had promised her that she would still allow her to participate in the final showcase of the year, even if she didn't have the total number of pieces required.

"Long story short," Maya said, smiling in amusement as she turned to her painting, "I found out I was pregnant last October and my life turned upside down in every single way. The whole experience kind of put things in perspective, you know? So I tried to capture my entire journey until I had my baby in the piece."

"The struggles you endured," Eloise muttered, staring at the painting. "I can easily see your triumphs and failures in this magnificent cacophony. I am curious though, what is this bean shaped thing? Seems kind of out of place. It's very polished compared to the rest."

"It's kind of an inside joke or something like that, to be honest. The jellybean is my baby. She was unexpected, but very real and I had some trouble understanding that for a while. I know it doesn't really fit in with the rest of the painting."

"But in placing it where you have, you are forcing the viewer to accept the reality of the piece, much like you had to come to accept the reality of your pregnancy."

"Yeah." Maya smiled.

"I especially love the way it looks like a baby in a womb, yet different parts of the amalgamation of colours form different images."

The woman rubbed her chin, looking quite pleased. If Maya thought about it, she was the first person who hadn't stared at Maya in shock at her blatant reveal of her pregnancy.

"Remarkable…" Eloise turned to Ms. Kossal. "I've fallen in love with her art."

"I knew you would, Eloise." Ms. Kossal chuckled. "Tell her the good news."

"Good news?" Maya asked in confusion.

"Maya, I have a studio in SoHo and I've been looking for a few fresh, inventive painters and talented people and visionaries to be members of my studio. I wouldn't be able to provide you a stipend in your first year, but if need be, I do have live-in programs for those still in college. In this environment, your art can grow even more and we have the perfect facilities for you to develop your technique and love for art. If you're willing and interested, I would love to have your work showcased in my gallery one day. You have just the kind of talent I have been looking for."

It was a little hard for Maya to believe. Getting the opportunity was a dream come true and if she had gotten it any time before October, she would have definitely accepted it as an alternative to college. And though it somewhat pained her to think about the fact that she couldn't devote that time to painting anymore, she knew it was for the best. She was a mother first and foremost now, and that would be a full time job.

Maya shook her head. "Thanks, but I'll have enough on my plate taking care of my baby. I can't do both. So I'll have to respectfully decline."

Eloise stared at her for a few seconds, looking a little surprised by her response, but Maya remained steadfast in her resolve. She'd meant what she had said. Jellybean came first, and Maya's job now was to make sure she gave her baby all her attention.

"I see. But I'm not giving up quite yet, Maya Hart. I must have your art in my gallery. It's special and one day you're going to become huge. I just know it." Eloise dug through the side pocket of her purse, pulling out a business card and slipping it in Maya's hand with a smile. "If you ever change your mind, give me a call."

Eloise and Ms. Kossal walked on, continuing their easy stroll as they observed the exhibits of students. Maya stared at the card, wondering if this was one of those weird universe circumstances. On the one hand, Maya had received an opportunity for work as an artist, but on the other, she had a baby to take care. And if she hadn't had the baby in the first place, she wouldn't have gotten inspiration for her feature piece, and might not have caught the attention of the Eloise at all. She snorted, wondering why things went the way they went sometimes.

She slipped it in her bag just as Riley came skipping over with a huge grin and a painting of a purple cat watching a sunset on the porch of a beach house. She held it in front of both of them, her eyes dancing in that way they did when she was spazzing over something.

"Can you believe Dana painted this, Maya?! I begged her for it, and she said I could have it!"

Maya chuckled, leaning her head against Riley's shoulder. It'd been a while since she'd last gotten a chance to spend some time with Riley. As head of prom committee, she'd been busy for most of April. Then with exams and senior awards and last day of school preparations, she'd also been particularly bogged down with work. And now as confirmed salutatorian, she was very busy with other preparations for graduation in a month, so she hadn't had much time to spend with Maya. Maya was just glad Riley had taken time out of her busy schedule to be able to support her in the final senior art show.

"You okay, Peaches?" Riley asked, rubbing her shoulder as she leaned her cheek on Maya's head.

Maya was a little sad that after this she would be hanging up the paints for good, but it was a sacrifice she was totally willing to make for her baby. Her mom had given up her passions, and Maya had lived a relatively carefree life, if not a bit impoverished and jaded. But life could have been a lot worse for her. And now Maya was going to do the same for Mia.

"I'm fine. Just relishing the moment. It's the last time I'll experience this after all."

They remained like that, relaxed against each other and watching the bustling hall of people as they observed the art of the students.

It was a bitter sweet day.

Maya should have been jumping for joy by all means. She should have been excited that she'd finally graduated from high school, but she wasn't quite there. Don't get her wrong, she was ecstatic that she had successfully completed her goal. The reception after the ceremony was fantastic and taking pictures with all her friends and the family she'd come to create was a sweet reminder to Maya of the wonderful people who she had to thank for making her pregnancy manageable. Riley had cried like a baby, saddened that their time in high school had officially come to an end. And Maya tried to smile and be happy, especially since she'd been discharged from the hospital a couple weeks prior and could actually take part in the graduation festivities.

But getting her diploma didn't really mean much to her if she couldn't share the news and the experience with her mother.

All around, students all had their family and parents there congratulating them, and though Maya was grateful for Lila and Shawn and Cory and Topanga and Amy and Alan all supporting her as pseudo family, it wasn't quite the same. The brief reprise from her situation was nice and a good breather, but now that she'd gotten graduation out of the way, she wanted nothing more than to visit the other Harts and keep them company as they convalesced. She just wanted to see them at least once that day before she went with the Matthews to their graduation celebration.

It was why she'd quietly slipped away from the reception to head to the hospital, wanting to be with the family that couldn't be there with her. She knew her friends were worried sick—and unfortunately, her boyfriend, who wouldn't stop leaving her texts every five minutes—especially since all she'd done was send Riley a text telling her she was going to the hospital and that she didn't want anyone to come with her.

But Maya needed a little bit of space. She just needed a bit of distance from everyone since seeing their parents with them was a constant reminder of where Katy was. She had considered asking Kermit to be at her graduation, but she hadn't yet been in contact with him since he responded to her letters. Aside from the obvious reasons that she had been in the hospital and too focused on trying to heal after the incidents, she didn't really feel right jumping to him as a possible guardian when he'd deserted Katy and she was now incapacitated. Something about that didn't sit right with her, so Maya was biding her time. She'd decided she wouldn't speak to him until Katy was better to ask her mother if she was ready for Maya to be in contact with Kermit.

Maya leaned against the wall of the ICU hospital floor, rubbing her face with her hands and trying to clear her short spell of dizziness from walking through the building. She put on a brave face in front of her friends so as not to alarm them of her condition, but she wasn't in the best shape if she was perfectly honest. That wasn't to say her health was poor. Maya's limbs were back to full capacity of usage and she didn't have any issues with her motor functions, but she was still in the process of rehab and she did get winded more easily.

Her medication made her feel sluggish. She got dizzy too often and was usually fatigued. There had even been a couple times when she was confused and couldn't remember where she was, and thus, no one thought it wise for her to be on her own, but Maya didn't want to live a life having to rely on everyone else to watch out for her. Her doctor had promised they would try different dosages of other medication to see if they could find one that wouldn't dim her memory and cognition, but it still annoyed Maya that she was trapped in this life of either having blanks in her memory and possible liver damage and not suffering from seizures or suffering from seizures because she didn't want to take medication. She was trapped in a lose-lose existence, no matter what path she decided to take.

Her future looked bleak with that, but she couldn't count her blessings when her poor mother still hadn't woken up after two months and when her poor baby was still stuck in the NICU day in and day out. She was lucky she was even still alive after everything that had happened. She couldn't be selfish and complain about her current situation.

Maya waved at the nurse when she entered her mother's hospital room. The day was bright and sunny and the windows had been opened, the curtains drawn back to brighten the room. Sunlight streamed inside, basking over Katy, the glow of her skin almost angelic despite the scars on her arm.

"Hey Kara. Any changes today?"

She smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, Maya. Katy's brain activity remains the same."

"It's fine." Maya sighed as she walked over to her mother's bedside.

She didn't know why she asked every day when it was always the same answer. Maya hadn't lost hope that her mother would ever wake up, but she couldn't deny that each day that nothing changed was another day that she felt her hope slowly chip away. It'd been two months since the accident and Katy was still asleep. After taking finals to make up for all the school she'd missed while in the hospital, Maya had finished high school, something that Katy had desperately wanted to see, yet she couldn't. It was so ironic.

"I'll give you two time alone," Kara said, gathering her clipboard as she walked toward the door. "You know how to call if you need anything. And congratulations on your graduation, Maya."

"Thank you."

Maya set her diploma on Katy's table beside her bed before she carefully removed her cap and gown. She folded the gown neatly and placed them both on the table as well.

"Here, Mom. I think you wanted this even more than I did." Maya chuckled, sitting down in her usual chair and curling her hand around her Mom's. "I'm moving all the stuff in my room into Lucas' apartment after tonight. We're all still trying to figure out what to do with our home, though. Shawn has been paying off the rent so we're not evicted and so you have a home to return to, but there's only so much I can ask of him."

Katy's hand felt a little bonier than usual, her fingers looking longer and more spindly than Maya remembered. Maya could easily see that Katy had been slowly losing weight, her body growing slightly weaker with each passing day. Dr. Deville had discussed intravenous feeding now that she'd been in her coma for much longer than had been expected. They were doing everything in their power to keep her alive while she was unresponsive, but Maya knew that the doctor wasn't sure if it would matter much in the long run.

She'd overheard him discussing with Cory the possibility of preparing Maya to find a lawyer to transfer ownership of Katy's bank account, assets, and property under Maya's name. It was a precaution for the worst case scenario since Maya was the only family listed in any of her mother's legal documents and statements. Maya was glad Cory had chosen not to bring up that conversation with her because she wasn't sure how she would have responded to it. It was terrifying to think about. Maya barely knew anything about adulthood and all that it entailed, but knowing that she was about to be tossed mercilessly and abruptly into it had made her pulse race and throat go dry from the thought. She hadn't really wanted to think about that with all the crazy already in her life. Still kind of didn't now.

"I graduated Mom. I finished up high school just like you wanted. I never was one to care for school, but here I am." Maya smiled. "Honestly, if you hadn't continued to push me all the time about graduating and going to college, I probably wouldn't have made the effort to complete high school. I know you wanted me to go to college too, Mom, but I hope you understand that that's out of the question with the baby I have to take care of."

She fell silent for a spell, gently rubbing small circles on her mother's hand with her thumb, listening to the sound of traffic outside and the steady beeping of the machines in Katy's room.

"Mom, I fucked up by getting pregnant. But even when I struggled and thought about maybe leaving school altogether, I kept thinking of you. And how you wouldn't have wanted that for me. How I would be following in your footsteps. And I didn't want that.

"No disrespect to you, of course. I know how hard you worked for us. I understand the sacrifices you made more than ever now. But I also know that if I ended up leading the life you led, I don't think I could have managed the way you did. I'm not strong like you, Mom. You raised me by yourself, estranged from your family, estranged from friends and everyone you knew. You didn't have anyone to lean on. You had to be strong for yourself and for me, despite how scared you must have been. But you put aside your whole life just for me. You're the victim, and you've had it the worst out of all of us. I don't know why I never saw that until now. Now that it might be too…"

Maya felt tears pricking the back of her eyes, and she shook her head rapidly, willing herself not to think about that. Her mother would wake up. She would.

"So I wanted to apologize if I've ever behaved ungratefully. But I know you'll get your reward in life one day. Your story isn't over, Mom. You still have a chance to lead the life that you want. And I'm going to make sure of it. You've always been strong for me. Now it's my turn to be strong for you. It's my turn to be there for you. I'll handle everything on this end, so you just worry about waking up, Mom."

With that, Maya rose to her feet, figuring it was time to greet Jellybean for the day. She stretched her legs out and ignored the slight wave of dizziness that wracked her body for a few seconds. Once she'd made sure she was steady, Maya leaned down and kissed her mother's head above the bandages.

"I'll see you later, Mom," Maya murmured. "Wake up soon so that Mia can get to know the strong woman who made me who I am today."

~.~.~

Every time Maya visited Jellybean, her eyes always seemed to be a different colour. Maya wondered if it was a possible trick of the dimmed lighting every time she came to be with her baby, but Jellybean's eyes were a slightly deeper blue that day, a bit darker than the variations of crystal, bright blue they'd been for about a couple of weeks.

She was sucking gently on her pacifier, her cheeks puffed out as she stared up at Maya, blinking slowly every few seconds. Every time Maya visited her NICU room, Jellybean seemed to easily respond to her in her own ways, with her toes curling or hands forming these tiny fists when Maya talked. Nurse Johnson had told her that Mia's cognition and memory retention as well as the senses in her brain had developed and that she could recognize Maya's face and voice, though she hadn't yet made the connection that Maya was her mother. The fists and toe curling were the only way she really knew how to acknowledge Maya since her motor functions were still out of her control.

Maya was just glad that she could communicate easily with her baby. She'd been scared that because Mia was out of her body now, she wouldn't be able to connect with her like she used to when she was carrying her, but it was nearly the same. And Maya was grateful that she could actually see her baby's reactions to her speaking. It was a true gift.

"We have a bet pool going on, Jellybean. Everyone is trying to take a guess at what your eye colour will be in the future. I'm the only one who thinks they'll be green. Everyone else thinks since your eyes have been blue for a few weeks now, they'll stay that way." Maya shrugged, chuckling to herself. "But I know I'm right. I don't really know why I think that—I guess it's mother's intuition—but I just have a strong feeling deep down that you'll have Lucas' eyes."

Maya lightly tickled the bottom of Mia's foot, and Jellybean curled her toes as she had taken to doing in response to the touch. Maya smiled, happy to see her baby was becoming even more responsive the more time passed. Soon, Maya would finally get the chance to hold her, something she'd really wanted to do for the past few days.

"You're getting bigger and stronger. I'm proud of you, Jellybean." Her cheeks and skin were a healthy shade of pink, and she'd long since stopped needing the extra oxygen, though Dr. Jerry was keeping a close eye on her lungs since her breathing was at times irregular. "The doctor says that if you keep it up, you'll be ready to go to special care nursery in no time. You're definitely a fighter. Your godmother, Riley, said it runs in the Hart family."

Maya caressed Mia's plush cheek, watching as her eyelids fluttered from the touch. She could see a lot of Lucas in her for some reason. It was strange, and though Maya wouldn't necessarily say Jellybean looked like Lucas since she didn't have any super defined characteristics yet, she resembled him in some ways. She seemed calm and sensible, maybe a little reflective. The type of person who might contemplate life or something. She probably would take after him. Maya had a feeling the Friar lineage probably had some overpowering genes.

"Always dream big and keep hope. I swear to you, Mia. I won't ever let you lose your hope in life. My mom has lost hope. I've lost hope multiple times, but you're going to be the Hart that can finally break away from the curse that seems to haunt us Harts in life. It's time we took control of our destiny. And even though I ruined mine, I'll make sure you don't ever lose sight of yours, okay?

"Become great. Become better than I could ever become. I promise I'll sacrifice everything for you so you can have the best life you could ever dream to have. Things might be hard at the start, but I know that we'll all be okay. We just have to stay together as a family.

"I don't make very many promises. I don't believe in them and the ones in my life have gotten broken too many times to count, but I believe in you and in Lucas and in me that we can make it as a family. That we can last." She hooked her pinky with her baby's tiny one. Mia's finger curled with the rest of her fingers, wrapping as much as it could around Maya's. "I promise you that I will do everything in my power to make sure that I'll always be there for you when you need me and that your life is comfortable, no matter what it takes. In turn, promise me that you'll grow up living a happy and hopeful life to the fullest, regretting the things you did do, not the ones you didn't."

Jellybean's eyes drifted shut, her breathing slowing as she fell asleep, and Maya's heart skipped a beat in her chest, feeling an indescribable joy as she watched her beautiful baby girl. It was overwhelming, the warmth that filled her heart as she sat beside Mia. Maya sure as hell hadn't expected to have a baby in her final year of high school, but now that she had her, nothing could ever feel as gratifying as being with her child.

"We'll be strong for each other no matter what, baby girl."