A/N: I have decided to post THREE chapters on the same day because I'll be gone on a trip with my friends starting tomorrow. I won't have time to get on my laptop to update, so I thought I'd hit you all with what's coming. Also, I've made you wait long enough for it, so I thought I'd hand it all to you at the same time. I just wanted to answer all of your questions, but I couldn't do it unless THESE chapters are out. Hopefully, now you'll see why I did what I did in regards to Joshaya. Also, I know you found it weird when Maya agreed to go to Sophie's Christmas dinner, but maybe, just maybe, Sophie's testing her? Hmmm.
P.S. The three chapters I'm gonna post are unedited. I don't have time to sit down and edit each chapter today, but I really wanted to get these out for you.
Without further ado, here's Chapter 17.
Chapter 17: The Miller Side of Christmas
Making sure that she tucked the Christmas present in her purse, Maya trotted down the cement driveway of the Miller residence. She climbed the three steps that led to the porch, pressed the doorbell, and waited for someone to answer the door.
It didn't take long until the door swung open, revealing a very surprised Josh. He held a mug of steaming hot chocolate with floating marshmallows in his hand. "Maya!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"Sophie invited me," Maya explained. "Didn't she tell you I was coming?"
Josh opened his mouth to reply, but Sophie cut him off by popping up from behind him. He stepped aside to make room for his girlfriend on the threshold.
"Oops, it must've slipped my mind," Sophie said with a knowing smile on her face.
"Surprise, I guess?" Maya played along, doing the jazz hands.
"Oh, you can definitely consider me surprised. Come on in, it's freezing out there!" Josh replied as he ushered Maya in through the front door and closed it behind her.
When Sophie left to inform her family that they've got company, Josh helped Maya out of her coat and told her to make herself at home. "Everyone's in the kitchen helping Maria with dinner. There's some hot chocolate if you—actually, don't quote me on that. Donnie and Bethany might've drunk them all," he said.
Sophie reappeared, holding two mugs of eggnog in her hands. "The lovebirds did drink all the hot chocolate, so here's Grandma Ruth's eggnog for you," she stated as she handed one of the mugs to Maya. "Maria wanted me to give you her mother's version of eggnog, but my dad figured I shouldn't get you started with something that strong."
Maya took a sip of the eggnog and nodded. "This is really good, Sophie," she commented. "Kudos to your Grandma Ruth."
Sophie laughed before she led Maya to the kitchen where the rest of the family was. "Come on, let me introduce you to everyone," she stated.
Josh trailed after them, cautiously sipping his hot chocolate.
When Sophie and Maya arrived in the kitchen, everyone's heads turned in their direction. Maria, George, and Bethany smiled warmly at the unfamiliar guest, while Donnie's face lit up at the sight of Maya. He left his task at hand and strode over to Maya, pulling her into an embrace.
"Maya!" Donnie exclaimed. "It's good to see you again. Josh didn't tell me he invited you."
"It's nice to see you again, too, Donnie," Maya replied, beaming. "And Josh didn't know I was coming. It was actually your sister who invited me."
Donnie's eyebrows rose. "Oh, so the three of you know each other now? That's amazing!"
"Turns out, this world is actually smaller than we think," Josh commented from behind Maya.
George then introduced himself as Sophie and Donnie's father, while Maria introduced herself as George's fiancée. Bethany followed after them, presenting herself as Donnie's girlfriend and as Filomeno's daughter, too.
"Filomeno? As in the Steven Filomeno of People's Verse?" Maya asked incredulously. When Bethany jounced her head yes, Maya turned to Josh and said, "Does Filomeno know that his daughter's dating your girlfriend's younger brother?"
Josh nodded with a laugh. "He found it awkward at first, but he eventually got used to it."
"Is he coming tonight?" Maya questioned, turning her gaze from Bethany to Josh.
Bethany chuckled. "Oh, no. My dad might've gotten used to Donnie and I dating, but that doesn't mean he's going to attend every get-together we invite him to. He said it was because he wanted to keep his work life separated from his personal life," she explained.
"Which basically means that he doesn't want to be 'buddies' with me outside of work," Josh supplied with a laugh.
"Yeah, and the only reason why I get to spend the early hours of Christmas with the Millers is that my dad let Donnie spend Thanksgiving with us," Bethany declared. "My dad might seem scary and intimidating, but he's got a good heart. He just has a . . . a unique way of showing he actually cares about the people in his life."
"And it shows through you," George spoke as he gestured at Bethany with the spatula he held in his hand. "Not only are you smart, but you're kind and compassionate. Mr. Filomeno knows how to properly raise a kid."
Maria piped in from alongside George. "That's also why we know Donnie's in good hands."
Maya smiled at the heartwarming exchange between George, Maria, and the younger couple. It hadn't been long since she found herself in the company of the Millers, but she already felt comfortable.
Sophie clapped her hands together, grabbing everybody's attention. "Now that introductions are done, shall we get this party started?" she queried as her gaze landed particularly on Donnie and Bethany.
"Oh, God, here we go," Josh commented, laughing through the rim of his mug.
Maya turned to look at him with furrowed brows.
"You'll find out soon," Josh told Maya after noting the baffled expression on her face.
"Come on, let's go!" Sophie uttered before she acknowledged her younger brother and his girlfriend. "Donnie, Bethany, you guys coming? We can't play this game without the two undefeated champions for two consecutive years!"
Maria jutted her chin toward the living room. "Go ahead, George and I can handle the rest of the dinner preparation. Just promise you'll both help clean up later," she said.
"Of course!" Donnie and Bethany responded in unison as they sprinted toward the living room.
Josh, Sophie, and Maya followed after the young couple.
"So, what are we playing?" Maya questioned as she caught Donnie and Bethany rearranging the furniture in the living room.
"We're playing the Annual M2F Cornhole Tournament!" Donnie answered.
"The adult and holiday edition!" Bethany added with an impish smirk.
"M2F?" Maya asked, her eyebrows creasing together.
"Miller, Matthews, and Filomeno," Donnie answered. "Stick around long enough and we might add an H for Hart in the title somewhere—M2F into M2FH real quick."
As Josh and Sophie took it upon themselves to move the coffee table off to the side, Josh caught Maya's gaze and said, "Donnie got this cornhole set for Christmas two years ago and ever since then, we've made it a tradition that we'd play together every Christmas."
"Yeah, we vowed to each other to never play cornhole unless it's Christmas," Sophie supplied with a playful roll of her eyes, "which means we aren't allowed to practice playing it for an entire year."
"It sounds ridiculous, but it keeps everyone on the same level of expertise," Josh uttered before he took the last sip of his hot chocolate. He set down his empty mug on the end table nearest to him.
"How do you know that none of you are practicing behind everybody's backs?" Maya queried, placing her own mug of eggnog next to Josh's.
"Donnie and Bethany keep each other in check, while Josh and I do the same," Sophie answered as she removed any fragile decorations at risk of destruction. "Since Donnie and Bethany live in the dorms and Josh and I have our own apartment, Donnie's cornhole set stays here with George and Maria."
Donnie and Bethany ran upstairs to grab the cornhole set. They came bounding down the steps soon enough, each holding four small bean bags and one of the wooden raised platforms.
"So, how exactly do you play the adult and holiday version of cornhole?" Maya asked just as Donnie and Bethany finished placing the two platforms twenty-seven feet apart from each other. "I'm guessing 'adult' means there's alcohol involved?"
"And 'holiday' means that the alcohol is my mother's eggnog," Maria piped in suddenly, holding a glass pitcher of eggnog in one hand and five shot glasses in the other. She also had a water bottle tucked under her arm. After setting the items on the end table where Josh and Maya had placed their mugs down earlier, Maria turned to the group. "Knock yourselves out."
Josh caught Maya inspecting the glass pitcher of eggnog. He sidled up next to her and said, "Maria's mother's eggnog is very generous with the rum. Don't believe anything we say about it being strong unless you've had a taste of it yourself."
Maya chuckled. "What do I have to do to get a taste of it?" she inquired.
"Okay, so we play cornhole a little differently here," Josh began. "We split up into teams of two: red and blue team. Each team will take turns trying to get as many points as they can within five minutes. If the bag lands on the platform and it doesn't slide onto the floor, you only get one point. If the bag lands through the hole, then you get three points. No minuses, no point cancellations. We play ten rounds total, and for each round we finish, whichever team gets the highest points will take shots of the eggnog. Everyone gets drunk pretty fast because the number of shots you take depends on the total score that your team got for that round."
"Except for me," Bethany said. "I always have to drink water for every time I take shots. My dad doesn't appreciate it if I get home fully drunk."
Maya nodded. "The glass pitcher makes sense now—and the water bottle," she said with an excited smile on her face. "Huh, this should be interesting then."
"You have no idea," Josh responded.
After Sophie made sure that everyone understood the rules, the five of them split off into two teams. Sophie volunteered to be the scorekeeper because she wanted to give Maya a chance to play the game. The latter joined Josh behind one of the raised platforms.
"We're the red team, I hope you don't mind," Josh told her, handing her two small red bean bags. "Sophie and I have always been the red team, so I kind of got used to it."
Maya shrugged. "I would've preferred being the blue team, but sure, I guess red would have to do for now," she teased.
Josh laughed.
"All right, let's see who's going to take the first five minutes," Sophie announced from where she stood between the two opposing teams. She held a quarter in her palm. "The right to choose first will favor last year's tournament champion, which is the blue team. Donnie and Bethany, heads or tails?"
"Heads," Donnie and Bethany answered in unison.
Sophie then turned to Josh and Maya. "That makes the two of you tails. All right, let's see who'll kick off this year's tournament," she uttered before she tossed the quarter in the air. After watching it make a few flips, she grabbed the coin and slapped it on her forearm. Gazing at both teams, Sophie removed her hand from her forearm, revealing the winning side of the coin. "Heads it is. Donnie and Bethany, you're up first."
"That's what I'm talking about!" Donnie cheered as he grabbed two blue bean bags.
Josh led Maya off to the side while Bethany made her way behind the other platform, clutching her own two blue bean bags in her hands.
"Blue team, are you ready?" Sophie asked.
"Ready!" Donnie and Bethany yelled simultaneously.
Sophie hovered a finger above the start button on her phone's timer. "Five minutes on the clock, and your timer start . . . now!" she cried out as the timer began counting down.
Bethany took her shot first, her blue bean bag landing on the edge of the hole of Donnie's platform. Donnie followed after, acquiring three points for his team as his bean bag sank through the hole of Bethany's platform. Bethany tossed her second bean bag and scored yet another three points. They went back and forth, taking shot after shot until they found a rhythm.
"Wow, they are good," Maya commented under her breath.
Josh chuckled. "We're only on the first round," he informed. "We've got nine more rounds of that."
"And . . . time's up!" Sophie announced the same time her phone blared, signaling that five minutes was up. "Red team, you're up next."
"Wait, you're not going to announce the blue team's score?" Maya interrogated as she took her position behind one of the raised platforms.
Sophie shook her head. "We only announce the scores after each round, so it would be a surprise for everyone. It makes the game more competitive because you can't tell whether you're doing better than the other team or not," she elucidated.
"All right, Maya, are you ready to kick the blue team's ass?" Josh asked her from the other side of the room, juggling his red bean bags back and forth in his hands.
"Of course, I'm determined to break the blue team's streak," Maya responded. "Undefeated champions no more."
Donnie and Bethany's eyebrows rose in amusement.
"We'll see about that, Maya," Donnie challenged with a laugh.
Josh watched the interaction with an astonished glint in his eyes. He felt even more determined to win this year's Annual M2F Cornhole Tournament.
"Five minutes on the clock," Sophie declared as she made sure that both Josh and Maya had taken their positions. "Your timer starts . . . now!"
Josh took the first shot, which he missed completely. He hissed as he watched Maya toss her red bean bag over to his platform. It landed in the middle of the platform, missing the hole by a few inches.
"Josh, remember our strategy!" Sophie cried out after watching him miss yet another shot.
"Hey! You're supposed to be the scorekeeper, not their coach!" Donnie chided.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it," Sophie responded, raising her hands in mock surrender.
Maya took her shot and it went right through the hole, acquiring the first three points for the red team. Josh followed after, tossing his red bean bag the way he and Sophie strategized before. Just as he'd expected, the bean bag sank in the hole, earning his team another three points. As their time lessened, Josh found his rhythm while Maya stressed about the ticking clock. After the two three points they'd managed to score, the red team had only acquired the smaller points as their bean bags kept sliding off the platforms and missing the holes.
"Time's up!" Sophie asserted.
Maya squealed as the last red bean bag she tossed went through the hole. She looked at Sophie and asked, "Does that count? I mean, it went in right as you said that our time was up."
"Yeah, that totally counts," Josh answered. "We've encountered this situation numerous times before and George and Maria, our scorekeepers, always count it toward our final score for the round."
Maya placed a hand over her racing heart. "Good," she replied. "Holy cow, we're only on the first round and this game is already too intense."
Josh laughed as Donnie and Bethany mocked Maya, asking her if she could keep up for the next nine rounds.
"Okay, scores are tallied," Sophie declared. "The blue team scored a total of twelve points, while the red team got eight. Donnie and Bethany, you won the first round. Take your eggnog shots."
Donnie and Bethany took their twelve shots of eggnog, splitting the amount between the two of them.
They continued playing while George and Maria still hadn't called them for dinner.
By the fifth round, Josh and Maya claimed victory by a point, and Sophie instructed the red team to take their eggnog shots. Maya made a beeline to the glass pitcher and downed her first shot of the eggnog.
"Jesus!" Maya cried out after the overpowering taste of rum filled her taste buds. "This eggnog's definitely not for lightweights."
Josh guffawed after he swallowed his first shot. "That's why I never let Andrew play this game with us," he asserted. "He'd most likely be out by the second round, assuming that he's on the winning team."
Once Josh and Maya had finished downing the last of their shots, the game continued on to the sixth round. Each team strived to score as many points as possible within a time limit of five minutes, feeling adamant to claim the overall champion of the tournament title.
By the end of the sixth round, Donnie and Bethany triumphed. They garnered seventeen points, which they celebrated by taking seventeen shots of the eggnog. Having won four of the six rounds they'd played, Donnie and Bethany had grown tipsy.
Maya found it incredulous that the young couple still managed to stay on top of their game regardless of their intoxication. "You two are gaining serious and massive respect from me, just so you know," she commented.
Josh and Sophie laughed before the latter announced the start of the seventh round, which the red team would lead since the blue team won the last round.
"Maya, Josh, are you guys ready?" Sophie queried as she prepared to get the timer started.
"Ready!" Maya replied.
Josh nodded in agreement.
The timer started ticking and Josh and Maya took turns tossing the red bean bags. After watching Donnie and Bethany for six successive rounds, they'd picked up on some of the techniques they'd executed. As a result, Josh and Maya found a rhythm that had them scoring full points left and right.
Maya tossed a bean bag and it landed on the edge of the hole, with the half the bean bag sunken in. After Josh had his turn, she tossed her other bean bag and it hit the one hanging on the edge, causing for both bean bags to sink completely.
"Oh, my god, yes!" Josh and Maya cheered the same time Sophie announced that their time was up.
"Holy—that was amazing, red team!" Sophie hollered as a broad smile emerged on her face.
"And the competition intensifies!" Bethany commented. She and Donnie took their positions.
Before the blue team could begin their turn, the doorbell rang, causing the five of them to pause the game.
"That's probably your dad," Sophie whispered to Josh, who nodded in agreement.
Josh went to answer the door. He swung it open to reveal a dignified man with gray hair and wrinkled features.
"Dad," Josh greeted.
"Hey, son," Victor responded as his face lit up at the sight of his son, wrapping him in a tight embrace. He then took in the rearranged set up of the living room. "I see you guys have started your cornhole tournament."
"Yeah. Donnie and Bethany are dominating again, but you and I both know that's old news," Josh said as he took his father's coat from him and hung it on the rack along with everyone else's.
Victor emitted a hearty laugh. He eyed each one of the young adults in the living room, halting when his gaze landed on an unfamiliar blonde. With an affable smile on his face, he addressed Maya. "I don't think we've met before," he noted.
Maya returned his grin. She stepped toward Victor and offered a hand for him to shake. "My name's Maya Hart. I'm friends with Josh and Sophie," she introduced.
Victor shook Maya's hand. "Newly friends, I suppose?"
"Yes, we only met recently," Maya answered.
George and Maria suddenly appeared from the kitchen, both wore a broad grin on their faces.
"I thought I heard you come in," Maria said as she ambled over to Victor to give him a hug.
George clamped a hand on Victor's shoulder after he broke away from Maria's embrace. "I'm glad you could make it. We missed you last Thanksgiving."
"I know, but that's the life of a physician. I have to always be on call," Victor replied.
As George, Victor, and Maria made their way into the kitchen since they had no space in the living room to lounge, the five young adults resumed the cornhole tournament. Donnie and Bethany repositioned themselves behind the platforms and waited until Sophie ordered them to begin.
The rest of the game went on ambitiously, and after the tenth and final round, Donnie and Bethany managed to preserve their title as the Annual M2F Cornhole Tournament undefeated champions.
"So, Maya," Donnie began. He slung an arm across Bethany's shoulders when she parked herself next to him. "I thought you wanted to break our streak?"
Maya rolled of her eyes. "Josh and I just didn't try hard enough is all."
"Come and play with us again next year and we'll see about that."
"Kids! It's time to eat!" Victor called. His booming voice resonated throughout the living room.
Maya grinned. "I accept the challenge, Donnie Miller."
Together with the group, Maya trudged toward the dining table where George, Victor, and Maria waited for them.
Maya sat on the single seat sofa by the window as the Millers and the Matthews conducted their Secret Santa ceremony. Bethany left after dinner, but Maya decided to stay longer. A loving smile erupted on her face when she watched Victor reveal that he was Maria's Secret Santa.
Maria stood up from the couch to meet Victor by the Christmas tree, caging him in an embrace. When they broke away, she claimed her present from him.
Victor sat back down alongside Josh, draping an arm across his son's shoulders as they both turned to watch Maria open her present from Victor. He got her a scarf, which Maria loved.
Wrapping the scarf around her neck, Maria turned to the Christmas tree and snatched her present wrapped in red and gold. She gazed at everyone as though she was attempting to build suspense regarding who could she have picked from the bunch.
"I'm your Secret Santa . . . Sophie!" Maria announced.
"Finally! I thought nobody picked me," Sophie teased, standing up to hug Maria and retrieve her present from her. She unwrapped her present with quick hands, and soon enough, she was pulling out a silver necklace from the rectangular box. "Maria, this is beautiful!"
Josh caught Maya's gaze from across the room. He pretended to wipe a sweat on his forehead, which made Maya giggle quietly to herself.
"So, before I reveal whom I got a present for, I just want to give a little something to Maya first," Sophie announced as she bent down to grab an elegant red gift bag with gold tissue papers poking from its opening. She handed it to Maya and said, "Merry Christmas."
Maya regarded the gift from Sophie, then she sent a quick questioning glance at Josh, who wore a genuine smile on his face. "Thank you, but you know you didn't have to," she uttered.
"I wanted to get you one," Sophie insisted.
Sensing that she wasn't going to win, Maya accepted the gift and removed the gold tissue papers to reveal a small box. She brought it out and saw that it was a mug. Turning it so she could view the design, a laugh escaped her lips when she read the words printed on it.
"'Painting is my superpower. What's yours?'" Maya read, laughing. "This is wonderful, Sophie. Thank you."
Sophie's expression turned sincere. "You managed to fix a misunderstanding between me and Josh with just your painting, and I think that really says something about what you can do with your talent. So when I saw that mug I knew you have to have it," she explained.
"Thank you. I really love it," Maya said as she wrapped Sophie in a hug. "Now I feel terrible that I didn't get you anything."
Sophie waved her off. "Oh, no. Please, don't bother. I've got a big family; I don't think I'd want one more present."
After Maya thanked Sophie for the third time, the Secret Santa ceremony carried on. Josh was Donnie's Secret Santa, while Donnie was George's, George was Josh's, and Sophie was Victor's. Soon enough, the Christmas tree ran out of presents and wrappers littered the carpeted floor of the living room.
"Merry Christmas, everybody!" Josh declared.
Everyone echoed the greeting.
Maya's phone buzzed with a message from Riley, asking her what time she was coming to her party. She typed a quick reply, just in time for her to see Josh making his way toward her.
"Hey," Josh greeted.
Maya smiled. "I should get going. I promised Riley I'd go to her Christmas party, and now she's wondering where I'm at," she informed.
"Oh, of course! Come on, I'll walk you out."
After Maya had said goodbye to everyone, she retrieved her coat from Josh and allowed him to lead her out the front door.
"Hey, tell Sophie thanks for the invite. I had an amazing time with everyone," Maya said the moment the door closed.
Josh shoved his hands in his pockets, shrugging. "I bet they'll say the same thing about you."
"Your dad's great, too," Maya noted.
"Yeah, he is. He taught me everything I know about life, and I look up to him a lot."
A comfortable silence befell the two. Along with the whizzing sound of the cold breeze, they could hear the vociferous chatters and hollers coming from inside the Miller residence. Josh and Maya turned to the window, where they caught Donnie passing everyone a cup and Maria trailing after him, holding a glass pitcher of hot chocolate.
"Maya," Josh called.
Maya faced him. "Yeah?"
"I, um . . . I got you a present," Josh informed. He extracted a wrapped box from his jacket's inside pocket and handed it to Maya. "I've been wanting to give it to you for a while now, but I couldn't find the right time."
Maya zipped her purse open and pulled out her present for him. "I got you one, too."
With smiles adorning their faces, they exchanged gifts.
"Should I open it now?" Maya questioned.
Josh shook his head. "No, not right now. Not in front of me at least."
"Why not?"
"What if you don't like what I got for you and I have to suffer the torture that is your face when you realize that you got the worst Christmas present ever?" Josh reasoned.
Maya perked a brow. "How can you tell that I wouldn't like it?" she asked.
Josh shrugged in response.
"What if I ended up liking it and you totally missed being front row for the best show that is my face when I realized that I got the best Christmas present ever?" Maya taunted.
Josh smiled. "Don't get me wrong, I do have my doubts, but I have a hunch that you'll actually like what I got for you."
"You're ridiculous," Maya commented with a laugh. "But, sure, I'll open it later."
"I also want to thank you for clearing the misunderstanding between me and Sophie," Josh said, his expression turning sincere. "When you said you'd talk to Sophie, I literally thought you'd just try to reason with her. But, of course, I forgot who I was talking to and didn't remember how above and beyond you're willing to go for your friends' happiness. And I thank you for that, Maya. I appreciate what you did and, well, I appreciate you, too."
Maya smiled fondly at him. "You're welcome," she replied, giving Josh a playful shove. "At least now you know never to underestimate my capabilities, especially when it comes to helping my friends."
"Lesson definitely learned."
After a quick embrace, Josh and Maya bid farewell to each other.
Maya trotted down the driveway while Josh stayed stood on the porch. He watched as Maya hopped in her Uber driver's car and drove out of his sight.
After Riley's Christmas party ended, Riley offered a guest room for Maya to stay the night in. The latter didn't argue; she had enough fun for one night, and all she wanted to do was plop down on a bed and sleep.
"I'll see you tomorrow at breakfast. Good night, Maya," Riley said as she shut the door of the guest room closed.
Perching herself on the bed, Maya brought out Josh's present, loosening the silk ribbon and ridding the box of its lid. She saw a lavender envelope resting on top of something wrapped with a pale blue tissue paper. Deciding that she'd unwrap the actual gift later, Maya picked up the lavender envelope and pulled out the card. It wasn't a store-bought Hallmark card that delivered the inevitable printed message inside, but rather it was a simple white cardstock with Josh's handwriting on it.
Thought this one would look better on you.
Setting down the card, Maya unwrapped the pale blue tissue paper to reveal a white dress. She brought it out of the box, and it was after she'd gotten the full view of the dress that her breath hitched. Her eyes widened in disbelief, recalling that it was the same white dress she lingered on when she and Josh went shopping for Sophie's Christmas present.
Maya strode toward the full-length mirror in the corner of the guest room. She placed the white dress against her figure, admiring the way it looked on her as her hands clutched the side of the dress's skirt.
"And I got him a pocket watch. Great."
Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think!