Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Rated: T

Thanks for the reviews and the support! I promise this will be done before the New Year.

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Chapter 5

"She looks happy," Josh commented as Riley showed off her new engagement ring to their friends and family.

"She's known she wanted to marry him since the day they met," Maya said. "I think she's been planning their wedding since the day after they met."

Josh chuckled. "With Riley it wouldn't surprise me!" he paused. "How are you doing? My mother told me that you'd broken up with Asher."

Maya sighed. "I'm fine. It's for the best really. I didn't want to marry him."

"You probably should have ended things before he proposed," Josh pointed out.

"I know," Maya answered. "It took me that long to realize I really didn't want to be with him though. I didn't love him enough to spend the rest of my life with him."

"But you did love him?" Josh asked.

"There was great affection there," Maya replied. "How could there not have been? He treated me well and he loved me. But at the end of the day, it just wasn't enough. He deserves a girl who's going to look at him like he hung the stars and the moon. I couldn't do that."

"He's a good guy," Josh agreed. "He called me, you know."

Maya looked a little shocked. "He called you?"

"After the breakup," Josh said. "I think he was kind of shocked. I'm not sure he's been broken up with that much."

"He's never even dated that much," Maya informed him. "He's always had other interests besides romantic ones."

"I did tell him that he would love again," Josh replied.

"You are a much better person than I am," Maya said. "I practically walked away without looking back."

"He wished me luck when we hung up," Josh told her.

Maya frowned and started to make herself a cocktail. "Why would he do that?"

Josh shrugged and watched her mix her drink. "I don't know, not really."

Riley and Lucas joined them. "Have you seen my ring?" she asked, sticking out her hand for Josh and Maya to see.

Josh took her hand and made a show of examining it. "Where is it?" he teased.

Riley snatched her hand back and glared at Josh. "I happen to like it this way, Uncle Josh!"

"I'm happy for the two of you," Josh said, hugging them both at the same time. "Welcome to the family, Lucas."

Lucas smiled. "Thanks Uncle Josh," he said.

"Hey. Where's Jasmine and Andrew?" Riley asked suddenly. "Aren't they usually here on Christmas Eve?"

"They're in Charleston," Josh answered. "They just got engaged over Thanksgiving break, she wanted him to meet her family."

Riley furrowed her eyebrow. "They haven't met him yet?"

"I bet Maya is missing those designer dresses right about now," Josh said instead.

"My favorite thing about Christmas Eve at the Crawford house, wearing clothes I couldn't ever afford!" Maya answered a bit louder than she intended to.

"You guys are really weird," Riley told them, giggling. "But we did come in here for a reason."

"You mean you didn't just come in here to show off your stunning ring?" Josh joked.

Riley glared at him again. "Yes Uncle Josh, that's what I mean!"

"Well?" Josh asked. "What is it?"

"I was wondering if you'd be my maid of honor," Riley said.

"You want me to be your maid of honor?"

Riley rolled her eyes. "Not you Uncle Josh! Maya, would you be my maid of honor?"

Maya beamed and embraced her friend. "I would love to be your maid of honor!" she replied.

"And I was wondering if you'd be a groomsman," Lucas addressed Josh. "It's not best man—"

"Of course I'll be a groomsman!" Josh interjected. "I wasn't expecting you to ask me to do anything. It would be an honor just to stand up there with both of you."

Riley squealed and threw her arms around Josh. "Thank you! Thank you so much to the both of you!"

The couple disappeared and Josh turned back to Maya. "So."

"So what?" Maya asked, tucking her hair behind her ears.

"Was it just Asher or are you opposed to marriage in general?"

Maya watched her friends show off Riley's ring to Mr. Feeny. "I mean, of course I want what they have. True love, marriage. . . all of it. I'm just not sure I'd be good at it."

"I don't think anybody's good at it. It takes a lot of hard work and commitment. Do you think my parents or Cory and Topanga actually have it easy?"

"I know Cory and Topanga have to work hard at it," Maya answered.

"But its love that makes them stay together and work on it," Josh told her. "I think you could be good at it. I think you didn't give Asher a chance."

"Oh?" Maya asked. "Since when do you even like Asher? As far as I could tell, you couldn't stand him."

"Right but that's only because he had something I wanted," Josh replied.

Maya waved him off. "He has a lot of things other people don't but want to have. You shouldn't dislike him because of it. He can't help the life he was born into."

"I wasn't talking about things," Josh said. "I can't begrudge him the box seats to the theater and the nice suits. Like you said, it was the life he was born into. But I can. . . I envied that he had you."

Maya's eyes widened and she tugged on her ear. "Josh, I'm not a possession that can be bought and sold."

"No! Of course not! I didn't mean it like that! I don't think even Asher thought he owned you. . ." Josh trailed off and blew threw his lips. "I just mean, he had your attention and I didn't. I was used to being the number one guy in your life. But then it was more than that."

"Riley told me that you liked me," Maya offered helpfully.

"I-I did," Josh answered. "I do. I like you a lot, actually."

"Josh, I just broke up with Asher a few weeks ago. I don't think jumping into a new relationship is the best idea right now."

"I'm not talking about getting married right now. I'm not even talking about dating. But we could get to know each other better, like if we saw each other every day at school or something."

"So, you want to become better friends?"

"I definitely want to get to know you better," Josh said. "Do you think you could handle texts and e-mails? Maybe the occasional phone call?"

"Phone calls?" Maya repeated.

"Only on very special occasions," Josh answered.

"And after that?" Maya asked. "After the texts and the e-mails and the special occasion phone calls?"

"Then we'll see."

Maya nodded. "Okay. Yes. We can do that," she replied. ""It would be nice."

Josh smiled at her. "Okay."

TBC. . .

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Author's Note:

For the sake of the next chapter, at the end of the night, Topanga and Amy announce that Topanga is taking over Christmas Eve. I know it'll be a tight squeeze at the Matthews apartment but they'll make it work.

So, I'll be back soon. I hope you'll tell me what you thought of this chapter.

Until Next Time!

Lots of Love,

Holly, 12/27/2016