A/N: The new chapter of "We Three Hearts" is now available!


June 17th 2023

Chapter 168
We Must Face the Future

When Maya had arrived home at the end of the last day of classes, Lucas had caught the strangeness about her without knowing where it had come from. He'd left it alone, trusting that he would be told what it was about when the time was right, and that was just how it had ended up. Much later, after the girls had been put to bed, they'd gone and sat on the porch, and she'd told him about what Marie Nilsson had told her at the end of the day. There was nothing to fear here about privacy, and there never was or would be. He was a safe space for her to be open, and honestly, she needed it.

Teen moms were by no means a new thing at their school, at any school. They might end up with a few every year, some of them disappearing along the way because they'd gone away, or dropped out, but this was just… three of them, starting out the year somewhere about five to seven months along, it felt like a lot, and she hated that her mind always went there now, but she thought about what Sandra Davenport would do in response to all this. She'd only really know about Max at this point, but sooner or later she'd find out about Madelyn, and Marie… This had nothing to do with the arts, although with two of them being on the quiz teams that was bound to circle back to her, but this had all the makings of the principal wanting to make a statement, and it just could not end well.

It had all been on her mind for the last few days, days in which they'd been inevitably glad to hear Max and Madelyn's budding friendship and bond had grown to include Marie, but now there was something else to think about today. Graduation had come around, and they had to get going. Maybe for minding all the twists and turns they still had to navigate, they had decided not to bring any of the girls along, a decision that had absolutely not been received with understanding and calm by most, but had to stick by it, and so they would. In due time, they hoped, everyone would understand, and until then, they were very grateful to the presence of Ella, Taylor, Nellie, Gracie, Bobby, Ethan, Wyatt, and Finn to make the most of the day with the bummed out sisters.

The drive over was spent with Maya and Lucas doing their best to keep the spirits up, excited for the graduates, and not worried about fall, and babies, and any troubles that might come because of it. They parked and made their way out through the already crowded front of the school, and before they knew it, they'd be in the midst of the annual stops, left and right, with all the parents that wanted to chat with the art teacher and her husband.

"Gotcha!" a voice caught their attention, a voice and a childish squeal. When they turned, they easily came to see who they belonged to. Luke Bailey-Ryan, in his graduation gown, had just scooped up his two-and-a-half-year-old sister, Mary, as the girl had his cap caught in her little hands, trying to keep it on her head. She landed on her big brother's shoulders, which made her look like an extension for cap. The girl was all of seven months younger than Aubrey, but she would probably not end up in the same year as her in school. Either way, she had enough of both her parents in her that they could in turn mark her for being sister to Luke and to Meadow as well.

Mary's big brother had had a fairly run of the mill freshman year, and it wasn't until his sophomore year, when his mother had married Meadow's father and the two of them had come into the picture that things had started to get complicated. It had been Mary's coming that had eventually helped the stepsiblings to genuinely find a common ground, and they possibly loved her even more for what she'd brought into their lives. It wasn't so straightforward when it had come to both Luke and Meadow making a connection with their stepfather and stepmother respectively, but to look at the whole Bailey-Ryan family today, as their eldest two were about to graduate high school and look to the next chapters in their lives, they all looked like they had found happiness with one another, and it made Maya smile to see them and talk with them, seeing how they interacted with one another.

For sure, the Luke and Meadow of three years ago would never have imagined themselves actively deciding to head to New York to go to school together, to carry on as brother and sister together in the world. But that was just what they were doing, and they were clearly excited about this new adventure they were undertaking. The unfortunate part was obviously being away from their parents and from their little sister, something that Maya sympathized with very strongly, but it was the right call, and they were taking comfort from the knowledge that they would not face it on their own.

After several minutes of bouncing from one family to another, all of them only familiar to Lucas so far as his knowing the kids through stories and diaries, he and Maya were so very happy to come across Sydney Carter and the Bennett kids. Of course, Ash Bell would there, right by their girlfriend's side as everyone waited to take their places for the ceremony, but just as expected around Maia Bennett would be her three younger brothers, Jake, Willy, and Marco. The latter two were going to be in the eighth and fifth grade in the fall, respectively, and like eldest brother Jake, they reasonably idolized their big sister. They also were very close with their mother's basketball teammates, so they were very happy to see Lucas.

He had surrendered his spot on the team after his attack. As much as it pained him to do it, he didn't see himself getting back into playing shape any time soon, if ever, and he'd wanted to give a chance to someone else to take his place and join the family that was their team. His teammates understood and respected his choice. Some of them had been right there, part of his medical team while he'd been in the hospital, and all the while they had promised him two things: they would see to it that he got better, and he would always be part of the team, whether he got to play with them or not. As thankful as he was for the first thing, the second one did so much more for him and his recovery than he could ever express. Lately, he had taken up this 'position' to turn around and coach any of the team's kids in playing whenever they all got together. The Bennett boys were some of his most ardent players.

"Mrs. Friar!"

When Maya turned, she immediately saw the young woman speeding toward her and smiled as she opened her arms to her. Talia Ríos hugged her former teacher, smiling back at her when she pulled away. It didn't seem so long ago that she'd been one of her students, that she'd stood out here, in her cap and gown, but it had actually been a whole six years, and they had been good ones, from everything Maya saw here and had heard via the twenty-four-year-old's parents and younger brother. She was still very reserved, but at the same time she'd found new avenues, new ways of expressing herself now that she'd stepped out on her own, and it suited her very well.

"Look at him," Talia smirked that great big sister smirk as she nodded to where her parents were fussing over her little brother the graduate. As she went and rejoined them, the better to 'liberate' Angel, her mother spotted the Friars and, smiling, split off from her husband and son to approach them. As with her daughter, Lita Ríos came with arms at the ready for an embrace, which Maya wholeheartedly returned before stepping back and allowing a similar exchange to happen between the former vice-principal and Lucas.

"You know, I haven't set foot out here since the day I found out the school had chosen to… part ways with me," she stated as she pulled back once again and looked at the couple. "And after today, I won't have any reason to ever return," she added, her voice coming off like, much as she was trying to tell herself that this was a good thing, her heart couldn't make it come off like the truth. She still missed this place, still felt a part of it, and she hated the powerlessness she felt, knowing what was being done to it.

The part that would at once hurt and soothe was that she had been replaced by someone who could and did feel as she did. It was difficult to say who had it worse, the one who could only watch from the outside looking in, or the one on the inside, unable to stop it from happening. That day, as they waited for the start of graduation, would be the first time where the former and current vice-principals came to interact with one another, and the unease of their situation would be right there for them to feel, just as Maya and Lucas felt it, standing with them. Introductions were unnecessary, but they happened anyway, and in their eyes, as they shook hands, their situations would feel crystal clear. One, with her eyes, would say that she knew the other was trying but that he had to do more, do better. And the other, with his eyes, would express his heartfelt apology for the part he was being made to play and the desire to change it, now more than ever.

They could not say for sure whether anything, any change, would actually come of this meeting, but there was no denying anymore that something had to be done before it was too late, before too much more damage was done. And maybe they would look back on this day as the moment where they'd started to turn the tide, no matter how long it took. Maybe this would be the start. The possibility alone could keep them going, and that could be half the battle.

They made it to their seats at last, and though they didn't have their daughters with them, they could imagine the energy they would have brought to the day, and they tried to bring some of it for them. They imagined them all, loud and proud, especially whenever they had to sit through Sandra Davenport standing up there and talking or being in view at all. She did not even want to be there, it was plain to see, but she soldiered on because that was what was expected of her. She couldn't miss it every year, like she'd done the year before and, Maya suspected, she knew better than to not involve herself if she expected to retain any upper hand she had on 'her school.'

Maya didn't want to have to speak to her, would have much rather get through the day without having to interact with her directly. She could put it all aside until whenever she next had to meet with her, ahead of the new school year. She very nearly made it through without contact, too, except that, as she and Lucas were heading toward the parking lot, they ran into the Ríos family again, spotting them just ahead, even as Sandra Davenport came along. Maya barely had to reach for her husband's hand that he knew what she wanted to do and they were hurrying along as casually as they could make it look, the better to stop what was very likely going to be an all too awkward conversation, if it didn't turn ugly before it was over.

They never spoke outright, but Maya and Lucas both for sure caught the flash of unmasked reaction in the principal's face. She couldn't care less for any of them there, and she was aggravated at having to carry on dealing with some of them in particular. Then the mask slipped back on, granting them one fake smile, and she was gone.

The drive home felt like they were the ones who'd just been released for the summer, which they supposed wasn't unreasonable as a comparison. It was a perk, not only of her job but of his, too, of the position he held, that while they wouldn't both suddenly find themselves completely free all the way through to September, on the whole, they would have a lot more freedom to do with their time as they pleased. They would do their very best to use that time for themselves, for one another, and for their daughters and their family and friends at large. By the time they'd get home to find several of those people waiting for their return, they'd have all the reasons they could ever need to just breathe and be happy that summer had come at last.

"How was it?" Marianne asked as she saw them coming and rushed over. They had left her a few hours before as her natural blond self, but they had now returned to find her with a good inch or two of the ends of her hair in a rainbow array of colors, the green hues taking the most space around her head. As soon as she saw them noticing, she grinned. "Ella did it for me, isn't it the best?" she asked, spinning around for a bigger effect.

"Well, I don't have to ask how you feel about it," Lucas chuckled, and that was all she needed to know from him, so she turned to her mother. Maya reached out to pull her close, kissed the top of her head.

"Think she might do mine, too?" she whispered, and Marianne blinked up at her. "What, it might be fun to match for the summer," she suggested, and Marianne didn't need to hear any further before she ran to find her big sister.

"Getting in touch with your… rebellious side there, Mrs. Friar?" Lucas asked with a smile, and she responded with an innocent shrug.

"Please, she's part of me, every day," Maya snickered. "I don't have to be that Mrs. Friar for a while, so I'm just going to be this one… also known as Mommy."

"I do love that one," Lucas tipped his head in agreement, leading Maya to smile as she reached up to touch his hair.

"How about you, Dad, any colors?"

"What do you think?" he asked, letting her feel around to her heart's content.

"Tell you what, no colors, but I do miss the beard…"

TO BE CONTINUED


See you tomorrow! - mooners