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

January 14th 2023

Chapter 14
We Expand On Possibilities

No matter how much she could ever look forward to the weekend, to being home with her family, Maya would feel no different about being at school on a Friday as she would the rest of the week. She loved her work, always, and she looked forward to being there just as much. On this week, this Friday, it could have been an occasion where the scales tipped deeper for home, knowing what awaited her, but then school had found a way to balance things out again.

Today, they would be gathering to celebrate the eldest Friar girl, to mark her twenty-third birthday. But that was later, after school, after work… Until then, along with the day of classes, Maya and a good chunk of the student body would be walking into the high school with searching eyes and eager ears. The lineups for this year's basketball teams, for the very first cheerleading squad in so many years, and the results of the student election… All of it was coming to a head today.

"Did you all just camp out here last night?" Maya chuckled.

She'd had a hunch that there'd be some kids waiting out in front already, so she'd gone around from the lot after parking, to see who she'd find, and came upon nothing short of a small crowd, some of them what she'd call 'regulars' of the early arrivals club but most of them not. Most of them had rarely if ever shown up to school that early and it showed. As best as she could predict, there were some among them who had wanted to be here early, to find out who'd been selected for one thing or another, while most of the rest had been summoned to come, too, for moral support, for a friend. Now they'd come, so they would not be blamed for being prone to droopy eyes.

"Come on, we're not that bad," MJ told his sister/teacher, even as Lydia sat nearly dozing with her head at his shoulder. Ash was doing their best to bring her around, a curious smirk raising at the corners of their lips, but the 'cheer hopeful' would mostly twitch and try to shoo them away, like a buzzing and nagging fly in her face. It had Maia Bennett near giggles, sitting alongside her enbyfriend and watching, which possibly further made them want to mess with their friend and classmate. "Could be fun though, couldn't it? Sleeping at school one night. You know, there's a rumor the place is haunted," MJ turned to Mila Makovetsky, sitting on his other side. The exchange camper met this news with a small laugh that tinkled and made Lydia blink and sit up.

"What?" she mumbled.

"Nothing, go back to sleep," MJ reached over blindly and patted her head. "What do you think? Can we do that? Halloween's coming up…" he pointed out, like he'd found the most convincing argument in his favor. Maya tried very hard not to respond solely as his sister, who would naturally be all for it. All she could imagine just now was how the idea would fly with Principal Davenport. She didn't imagine the woman would be out there like the fun police, keeping them from enjoying anything, but this definitely felt like the kind of thing they'd have to sell her on… and make very certain that they said all the right things.

"I will see what I can do, just don't hold me to it until I know, please?"

Whether or not she'd pull off this thing for them, it wouldn't be happening today, not when they were still waiting to get a few other big questions answered. Even when they could very well have gone inside and checked to see if any lists or announcements had been posted, none of them seemed willing to dare it, not right away. As Maya moved up to the door, she could look over her shoulder and find many pairs of eyes all around, staring out at her, eager, nervous faces all around.

She could have gone back out there and told them what she found when she went and checked out the boards, but mostly she wanted to find out how long it would take for them to get up the nerve on their own and wander in… and see who would come first.

Of all people, to her great surprise, the first one she saw, approaching to discover there were lists for the basketball teams and the cheerleading squad posted side by side by side, turned out to be Austin Abbott. He was definitely not the one she would have suspected to kick things off, but here he was, and Maya tried to make herself small and silent, like someone trying not to spook a fretful little forest creature. She watched him come along, spot the lists, pause, and look back up the hall like he was considering his options before finally turning back to the board, taking a breath, and continuing forward.

She knew he would find his name there, among the new cheerleaders, as she'd inspected those lists herself already, but it couldn't compare to seeing people read their own names up there. Austin… She'd been surprised to see him try out at all, hadn't known where his motivations lay, but to see him out there, realizing he had been selected for this squad… His freshman year had started with him being stuffed in a locker, and that had so far set the mood, but this… This felt like it could have the power of a hard reset. He couldn't believe it… and he was happy, so, so happy that he had the look of someone who wanted to shout but forced the sound back inside as best he could. Would it be enough to knock the bullies off his back? Maybe not, probably not, but Maya felt that Austin had a chance here to take those bullies' power away: he had a squad now, and maybe… more than maybe… they would stand by him.

It was still difficult to see names no longer on the team lists, even if it was because the students in question had graduated and left the school, moving on. But then there would be names that disappeared before their time. Maya still remembered feeling a shock in her, the fall after Lambert Day's passing, recognizing that his name should have been on the musical cast list. It was one thing for people to leave some activity or another because they didn't have time anymore, or they didn't feel like doing it anymore. But then there were those people who should be there and had that ability taken from them by… an external force. That was what if felt like today, seeing the boys' basketball team list and finding only one Davis brother instead of two. Bobby should have sailed right through four stellar years on the court, but that had all come to a grinding halt after his accident.

He was still involved, in what way he could. Dylan had asked if he might essentially become his assistant coach, and Bobby had jumped at the chance. Beyond that though, the senior had tried his hand at something completely different. He had campaigned, and as they would learn today, he had been elected as senior class president. As soon as the news had come out, being the vocally proud girlfriend that she was, Nellie had done her share of celebrating with him by styling herself 'senior class first lady,' bringing about hilarity for her classmates even as she made Bobby smile brighter than ever.

That was the mood all through the school, and it made them all feel sort of… untouchable. This was a good day, this would be a good day, from start to end, and no one and nothing would change that. Maya could hold on to this image she'd witnessed, of happy students and Sandra Davenport in their midst like she was trying to wedge herself in and couldn't pull it off, but she wasn't going to do that, not now, not here, certainly not as she finally left school that afternoon, shifting gears from Mrs. Friar to Mom. Her big girl was on her way from Houston…

Lucas would be bringing their group girls home from the ranch once they were done out there, so it would be up to Maya to get things in motion at the house. At least she was saved one detour – even if she always loved doing it and seeing her girls' happy faces on their ride home together – thanks to her in-laws having brought Mackenzie and Aubrey already. The girls were sitting on the couch with their Pappy Tom, climbing all over him as they watched the television. Thomas Friar looked every bit the older version of his son out there, with how he was smiling all the while, not bothered in the slightest at the bit of chaotic activity. Mackenzie was clearly the ringleader in all this, while Aubrey would do as she would lately, imitating her. Lucy was her buddy and her favorite sister, no contest, but she spent her days with Mackenzie while everyone was at work or school, and that bond was coming to light day by day. It was a new favorite thing for their mother and father.

Maya managed to sneak by without being seen by the girls. She and Thomas exchanged a look and a smile before she made it to the kitchen, there to find what she'd expected to find. Melinda Friar was in there, working away. Her own home kitchen was as good as her domain, but her son and daughter-in-law's kitchen was something like a close second for how often she had baked or cooked in it, usually with one or more of her granddaughters assisting at her side. On her own, she was like a whirlwind… in the best way. Maya kind of didn't want to disrupt her, so she stood there for a few seconds just watching as though she didn't know that the woman had eyes at the back of her head.

"How was it today, sweetheart?" Melinda asked, making Maya blink before quietly laughing to herself and stepping forward.

"Good, it was really good," she nodded, giving a brief retelling as she watched Granny Mel hard at work. At this point, she was better off not interrupting her.

Her voice could not be heard in this house in the very slightest without drawing one small ear or another, and within a couple of minutes, the pair in the kitchen paused as they heard little feet drawing louder, nearer. Mackenzie and Aubrey came along, curious faces locking on that of their mother, and they bolted to her. It made the loss of their drive home together feel not so bad at all.

There was no telling who would arrive first between Lucas and the group girls and the birthday girl out of Houston. Because Ella was always good at keeping them posted whenever she kicked off the long drive over, Maya knew that she'd be on her way by now and drawing nearer, but the arrival time would all depend on any traffic or detours on the way. When they heard a key at the door, everyone paused… for a moment. The girls took off running again, soon joined by a few of the dogs, which left their mother and grandmother to follow and find out who Pappy Tom and the girls would find letting themselves in.

Ella had arrived, dropped off by Lea. Her best friend and roommate had gotten back on the road, the better to go and collect Theo and Tori and get them here for dinner. In the meantime, birthday girl Ella had plenty to keep her busy thanks to excited little sisters crowding around her.

"Happy biiiiirday!" Mackenzie was squealing as she hopped around. She knew that it was 'birthday,' and she knew how to say it. Aubrey was the one who'd started calling it 'bird day,' and as soon as Lucas had validated this by pointing out the tattoos on his forearm, it had been difficult to argue against any of their days being referred to as bird days, or…

"Birday, birday!" Aubrey was chanting over and over, making her big sister laugh as she kissed her little face.

"Thanks, you two! I'm so happy to see you!"

"Me, too!" Mackenzie hopped.

"Me, too!" Aubrey echoed her, smiling when she saw how it made her eldest sister smile, too.

Now that they'd been dislodged from the couch and been made aware of their Granny's being in the process of cooking, the little sisters were soon off to help her, dragging their Pappy along with them, which left their mother able to confer with the young woman of the hour. Maya knew that Lucas would have been feeling just as she was all day, looking forward to this evening with Ella. He would be thinking how it didn't matter that she'd come into their lives at sixteen, that she'd been their daughter for such a small part of her life. He would still get that feeling of disbelief, realizing how much she'd grown. Maya was in that same headspace, especially now that she could see her and hold her in her arms.

It never felt strange once for them to have a grown daughter, all of twelve or thirteen years younger than them. She was theirs as much as they were hers. Anyone who'd argue otherwise could not have truly known them. If they did, they would get it, no question. And they were so proud to have her in their lives, so proud of what she had accomplished in these past seven years.

"Did you talk to Taylor today?" Maya asked, trying not to smirk at the smile her daughter got, thinking of her fiancé. He could not be here today, much as he would have loved to get on a plane and come and see her, but there was no doubt that he'd find a way to breach that distance in some way.

"Oh, first thing this morning," Ella confirmed at once. "Talked long enough that Lea had to come and remind me I had to get ready for class. But we talked about the holidays, and he confirmed when he'd be flying over."

"So, we're counting down the days now, are we?" Maya guessed, and Ella nodded. There was some other thought at the back of her light eyes, but whatever it was, for now, she kept it to herself. Maya didn't pry. Oh, she wanted to, so very much, but she chose to be the respectful mom and leave it up to her big girl. She'd tell her eventually. Until then, Maya would try very hard not to pry… not too much.

TO BE CONTINUED

See you tomorrow! - mooners