Reality is not a Hallmark movie!

Reality is not a Hallmark movie!

20-year-old Maya Hart was currently walking home from her last class of the day. And no, it wasn't just the last class of the day, it was her last class before the long-awaited Winter Break. As much as Maya loved college – the girl was studying to become an art teacher – she had been looking forward to the holidays for a long time now. She really missed her parents and would finally have a chance to see them again. The blonde's phone started ringing and she quickly pulled it out of her bag.

"Hey Mom," Maya answered the call, a huge smile spreading across her face.

"Hi baby girl!" The girl could hear the grin in her mother's voice. "How are you doing, sweety?"

"Oh, you know, lots of work, a lot to learn. The usual. I'm so ready for some time off," Maya only half-joked. This semester had been more stressful and exhausting than usual. "How about you?"

"I'm fine, baby girl," Katy immediately assured. "I'm actually excited to be going back to work in a few weeks."

"I'm really glad to hear that," Maya said. She knew how much her mother loved being an actress. It had been her childhood-dream after all. "And what about Nate? How's my favorite little munchkin doing?"

"Nate's fine, too. Although I do think he misses his big sister."

"Aw! I miss him too, it's been way too long. I feel like I'm missing everything!" Maya laughed. She loved her new baby brother to pieces and hated being away from him for so long. To her it felt like ages since she had last seen him and her mother – even longer since she had last seen her father.

"It really has, but I assure you, you're not missing anything. Every time something cute happens, my camera is out like a light," Katy insisted and the older blonde really wasn't exaggerating. Keeping both her husband and daughter up to date on how little Nate was doing was proving to be a full-time job. "Anyway honey, you won't believe what happened!"

"What happened, Mom?" Maya asked curiously.

"You know how your dad's been away on an assignment for the last couple of weeks?" Katy asked.

"Of course, I do," Maya said. Her dad worked as a travel photographer and writer for a big online magazine. That was also the reason why Maya hadn't seen him in so long. Katy and Nate had come to see her a few times already this semester, but her father sadly hadn't been able to join them.

"Well, as it turns out, he ran into his old best friend there," Katy explained.

"Oh, how did that go?" Maya knew all about her father's special friend. The blonde wasn't sure if she really believed all the stories, he had told her – they were a bit wild – but it always seemed like the two of them had been inseparable which was why Maya had never quite understood why they barely talked anymore. It was probably just life taking those two in different directions where the other one could not follow.

"Really good, apparently," Katy said to her daughter's surprise. "Whatever it was that had been standing between them, they seem to have worked it out."

"No way, that's great, Mom!" Maya exclaimed. "Dad must be really happy."

"Deliriously so." Maya could once again hear the big smile in her mother's voice. "The two of them have been talking on the phone ever since he got back, I'm not kidding."

Maya burst out laughing. "Well, seems to me like you've been replaced, Mom. Better make sure, Dad doesn't take back your ring!"

"Yeah, that's not happening," her father's voice suddenly appeared on the line. "I finally got your mother to say Yes, I'm not letting her go again!"