Are You Sure? (Marina)

Twenty-Two.

Carina

I brought a separate bag with me to Maya's, it felt ambitious but I hated having to wear the same clothes back home. I walked up the steps of her apartment and knocked on the door. She opened the door smiling before her eyes settled on my bag. "Don't freak out! I just need spare clothes! I'm not moving in or anything like that!" I felt the need to establish that seeing her eyes widen.

"Oh." She collected herself, "That's- fine, come in. I can take them to the room. Sit down in the kitchen I picked up some ingredients on my way back home from my run." She grabbed my bags and I let go of them hesitantly as I walked inside. I gave her half a smile as she turned to take them to her room. "Sit!"

I held my hands up defensively and walked into the dining room to sit down and wait. I heard a knock on the door followed by a thud coming from the room. "Maya?" I was walking to the room when the knock came again. "I'll get it."

I made my way to the door and opened it to see a shorter blonde woman. She appeared to be older in floral blouse, navy blue jacket and jeans, she clung to her bag. I didn't know who she was until I looked at her piercing blue eyes. Reminding me off the beautiful ones I woke up to most mornings. "Oh I'm sorry I think I have the wrong apartment."

"No- who were you looking for-"

"Carina can you explain why- Who is at the door?" Maya looked at me, anger lined on her face and I didn't know why.

The woman shyly popped her head in, "Hey sweetie."

"Mom!? What- what are you doing here" Maya's face completely changed. I moved out of the way to let the woman in and I closed the door.

"I've tried calling you but you weren't picking up. I was worried so I came over." She clung to her bag and I just looked back and forth between the two.

"How- Where's dad!?" She looked confused, "How did you get here?"

"I- I had the motel call me a cab. I left your father." Dio santo. I looked from her face to Maya's stunned one.

"What!?" Maya leaned over almost like she didn't hear her correctly.

The older blonde woman looked away from her daughter, our eyes me and she realized she hadn't introduced herself, "I- I'm sorry, I'm Katherine Bishop. Maya's mother." She extended her hand out to me and I nodded pleasantly.

Her hand was soft in mine, obvious her hands hadn't done any manual labor, "Piacere, I'm Dra. Carina DeLuca. I'm-"

Her face broke out in worry, "Oh are you my daughters doctor!? Maya are you more hurt than the hospital said!?"

"Oh no! I'm not Mayas doctor, I'm- umm" I looked over at Maya who was beside herself still not fully processing what was happening.

"Mom, why did you leave him- why are you here!?" Maya raised her voice an octave and her mother flinched a little. Before looking at me and I excused myself into the kitchen. Though there wasn't much to be done about what I was hearing. Considering the almost open floor plan of Mayas apartment.

"I- Maya I wanted to see how you were doing. Your father wouldn't let me go see you. You know why I left him." My eyes opened wide as I listened to the tone her mother's voice that was shaky. Seeing her mother react to Maya's tone reminded me of wives I'd seen come into the ER who suffered from domestic violence.

"Don't you think you're being a bit dramatic?" There was pain laced in Maya's voice but her reaction left me in disbelief. Maya was being so cold and dismissive, unlike the person I had gotten to know. The Maya I knew was soft in her touches, deep in her thoughts, and passionate about her actions. I hardly recognized this person in front of me.