Girl Meets Second Chances

Seven

Maya has never thought of herself as being someone who worries, but her walk home is proving her wrong. All she can do is worry; her mind turning over one bad thought over another. When she walks into her apartment, the sight of her mom sitting on the couch, waiting for her only makes her heart beat faster.

"Okay just tell me, how bad is it? Is Sophie okay? What's going on?"

The questions come out all at once before she can stop herself.

"Come here baby girl," her mom says, patting the cushion beside to her. Maya goes and takes a seat next to her mom.

"I talked to your father today," she says. "He gave me the address to the lab where we can get you tested. We should have the results in a couple of days and if all goes well, we'll head upstate to the hospital."

"And what about Sophie? Is she okay?"

Her mom's eyes move to the worn couch cushion.

"She's hanging in there," she says, gently. "But things aren't looking too good right now."

Maya lets out the breath she's been holding in since she walked through the door. Everything is happening so fast and she still hasn't told her friends. She stands up, it all suddenly becoming too much for her.

"I need to go," she says, moving toward the door. Her mom gets up, following behind her.

"Not so fast," she says, taking her by the shoulders and looking her over. "Are you okay?"

"I am," she says. "I promise."

The words come out half-heartedly and her mom doesn't seem any more convinced that she's fine than Maya does. Still, her mom stares back at her like she's the proudest she's ever been.

"Maya Penelope Hart, you are one of the most amazing people I know," she says. "Don't you ever forget it."

She kisses Maya on the cheek before letting her hands fall from her shoulders and stepping back. Maya's eyes blur behind tears and she pulls her mom into a quick hug before turning to go out the door. Before heading down, she sends a quick text to her friends telling them to meet her in the bay window.

She's been standing outside of Riley's fire escape for the past fifteen minutes, trying to convince herself to go up. She can do this. She has to do this. It's now or never and never isn't an option.

"Seems like you've been standing out here for a while."

Maya turns to see Zay walking up to her from across the street.

She turns back to the fire escape.

"Maybe," she says, looking down, pretending to study her nails.

"May I ask why?"

"Nope." She drops her hand and steps up to the ladder. "Maybe we should just go up."

Zay moves over to her carefully.

"Does this have anything to do with your dad," he asks gently, stopping her with his words. She turns back to him and sighs. She doesn't know how he does it but somehow he always knows exactly what is bothering her.

"Yeah," she says. "He was waiting for me outside my apartment the other day. Seems like trying to be the father of the year wasn't exactly the reason he showed up, but I'll explain everything when we get up there. I don't wanna have to say this twice."

Zay nods.

"Okay after you," he says, motioning for her to lead the way. When they make it up to the window, she hesitates to go in. She has a pretty good idea of how this will go and she just isn't ready for it.