Hart Hunter

Forgiveness

Maya Hunter knew who she was, knew all the words that defined her. Beautiful, loyal, bold, adventurous, intelligent, brave, creative, and most importantly, loved. Maya was a sister, daughter, best friend, and girlfriend. She had a father, mother, brother, soul sister, and boyfriend.

Speaking of boyfriend, Maya felt his hand squeeze hers just a little tighter as they walked off campus together.

"Shawn still set on dinner tonight?" Josh asked.

"Oh yeah," Maya laughed. "Ever since I moved out, dad can't have me over for dinner often enough. I swear it's like I don't even need to buy groceries."

"Lucky," Josh laughed. "My parents don't feed me anymore. In fact, when I'm out with them, people think they're my grandparents."

"Doesn't that mean you get spoiled like their your grandparents?" Maya teased him.

"I wish," Josh scoffed. They walked in silence for a moment after that. Silence with Josh was never awkward, and Maya let her mind wonder.

It was a beautiful day, the sun shining and not a cloud in the sky. For a second Maya closed her eyes, enjoying the light breeze against her skin.

"Are you walking with your eyes shut?" Josh asked, surprised.

"Maybe," Maya grinned.

"Aren't you worried about bumping into something?" he asked.

"Not when I'm holding your hand," Maya smiled, turning to face him. He was smiling back. Then, he leaned down to kiss her before they continued walking to the bus stop.

Riley and Lucas were already there, waving hello as they approached.

"You got dragged into dinner too, huh?" Maya asked her best friend, though she knew the answer.

"Indeed," Riley replied solemnly. "It seems you're dad and my dad are both the same amount of needy."

"Sounds about right to me," Maya chuckled.

"I think it's a good thing Cory and Shawn still want to see you guys a lot," Lucas picked in. "You only moved out a few months ago. They probably aren't used to it yet."

"Shh huckleberry," Maya laughed. "You are ruining our complaining."

Just then the bus arrived, and they got on. While on the bus, the topic of conversation shifted to that of everyday life. Maya loved living with Riley. It was amazing to feel independent of parents, even if she missed them. Of course she wasn't about to tell her father that. Even with their boyfriends around fairly often, living with Riley meant every night was girls night, every night was their night. Sure their place was small, and they both had to take on part time jobs to afford it while in school, but the results were well worth it.

University was better than high school in you could choose what you studied. She was done with math and history. Maya loved learning art. She loved painting and conceiving of new patterns in her mind. Maya was taking art classes with a possibility in majoring in graphic design. Riley was taking a little bit of everything, as she hadn't quite decided what she wanted to major in yet. At this rate, Maya was fairly sure Riley would end up majoring in multiple things. In this, she seemed to have taken after her mother. Josh was very near his graduation, and Lucas working full time.

When they got off the bus, Maya smiled as she saw her little brother waiting for her. She'd agreed to pick him up from daycare today since it was on her way home.

"Did you have fun today?" Maya asked the toddler.

"Ya!" Ryan exclaimed grinning. After that, he strung some sounds together that didn't quite make sense to Maya, but she nodded like she understood.

"Sounds like a good day to me," Riley smiled. "A good day to be a Ryan."

"Don't go turning him into you!" Maya snapped, shielding her baby brother from the influence of her bubbly minded best friend. Everyone laughed.

Today was much like any other day in the life of Maya Hunter. She'd woken up that morning in her own bed, Riley already having made breakfast while singing to herself. She'd attended class that both interested and challenged her, then met up with her boyfriend before leaving to pick up her little brother from daycare and going to dinner with her parents. A normal day, and yet at once time such a day would have been foreign to her.

When Maya thought back to who she'd once been, she hardly knew that person. That scared lonely little girl who blamed herself for Kermit leaving. The broken little girl who wanted so desperately to have a whole family that she all but got herself adopted into her best friend's family.

There are moments in our lives where we realized things that happened long ago. Moments when a small truth catches up with us. This was such a moment for Maya.

Late that night after dinner, as Maya sat on the couch in her parents living room surrounded by people she loved and who loved her equally in return, she suddenly realized there was nothing to forgive. Nothing at all.

At some point between then and now, Maya hadn't only forgiven herself, but also him. It was a strange, light feeling. Maya felt suddenly free in her knowledge, even if the event itself had happened without her realizing it.

She had forgiven Kermit for his abandoning her. Not only was it not worth holding onto, but she was almost grateful for it. If he hadn't left, she wouldn't be where she was today. A world in which Kermit and Katy were still married was a world in which Shawn would never have entered her life. A world in which the little brother she'd grown to love so much would never have existed. And who knows, maybe she wouldn't have met Josh or even Riley?

The 'what if's' of it didn't matter. What mattered was what she'd accomplished with her own life. Maya had everything you'd ever wanted, but that wasn't what happiness was all about. Because what do you do once you have everything? Some would say having nothing left to strive for leads to stagnation, but Maya didn't agree. Being happy in itself takes energy. Everyday fighting against the tides in your way to remember to enjoy each moment's bliss. Maya had earned her happiness and she was never going to take it for granted.

THE END.