you let them put me in these...rags?"
Her voice was scratchy, but it was so good to hear her sister's voice.
Maya let out a sound that was part laugh and part sob.
"I'll make it up to you. I'll be changing plenty of my niece or nephew's diapers," she said, sitting down in the chair next to the bed.
"How do you feel?" Maya asked quietly.
"Like shit," Eva grumbled. "But I'm alive and my baby is too, so I'm thankful. I must look terrible though."
"You're gorgeous."
"You sound like Roger."
"He's right too. Did you already know? About the baby?"
Eva shook her head. "I definitely wouldn't have been on my way to a wine café had I known." Her mouth tilted up. "Speaking of wine, how are things going with you and your new sweetheart?"
"We don't have to talk about me right now."
"I sure as hell don't want to talk about me right now," Eva said. "We know everything there is to know, on that current subject. It felt like I hadn't talked to you in forever before the accident. So I'm demanding you tell me. I'm injured, you can't deny any of my requests."
Maya smiled and took her sister's hand. "Things are going great between Xavier and me. He's an amazing man."
"See," Eva said. "I told you a little Spring affair wasn't going to hurt."
"Evie, I think this is more than just some...affair. I think I may be falling in love with him."
"It's written all over your face," Eva smiled. "You look so happy."
"I am," Maya replied. "I really am."
"I'm glad. I hope he makes you happy the way Roger makes me happy," Eva sighed.
At that moment, Roger walked in and Eva's eyes lit up.
"I got you some juice," Roger said, holding a cup up.
"Thank you, baby," Eva said. Roger walked over and helped her take a sip then kissed her on her forehead.
Maya could feel the love radiating between the two of them. Sensing that they needed sometime alone, she stood.
"I'm going to give you guys a minute," she said.
"But you just got here," Eva cried.
Maya leaned down and kissed her big sister on the cheek. "I'll be right outside."
Roger gave her a grateful smile and she stepped out of the room.
Several hours later, Maya was outside of Eva's room again with her parents while the doctors checked on Eva.
"Maya."
She turned and smiled when she saw Xavier walking toward her with a large bouquet of flowers.
"Hey!" she said, meeting him. "I'm sorry I ran out this morning without coming to see you–"
"It's all good. Aunt Lee told me your sister woke up."
He dropped a kiss on her cheek then asked. "How is she?"
"She's amazing," Maya said, bouncing up and down. "The doctors said she is healing well. They want to keep her for a few more days for observation, but she should make a full recovery."
"And the baby?"
"The baby is healthy, I got to hear the heartbeat."
"That's great," Xavier said, smiling down at her.
"What are you doing here?" Maya asked quietly. She glanced over her shoulder to see her parents watching the two of them intently.
"I wanted to check on you. Things are slow since it's after lunch, so Lena is watching over the café. Speaking of Lena," he reached into his back pocket and pulled out an envelope. "She wanted me to give you this."
"What is it?" Maya asked.
"Open it," Xavier said, his eyes dancing with excitement.
She slid her finger under the flap to break the seal, and pulled out a thick card stock.
"Her graduation invitations! And she sent me one?" Maya was touched that Lena would want to include her.
"Of course she sent you one," Xavier said, as though there was no reason for her to question it. "Will you come?"
"I wouldn't miss it."
"Oh Maya!"
She cringed at the sound of her mother's voice. She knew that tone, her mother was demanding an introduction.
"I've met your family, it's time you meet mine," she said as she took Xavier's hand and pulled him toward her parents.
She cleared her throat when she stopped in front of her parents. "Mom, Dad, this is Xavier Fuller. He's my–"
"'Friend'?" her mother finished
Her voice was scratchy, but it was so good to hear her sister's voice.
Maya let out a sound that was part laugh and part sob.
"I'll make it up to you. I'll be changing plenty of my niece or nephew's diapers," she said, sitting down in the chair next to the bed.
"How do you feel?" Maya asked quietly.
"Like shit," Eva grumbled. "But I'm alive and my baby is too, so I'm thankful. I must look terrible though."
"You're gorgeous."
"You sound like Roger."
"He's right too. Did you already know? About the baby?"
Eva shook her head. "I definitely wouldn't have been on my way to a wine café had I known." Her mouth tilted up. "Speaking of wine, how are things going with you and your new sweetheart?"
"We don't have to talk about me right now."
"I sure as hell don't want to talk about me right now," Eva said. "We know everything there is to know, on that current subject. It felt like I hadn't talked to you in forever before the accident. So I'm demanding you tell me. I'm injured, you can't deny any of my requests."
Maya smiled and took her sister's hand. "Things are going great between Xavier and me. He's an amazing man."
"See," Eva said. "I told you a little Spring affair wasn't going to hurt."
"Evie, I think this is more than just some...affair. I think I may be falling in love with him."
"It's written all over your face," Eva smiled. "You look so happy."
"I am," Maya replied. "I really am."
"I'm glad. I hope he makes you happy the way Roger makes me happy," Eva sighed.
At that moment, Roger walked in and Eva's eyes lit up.
"I got you some juice," Roger said, holding a cup up.
"Thank you, baby," Eva said. Roger walked over and helped her take a sip then kissed her on her forehead.
Maya could feel the love radiating between the two of them. Sensing that they needed sometime alone, she stood.
"I'm going to give you guys a minute," she said.
"But you just got here," Eva cried.
Maya leaned down and kissed her big sister on the cheek. "I'll be right outside."
Roger gave her a grateful smile and she stepped out of the room.
Several hours later, Maya was outside of Eva's room again with her parents while the doctors checked on Eva.
"Maya."
She turned and smiled when she saw Xavier walking toward her with a large bouquet of flowers.
"Hey!" she said, meeting him. "I'm sorry I ran out this morning without coming to see you–"
"It's all good. Aunt Lee told me your sister woke up."
He dropped a kiss on her cheek then asked. "How is she?"
"She's amazing," Maya said, bouncing up and down. "The doctors said she is healing well. They want to keep her for a few more days for observation, but she should make a full recovery."
"And the baby?"
"The baby is healthy, I got to hear the heartbeat."
"That's great," Xavier said, smiling down at her.
"What are you doing here?" Maya asked quietly. She glanced over her shoulder to see her parents watching the two of them intently.
"I wanted to check on you. Things are slow since it's after lunch, so Lena is watching over the café. Speaking of Lena," he reached into his back pocket and pulled out an envelope. "She wanted me to give you this."
"What is it?" Maya asked.
"Open it," Xavier said, his eyes dancing with excitement.
She slid her finger under the flap to break the seal, and pulled out a thick card stock.
"Her graduation invitations! And she sent me one?" Maya was touched that Lena would want to include her.
"Of course she sent you one," Xavier said, as though there was no reason for her to question it. "Will you come?"
"I wouldn't miss it."
"Oh Maya!"
She cringed at the sound of her mother's voice. She knew that tone, her mother was demanding an introduction.
"I've met your family, it's time you meet mine," she said as she took Xavier's hand and pulled him toward her parents.
She cleared her throat when she stopped in front of her parents. "Mom, Dad, this is Xavier Fuller. He's my–"
"'Friend'?" her mother finished
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