Nostalgia || Joshaya

chapter 4

They spent hours, just talking. 

Riley even came to check on them, but when she saw how much fun they were having, she didn't disturb them and went straight back to her room. She called Lucas, again, with whom she discussed the subject of college. They talked about other things after that, but they probably stayed at college the longest. Lucas had been accepted into a school back home in Texas. But his girlfriend planned to go to NYU and the vet school there is also fine. He wanted to be as close to Riley as possible, but he also wanted to follow his dream. Lucas was having a hard time with that. 

Josh and Maya have reconnected. Three years ago, when they made the deal someday, they were the closest. They talked a lot and knew each other very well, but of course, they didn't have intimacies and didn't take their relationship seriously, just friendly, because at the time their age difference was a barrier. It was just a bit illegal. It was different now.

 She was almost eighteen and he was twenty. When Maya was in sophomore, they decided to drift apart a bit. It was better for both of them that way. Being very close, but not being able to confess their feelings was hard for them. It was easier to have less contact, so at least they weren't thinking about each other all the time, though they still thought about the other one enough. 

They missed each other, of course, but they did see each other at least occasionally on holidays, or on weekends when Josh came to visit his brother. They spoke a few words and didn't think about each other that much. Then the ski trip came up. 

Josh was aware that he was going to meet Maya, and honestly, somewhere in the back of his mind, he was looking forward to it. At the same time, he was scared. 

They hadn't spoken properly in almost a year. She could have found a boyfriend, changed, or changed her mind about her feelings for Josh. He kind of dropped a stone from his heart when he and Maya talked. They had enough to talk about and catch up on.

"Oh my god, Josh. Are you okay?" Topanga came around six when the kids' ski center was closing. The adult slope didn't close until seven because it had lights.

"Uncle Josh! What happened?" said horrified Auggie. Katy just looked fearfully at Josh's leg lying on the coffee table, swathed in bandages. "Minor injury..." "How serious?" "Just a medium spray," Josh assured Topanga, who was looking at him with an unhappy smile. 

"I'm not sure if to call this a tradition or a curse..." she said with the hopeless smile of hers. "Do you need me to get something or take you somewhere?" Katy offered, but Josh refused. "No, thank you. Maya is already taking the duty. Her services are so far so good." Josh smiled at Katy's offer. 

"We're going to dinner in a little while, are you coming with us?" They looked at each other and the answer was clear, "We're gonna wait for Cory and Shawn." "But call Riles, she's in the room." The moms, and Auggie, then went to get Riley. 

Josh and Maya stayed behind and started talking again. Josh put his arm around Maya's shoulders and she leaned against him. "What would you do if you won a lottery?" Maya asked the first that came to her mind."I'm sorry to interrupt you lovebirds, but I just wanted to ask you, for how long have you been together? You're very sweet together, and I hope your relationship goes well!" An older lady approached the duo. 

Josh and Maya looked at each other, not knowing what to do. "Well, we're-" "A month," Josh answered smiling at the woman. "She's always been my friend and before Christmas, we decided to finally hop on it." Maya chuckled at the story he just made up as he was riding up and down with his fingers on her arm. Or maybe he did not. Perhaps he had the story prepared, just in case. Maybe he made it up while daydreaming.

"Lovely, absolutely lovely! Thank you. Have a nice trip kids. Sorry to bother you," the lady smiled. It was obvious she was honestly happy for the pair. The positive energy that came off of her wishing so much love for these guys.

"Why?" "What why?" "What what why?" "I have no idea what are you talking about," Josh chuckled," and I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I just didn't have the heart to break it to her." Maya laughed a bit. "No that's fine. But maybe a small warning would be useful next time." "Next time?" Josh raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, and now to where we ended....what are you doing with your million?" "My education, of course. But the rest is to help my loved ones. Something for the savings' bank account" Josh was clear in his answer. "C'mon Josh, we're talking a million. You can make so much more with it." "I like my life how it is, I wouldn't want to change much right now. Okay, so what would you do?" Josh chuckled. "Buy my parents a big-ass house," Maya smiled.

~

"No, you did not!" Maya said while laughing as she didn't want to believe the end of a story that Josh just told her. "Yep, I did. I walked down the hall in nothing but a pink satin robe and fishnet stockings."

"Wild girl," Shawn spoke up. He and Cory had just left their rooms and were heading to dinner. They'd walked through the reception about ten minutes ago, so Josh and Maya had kind of been expecting them.

"A little," Josh laughed laying his bandaged leg down off the table. "Shall we go?" Maya stood up, waiting for Josh to make the same attempt. Younger Matthews grabbed Maya's forearm and held on while he pulled himself up. He stood, but that was all. All his weight was on his left leg. "Come on Brother," Cory stood next to Josh and grabbed his back from behind. Josh put his arm around his shoulders. Hardly, but they made it to the dinner.