Where the roses bloom

Chapter 3-B

Maya's Point of View

I woke up before the sun, as usual. The faint light creeping through the curtains barely cast any shadows, but I was already wide awake, my mind buzzing from last night's emotional spiral. I slid out of bed carefully, not wanting to disturb Sara, who had crashed beside me after her late-night "cookie and ice cream therapy" session. Her arm was dangling off the bed, and her soft snores were almost soothing in the quiet apartment.

I tiptoed into the kitchen, started boiling water for tea, and did my usual morning routine. Teeth brushed, almonds eaten, quick prayer to the Goddess, and now, tea in hand, I found myself at the window, staring out at the quiet street below. I sighed, taking in the peaceful moment, but the knot in my chest hadn't loosened much since last night.

By the time Sara stirred, it was a couple of hours later. I'd already done the dishes from last night and even prepped some toast in case she was hungry. When she finally padded into the living room, bleary-eyed and wrapped in a blanket like a burrito, I couldn't help but smirk.

"Morning, sunshine," I teased, sipping my tea.

She squinted at me like I was the brightest thing in the room, her hair a wild mess. "How are you this awake already? Do you run on some magical energy source I don't know about?"

"Tea," I said, raising my mug. "The only magic I need."

She groaned and flopped onto the couch. "Ugh, I'm not even human until I've had coffee."

I chuckled softly, setting my cup down and reaching for the toast, offering it to Sara. She waved it off with a lazy stretch, then finally looked at me with a more serious expression. "You feeling better? What was up with you yesterday?"

I sighed, leaning back into my seat. And I told her the entire scene that unfolded yesterday.

Sara's eyebrow quirked as she took a seat, legs crossed under her. "Wait, that's it? You being dramatic about living alone again? Seriously, this isn't the first time." She flashed me a teasing grin before standing up and retying her messy bun.

"It's not just that," I muttered, feeling a bit ridiculous now. "It's always something—first Mom and Dad, now this. Everyone's acting like I can't handle anything on my own."

Sara wandered back to the bed, brushing invisible crumbs off the sheets, her eyes twinkling like she was gearing up to say something sassy. "Oh yeah, sure... like that time we had our Barbie movie marathon, and some drunk guy started banging on the door yelling like a maniac."

I smirked at the memory, my mood lightening a little. "We were ready to go full Rapunzel on him."

"Exactly," she laughed, heading to the bathroom. "But he ran off before we could even throw a frying pan at him. That's not the point, though. The point is... you might think you're invincible, but it doesn't hurt to have someone looking out for you. And, hey, where's my old toothbrush?"

"I tossed it, Sara. It was gross. There's a new one in the second drawer," I called after her. I sat up, staring into my mug, swirling the leftover tea. "Maybe I'll just get another apartment. Something in the city. Closer to everything."

Sara popped her head out of the bathroom, toothbrush and toothpaste in hand, giving me that patented 'what the hell?' look. "Or, better idea—you could move in with me?"

I blinked, caught off guard. "What? No way."

"I'm serious! I've lived with you forever, and to be honest, I kinda miss having you around to annoy me," she said through a mouthful of toothpaste as she went back to brush. "I've got a huge house, tons of empty rooms, and a brother who's never home. Plus, staff that comes and goes. I'd love to have you there. What's the problem?"

I paused, my brain still processing. The sound of her brushing teeth filled the space as I let the thought hang in the air. "I don't know... I kinda like having my own space. And you haven't even asked your brother yet."

She poked her head out of the bathroom again, mouth full of toothpaste foam, and raised an eyebrow.Wait a minute!" She disappeared once more.

I sighed, sinking into the couch and staring at the ceiling. Sara had a way of making everything sound so simple, but this... this wasn't simple.

Sara hopped up onto the counter beside me, swinging her legs like she owned the place, as usual. I grabbed the toast I had made for her and wandered back to the table, grabbing some butter from the fridge on the way.

Before I could even protest, she was already reaching for her phone. "Let me just call Adrian," she said, her voice too casual for what she was about to do.

"But—" I started.

"Shh," she hushed me, a confident smirk on her face as she dialed her brother. I watched her, half-amused, half-annoyed, knowing exactly where this was going. Meanwhile, I handed her the toast I'd made, and she took a bite like it was the most natural thing in the world—like she hadn't just hijacked my living situation.

"Hello?" Adrian's voice came through the speaker, smooth and composed. He had that kind of voice that made everything sound professional, even a casual phone call. "Sara? Aren't you home?"

I swear, even his voice is annoyingly perfect.

"Yea, no," Sara replied casually, between bites of toast. "I crashed at Maya's place last night."

I half-expected her to throw in some sass, but instead, she just kept munching, all nonchalant. I rolled my eyes and continued buttering the second slice.

"Everything alright?" Adrian asked, his voice a little more serious. Wait, was he actually concerned? For me?

"All good," Sara answered, like she didn't have a care in the world. "But Uncle Kenny's heading out of town for a few days. You cool if Maya crashes with us for a few weeks?"

There was a pause. I froze mid-butter, waiting for him to say something. Please say no, please say no.

"Why would I have a problem?" Adrian's voice came back, as steady as ever. "She can stay as long as she needs. I'll let Ava know to get a room ready for her."

I blinked, processing. He agreed? Just like that? Was he actually... happy about it?

Sara turned to me with that smug look, as if to say, told you so. "When's Uncle leaving?" She asked me

I gave her a look of pure exasperation, rolling my eyes for good measure. Of course, this was happening. Standing up with my empty cup of tea, I muttered, "This afternoon."

Sara didn't miss a beat. "Cool. It's Saturday anyways. I'll help her pack, and we'll be there by tonight."

"Perfect," Adrian replied, all business again. "Gotta run now. Love you."

"Love you too. Bye," she said with a grin, ending the call.

I stood there, still processing the whole thing. That was... way too easy. Of course, with Sara involved, nothing's ever complicated—at least not for her.

"Omg... I am so excited, wait let me call maa, papa." And so she video called my mum and dad explaining them the entire situation and like expected, they were totally on her side.