Running from the life that was.

Chapter Seven

Maya sat on the couch across from Mia, who was nestled comfortably against a cushion. They had spent the afternoon watching movies. Carina had been with them but had left a while ago to gather ingredients for dinner.

Earlier in the day, before they started the movie, Carina had asked Mia what she would like for dinner. Mia responded with, "Whatever is the easiest," not wanting to be a burden and hoping to make her presence as easy as possible. Carina insisted, "Come on, if you could eat one food right now, what would it be?"

Mia took a moment to think before replying, "Pizza," a meal she would never have in the Bishop household.

Carina clapped her hands in excitement. "Perfect, my specialty! I'll have to run out to get a few things a bit later, though. Is that okay, Bella?" she asked Maya. Maya nodded her approval.

Carina left a little while before the end of the film so she could return after it finished, as the three of them had planned to cook the pizzas together. Over the few days of getting to know Mia, Carina and Maya had come to realise that Mia loved to help, especially when it came to cooking.

As the credits rolled on the latest film, the front door opened, and Carina walked in holding two shopping bags. Maya started to get up to help her wife with the bags when she noticed her phone buzzing on the coffee table. She glanced at the caller ID and felt a knot form in her stomach—Katherine. It had been years since they last spoke, and the thought of talking to her mother stirred up many unwanted feelings within her. Maya looked up and made eye contact with Carina. "I'll come and help you soon," she said.

"Okay, bambina, I'll just start unpacking these bags," Carina replied.

"Hey, Mia," she said softly, shifting her attention back to Mia on the couch. "I need to take this call. I wont be long, okay?" Mia nodded, her expression curious. Maya moved into the bedroom, seeking a spot where she could speak privately without Mia overhearing.

"Hey... Mom," Maya said as she answered the call, her voice tense.

"Maya," Katherine replied, her tone hesitant. "I... I didn't expect you to pick up. I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"No, you're not," Maya said, keeping her voice clipped. "Why the call?" Although Maya knows exactly what Katherine has called about, Mia.

There was a pause on the other end, and Maya could almost hear her mother searching for the right words. "I wanted to check in on you... see how you're doing."

Maya rolls her eyes "Right," Maya replied, feeling the tension between Katherine and her. "I'm doing fine. Just busy with work."

"Good, good. I'm glad to hear that," Katherine said, but her tone was still uneasy. "Listen, I need to ask you something... Do you... do you know where Mia is?"

Maya doesn't reply, unsure if she even wants to tell her mother that Mia is currently on her living room couch.

Katherine hesitated from the silence to her question. "I haven't heard from her in a while, and we are, your father and I, are worried about her."

A wave of anger surged through Maya. "She's with me," she said firmly, her protective instincts kicking in. Katherine sighed in relief "Maya, she needs to come back home. Lane is angry, and I think it's best if—"

"No!" Maya interrupted, her voice rising despite her effort to stay calm. "She's not going back there. Not now, not ever."

"Maya, you can't just let her stay. She has responsibilities. School is starting back soon, and what about—"

"No" Maya snapped, presuming that next word was going to be 'training'. "She is staying and that is that. I will sort out school. Whether that is her changing schools, I don't know yet"