Their World | Rilaya

64: Mistake

[A few weeks ago... Maya just got back from Riley's apartment and is in her bedroom, getting ready to go to sleep, when she gets a call.]

"Hello?"

"Hey, Maya its me."

"Dad?" Maya asks in disbelief.

"Yep. I was just checking in to see how you are doing," Kermit answers.

"I'm fine," Maya mutters, still shocked that her father actually called.

"That's good, that's good," Kermit repeats, as he is unsure where to take the conversation. "Anything new with you?"

"I've started dating someone. Well we've been dating for over two years now, but I haven't heard from you since then."

"I know, I'm sorry about that, I've just been really busy... So who is the lucky guy?" Kermit asks.

"Uh... It's not actually a guy," Maya sheepishly says into her phone.

"Oh," Kermit exclaims. "Well who is the lucky lady then?"

"Riley."

"You're best friend?"

"Yeah. I've actually liked her for along time, but never said anything. Once we started dating, we had some ups and downs, but they have only helped me realize that she is the most important person in the world to me. I couldn't imagine us not together. She gave me hope. Now I have hope that one day we might actually get married," Maya finally finishes, after just thinking about Riley made her light up inside.

"Married?"

"Yeah," Maya responds.

"Aren't you a little young to think about getting married?"

"Not if I found the perfect person for me," Maya tries to confidently responds, but her voice still trembles. "Why would you ask that?"

"I just don't want you to be irrational like me and your mother were, and just jump into a marriage you aren't ready for."

"I won't. When Riley and I get married, we will both make sure that the time is right."

"But what if you realize that you two aren't meant to be anything more than friends?" Kermit questions.

"Why are you saying all of this?" Maya shouts into the phone. Despite wanting nothing more than to hang up, she doesn't.

"I don't want you to make a mistake like I did."

"I won't. Riley is the one for me. I don't know how many times I have to tell you that."

"That's what I thought too when I married your mother, but love dies sometimes and you need to realize that, Maya."

"Suddenly you care about me, and want to 'help' me? Well guess what, this isn't helping. Riley could never be a mistake."

"Maya, I didn't think that marrying your mother was a mistake until-"

"Until, what?" Maya interjects. "Until me? Was I your mistake?"

"Maya, please you didn't let me finish."

"Why did you call me? After all of this time why now?"

Kermit sighs. "I'm going to be in New York this Saturday and was wondering if I could buy you lunch, so we could catch up."

"Go to hell," Maya spats.

"1:30. Moonlight Dinner. I'll be there, and I hope to see you there too."

Maya hangs up her phone, before throwing it on her bed.

[The night of the party. Riley and Farkle just left.]

"What am I doing? Why am I not going after her? How could I just let her leave? What if I'm Riley's mistake?"

"Maya, what are you doing just standing there. Come have a drink!"

"I can't be Riley's mistake, can I? We are meant to be? Aren't we? What if he was right? Maybe he was right... He was right... I'm just a mistake for everyone."

[The day after the party. Maya walks into Moonlight Dinner and spots her father across the room, and walks over to the table he is seated at.]

"Maya, you came! I didn't think you would actually come."

"Yeah well... You were right."

Maya sits down at the booth, not looking her father in the eyes.

"Right about what?

"I made a mistake. Now mine and Riley's love is dead, because I murdered it. I had to come here to thank you."

"Thank me for what?" Kermit asks, narrowing his eyes.

"Teaching me what to do when something bad happens in a relationship," Maya says, looking up and into her father's eyes.

Kermit is silent.

"Run away."

[Back to the present, where Maya and Turner are at the coffee shop.]

"And that's what happened," Maya finishes.

"Maya, you know that running away isn't going to fix anything between you and Riley."

"What if there isn't any chance for us being together anymore?"

"Riley gave you hope, so use it to believe that your relationship will work out in the end."

Maya stands up. "Thank you for talking me, Turner. I should be going now."

"I hope our conversation helped you, Maya. I hope it taught you something."

Maya nods and plasters a fake smile on her face, before walking away.