My one and only Love

Chapter 23

Cory and Topanga sat down with Riley and talked to her about all that happened, glad to realize that Riley believed strongly in the same morals her parents did and wanted to wait until she was married. She admitted that she knew about Maya and Josh already which had begun to anger Topanga until Riley continued. “Mom, she wasn’t bragging or anything.” Riley said, seeing the tightness in her mother’s lips. “She didn’t even want to tell me, but I followed her into the store and saw her buying…condoms.” Riley found it hard to talk about, her cheeks red, but she wanted so much to help Maya that she pushed through it. “I bugged her about it and she told me that they were doing it, she told me that they’re in love” And Topanga rolled her eyes and Riley tried to ignore it. “And they were being safe. That’s good right? I mean at least they were being safe.”

Cory jumped in there. “Yes, Ri, of course it’s good they’re being safe. But it’s not as simple as that right now.”

Riley sighed. “Why isn’t it? I mean…why are they in so much trouble?” Topanga’s head whipped around to her daughter, shocked at her words. “I know she’s only sixteen, but…lots of sixteen year olds are doing it and not being safe. There’s two pregnant girls in our school right now, at least Maya was safe. And you can’t say they’re not in love, you two kind of trump the young love argument you know.” Riley knew she was on thin ice defending Maya when Topanga was so angry but Maya was her best friend and her sister. She knew Maya would defend her until the end and in turn she would do the same. Topanga was avoiding conversations with Maya about the punishment at the time, Riley was the only hope they had to get how they felt about it across.

“Riley, enough. You’re not going to get her out of trouble. She lied, she did something wrong and she’s going to have consequences for that.” Topanga replied, keeping her temper calm with her daughter this time.

“But she didn’t. Lie I mean.” Riley continued quickly. “I know, I know she’s in trouble, but…she didn’t lie. She just didn’t tell you.”

“A lie of omission is still a lie.”

“Is it? I mean…who tells people about stuff like that? Guys brag about stuff at school, but most of it is lies. Maya just didn’t tell anyone about something personal that’s no one’s business.”

“She is our business.”

“But mom.”

“No, Riley. Enough, I mean it. This is not up for discussion.” Topanga ended the conversation with Riley, but once she and Cory were alone she caught her husband’s expression. “What?”

“She reminds me of you with how she debates.” He was somewhat proud of how mature his daughter could be with such a topic. And his wife smiled, but only for a moment. “She makes a good argument you know.” Cory continued and that was when the smile faded. “She didn’t lie to us, they told us they were dating, and we assumed it was more innocent because of who they are. She doesn’t have to tell you about her sex life – do I want her to have one? No. But it is a personal thing, do you talk to your parents about sex? I know you were angry, we saw things that I never wanted to see.” He visibly shuddered at the thought of seeing the two having sex even if just for a second. “And it was definitely disrespectful for them to do it here. But she didn’t technically lie to you.”

“So what? You think I should just let them off the hook?” She asked, not liking being wrong, especially her husband telling her she was wrong.

“No. They need to think about what happened and why it’s a problem. But I think you need to have a calm conversation with Maya. She loves you Topanga, she needs you and you know your disappointment is a pretty big blow to her.” Cory sighed, standing from his place at the kitchen table and pouring himself some juice. He paused, trying to think of how to word what he wanted to say. “And, uh, I don’t think you should try to keep them apart.”

“Cory.”

“Hear me out.” He told her, taking a gulp of his juice. “He was the only one she would talk to about her mother, he wasn’t a completely negative influence; he urged her to talk to us about it.” He reminded his wife. “Plus…I think you know as well as I do that the more you keep them apart the more they’re going to fight it and try to see one another. Maya is rebellious, always has been, I don’t want her to rebel against us so much that we lose her. She thinks she’s in love, kids do stupid things when they’re in love.” He sighed, knowing all too well about the things kids could do, knowing about the pregnant girls at school, about the talk from the boys about all they said they’d done. He knew that this could go even more downhill than it already was.