Peaches & Honey

Sunshine

Maya didn't like rainy days.

Rather, she didn't like days when the sun didn't shine. She didn't like it when she couldn't catch the golden rays shining on Riley's face, turning her golden girl even more golden. Rainy days casted shadows across her beautiful girlfriend's face, obscuring the smile she loved so much. Rainy days were spent indoors, which meant there were no afternoon walks in the park, or sitting outside of Topanga's and sharing a chocolate chip muffin with Riley. Rainy days meant there would be no sitting outside of their tiny apartment, painting capturing Riley's sunshine smile on a canvas. Maya didn't want to paint shadows. She wanted to paint something golden.

Rainy days reminded Maya of the day her father decided that she and Katy weren't good enough for him to stay. To take care of her. To love her. Sure, she had found a father figure in Mr. Matthews, and then Shawn Hunter, but it was a pain that Maya would- could never forget. She'd never forget the night of the loud claps of thunder, and the shrieks of lightning that crashed overhead, the night her mother pretended that the lightning was the Areabolis, and they went on an adventure. Katy didn't know, that long after she assumed Maya was asleep, that Maya was awake, listening to the sound of her mother stifling sobs, her tears running steadily down her face.

Maya didn't like rainy days.

Riley curled up next to Maya, her head tucked onto Maya's shoulder as she flipped between stations on the television. Maya tapped her paintbrush against the canvas, chewing her lower lip as she gazed at Riley. Riley caught her gaze and gave her the trademark, open mouthed grin that she saved especially for Maya. Usually, that grin would provoke a stupidly wide grin to creep onto Maya's face, but it was raining today. Maya didn't like the rain. She gave Riley a small, fleeting smile, and retrained her eyes back on her canvas. She felt Riley's eyes on her, felt the concern in her stare.

"Peaches, what's wrong?" Riley's voice was low. Soothing. Maya glanced up at her and opened her mouth to tell her nothing was wrong, but Riley cut her off before she even began. "Don't tell me nothing is wrong, because I know you better than that." Riley reprimanded gently. Maya sighed, casting her canvas onto the floor. "Nothing's really wrong," Maya muttered. At Riley's doubtful look, she was quick to add, "I just don't like it when it rains."

Riley sat up and clicked the television off. "Why not?" Riley asked, leaning back to tangle her legs with Maya's, her eyebrows raised. "I think the rain is soothing." Maya smiled and shook her head slightly. "Yeah, but you forgot one thing about me," At Riley's silence, Maya retorted, "I don't see the good in everything." Riley's eyebrows furrowed now, as she took Maya's hand. "Why don't you like the rain, Peaches?" Riley asked softly.

Maya groaned, throwing her head back. "I don't like the rain because now we can't go for a walk in the park like we usually do. We can't sit outside of the cafe and share our chocolate chip muffin, and I can't paint you golden. There are too many shadows for anything to be golden. I want to paint you golden, not shrouded in the stupid shadows."

Riley was listening intently. She looked into Maya's eyes, and she knew that there was another reason her girlfriend didn't like the rain. "Why else, Maya?" she asked, her voice soft. Maya sighed, her shoulders dropping. Riley knew her too well. Better than she knew herself. "It reminds me of my dad leaving," she muttered, lowering her eyes to the floor. "It reminds me of all of the sadness and hurt he brought my mom and me. It makes me scared that you'll wake up one day, and decide that I'm not good enough for you either, that you'll leave me too."

Riley's fingers on her jaw made Maya look up, and Riley could see that her girlfriend, the love of her life, was trying so hard not to break, not to cry, not to show any of the fear she felt. She was trying to be brave. But she was always brave, the bravest person Riley had ever known. Maya's bright blue eyes were liquid with tears, and she tried to keep her lower lip from trembling as she gazed into Riley's soulful brown eyes.

"Maya Penelope Hunter, you are more than good enough for me, and then some," Riley's voice was firm, but loving. "I know you're scared, and I know that me telling you not to be won't make you not scared anymore, but I'm gonna tell you anyway. I'm not going anywhere. Not now, not ever. Nothing you can do will make me go away. I promise you that, I mean that with everything I have. I believe in us, and you believe in us. Nothing can take that away."

Maya finally let the tears come, and she threw herself at Riley, sobbing incoherently. She felt Riley's fingers running through her hair, and heard her murmuring, "Maya, it's okay, I got you. It's okay." Maya knew she was right. As long as they had each other, everything would be alright.

As Maya composed herself, she felt Riley's smile against the top of her head. "Hey, Peaches! Look!" Maya's gaze followed the direction of Riley's pointing finger. The rain had cleared, and the sun was peeking through the clouds. A ray of sunshine sliced through the window, shining right on Riley, turning her even more golden. Maya felt a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Riley beamed back at her, her eyes shining. Maya grabbed the canvas off of the floor and swirled the paintbrush in the liquid gold. Riley grabbed a book off of the coffee table. "Add a purple cat in there for me, Peaches." Riley giggled. Maya chuckled as well, grabbing a different paintbrush and dipping it in the purple paint. "Of course, Sunshine." Maya replied.

They sat in comfortable silence, the only sounds that were made were the sounds of pages turning and light strokes of a paintbrush. Riley glanced at Maya, smiling as she watched her girlfriend concentrate, her brows furrowing adorably. Maya looked up, catching Riley's eye. Riley's face split into her adorable, open-mouthed grin, and Maya felt her own grin spreading across her face, her eyes crinkling at the corners. Riley's grin widened impossibly further, and she looked back down at her book. Maya resumed painting, and the comfortable silence continued, until;

"Hey, Riles?"

"Yeah, Peaches?"

"I like rainy days now."