Happily Ever After

17: Dear Maya...

"A letter? From who?" Maya asked curiously, and the teen shrugged, handing her mom the envelope. "His name was Mason,"

———

Maya froze, the final clue causing everything to slide into place. Mason... Wes...

Despite the fact that she'd shooed her brother away from the station, her heart breaking as she did, Mason had finally found a way to make sure that his big sister heard from him once more.

And in her hand now, feeling like it was weighing hundreds of pounds, was an envelope. An envelope with her name on it, in her brother's handwriting.

She felt sick.

Barely hiding the quickly mounting panic within her, Maya excused herself from the room, heading towards their bedroom, and as soon as she reached the on-suite bathroom, clicking the door shut, hot tears spilled down her cheeks. She tried to shove her emotions back inside, but Diane's words got the best of her.

"You are safe now. You were alone before, but you aren't now. You are older, stronger and more resilient than I've ever seen. Any obstacle is no match for you. That life is behind you, you have an entire team, your wife, your girls, and so many friends who would be there for you at the drop of a hat. Family has never been defined as blood. Love is what truly makes a family. And you have the most dedicated family I have ever seen. You can rely on them, lean on them if you need to. Promise me that if you need additional help before I see you next, you can talk to someone you trust, or reach out to me,"

Feeling like she could no longer hold in her heartbreak... her grief or her panic, she broke down in tears.

———

Carina watched her wife carefully. While her youngest was off in her own world, humming as she grabbed her toys, her eldest catching on to the emotions within her mom, the Italian saw as Maya's demeanour changed.

Minutes ago, the blonde was smiling, giggling and happy. They'd had a wonderful afternoon, just the two of them. Their adult time was something they both craved, as physical touch was a very involved part of their love language...

But now...

She looked shattered. Her eyes filled with tears, and putting on a brave face, Maya excused herself, heading towards their bedroom, and they could hear the bathroom door clicking.

"Is mom okay?" Sarah asked nervously, and Carina remembered her girls were here, too. That they worried about their mom just as much as Carina fretted over her wife. Not wanting to scare her eldest, the Italian nodded.

"Si, I think so. Here, why don't we watch a movie while I go check on mom?" Carina suggested, and handed the remote to her eldest as Lucia squealed with joy, jumping to the couch, where Moose quickly settled on the bambina's lap.

"Are you sure mom's okay?" Sarah questioned, biting her lip nervously, and the Italian cupped the redhead's face gently.

"Remember, something appropriate for your sorellina. I promise she is okay, and if she's not, I will be there," Carina assured, and knowing her bambine were set up with a movie, the Italian followed her wife's footsteps from minutes prior, and with a deep breath, opened the door, walking into the bathroom.

Maya looked up at Carina, tears already spilling down her face. Her body was trembling, curled up into a ball, and she was rocking herself back and forth in an attempt to self-soothe. All at once, the Italian wanted to choke her father-in-law for causing pain on his children, to sob because her wife was in pain, and to wrap Maya in a tight, loving hug.