Storm

Chapter Twenty-Six

"Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, is this the right time?" Maya questions as she paces in front of the bed, Carina watching from where she lays, underneath the covers, rubbing her tired eyes after being woken at such an early time.

"Bambina, it's up to you," Carina replies, her voice raspy with sleep. "You need to go at your own pace, but I don't think you'll ever feel ready."

Noticing how her words do little to stop her wife from her nervous pacing, Carina sits up, leaning against her pillows as she holds out a hand.

"Come here," Carina says quietly as Maya does what she said, taking her hand into her own.

"Carina," Maya whines nervously, lightly shuffling her feet, and if Carina didn't know that she's so anxious, she would find the nervous action cute.

"Diane and I will be there the whole time and we can go at your pace. You said your goal was a mile and I believe that you can do that, tesoro," Carina smiles encouragingly.

"Diane and I talked about just driving to the park and back," Maya explains and Carina nods, acknowledging that it's a good plan.

The park is only down the road and not near the busy touristy areas of Seattle. The route is mainly back roads, meaning that Maya wouldn't have to worry as much about driving with other cars close by.

However, that doesn't take away her nerves.

Being in a car after the accident is one thing, but driving a car is something completely different.

A few months ago, on that snowy day, Maya was driving the car when they were hit straight on. The trauma is still there and both her and Carina have been trying to do everything in their power to not actively trigger themselves.

Maya already knows that driving a car again is going to be one of her bigger triggers. She has prepared for it. And the way her stomach is in knots and her heart is already pounding against her chest at the thought of what she's going to do later is enough to know that she's starting to get triggered.

But now that she's back at work and Carina would be returning to her job at Grey Sloan, she won't be able to rely on her wife to drive her to the station all the time.

She has to try.

Carina observes how Maya can't stop moving, even with her hands in hers, keeping her tethered by the bed, she wiggles around, unable to stay still.

"Is there something I can do to help?" Carina questions softly, using one of her hands to push back a stray blonde hair, tucking it behind her ear.

Maya merely shakes her head no with a sigh, looking down at her feet timidly before raising her head and gazing into those beautiful brown eyes that are staring back at her.

"It's only five in the morning and you woke me up," Carina states in a sarcastic manner, hoping to get some sort of laugh out of her wife.

"I'm sorry," Maya replies, ducking her head back down again, causing Carina to place a finger under her chin, guiding her head back up and throwing her a small smile.

It's clear that Maya's not in a joking mood.

"You don't need to apologize," Carina states, placing her hands on both sides of her face, against her cheeks. "I want you to come to me when you are stressed or anxious, va bene?"

Maya nods, holding onto Carina's wrists and gently pulling her hands down, keeping them in her own, except for the one that she brings to her lips, setting a quick kiss to the back.

"Now, because you woke me up, can you get back in bed for cuddles?" Carina asks tenderly, a small pout accompanying her words.

This gets a chuckle from Maya as she practically climbs over Carina's body to get to her side of the bed, which is the opposite side from where she was originally standing.