The Heart Wants What It Wants

Chapter 1

Maya's POV
9th June 2026
Tuesday

After an excruciatingly long day of work at the art gallery, I unlock the apartment door, and collapse onto the couch in the tiny living room. I pull my hair out of its untidy ponytail, and start writing the new article for the blog.

To my surprise, two bundles of fluff jump onto me from behind the couch, and I shriek.

A small girl with doe-like brown eyes flutters her long eyelashes at me, her long golden locks knotted up. Her blue-eyed and brown haired brother wraps his arms around his triplet. Both of them are covered in fluff. There's enough fluff on them to stuff a several cushion!

"What are you two doing here? You're supposed to be at daycare," I verbalise, scooping my two children up into a giant bear hug. I have raven paint stains on my shirt, and my jeans are ripped, but Luke just dips his fingers into the paint, and gives his sister cat whiskers.

"I brought them home early. Remember what's happening?" a familiar, happy voice booms from the bedroom.

I raise my eyebrows, and find myself grinning as my idiotic boyfriend lumbers out, still wearing his hospital uniform. Charlie's long fingers lift dramatically, and little Hope screams theatrically as her father chases her around the apartment, with Luke following suit, urging his father to tickle his sister. The rascal changes his mind when Charlie heads off after Luke.

The kids head into the kitchen, while Charlie pulls me up from the couch, and I frown.

"You're not meant to be wearing your uniform."
"Well...maybe you can help me get out of it."
"Not in front of the kids," I hiss, before he presses his lips against mind. After six years, he still makes my body light up with delight, every time he does something romantic.

"Eww...Mummy and Daddy are being yucky," Hope giggles. To both of our surprise, Hope turned out to be a tomboy, chucking all of her Barbie dolls out of the window, and persuading Luke to climb trees and roll around in the mud.

Charlie ushers the kids back into their minuscule bedroom, and turns to me.

"Do you know why the kids are home early?"
"To disrupt our-"
"Nope. Not that ya dirty girl."
"We're going to rob a chocolate store."
"Nope."
"I give up."
"Come on."
"We both know that in this relationship, you're the smart one. I work at an art gallery for goodness sakes."
"I'm a doctor at a hospital, and you're the best art restorer there is, they said so in the newspaper."
"Whatever."
"Our flight leaves in three hours."
"What flight?"
"The flight to New York. Remember?"

I smack my forehead and crumple onto the couch.

How could I forget my best friend's wedding? We've been planning it together for the past six months!

I must be just tired after all of those excursion groups at the art gallery, I think to myself, and Charlie rolls his eyes playfully.

"Parenthood makes you forgetful, and that's okay. I've packed and everything."
"Did you remember my headphones?"
"That and the c-"
"Charlie! The kids are in the next room!"
"So?"

I shake my head as my boyfriend dashes towards the bathroom, and sneakily chuck a certain something into the bin.

I open my computer and type:

Once A Rascal; Always A Rascal

--------------------------------
2am
10th June 2026
Wednesday

"Maya..." Charlie shakes me awake roughly, and I groan into the seat of the aeroplane.

"We're here."
"No we're not."
"Get up."
"You're not the boss of-OI!!! STOP TICKLING ME!!!!!!"

Crap, I just woke the triplets up.

Hope and Luke look so cute together, with Hope curled up on her younger brother's lap. Even though she's one minute and twenty-six seconds older, it feels like she's the younger one.

I lead/drag the kids to the bathroom while Charlie hauls our luggage out of the compartment.

"Mummy, are you and Daddy married?" Hope asks innocently, as we both sit on the sink, waiting for Luke.

For five year olds, these kids are pretty smart. They must've gotten Charlie's genes...

"No sweetheart."
"Why Mummy?"
"Cause we like where we are right now."

The truth is, I never really expect for Charlie to propose to me, but an almost unnoticeable part of my heart is whispering, Why hasn't he proposed? I like being his girlfriend, and we have a happy life with our kids.

Luke waddles out of the cubicle, and says, "Mummy why are your eyes blurry?"

My children never fail to make me laugh.

We all sleepily trudge out of the bathroom, and search for Charlie.

"Charlie? Idiot?"
"Daddy?"
"Daddy?"
"Luke, you're copying me!"
"No I'm not."
"Yes you are."
"NO I'M NOT."
"YES YOU ARE."
"BE QUIET YOU TWO!"
"Mummy?"
"Yes Hope?
"Why are we screaming?"
"There's Daddy!"

Strangely, Charlie is leaning against a wall. He's as still as a statue, and his eyes look like his brain has wandered out of his head, into another planet. I snap my fingers, and he looks up at me, and jumps.

"You scared me," he mumbles, as we fly through customs and luggage.

"You were in some sort of daze," I mutter, dragging our suitcase to the pickup.

"PEACHES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"RILEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

I drop everything on Charlie's foot, and sprint towards my best friend.

Clumsy as always (in a good way of course) she collides into me, and we both fall on the ground, laughing our heads off. Even though we've been planning the wedding together, I haven't seen Riley in the flesh since Christmas 2024.

She looks just as beautiful as ever, her silky mocha flowing down her back, covering her floral singlet and pink shorts. She makes me feel scruffy in my plain, paint-covered white shirt and ripped denim jeans.

"Hey Riles!"
"I missed you!! YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY"
"I definitely can't stop this, can I?"

"Auntie Riley!" the two triplets screech, skidding towards our bundle.

Riley absolutely adores the two. She engulfs them in a warm hug, and their grins stretch from ear to ear.

Charlie hobbles over to visit Lucas, Farkle and Zay.

"I got you presents."
"Sweetie, you shouldn't have-"
"Not for you."

I pretend to be shocked, opening my mouth and fake-fainting dramatically. Riley's laugh rings in my ears, as she hands the little ones two presents.

Luke instantly hugs his new penguin onesie, and Hope puts on her cowboy-or should I say cowgirl-hat.

"Luke is a penguin," Riley giggles, as we walk out of the airport, arm in arm, like the good old times.

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Three updates in one day, how on earth did I do this?
Oh yeah, that's right I'm on HOLIDAY. Only until Wednesday though.
If you're confused, in the first book, Maya was pregnant with triplets, but one of the babies died in the womb.
So I have a very juicy and shocking plot for this story.
And if you're a 5SOS fan you'll understand.
Bye,
-Claire 21/1/16