Joshaya: the long game or never?

Girl Meets Home for the Holidays

It's Maya's first Christmas with the Matthews family. She wants it to go well so she's spent the last few hours looking for something perfect to wear.

When she finally decides on something she grabs Riley's present and leaves her tiny apartment, making her way to the substation near her place. It's not a long walk so she's standing on the platform in three minutes and then on a train in five.

She's nervous; it's evident from the look on her face, the fake smile that's hiding her inner war of thoughts. She's freaking out because it's Christmas, a time where Maya is used to being alone.

Every year Riley and her family would go down to Philadelphia to stay with Corey's parents for the Christmas break. They would always try to invite her to come with but she'd decline, saying she had to be home with her mom. It was the same lie every year, but only because she didn't want to be a bigger burden in their lives.

This year, though, the Matthews are having Christmas at their house instead so Riley insisted Maya had to come. Remembering how persistent she was makes Maya smile on the train as she travels to Riley's station. She's got one hand pressed against her new winter coat, holding Riley's present to her closely, worrying that it'll slip away, and the other holding onto the pole in the middle of the carriage so she won't fall.

As the train rattles its way under New York taking Maya closer and closer to the Matthew's place, Corey and Topanga are rushing around their apartment getting it set up before their guests arrive.

Corey is rambling on and on about his best friend Shawn, and his wife, she's worrying about what her mother-in-law is going to say about the dinner she has prepared.

Their daughter is also worrying, interrupting her parents talking by saying, "It's Maya's for time with us and I need the holiday to go good for her."

Her father scoffs and gestures to Topanga. "Well I need the holiday to go good for your mother."

"Lia-ahh!" Topanga shouts, turning around to look at her husband with an annoyed look on her face.

Corey smiles, pointing two thumbs at himself and agreeing, "Liar!" He then frantically says, "I need the holiday to be perfect for Shawn. SHAWN'S COMING!"

Riley smiles sadly and walks over to the Christmas tree, starting to place some more decorations on it even though it's already full. Her mother stays standing next to her husband, smiling at his childish-ness.

That is until the speaker box rings and Corey rushes over, clicking the on button and asking excitedly, "Shawn?"

Maya, standing downstairs at the speaker box mimics him, "Maya!" She's never met Shawn but she's heard a lot about him.

"Shawn?" Corey asks again, hoping some magic trick has happened and replaced his daughter's best friend with his own.

To his dismay Maya speaks again, asking, "What's the matter, your boyfriend not here yet?"

"HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND!" Corey yells through to Maya and she laughs. She hears the buzz to say she's allowed to come up and opens the door to their building. She was planning to go through the window to get in but decided that the front door would be a better entrance in case someone else was already there.

Maya gets up the stairs and walks straight inside the Matthews' house. "I don't believe he exists."

"He's real Maya. I've known the guy my whole life and he's real." Corey says.

"You're fun to play with." Maya teases before walking over to her best friend who she hands a card. "Riley, I got you a present."

Riley opens it, reads that it's a "donation" made to Maya's new winter coat fund and thanks her best friend, telling her the coat looks nice. Then they start discussing her uncle Shawn. "I don't see him a lot. I don't...I don't think he likes me."