The novelty was wearing off. At first, every time he made love to his wife, Shawn imagined them making a baby together, but after months of trying and nothing, he was starting to wonder if they'd ever get there. The excitement of it had died down, and his life had fallen into an easy rhythm. Shawn had managed to get a job with a small photography studio. It was mostly taking family portraits, sometimes including dogs, but it was a job and it was local.
Informing Maya they were moving had been the highlight of Shawn's week.
"Maya we're moving," Shawn had called down the hall.
"NO," Maya yelled back.
"Oh, but you are gonna love where too!" Shawn replied. His daughter then walked down the hall to glare at him, demanding details, but Shawn kept his mouth shut.
It wasn't until they actually arrived with the first haul of their things that Maya found out where they were moving. The joy on her face when she realized she'd be living just a few meters from her best friend, was really something to see.
After that, Shawn and his family threw themselves into setting up their new home. Maya loved her new leak-free bedroom, and Katy couldn't stop going on about the amazing kitchen. Shawn was reluctant to turn the third bedroom into a photo studio, so it remained empty as the rest of the apartment took shape.
"Now that we have such a lovely home," Shawn began. "Don't you think we should have your parents over?"
They were sitting at the breakfast table, Maya having long ago darted nextdoor to have breakfast with the Matthews. The new apartment had been all set up and put together for at least a month now, and Shawn had passed his probationary period at work.
"You don't want that," Katy said dismissively.
"Oh, yes I do," Shawn smiled. "You didn't even mention inviting them to the wedding. Besides, it's only fair. After all you've met Jon."
"And you've met Gammy," Katy grinned. "See even."
"Gammy is your mother-in-law," Shawn reminded her. "Ex-mother in law actually, since you remarried and all."
Rather than replying, Katy started collecting dishes and stacking them by the sink.
"You told me once your mother's name was Angela," Shawn reminded her.
"My parents aren't exactly together anymore," Katy admitted. She was facing the sink, and the water was running. With a sigh, Shawn stood up and walked toward her, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind.
"If you don't want me to meet them," Shawn whispered. "That's your call. Just answer me this. Why?" He paused for a second before adding. "Are you embarrassed to introduce me?"
"Oh no," Katy gasped turning around in his arms, her hands instantly at his cheek. "It's not that."
"What then?" Shawn asked calmly.
"Well it's sorta that," she admitted. "Just the other way around. They embarrass me."
A soft smile on his lips, Shawn leaned down to kiss her gently. "Don't worry about that." When he pulled away she was smiling too.
"Alright then," Katy whispered. "I'll invite them for dinner."
It was almost a fortnight later when Angela and Paul Hart graced Katy and Shawn with their presence. Though Katy hadn't exactly been exaggerating when she's said they aren't together anymore as the two of them wouldn't visit at the same time.
"It's just them being ridiculous," Katy ranted as they prepared for Paul's visit that afternoon. "I mean really, they can't spend an hour in each other's company for my sake. It's so childish."
"Who said parents weren't children," Shawn chuckled. "I know mine were."
Continuing to mutter under her breath, Katy began over fluffing pillows and double checking for dust. The moment Maya had realized grandpa was visiting, she'd somehow managed to disappear behind the Matthew's front door.
"You know, I'm starting to think getting this place was a bad plan," Shawn mused. "We never see our daughter anymore."
"At least if Maya isn't here, dad can't mess with her head," Katy sighed.
"Just relax," Shawn told her, trying to kiss some calm into her, which did work for a while until the doorbell went.
Katy jumped, then ran for the door. The man who stood there resembled Katy far more than Shawn had expected. They had the same mouth and nose. Katy's hair was lighter than her father's, but the similarities were unmistakable.
"Hey dad," Katy smiled.
"Come here kid," Paul said, moving forward to scoop her up into his arms. "It's been too long!"
"And this must be Shawn," Paul said, extending his hand to shake Shawn's.
"That's me," Shawn said, not sure what to make of the man. He'd so far made a very different impression than Katy had described.
"It's so nice not to have a son-in-law named Kermit," Paul chuckled. "Let me tell you."
"I must confess to laughing a little when I heard the name as well," Shaw admitted.
"I like you, kid," Paul said, throwing an arm around Shawn's shoulders as he walked further into the apartment.
"Don't go leaving her too now," Paul continued.
"I don't plan on it," Shawn mumbled trying to go with the flow.
"It was a right old mess that Kermit made of things for sure," Paul continued. "I thought my Katy would be sad forever."
"She's a pretty strong person," Shawn smiled.
"Oh, and I heard you adopted Maya!" Paul continued, not really listening to what Shawn had said. "Good on you. It's the proper way to marry a women with children, if you ask me."
"Dad," Katy whined, clearly embarrous from the slight blush on her cheeks.
"Don't you dad me," Paul continued. "It's true."
Covering her face - Shawn suspected to cover up rolling her eyes - Katy turned away towards the kitchen, muttering something about getting lunch ready.
"Now it might be a little late for this," Paul said quietly enough so Katy couldn't hear. "But a father has to ask. What are your intentions with my daughter?"
"I married her," Shawn said blinking stupidly at him.
"Well, so did Kermit," Paul scoffed.
"I am not Kermit," Shawn replied definitely.
"Good," Paul added, then raised his voice to call across the apartment and ask his daughter what was for lunch.
It was a strange hour to say the least. Paul talked, Katy squirmed, and Shawn observed. For someone who rarely kept in touch with his daughter, Paul seemed determined to put on a show of the good father-daughter relationship. It did feel just like that though, a show. By the time they'd finished eating, he'd worn out the subject and was asking where his granddaughter was.
"Next door," Katy explained. "At the Matthew's."
"And how well do you know these Matthew's?" Paul asked.
"I've known them all my life," Shawn explained.
"Is that so?" Paul smiled. "So Maya met these Matthew's through you then?"
"Ah, no actually," Shawn replied. "I met Katy and Maya through the Matthew's."
"Oh?" Paul inquired. There was a strange look in Paul's eyes that Shawn didn't understand.
"Shawn's a photographer dad," Katy said clearly trying to change the topic.
"So not only did you settle for my daughter, but you don't even make decent money," Paul huffed.
"Well, look at the time," Katy said suddenly. "Best move this along before mom gets here."
As if on cue, there was a knock at the front door. Shawn was surprised to hear Katy swear under her breath before going to answer the door.
The women who stood in his doorway could only be Katy's mother. Like with Paul, Shawn could see the family resemblance. Katy and Angela had the same eyes and general face shape, along with a similar body type. It was remarkable how you could see pieces of a person in both their parents.
"Katy dear," Angela said. "What do you use on your skin? It's giving you wrinkles."
"Hello mother," Katy sighed.
"I was so glad to hear of your marriage," Angela continued. "For a while I worried you'd end up an old maid."
Then Angela saw Paul. "I thought he was leaving," Angela said.
"I was just about to," Paul scoffed. The two of them were glaring at each other.
"You don't have to leave," Katy said tentatively. "Mom is early. We could hang out all together for a while." Shawn hated hearing the hope in his wife's voice.
"Don't worry, I had the talk with him already," Paul told his ex-wife.
"Oh, great idea Paul," Angela exclaimed. "Scare the young man off why don't you? Like Katy needs to be single for another decade."
That was it. Shawn had had enough. He could see the stress on Katy's face, and it was making him too mad to think straight.
"Alright that's it," Shawn called into the room with authority. "Everyone shut up and listen."
"Shawn Hunter doesn't settle," Shawn snapped at Paul first. "How I met Katy has no bearing on how much I love her. Also it's the 21st century, and father's don't ask for a guys intentions anymore unless they don't respect their adult daughters judgement." Then Shawn turned to Angela and added, "You should be proud of your daughter, whether she's single or not. Also, Katy doesn't have wrinkles, you do!" Turning to address them both he added, "Now, can you two just put up with each other's company for one evening for the sake of your daughter, which I presume you both love, though you could have fooled me."
Shawn was breathing hard once he'd finished speaking. He couldn't quite believe what he'd just done, and he was a little scared to look at Katy for fear she'd be mad at him.
"Well," Angela began. "I've never been spoken to like that."
"Even Kermit wasn't so brasen," Paul agreed.
"Good luck with that one," Angela told her daughter. "You will need it." And the two of them turned away. Shawn could have sworn he heard Angela whisper that Katy might have been better off single before she turned and left. Paul leaving a few moments after her, almost as if they physically couldn't be within two feet of each other.
As the door shut behind them, there was a silence for long moments in which Shawn still didn't want to turn and look at his wife.
"I'm so sorry," Shawn said, though still not looking at Katy. "I just couldn't help it. They're so... I mean... this was my idea, and I'll totally understand if you're mad."
As his heart rate slowed, Shawn finally turned and was more than a little relieved by what he saw. Katy was laughing silently, curled up around her stomach in giggles.
"Katy?" Shawn asked, moving closer. "Are you okay?"
"That was brilliant," Katy managed to gasp through her laughter. "All the things I've always wanted to say to them for years, and you just went-" She was wiping tears from her eyes.
"So you're not upset?" Shawn asked.
"Upset?" Katy laughed. She turned to him, her eyes wide with affection. "I think I love you even more now."
"Thank goodness," Shawn smiled, pulling her in close.
Sometimes you aren't your best self. Usually it's a combination of more than one thing. Maybe work was really hard that day and you skipped lunch, plus your heads been aching since you woke up. Whatever the reason, it's times like these when something that wouldn't usually bother you so much puts you over the edge, and you say something stupid.
There is no way for two people to always agree on everything. The very nature of individually makes that impossible. Living with something, seeing them everyday will always lead to conflict, no matter how much you love them. This is just a natural fact of life. It was a silly fight. One they'd had before. Someone's stuff was in someone else's place, or some chore hadn't been done. Domestic things that are really annoying at the time, but are fairly meaningless later. It wasn't their first fight, and if Shawn has his way, it certainly wouldn't be their last. The difference this time was who had witnessed it.
Shawn hadn't even seen her there until it was too late.
It was her eyes that said it all. Shawn could see the terror in his daughter's eyes, and felt the impact of it in his gut.
"Oh no," Katy whispered. Shawn moved quickly, following Maya down the hall. Her room was shut. He knocked, but no reply.
"Maya, honey," Shawn tired. "I know you're in there."
"Sweetheart, please open the door," Katy begged, having followed right behind him.
Slowly they heard movement, then the sound of the lock. Shawn turned the handle and pushed the door open. Maya was in her bed, face buried in a pillow. The sight nearly broke his heart.
"Please don't cry," Shawn begged her. He moved forward to sit at the end of the bed, unsure how to comfort her.
"It's not the same sweetie," Katy told their daughter. "I promise it isn't."
"Feels the same," Maya managed.
"It isn't," Shawn said firmly, placing a hand on her shoulder. Then to his surprise, Maya turned around and buried her tear stained face in his shoulder. Shawn wrapped his arms around her.
"I know what Kermit and I put you through during our marriage," Katy spoke softly. "And I vowed never to do that again."
"I remember being the kid between two fighting parents," Shawn spoke next. "I too never wanted that for you."
"That's why we were always careful not to argue or fight in front of you," Katy explained.
"Why do you have to fight at all?" Maya sniffed, into his now totally ruined shirt.
"Sometimes it can't be helped," Shawn explained, gently. "People fight, but it doesn't mean we love you or each other any less. And most of all, it doesn't mean we are going to break up Maya. That wasn't the first time we've argument, and it won't be the last.""
"You can't know that!" Maya sobbed.
"Yes I can," Shawn firmly, wrapped his arms around her more tightly.
"You said at the start you couldn't guarantee-"
"And I still can't," Shawn confirmed. "But I can tell you that I can't imagine my world without you and Katy. Domestic arguments don't change that."
"I don't want to lose you," Maya spoke softly, finally raising her head to look up at him.
"You will never lose me," Shawn told her easily, placing a hand on her face. "That I can guarantee."
"That's why he adopted you," Katy smiled.
"Sometimes it's good to argue," Shawn continued. "Rather than let things fester underneath the surface, which in many cases is more dangerous."
Shawn was glad to see the terror gone from her eyes now as she looked at him.
"Maybe it was wrong of us to only let you see one side of the picture," Katy continued. "Maybe we should have shown you how marriage actually works. Then this glimpse wouldn't have scared you so much."
"Just ask Cory about his and Topanga's first fight," Shawn said, grinning. "It was a real doozy, let me tell you. By the end of it, Cory accused her of killing his spirit or something like that. Almost painful to watch and I had a front row seat."
"Mr. Matthew's never mentioned that," Maya said.
"That's because it was just a fight," Shawn smiled. "Married people do it all the time."
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Here's the other update! The next chapter is barely started and I'm about to go on vacation so... it might be a while before I update again. I do have about 15 chapters planned in total for 3 left. :)
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Sneak Peek Chapter 13
Shawn wasn't sure why he was here. He knew he had no reasons to yet shop at his particular location, but all the same this was where his feet had taken him. There was something about the tiny little outfits and adorable chairs that pulled him in. Shawn found himself absently walking through the aisles looking at every adorable decoration. He knew he shouldn't buy anything, but some part of him was still hopeful. Probably the same part of him that refused to do anything with that empty room in their apartment.