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“This isn’t even about you!” Maddie shouted, “Why can’t you just support me like I supported you?”
“You can’t just give up professional ball to teach a bunch of stupid kids!”
“Why can’t you just be happy for me?”
“Maybe I never should have come here.”
“Fine, then leave!”
Diggie froze, “What?”
Maddie stopped. She straightened up and looked him right in the eye. “I said then leave.”
They stared each other down, in competition, but also in shock. After a moment, Diggie backed out of the room and left through the front door. Maddie heard him shut his car door forcefully and drive away. She was still reeling, just starting to process what had happened. With a sigh, she flopped on the couch and started to let out slow, muffled sobs.
Things had not been great between her and Diggie since he had moved to California last summer. What had started as an innocent, fun relationship had devolved into a battle of wills. Passionate devotion gave way to apathetic disinterest, which in turn gave way to equally passionate disagreement. They were too similar, too stubborn. All a show of emotions, with no foundation of trust. Looking back, she knew it was never going to last. If they couldn’t make it work the first time around, what made her think this time would be different? Face it, she thought, we only ever worked when we were a thousand miles apart.
Josh entered through the back door, where he had been playing a game with Joey.
“Maddie, whoa, are you okay?” he said approaching her. Maddie shook her head. “Do you want some company, or would you rather be alone for a while?”
“You can stay,” Maddie let out a sigh. Josh sat down next to her.
The two sat in silence for a bit, only broken by Maddie’s stifled sobs.
“We broke up,” she said after a moment, breaking the silence. “Finally.”
She paused again, thinking. Josh patiently listened.
“I thought it could be different this time. I thought... he could be different.” She wiped her face. “I just wish he would support me the way I supported him all those times. But he never did. Everything had to be about him. Every decision I made, he always managed to make it about himself.”
She paused again. Josh said nothing. He was there to support and listen.
“I was an idiot to take him back,” Maddie said.
“You weren’t an idiot,” Josh responded gently, “You acted on the information you had at the time.”
“I feel like I was pressured into making that decision. I thought the universe wanted it.” Maddie said, putting “the universe” in air quotes. “But “the universe” was really just Diggie and my sister.”
Josh nodded slowly. He knew exactly what she was talking about. It had been almost two years, but he still caught himself thinking about what could have been, had things gone differently. Sometimes he wondered if he still had a shot with Maddie. But now was neither the time nor the place to ponder the what-ifs. Maddie needed a friend. He wrapped one arm around her shoulder, pulling her into a hug. She accepted it, leaning her head against his shoulder.
“Uh oh, what happened?” Liv arrived at home.
“Diggie and I broke up,” Maddie told her weakly. A look of sisterly rage shot across Liv’s face, quickly replaced by compassion. Liv took a seat on Maddie’s other side and joined their hug.
“Let’s take your mind off of Diggie,” Liv suggested, “How about some fro-yo?”
***
It had been about a month since the breakup. Liv and Josh had been keeping Maddie occupied with various activities to distract her from Diggie. Josh had spent a lot of time with her, engaging in athletic endeavors that Liv tended to shy away from. They went hiking (strenuous physical exercise is good for the mind and body), bowling (nothings soothes anger like chucking a heavy ball at a bunch of pins), mini-golfing, (concentrate on the ball, and you won’t have time to think about anything else), and, of course, played lots and lots of basketball (at which Josh was passable, if not great, thanks to Maddie’s patient instruction).
“He Liv,” Maddie asked, “Can you pick me up from practice tomorrow? Willow can’t take me.”
“What time?”
“Uh, like 6,” Maddie responded.
“Eh, I have a thing until 8. Sorry...”
“You need a pickup at 6?” Josh chimed in.
Maddie nodded.
“I can take you home. I live right near campus anyway.”
“Thanks Josh,” she responded.
***
The next evening, as promised, Josh picked Maddie up from practice.
“How was practice?”
“Oh, it was good!”
“Hungry?”
“Yeah actually.”
“Well I was thinking,” Josh said, “maybe we could go get tacos or something.”
“Ooh, tacos sound great!”
They grabbed dinner at their favorite taco restaurant, enjoying casual conversation the whole time. Josh is so easy to talk to , Maddie thought, he’s nothing like Diggie.
“It’s so nice out,” Josh suggested, “Want to go down to the beach? Just because?”
Maddie nodded eagerly.
It was a perfect early spring evening. The sky was mostly clear, with just a few clouds turning red near the horizon. It was a mild evening. A light breeze blew, so gentle it could hardly be felt. The two pulled into the parking lot overlooking the beach.
“Race you to the water,” Josh said with a grin.
“Oh it’s on,” Maddie responded.
And they were off. They sprinted across the sand, full of joy, and splashed into the gentle tide, kicking water onto their clothes.
They caught their breath, laughing quietly to themselves. Maddie found a flat rock to skip.
“Beat that,” she challenged Josh. And so he did.
It was almost sunset. Maddie and Josh sat side by side in the sand to watch the sun dip towards the horizon.
“Josh,” Maddie asked after a while, looking at him thoughtfully, “Why did you do all this for me?”
He thought for a moment before responding. “Because, you deserve it.”
Another pause.
“It almost feels like we never broke up,” Maddie said.
“You know, technically we never did.”
Maddie glanced up at Josh.
“Josh,” Maddie looked directly at him now, “You know I never stopped liking you.”
They shared a look. In that look was yearning, and hope, things that could have been and things that could still be. Slowly, decisively, Maddie leaned over and placed a kiss on his lips. They looked into each other’s eyes, and Maddie lowered her head to his shoulder.
“Maddie, I didn’t want to force you into anything if you weren’t ready,” Josh explained sweetly.
“I think... I am ready.” Maddie responded. They smiled, and Josh wrapped his arms around her shoulders as the sun set over the calm sea.
***
“Hey, I’m home,” Maddie shouted when they returned.
“I’m outside,” Liv’s voice came through the open back door.
Maddie and Josh made their way outside to meet Liv, Aunt Dena, and cousin Ruby. Dena and Ruby were turning in for the night.
“Hey Mads,” Liv smiled, “Oh hey Josh! Thanks for getting Maddie home. What took you guys so long?”
“Oh, we decided to get dinner,” Maddie said. “And then we went down to the beach, just cause.”
“Cool,” Liv responded. “You guys want to play a game?”
“You know it,” Maddie said.
“Oh hey guys,” Parker greeted them, coming out through the back door.
“Hey Parkie!” Liv chided, “Where’s your gal pal Val?”
“Liv, I swear, if you say that one more time, ”
“Say what?” Val’s voice preceded the girl as she followed him through the door.
“Oh there’s your gal pal Val!” Liv playfully teased.
“Oh that ,” Val said, “Yeah, that is kind of annoying.”
“Well, we’re off to study our sample of bioluminescent plankton. See ya later.”
Liv watched them leave. “Aww,” she sighed, “They’re so wholesome.”
“And you ,” Liv said quickly turning back to a startled Maddie and Josh who were seated across from her, “Don’t think I can’t see you holding hands under the table,” Liv could hardly contain her glee, “You guys got back together!” She squealed. Maddie and Josh smiled and looked away from her eager, prying eyes.
“It was bound to happen,” Liv defended.
And in that moment, Maddie felt like “the universe”, or whatever it was, had finally come through.