Chapter Text
Sun billowed through the curtains, hitting her face just right. She stirred in her sleep, hearing the hairdryer coming from the bathroom. That was her signal that Maya was getting ready for her shift.
The brunette laid in bed as long as she could before her bladder succumbed to her. She made her way to the bathroom just as Maya was opening the door.
“Good morning, sleepyhead.” The firefighter greeted with a lopsided smile. She wrapped her arms around Carina’s waist, pulling her close. “Mm, your still warm.”
“Morning bambina.” The Italian replied, sleepily.
“What have you got plan-.” Maya was cut off.
“Before you continue, I need to pee.” Carina said, moving out of her girlfriend's arms and into the bathroom. The blonde chuckled as she went to put her shoes on.
“What were you gonna say?” The doctor asked, washing her hands.
“I was gonna ask what you had planned today.”
“I think I’m gonna go check out Pike Place Market. It’s been awhile since I’ve been and I wanna get some fresh flowers.” Carina replied, leaning against the door frame.
“Will you stop by that Italian bakery and pick up some of those pastries I like?” Maya asked, sauntering up to Carina, shinning her big blues. The brunette smirked.
“The castagnole, sí? I was gonna surprise you with some but, I don’t know if you’ll get any now.”
It was nearing 2 in the afternoon and Carina had browsed through most of the market. She had an armful of fresh tulips and daisies, as well as some fresh Italian desserts, and was headed to the car, but something caught her eye. She stopped in the middle of the bustling crowd before walking over to the booth.
She saw a beautiful painting on display. The canvas had a pond with the brilliant colors of spring surrounding it. In the background was a meadow full of wildflowers.
“How are you today?” A man asked, coming up to her. Carina looked up and smiled.
“I’m okay, how are you?”
“Not too bad. Those are some beautiful flowers you have there.” He said, trying to make conversation.
“Primavera will be here soon and I wanted to brighten up the apartment.” The brunette replied. The man looked confused.
“Primavera?
“Spring. It’s Italian for spring.” She replied. There was a brief pause before she asked, “Did you paint this?”
“I did.” He replied, proudly.
“It’s beautiful. How long did it take?”
“A few months. I thought I’d never get it perfect, but I had to stop eventually. This doesn’t do the actual place justice.” He said, pulling out his phone to show Carina a picture.
“That’s amazing. You have some really beautiful work.” She said, looking around at all the canvases. The man smiled shyly.
“Thanks. Feel free to look around. Let me know if you have any questions.” He replied. Carina nodded and continued to look around at all the paintings on display. She still found herself gravitating towards the painting she saw first. She was hesitant at first but went up to the man.
“Hey, um, is that one for sale? I know it may hold some sentimental value but-.” She asked, pointing to the one up front.
“I’m willing to part ways with it. It needs a new home.”
“Hey Cap, your sugar mama is here!” Vic shouted as she walked by Maya’s office. The blonde glanced out the window to see the familiar Porsche parked out front.
“Hughes, I’m not afraid to give you bathroom duty for a month. Don’t tempt me.” The blonde replied while getting up from her chair. She walked into the reception area hoping to find her girlfriend, but to no avail. She peeked into the barn before making her way up to the beanery.
Her eyes widened at the sight she saw. Her entire team was surrounding the table, grabbing at whatever pastries they could find. The Italian was at the counter putting some flowers in a vase.
“Don’t worry. There’s more at home.” Carina whispered when she saw Maya walking up to her. The blonde nodded and gave a small smile.
“Carina, you’ve gotta come by more often if your gonna bring stuff like this.” Travis said before stuffing a pastry into his mouth. The Italian smiled.
She had met the whole 19 crew gradually over the years that she and Maya had been together. Every now and then, she would join them for dinner or bring leftovers. They had been more than welcoming to her.
“Yeah Cap, why are you hiding her from us? If you don't lock her down soon, I might steal her from you. ” Vic added with a wink. The fire captain just rolled her eyes and wrapped her arm around Carina.
“Get your own.” She replied.
Maya felt her heart swell as an overwhelming feeling of contentment fell over her. She looked over at her team as they bantered back and forth over who would get the last chocolate filled pastry. Seeing them get along so well with her girlfriend made it even better.
“How was the market?” Maya asked, walking out of the bathroom that evening.
“More crowded than usual. They’re starting to get more flowers in... Oh!” Carina exclaimed, remembering what else she got. “I almost forgot.” She said, getting up from the bed and grabbing her car keys. The blonde looked confused as she watched the doctor leave.
A few minutes later, Carina returned with a large canvas in her hands.
“What on Earth did you buy?” Maya deadpanned, but still had a smile on her face. If Carina was happy, so was she.
“Actually, I didn’t buy it. The artist said I could have it if I promoted his business a little.”
“Let me see.” Maya said, wanting to see what Carina had gotten into. For all she knew, it could have been a bunch of paint splatters on a canvas. The blonde was taken aback by what she saw.
“Beautiful, right?” The Italian said, clearly proud of herself. Maya just stood there, mouth agape, as she stared at the painting. “Wow, I thought I was the only one that could make you speechless.” Carina joked.
Maya finally reached out to grab the canvas. She ran her fingers over the textured surface of the pond before they made their way down to the lower right corner. There it was. The familiar signature she had grown accustomed to in her childhood. She traced over the two simple letters that melded into each other. MB.
“Do you not like it?” The doctor asked. “I can hang it in my office or som-.”
"No, no, it’s-, Mason painted this.” Maya revealed, never taking her eyes off the canvas. “This was the place I’d take him when our parents were fighting and yelling at each other. I’d tell my da-, Lane, that me and Mason were going for a run, but we’d always end up here. It was the only place where we could escape from the world.”
Carina’s heart broke for her girlfriend. Although she had problems of her own, Maya’s were just as valid. She watched the firefighter’s eyes scan over the painting once more.
“But then my parents spent all their time and attention on me, and they forgot about him. I was their perfect ‘golden child’, and he was the weirdo who wanted to be an artist.”
The brunette took the painting from Maya and led them over to the couch.
“When was the last time you saw him?” She asked.
“A few years ago. He was living under a bridge at a homeless camp.” Maya replied, looking down at her hands. Carina took one of them in her own and let her continue. “I tried to give him food and supplies, but he said no. I even offered to let him move in with me.”
“He seems to be doing okay now. From what I could tell, he is doing very well. He can afford supplies and rent out a place at the market.” The brunette mentioned. She knew Maya took most of the blame for how Mason ended up. She didn’t know much about the situation, but she had put some of the pieces together.
“But he could have been living his dream if it weren’t for me. He would’ve been able to go to art school if my parents hadn’t poured all their money into my training.” Maya had shed a few tears at this point.
“Maya, you shouldn't worry about what your parents chose to do. That’s their fault, not yours. It’s in the past. Focus on fixing your relationship with him now before it’s too late.” Carina said softly, pulling the blonde into her arms. Maya finally calmed down, knowing the woman was right.
The fire captain got little sleep that night. Her mind wouldn’t stop racing, constant thoughts of her brother were running through her head. Is he still homeless? Did he end up going to art school? Has he stopped using?