Chapter Text
It was never in Maya’s plans to be taking a trip to Europe when she was 17 years old. It definitely wasn’t Lane’s plan either, but somehow she was on a plane to Europe, sitting beside her godmother, Eleanor.
The whole thing had come along a lot more simple than it felt like. Eleanor had been making her 6-month annual visit to Seattle. Eleanor had been living in Italy since she was in her early twenties, now only coming back to visit her family, especially her god-children, Maya and Mason.
Eleanor had been sitting on the couch with Maya, going through the scrapbooks from her last six months while Maya talked about wanting to leave with her. Eventually, with a lot of convincing from Eleanor, Lane and Katherine allowed Maya to make the trip with Eleanor. She would be gone for a month of her summer break and she couldn’t wait to escape.
When Eleanor and Maya got there, they slept off the jetlag and then Eleanor awoke one morning, finding Maya sleeping comfortably in her guest bedroom. Eleanor smiled and walked over to Maya’s bed, sitting on the edge of it and brushing back Maya’s blonde locks, coaxing the girl from sleep.
Maya groaned and turned toward the touch, eyes squinting as she adjusted to the small light coming in from the window. “Hey, Maya, I’m heading to work,” Eleanor smiled and Maya sat up, rubbing her face tiredly.
“When will you be back?” Maya asked in her tired gaze.
Eleanor stroked her hair back softly and pressed a small kiss to her temple, “Later tonight. No later than five. Then we’ll go have dinner with my friends, remember?” Maya nodded and Eleanor stood, getting off the bed. “Go out today. There’s a plethora of small shops around. Go buy me a vinyl from that record store, visit the bookshop, please just get out of here today,”
“Okay, okay,” Maya grinned. “See you later, Auntie Ellie,” Maya waved and watched Eleanor walk out of her room, closing the door on the way out. Maya lounged around in bed for a few minutes before she got up and started her routine.
She brushed her teeth, washed her face, changed, and started her workout. After that finished, she showered and got dressed for the day before she went into the kitchen and prepared herself a small breakfast.
Maya looked at the dining table and smiled when she found money lying there with a sticky note beside it, a smiley face on it. Maya grabbed the money, put it in her pocket, and ate breakfast, thinking about what she was going to do while her godmother was away.
Maya had walked her way into the small town in Northern Italy and found the music store Eleanor was talking about. At first, instruments were lying inside, but past the beaded curtains, she was able to find rows and rows of Vinyls and CDs.
Maya let some of her hair fall out from behind her ear and in front of her face as she carefully looked through the albums. There was nothing particular she was looking for, she just wanted to find something her aunt would like and they could listen to while they talked about life and other things.
Maya caught a movement in the corner of her eye and she at first ignored it until she felt the presence closer to her. Maya looked up and saw the girl standing in front of her. “Ciao,” The girl greeted.
Maya hesitated for a moment before she smiled. This girl was beautiful. Her hair was pushed back by sunglasses, a bag hung over her shoulder and she looked like she had come from heaven, a true angel. “Ciao,” Maya repeated the words that fell from the girl's mouth.
“Mi chiamo Carina,” The girl stuck out her hand.
Maya subtly wiped her hands against her shorts and cleared her throat, “I’m sorry. I don’t speak Italian. I just know enough to get me through restaurants and stuff like that,” Maya cleared her throat and shook the girl's hands.
“Oh, that’s okay. I speak English. My name’s Carina,” She reintroduced herself and Maya let out a small breath of relief that this girl knew English. “So where are you from then?”
“America,” Maya said, and when Carina gave her an unimpressed smile she chuckled nervously. “Sorry. I’m from Seattle Washington,”
Carina hummed thoughtfully and began to sort through the records in the row beside the one Maya was looking at. “I hear it rains a lot there,” She smiled.
“Yeah! All the time!” Maya's eyes widened when she realized she had forgotten to introduce herself, “I’m sorry! My name’s Maya,” Maya introduced herself and watched as Carina’s hands delicately searched through the rows, clearly searching for something in particular.
Carina grinned, “Well it’s nice to meet you, Maya from Seattle,” Carina grinned and Maya smiled. “So what brings you here?”
“Oh, my aunt sent me. She wanted me to get out of the house while she was at work. What about you?”
Carina shrugged and picked up an album, turning it over to check for any damage. “My mamma sent me. She asked me to get the Beatles. We’re having guests over tonight and she took this album with her to America a few years ago so she needs one for here too,” Carina rolled her eyes playfully and Maya chuckled.
“My godmother loves the Beatles. I’ve been listening to them since I was a kid,”
Carina grinned, “Do you want to come home with me?” Wow, Maya realized this girl was fearless.
“I’m sorry?”
“Do you want to come home with me? You can listen to the album with me until you have to go,” Carina shrugged, “Just an offer,” Carina began to walk away and Maya immediately followed her to the register. “You coming?”
“I am,” Maya smiled with a nod, Eleanor would have wanted her to do this.
Carina led Maya outside after she purchased the album and Maya carried the album while she pushed her bike along. Carina led Maya out of the town and to a small trail that led to a hill. Together the two walked and Carina talked while Maya remained quiet and listening, only speaking when she needed to; it was like that a lot when she was home.
“So, what’s life like here for you?” Maya asked.
Carina smiled, “It’s good. I’m planning to study at the University of Rome when school starts back up. I’m with my nonna for the summer though,”
“What are you going to study?”
“Medicine,” Carina answered simply, “My papa is a surgeon so I always knew that I wanted to go into the medical field. I would like to be an OB but he isn’t so keen on that idea. But my mamma loves the idea. She lives in Wisconsin with my baby brother, Andrea. She moved there when I was sixteen so they’ve been there for two years now. She does photography. She’s home for the summer before she and him go back home though,”
“That’s nice,” Maya said.
Carina tilted her head, “You don’t talk much,” Carina observed.
“No, not much,” Maya replies softly.
“You should change that. Tell me about yourself,” Carina said.
Maya shrugged her shoulders, the record clutched to her chest as if a shield to her heart. “There’s not much to say,” Maya replied.
“I’m sure there’s plenty,” Carina led Maya away from the direction of the house on top of the small hill and led her to a fenced-in backyard. She lifted the bike carefully, put it over the fence, and climbed over the fence with ease. Once she was safely on the ground she helped Maya over with a giggle.
“Well, I already told you my name. I’m seventeen but I’ll be eighteen in a few months. You know where I’m from,” Maya thought and smiled, “I have a younger brother, his name is Mason. I’m here with my aunt, well my godmother. She lives here and I wanted to come finally. Plus, I think I’ll end up here one day,”
“What for?” Carina asked with a slight head tilt.
“I’m a good runner. I want to run in the Olympics one day and I’ve been training with my dad. When I go back home though I’ll get to train with Olympic coaches and former Olympians,” Maya turns sheepish and she begins to shift the way she was holding the record before.
“So I’m talking to a future Olympian?” Carina asked and Maya shrugged with a small nod. Carina laughed, “Awesome,” She then snickered and gently bumped her shoulder with Maya’s, “And you said there’s not much to know,” Carina rested her bike against the tree in the yard and sat in the grass. Maya sat beside her and smiled.
Carina gently plucked a small flower from the ground and twirled the stem between her fingers. Maya had no idea why she agreed so quickly to go back with Carina; a stranger she hadn’t known for hardly an hour. Maya figured it was her intrigue and curiosity about the woman, not the small crush she had on her.
“So, what else is there to know, Maya?” Carina asked and Maya shrugged.
“I like music and my favorite subject is English even though I hate reading,”
Carina only laughed at Maya, “How can you love English if you hate reading?” Carina asked.
Maya shrugged, “I guess it’s like a paradox, isn’t it?”
Caring shrugged but nodded, “Guess so,” Carina whispered. She laid back in the grass, a long and relaxed sigh leaving her lips.
Maya remained sitting up. Together they sat there in silence until Carina’s name was called loudly from the lungs of a teenager. Maya soon found out he was Carina’s little brother, Andrea, or Andrew as she quickly learned he preferred.
Carina led Maya into the house and Maya stood close to Carina, looming behind her as Carina navigated the house with ease. Maya saw the large grin that fell on Carina’s face when her eyes landed on her mother. “Mamma!” Carina exclaimed, rushing over to the older woman and wrapping her arms around her.
“Ciao Carina! Ciao Ciao! Ah, mia figlia! Sei bellissima!” She exclaimed. Maya stood there awkwardly until she was noticed. The woman turned to her daughter with curious eyes, “Chi è quello (Who is that)?”
“Il mio nuovo amico. L’ho incontrata al negozio di musica (My new friend. I met her at the music store).” Carina shrugged.
“And her name, Carina?” The woman switched to English and Carina chuckled.
“This is Maya Bishop from Seattle Washington. She’s here with her aunt for a month,” Carina smiled and introduced Maya, “Maya, this is my mamma, Lucia,”
Lucia stuck her hand out and Maya shook it, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Maya,”
“Likewise, ma’am,”
Lucia cringed, “I am not a ma’am,” Lucia said with a joking grin, “Just call me Lucia,” Maya nodded with an apologetic smile. “Did you get what I asked for?” Lucia asked her daughter and Carina nodded. Carina took it from Maya’s hands gently and held it up for Lucia to see. “Ah! This is my favorite album, you know?” Lucia asked.
Carina nodded with a chuckle, “I know, Mamma.”
“Play it, will you?” Lucia asked.
“Of course,” Carina whispered with a small smile. She walked into the living area and placed the vinyl on the record player. She lifted the stylus and placed it down on the edge of the vinyl, it only took a few moments until the gentle hum filled the room.
Carina entered the kitchen once more and began to bob her head softly to the music while Maya gently hummed along. Carina eventually got bored and pressed a kiss to Lucia’s head before she took Maya’s hands and led her through the house and into her room.
Maya was met with natural lighting all around the room and she smiled. To the sides, she had textbooks leaning against the wall and a desk pressed up against the wall in front of her window. Most of Carina’s walls were covered with different posters and magazine clippings. The first part of the room that truly caught Maya’s eye was the large map on the wall, different colored push pins were pressed accordingly.
Carina flopped down on her bed and looked up at Maya to see her standing near it, eyes tracking over the map. “That’s my map. The blue places are places I’ve been and the red pins are places I want to go. When I can, I’m going to visit every place I can,” Carina whispered.
Maya turned to her, “That’ll be impossible with med school,”
Carina rolled her eyes, “Well one day I won’t be in med school and I’ll be able to,”
Maya hummed softly, “So you’re a dreamer?” Maya asked.
Carina tilted her head on her pillow, hair spreading around her head in a halo that was messy and playful but still showing the way Carina was; angelic and playful. “What do you mean?”
“I’ve always categorized people. There are the lovers, fighters, and other types. But you’re a dreamer. The dreamers are just too far away from Earth that you’ll never pull them down. They have high expectations of the world that won’t ever be exceeded, or touched really,” Carina scowled, “But just because their expectations are high doesn’t make them any less real. They’re imaginative and emotional and see the world for something it’s not but something it could be,”
Carina’s scowl turned into a small grin, “Are you a dreamer?” Carina asked.
Maya shrugged and sat down on Carina’s bed. Carina lifted her legs, planting her feet on the quilt-covered mattress, her knees pointing to the side while the rest of her focus was on Maya.
Maya pushed her hair behind her ear and crossed her legs, “I want to be but that’s nearly impossible,”
Carina frowned softly, “Well if you’re not a dreamer, then what are you?” Carina asked.
“I’ve been told that I’m a realist,”
“And what does that mean?”
“Realists don’t go for optimism or pessimism, they’re sort of the middle ground of everything. I’m not too far away from the earth like a dreamer, but I’m also not entirely tied to the earth either. I can dream, but not like I want to,” Maya shrugged softly.
Carina sat up and crossed her legs, leaning in close to Maya. “You’ll be here for a month?” Carina asked and Maya nodded. “If you promise to keep me company, I can show you how to be a dreamer,” Carina said, her seriousness made shown through the hopeful glint in her eye.
“Okay,” Maya whispered. Carina stuck out her pinky and Maya linked them, a smile on both of their faces.
**** ***
Maya adjusted her shirt and stood beside Eleanor, looking up at the familiar house. “So this is your friend's house?”
“It is!” Eleanor knocked and suddenly the door opened, showing Lucia with a large smile.
“Eleanor!” Lucia exclaimed and wrapped her arms around her in a hug.
“Ciao Bella! Ah, look at you! Oh, how I’ve missed you!” Eleanor hugged her and laughed with an excited tone.
Carina came running to the door, smiling when she saw the woman who had been there to help fix up her nonna’s house. “Ellie!” Carina exclaimed.
“Ah, Carina! Look at you! You must’ve gotten taller while I was away!” Eleanor released Lucia and hugged Carina.
Lucia looked at Maya and smiled, “Maya?”
Carina’s interest peaked and she looked up from Eleanor's shoulder, “Maya? Maya Bishop?”
“Hey,” Maya waved and Eleanor looked at the three women in front of her.
“You know each other?”
Maya shrugged, “More or less,”
Carina chuckled, “I brought her home with me today after we met in the music store downtown. I didn’t think she was the one you were bringing tonight,”
Eleanor looked at her, “What would your father say if he found out you went home with a random girl? He would kill me, Maya,”
Maya shrugged, “He’s not here. He doesn’t have to know,” Maya giggled and Eleanor smirked softly.
“I taught you well,” Eleanor and Maya entered the house and Maya and Carina remained close to each other, smiling and giggling together.
**** ***
Maya hummed along softly to the music that filled Carina’s room while Carina cut out parts of a magazine. Carina looked up and smiled softly at Maya.
Carina found Maya incredibly beautiful like this. She was wearing one of Carina’s t-shirts since she and Eleanor decided to stay the night, per Carina’s request. Maya was relaxing in a way she hadn’t seen her relax all night and Carina couldn’t help but feel lucky.
“What’s your biggest goal?” Carina asked.
Maya smiled, “To make it to the Olympics,” Maya answered and Carina hummed thoughtfully.
“And if you couldn’t go to the Olympics, what would you do?” Carina asked.
Maya shrugged and moved around so she laid on her stomach the same way Carina was. Carina looked at her and rolled onto her back. “I guess I would want to help train athletes. Maybe I’d get a teaching degree and coach track at a high school or something. Or I’d be like Aunt Ellie and get into architecture or interior design,”
Carina began to giggle and held the magazine to her face, trying to stifle her laughter.
“What? Why is that funny?” Maya asked.
Through Carina’s giggles, she blurted out, “Because! Your goal, no, your dream,” Carina corrected, “is to go to the Olympics but then if you can’t do that, you’re going to teach and coach track?” Carina asked and Maya nodded, “Oh, Bambina! That’s awful!” Carina exclaimed.
“Bambina?” Maya asked with furrowed eyebrows.
“Never mind that. You wanted to become a dreamer and that is not a dreamer. It’s a realist. It’s paradoxical,” Maya laughed. “Hey, you said it yourself, dreamers are unrealistic. You said a dreamer sees the world for something it’s not but for something, it could be, where’s that side of you?” Carina asked.
“Not here,” Maya shrugged.
Carina chuckled and nodded, reaching for her glue stick and scrapbook. “Clearly,”
“Well then, Dreamer,” Maya teased and Carina giggled, “What do you see the world for something it could be but something it’s not?”
Carina remained silent for a moment and the only thing they heard was the music stopping, meaning one of them needed to get up and flip the vinyl, “Beautiful,” Carina responded and got up, walking over to her record player and flipping the vinyl. “This world is cruel and I think because everyone knows that in some way or form, we tend to embrace it more. But I hate that. I want the world to be beautiful so I’m going to pretend like it is until the second I die,” Carina whispered.
Maya looked at her thoughtfully, watching as Carina lay on the floor again. “And what if you find out someday that the world will never be beautiful in the way you want it to be?” Maya asked.
“Then I’ll find something new to dream about. Life is too short to spend your life a realist,” Carina whispered and Maya remained silent. Carina yawned and rolled onto her back. “Are you tired yet?”
Maya only nodded and together they both climbed into Carina’s bed, bodies separated and heads on two pillows. By the morning, the two girls were cuddled close together and far away from the world, living in their dreams.
**** ***
Eleanor kissed Maya’s head, promising to be back to get her later that night as she left the house to go to work. Over the last week, Eleanor and Maya had been spending a lot of time with the DeLucas.
Carina walked out into the hallway and smiled at Maya, “Ready to go?”
Maya nodded with excitement and Carina took her by the hand and led her outside. Maya took one of the bikes which she found out was Andrew’s old one, Carina used her own and together the two girls biked along a trail.
Carina turned off the trail once they neared a lake and Maya smiled. Carina swung her leg over the seat of the moving bike, her feet landing on the ground in a light jog as she let the bike fall to the ground with ease. Maya stopped the bike beside Carina and she got off the bike, letting it fall softly.
Carina slipped off her shoes and clothes, leaving her in her swimsuit. Maya followed her lead and then Carina led her to the water's edge. She walked to the glistening and shimmering blue water and stood beside Carina.
“This was my favorite spot to come when I was a kid. My mamma would take us and hold us just above the water and whisper to us about the sky, water, and nature and the beauty of it all. This was the place I first learned to dream,” Carina smiled.
Carina entered the water and Maya stayed for a few moments until Carina beckoned her to the water and Maya swam out to Carina.
Carina giggled and wrapped her arms around Maya, “What are you doing?”
“Relax! I’m not going to kill you!”
“Doesn’t feel like it!” Maya retorted and Carina laughed, continuing to hold Maya softly in a hug. Maya let out a small huff and leaned against Carina. “Okay, I’m relaxing,” Maya whispered.
“If you can’t go to the Olympics, become a teacher, or an architect, what are you going to do?” Carina asked and Maya shrugged, “Think big, don’t just settle for some lame thing just because you can’t get what you want,”
Maya thought about it and began to smile, “I guess I’d like to be a movie director,”
Carina smiled, “That’s better. When you were younger, what did you want to be?”
Maya giggled, “A mermaid,”
“Me too,” Carina smiled. “I also wanted to be a princess. Isn’t it beautiful out here?” Maya looked around and nodded. “Sometimes I come out here before sunrise. When the water touches the lake like that, it’s hard to tell where the world begins and ends. It’s just so beautiful,”
Maya remained silent and tried to imagine what that would be like. She’d never seen something like what Carina was describing but she wanted to.
**** ***
It wasn’t until halfway through the trip that Maya realized her excitement of being around Carina wasn’t just excitement, it was a full-on crush. Maya held that part of herself close to her chest and away from most people, excluding Eleanor. Carina was unlike any person she’d ever met before.
Maya found herself spending the night at Carinas or Carina at hers almost every night. On one of the few nights they spent apart, Maya woke up early and walked into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes and finding Eleanor sitting at the dining table with her sketchpad and pencil in front of her.
Eleanor looked up, lifted the glasses off of her nose, and pushed them up into her wavy brunette hair. “Buongiorno,” Eleanor greeted.
“Good morning,” Maya smiled.
“Come sit beside me. I need help with this new home I’ve been asked to renovate,” Maya walked over to her and pulled a chair to sit directly next to her. Maya brought her legs onto the chair and wrapped her arms around them. “So, you and Carina have been getting close, hm?” Eleanor asked.
Maya nodded, “Guess so. Carina’s a good person. I’m glad I got to meet her,” Maya whispered and Eleanor softly bumped her shoulders with her.
“I knew you would like her. She’s a sweet girl. You need more people like her in your life,” Eleanor commented and she smiled. “So, do you like her?” Eleanor asked with a small wink.
“Uh,” Maya shifted, “Kind of,”
Eleanor clicked her tongue and lifted her pencil, softly sketching something down, “Beg to differ. You look at her and Maya, kid, it looks like you’ve got hearts in your eyes instead of pupils,”
Maya blushed and Eleanor chuckled, “Is it that bad?”
Eleanor cackled and nodded. “But that’s okay, it’s normal, remember? No matter what Lane says,” Eleanor grins. “You should tell her how you feel,”
“And what? Get into a relationship with her and send messages by carrier pigeon until she moves or I do? No thanks,”
Eleanor rolled her eyes, “Haha. Very funny. No, Maya. Distance is hard, but it makes the heart grow fonder. I mean sometimes, it’s like the distance is hardly there, like you guys are the closest you’ll ever be,” Eleanor clearly lied but Maya was smarter than that.
“That’s paradoxical. Aunt Ellie, I am seventeen years old, I don’t know if want a relationship,”
“But you clearly want something with her,” Maya glared and got up, “Wait! I need your opinion on this!” Eleanor exclaimed but Maya walked back into her room and Eleanor groaned.
**** ***
Maya curled up in Carina’s bed. Carina’s eyes were closed already and Maya allowed her eyes to trace over Carina’s features with ease. Perfect nose, perfect eyelashes, perfect little freckle that sat right above Carina’s lip.
Carina peaked an eye open when she felt staring, “What?” She asked with a small smirk.
“What?” Maya asked.
Carina hummed, “You’re staring at me,” Carina whispered and brought her hands to rest under her head, “Why?”
“What?” Maya asked and her smile grew the slightest bit bigger at Carina’s giggle.
“Tell me what you’re thinking about,” Carina whispered.
The room had been dark except for the light that trailed into the room from the night sky. It only danced across Carina’s floor and touched the bed, it allowed
Maya to see Carina’s face better, though it was still hardly visible to her it was enough to remind Maya just how beautiful the girl in front of her had been.
“You,” Maya replied.
“Me?” Maya nodded, “What for?”
Maya shrugged and smiled at her, “Just cause,”
Carina reached out and brushed Maya’s hair back softly, smiling when Maya subtly leaned toward Carina’s touch.
Carina hadn’t been blind. She knew that Maya liked her but she wasn’t going to go out of her way to say anything to Maya. She wasn’t looking for anything at the moment but she definitely wouldn't have been mad to find something, especially with Maya.
Carina also hadn’t been blind to Maya’s beauty. There was a reason Carina had sought her out in that music shop. She had seen Maya from across the room, blonde hair falling over her face and framing it perfectly as her hands sat at the ends of each album, pushing them back and forth as her eyes scanned the pictures and the words. Carina had noticed she wasn’t looking for anything in particular but Carina had been and Maya was right where she needed her to be.
Carina looked at Maya and saw the longing in her eyes. She had seen the longing in her eyes since she first got the opportunity to look into those blue eyes. Maybe that’s why Carina wanted her to come home with her so badly.
Carina brushed her fingers over Maya’s cheek softly. Carina had brushed her fingers over Maya’s face in the late nights and she played with her hair in the early morning. Maya would let her and be content to lay there and let Carina's fingers run through her hair.
“What do you want from this life?” Carina asked
Maya remained silent. Her brain didn’t bother trying to think of something like this when it was so late, but Carina asked again, “What do you want from this life?”
“Love,” Maya whispered. “I want that more than I want a gold medal. You were right about this world being cruel. We have all experienced it in one way or another, some more than others. This world is so full of hatred and anger but I just want love. This world isn’t filled with love but it could be if only people would open their minds and try to see the world for something it’s not. If only they would dream,” Maya sighed frustrated.
“Is this something that frustrates you?”
“Yes,”
“Are you afraid?” Carina asked.
Maya furrowed her eyebrows, “No. No, I’m not afraid,” Maya sighed and Carina curled her hand softly, the back of her fingers dancing over Maya’s face. “Yes. I am afraid,”
“Of what?”
“Of never being loved. If I’m not loved then what good is life and the world? I’m terrified that I’ll love something so much I’ll destroy it but I’m terrified I won’t ever find something to love enough to destroy. I don’t want to turn into what the world is, I want to be something the world has never seen before,”
“Just by existing you are something the world has never seen before. The world has never felt your touch, heard your laugh, or seen your smile. It may have seen something similar but it hasn’t seen you yet. I don’t think even you have seen you yet,”
“And how do you think I’ll know if I’ve seen me?”
“I don’t know. I think some part of you will just know. I know I haven’t seen me yet,”
“Where do you think you’ll be when you see you?”
“I picture myself on a beach somewhere. I’m with someone who means a lot to me. The wind will be blowing my hair and making me look like a supermodel,” Maya giggled, “And the sun will be shining on my face,” Carina whispered. “And what about you? Where will you be?”
“I’d like to imagine that I’ve found peace. I think I may be stressed out but I’ll be at peace,”
“Paradoxical,” Carina commented.
Maya laughed, “I think I’ll be doing something I love. I also think I’ll have a lot of people who care about me. I think I’ll know when I’m surrounded by a love that’s larger than hate,” Maya smiled and looked at Carina. “Do you think the world will ever be a place full of love?”
Carina shook her head, “No. Not the whole world. But, if you surround yourself with the lovers and the dreamers of the world, then maybe your world will be full of love,”
“Are you a lover?” Maya asked.
“Are you?” Carina whispered and Maya remained silent. Maya listened as the wind blew into Carina’s room from the open window. “Maya,”
“Yes?”
“Let’s be something the world has never seen before,” Carina whispered.
“What?” Maya furrowed her eyebrows.
“You heard me. Let’s be something the world has never seen before. Let’s be lovers, let’s be dreamers, let's be kind and mean all at once. Let’s be paradoxical. Let’s be unique to others but familiar to us,”
Maya smiled, “You really think we could pull all that off?”
Carina nodded, “I think we can do anything we want to do,” Carina cupped Maya’s face softly and Maya smiled. “Can I kiss you?” Carina asked softly.
Maya nodded and quickly pressed her lips to Carina’s. The world was suddenly so much less overwhelming. When Carina pulled away and Maya stared at her, eyes conveying a whole new world of worry, Carina said nothing and pulled Maya close to her, holding her close.
**** ***
The last day Maya was in Italy was spent in Eleanor's home. Carina and Maya sat on the floor while Eleanor cooked lunch for them in the kitchen. Carina watched as Maya carefully folded her clothes and placed them in the suitcase accordingly.
Maya looked up at Carina, “So what happens now?” Maya asked.
“What do you mean?” Carina tilted her head.
“I mean, what happens with us now that I’m leaving?” May asked. They’d spent their remaining days together by the lake, kissing and dancing and ignoring the idea of Maya leaving.
“We’ll send letters. When you call Ellie I’ll see if I can pop in sometimes to call too. And one day, you’ll come back or I’ll come to you and I’ll watch you run in the Olympics with Ellie,” Carina smiled. “We’ll figure it out. We can be creative, we’re creators and lovers and dreamers and anything under the whole sun,” Carina giggled and Maya smiled.
“Girls! Food!” Eleanor shouted from the kitchen and Carina got up and pulled Maya off the ground. They walked into the kitchen and together the three women ate together while they all talked.
Eleanor smiled as she watched Maya freely joke around with Carina in a way she didn’t with anybody else. “So, Lucia and I have planned a surprise for you two tonight. It was your nonna’s idea, Carina, but regardless, it’s a surprise for you two,”
Carina’s eyes lit up, “What kind of surprise?”
“The one I can’t tell you about,”
“Come on, Aunt Ellie. Please,” Maya begged and Eleanor shook her head fondly.
“Absolutely not. You two need to be ready to leave by 7:00. No later no sooner,” Eleanor smiled and took her plate to the sink, washing it with ease.
Carina and Maya looked at each other with quirked eyebrows, both girls trying to figure out what the surprise was.
**** ***
Eleanor walked behind Maya, guiding the giggling girl with her hands over her eyes. Lucia did the same with Carina and everyone was smiling. “Alright, here comes the steps, be careful,” Eleanor commanded and the girls were guided down them.
Eleanor and Lucia took their hands off Maya and Carina’s eyes and the girls looked around with a large smile, finding a white sheet and a movie projector on a small side table. “Movie night?” Carina asked excitedly and Lucia nodded.
“And a small goodbye party for Maya. Who knows when Lane will let me take her away again,” Eleanor commented sadly and wrapped an arm around Maya. “There’s popcorn,”
“I’m not allowed-“
“What happens in Italy stays in Italy,” Eleanor winked and Maya laughed.
“And Lucia made cookies and I made lemonade because that’s about as far as I can go without messing something up,” Eleanor grinned and Maya wrapped her arms around Eleanor.
“Thanks, Aunt Ellie,” Maya whispered before her hand was grabbed and pulled to the small table of food where Andrew already was, picking out pieces of food to place on his plate.
**** ***
Maya sighed sadly as she lifted her suitcase onto her bed beside Carina. Maya began to tear up and Carina stared at her, “You promised you wouldn’t cry!”
“I know, I know. I’m sorry,” Maya groaned and rubbed her eyes. “I just don’t want to leave,”
“You’re not leaving, not really. You’ve made your mark here. Plus, Ellie said she’s going to try and get you here for Christmas, and if that doesn’t work out, I’ll be there with my mamma in Wisconsin and Ellie said she would take you on a road trip so you could come to see me,” Carina took Maya's hands and held them softly. “It’ll be like you never left,”
Maya sighed, feeling a little better. She sat beside Carina and wrapped her arms around her. Carina smiled and hugged her, squeezing her softly. “You’ve got my address?” Maya asked when Eleanor knocked on the door.
Carina nodded, “And you have mine?” Carina asked and Maya nodded. “Okay, don’t forget about me,” Carina said. Maya and Carina got off the bed.
Maya chuckled and linked her pinky with Carina’s as they stood in front of each other. “How could I forget you? I’ll never be able to forget you. You taught me how to dream,” Another gentle knock and Maya sighed deeply. “Thank you, Carina, for teaching me how to dream,” Maya whispered and pressed a kiss to Carina’s cheek.
Carina grinned, “Well don’t turn into a realist again. You can’t be a realist and dreamer, it’s paradoxical,” Carina teased.
Maya whispered and grabbed her suitcase, “Everything is paradoxical,” Maya whispered