The squeaky sounds of their boots as they approached the cemetery even as Xavier spared Maya a glance to be sure she was still there, that he had not been hallucinating all that had happened some hours ago.
He had heard chatters inside the house which had alarmed him and woken him up from his catnap. He wasn't expecting anyone today and so found it strange that his housekeepers were conversing with someone so enthusiastically.
Her back was towards him and yet his legs had suddenly gotten numb and forgotten how to function the minute he had set his eyes on her. He could tell it was her. There was only one woman he knew too well what her hair looks like, he could tell the length of her hair and how luster and soft it looks and the sound of her laughter that releases from her mouth as she was yet unaware of his presence as she discusses animatedly with his cook were no stranger to his ears and he wondered why he wasn't able to know that he was fucked the minute he had begun to notice these little things about her. How he was able to tell himself he couldn't love when he had loved her for so long.
Almost like she could sense his presence, her head whipped to the side and he met her glance where he stood temporarily unable to process how to walk or even talk as he was slowly beginning to realize how much he had missed her and how hard he had struggled with himself not to go after her regardless of how many times he had called both Jared and Melissa and had heard her soft laughter assaulting his ears on the background. He could now get how scared he was even as each week passed and he wondered if she'll ever come and importantly if she feels the same way for him.
He didn't realize that the sitting room was now empty except for Maya who watched him with those brown irises of hers that had caught his attention the first time he had met her.
His Maya. His gift. The light he was undeserving of yet had gotten under the skin and had transformed his life without his consent.
She was walking towards him, slowly at first, indecisively and unsure then her pace had increased the minute, her eyes had shown that her mind was made up and immediately she stood in front of him, smiling at him with those pools of hers he found himself wounding his arms around hers.
It felt like two souls finding themselves after falling in the dark severally, again and again trying to reach out to the other as she placed her hands around his neck.
They didn't say a word to each other. They didn't need to say anything. They were home. With each other, that's where they belonged.
The next question she had mumbled in his ears had shocked him but he had not been able to refuse her answers at this point. Anything to keep her in his arms.
"Did you attend Diane's funeral?"
"No," he gasped.
"Go grab your keys, you'll be going there." He hesitated for a while, staring at her eyes, not sure he was ready to let go of her just now he had found her.
"I'll be holding your hand while at it. Now go." And that did the trick, soon he was running taking two steps at a time as he went.
Maya's hand slipped away from his as he walked towards the spot Diane's body was laid. He had visited her three days after her funeral and had thrown up thrice.
He tighten his hands around her, scared.
"I'll just be right there waiting for you." She pointed at his car even as he shook his head in disagreement.
"Stay."
She did.
His hands were still around her as he dropped the cauliflowers on top of the cold slab that had Diane's name on top, decorated with other dying flowers and a few that were fresh. He could tell that Tyler had been a constant visitor here. He hadn't been aware of his sister's allergies and had gotten her roses, lots of them and he would watch Diane take them tearfully when she was alive hiding her discomfort. That was the first time love had hit him squarely on the face. She had loved Tyler, a lot. He stared at the cauliflowers, sparing them a second glance No, that wasn't her favorite flower and honestly he had no idea which was since she had been allergic to them but he had caught her staring at a cauliflower dreamily more than twice and could tell she'd have loved to be given one of those if she wasn't allergic.
"Hey, Diane you always told me how you wish that I'd finally meet a chick who didn't tell me howdy with a fake exaggerated accent and who doesn't spell the word, you as 'u'. I think I found her or in this case, she found me but I'll try from henceforth to be as happy as you had tried so much to make me. Thank you Diane for being part of my life and teaching me that somehow I was deserving of love even when I was a douchebag. We would never forget you." His voice shook and Maya hugged him.
***
He stopped his car in front of her house and she grabbed her bag about to alight. He called her back.
She stared at his pleading eyes, "What is going to happen to us now because I'm sure as hell not about to go on pretending that I don't miss you and do not__"
She leaned towards him and hush him mid-sentence with a brush of her lips against his. Slowly, unhurriedly, he didn't try to increase the pace either.
"I love you, Xavier." Her voice was a whisper but her admission was still powerful enough to seize his breath from him.
He opened his mouth to reply to her but she interrupted him.
"I got a job at Boston."
He stared at her for seconds, "What does that have to do with anything? I love you."
"Look Xavier, I want you more than anything in my life but there are few things I need to do independently, few steps I want to take alone, be sure I can do on my own and honestly," she chuckled lightly, "Everything with us had happened so fast. It'd hardly been a year since we met and all this drama? We need to take time away from it all."
"I think I've done enough thinking." he objected.
She kissed him again, "Tell me you love me after a few weeks when you are sure of it when you are done with all of this, accepting them and tying loose ends and I'll believe you and claim you but until then, I have a flight to catch today."
He grinned, "I'll be with you before you know it."
"I hope so, Xavier. I do."
Then she was opening the door and leaving him but for the first time in all the time he had seen Maya's back turned towards him, he had a big smile on her face. She was his, as he was hers and he was going to be proving it to her soon enough.
He called Melissa and putting her on hold added Jared to the call.