26. New Beginnings

Carina’s back hits the wall, a soft thud as her spine connects with the solid oak panels of her townhouse. Maya has her arms pinned on either side of her head as her lips graze her collarbone, making their way down between her breasts. Carina shivers with delight, her eyes closing as her head rolls back, colliding with the wall behind her. Maya presses her body up against her, her thigh sliding between her legs and pressing against her knickers. Carina’s hips jerk forwards, and she lets out a low moan of pleasure at the pressure against her centre.

She is pretty sure she can feel Maya smile into each kiss she leaves on her skin, working her way back up until she captures Carina’s lips between her teeth, biting down gently before drawing her into a deep kiss.

Maya lets go of her left wrist and wraps her hand around her waist, pulling her toned abs against her own. They lost their clothes somewhere between the sofa and the stairs, and she’s pretty sure the hallway lamp didn’t survive the fall as it crashed to the floor a few moments ago.

Mustering what strength she can under Maya’s control, Carina pushes forwards and spins them until Maya has her back pressed up against the wall – another step closer to the bedroom. Maya’s lips search for hers, but Carina evades her, dropping her head and finding the sweet spot on Maya’s neck that always elicits a whimper. It works as she sucks and bites her skin until a small bruise starts to form.

She hears Maya mutter something and she knows she is berating her for leaving a mark, but all that does is encourage her to keep going, until Maya grabs a fistful of her hair and tugs gently until her lips pop off her skin, giving Maya the chance she needs to spin them around again. Maya stands back for a moment, giving Carina the chance to take in her appearance: her eyes a bright blue, her cheeks flushed, her swollen lips curling into a smile. Maya lifts herself up onto the balls of her feet and kisses her, desperate and needy.

Neither one of them is willing to concede power tonight.

The lockdown announcement will come tomorrow, they both know that, and with Carina’s insistence that they quarantine apart, tonight is the last time they will share a bed for God knows how long.

Carina has questioned her own decision more than once over the last couple of days, usually during the simple domestic moments they have shared – the lighthearted teasing as they made dinner together on Friday evening and the laughter that had filled the kitchen when Maya had tried (and failed) to make her an espresso on Saturday morning; the joy she felt as Maya had turned up at her townhouse earlier with coffee and cakes from her favourite coffee shop on Jeremy Street and the love she felt as Maya had insisted on staying to help her organise her spare room for Andrea’s visit. Maybe they can make living together work… except every time she thinks of it as a possibility, she is reminded of Bailey living alone in her tiny AirBnb, away from husband and sons, and her Zio Eduardo, dying alone in a hospital bed instead of at home surrounded by his family.

She pushes the thoughts out of her head and turns her attention back to her girlfriend, raking her fingers through Maya’s hair and pulling her close. Maya tugs at the straps of Carina’s bra until they fall down over her shoulders, the tips of her fingers tickling her skin as she circles them behind Carina’s back to unclip the hooks, wriggling out of her grasp so that the unwanted garment can drop to the floor.

Her nipples are already hard and Maya makes the most of her slightly shorter stature, taking one in her mouth and swirling her tongue over it. She plays with the other between her thumb and forefinger, listening as Carina’s breath hitches in her throat. She feels the warmth between her legs spreading as Maya continues her assault, moving her mouth to the other breast and clamping her teeth around her hardened nipple. She brushes the back of her hand down Carina’s abs and teases the top of her knickers.

Carina feels every nerve in her body reacting. “Maya, please,” she mutters involuntarily.

Maya releases her nipple and looks up at her, tracing a line of kisses along her jawline and brushing her lips lightly against Carina’s. She hooks her finger into Carina’s knickers and tugs at the elastic.

“Please what?”

“Please,” Carina sighs, “… touch me.”

Maya pulls her knickers to one side and Carina can feel the wet material against her thigh. She closes her eyes, forgetting to breathe for a moment as she waits impatiently for Maya’s touch. Maya watches for Carina’s reaction as she slides first one, then two fingers into her arousal, her palm brushing against her clit. She massages her folds, lightly at first and slowly increasing the pressure, her thumb flicking across her clit every now and again. Carina’s lips fall apart and she lets out a heavy sigh, her hips bucking and her legs quivering at Maya’s touch.

Maya presses her lips into Carina’s hair. “Sei bellissima.”

She speaks in barely a whisper, her pronunciation a little messy, but it is enough to bring Carina out of her reverie for a moment. She pushes herself away from the wall and takes Maya’s wrist in her hand. Her knickers snap back into place as she practically drags Maya down the corridor.

“Come,” she commands.

She can feel the pulsating between her legs growing stronger as they stumble into her bedroom, her body crying out for Maya once more. She doesn’t resist as Maya’s hands take her hips and push her onto the bed. She lands somewhat ungracefully, laughing as she shuffles up the mattress, until her head rests on a pillow. Maya stays at the end of the bed and Carina looks up at her girlfriend towering above her in only her underwear. She lifts her right leg and teases Maya’s panties with her toes.

“Get naked for me,” she begs.

Maya chuckles as she pushes Carina’s leg away. She complies with Carina’s request willingly, but slowly. She reaches behind her back and unclasps her bra strap so that it falls loose, holding it out to one side and letting it drop the floor. Then, she hooks each thumb into her panties and pushes them down her legs, stepping out of them. Carina’s eyes sweep over her, taking in her round breasts and pert nipples, her eyes dropping to the neat curls at the top of her legs. She licks her lips instinctively, thinking of the sweet taste that she will get to savour soon.

“Vieni qua,” she says.

Maya kneels on the edge of the bed and pushes Carina’s legs apart, before leaning forward, one hand each side of Carina’s chest to hover above her. She pauses, look down at her with such adoration that it makes Carina’s heart beat even faster.

“I love you,” Maya says softly.

Carina smiles. “I love you too.”

Maya lowers herself enough to be able to dip her head and embrace Carina in another kiss. Carina raises her hands to cup her breasts, squeezing her nipples between her fingers and massaging them with her palms. She feels Maya moan against her lips as she drops her body a little to press her chest against Carina’s hands. Carina raises her right foot and hooks it over Maya’s calf, willing her body to drop down further, but Maya resists, knowing she has one more task to carry out. Breaking their kiss, she lifts herself back onto her knees and hooks her fingers into Carina’s knickers. Carina lifts her hips, allowing Maya to guide them down her legs, watching as she tosses them to the floor. She rests her hands on Carina’s shins and glides them up over her knees and along her thighs, sinking her short nails into her skin.

She has a glint in her eyes that tells Carina that she is feeling playful, but Carina is in no mood for games. Her clit is crying out for Maya’s lips, her body desperate to be caressed by her hands. She uses the inside of her ankles to nudge Maya’s hips, an incoherent grumble escaping from her mouth. Maya grins smugly, grabbing Carina’s left leg and lifting it to rest her ankle on her shoulder.

“I can smell how turned on you are.”

“All for you, amore mio,” Carina says.

Maya licks her lips, then turns her head, leaving a line of wet kisses along the inside of Carina’s leg until she reaches the top of her thigh. Using one hand to anchor Carina’s hips into the mattress, she uses her thumbs to part Carina’s folds and glides her tongue through her slick arousal. Carina lets out a moan of delight as she repeats her action a few more times, before taking her clit between her lips and sucking on it gently. Her tongue darts out, teasing her with three short, sharp licks, then leaves her cold by moving away and pressing a kiss at the top of her curls.

“Maya!” Carina grumbles.

Maya smiles cheekily, kissing her way back down through her curls and sliding her tongue against her clit, before circling the tip around the swollen nub. Carina squirms underneath her and Maya uses her body weight to still her, using the flat of her tongue to put more pressure on her clit. Carina feels the warmth flood her centre and she moans happily, one hand flailing over her head while the other reaches down and tangles itself in Maya’s hair.

Maya dips her head and laps up her arousal. She runs her thumb over her clit a few times, then moves her palm through her folds. She licks her own hand, enjoying the taste, then sucks on two fingers and slides them inside, curling her fingers slightly to massage the rough tissue of her g-spot and feeling Carina’s arousal coating her hand.

Carina lifts her hips, allowing Maya to thrust her fingers deeper inside of her.

“Fuck!” she cries out. “Maya!”

Maya knows how close she is and decides not to tease her any longer. Her fingers move inside of her in a steady motion as she takes Carina’s clit in her mouth once again and sucks on it, flicking the tip of her tongue out every now and again to increase the pressure.

Carina’s hips buck and her knuckles turn white as she grips the bed sheets, her orgasm ravaging her. She screams out Maya’s name as she comes, her head tipping backwards into the pillow. Maya’s tongue keeps working until Carina’s body stills, then she drops her leg and kisses her way back up until she meets her lips, letting Carina suck her arousal from her chin.

Her own body is desperate for release and she moves so that she is straddling Carina’s right leg, pressing her centre against her thigh and grinding against her slowly. The friction sends a ripple of delight through her body and she starts to move a little faster. She buries her face into Carina’s neck, a soft whimper escaping with every thrust.

Carina grabs her ass and digs her fingers into her cheeks, encouraging her to slow down and ignoring her when she resists.

“Let me,” Carina says.

Maya murmurs something in her ear that she doesn’t hear. Bringing her hands in between their bodies, Carina pushes Maya away a little until she lifts herself up, looking at her with exasperation.

“Let me make you come.”

She gives Maya a playful shove, turning her annoyance into amusement as she falls on to her back. Maya’s head twists to one side, never once taking her eyes off her girlfriend. A small smirk passes Carina’s lips as she props herself up on her elbow and runs her hand down Maya’s arm, the tips of her fingers tickling her skin. She interlocks her hand with Maya’s and moves it slowly over her hip, guiding it between her legs. She watches as Maya’s eyes flutter, her mouth twitching as she pleasures herself.

Carina rolls over and leans down, opening the bottom drawer of her bedside table and pulling out a small, bullet vibrator. She wipes it quickly, then turns back to her girlfriend.

“Bella… look at me.”

Maya obeys, her fingers still teasing her clit as she keeps her eyes on Carina. Carina turns on the bullet and runs it down the middle of Maya’s chest, then over her right breast, pressing the tip against her nipple. Maya’s back arches in response, her tongue running over her lips and a soft moan of pleasure breaking the silence. Carina traces the bullet to her other nipple, smiling as Maya’s body trembles under her spell. Maya’s free hand reaches out to find Carina, finding a resting spot on her thigh, her fingers pinching her skin as she pushes herself against Carina’s touch. Carina runs the bullet between her breasts and down over her core, watching as the muscles in her abs ripple. 

She pauses at the top of her curls and Maya feels the warmth of her arousal spreading between her legs.

“Roll over,” Carina instructs her. 

Maya does as she is told, turning away from her. Carina pauses to admire the muscles that flex in her back, before shuffling up behind her and spooning her body. She places a soft kiss on her shoulder as she leans over Maya’s waist and pushes the bullet into her curls. A soft sigh escapes from her lips at how wet she finds her. She runs the small vibrator through Maya’s folds, coating it and her hand in her arousal. Maya rolls back into her, letting Carina support her body weight, placing her hand on top of Carina’s to make this a team effort.

Carina sinks her teeth into Maya’s shoulder, biting hard.

“Fuck!” Maya growls. 

Carina knows that her orgasm will come quickly. Holding the bullet in the palm of her hand, she uses it to enhance the stimulation, every now and again using her fore- and middle fingers to tease her swollen clit, switching between the two movements and feeling her getting close. Maya’s hand moves with her and Carina knows how desperate she is for a release.

“I love you,” she says softly in her ear.

The words push her over the edge and Maya cries out, her orgasm tearing through her body. Carina can feel her heart beating fast in her chest, matching her own, and she holds Maya close, kissing the red bite mark she has left on her shoulder and slowing her hand movements before tossing the bullet to one side. Maya falls further against her and sighs happily as she catches her breath.

“I love you,” Carina repeats.

“I love you.” Her voice is soft and drowsy, and Carina always enjoys this moment, when all of Maya’s hard edges fall away. She brings her fingers to Maya’s mouth and runs their tips along her lips, smiling as Maya kisses each one, tasting her own arousal. She hums happily, despite the frown that crinkles her forehead.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Maya says dismissively, except she can feel Carina’s eyes questioning her. She rolls onto her back and looks up, her eyes exposing her sadness. “I just… I’m gonna miss this. I’m gonna miss you.”

Carina smiles ruefully. “Me too.” She tucks her finger under Maya’s chin and guides her face to look up at her. It is on the tip of her tongue to change her mind and beg Maya to move in, but she resists, and instead places a gentle, tender kiss on her lips.

Maya twists her body until she is facing Carina, arms wrapped around each other and legs tangled together, keeping the gap between their bodies as small as possible. They both fight off sleep, wanting to enjoy every hour together.

Carina isn’t sure what time they finally succumb, but it feels too early to be awake when her alarm rings at nine o’clock the next morning. With a grunt of annoyance, Carina reaches out her left arm, searching for her phone. She finds it and hits the red button to shut it up, gradually opening her eyes and letting the light in.

Maya is curled up against her, her head buried in the pillows as she ignores the alarm. She is usually an early riser thanks to her shift pattern, but Carina’s favourite mornings are those when they both get to sleep in, when they have nowhere to be except in each other’s company. She would not usually set an alarm but she has to be at Bellevue Treatment Center by midday to pick up Andrew.

Her heart leaps at the thought of seeing her little brother after his four week stay at the residential facility. She knows he is resistant to staying with her, but she has persuaded him to move in for at least one week and she is hoping that, once he is here, he will stay a little longer, especially as he goes back to work.

Bailey has already drawn up the paperwork. There is an envelope on her dining table downstairs waiting for him and Carina brought home some dark blue scrubs from her last shift to surprise him with his promotion. A smile spreads across her face as she thinks about how thrilled he is going to be when she gets to share the happy news.

Beside her, Maya stirs. “Looking forward to seeing Andrew later?”

Carina feels a fluttering in her chest at how easy it is for Maya to read her thoughts, even when she is half asleep. She turns on her side to face her, watching as Maya slowly opens her eyes to look at her.

“I am,” Carina says.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?” Maya asks.

It is a sweet offer, but their paths haven’t crossed since the night Maya drove them around Seattle as Andrew tore up the city on his motorcycle. He had been in such a bad state that night and, although she has had every assurance from both Andrew and his doctors that he is doing well thanks to his medication and counselling, she wants to make everything as easy as possible for his discharge from Bellevue and worries that a strange face might disturb that.

“I’m sure,” Carina says, leaning across the pillow and planting a soft kiss on her lips. “But maybe, when we can, the three of us can have dinner together? I’d love for you to get to know each other.”

Maya smiles groggily. “I’d like that.” She slides her hand across Carina’s waist and shuffles closer. “You don’t have to go just yet, do you?”

Carina smiles, knowing exactly what she is hinting at. “No, not just yet. I thought I’d make some French toast for breakfast.”

“Mmm, that’s a good idea,” Maya says, her stomach gurgling happily at the thought of being fed. “Maybe we should work up an appetite first?”

It is a question she already knows the answer to as her hand sweeps lower under the cover. Carina rolls them over until Maya is on her back, pinned underneath her.

“That’s an even better idea.”

Almost two hours later, Maya is perched on the kitchen counter (much to Carina’s chagrin) as two slices of French toast sizzle in the pan. Carina is chopping strawberries, scolding her every now and again for stealing a piece. She needs to leave soon to get to Bellevue by midday, but she isn’t ready to say goodbye to her girlfriend just yet – not when she knows that she won’t see her for weeks, maybe months.

She flips the bread in the pan using a spatula as Maya steals a whole strawberry, biting into it and humming happily as the sweet juice hits her tongue.

“If you’re going to fill your tummy with strawberries, you won’t have any room for my French toast.”

“Please,” Maya says, “there is always room in my stomach for your French toast.”

She watches as Carina takes the toast out of the pan and puts it on to a plate next to a neat pile of the sliced strawberries. She drizzles maple syrup, then sprinkles some powdered sugar over the top.

“Buon appetito,” she declares, sliding the plate along the counter towards Maya.

Not bothering to move, Maya picks up a fork and tucks in, cutting off a corner piece and stabbing a piece of strawberry to go with it, popping it into her mouth in one go.

She hums contentedly. “Delicious!” She takes another big bite, not caring when the syrup drips down her chin.

“You really did work up an appetite,” Carina says with a smirk, leaning against the counter and taking a sip of her coffee.

Maya extends her leg and nudges the top of Carina’s thigh with her toes. “Better than my usual morning run.”

She loads up another forkful of French toast, this time holding it out, cupping her hand underneath it to stop any spillage onto the floor. Carina steps forwards and takes the mouthful from the fork.

“Mmm, they are good.”

“Are you ever going to tell me your secret?”

“They’re made with love,” Carina says, her eyes sparkling playfully as she takes a strawberry from the plate and pops it into her mouth.

Maya rolls her eyes. “Ha ha.”

Beside her, her cell phone pings. Maya looks down to read the message on her front screen.

“Everything okay?” Carina asks.

“Yeah. It’s just Andy. I said I’d catch up with her later,” Maya says.

“How’s she doing? Has she seen her mom again?”

“No, she doesn’t want to,” Maya says. “She’s still grieving her dad, I don’t think she has the brain capacity to process this on top.” She sighs. “Did I tell you they’ve cancelled Pruitt’s funeral?”

Carina shoots her a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry.”

Maya’s eyes settle on the clock on the wall and notices the time, her face falling. “This damn pandemic is ruining everything.”

“Hey.” Carina pushes herself away from the kitchen counter and moves towards her, standing between her legs and resting a hand on each knee. She wants to offer her a platitude that will make them both feel better about what is about to happen, but it turns out she doesn’t have any.

Maya doesn’t speak either. Instead, she cups Carina’s face and draws her into a slow, deep kiss. Her lips are sticky from the maple syrup and she tastes of strawberries and sugar, and oh they are both going to miss this.

They stay close, even when their lips part.

“Carina…”

“I know,” Carina says softly.

Maya wraps her arms around Carina’s neck and kisses her again. Carina’s hands run around her back to her ass and she slides Maya closer to her, until her hips connect with her waist. Maya wraps her strong, athletic legs around her, gripping her.  

They don’t hear the front door open and close, or the squeaking wheels of a suitcase across the floorboards. Out of the blue, there is a deep cough and a familiar, cheerful voice surprises them.

“Good morning!”

Recognising it immediately, Carina pulls away and spins around quickly.

“Andrea! Wha… what are you doing here?”

Andrew arches his eyebrows in amusement. “I thought you invited me to stay.”

“I mean what are you doing here? I was supposed to pick you up!”

“They let me out early for good behaviour,” Andrew jokes.

Carina rolls her eyes but can’t hide her joy at seeing him. She crosses the room and embraces him in a big hug. “Mi fa piacere vederti,” she says, smiling when she feels him squeeze her tighter in return.

She pulls back and takes him in – his bright eyes and warm cheeks and coiffed hair. He smiles and it takes her back to the mischievous little boy that used to play with her toys when she wasn’t looking.

Once he is out of Carina’s grasp, Andrew greets Maya with a small wave. “Uh hi. Sorry for the interruption.” He grins cheekily at his sister. “At least you’ve got your shirt on this time.”

Maya’s eyes shift towards Carina, looking at her with amused curiosity. Carina swats him playfully and Andrew pretends to recoil, laughing at the same time.

“Andrea, this is Maya,” Carina introduces her.

“Yeah, we’ve met,” Andrew says.

Maya hesitates, her mind immediately going to the night they picked him up from the police station in Tacoma. She knows that Carina doesn’t want him to be reminded of that night and she doesn’t know how to respond.

Andrew picks up on her uncertainty. “Max? The kid in the sewer?” he clarifies.

“Right, yeah,” Maya says. “It’s good to see you again.”

“You too,” Andrew says. He drops his backpack on to the floor next to his case, his gaze drifting towards the plate of half-eaten food. “You making French toast?”

He looks hopefully at Carina, who nods. “Come on, I’ll make you some.”

Carina slips her arm around him and walks with him towards the stove. She catches Maya’s eye and smiles, the happiness at having her brother home written all over her face.

“I should go and leave you two to catch up,” Maya says, knowing that Carina had planned to spend the day just the two of them and not wanting to get in the way of that.

She starts to walk towards the front door, but Andrew stops her.

“Don’t go on my account,” he says. “You can give me the unedited version of what’s been going on while I’ve been away.”

Maya looks at Carina, who nods. “Stay,” she says. “I’ll make some more for all of us.”

Andrew steals the plate of sliced strawberries from the counter, earning him a disapproving look from Carina, before sitting down. Maya grabs three sets of clean plates and cutlery, then joins him at the table.

“You’re not allowed in the kitchen when she’s cooking, huh?”

“Carina won’t let me near her in case I find out her secret ingredient.”

“They’re ‘made with love’,” Andrew says, his fingers making imaginary quote marks.

“That’s what Carina said!”

“It’s what Mama used to say,” Andrew says, getting the same wistful look in his eye that Carina gets when she is talking about her mom. “She also used to put a pinch of cardamom in the with the cinnamon.”

“Andrea!” Carina berates him for giving away the family secret.

Andrew simply shrugs, a grin on his face as he pushes the fruit plate towards Maya.

“So, Maya, Carina tells me that you’re captain at nineteen now?” Andrew says. He is not surprised, he remembers Maya being quite the force of nature when he met her. “How’s that going?”

“It’s good,” Maya says, avoiding the part about how her promotion had alienated her from the team for a couple of months. “It’s a lot of paperwork. But I love it.”

“She’s amazing,” Carina gushes as she places a small jug of maple syrup on the table. “Just the other day, they saved a man and his two children from their car when it got stuck in the middle of a fire at the gas station.”

“Wow,” Andrew says, clearly impressed.

“Well, yesterday we also saved an old lady’s cat after it got stuck down a drain, so you know – every day is different,” Maya jokes.

Andrew chuckles, before turning more serious. “So are things getting harder with Covid?”

“We’re on the front line, so we have keep working,” Maya says. “The department’s rolling out protocols to keep us safe.” She looks over at Carina, who is pouring orange juice into three glasses. “Same at the hospital. We can’t take patients into the ER any more, we have to hand them over in the ambulance bay.”

“I feel like I’ve been in a bubble for the last four weeks,” Andrew says. He looks towards Carina. “Have you spoken to Nonna?”

Carina nods solemnly. “Zio Eduardo will be buried on Tuesday. No-one is allowed to be there.”

“And Alice and Ricardo?” Andrew asks after his aunt and uncle.

“They’re isolating at home. They both have a fever and a bad cough.”

Andrew sighs wearily. “I can’t believe how much the world has changed in just four weeks.”

“And it’s only the beginning,” Carina says despondently.

A look of surprise crosses Andrew’s face at how negative Carina sounds, she is normally the one to put a positive spin on things. He watches as Maya gets up from her seat and walks over to her, putting a comforting hand on her back and murmuring something into her ear. He notices Carina’s body visibly relax in response, her face softening. Maya takes over the cooking as Carina goes to the cabinet and pulls out a small package. She places it on the table in front of Andrew.

“For you. A welcome home gift,” Carina says, sitting on the chair next to him.

Andrew looks intrigued as he opens the package at one end. He spies the dark blue material and gives up being neat, ripping the paper wide open.

“Navy scrubs?” he questions. “Does this mean…?”

Carina smiles widely and nods. “Doctor Bailey’s offering you an Attending position. She gave me the paperwork for you to sign – if that’s what you want?”

Andrew shoots her an incredulous look. “Are you serious? Of course it’s what I want!”

“She says you earned it – and you have. You deserve this, Andrea.” Andrew is overwhelmed by the news and Carina reaches out, putting her hand on top of his. “I’m really proud of you.”

Andrew launches forward and wraps his big sister up in a hug. “I can’t believe this!” he exclaims.

Carina laughs.

“Congratulations Andrew,” Maya says.

She walks over to the table with the three glasses of juice, sitting down and placing a glass in front of each of them.

Andrew picks up his glass and holds it out in front of him, raising a toast. “To new beginnings.”

There has been a lot of those recently, Carina realises, and she is grateful for it. She holds up her glass. Maya copies her, and they all clink their glasses against each other. The pan gets forgotten, until Carina smells burning.

“Maya, the toast!”

“Oh shhh…”

Andrew laughs as Carina leaps up to rescue their food from Maya, who tries to help but gets sent away by Carina. She sits down sheepishly at the table and reaches for another strawberry.

“She doesn’t let me help either,” Andrew teases and they clink glasses again.

Within minutes, Carina has salvaged their brunch and places a plate of freshly cooked French toast in the middle of the table.

Maya pokes her fork into them. “See, there’s nothing wrong with them,” she says after inspecting them.

“That’s because I scraped off all the burnt bits,” Carina says, her tone giving away that she is amused by Maya’s momentary lapse of attention. Sitting down, she moves her hand under the table and squeezes Maya’s thigh.

Brunch is a joyful affair, as they ignore all talk of the pandemic and instead focus on the good things that have happened. Erin Banks is back safe and sound with her family. Richard Webber is recovering well from his hip replacement surgery. Amelia and Link have a happy, healthy baby boy named Scout.

Andrew is happy to be out of Bellevue and Carina is overjoyed to have him at home with her. Despite the fact that their separation is looming over them, Maya relaxes in Andrew’s company too. She envies the sister/brother bond that he and Carina share; it is not something she ever had with Mason and her mind turns briefly to him, wondering where he is as the world is falling apart.

Towards the end of their meal, Carina’s cell phone pings, a call from the hospital that she cannot ignore.

“Ah, my patient is expecting triplets,” she explains. “I’ll be right back.”

She has no qualms about leaving Maya and Andrew alone together, happy to see them getting along, just as she had hoped.

With Carina out of earshot, Andrew turns to Maya. “How is she doing?”

It would be easy for Maya to tell him that she is fine, but she knows that he wants the truth and, after all Carina has done for him, she figures it is his turn to look after her – especially since Maya won’t be around to do it after today.

“It’s been hard on her,” Maya admits. “She carries the weight of the world on her shoulders sometimes.”

It’s not just Andrew – she knows that she has played her part in Carina’s woes too.

“She amazes me with how strong she is.”

“She’s always been like that,” Andrew says. “She’s always taken care of me, and Papa, and our family. It’s about time she had someone to take care of her.” He smiles. “She looks happy.”

“She’s happy you’re home,” Maya points out.

“I know. But I think it’s you too,” Andrew says. “I’ve never seen her in love before.”

He has been around them for barely an hour and it is clear as day to him. He watches as Maya’s face flushes pink, a shy smile on her face.

“Thank you for taking care of her.”

Maya shakes her head. If only he knew, she thinks to herself. She doesn’t think he would be as grateful if he knew how she had broken his sister’s heart just a couple of weeks ago and how close she had come to losing Carina forever. Thank God she had come to her senses and Carina had found it in her heart to forgive her.

“I owe you a thank you, too,” Andrew continues.

Maya looks confused.

“I know you were there that night when she came to Tacoma to pick me up,” Andrew says. “I was pretty out of it, but I know you came with her and stayed, when most people wouldn’t have. So thank you.”

“I’m just glad you’re doing better,” Maya says.

Andrew smiles. “Me too. I know I have Carina to thank for that.”

“You did the hard work too,” Maya reminds him. “It’s not easy facing up to the things that are threatening to break us.”

Andrew is curious about her comment but he doesn’t get the chance to ask her about it, as Carina picks that moment to return.

“Everything okay?” Maya asks.

Carina nods. “Some blood work came back checking for gestational diabetes, but it’s all clear.” She looks between them. “What are you talking about?”

“You,” Maya says without elaborating. She checks her watch. “I should go, I need to run home before I meet Andy.”

Carina is visibly disappointed, but she nods.

“Will we see you again soon?” Andrew asks. It is an innocent question and he quickly realises it was the wrong one to ask as the two women look dejected. “Sorry, did I say something…?”

“No,” Maya says, as Carina shakes her head. “It’s just… lockdown’s coming, so we won’t be able to see each other for a while.”

Andrew raises his eyebrows, but doesn’t say anything. It seems dumb to him that they don’t quarantine together, but he knows better than to interfere.

“Well, it was good to see you again, Maya. I hope the pandemic doesn’t stop us from doing this again soon.”

“Me too,” Maya says. A thought suddenly pops into her mind. “Oh, I almost forgot.”

She retrieves her gym bag and rummages through it to retrieve a small box.

“Bomboloni,” she says, holding it out towards Andrew. “Carina told me they’re your favourites.”

“She did?”

“I did?”

Maya smiles as they speak at the same time, although her focus stays on Carina.

“You did – the night we first met, at Little Roma.”

It feels like a lifetime ago with all they have been through over the last few months. Carina had no way of knowing how deeply in love she would fall when she started a conversation with the glum-looking woman at Joe’s that night.

They can’t take their eyes off each other and Andrew quickly realises that he is interrupting a moment. He leans in to take box from Maya’s hand, his mouth already watering at the thought of tucking in, despite the three slices of French toast he has just devoured.

“Thank you,” he says. “I’m gonna go and unpack.”

He grabs his bags and disappears upstairs, giving them the space to say goodbye. After a beat, Carina holds out her hand and slides her fingers between Maya’s, and they walk side-by-side towards the door.

“I can’t believe you remembered that bomoboloni are Andrea’s favourite,” Carina says.

“I remember everything about that evening,” Maya says. They stop in the front hallway and turn to face each other. “You’re very memorable, Carina.”

“That’s a good thing, no?” Carina asks, with a sly smile.

“It’s a very good thing,” Maya says.

Neither of them want a long goodbye. Maya steps forwards to close the gap between them and squishes her nose against Carina’s before catching her top lip between hers. Carina reciprocates and kisses her hard, her tongue sweeping over Maya’s lips and lapping up the remnants of maple syrup.

“I’ll see you soon, okay?” Carina says when they break apart.

Maya nods. “I love you.”

“I love you,” Carina says. She lets go and steps back, watching as Maya walks out of the front door.

As she closes the door, her heart sinks and she wonders if she really has done the right thing.