Well, since this an an AU I figured I should put some notes here to explain some things:

- Maya and Phoenix are the same age, and went to the same college.
- Mia is still alive.
- Mia and Phoenix are both still lawyers.
- The Feys are not spirit mediums.
- Mia is still ten years older than Maya and Pearl is still ten years younger. (So for most of this story Mia is 34 and Pearl is 14.)
- COLLEGE PHOENIX IS NOT "FEENIE" please lord don't picture him knocking up college Maya lmao. I sort of picture young hobo!Nick myself.

I could have written this into a ten chapter long fic so there are a lot of timeskips forward. Just keep that in mind if certain parts seem rushed. This was supposed to be a drabble request from Tumblr and it got way out of hand, but hopefully it's okay.

With that, here's the first chapter.

Who would have thought that pushing a baby out of such a tiny hole would be so painful, Maya thought sarcastically as the doctor told her to give it one more good push. Mia sat at her bedside holding her hand and murmuring words of encouragement to her, not that Maya was able to pay much attention through her screaming and the blinding pain tearing through her entire body.

She did as she was told, pushing with all her might, just needing to get this baby out of her already good God when was the pain going to stop?! And then, suddenly it did. Maya fell back onto her pillows, sweating and breathing hard but already feeling better, and the sound of crying reached her ears.

The doctors and nurses did what they had to do and then Mia got out of the way as one of the nurses brought Maya's baby to her. "It's a girl," she said, gently handing the infant over.

Maya took her, cradling her to her chest and trying not to cry. The baby quieted almost right away. Mia pet Maya's sweat soaked hair. "She's beautiful, Maya. What are you going to name her?"

Maya stroked the child's head. She had a full head of thick black hair already. "Misty," she said.

Mia smiled. "Mom would be flattered." She bent down slightly, and whispered. "Hello little Misty. I'm your new auntie. I can't wait to watch you grow up. With a mommy like my little sister here, you'll do amazing."

Maya smiled at her. "Thanks, Sis. For letting me move in with you and helping me through this. Especially since everyone else abandoned me."

Mia gripped Maya's shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze. "I'll always be here for you, Maya. Now, I'm going to head out into the waiting area and let you and little Misty here spend some quality time together. I'll come visit you when they've moved you to the recovery room."

Maya nodded, stroking her child's back. She had managed to squirm to a breast, looking for food. Mia left the room, leaving Maya with her new baby as the nurses puttered around the room, taking blood from her, putting a little pink cap on her head, and instructing Maya on how to properly begin breastfeeding.

Maya wouldn't give this child up for anything, even if the act of conceiving her had been a total accident and not something Maya had been planning on. She smiled down at Misty again as she suckled. She could write off the black hair as being from her, but not the way it flung up in little curls over the rim of the cap, or the way her nose was just a little bit pointy. Those features were all reminiscent of the young man Maya knew to be the father.

She thought back to that night, still not sure why she had done what she did, but not regretting it one bit now. Maybe it was because she had just broken up with a boyfriend that she met via a blind date her friends had set up and she was looking for a rebound. Maybe she was just feeling frisky that night. Maybe, and she could admit this much at least was true, she found the young man quite cute, and surprisingly charming. She was the one who initiated their little tryst anyway, and it hadn't been hard. He was quite ready and willing once she suggested they go back to his room.

And it wasn't his fault that he wasn't part of their baby's life. He didn't even know about her. It was a one night stand if there ever was one. Maya woke up early the next morning wearing one of his old t-shirts and nothing else, put her pants back on, and took the walk of shame back to her own dorm room. It was a large university and she hadn't asked him anything about himself; not his name, not his major, not his phone number, nothing. All she had was his t-shirt, and she hadn't meant to steal it, but it had been more comfortable to wear home than the tight, revealing top she was wearing the night before. A month later when her period was late and she took an over the counter pregnancy test that came back positive, she tried to find him, with no luck. She even went back to the dormitory she remembered him living in, but found no one there that she recognized, or who recognized her.

When her belly began to show, people at the university started looking at her funny. Some of the girls in her dormitory began to avoid her, or give her dirty looks as she walked by before muttering amongst themselves about the resident whore. Guys that she would pass would simply smirk or laugh with their buddies. That combined with the toll the pregnancy was taking on her was enough to make her drop out of university completely. She moved in with her sister, the only person who didn't judge her for what happened, and she had been living with her ever since.

She wasn't sure what she would do now. Her sister had assured her that she and the baby could stay with her as long as she needed. Mia was a successful lawyer so she wasn't in want of money and her home was quite large, plus she didn't have any children of her own, and she wasn't married (though she did have an on again off again relationship with an older guy named Diego, and when she was off with him she was often on with a 'friend' she knew from college named Lana). Maya wouldn't judge her sister's choice of relationships or how she went about them, but it was awkward living in the same house and trying to keep track of which person Mia was currently seeing.

She stroked her baby's hair again. Not that it mattered. Nothing mattered anymore, nothing except this child. Maya would do whatever she needed to give her the life she deserved.

THREE YEARS LATER

"What are you doing, mommy?"

Maya smiled down at her now three-year-old daughter and patted her lap. With Maya's help, Misty managed to crawl up into it. She stared down at the open textbook on the table. "I'm doing my homework, baby," Maya told her.

"Ooh, mommy, you're so smart."

Maya laughed. "Thank you."

Maya had started school again at the local college after being accepted into their law clerk program. At the end of the two years it took to complete the program she would be able to get a job in a law firm under a lawyer, helping with managerial and administrative duties within the office. Her sister was the main influence on that decision, and once Mia found out that Maya was accepted, she assured her sister that she would give her a job in her law firm, so Maya was working hard in order to graduate with good grades. She didn't want people to think she only got her job because her sister owned the firm. She went to school during the day while Mia went to work, and their little cousin Pearl came to the house to babysit Misty. It was all working out rather well, and Maya was happy with the arrangement.

Mia walked into the room as if on cue, stopping at a decorative mirror hanging on the wall to check her hair once more. "I'm heading out, Maya. I have to meet that guy I'm hiring tonight." She turned around to face her sister and niece. Maya looked up at her, and Misty looked up too, a perfect imitation of Maya. Mia saw more of Maya in her niece every day, but there were certain features—her nose and her deep blue eyes in particular—that Mia knew to be that of the mystery man who had fathered her. Maya never talked much about him, and Mia didn't ask. It was an unspoken rule in their home; don't talk about Misty's father.

Mia reached down to boop Misty's nose with a finger, causing the little girl to giggle and throw her head back into Maya's chest. "Are you helping your mom with her work?" Misty nodded enthusiastically and Mia patted her on the head, smiling. "Good girl. Someday you'll be a lawyer too, I just know it. It'll run in the family."

Misty nodded, even if she had no idea what a loy-er was. Mia looked at Maya. "I was wondering if you wanted to come to dinner tonight. This interview is pretty much a formality so as long as he hasn't become a total weirdo since the last time I saw him, I'll take him on as a junior partner, and I was going to invite him for dinner after. A sort of welcome to the firm type thing."

Maya looked thoughtfully at her sister. "Why do you need me to go?"

Mia shrugged. "So it's not awkward? And I thought you'd like to meet him."

Maya frowned. Mia was a lawyer. She was good at making conversation. Dinner alone with someone she only knew as an acquaintance usually wasn't an issue for her. "As long as you're not just doing this to try to get me and him together. I told you I'm not looking for anyone at the moment; I want to focus on school."

Mia held up her hands. "Of course not! Just say yes, come on. I already asked Pearl and she said she'd be happy to babysit again."

Maya sighed, wrapping her arms around Misty and resting her chin on her head. Misty had picked up Maya's pencil and was drawing shapes on a blank sheet of her notebook paper. "Fine, I guess so. I could use a break from all this work anyway, and if free food is involved I can't really say no."

"Great!" Mia said. "Make sure you find something nice to wear, it's a fancy restaurant."

That night Maya kissed Misty goodbye and hugged her little cousin, thanking her again for babysitting and slipping an extra twenty her way. Mia came home to let her know that the dinner was still on, and Maya congratulated her on her new apprentice.

Together they drove to the restaurant and were escorted to their reserved table by the hostess. Not ten minutes later, the man Mia hired earlier made his way to the table too, led by the same hostess. He smiled politely at Mia and greeted her as he took a seat directly across from Maya.

Mia turned to Maya to introduce them, and instead found her sister staring across at him fearfully. "Maya…" she began carefully. "This is Phoenix Wright. Phoenix, this is my sister Maya."

Phoenix smiled at her and held a hand out over the table. "It's nice to meet you, Maya. Mia's told me a lot about you already."

Maya swallowed. Her throat felt incredibly dry. So that's what his name was, she thought. Phoenix. Sort of odd. I definitely wouldn't have forgotten that if I'd bothered to ask him his name in the first place.

If he remembered her at all, he didn't show it. He raised his eyebrows when she didn't reach forward to shake his hand, and lowered it back into his lap. "Oh, okay."

Mia looked at him apologetically. "Sorry, Phoenix." She kicked Maya under the table and Maya started.

"Oh. Um. It's nice to meet you too, Mr. Wright," she said, keeping her eyes trained on the tablecloth. She was torn between trying not to look at him and being unable to look away. Three years hadn't changed him much, the only real difference being that now he was dressed in a suit instead of the jeans and baggy hoodie she still remembered so well. But she couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes for very long. If she looked too hard, all she would see there would be the eyes of her daughter, looking out at her from this man who was basically a stranger to her. He was the father of her daughter, but a stranger nonetheless.

"You can call me Phoenix," he said, smiling at her.

She nodded numbly and picked up her menu, hiding her face behind it until the waiter came to take their orders.

When they arrived home later that night, Pearl informed them that Misty was already in bed, but Maya was filled with the overwhelming urge to see her, and rushed up the stairs to her daughter's small bedroom. She was asleep peacefully in her little bed, the headboard of which was shaped like the barbican of an old princess style castle.

Maya knelt on the floor, not wanting to sit on the bed in case she disturbed Misty. She stroked a hand through her hair. It was longer now, and the flingy curls were more wavy with the length. Maya was glad of that. It reminded her less of him. "What am I going to do now?" she whispered, laying her head on the bed and sighing.

Misty snuffled, and Maya felt her heart surge with love. Her perfect little daughter. And Phoenix had no idea that he helped create something so wonderful. But would he even want to know? Maybe he had a family of his own already. He didn't mention anyone though, and—she scolded herself after for looking—she hadn't seen a ring on his finger either. That didn't mean he didn't have a girlfriend though.

She was conflicted. Even if she wanted to tell him, how on earth would she bring that up? Oh by the way, you don't remember this but we had a one night stand in college and you're the father of my daughter. Small world, huh? She snorted. Yeah, like that would go over well.

She looked up when she heard a soft tap on the open bedroom door, interrupting her thoughts. Mia was standing in the doorway. "You alright, Maya? You rushed up here pretty quickly."

Maya nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just missed her is all."

"Mm. You were acting kind of funny at the restaurant too, so I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm fine," she repeated, turning back to Misty.

Mia leaned against the doorframe and crossed her arms. It annoyed Maya a little. She just wanted to be left alone to think right now. "So, what did you think of Phoenix? Think he'll be a good asset to the firm?"

Maya couldn't meet her sister's eyes. "Probably. He seems smart, I guess, but you'll have to teach him everything you know before you let him be the lead on any of your cases."

"He'll learn," her sister shrugged. "So, what else did you think about him?"

Maya groaned. "Miaaaa."

"I'm just asking innocently," she said, holding up her hands in defense. "I think he's kind of cute, but you know Diego and I are getting more serious now and he's kind of young for me anyway, so I'm just thinking about you."

"Not interested," was the gruff reply.

"Seriously, Maya? When are you going to get back out there on the dating scene? You're an amazing mother but don't you think Misty could use a daddy in her life too?"

Maya wanted to run from the room when she heard that. If only Mia knew. Her sister walked further into the dark room, the only light source coming from the light in the hallway filtering through the doorway. She put a hand on top of Maya's head, making her feel like a little girl. Her voice was quieter when she spoke next. "I'm just saying. You should think about it. He seemed to like you, but you practically ignored him the whole night."

"He did not like me," Maya countered. "He talked to you all night about legal stuff that I couldn't understand a word of. I'm not that far into my course at school," she said, pouting. "I haven't learned all that fancy lawyer talk you two know yet."

"He talked to me all night because whenever he said anything to you you grunted and started playing with your food like a shy little kid."

Maya could feel herself getting angry. She leaned forward to place a soft kiss on Misty's temple and then stood up, pushing past her sister to get out of the room before she got really mad and started yelling. "I don't need you to scold me like you're my mother," she muttered as she passed Mia by.

Mia said nothing. Maya didn't get angry often, so something was up. Maybe she actually did like Phoenix and was just too embarrassed to admit it. Like any good mother her focus was always Misty, but she needed to think of herself sometimes too, and Mia was convinced that it was a good idea for Misty's sake as well. She sighed and stepped up to the bed to stare down at Misty. That kid could sleep through anything. Her stare lingered a little longer than usual before she too knelt to kiss her niece goodnight.

Maya spent the next few weeks focusing on school and taking care of Misty once she got home, avoiding Mia and her attempts to convince Maya she needed to give Phoenix another chance, or at least try to be his friend if nothing else, telling her that she needed more friends her age. Maya refused every time. She had her family, and that was all she needed.

It wasn't until her spring break arrived did she finally find herself meeting Phoenix for the second time. Mia asked her to come to the office to help her move some files, and Pearl was already hanging out at the house, so Maya had no excuse to say she couldn't. She rode her bike to the office, entering it to find it in disarray. She was so surprised by the state of the office that at first she didn't even register that Mia wasn't there.

She noticed Phoenix standing in front of the bookshelf, hoisting a heavy looking box onto the top shelf. He wasn't quite tall enough to reach the top though, and the box tumbled from his grip as he tried to lift it the few extra inches. Maya watched with amusement as he made no attempt to catch it, letting the papers spill from it and flutter to the floor.

"Shit," he muttered to himself, staring down at the mess. A quiet laugh burst from her mouth and he looked up, startled at the noise. "Oh, Maya! Sorry, I didn't hear you come in. Guess you saw that, huh?"

She nodded and stepped into the office. "I did, but I won't tell my sister that you swore in front of me. She might fire you."

His eyes widened. "Really? She doesn't approve of that sort of thing?"

Maya smiled. "I'm kidding. Where is my sister by the way?"

"She already left," he told her. "Apparently had a date with that Diego guy from that other law firm." Maya could feel her good mood melting away. Of course Mia would try to pull something like this. "Um, why are you here?" Phoenix inquired. "She didn't tell you she was going out?"

"No, she didn't." She didn't elaborate.

"Ah, well. Sorry. She's not here." He looked down at the scattered papers again and sighed, then knelt on one knee to begin gathering them up. "Did you need her for something?"

Maya pursed her lips. "No. Just came for a visit."

He nodded and continued picking up papers, trying to figure out which order to put them back in as he went. Maya felt a little bad standing there watching him, and knelt as well. "Let me help. What's going on in here anyway? Why is everything such a mess?"

"Ah, thanks, that'd be great," he said. "Mia wanted to move some furniture around and we had to take all the case files out of the cabinets so they were light enough to move. Then she left me here to put everything back. I guess that's what I get for being the new guy."

Maya smiled. "That's just what my sister is like. She's probably really happy she has someone else to boss around now, besides me and her boyfriend."

They both continued to focus on scooping up the scattered papers, the silence stretching between them getting more and more awkward. Maya was actually grateful when he started to speak again, seemingly deciding on a topic of conversation. "So, Mia tells me she has a niece. I'm assuming that's your daughter? Or do you have another sibling?"

Maya gripped the paper she was holding a little too tightly, causing a wrinkle to form. Phoenix didn't seem to notice. Most parents loved talking about their kids, so he probably thought it would be an easy conversation, and usually Maya did enjoy talking about Misty, but talking to him about her… It felt strange.

She confirmed it anyway. "That's right. She's my daughter."

"So, I guess that means there's already a guy in your life?" he asked. She looked up from the floor, but he was still staring down at the papers in his hand.

"Actually, no," she said, deciding to be honest. "I had her when I was pretty young… she doesn't know her dad."

"Oh," he said, cheeks colouring slightly. "Sorry for prying."

Maya shrugged. "It is what it is. What about you? Do you have any kids yet?"

He laughed and stood back up, a pile of papers back in his hand. Maya got up and handed hers over to him. "No, no kids for me," he said. "I like them and everything, I just haven't found the right girl yet, plus I've been so focused on school lately and then trying to get a job. I'm really lucky your sister offered me a place here."

"Which school did you go to?" she inquired innocently.

"Ivy U, at first. I ended up having to transfer when I had some… legal troubles."

Maya raised an eyebrow. "What sort of legal troubles?"

He sighed. "To make a very long story short, I was accused of murder. Your sister was my lawyer and she proved me innocent. She's part of the reason I became a lawyer."

So that was why he disappeared and she wasn't able to find him back then. He transferred to another school, finished his law degree, and now here he was. Mia was probably defending him in court while Maya was still pregnant. It really was a small world.

Maya watched him lean back against Mia's desk as he spoke to her. With his suit jacket off and the sleeves of his white dress shirt rolled up to his elbows, he looked rather attractive. She could remember him being more fit than she expected when he shed his hoodie and t-shirt that night three years ago. Apparently he'd kept up with whatever sort of workout routine he did.

He tilted his head to the side when she said nothing, and Maya turned away from him to hide her blush. She walked over to the brand new red leather couches Mia had recently purchased for the office and sat down on the one that wasn't completely covered in cardboard boxes. "That's unfortunate. My Sis has always been a great lawyer though, hasn't she?"

He nodded. "I wouldn't be here without her."

Maya smiled and got up. "I should get going since Mia isn't here. Good luck with all of this," she said, gesturing the room in general.

Phoenix walked her to the door, a little too close for her comfort. "It was good seeing you again, Maya."

She turned around at the door and smiled. "Yeah… You too."

"Will I see you again? Or er…" he rubbed the back of his neck, "can I see you again?" Maya raised her eyebrows. Was he asking her out? "I mean, I know you're probably busy with your daughter and Mia said you were going to school again and this is probably pretty sudden since we just met but—"

Maya wasn't even listening to him anymore. She was trying to decide if she should accept or not. On the one hand, it might be her only chance to get to know Phoenix as Phoenix, not just as that guy she slept with in college who didn't even remember her. He didn't seem to mind that she had a daughter either, and that usually deterred most men his age. And yet she found herself hesitating, the fear that if he found out the truth he wouldn't want anything to do with her anymore.

But he'd worked up the courage to ask and he looked so embarrassed and shy and cute that she found herself nodding at him. "Sure… I'll come by the office more often. And well, I have been kind of wanting to see this new movie…"

"I can take you!" he said, latching onto the suggestion.

"Okay," she said, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "Friday then?"

He nodded enthusiastically. "Sure, Friday works for me."

After that first Friday night, Maya started to spend more and more time at the office while Phoenix was there; helping him with the tasks her sister set out for him, which were often redundant things like cleaning the toilet or reorganizing the files again or reading some chapter in one of her many law books, and in return he helped her with her studies. Every so often they would go to another movie, or get dinner together, or take a walk through People Park. They became fast friends, but Phoenix could still sense Maya's hesitation, so he never pushed her or tried to take their relationship further than he thought she would be comfortable with.

A few months after their first Friday night out, their most recent outing went a little later than planned. It was full dark by the time they left the restaurant; they'd been so caught up in their conversation that neither of them had noticed how late it was getting, even long after they'd both finished their dinners.

He offered to walk her home so she wouldn't need to spend money on a taxi or walk home in the dark by herself, and her house wasn't very far anyway, so she accepted his invitation. It gave her more time to spend with him, and she'd found that lately that was all she wanted to do when she wasn't studying or spending time with Misty. She wanted to be with Phoenix. She had gotten to know him over the months spent with him. He was sweet and funny and he cared about her, and God, she really was starting to fall for him. She'd been so adamant about not being interested in him, but all it had taken was that first night out for her to realize that she was interested, and now here she was, catching legitimate feelings.

It was finally time, she thought. Maybe not to reveal the full truth, she was still conflicted about that, but she wanted him to meet her. She wanted him to get to know his daughter, whether he knew she was his or not. That strange feeling of talking about Misty to him had dissipated over the months, and when she told him stories of the funny things Misty had done or said, he always seemed interested and laughed along with her. It was encouraging.

When they reached the house, Maya could see the lights in the living room were still on. Mia was either still awake or Pearl had stayed late to make sure Maya got home safely. She led Phoenix up the path to the doorway.

Before he could begin his goodbyes, Maya turned to him and took one of his hands in hers. "Um, Phoenix, I wanted to ask you something," she started.

He curled his fingers around hers. "What is it?"

"Well, it's Misty's birthday next week. She's going to be four, and I wanted to know if you'd come to the party. It's just going to be family mostly… but I want you to come too."

He looked touched that she asked. "I'd love to. You talk about her so much, I'd love to finally meet her. She sounds adorable."

"That's great! Also, Pearly really wants to meet you. But please, ignore most of what comes out of her mouth."

He grinned. "That's your cousin, right? The one who babysits?"

Maya nodded. "That would be said cousin. You'll understand what I mean when you meet her. The party is on Sunday so, I'll see you then?"

"I wouldn't miss it. Hey, what kind of stuff does Misty like? Like, toys and things?"

"Oh, you don't need to get her a present!" Maya said.

He shook his head. "I want to."

"Okay… Well, she likes dolls, if you want to get a toy. She's also really into books, even if she can't read that well yet. But she's better than most kids her age!" Maya said, not able to keep herself from bragging on her daughter's behalf. "I've sort of been teaching her so she'll have the upper hand when she goes to kindergarten."

Phoenix chuckled and ran a thumb across Maya's knuckles. "You sound like such a good mom, Maya."

She looked down at their hands, unable to meet his eyes. "I try."

"I'll pick up something before then."

Feeling bold, Maya lifted herself onto her tip toes to kiss him on the cheek. He raised an eyebrow when she pulled away. "Thanks, Phoenix… For being so accepting."

"Hey, it's nothing," he said, brushing it off.

She squeezed his hand and let go, turning to open the front door. "See you Sunday."

"See you Sunday, Maya."

She watched him until he was back on the sidewalk, then waved once more to him before opening the front door and entering the house. She wasn't even able to kick her sandals off before Pearl burst into the foyer.

"Mystic Maya! I saw that!"

Maya was startled to say the least. "Huh? What did you see?"

Pearl covered her face with her hands. "You kissed Mr. Wright. He's your special someone!"

Maya rolled her eyes. "On the cheek, Pearly. That doesn't mean anything."

"You were holding his hand too."

"We're just friends."

"You were smiling at him and looking really happy. Mystic Maya, just admit it, he's your special someone. You liiiiike him!" she sang.

"You watch too many romance movies, Pearly," Maya said, smiling as she walked past her cousin into the living room. "Is Misty already asleep?"

"Of course!" Pearl said, standing up a bit straighter and putting on her 'adult' act. "I never let her stay up past her bedtime!"

"I know, you're a great babysitter." Maya flopped onto the couch. "By the way Pearly, Phoenix is going to come to Misty's birthday, so you'll finally get to meet him."

Pearl gasped. "Yes! It's about time you introduce him to us, if he's going to be your boyfriend he should get to know the family."

Maya sighed. "You should head to bed now too, Pearly. It's too late for you to go home so you can sleep here."

"But mother says I'm not supposed to stay here over night…"

"I'll deal with your mother," Maya told her.

Pearl perked right up. "Then can I sleep on the floor in Misty's room?" she asked.

Maya smiled and nodded. "Of course. Come on, let's get you some blankets and bring the cushions from the couch upstairs."

Maya woke up early on Sunday morning to begin decorating the house while Misty puttered around behind her, following her from room to room with her dolls. Now that she was old enough to sort of remember her birthdays, Maya always made sure to make them memorable. Pearl arrived at the house a few hours later and began to help Maya with the decorations and the food, when she wasn't busy playing with Misty.

Mia arrived home that afternoon while Misty was taking a nap. Maya didn't want her too tired before the party. She came in with a large wrapped box and set it on the coffee table with the rest of the gifts. Phoenix came in behind her, carrying even more boxes in his arms. Maya hadn't been expecting him to show up with Mia, and rushed over to help him.

"I gave Phoenix a ride since he was invited anyway," Mia explained. "Plus I needed help carrying all these gifts."

"You spoil her, Mia," Maya said, taking some of the things from Phoenix's arms.

After rearranging the gifts so the pile was neat again, Phoenix stood up straight and turned to her in greeting. "Thanks for the help."

She squeezed his arm. "I'm sorry my sister treats you like her servant," she said, shooting Mia a look. Mia simply shrugged and grinned at her. "Anyway, I'm glad you could come."

"Like I said, I wouldn't miss it."

"Well, Misty is taking a nap right now, but I can at least introduce you to—"

"Mystic Mayaaaaa!" the sing-song voice of Pearl called from the kitchen. "Is Mia home?"

"Yeah, Pearly!" Maya called back. "And she brought our other guest with her!"

Something clattered in the kitchen, and then Pearl was running out of the kitchen through the living room, sliding on the hardwood floors in her socks to stop right in front of Phoenix and Maya. Maya face palmed, but Phoenix had to laugh. "You must be Pearl Fey?"

"Yes! And you must be Mr. Wright, Mystic Maya's new boyfriend. It's so nice to meet you!"

Mia let out a chuckle from across the room where she was taking off her purse. She'd refrained from saying anything about Phoenix and Maya's budding relationship, but Pearl would do no such thing.

Phoenix at least didn't seem fazed by it. "Well, I wouldn't say that," he said, kneeling down in front of her. "At least not yet," he whispered to her so that Maya couldn't hear.

Pearl nearly squealed, covering her face with her hands. Maya crossed her arms. "What are you saying to her?"

Phoenix stood back up. "Nothing, nothing. Hey, Pearl, do you mind if I call you something like… Pearls? You're too darn cute to not have a nickname."

Pearl looked thrilled. "Okay! Do you have a nickname, Mr. Wright?"

"Hmm. Some of my friends call me Nick. You can call me that if you want."

"Okay, Mr. Nick! It was nice to meet you. I'll go check on Misty now okay, Mystic Maya?"

Maya nodded. "Sure, Pearly."

She scurried away, and Maya turned to Phoenix. "I didn't know your friends called you Nick. Am I not friend enough for that privilege?" she said, making a sad face at him.

He chuckled. "Sorry. Only one of my friends actually calls me that, and now Pearls. She just seemed too enthusiastic for me to say no. You can call me that too, if you want to. Why does she call you Mystic Maya?"

Maya rolled her eyes. "Oh, that. When she was younger I used to play this game with her where she pretended to be a princess, and I was her guardian, a good witch. She came up with the Mystic title and she never really grew out of calling me that."

"Cute."

"I suppose," Maya said. "Anyway, you can sit, make yourself comfortable. Mia's boyfriend should be here soon, and Misty's friend from down the road and her mom are coming over, but it won't be too packed. I'm going to go check on the cake."

"Let me know if you need any help."

Maya waved the thought away. "I'm good. You're our guest."

Once in the kitchen she hurried to the oven to check the cake. It had risen and was perfectly browned on top. She'd need to take it out in a few minutes to let it cool before slathering it with icing. She wasn't the best cook and certainly wasn't a professional cake decorator, but cake always tasted better when it was homemade.

Mia followed Maya into the kitchen and cleared her throat as Maya was bent down to stare into the oven. She straightened up and turned to her sister, raising an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"Sounds like I'm not the only one who thinks you and Phoenix are getting pretty comfy together."

"Miaaa," Maya whined. "Don't embarrass me while he's here. I just wanted him to meet Misty."

"Mhm, you do realize that for a lot of new couples, meeting the kids of your partner if they already have some is a really big step in the relationship?"

"He's not my partner though."

"Yeah, but you're hoping he will be. You've been spending all of your free time with him, Maya, at least when you're not with Misty. To think just a few months ago you were so adamant that you wanted nothing to do with him and you weren't interested. Do I even want to know what goes on in that office when I'm not there? Am I paying Phoenix to work for me or to make out with my little sister?"

Maya's face turned crimson. She wished she had something to throw at her sister. Instead she just covered her face with her hands. "It's not like that!" she said, her words muffled. "I help him with all the crappy jobs you put him through when he isn't helping you in court, and he helps me with my studying because he's a lawyer fresh out of school and he knows all about the stuff I'm learning. Nothing like that has happened yet!"

Mia smiled. "Yet. Operative word."

Maya groaned and stalked back into the living room. She was just in time to see Diego open the door and walk in, a gift bag in one hand and a tray of coffee in the other. He made his way into the living room and set it down on top of the other gifts, then looked down at Phoenix, who was sitting on the couch.

"Hey. You must be the new guy Mia's told me about."

"Oh, yeah that'd be me!" Phoenix said, standing up quickly to shake the other man's hand.

"I didn't know you'd be here."

Phoenix scrubbed at the back of his neck. Diego had a sort of intimidating presence about him, with that wild hair and goatee and those earrings, not to mention he was about half a head taller too. "Maya invited me," he said.

"Ah. I expect you're treating her well?"

"Er, yes?"

"You don't sound so sure there, buddy."

"Y-Yes, I am!" Phoenix said, much more animatedly.

"Diego, don't be a jerk to Nick!" Maya said as she entered the room.

"Just looking out for my sister-in-law is all," he said.

"I'm not your sister-in-law," she countered, sticking her tongue out at him.

"You love me. Where's your sister?"

"In the kitchen."

Diego sent them both a salute and headed to the kitchen to greet Mia. "Sorry about him," Maya said.

Phoenix shrugged. "Hey, he's just looking out for you like he said."

"I can look out for myself thank you."

"Mystic Maya?" Maya turned to the hallway to see Pearl returning. "Misty's awake. She wants you."

"Okay. I'll go get her. Nick, can you stay here? She's kind of shy around new people."

"Sure, of course. I don't want to scare her or anything."

"I'll be right back."

She headed up the stairs to Misty's room where she was just crawling out of bed. "Hey baby, did you have a good sleep?"

She rubbed at her eyes. "Yep. Are we going to have the party now?"

"Yeah! Everyone is here except for Anna from down the street, but her and her mommy should be here soon. Uncle Diego just got here."

Misty's face lit up. "I wanna go see Uncle Diego!"

"Wait, honey," Maya said, grabbing her daughter's hand before she could rush from the room. "There's someone else here too. I want you to meet him."

Misty looked unsure. "Who is it?"

"A friend of mommy's. Promise you'll be good?"

She nodded. "Okay, mommy."

Maya took her by the hand. "Alright, let's go."

Maya could feel butterflies in her own stomach. They were finally going to meet, but she was the only one who knew the truth. She had confidence that Phoenix would be nothing but sweet to her, but she hoped that Misty would like him too. She loved Diego now, but he'd been in her life since she was a baby. It might take a while for her to warm to Phoenix too.

Misty was bouncing with birthday excitement as they made their way down the stairs and back into the living room. Pearl was seated on the couch next to Phoenix, telling him some story. He listened intently to her, nodding and smiling at all the right times.

"Presents, presents, presents," Misty sang as they entered the room, her eye catching the pile on the coffee table. She pulled her hand out of Maya's and ran to the pile, paying no mind to Pearl or Phoenix.

Maya followed her, smiling as her daughter gazed starry eyed at the gifts. "Um, Misty?"

She looked up, finally noticing Phoenix, sitting there on the couch directly in front of her. He smiled at her but didn't say anything. He didn't want to frighten her. She just stared, mouth hanging open slightly.

Seeing the two of them together… They looked so much alike that Maya had to wonder if anyone else would see the resemblance. It wasn't the type of resemblance that people only saw when they already knew two people were related. For Maya it was the eyes. They were the same. The same colour, the same shape, the same way of seeing. When Misty was confused they would narrow as her eyebrows furrowed, the same way Maya had seen Phoenix's eyes narrow in thought while helping her with her studies. When Misty was surprised her eyes grew wide and round, or when she was really happy they would squint until they were almost closed with her smile, the same way Phoenix's did.

When Misty broke to run for Maya, Maya started, broken from her thoughts. She put her hand on top of her head as Misty hid behind her legs. "Misty, this is the person I wanted you to meet," she said, kneeling down beside her. "His name is Phoenix. He's mommy's new friend."

Misty peered around Maya's legs as Phoenix leaned forward in his seat to greet her. "Hi Misty. Your mom has told me a lot about you." Misty waved shyly back at him. Phoenix picked up one of the boxes from the pile of gifts. "I brought you a present. Happy birthday."

That perked her up significantly and she finally came back around the front of Maya's legs. She looked up at her. "Can I open it, mommy?"

"Sure baby. But it's the only one until later, okay?"

"Okay!"

Pearl patted the couch beside her. "Come sit up here, Misty!"

Misty crawled up onto the couch between Phoenix and Pearl, not minding the closeness to this strange man she'd just met. That gift had won her over already. She tore into the package excitedly, pulling out exactly what Maya had described, a new doll and a new book. Misty smiled at both, hugging the still boxed doll to her chest and opening the book on her lap.

"Misty," Maya said. "What do you say?"

"Thank yoooou!" she said, grinning up at Phoenix.

He patted her on the head gently. "You're very welcome."

The rest of the guests, which only included Misty's friend from down the road and her mother, arrived not long after, and the party could finally really be started. Pearl had fun playing the games Maya had set up for Misty and her friend, and after those were done they had dinner, which consisted of a simple pizza delivery, and then cake. Misty opened her gifts next, and by the time she was finished with that, the night was winding down. Pearl's mother Morgan made an appearance at the end of the night with a birthday card, but she didn't stay long. She'd never approved of Maya's unplanned, unmarried pregnancy. She took Pearl with her when she left.

When Misty's friend had been brought home by her mother, Maya left Misty with everyone in the living room as she began to tidy up. When she was finished tidying in the kitchen and came back out, Mia and Diego were gone into Mia's study to look over some case or another together, leaving Phoenix alone with Misty. She leaned against the doorframe and watched as Misty opened the book he'd given her as a gift and pointed shyly to it.

He obliged her request and started to read it to her, pointing out certain words and letting her attempt to read some herself, then helping her if she couldn't quite get it. Maya smiled. She had taken to him so quickly. It was yet another encouraging sight. Maybe she would be able to tell him soon.

She approached the duo and leaned on the back of the couch to see over Phoenix's shoulder. "Having fun?" she said.

He leaned his head back to look up at her. "Of course. Misty is just as smart as you told me. She's an amazing reader."

Misty grinned up at her. "Mommy! Come read with us!"

She couldn't say no, so she moved around the couch to sit down. Misty moved in closer to Phoenix to make room. Once comfortable, Maya leaned over so she could see the book as well, and together they sat and read.

After exhausting the book and finally bringing Misty up to bed, Mia and Diego opted to go for a nighttime stroll. It left Maya alone with Phoenix yet again.

"I'm exhausted," she said, flopping onto the couch when they'd left. "I don't know how some parents throw huge parties for their kids. I can hardly handle a few relatives coming over."

"I think Misty and her friend had fun though, and that's what counts," he replied, sitting down beside her.

Maya shifted over, feeling emboldened again. She thought it had something to do with how good he'd been with the kids. It was attractive to her. She leaned against him. "Nick. Nick. I have to get used to calling you that. It sounds weird right now."

"You're welcome to stick with Phoenix."

"No way. If Pearly gets to call you Nick, then so do I."

He laughed. "Alright. You don't want me to call you Mystic Maya do you?"

She punched him lightly on the thigh. "No, of course not." She took a contented breath and let it out slowly. "By the way, I'm sorry for sort of stick you on babysitting duty today. I think you spent more time with the kids than anyone else."

"I don't mind," he said. "Misty is adorable, just like you said. She'll be beautiful when she grows up… just like her mother."

When she glanced up from where her head was resting on his shoulder she found him gazing down at her, a sort of dreamy looking expression on his face. She blushed and looked away, pressing the side of her face back into his arm.

"Thanks for inviting me today, Maya," he continued.

"You're welcome," she said, still not lifting her gaze to his again.

Maya jumped when she heard the tinkling sound of her text tone. She fished her phone out of her pocket to find a text from Mia telling her she was staying at Diego's for the night. She finished off with 'so you can have some alone time with Phoenix' and a winky emoji. Maya clicked off the message quickly so Phoenix couldn't see it.

"Mia's not coming home tonight," she said.

"Oh. So it's just us, huh?"

"Mhm. Seems like it."

Silence stretched between them. This time it wasn't exactly awkward, but there was something else in the air, some sort of tension that made Maya feel nervous and excited at the same time. Phoenix shifted slightly against her and pulled his arm out of her grip only to wrap it around her shoulders instead. It wasn't exactly subtle, but Maya didn't mind. She could smell him now, like citrus and clean laundry, and she could feel his body as she leaned against him, pulled even tighter against his side by the arm wrapped around her; hard and strong still. Her mind flashed back to that night again, and she sat up, pulling away from him.

He sat forward as she stood up. "What's wrong, Maya? Sorry… Was that too forward?"

She shook her head. "N-No… Sorry, just…" she sighed. "I don't know."

He got up too. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine… Nick, thank you for being so nice to Misty today."

He looked confused that they were back on that topic. "It's nothing, Maya. She's a sweet kid, and obviously the most important thing in your life, which is how it should be. I respect that. I like it."

"Most guys our age don't take so kindly to hearing that I already have a daughter," she explained. "Before you, I couldn't even get to know a guy because I was always up front about the fact that I had her. I didn't get many second dates, to say the least, so I just stopped trying to find someone for a long time," she said. "But you're different." She took a step toward him to look up into his face. "Thank you."

He smiled at her. "You're welcome—"

She leaned up quickly, cutting off his sentence to capture his lips with hers. She could feel him tense up at first with surprise, but soon enough he was kissing her back and encircling his arms around her waist to pull her flush against his body. Her hands, which had been gripping the front of his shirt, moved up to skim across his shoulders before resting on the back of his neck.

They pulled apart after a few seconds of chaste but warm and comfortable contact. Maya opened her eyes slowly. He was looking back at her through half lidded eyes.

"Again?" he all but whispered.

She nodded, and they came together again, this time deeper, with tongues exploring and noses bumping a few times. Maya let her hands roam over him as he let his explore her back, gently caressing her spine through the material of her shirt.

He nipped at her bottom lip before gently sucking on it, like he was scared he'd hurt her with the nip. She sighed into his mouth. She'd never been kissed like this before… not by anyone but him, now and back then. It was the same kiss, she remembered it so clearly. How did he not remember her, when she had such a vivid recollection of him?

He sunk back down into the couch cushions, pulling Maya onto his lap. She gasped when he pushed the collar of her shirt aside and parted his lips from hers to kiss her neck instead, while his hands slid up to rest on her hips.

He focused his attention on her neck and her ear while her fingers ran through his hair and down his neck. When she slid her hands forward to his chest she pushed on him slightly, making him finally lift his head from where it was buried in her neck.

"Nick," she murmured, fiddling with the top button of his shirt. "Do you want to stay the night? If Mia is at Diego's she won't be home until the afternoon tomorrow." A small smile found its way onto his lips and she looked away, feeling a blush rise to her cheeks. "Say something."

"What about Misty?"

"She'll be asleep, and her room is at the other end of the hall… She won't hear anything."

"Then yes. I'd love to."

She smiled at him and leaned in to kiss him again. It was going to be a long, but enjoyable, night.