Page 31 of Power Play

“A peony?”

Maya nods. “It’s your favorite color too.” She thinks to herself for a moment, then says, “Pastel pink.”

I cup her cheek with my palm, caressing it gently. My sweet little girl. I hope it’s nothing serious with her eyes, that it can be fixed. I googled a little while we were waiting in line, but it brought me more distress. I need to know for sure what she has before I start investigating.

“Can you draw her for me?”

“Yes. At home.” Maya leans into my touch, tilting her head to the side. “Mommy, can we go?”

I fidget in my seat, looking around the coffee shop. Her trust is important to me, but sometimes I need to keep things to myself. I can’t tell her that I’m too anxious to drive because of what I heard at Dr. Hernandez’s office. So I opt for a little white lie. “My car isn’t working, sweetie. I need someone to look at it.” Bringing my gaze back to Maya, I take a deep breath. “I’ll call Ava. Maybe she’ll come pick us up. If not, I’ll get an Uber. Okay?”

Uber is the obvious solution, but the reason I’m not calling one is simple: I need someone to talk to me. Someone to help me deal with my worries.

I just need company.

“Yes,” Maya says. Averting her eyes, she focuses her attention on her cupcake and starts scooping up the icing with her finger.

I put my cup on the table and call Ava. It rings and rings and rings until she finally picks up. She sounds out of breath. “Hey, Layla.”

“Hey. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, all good. I was in the pool with Meghan and didn’t hear my phone.”

I press my finger to the rim of my cup and trace it slowly.

“Michael brought it out. How are you? How was the appointment?”

“I’m…I’m fine.” I pause. “The appointment went…well, but we’ll need another one. To know for sure.”

“Is everything all right?” Her voice gets firm in an instant. Ava’s always been good at reading between the lines. At reading me.

“Um, yes and no.” I expel a breath. “I kinda regret not taking you up on your offer the other day. I should’ve asked you to come with me.”

“Do you want me to come over?”

“I’m not sure I can drive,” I mutter quietly. “Can you come pick us up? I’ll send you the address.”

“Of course. Though I’ll need some time to get Meghan ready. Colton is taking Michael to practice.”

“We’ll wait for you. It’s okay.”

“Good. Then send me the address.”

“Thank you, Ava.”

“Of course. You’re my best friend, and you need me. Just tell me where.”

And then she hangs up. I smile a little despite my mood. Then I text her the address of the coffee shop.

Ava always has this effect on me, bringing me calm in the midst of chaos. Even though she was a tornado herself when she was younger—chaos was her middle name—motherhood has grounded her, made her more reasonable, more responsible, without ever dimming her spark. The fire she’s always had inside her still shines brightly. I’m lucky to call her my best friend.

She’s family.

While we wait, I chat with Maya about her dream from last night and how she finally saw Bon-Bon. Her excitement is palpable; the sparkle in her eyes makes their color pop and look brighter. She’s happy to talk to me about it, and I gladly listen to her. I love my parents, but I can’t say I’m very open with them. It was never something my mom or dad tried to do, to have a relationship with me or Drake outside the usual parent-child dynamic.

I want things to be different with Maya.

I want to be her friend, not just her mom.

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