Chapter Four
847 Words
Maya Pov
"Maya."
"Maya."
I hear someone called, followed by a light tapping.
I groaned, mumbling in my sleep.
“I told you not to wait up.”
Her voice.
Aunt Lily.
I blinked my eyes open slowly, vision blurry as I turned my head toward her. She stood there, heels in one hand, looking tired… but also a little annoyed.
“You’re back,” I mumbled, my voice rough from sleep.
She raised a brow, crossing her arms. “And you’re downstairs. Sleeping. On the couch. When I specifically told you not to wait up.”
I winced, pushing myself up and dragging the blanket tighter around me. “I wasn’t waiting up,” I said weakly. “I was just watching TV.”
Her expression didn’t change.
I glanced at the screen, then back at her. “…Okay, maybe I was waiting a little.”
“A little?” she repeated, but there was no real anger in her voice.
I shrugged, rubbing my eyes. “You came back late.”
“Yeah, that's why I specifically told you not to wait up.” she said, softer now.
She walked over, gently taking the remote from my hand and lowering the volume. Then she adjusted the blanket around my shoulders like it was second nature.
I looked down at the fabric, picking at a loose thread.
“It gets… quiet,” I admitted.
She paused.
“Quiet?” she asked.
I nodded slowly. “Yeah. Like… too quiet.” I swallowed. “It reminds me of when Mom used to work late too before she quit her job. I’d stay up and wait for her. Sometimes I’d fall asleep just like this. And even when she started writing at home, I was always curled up on her lap as she typed away at the computer."
For a second, I thought I said too much. We never really talk about mom because of the painful memories it brings.
But when I looked up, her expression had softened in a way that made my chest ache.
“She used to carry me upstairs,” I added, a small smile tugging at my lips. “Even when I pretended to be asleep.”
Aunt Lily let out a quiet breath as she sat beside me. “She told me that once,” she said. “Said you were terrible at pretending.”
I huffed a soft laugh. “I knew it.”
The room fell quiet again, but not the uncomfortable kind.
The kind that felt… full.
“Your mom used to worry about you a lot.” Aunt Lily said after a moment.
I frowned slightly. “Worry?”
“Not in a bad way,” she said quickly. “She just always wanted to make sure you felt safe. Loved. Even when she couldn’t be around as much as she wanted.”
My throat tightened.
“She did,” I whispered.
Aunt Lily turned toward me fully, her expression more serious now. “I know I’m not her,” she said. “I don’t do things the same way. I work too much, I come home late, I—”
“You’re trying,” I cut in.
She stopped.
I looked at her, really looked at her. “I know you are. And… it matters.”
"I want you to live your life to the fullest. I'm grown up now. I know you worry about me a lot and you feel it's your responsibility to look out for me but I'm a big girl now, I can look out for myself. I want you to get married, travel around the world and be happy. After all you're just 29yrs old. You still have your whole life ahead of you." I said softly.
Something in her eyes shifted. Like she wasn’t expecting me to say that.
She reached out and brushed a strand of hair away from my face, her hand lingering for just a second.
“I'll always worry about you Maya, you're my baby... My big baby. And you're my responsibility, so don't ever feel that you're a burden." She said sternly but with her eyes looking at me with so much love.
I didn’t realize how much I needed to hear that until she said it.
I hugged her suddenly. "I love you Aunt Lily. I don't know how I would've survived without you." I whispered my voice cracking.
"I guess we will never find out. I love you too." She whispered hugging me tightly.
We stay in each other embrace for a while. I guess both of us really needed each other company and presence.
She stood up after a moment and held out her hand. “Come on. Let’s get you upstairs. You have school tomorrow.”
I groaned. "Not this please."
She laughed, pulling me up and leading me towards the direction of the staircase.
As we climbed up the stairs, I lean just slightly into her, letting her wrap her arms around me.
The house didn’t feel so quiet anymore.
- Writer
