It was an uncharacteristically sunny Saturday afternoon, and Ryan found himself standing outside the café of a bustling shopping mall, reluctantly agreeing to accompany his mother, Linda, on yet another shopping excursion. He had planned to spend the day catching up on the pile of emails that had been accumulating in his inbox all week. But Linda had insisted. And when his mom insisted, it was almost impossible to say no.
He glanced at his phone for the third time in an hour. No new work emails, just more mundane notifications. Sighing, he shoved the phone back into his pocket, focusing on his mom, who was already pulling him toward the next store with a smile plastered on her face.
"You're such a buzzkill, son," Linda teased, elbowing him as she held the door open for him to walk through.
"I'm not a buzzkill," Ryan muttered, though the playful tone in his voice betrayed his usual gruff demeanor. "I just don't get the whole obsession with shopping."
Linda rolled her eyes as she picked up a sweater and began inspecting it. "Well, you'll thank me one day, Ryan. Trust me."
Ryan didn't answer. He knew better than to argue at this point. They had wandered through several stores in silence when suddenly Ryan paused, her eyes narrowing in on something—or someone. Linda, who had been muttering to his son on another Gen-Z sweater, followed his gaze.
That's when they saw her.
Maya.
Maya, looking effortlessly beautiful as always, was standing with a little boy who was holding her hand and laughing. She was smiling in a way he hadn't seen before—a soft, loving smile that transformed her entire demeanor. Ryan's mind immediately went into overdrive.
He couldn't help but wonder. The thought made his chest tighten. He had never really seen Maya like this, outside of the office, and certainly never in a family context. She always had this professional, composed air about her, but now—now she looked like a completely different person.
His thoughts were interrupted by his mom's voice, breaking through the haze of his confusion.
"That's her, isn't it?" Linda said in a tone that was both casual and knowing. She wasn't looking at Ryan but instead at Maya and the little boy. "The Maya you've talked about. The one from work."
Ryan blinked, trying to process what his mother had just said. "What?" he asked, his voice a little too sharp, too confused.
"Is she married?" Linda whispered, teasing him with a wink.
Ryan shot her a look, his chest tightening. "I don't know. Maybe."
Linda ignored the question and kept walking toward the store counter, clearly determined to introduce herself.
"I'm going to say hello," she said over her shoulder, still pulling him along like it was the most natural thing in the world. Ryan, in shock, could only follow.
When they reached the counter, Maya turned toward them, her smile genuine as she recognized Ryan.
"Hello," Linda greeted, her tone friendly but a little too forward for Ryan's taste. "I don't think we've had the chance to properly meet. I'm Linda, Ryan's mom."
Maya raised an eyebrow and for a second, Ryan swore he saw a flicker of astonishment cross her face. "Hi, Mrs Turner. It's nice to meet you," she said warmly, shaking her hand. Her gaze shifted slightly, landing on Ryan. "Ryan, I didn't know you'd be here."
Ryan just nodded stiffly. "Hi," he muttered. He still hadn't quite gotten over the surprise of seeing her with a child. "I didn't know either." His voice was distant, still wrapped in confusion and mild unease.
Linda smiled brightly. "So, who's this little one?" she asked, kneeling to look at the boy who had been holding Maya's hand. The child shyly looked at Linda before hiding his face behind Maya's legs.
Maya chuckled softly, brushing the boy's hair. "This is Leo, my nephew."
Linda's face softened as she looked at Leo, but Ryan's heart skipped a beat at the mention of the boy's name. His mind had been racing ever since he'd first seen Maya with him. Her nephew? So, that wasn't her son? He felt a rush of relief mixed with disbelief. How had he misread the situation so badly?
Leo peeked out from behind Maya's legs, still not quite comfortable with the strangers in front of him. "He's a little shy," Maya said with a soft laugh, clearly understanding his reluctance to engage with new people.
Linda's curiosity was piqued. "You're a wonderful aunt, I can tell. You're good with kids."
Maya smiled fondly. "I try. Leo's been in my life since he was born, and he's a little bundle of energy."
Ryan watched silently, still processing everything. Linda, on the other hand, couldn't resist teasing him. "You know, Ryan," she began in a sly tone, "maybe you should take a page out of Maya's book and spend some time with your future family. You're always working." She gave him a pointed look, the one that told him exactly what she was implying.
Ryan felt his cheeks flush slightly, though he couldn't tell if it was from embarrassment or something else. Future family? Was that even something he could consider? He had always thought of his work as his priority, always buried his feelings in spreadsheets and reports, and now…now he wasn't so sure.
Maya gave a light laugh at the exchange. "Well, I'm afraid Ryan's not the best at family gatherings. He's a bit of a workaholic."
Ryan shot her a deadpan look. "I'm not a workaholic," he muttered, though his tone lacked its usual conviction. It was hard to argue with the truth.
Linda, of course, wasn't done teasing. "You know, Maya, you've got a great way of handling things. Maybe you should show Ryan how to balance work and life." She smiled knowingly, her gaze bouncing between the two of them.
Ryan felt the heat rise in his face, but Maya just smiled politely. "Well, I'm sure Ryan has his reasons for working so hard," she said diplomatically. "I wouldn't want to change that."
Linda nodded sagely. "Well, that's the problem. He never takes a break. Maybe one day, we'll get him to take a day off and see how the world works outside of his office."
Ryan couldn't help but chuckle at his mom's persistence, though he was still trying to make sense of the new information about Maya. As Linda and Maya continued chatting, Ryan excused himself to the side to give them some space. He watched them converse—Linda was asking Maya questions about her life, and Maya seemed completely comfortable, answering with ease.