Stop Stalling

{MAYA}

Brent sat upright and looked at Maya, he asked her, "where do I start?"

If it was not for the fact that his face looked like he wanted to crawl under the small table which belonged to the manager, Maya would have joked at him, "start from wherever Brent, start from anywhere, I don't care."

But instead of that she only smiled encouragingly at her friend. Brent enveloped Maya into a hug, "what was that for?" Maya asked as Brent let go.

Brent blinked and asked Maya, "what?" Maya pointed herself then back at Brent. Brent looked up and said, "oh, I just remembered that I didn't greet you. I have missed you."

Maya smiled and answered, "I have missed you too." She then took one of Brent's hands hoping that her best friend was going to tell her very soon why he had called her there because if not, Maya was going to react in a way she had never.

She was always patient and could wait for someone to take her or his time but she really, really needed to be home with her family. She thought as she looked at Brent's hand, "why are you stalling?"

Brent looked at their connected hands and sighed, Maya moved close to him and Brent moved back, he asked surprised, "what are you doing?"

"I am just checking something."

"Oh, for a minute there I thought you were."

"What?" Maya asked and looked away.

"So, my mother is back."

Yes, dear Brent, you have already mentioned that, go ahead, why, why was she back? Why?

The courses Maya has been taking for the past four years were beginning to help her and she thanked God she was always concentrating and learning and the fact that she loved her decision of becoming a counselor because her patience was really being tested by Brent at that moment.

Brent removed his hand from Maya's hold and started playing with his other hand, Maya looked at it and knew as much as she hated to ask someone to start talking if they are not ready, she was going to. Brent needed a push, he was nervous.

"Brent," Maya called.

"Yeah," Brent answered and leaned back on the couch.

"Don't you dare sleep on me? Brent, I am dead serious." Maya said and stood up, she picked a cup on the cupboard get some water from the fridge, and hand it to Brent.

"You want to splash some on my face, yeah?" Brent asked with a smirk and began drinking the water slowly Maya shouted, "how about you take all the years you want and drink it, do you need a straw? oh, oh wait I have an idea, why don't you drink it in droplets."

Brent removed the cup from his mouth and started laughing, when he was done, he pointed at an angry Maya and said to her, "got you. Jesus, I didn't think I could make you angry."

"Brent, you were testing me," Maya stated and took the cup out of Brent's hand and walked to the door.

Brent stood and hold Maya's arm, he turned her around and told her, "I am sorry, I wanted to see how far we can go. Why are you so agitated?"

"I am not," Maya answered.

"You are."

"I am not."

"You are."

Finally, Maya said as she turned to the door, "Okay, I am out of here." Brent turned her around and said to her, "okay, sorry. Can we talk now?"

"Okay," Maya said and walk back to the seat, she took a seat and pat the space next to her for him. Brent took a seat and looked at Maya and began, "my mother is back and how is your mother by the way?"

"Stop stalling Brent." Maya wanted to say that but instead, she said, "she is fine, you just spoke to her Brent."

"I did. She is a good mother." Brent said and nodded his head at Maya.

Maya moved to the other end of the couch and pat her lap for Brent. Brent looked at her with a one raised eyebrow, and asked, "what?"

"Come here." Maya said and Brent grinned and stated, "sure mommy."

"Don't call me that," Maya said and closed her eyes.

"Why do you think my mother is not good as yours?" Brent asked and Maya opened her eyes.

Maya decided to stop being worried and become a professional counselor even if she was not yet finished with her degree. It was time she started practicing. She was not going to say that out loud, if Brent heard that he would be mad at her forever.

The one thing Brent had told her once they became best friends was, "we are best friends and I will be asking for advice from you a lot, but promise me one thing, you will never therapize me."

Maya had agreed to him, and over the years she hadn't found herself doing that to her best friend but from how things were going with Brent at that moment, there was the need to use another approach other than that of a best friend who was trying to help her best friend.

She knew she was about to break the promise she had promised her only best friend, but it needed to be done, she needed to therapize Brent.

"A minute please." Maya said after they had stayed quiet for what felt like an eternity to both of them, and typed on her phone to her mother, "mom, sorry add an hour to the hour I said I will take, please tell Levi and Lewi I am sorry and once I am done I will come immediately." She hit send and smiled at Brent.

Maya received feedback immediately from her mother, "don't worry honey, we are waiting for you. Levi is saying you don't need to worry, is it Levi, or Lewi? whatever, anyways, we are not going anywhere. Take your time with your boy. (wink emoji.)

Maya read the text and rolled her eyes. She wondered, "your boy?" Her mother was crazy, Brent was not her boy and she knew that.