Star Crossed Second Chance

Chapter 1

Maya

“Who are you here to see?” the hospital receptionist asks as her fingers tap rapidly against the keyboard. She doesn’t even glance up from her screen.

“My mother. Tyneisha James.”

With a quick nod, the receptionist asks for a few more details and my ID. Then I’m given a visitor’s pass that sticks to my blouse. Finally, I’m led to my mother’s hospital room. Dread fills my stomach with each step I take.

“Thank you,” I whisper to the attendant who accompanies me there. Once she’s gone, I sigh. “This isn’t what I thought a homecoming would look like.”

It’s been ten years since I last stepped foot in Pine Cove. Back then, I swore up and down that this little town would never see me again. There was nothing for me here. I remember praying before bed each night, begging for God to lead me away from this place.

My ambitions fueled my desire to leave, but Hunter played a part in it, too. He was the reason why I couldn’t hear the name Pine Cove without grimacing for so long.

I wonder what he’s like now. Does he remember what we used to have? Does he regret what he did?

Shaking those thoughts away, I suck in a deep breath and enter my mother’s hospital room. There’s an IV hooked to her arm, supplying her with fluids. A heart rate monitor beeps in the background. A sickly hue clings to her face and her dark skin is ashen, but she perks up slightly once I walk in.

“Maya,” my mother rasps, beckoning me over with a frail hand. “Maya, it’s you. I’m so glad to see you again, my love.”

“I was never going to stay away,” I reply, offering a small smile. I grab the back of a nearby armchair and drag it to her bedside so that I can hold her hand easily. “How are you feeling?”

I’m suddenly overwhelmed with guilt for not coming back when she first started dialysis. I kept telling myself I had plenty of time to visit. It wasn’t until she got sepsis that reality set in and I admitted how serious her condition could be. I had to come back before it was too late and I regretted it for the rest of my life.

“Better with you around. My God, Maya. You’re so beautiful. The photos you send home don’t do you justice,” she mumbles, raising a trembling hand to brush a curly strand out of my face. “I knew that you’d come back to Pine Cove one day. Not under these circumstances, but…”

A dry laugh escapes me. My hand wraps around my mother’s, gently squeezing. “Yeah, well, it feels good to be home. How’s the bakery? How’s Nana?”

She frowns, then shakes her head. “We’re not doing too well, Maya.”

“Why?” A pang of fear ripples through my heart. The bakery’s been in our lives since forever. “I thought business was going well!”

“It’s been getting difficult since I’ve been in the hospital, sweetheart. Nana does her best, but she’s only one woman. The medical bills are adding up, along with upkeep and maintenance for the shop. We had to cut our hours since Nana can’t be everywhere at once. I hate to say it, but I think we might lose the bakery.”

Damn it. I swore I wasn’t going to cry, but with my mom’s condition and our bakery on the verge of bankruptcy, my bottom lip quivers and my vision quickly muddles from the tears. I try to hide it for my mom’s sake, ducking my head and furiously wiping my eyes, but it doesn’t work.

Mom knows me too well.

“Oh, sweetie. I’m sorry,” she says gently. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“No, no, you did the right thing!” I sniffle, wiping my eyes until the skin underneath them is raw. “You should have told me that you and Nana needed the help. I would’ve come sooner.”

“Do you mean that?”

“Of course, Mom. I love you two, and I love the bakery. Sure, Pine Cove’s not really my style anymore, but…” I shrug, playing up my indifference even while memories of Hunter and I come to the forefront. “Family comes first before anything else.”

My mother smiles weakly before her arm lands limply at her side. Gazing at the heart rate monitor, my shoulders drop in relief to see a constant pattern. Up and down every second, within an acceptable range. 

“You should stop by the bakery and see Nana. I’m sure she’d be thrilled to see you again,” she remarks, eyes drifting closed. “And I’m sure you have some old friends who would like to see you, too.”

I crack my knuckles nervously. “I don’t think so, Mom. Besides you and Nana, I don’t think anyone else is excited about my arrival.”

“How can you be so sure?”

Because it’s obvious. Why would anyone in Pine Cove want to see me again? I basically hightailed it out of here the first chance I got, letting everyone know that I hated this place and never wanted to come back.

If I were them, I wouldn’t be welcoming a person like me back with open arms. Maybe it was because we were one of the few Black families in town and I never quite felt like I belonged. I don’t know. I spent more than my share of time dreaming of how I’d get out of Pine Cove and acting like I was above small-town life, and it’s a little embarrassing now to be here.

Wetting my lips, I gaze at my mother. “I know it.”

***

“God,” I whisper, pulling up to the bakery and bringing my car to a gradual stop right outside the desolate spot. “What happened to this place?”

Mom and Nana used to put their all into making sure that our bakery was always in top-notch condition. Not to mention, the sweets and pastries were to die for. Everyone would line up around the block every morning for a chance to get a taste.

Now, it’s a shell of what it used to be. And that fucking breaks my heart.

Maybe I shouldn’t have left Pine Cove.

As I gaze through the shop’s windows, I see the ghost of my younger self running around the lobby with my childhood friends. We carry donuts and croissants in our small, sticky hands while my mom works the register. Nana comes out of the kitchen with two trays of blueberry muffins, offering a quick restock before hurrying back to her station. 

It’s amazing how quickly things can change. Ten years isn’t that fast of a downfall, I guess, but to me, it feels like this happened within a blink of an eye. 

Distance really does make the heart grow fonder.

Unfortunately, there’s no sight of Nana here. She’s probably back at home, fixing up a stew like she always does. At least, I hope so. The whole world can change, but if Nana doesn’t make her stews anymore, then I’m not sure I want to stick around for much longer.

Begrudgingly, I go back to my car, jump into the driver’s seat, and drive the short drive home. Instead of taking the usual route, I take a right turn and cruise along the empty streets to take a look at what I’ve missed out on.

New buildings line the streets, along with shop names I’m unfamiliar with. Even though I’ve grown up in this town, I feel like an outsider.

In a way, I am. Pine Cove doesn’t belong to me anymore. I gave up that privilege a long time ago when I ran off to be a literary agent in Los Angeles. Those huge streets and car-centric neighborhoods can’t beat the cozy feel of my hometown.

I slam on the brakes at a red light, earning me a scowl from a man who’s crossing. I offer an apologetic gesture, but my attention quickly shifts to a small pizza diner at the intersection.

“At least Larry’s is still here,” I muse.

That was one of the first places Hunter took me out on a date. We shared a pizza and a soda because that was all we could afford at the time as two lovers hopelessly enamored with one another. 

I remember how he tried to get me to slow dance with him even though it was corny pop music playing. How we danced anyway and the other people in the shop thought it was so funny that they joined in. 

And then Hunter convinced me to climb the roof and we spent the rest of the night just talking and laughing. Well, up until I realized I was out way past curfew. 

I would do anything to relive those good moments again.

A few shops away stands the place where Hunter and I broke up. An empty, vandalized building with wooden boards nailed against the windows and doors.

The car behind me honks as I forget to notice the green light. My car lurches forward and I leave the pizza diner behind, along with the memories that come with it. 

There’s no use dwelling on the past, but I find myself in a tricky situation. By coming back to Pine Cove, I’m taking my past and bringing it into my present. 

And I’m not too sure I’m ready to face my past again.