Isabella picked the restaurant - a casual place right on the beach in Santa Monica called "Rusty's Surf Ranch." The kind of spot where you could eat fish tacos while watching the sunset over the Pacific Ocean.
"This is perfect," Maya said as we walked in, Tayanna sleeping peacefully in her carrier. "Not too fancy, but still nice."
Isabella had beaten us there and was sitting at a table with an ocean view, looking effortlessly pretty in jeans and a simple white top. When she saw us approaching, she stood up with a smile that made my stomach do weird things.
"Hey! How was the rest of your campus tour?" she asked, giving Maya a quick hug like they were old friends.
"Amazing. This boy really living like a king out here," Maya said, settling Tayanna's carrier next to her chair. "But I want to hear about you. Jakari told me you write for the school paper?"
"Among other things. I'm kind of a journalism nerd," Isabella said, sitting back down. "I also play volleyball - I'm the setter for our varsity team."
"Volleyball too? Damn, you stay busy," Maya said, impressed.
"I like staying busy. Journalism and volleyball actually complement each other well - they both require reading situations quickly and making split-second decisions."
I could see Isabella getting more animated as she talked, her hands moving expressively. Everything about her seemed calculated but natural at the same time.
"I'm really interested in social dynamics, especially at our school. Like, how do different backgrounds and experiences shape how students interact? What happens when someone from a completely different world comes into this environment?"
Maya glanced at me with raised eyebrows. "Sounds like someone's been studying my boy as a case study."
"Not exactly," Isabella said, but there was a small smile playing at her lips. "More like... I find his perspective refreshing. Most interviews I do are with kids who've never had to work for anything. Jakari's different."
"Different how?" Maya asked, and I could tell she was enjoying putting Isabella on the spot.
"He doesn't take anything for granted. When other kids complain about having to wake up early for practice, he's grateful for the opportunity. When they talk about college like it's a given, he talks about it like it's something he has to earn every day."
The server came over - a college-aged guy with bleached hair and a deep tan who looked like he spent more time surfing than working.
"What can I get you folks started with?"
We ordered drinks - Isabella got some fancy lemonade, Maya got iced tea, and I stuck with water. Tayanna continued sleeping through everything, occasionally making little sounds that had all three of us checking on her.
"So Maya," Isabella said after the server left, "what's it like being a mom at our age?"
Maya's expression got thoughtful. "Scary as hell, honestly. Some days I feel like I'm pretending to be an adult. But then she looks at me with those big eyes, and I remember I got to figure it out because she's counting on me."
"That takes incredible strength. I can barely manage volleyball practice and keeping my grades up."
"You learn fast when you have to," Maya said. "Plus, I got this fool looking out for us from three thousand miles away."
She nudged me with her elbow, and I felt that familiar warmth in my chest.
"It's not just me," I said. "Maya's the strongest person I know. She's been handling everything mostly on her own."
"With help from your grandparents," Maya added. "They been amazing since Jakari got out here. Making sure me and Tayanna got everything we need."
Isabella was listening intently, and I could almost see her processing everything with that sharp intelligence she had.
"Can I ask... what happened to Tayanna's father? You don't have to answer if it's too personal."
Maya and I looked at each other. We'd gotten good at telling this story over the past few months, but it never got easier.
"He was Jakari's best friend," Maya said quietly. "Got killed in a drive-by shooting. He was trying to get his life together, had a job at a warehouse, was planning to propose to me after the baby came."
Isabella's composed expression faltered for just a moment, showing genuine emotion. "I'm so sorry. That's... I can't even imagine."
"Yeah, it was. But he made Jakari promise to look out for us if anything happened to him. And this fool been keeping that promise even when it wasn't easy."
I felt uncomfortable with all the attention, so I tried to change the subject.
"What about you? You been at Malibu Prep long?"
"Since freshman year. My dad got a job with a tech company out here, so we moved from Phoenix." Isabella's composure was back, like she'd switched gears effortlessly. "It was a strategic move - better opportunities here, stronger academic programs."
"You miss Arizona?"
"Not really. Phoenix was... limiting. The journalism program here is nationally ranked, and our volleyball team actually competes at a high level. Plus, the diversity of perspectives here is much richer for my writing."
The server came back with our drinks and took our food orders. Maya got fish tacos, Isabella ordered some kind of quinoa bowl with specific modifications, and I went with a burger and fries.
"So Isabella," Maya said with that mischievous tone I was learning to fear, "you got a boyfriend?"
"Maya," I warned, but she ignored me.
"What? I'm just asking. As his... sister, I got to make sure he's making good choices."
Isabella laughed, but it was measured, controlled. "No boyfriend. Dating at our school is complicated. Most of the guys are either completely superficial or have no substance beyond their trust funds."
"But not Jakari?" Maya asked innocently.
"Maya, I swear—"
"No, not Jakari," Isabella said, looking directly at me with those intelligent eyes. "He's... authentic. When he talks, there's substance behind it. No pretense, no performance. It's refreshing."
I felt my face getting hot. Maya was grinning like she'd just confirmed her suspicions.
"That's my boy," Maya said proudly. "Never been fake a day in his life. Sometimes I wish he was a little less honest, might keep him out of trouble."
"Really?"
"Oh yeah. This fool will tell you exactly what he thinks, even when he probably shouldn't. Got him in trouble more than once."
I was about to protest when Tayanna started stirring in her carrier. Maya immediately turned her attention to the baby, checking her diaper and adjusting her blanket.
"She's probably getting hungry," Maya said. "Mind if I...?"
"Of course not," Isabella said, watching with interest. "Do whatever you need to do."
Maya started preparing a bottle while Tayanna's fussing got a little louder. I instinctively reached over to pick her up.
"Hey there, beautiful," I said softly, cradling her against my chest. "You hungry?"
The effect was immediate. Tayanna stopped fussing and looked up at me with those big dark eyes. I started bouncing her gently, the way Maya had taught me yesterday.
When I looked up, Isabella was studying us with an expression I couldn't quite read.
"You're really natural with her," she said quietly.
"I'm still learning. Maya's been teaching me."
"It's instinctive though. You can't teach that kind of gentleness."
"Babies can sense love," Maya said, testing the bottle temperature on her wrist. "And this little girl knows her godfather loves her."
Tayanna continued to calm down in my arms, making those little sounds that were halfway between talking and singing. I couldn't help but smile as I watched her.
"She's got her daddy's eyes," I said to Maya.
"And his stubborn streak," Maya replied. "Watch - she's gonna be a handful when she gets older."
"Good," I said, looking down at Tayanna. "Strong girls run in her family."
Our food arrived while I was still holding Tayanna, so I had to eat one-handed while keeping her balanced. Isabella watched the whole thing with what looked like analytical fascination.
"This is remarkable," she said. "The way you've adapted to this responsibility."
"We are a real family," Maya said simply. "Not traditional maybe, but real."
"How does the dynamic work with Jakari being out here?"
"We FaceTime every few days. He sends money when he can. And he's building something out here that's gonna benefit all of us in the long run."
Isabella turned to me with that direct way she had of looking at people. "That must create significant pressure though. Knowing that people are financially dependent on your success."
I thought about how to answer that, bouncing Tayanna gently. "Yeah, sometimes. But it's also motivation, you know? Like, when practice gets hard or classes get stressful, I remember why I'm here. It's not just for me."
"That's a mature perspective. Most students here don't have that kind of external motivation."
"It's just life. Everybody got people they care about."
"Not everybody would handle that responsibility the way you do though," Isabella said, and something in her tone made me look at her more carefully.
Maya was nodding enthusiastically. "That's what I been trying to tell him. This boy don't give himself enough credit."
After we finished eating, we walked along the beach. The sun was setting, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink that made everything look like a movie. Tayanna was awake and alert, taking in all the new sights and sounds.
"It's beautiful out here," Maya said, breathing in the ocean air. "I can see why you like it."
"It's different from Chicago," I admitted. "Quieter. More... peaceful, I guess."
"But do you miss the authenticity of home?" Isabella asked. "The realness you talked about?"
"Yeah. I miss my boys, miss knowing every corner of my neighborhood. Miss the way people said exactly what they meant."
"But you're adapting well here?"
I looked out at the ocean, then at Maya and Tayanna, then at Isabella walking beside us with that graceful way she moved.
"Yeah. I'm figuring it out."
We found a spot to sit on the beach, and I held Tayanna while Maya and Isabella talked. I was struck by how different they were - Maya direct and emotional, Isabella measured and thoughtful. But they seemed to understand each other.
"So what's your long-term plan with volleyball?" Maya asked Isabella as the sun got lower.
"I'm hoping for a Division I scholarship. Stanford has an excellent program, and their journalism school is top-tier. It would be perfect synergy."
"You got that mapped out, huh?"
"I believe in strategic planning. Setting clear goals and working systematically toward them."
Maya looked at me with raised eyebrows, like she was thinking the same thing I was - that Isabella had everything figured out while I was still just trying to make it through each day.
"What about you and football?" Isabella asked me. "What's your strategy?"
"Strategy?" I laughed. "I just try to get better every day and see what happens."
"That's... refreshingly simple," Isabella said, but I couldn't tell if she meant it as a compliment.
"Simple's all I know how to be."
"It works for him," Maya said. "This boy been succeeding his whole life just by working hard and being himself."
As it got darker, we started walking back toward the restaurant. Tayanna had fallen asleep again, completely comfortable in my arms.
"Thank you for including me tonight," Isabella said as we reached the parking lot. "This was really illuminating. I feel like I understand you both so much better now."
"You should come visit us in Chicago sometime," Maya said. "See where this fool really came from."
"I'd like that. It would be valuable research."
I wasn't sure how I felt about being "valuable research," but before I could think about it too much, Isabella was saying goodbye.
"Text me when you get back to campus safe," Maya said to her.
"I will. And Maya? You're doing an incredible job. Tayanna is lucky to have you."
After Isabella left, Maya turned to me with an expression I couldn't read.
"She's interesting," Maya said finally.
"Yeah?"
"Smart as hell. Got everything planned out. Complete opposite of you."
"What you mean by that?"
"You're all heart, she's all head. You say exactly what you're thinking, she thinks about everything before she says it. You're simple and honest, she's complicated and strategic."
Maya shifted Tayanna's carrier as we walked back to the hotel.
"But I think she likes you. And I think she's good for you."
"How you figure?"
"Because you need someone who can think ahead while you're busy feeling everything so deeply. And she needs someone who can remind her what it feels like to just... be real."
As we got back to the hotel, I thought about what Maya had said. Maybe she was right. Maybe Isabella and I were different in ways that could work.
But I also wondered if someone as put-together as Isabella could really be interested in someone as messy and uncertain as me.
But looking at Tayanna sleeping peacefully in my arms, thinking about Maya's wisdom, remembering the way Isabella had looked at us tonight - I felt like maybe I was building something real here.