XVIII

Danielle followed Riley and Maya up the steps to Riley's apartment, still feeling the faint buzz of energy from their night out. The carnival had been loud, chaotic, and full of life—just the kind of scene Danielle thrived in. But as soon as Riley pushed open the door to her home, the atmosphere shifted.

Warmth. Not just from the heater, but from something deeper—something woven into the fabric of the place. The air smelled faintly of cinnamon, and the lighting was soft, casting a golden glow over the room. There were pictures everywhere—on the walls, the shelves—family moments frozen in time.

"We're home!" Riley called out as she kicked off her shoes.

Danielle hesitated for half a second before doing the same, her confidence not slipping but... adjusting.

"In the kitchen, honey!" A voice—Riley's mom—called back.

Danielle barely had a moment to take in more before a man stepped into the room, smiling warmly. Tall, broad-shouldered, with kind eyes that looked just like Riley's.

Danielle shook his hand, her usual easy smirk in place. "Nice to meet you too, sir."

"Cory," he corrected with a grin. "None of that 'sir' business. I'm not your teacher right now. Make yourself at home."

That was the problem. Danielle didn't know how.

Her house—if she could even call it that—was nothing like this. A massive space with expensive furniture, always too clean, too empty. Growing up with her aunt wasn't not warm. There were no framed pictures of laughter and memories. Just walls, standing tall and cold.

Her aunt loved her, she knew that. But work had taken over after the incident.

"Danielle, you good?" Maya's voice was soft, barely carrying over the noise of Riley greeting her mom.

Danielle blinked, realizing she had gone quiet. She turned to Maya, who was watching her with that sharp blue gaze—one that saw too much. But Maya didn't push. Instead, she let their shoulders brush, casual but grounding.

"You're looking at the walls like they owe you money," Maya teased.

Danielle huffed out a breath, tension easing. "Maybe they do."

Maya grinned, dragging Danielle's arm and pulling her toward the couch. "Come on, cool girl. Let's see if you survive the Matthews household."

Danielle let herself be led, the warmth still pressing in on her—but, somehow, with Maya beside her, it wasn't quite so overwhelming.

Danielle had just settled onto the couch when footsteps echoed from the kitchen.

"Riley, did you—oh!"

A woman appeared near the couch, wiping her hands on a dish towel, her long blonde-ish hair perfectly styled even though she was clearly in the middle of something. Her gaze landed on Danielle, sharp and assessing, but not unkind. Just... observant.

"You must be Danielle," she said, a small but knowing smile forming. "I'm Topanga, Riley's mother."

Danielle straightened slightly, instinctively turning on her charm. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Matthews."

Topanga's eyebrows lifted, and Riley sighed dramatically.

"Mom, please don't—"

"I like her," Topanga declared before Riley could finish, giving Danielle an approving nod. "Polite, well-spoken, confident—"

"—and slightly terrified right now," Maya muttered under her breath, just loud enough for Danielle to hear.

Danielle shot her a quick look before focusing back on Topanga, who was studying her like a puzzle to be solved.

"I've heard a lot about you," Topanga continued.

Danielle blinked, caught off guard. "You have?"

"Yes. Maya talks about you all the time."

Maya immediately sat up straighter. "Okay, let's not just throw that out there without any context—"

Topanga ignored her. "And Riley, of course," she added. "She told me you're quite the presence at school. Popular, confident, a natural leader."

Danielle smirked slightly. "I try."

Topanga crossed her arms, tilting her head as if considering something. "You remind me of someone I knew when I was younger."

"Oh?"

"Yes. And that someone ended up being my husband."

Cory—who had just returned from the kitchen—made a noise of protest. "Are you saying I was confident and cool?"

Topanga patted his arm in a way that was both affectionate and dismissive. "I'm saying she has a similar energy to Shawn."

Danielle barely had time to process that before Maya groaned. "Oh no, don't do this. Don't make it a thing."

Riley, on the other hand, looked delighted. "Oh, it's totally a thing!"

Danielle raised an eyebrow. "Who's Shawn?"

Topanga's smile was knowing. "Maya will tell you."

Maya groaned again, slumping against the couch. "This is the worst day of my life."

Danielle, despite herself, felt the tension in her chest ease. The warmth of the Matthews home was still pressing in, still unfamiliar, but as Topanga gave her one last assessing look—one that felt both intimidating and oddly reassuring—she found that it wasn't quite so overwhelming anymore.

Maybe, just maybe, she could get used to this.

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A/N

Okay so I'm gonna try my best to update daily but school has started again. Sad Ik. If not daily it'll probs be Tuesday Friday and the weekend.