*trigger warning: this chapter does contain mentions of child kidnapping and abuse.

THE DAY WE WROTE THE LETTERS

As I walked into the class I saw one word written on the board: Forgiveness, "Oh boy..." I mumbled to myself as I crossed my legs sitting down in my desk, knowing this will not end well no matter what Mr. Matthews bigger point is, as he always seems to have one.

"All through history, countries go to war. That's what we normally study in here. But today, we're going to talk about peace and forgiveness and how we get there," our teacher simply shrugged, "Every once in a while, I come up with a good idea."

"What could it possibly be that I haven't already thought of?" Farkle leaned back in his chair, daring the teacher to question his student.

"Farkle," Matthews pointed at the questioner, "I forgive you."

"What did I do?" Zay shook his head slowly.

"I forgive you too," Farkle looked at the dark-skinned boy with confusion.

"What did I do?!"

"You know what you do." to which Lucas nodded furiously in agreement.

"I feel better now that I've forgiven you," Matthews ignored Farkle's question, "How do you feel?"

"I'm sorry for every time I've hurt you!" Farkle shouted nervously, "What did I do?!"

I looked at him, "I would tell you, but I think they'll explain it to you after this," I pointed at Matthews.

"Ladies and gentlemen, today we're going to begin the forgiveness project. Our history isn't just about what we've done. How we grow comes from the repair of what we've done and how we forgive what was done to us," he explained his lesson plan to us.

"Hmm. We're in. What do we do?" the brunette descendant asked.

"Everyone take out a piece of paper," as he continued to his desk I pulled out my notebook from underneath my desk, "So this isn't your laptop or your cell phone. You've got unlimited characters here. As many words as you want," he opened a drawer, pulling out a stack of red envelopes and handing it down the rows of students, "The impact will last longer than six seconds. And I guarantee you, it's never going to disappear. So pick up a pen. Express feelings. This is one of the most important things you're ever going to do. You're about to forgive someone."

"So what's the catch?" I asked clicking my pen, "What's the 'Riley and Maya' twist?"

"No twist this time," he shook his head.

"So then what's this got to do with history, Matthews?" Maya queried after I.

"It gives you a chance to change it,"

"Like when I forgave Auggie for biting the face off my Beary-the-Bear bear," Riley listed what she thought to be an example.

"That wasn't forgiveness, honey."

"Why not?" she huffed.

"Because you haven't gotten over it!" Riley pulled out what I could only assume to be the victim of Auggie's biting.

"This is the first thing I see every day!"

"Why not throw it away Honey?" I asked, causing her to glare at me as I hold up my hands, "Okay." I surrendered, looking back at Matthews.

"So is there anyone in your life that you want to forgive? Change your history. Go."

"Dear Auggie the murderer," Riley narrated the beginning of her letter. I paused, knowing in the back of my head who I want to forgive, but knowing I never will get the chance to. I looked over to Maya who's paused, stumped as well I assume.

"Maya, Idina, no one in your life you want to forgive?" Cory asked from his desk.

"Don't think you can forgive a dead man, Matthews," I replied looking at the teacher. His eyes seemed full of sorrow and understanding.

"Just because someone's not here, doesn't mean they can't hear," he said simply, before looking over at the blonde, "Maya?"

"No," the blonde shook her head. Lucas looked up from his letter.

"Don't you think now would be a good time?" he asked, causing the girl to look back at him. I just crossed by arms and leaned forward on the palm of my hand, watching the scene.

"You and your mom are in a good place," Riley said looking up from her letter, "You're strong, Maya. Don't you want to forgive him one day? Why not now?" Maya scrunched her nose and smiled, before writing something down on her paper and slips it into the brunette's hand, "Ahem," she cleared her throat and read the letter aloud, "'Riley, butt out. I am serious. Butt your butt out',' she looked to Maya with a small smile, "I forgive you."

As they kept writing I bit my lip, looking down at the blank page, the blank lines, the multiple possibilities. So... can you write to a dead man? Well, I'm about to find out I guess.

After class finished I walked in the hall with Farkle. He sighed, looking at me, solemnly.

"You know, you try to do your best by people. You try to be the best friend you could be. And what do you get?" Farkle held out his hands in a shrugging motion, giving Lucas and Zay, who were relaxing against the lockers, the opportunity to shove 2 red envelopes towards him, one into each hand.

"You get letters from your friends apparently," I chuckled looking down at the letters and snatching the one in his left hand.

"What did I do?" Farkle huffed looking at the two boys.

"Read 'em," the taller Texan crossed his arms as I opened the letter.

I cleared my throat, before beginning to read the tan boy's letter, "Dear Farkle, I forgive you for ruining every single movie we've ever seen together."

"How do I ruin every single movie?" Farkle asked the two.

"Ah, read mine. Read mine," Farkle opened the letter I left unsnatched and read it aloud.

"I forgive you for figuring out the end of every movie and shouting it out before it happens."

"Because, see, we don't want to know," Zay explained. Farkle looked at me.

"Do you feel this way to Iddy?" he asked, using his nickname for me. I bit my lip.

"Well yes," I said, before pinching his cheek lightly, "But it's so adorable when you do it." he lightly whacked my hand away, a blush tinting his face before he looked between the other two Texans.

"I just want to share my abilities with my friends," he explained

"We don't want your abilities," Lucas shook his head.

"Your abilities make us want to hurt you," Zay said, gesturing with his hands. As Maya and Riley walked out Farkle looked over at the two.

"Riley, Maya, wanna see a movie with me?" he asked.

"Are you crazy?" Riley raised an eyebrow.

"Never again," Maya shook her head firmly as she furrowed her eyebrows. I giggled slightly at their next set of comments.

"She dies!" the brunette began to imitate Farkle at the movies.

"He blows up!" Maya pointed.

"She's the killer!"

"Nobody gets out of Monkey Town." The two looked back at Farkle, motioning their heads violently in a 'no' fashion.

"Are you crazy?"

"Hurt you." Maya ended their little show, motioning her hands as if she was snapping him like a twig.

He looked at me as they walked off, "Idina, movie?"

"Anytime," I smiled at him, pressing my arm against his shoulder as his wrapped around my waist. Both the boys kept their arms crossed looking at Farkle with eyes full of anger.

"Well, thank you for forgiving me," he turned to them, "Do you think we could still go to the movies if I stop telling you what happens next?" the two shared a look.

"Do you think you can?" Lucas asked hesitantly. I looked between the two, before crossing my arms and looking Farkle up and down.

"Yeah, I think he can," I said.

"Of course, I can," Farkle scoffed, before smirking victoriously, "'Oh, let's give him one more chance,'' he began to narrate what would happen presently, "'Hey!' Then you chase me, and then I scream."

"Oh, let's give him one more chance," Zay smiled looking at Lucas. The boy grinned in response, before furrowing his eyebrows realizing that the two had been played by the genius.

"Hey!" Lucas shouted. Farkle looked at me with wide eyes and a smile.

"I'll text you later," he said, before looking at the two and shouting, "It's just too much fun!" and running off screaming as the two chased him, leaving me in a fit of laughter in the middle of the hallway.

I sighed, walking over to my locker and pulling my backpack to my side. I opened the smallest pocket of it, where two folded up pieces of paper laid. I took out the red envelope Mr. Matthews had given us, quickly putting the first letter into it. I bit my lip looking at the second one, as said teacher walked out of his history classroom. I looked up at him.

"Mr. Matthews?" I caught his attention hesitantly. He looked at me and furrowed his brows.

"Yes, Idina?"

"Would you happen to have a different colored envelope? Maybe a non-red one?" I asked. He nodded, grabbing something from within his briefcase and handing me a crisp cream-colored envelope.

"Do well with it Ms. Jennings... I already know you shall," he said, before peeking at my hands, "Two letters?"

"Two different people," I sighed, "One I can't forgive, there's no way of doing that... the other..." I trailed off as he nodded.

"We'll see what comes of that one," he replied simply, before walking off as I sealed the second letter, looking at both in my hands. Both for the same destination, with two different stories.

WEEKS LATER

"This will not end well," I shook my head watching Riley's mom put on an apron as Maya's mother shook her head.

"Really, Topanga, please don't worry about this," Katy said to Topanga. My own mom had some time off so she'd decided to come to the cafe and watch as Topanga attempted to help out around the cafe. Their daughters and I sat in what we called 'the cafe bay window'.

"No, I told you that I would come and help out when I can, and I can today," Topanga said, before gesturing to my mother, "Even brought a friend along."

"Yeah Katy, I'm here to help too," My mom, Nicole, smiled.

"Yeah," Katy replied nervously before shaking her head, "No." as my mother tied an apron behind her back as well. The brunette daughter turned to us.

"This is gonna be good," she smiled.

"I can't take my eyes off it," Maya chuckled.

"You don't think I can do this, do you?" Topanga raised an eyebrow.

"I think that you are Topanga Matthews, attorney at law, and that might perhaps color the way that you deal with customers, who I don't even think will believe that you're a waitress.," she said, before pointing to my mom who had tied her hair back into a ponytail, "Now her, people would believe she was a waitress."

"I was one for 4 years when I was younger," Nicole nodded. Topanga gasped looking at Katy.

"I could be a fine waitress," Topanga said, before going to a customer with a big juicy smile across her lips, "And what will you have, sir?" he didn't even look up from his menu.

"Yeah, give me the cheesecake." she raised an eyebrow in anger. My mom just watched as amusement lit up her face while she quietly commenced with another customer, waitressing with ease.

"You want to try that a different way, chief?" Topanga slightly snarled.

"No!" the man scoffed. Katy rushed over.

"Okay. Hey, Howie," Katy greeted the customer as she pulled out the slice of cheesecake he'd ordered, "Oh, there you go. You know what comes with our biggest piece of cheesecake? Our biggest smile."

"Ha! Don't ever leave me again."

"Aw, thanks, Howie."

"I was talking to the cheesecake," he said, before taking a big chunk of the cake. Nicole smiled walking over to Topanga.

"How you doing so far, Topanga?" she asked with a slight giggle. Topanga rolled her eyes.

"Okay, one more," Topanga bargained.

"No more ever!" Katy huffed.

"No. I'm gonna try that guy, right over there," she used her pen to point to a blonde-haired man who just walked in. He had a scruffy beard across his face, and as Katy turned she gave him a weird look. Maya looked over to the man, seeming emotionless.

Another man walked in behind him, but I knew the two were not together. The other one had light, almost dark, brown hair. He was a little shorter than the man who had walked in before him. His eyes were piercing. My mother turned to look at the two men who'd walked in, biting her lip as she recognized the second. As did I, the cream colored letter had been to him.

"No, I got him," Katy said.

"Well, what about the guy behind him?" Topanga asked. The blonde man looked around, before walking in slowly. The brown haired man behind him did almost the same thing.

"No," Nicole responded abruptly, "I got him," she said in similar fashion with the blonde's mother.

"Idina," Riley looked to me, "Why does that man look so familiar," she gestured to the shorter man.

I sadly smiled at her, "He looks like someone you've met before," I simply replied, before looking back at the commotion I know will soon happen. The darker haired man sat down at a table near the blonde one.

"Okay. I'll learn from you two," Topanga shrugged. Katy slowly walked over to the scruffy man, who now sat at a table now. Nicole did the same, going to the table almost directly next to them.

"You're going to want to watch what happens next very carefully," Maya quietly said.

"Why?" I raised an eyebrow, even though I knew one reason why, and hoped my mother wouldn't react as I thought she would.

"Your mother's great at this, Maya," Riley added, "What could happen?" Katy put her hands on her hips with a big fake smile.

"Hello, sir. How are you today?" My mother stared at the other man for a moment as Katy spoke, before looking back at the long-haired man.

"I'm-"

"You a little hungry, are you?" her speech sped up, "Is that why you've come here? Are you a little hungry? Is that-"

"What do you recommend?"

"I recommend the first thing that I can get my hands on," she turned to Topanga, "Give me something."

"Okay," Topanga scurried to the counter, snatching Howie's cheesecake in vengeance, "You should have said please!" before she placed the plate on the man's small table. Katy smashed her hands into the cake before rubbing it around the scruffy man's face.

"That's what I recommend!" she snarled as Topanga gasped. My mother simply shrugged, quite enjoying the scene. The other man was going to have to wait his turn to be served. He sat a little further away, looking up at me every once in a while, as he too watched the commotion going down. It seemed as though he would wait to make his approach until the scene died down, at least a little bit.

"You can do that?" Topanga asked pointing at the man, "I didn't know you could do that. I would love to do that!"

"Oh, my gosh, is that him?" Riley's eyes went wide as she looked over at the man, "Is he, him?" I looked at the man, then Maya.

"Did you do it? Did you do the assignment?" I asked timidly.

"I wrote something, and I mailed it. Tell me it was a good move."

"I don't know yet Peaches," I muttered.

"It was a bad move," Riley's eyes are full of disappointment.

"Why?"

"Tried it. It doesn't work! They don't apologize. Forgiveness is for jerks."

"What?" I whisper-shouted.

"I'm glad you told us in time!" Maya said sarcastically. Katy jogged calmly and quickly to the counter and grabbing any food she could get her hands on, mostly rolls and such, and throwing it at Maya's father.

"I don't understand?!" Topanga said, moving out of the line of fire, "Is this guy our millionth customer?"

"Ha," Katy chuckled bitterly, "No!"

"Sir, why are you okay with this?" the man shrugged.

"I kind of expected it."

"Katy, who is this guy?" the blonde mother looked to her just as blonde daughter. Maya stood, walking slowly over to the table.

"Hi, Maya," the man said, looking her up and down just as timidly.

"Hi, Dad," Maya choked out. Topanga looked to Katy, who looked down at the floor. I stood slowly as well. I looked at my mom, who looked down as well. I gulped and closed my eyes before they fluttered open to stare at the dark-haired man.

"Hi Idina," he quietly looked at me. He hadn't seen me in a few years, I had changed since then, a lot of things had. Topanga turned her head towards the two of us now, then back at Nicole.

"Hi, Uncle Anthony," I bitterly replied. I didn't say it with sadness, it was full of hurt and regret. Regret that I had made my mother look down, regret that I had sent a second letter, regret that I was staring at my father's younger twin. He looked almost exactly like him, well like he had looked.

Riley stood, walking over to me and pulling my arm towards her. The two men sat at tables close to each other, so Riley got a good look at each of them as she wrapped her arms around Maya and I.

"Hi. I'm Riley."

"And I'm Idina," I added looking at the blonde's paternal parent, "We've heard a lot about you."

She then looked at my uncle, "And we've heard nothing about you."

"Hi, Riley, Idina. You good friends of Maya's?" the man covered in food asked.

"I'm sorry, and please don't take this the wrong way, but what?" Riley practically shouted

"Riley and Idina are my best friends. But you wouldn't know much about them. Or me," Maya shot at him. The man looked at us.

"Thank you for being Maya's best friends."

"It's easy because Maya's great," I nodded.

"She's one of the best people I know," Riley replied, before looking over at my uncle, "So is Idina."

"But, he wouldn't know a lot about me either," I bit my lip looking at him.

"Idina-" I held my finger up to stop him. I glared at him.

"This is not about us right now, this is not about me right now," I looked between Maya and her father.

"Well, then I'm happy she found you two." Riley leaned into the range of Maya's earshot.

"I was picturing a monster. He doesn't seem like a monster. He seems like Frosty the snow-guy," Riley quietly said to the two of us in sort of a group huddle.

"What are you doing here, Kermit?" Katy sighed. My mom tilted her head up, leaning back against the counter.

"And what about you Anthony?" my mother asked my uncle.

"I was invited," Kermit held up the red envelope. Anthony held up the special cream-colored one.

"I have a few unanswered questions," Anthony shrugged.

"What?" both single mothers said in unison. Riley looked at Maya and me then to her mother.

"This is all my dad's fault," Riley said, walking towards her.

"Your father had an idea?" Topanga huffed, noting that a discussion with her husband would be coming later.

"Uh-huh." the mother looked to Maya's father.

"I apologize immediately. Your food is on the house."

"That's very nice of you because I wouldn't have been able to afford all of this," he said gesturing to his face, "May I please borrow a towel and your sink? And I'll take this to go."

As Kermit walked away to the sink in the back I looked over at Anthony. I sat down where Kermit had been seated next to him.

"So... how-" he started trying to make small talk.

"Mmmm, no," I said shaking my head, "You can shut that down right now. I'm not sitting here to make small talk," I looked at him, "You are going to say what you think you need to say, so you can be done and go back home and don't you dare return."

"Lovely welcome to your uncle now? I thought you were kinder than that Idina," he sighed.

"Yeah well I've changed. There are events in a person's life that change them sometimes," I glared at him, "I choose not to be kind to people like you. That's a decision I made a long time ago."

My mother walked towards us, "Idina are you sure you're alright doing this? Talking to... him," she almost snarled with the last word, like mother like daughter I guess.

"Mom I'm fine," I looked between her and Anthony, "I am perfectly capable of handling people like him... I learned that skill from someone with the same face as you actually," he didn't respond as I looked to my mother, "I'm fine Mom... I am handling this, I handle things... let me handle this." she nodded, kissing my head, before glaring at Anthony and walking over to Katy and Topanga. Katy was still dealing with the shock of seeing Kermit, and she wanted to be there for her friend. She knew I could handle this. People like Anthony didn't get to crawl under my skin anymore.

He held up the cream envelope, "You're the one who sent me this, not the other way around Sweetie. I wouldn't have come unless I thought you were ready."

I ignored his comment, "Did you do it? The other note? Did you follow my directions, or do whatever the heck you wanted as he used to do hm?" I replied bitterly. He nodded.

"I did it... but not before reading it for myself," he smirked.

"That was not your's to read, you had no right!" I grabbed him by the shirt, gently gripping it, "You are... were not my father! You don't get that right." I let my hand unclasp as I stare at him.

"I still put it on the grave," he shrugged, "I came here for a reason, I have unanswered questions to you know."

"Oh yeah like what?"

"This project thing... you haven't forgiven him have you?" I looked at him and think of his older brother.

"How could I?" I looked down at my hands, "He hurt me... he hurt her, without a care, without a thought," I looked him dead in the eyes, it's like I'm looking into my father's eyes and not my uncle's, "He kidnapped me while I was on a trip with my friends! He tied me up and I don't know what would have happened if they hadn't been there, what I do know is that I can never forgive that man," I stood up abruptly, "It's time for you to leave," I shook my head, going to the front door of the cafe and holding it open, looking back at him, "And don't come back."

He slowly stood, grabbing his jacket and looking at me. He walked past me without a word, outside the shop and up the stairs, headed who knows where, not that I cared. My hand clung to the knob of the door. I couldn't move it. Riley came over to me, wrapping her hand around mine and pulling it off. Though Maya was still dealing with her father, she did something unexpected. She turned me towards her and hugged me.

"You'll be fine," she whispered, nodding and looking at me. I had tears in my eyes, I couldn't help it. I looked back at her, grabbing her hand.

"And you will too," I nodded. Kermit walked out from the back of the store where the sink was, his face now clean. He smiled slightly as he came out, what I can only assume to be a nervous smile, and sighed deeply, before starting to walk away slowly. Katy walked up to him, shaking her head and chuckling. As she did the three of us moved to sit down in the chairs set up around the lounge area, where we always hung out.

"You said you were going out for a walk and you'd be back in an hour. You're nine years late," she said with a hint of defensiveness in her voice.

He turned around and looked at the blonde woman, "Thank you, Katy."

"For what?"

"I know that in those nine years, you protected me with Maya. You never once sold me out."

"Well, a girl should think well of her father," he smiled before turning to us, looking specifically at his daughter who sat in between Riley and me.

"I was real happy to get your letter, Maya. And that you've got friends like Riley and Idina."

"These girls here have been more of a father to me than you," Maya said, putting her hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah, I raised Maya since she was a pup," Riley said stroking the blonde's hair.

"And I raised Maya since last year," I said, looking at her and nudging her side, "But it feels like forever with this one."

"Looks like you two did a bang-up job."

"So... you left. Why were Mom and I not good enough?"

"No, no, no. Maya. That was a long time ago. We're over it," Katy chuckled before smiling as she attacked Kermit's arm in slaps, "Why were we not good enough?"

"Ah! I think you know that wasn't it," she looked at the man for a moment, before walking back towards the counter.

"Ha. You know..." Riley said, grabbing my arm as she stood, causing me to stand as well. I nodded

"We should really go anywhere but here," I agreed with the brunette.

"Nope," Maya said, grabbing both our arms and pulling us back toward her, making us both plop back down on the armless couch, "You're gonna stay with me. You're my family," she looked at her father, "Oh, how's your other family?" her father bit his lip before nodding.

"Everyone is fine."

"Riley, do you care to explain to me your father's idea here?" Topanga asked glancing at her daughter.

"Our assignment was to forgive somebody," the brunette replied.

"What does that have to do-"

"It changes our history."

"Oh. That's pretty good," the mother smiled, impressed with her husband's lesson plan.

"So Maya wrote to him and he showed up," I explained the last part.

"To forgive him?" Maya's mother raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, that was the assignment," the blonde teen bit her lip, "But I haven't decided if I'm going to pass or fail."

"Maya, whatever you decide, thank you for reaching out to me."

"You know, this would be so much easier for me if he was a monster," Riley sighed.

"Some people are monsters, Riles," I looked at her, "You just don't always see it because they're... tamed."

Maya stood slowly, walking towards her father as she spoke, "Do you remember the night the thunder shook the apartment? I was five and I thought, well, the lightning was so bright, I thought the world was on fire."

"Why would bring this up?" her father queried the girl.

"I'm all under my covers crying and you come flying into the room and peek under the covers and decide to make it a game. We were in Alaska looking for gold. And you said the lightning was the Northern Lights. The Aurora Borealis."

"Is this the reason the only thing you know is the Aurora Borealis?" Riley said.

"Because that would make sense," I shrugged. Maya looked at the two of us as I rested my head on Riley's shoulder, watching the blonde.

"You made that entire night an adventure until the storm passed. And I woke up the next morning and it was a sunny day. Don't you remember that?"

"No, Maya, I don't."

"That's because it never happened. The storm happened but you didn't."

"So how do you know the Aurora Borealis?" I asked her, before smiling at her mother as I knew what had to come next. When one parent wasn't there, it meant the other one was in situations like ours.

"Mom. It was Mom that came in. She made it Alaska and I was not scared at all."

"Hmm. I was petrified," Katy admitted, "Greatest performance of my life."

"Where were you?"

I pursed my lips, "He wasn't home, Riley."

"I wasn't home," he repeated, looking down in shame.

"How could you not be home?"

"Because kids bite teddy bears' faces off, friends ruin movies and fathers leave. You know, sometimes you can let it go, sometimes you can't," Maya said, stepping back towards the door, before looking at us, "Your dad was wrong about that one, Riley," she said, before walking out. I immediately stood as Topanga looked to her daughter.

"Riley, Idina," she tilted her head towards the door.

"Yeah," Riley nodded. I held out my arm to her as she stood, wrapping her hand around my arm as we both ran out after the blonde.

THE NEXT DAY

"How's the forgiveness project going?" Mr. Matthews asked as the class settled in.

"You killed us, Matthews," Maya scoffed.

"I gotta say, Matthews, I don't know what you were thinking," Riley huffed.

"You know what? You weren't thinking," I said bitterly, "Because if you were you would've known this was a horrible project!"

"You think forgiveness leads to peace?" Lucas chuckled.

"It leads to war in a movie theater," Zay pointed at Matthews, full of anger.

"Lights go down, the movie starts," Lucas narrated, "I made Farkle sit in the other corner of the theater so he can't ruin anything."

"Sounds like a good strategy," Cory nodded.

"Yeah. Then a cowboy comes on the screen, Farkle yells-"

"Dead!" Farkle pointed forward as if to a screen.

"An old prospector comes on the screen," Zay said next.

"Alien looking for a time portal."

"Next, comes a cheerleader," Lucas sighed. I sat up in my seat.

"Okay hold the phone... how is there a cheerleader in this movie?" I raised an eyebrow.

"No kidding," Farkle said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Cory looked to the rest of the class.

"Well, I'm sure some of you had a better experience." most of the other students shook their heads. I rolled my pencil around my desk.

"Yeah, you really killed us, Matthews," I muttered.

"Forgiveness doesn't work, Dad," Riley pouted, "I forgave Auggie and he didn't thank me."

"Riley, did you really forgive Auggie?" the teacher asked.

"No!"

"Maya, did you forgive your father?"

"No," Maya shook her head.

"Idina, did you forgive your father?"

"No," I bit my lip, "Or my uncle."

"You have an uncle?" Farkle raised an eyebrow, "How could you not tell me?"

"I assumed you knew Mr. Predicts Everything That Is About To Happen," I replied with a shrug. He looked back to the front.

"And we didn't forgive Farkle," he said on behalf of the boys as Zay crumpled up a piece of paper, "Ow," Farkle was still one step ahead of them as the paper hit the back of his neck.

"Well, it sounds to me that forgiveness is harder than it looks," Matthews deduced.

"I tried. Made it real clear," Maya gulped, "Want to hear it?"

"If you're all right with it."

Maya pulled out the piece of paper, the letter her father had given back to her, and looked down to her own words, "In school, I'm learning about forgiveness. What you did makes me have a lot of angry feelings inside of me. I don't want to be angry anymore. Why did you leave? Did I do something? Make me understand what I did. Your daughter, Maya." it's real quiet for a few moments.

"Did he help you to understand what happened?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I mean, I guess I never gave him the chance to explain."

"Idina, why did your uncle come?"

"He said he had questions, wanted to know what I wrote," I said, "He read my father's letter... those words were meant to never be read, by anybody."

"He wanted to understand?" he asked, I nodded, "And did you help him understand."

"I thought I did, I thought I made it real clear," I shrugged, before shaking my head, "I don't know, maybe there was something I didn't do... something I didn't explain"

"Riley, why did Auggie bite your bear's face off?"

"I don't know," the brunette replied.

"Why not?"

"I never asked him."

"Lucas? Zay?"

"Farkle, why do you tell us the end of the movies?" the taller Texan asked.

"Well, because you're good at everything you do," he looked to Zay, "You got that class-clown thing going. All I've got is my mind, so I try to impress you with it in any way I can," he started to predict the future once more, "'Oh, Farkle, you don't need to impress us. We love you just the way you are.'"

"Farkle, we are never going to the movies with you again," Lucas said firmly.

"Ever," Zay confirmed.

"Guess you missed that one. Huh, Farkle?" Lucas smirked. I looked at the three boys.

"Oh I don't think he did," I smiled looking at the blonde and brunette in the front row.

"Oh, Farkle, you don't need to impress us," Maya said, turning in her desk.

"We love you just the way you are," Riley added.

"Movie?" he looked at us, three girls.

"Anytime," we replied in unison as I grinned.

"We gotta get better minds, man," Zay pouted.

"Yeah, we do," Lucas nodded as he looked at the genius boy.

Our teacher looked at us, "All of you do. Better minds know that sometimes to really forgive someone, it helps to understand them first. It gives the other person the chance to be heard from too."

"Why can't you just admit that you're wrong about this?"

"Yeah Mr. Matthews," I leaned forward, "Why can't you just understand that forgiveness can't happen, not always?"

"Because forgiveness is one of our finest qualities as human beings, girls. You have to understand each other before you can even begin to know what comes next. Go understand each other. See what happens," he looked out at the class of confused students, "Your assignment hasn't even begun until you do."

TOPANGA'S CAFE

The adults talked near the counter. The moms of myself, the blonde, and the brunette talked quietly, while Cory and his brother talked. Eric was back because he and Cory had been having a brother's day. Josh had actually just left about 10 minutes beforehand. I smiled, looking at Eric and my mom. He couldn't stay away for too long, at least not anymore. It almost made me forget about my uncle's conversation with me... almost.

Riley's arms were wrapped tightly around her little brother, "Forgiveness does work! You just have to do it right."

"Can I go play with my friends now?" Auggie asked.

"No!" the brunette looked at the boy in her lap, then back at Maya and I, "All you have to do is listen to the other person."

"Can I at least go to the bathroom, Riley?"

"Quiet," Riley poked his cheek, "I'm talking."

"Auggie is there every day, Riley. My dad couldn't get out of here fast enough. I mean, he's halfway home by now," Maya shrugged.

"Forgiveness doesn't work for everybody," I pointed out, "My uncle is God knows where and I don't really care." as if on cue once more a deja vu moment occurs, as a familiar scruffy blonde man enters, with a dark-haired man following him. Once again, they both aren't here together, but they are both here to see two teenage girls.

Kermit, held up his hands as if to surrender, "I am not hungry, so please don't throw anything at me."

Maya slowly stood, looking at him, "I thought you left." my uncle did a side-step, looking at me the whole time. Eric pursed his lips, watching the man and I. I can only assume my mother told him what happened the day before.

"I did. I did. I was in the car on the way back. And then I looked at this thing again," he gestured to the red envelope in his hand, "And it says you don't want to be angry anymore," he looked at all of us, "I know what you all are to Maya. Thank you. I just need to borrow her for one second, if it's okay."

Maya looked to her mother, who slowly nodded, giving her permission to join her father for a talk. The blonde girl bit her lip, before walking outside to the tables with her father following. I watched for a moment, before looking at my uncle.

"What are you doing back here Anthony?" I asked looking at my uncle. He clasped his hands together.

"Well, that guy kind of stole my speech," he chuckled, before shaking his head, "But I don't care about doing this in front of all these people," he shrugged, before walking slowly towards me. We had about a few inches between us as I glared at him.

"What do you want from me?" I asked quietly.

"I want you to forgive your father. He doesn't deserve the way you're treating him."

"The way I'm treating him?! Do you know what that man did to me?"

"He was a perfectly good, fine father, rest his soul."

"His soul should not rest! I hope it's very disturbed and that it's in a deep, dark, scary place where it's suffering," I growled. He raised his hand towards my face, I flinched waiting to hear a smack before I saw someone's arm grab at Anthony's hand.

"That's not how you treat a person," Eric growled, his hand curling around Anthony's wrist, "That's not how you treat anyone. And you will not treat Idina that way."

"You're not her family, you don't know her. I know her," he spat, "And she is talking trash about my brother."

"You need to leave... now," Eric said firmly. I turned around to see my mother looking at him. I looked back at Anthony, biting my lip.

"I can forgive you for one thing... and that's not being able to understand why I can't forgive my father. Understanding is not always something we can control... but I can't forgive you for becoming him. Just because he is dead doesn't mean there should be another one of him roaming the world," I responded, backing up a few steps, "Have a safe trip home, Anthony." He snatched his hand out of Eric's grasp, rubbing his wrist and shaking his hand before walking out of the shop. I stand there, my breath wavering, staring straight ahead at the particles of air left where he was.

A few moments after Anthony left Maya came back in, her face scrunching up as her mother walked over to her. Tears laced her eyes as Katy wrapped her arm around her daughter as the blonde girl walked over to Cory. I walked to our teacher too, looking at him, then Maya.

"I'm sorry. I failed," Maya choked out.

"I-I'm sorry too, I failed you too Mr. Matthews," I solemnly said barely above a whisper.

"I know you wanted me to forgive him, but I didn't," Maya shook her head, "I couldn't do it."

I looked at our teacher, tears now running down my cheeks, "I know you wanted me to forgive him... now both of them I guess, but I didn't, I just... I just couldn't."

"You were wrong about this one, Mr. Matthews," Maya said. I bit my lip and nodded.

"I never expected that. That kind of forgiveness, it doesn't come so easy. But life is a long time. And I hope you get there someday," he looked at me, "But you don't have to necessarily get there," before glancing between the two of us, "That's never what I was looking for right now."

"What did you want from us?" Maya asked.

"What did you want us to do?" I added to her question.

"Maya... Idina... did you forgive yourselves?" Maya squeezed her eyes shut and nodded, before walking towards Cory and hugging him as she cried.

I bit my lip, I looked up, tears pricking most of my face now as my mother rubbed my back. I turned to Eric, looking at him.

"Idina, did you forgive yourself?" Eric repeated his brother's question in a soft tone, looking at me and pulling a strand of my hair behind my ear, "Because you don't have any obligation to that man, to forgive him, or his brother. You have an obligation to no one... but yourself."

I closed my eyes, as Maya had, before my arms wrapped around Eric. He patted my back gently, rubbing circles around it and holding me tightly.

"I won't let anyone hurt you... no matter what happens," he looked at my mom, then at me, "I won't let anyone do that to you, ever again... that I promise to you."

"Thank you, Eric," I whispered, before biting my lip as the tears flowed from my eyes.

So what if it wasn't a happy ending? It was happy for myself, and for Maya, and that was all that mattered.