Maya Mercado

Mariah Buzolin as Maya Mercado

**Maya Mercado** is a character from the ABC soap opera All My Children, portrayed by Mariah Buzolin in 2011.

## Storylines

Maya was first seen in Pine Valley placing her newborn daughter in Brot Monroe's squad car. She included a note with the infant that requested the child be placed in a good home. Maya was distraught after giving up her child and she literally ran into Asher Pike. He recognized that Maya was suffering and he befriended her. Maya remained guarded about her life but she admitted she needed to find a job. Asher told Maya about a position as a housekeeper at the Chandler mansion and she decided pursue employment there.

When Maya showed up to inquire about a job at the Chandler mansion, she met with the head of the household, J.R. Chandler. During her interview she impressed J.R. with her determination although he was concerned when she fainted. Although Maya insisted she was fine, J.R. refused to hire her until she had been examined by a doctor and he agreed to cover her medical expenses.

Frankie Hubbard was the doctor that examined Maya and after she made sure their conversation was confidential, she revealed that she had recently given birth but had given her baby up. Frankie offered to listen if Maya was interested in talking about the choice she had made. Maya insisted the only help she needed was the paperwork that declared her healthy enough to work for J.R. Chandler and Frankie complied.

Maya was hired as a housekeeper and moved in to the mansion. Both Asher and J.R.'s sister Colby were friendly to Maya and often tried to engage her in conversation. Maya thought about her baby often and Colby and Asher noticed that Maya was frequently lost in thought. She dodged personal questions and made excuses to avoid spending time with either one of them. She planned to fill her time by picking up another job and she interviewed for a position baby-sitting for Angie and Jesse Hubbard's newborn daughter, although she turned down the position because she believed it would be too difficult to be around a baby.

Colby and Asher were concerned about Maya after they overheard her end of some phone conversations in which she tried to placate someone that seemed angry with her. Maya claimed it was her aunt, but Asher and Colby were not convinced. Their concern increased after they noticed a bruise on Maya's arm and when they inquired about it, she brushed it off. Maya also had an odd reaction to the advice Colby provided to one of her video blog followers regarding an abusive relationship. Colby recommended the person get out of the relationship but Maya questioned if that was the right advice if the two people involved truly loved one another.

Shortly after Maya's difference of opinion with Colby, she showed up to work with a black eye. Maya tried to hide behind sunglasses and she told Asher and Colby she was sick. Colby and Asher were not fooled and they followed Maya to the park and they witnessed a man Maya referred to as Mookie yelling at her. Asher intervened after he assumed Mookie had hit Maya, although Maya insisted Mookie had protected her from an abusive ex-boyfriend. After Asher and Colby left, Mookie apologized for hitting Maya and he swore he would never hurt her again and he professed his love for her. Mookie showed up at the Chandler mansion later that week while Maya was at work. He overhead Scott Chandler comment that he had to fire a construction worker that failed to show up. Mookie offered to replace the absent employee and Maya vouched for Mookie. After Scott left, Mookie claimed he wanted to remain close to Maya and planned to stay in Pine Valley instead of returning to New York.

Mookie started his employment and he kept a close watch over Maya. He accused Maya of becoming too friendly with J.R. and told her he would keep his eyes on her. Maya was disturbed by Mookie's constant presence at the mansion and she sought out Frankie Hubbard. When she found Frankie she asked if Jesse and Angie still needed a baby-sitter and she was hired.

Maya immediately bonded with Angie and Jesse's daughter Lucy and she admitted to Frankie that being with Lucy came naturally to her. While Maya was watching Lucy, Angie overheard part of a phone conversation Maya had with Mookie. Angie sensed that Mookie was Maya's boyfriend and mentioned that he sounded possessive. Mookie arrived later and escorted Maya home and he returned with her the next time she needed to baby-sit.

Angie observed the interaction between Maya and Mookie and after Mookie left, Angie told Maya about her own experience with a controlling father. Maya admitted that Mookie was controlling and possessive but that she had not planned on having Mookie follow her to Pine Valley. Angie offered Maya a way to escape Mookie. She hired Maya as a full-time nanny which would require her to move in.

Accepting the new job as Lucy's nanny required Maya to quit her job at the Chandler mansion. Mookie was angry with Maya's decision and he approached Maya when she was at the park with Lucy. Maya said she was working and ignored him. When she returned to Angie and Jesse's apartment, she found Mookie there. He claimed the door was open and grabbed Maya roughly. Angie arrived and ordered Mookie to take his hands off of Maya. He left after Angie threatened to call the police.

After Mookie left, Angie assumed Maya had left New York to escape Mookie's abuse. Maya confessed to Angie that she had not worried about what Mookie would do to her but she had worried that Mookie would harm her child. Maya told Angie she left Mookie without telling him she was pregnant and then gave her daughter up for adoption. Angie commended Maya on her brave decision.

Mookie made a final attempt to see Maya. He waited until Angie and Jesse were gone and then he approached her. Maya told Mookie to leave and never come back and he pushed her. Maya responded by telling him that his anger was the reason she gave up their child. Mookie recalled that Maya had gained weight before she left New York and questioned if the child was his. She tried to retract her story but Mookie continued to put his hands on Maya and demanded to know where their child was. Jesse and Angie arrived home and prevented Mookie from beating Maya any more. Jesse instructed Mookie to leave town immediately or he would face charges for assault. He decided to leave town.

Maya learned that Mookie had taken off to California and she decided it was time to find her daughter. Angie supported Maya's decision and she asked Tad Martin to investigate the whereabouts of the child. Maya soon learned that she had already been reunited with her daughter when Angie announced that Lucy was her daughter. Maya was initially confused until Angie explained that her daughter had been stillborn at the same time an abandoned baby girl was found in a squad car. Jesse had wanted to spare Angie the pain of losing a child so he passed the abandoned baby off as theirs. When Maya decided to search for her child, Jesse knew the truth would come out and confessed what he had done to Angie.

Angie offered to allow Maya to stay with them as long as she needed and Maya thanked Angie and Jesse for providing a loving home for her daughter. Jesse apologized for what he had done but Maya told him she understood his choice and was sorry for the loss of Angie and Jesse's baby. Maya was grateful for the love and kindness they had shown to her daughter Lucy but she also admitted she could not give her baby up again.

After a few weeks, Maya decided she needed to move out with Lucy and Colby's mother Liza offered Maya and Lucy a place to stay. Maya struggled to figure out how she could manage to attend college, maintain employment, and provide for Lucy. Liza reminded Maya that Angie and Jesse would be willing to help Maya out but she refused to rely on them.

Maya changed her mind about receiving help from Angie and Jesse when she realized they loved her and her daughter and they were part of the Hubbard family. She decided to move back in and raise Lucy with them.