Author's Note: So I know for sure now that Tony's returning in Chapter Seven. He won't be in this chapter but he'll be heavily mentioned through out the whole entire chapter so no problem. Can I also just say that I'm getting so impatient about Captain Marvel and Avenger's 4. I can't wait! They're both going to be great.

ThatMysteriousSlime: There's really not enough Tony fanfics. It would be nice to see more since he's such an interesting character. He's probably one of the most complex characters in the MCU.

peoplers: I'm not sure when I'm updating STNS. I think I've said this before that I'm just not feeling very into it right now. I'm just saying that it might take me a little while before I can update. Anything I write right now would be half-assed and just crap. I'm hoping to get to a certain point soon in this story and then I'll go back to STNS.

So I answered a lot of questions about STNS these past few chapters and not to seem rude or anything but I would just prefer reviews about One Word from You here since STNS doesn't have anything to do with this story. I would just like to see what people think of this story and maybe the reviews for STNS could stay in STNS. I really don't want to seem ungrateful towards all the people who love STNS but I'd just like to have the reviews for STNS and One Word from You to be separate. Thank you.

Thanks to Love. Fiction. 2018 for reviewing as well and thanks for all the favorites and follows as well. Please let me know what you think of the chapter.


2016

Mia had just spent the day doing absolutely nothing. There was absolutely no work that had been done whatsoever but not from a lack of trying. This was what her day was like. She'd get up in the morning alone before washing up in the bathroom alone. Then Mia would make her way into the kitchen where she would scrambled up some eggs for herself, and only herself, alone but also make herself a cup of coffee alone.

After breakfast, Mia would sit in front of her laptop for about an hour as she stared at her screen silently, letting thoughts roam around. The cursor would blink endlessly almost like it was somehow mocking Mia. The page was blank, a blinding white color as it glared back at Mia.

Chapter Twenty Three.

It was the last chapter of a book she should've finished writing years ago but she still hadn't written a single word in the chapter. Sure, she would start sentences off but she never finished said sentence. She would simply erase what she had written and the blank page would be staring at her again. As a writer it was pure torture to sit there day in and day out without having a single thing to say about anything. Mia had writer's block before but never had it lasted this long.

Never.

Mia would give up on writing after an hour or two before she turned to watching TV. She was definitely a hermit who could spend days and days locked inside her apartment. Mia lost track of all the different tv shows she was watching. Some of her friends were impressed by how caught up she was with everything but it was mostly just depressing on Mia's part. The only time she got out of her apartment was when she went to soul cycle class. She knew Michael would've made fun of her for it but Mia didn't want to become so much of a hermit that she became a couch potato. Her life was depressing enough and Holly said it was important for her to get out of the house every now and then.

The truly depressing part about her day, however, was at night when she would have to make dinner for herself to eat alone which she ate on the couch as she watched a show on Netflix. There was also the fact that she had to get ready for bed alone before actually falling asleep alone. Mia supposed none of this being alone stuff would bother her if she hadn't been so used to being married. She had grown so accustomed to having him in her life and not to mention being madly in love with him that now everything just seemed empty without him. Three years and she still hadn't figured out how to move on.

Mia's thoughts were then interrupted by her apartment buzzer. She paused the show she was watching as she looked towards the front door. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she stared at the door. That was odd. She wasn't expecting anyone to come around this time of day. Well, any time, really. No one ever came to visit Mia. Except for Holly maybe but Holly was busy with the kids and her job.

Even so, Mia headed to the front door and pressed the button of her apartment buzzer. Her curiosity was much too strong to ignore the fact that someone was at the door. Mia was already bored enough so even if it was Jehovah's Witness, she'd invite them up for a chat. Hopefully it was Girl Scouts though. Mia had a craving for some thin mints right about now.

"Who is it?" Mia said into the intercom. It only took a second before someone responded.

"It's FedEx. I have a package for a Mrs. Amelia McCallum." A guy said through the intercom. "You're Amelia McCallum, right?" Mia was even more confused at this point.

"Yes, I am but I didn't order anything." Mia said before a look of realization came over her face. Wow…she felt stupid now. "Right…it's probably just Book of the Month Club. God, I completely forgot I was getting next month's picks."

"Yes, well, could you let me come up so you can sign for it?" The man inquired and Mia just nodded to herself. She couldn't believe she forgot about Book of the Month Club. Mia was supposed to read next month's picks and write a review for one of the books. It seemed like there was a lot of things that happened to slip her mind these days.

"I'll buzz you in." Mia said as she hit the button that unlocked the door to the apartment complex. She then proceeded to wait for the delivery man to make his way all the way up to her floor. Mia knew she didn't live in the nicest apartment, especially considering the small fortune she now had, but she didn't want to move away.

Her parents, Holly, and even Emily back in London all questioned why she didn't move to Manhattan or even in the nice neighborhood of Park Slope where Holly lived. Mia always gave the excuse that she loved Williamsburg too much to leave but that wasn't true. The reason she didn't want to leave was because this was the same apartment where she had lived with Michael. Leaving would also mean leaving Michael behind and Mia just wasn't ready for that. She didn't think she would ever be ready.

Mia was then interrupted from her thoughts once more from a knock on the door. She quickly opened the door for the delivery man only to be surprised a bit by the man's appearance. He was a short and small older looking gentlemen with wispy white hair on the top of his head as well as tinted shades and a mustache. Mia was surprised by how old he was but she supposed that he was like her father. He couldn't settle down, even in his old age, and needed something to preoccupy his time.

"Hello." Mia said politely and the older man smiled at her.

"Package for Mia McCallum." He said as he held the box up and Mia stared at the box in confusion. That wasn't the Book of the Month club box. The Book of the Month Club box was a very distinct blue color with cursive writing on the side. No, this just looked like a regular FedEx package.

"I thought this was Book of the Month Club." Mia said in confusion and older man just shrugged before reading off the name in the return address.

"It says it's from a Mr. Tony Stank." He told her and Mia was even more confused if that was possible. Stank? Mia didn't know someone with the last name Stank. How was that even someone's last name?

"I don't know who that is." Mia told him and the old man didn't seem to care either way.

"Listen, sweetheart, I just deliver the packages. Are you going to sign for this or not?" He said, a bit of sass in his tone. Mia smiled at him in amusement before taking the device in his hands, along with the pen that went with it, and gave him her signature. She then took the box from his hands.

"Thank you." Mia told him politely and the man just smiled at her before giving her a quick nod.

"Have a nice day." He told her before he turned around and started walking back down the hall. Mia watched him leave for a moment before she closed her apartment door, leaving her alone with the mysterious package.

The brunette wondered what could be inside the package. She already knew that it definitely wasn't Book of the Month Club. The box didn't match the description of the other Book of the Month Club boxes she had received in the past. She supposed it could be something her mother sent her but that seemed unlikely. Even so, the package clearly said that it was from someone named Tony Stank. Mia didn't know anyone with that name. She was sure she would remember if she met someone named something so unfortunate. Seriously? Stank just had to be the most unfortunate name ever.

Mia didn't wait long before she decided to finally open the package and solve whatever mystery the FedEx guy brought to her apartment. The box wasn't very large so Mia didn't even bother grabbing a knife to open it with. The small, petite woman merely used her fingernails to open the package. Once she cut through the tape, she opened the box and took a peek inside.

At first she didn't see anything important. Just a bunch of paper that was probably meant to keep whatever was inside from getting too damaged from the journey to her apartment. However, it only took a second of pulling the paper back to see what was in the box and when she saw what it was, she jumped back in surprise.

Mia's mouth hung open and her eyes widened in surprise at very mysterious contents of the package she was sent. The brunette then slowly, and very carefully, edged her way back to look at the package once more. A part of her thought that she might've been mistaken and had somehow imagined what she had seen but another peek into the box proved her wrong. Mia stared inside the box and noticed none other than the very book she had nearly forgotten about from over a week before.

A Farewell to Arms.

But it wasn't just any old copy of A Farewell to Arms because Mia had several copies of the book so she was very familiar with the novel. No, it was the first edition copy. The same first edition copy she had seen at the auction from over a week ago. Doubt soon entered Mia's mind as she began to rationalize what she was seeing. This couldn't be the same book from the auction. No, that book had gone to…

Tony Stark.

Tony Stank.

Stark.

Stank.

Stark.

Mia's eyes widened once more as she hurriedly looked at the front of the package to read the same name on the return address that the delivery man had read aloud. To her astonishment, it wasn't Tony Stank on the package. It was actually Tony Stark. The delivery man must've read it wrong…or maybe this was some kind of trick. Could she really be expected to believe that Tony Stark of all people had sent her the same book he had won at the auction?

It seemed insane to her so Mia did the logical thing and picked up the book nonchalantly. She thought that maybe this was just a random first edition copy of the book. A first edition that most likely only cost a hundred dollars on eBay. However, Mia was more than shocked to see the Ernest Hemingway autograph and heartfelt message he had written on the title page. She quickly dropped the book back into the box like it had burned her.

This was the book.

This was the same book that Tony Stark had outbid her on at the auction…the same book that he paid two hundred and fifty thousand dollars for. Mia had just touched a two hundred and fifty thousand dollar book. And to think that she had spent the past half an hour eating tortilla chips with the same hands she just used to touch that book.

Mia didn't understand. Why would Tony Stark send her this book? It's not like they were friends or anything. She only talked to him for fifteen minutes at the auction and she didn't think much of the encounter. Well, okay…so she might've thought he was the tiniest bit hot and charming in that older guy way but she didn't think much of him beyond that. Surely not enough for her to send him a two hundred and fifty thousand dollar book.

What kind of game was Tony Stark playing?

The brunette was about to ponder this further when she saw a small slip of paper at the bottom of the box. Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion as she reached for the odd note that had previously been hidden underneath the Ernest Hemingway book. She pulled the paper out of the box and brought it up close to her face to read. A note? Who knew Tony Stark to be so old fashioned? Mia certainly didn't.

Snow White,

I thought you'd like this book since I caught you looking at it the other night like it was Ernest Hemingway himself. I'm not much of a reader myself so I thought you'd have more use for it than I would. You're welcome.

-Tony Stark

P.S. I've read your books and I take back my Twilight and Fifty Shades comments. Just thought you should know.

Mia just stood there for what felt like the longest time as she read and reread the note. It was very short but Mia just kept staring at it, trying to decipher what each and every word meant because Mia wasn't understanding this. Tony Stark had sent her a book simply because he didn't have any use for it? Then why bid on it in the first place? Mia was thoroughly confused by this new information. But more importantly…

Why on earth was he calling her Snow White?


"Wait, wait…when did you meet Tony Stark?" Holly asked her. Mia had invited her sister over a couple hours later after spending a large amount of time staring at the book that was still inside the box. She needed someone to vent to and her sister was her best option. Emily was currently on vacation who knows where. Mia actually thought Emily was on vacation ninety percent of the time. Either way, Mia needed someone to talk to about this so that she could at least try to understand what this all meant because she was really fucking clueless at this point.

"At the charity event I went to last week." Mia told her sister. They were currently seated on the couch in the living room of Mia's apartment as they talked over a glass of red wine. Mia's niece, Alyssa, and her nephew, Finn, were both seated on floor of the living room, their eyes glued to the tv as they watched cartoons. They were much too preoccupied with Bubble Guppies to have any clue as to what their mother and Aunt Mia were talking about.

"The auction?" Holly questioned in disbelief. "You told me about the auction over the phone yet I don't remember you mentioning that you met Tony Stark."

"We didn't really meet." Mia tried to explain. "I was having a drink at the bar and he started talking to me. It wasn't really a meeting. We were just making small talk."

"How long did you talk for?" Holly questioned and Mia shrugged.

"I don't know. Fifteen minutes maybe." Mia told her and Holly raised an eyebrow.

"Fifteen minutes is a hell of a long time for small talk." Holly pointed out and Mia didn't know what her sister was getting at.

"I wouldn't know. I'm not the small talk expert." Mia muttered before growing more serious as she cast another look towards the book. "So you can see why I find it weird that he randomly sent me a book he paid a quarter of a million dollars for. We barely talked." Mia then glanced at her sister only to notice that the strawberry blonde was smirking at her. She gave her sister a confused look.

"What?" She questioned and Holly just continued to give her that knowing look.

"Amelia Natalie Kazan," Holly started to say in the same way their mother used to when they were little and Mia was in trouble. "Were you flirting with him?" Mia's mouth dropped open as she stared at her sister in shock, her eyes were probably about to pop out of her head at this point.

"Excuse me?!" Mia exclaimed, surprised by her sister's inquiry but Holly didn't look phased.

"Were you flirting with Tony Stark at the charity auction? You were, weren't you?" Holly said in amusement and Mia's face felt warm all of a sudden. "You were totally flirting. That's why he sent you the expensive gift. You seduced him."

"I was not flirting with him." Mia said as she glared at her sister. "You know more than well that I don't flirt."

"You flirted with Michael all the time." Holly pointed out and Mia sighed.

"That's different. That was Michael." Mia replied before giving her sister a pointed look. "I was not flirting with Tony Stark, okay? I was just talking to him. It was all just me being the polite and respectful person I am."

"Well, you must've done something right because he's definitely into you." Holly told her and Mia rolled her eyes.

"Oh, so he's into me now? What is this…high school?" Mia said sarcastically and Holly just giggled. Mia partially blamed her giddiness and annoying behavior on the wine but she knew her sister was like this in real life too.

"Come on, Mia. Why else would a guy send a girl a book worth a quarter of a million dollars?" Holly asked her and Mia scoffed.

"Most guys don't send a girl a book worth a quarter of a million dollars because that's insane." Mia retorted.

"You can be in denial all you want but I'm convinced Tony Stark has a thing for my baby sister." Holly said stubbornly before smirking at Mia. "The only question is does my baby have a thing for Tony Stark?" Mia gave her a wide eyed look.

"Of course not. I told you that we only talked for fifteen minutes. I don't even know him which is why I found it shocking he sent me this book. Who even does this?" Mia told her but Holly didn't look convinced.

"You have to admit he's not entirely bad looking, Mia." Holly pointed out and Mia just shook her head.

"He's old, Holly. Don't be gross." Mia told her and Holly rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Mia. You're almost thirty. Age doesn't matter at this point." Holly informed her and Mia glared at her.

"I still have a year before I turn thirty. Let's not rush it." Mia told her before going back over the topic of Tony Stark. "I honestly doubt he sent me this book because he's interested in me from the fifteen minute conversation we had. No, he sent it for some other reason. I don't know if it's some kind of rich guy power game or because he thinks he's funny-"

"Oh my god, Mia. You don't understand men whatsoever." Holly said as she rolled her eyes at her naïve little sister. "No guy's going to send a girl an expensive gift like that as a joke."

"I know what you're thinking but Tony Stark isn't trying to make a move on me." Mia told her sister seriously. "He could spend a lot less on a girl much prettier than me. Remember when we were still in high school and they used to put those gossip magazines out all the time? He was always on the front cover with some supermodel or actress so I highly doubt he's doing this to get with me."

"Mia, let me tell you something that I've known for a long time." Holly told her sister who was so naïve that it was adorable. "You attract a very specific kind of man. It's something I've noticed over the years. Ever since high school."

"High school?" Mia questioned and Holly nodded. "What are you talking about?"

"Yeah, remember Aaron Finnegan?" Holly asked her and Mia's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Aaron Finnegan? You mean, the pyromaniac? The guy who burned his grandma's house down?" Mia inquired and Holly nodded again.

"Yeah, well, Aaron had a huge thing for you. He wanted to take you to prom but then he burned his grandma's house down and went to juvie so he never got the chance." Holly explained and Mia scoffed.

"It sounds like I missed out on a lot. Aaron was a real keeper." Mia said sarcastically and Holly just laughed before she continued.

"My point is that you don't know the power you have over some men. You always attract the most interesting sorts of people. I was always kind of jealous of you for that." Holly told her and Mia gave her a look of disbelief. Holly was jealous of her? Mia couldn't really buy that.

"You mean I attract weirdos." Mia retorted and Holly shrugged.

"Call them what you want but they're interesting. Aaron, Michael, and now Tony Stark." Holly told her in a teasing tone. "I don't know what it is about you Mia but these men just can't get enough of you."

"Yes, a pyromaniac I went to high school with, an artist I met in a bar, and a rich superhero I met at a charity auction. How lovely." Mia said sarcastically although she still highly doubted that Tony Stark had sent her the book because he had a crush on her. He was a grown man for Christ's sake and she was sure he had much better things to do then send some random girl he met at a party a gift simply because he liked her. That and Mia doubted she was worth the effort.

"You definitely have something about you. That's for sure." Holly told her as she took a sip of wine from her glass. Mia just rolled her eyes.

"Look, my point is that I don't know why he sent the book but I'm not sure I like that he did." Mia said, trying to get back on topic. "How did he even find out where I live?"

"What are you talking about? He's Tony Stark. He can probably find out where anyone lives." Holly told her and that seemed to make Mia more worried than ever.

"Like Edward Snowden?" Mia questioned, her eyes wide with worry. This time it was Holly's turn to roll her eyes at her sister.

"Oh my god. Are you still on about Edward Snowden?" Holly asked as she gave her sister a look of disbelief. "I still can't believe you put a band-aid over your laptop's webcam."

"I don't want some creepy little nerd watching me while I look at old SNL videos on YouTube. I should be able to do that in private." Mia said defensively. "I just thought that I only had Snowden to worry about before but now I have to worry about Tony Stark too, I guess."

"Yes, because I'm sure Edward Snowden and Tony Stark want to spend all their time watching you watch YouTube." Holly said before she smirked. "On second thought, maybe Tony Stark would want to do that. Since he's been sending you gifts apparently.

"God, I feel you're one of those southern belles and your gentlemen caller keeps sending you stuff…like Scarlett O'Hara." Holly said as she continued to embarrass her sister. "Hey, you're kind of like Scarlett O'Hara. She was a widow too and Tony Stark's kind of like Rhett Butler, right? He's this really handsome and charming rich guy."

"Thanks for that." Mia said sarcastically as she playfully glared at her sister. "And Tony Stark hasn't been sending me gifts plural. He sent me one book. Just one. A singular gift."

"A very expensive book." Holly pointed out. "If you look at it this way, he really did send you a lot of gifts because this one gift is probably worth thousands upon thousands of normal people gifts. You know…poor people gifts like what we're used to."

"I'm sending it back." Mia said suddenly as she continued staring at the box and ignored everything her sister just said. Holly gave her a surprised look.

"What?!" Holly questioned in disbelief. Mia nodded, a confident look on her face.

"I'm sending it back." Mia repeated before explaining herself. "I can't accept this book, Holly. It's two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. That's crazy."

"You can't send it back. He obviously sent it to you because he wants you to have it for some reason." Holly tried to tell her but Mia had already made up her mind.

"Exactly. I don't know why he sent me this book." Mia told her sister. "I don't know if it's because he likes to show off how much money he has or if it's some kind of power game. I don't even know if it's like you said and he just wants to sleep with me. Either way, I'm not accepting it."

"Mia, that's crazy." Holly said, still disbelieving the fact that her sister was going to send back a gift Tony Stark sent her. Who even does that? "You love Ernest Hemingway and this is a book that was autographed by him. You'd be insane to just send it back to Stark."

"I don't want it." Mia told her stubbornly. "I don't want to feel like I owe him anything and I really don't want to feel like I work for him. My dignity can't be bought." Holly scoffed.

"Your dignity?" Holly questioned as she raised an eyebrow at her sister. "Aren't you the same girl who drank so much from pub crawling during your first semester at college that you threw up haggis and turnips all over a bagpipe player?" Mia's eyes widened in surprise.

"How did you know that?" Mia asked her sister.

"Emily told me about it the last time she was here." Holly informed her and Mia sighed heavily.

"I'm seriously going to murder that girl the next time she comes here. I don't know how I've been friends with her this long." Mia said before getting back on topic. "I'm just trying to say that I don't like the fact that he tracked me down and sent me a ridiculously expensive gift. I don't know what kind of girl he thinks I am but I won't put up with it."

"Most people would just take the gift and shut up about it." Holly told her pointedly but Mia looked as stubborn as ever.

"Well, I'm not most people." Mia told her sister defiantly. "He can take his expensive book and shove it up his ass for all I care."

"Are you going to tell him that in the note you're currently writing?" Holly asked her as Mia began to write a note in response to Tony Stark's note.

"Of course not. Mom raised us to be more polite than that." Mia told her sister and Holly rolled her eyes. "I'm just going to respectfully decline the gift. Keep it short and sweet. Just like something I would write to my editors."

"How professional of you." Holly said sarcastically. "I'm sure Tony Stark's going to love being treated like your editors because he definitely sent you that book for professional reasons."

"I just want you to know that I'm fully aware of the fact that you're being sarcastic and I don't care." Mia told her sister as she finished writing the note.

"You're always so suspicious of everyone. You're just like dad." Holly told her sister from behind her wine glass. "He's not trying to buy you. He probably just wants a date or something. It's not a big deal."

"I'm going to pretend that you didn't just compare me to dad because I don't want to argue with you." Mia told her as she folded up the note and placed it in the box with the book. "And if this is how Tony Stark tries to woo a woman then I don't want any part of it."

"Why not? Sending a girl a gift is kind of romantic. At least he didn't send you flowers or anything cliché." Holly told her and Mia scoffed.

"Yes, because sending a random girl a two hundred and fifty thousand dollar gift to her apartment, which you only know the address of because you pulled an Edward Snowden and violated her private information, is totally romantic." Mia ranted and Holly realized that her sister kind of had a point.

"Okay, so maybe it's a little creepy." Holly admitted and Mia raised an eyebrow.

"A little? Try a lot." Mia informed her before sighing heavily and growing more serious. "Look, I really don't get why he did this. I mean, I doubt he did it because he wants a date or something like that." Mia only briefly paused before she continued.

"The truth is that I don't like the fact that he sent me an expensive gift for no reason whatsoever. It makes me uncomfortable and especially because I don't know why he did it." Mia told her sister and a sympathetic look came over Holly's face.

"You should send it back then." Holly said as she finally relented. "You're right. It is a little weird and if it makes you uncomfortable then you shouldn't keep it."

"Thank you." Mia said as she looked back at Holly. She was grateful that her sister seemed to support her on this even if she didn't completely understand Mia's reasons. Holly nodded and it was a moment before either of them said anything. It was only when a thought crossed Holly's mind that she smirked at her sister.

"You know, this will probably drive him nuts." Holly said abruptly and Mia looked at her incredulously.

"What?" Mia questioned and Holly just shrugged nonchalantly.

"I'm just saying that he'll probably think you're playing hard to get or something and he'll be even more determined than before." Holly said as she looked at Mia excitedly. "Maybe next time he'll send you a diamond necklace from Tiffany's. Ooh…maybe next time he'll send your sister one too."

"Why are you so obsessed with my love life? Is yours and Mark's sex life that boring?" Mia questioned as she playfully glared at her sister. "I saw the fancy showerhead you had installed in your bathroom by the way. Is that your new boyfriend?"

"You were always so annoying, you little brat. And let's not act like we both don't know what's in your nightstand drawer. So don't point fingers at me and Lucas." Holly said as she bantered with her sister. Mia just shook her head in amusement as both she and Holly started laughing at themselves.

It was almost like nothing had changed between them despite everything they both had been through. Holly who was married with two kids and Mia who was widowed. They had changed so much since the time they were kids but they were still sisters…still best friends. Mia and Holly had grown up together but it seemed like through all that growing up, they had never grown apart despite how different they were. Mia was glad.

"I just worry about you, Mia." Holly told her seriously once they had calmed down from their laughter. "You're all alone in this apartment, the same one you lived in with Michael, and I know you never leave. You just spend your days locked up in here like you're Bruce Wayne or something."

"I'm working." Mia tried to tell her but Holly knew her better than that.

"No, you're not. We both know that you're not working." Holly told her knowingly. "You don't have any friends either-"

"I have you and Emily." Mia argued and Holly sighed.

"I'm your sister so I don't count and Emily's always running around the world." Holly told her as her gaze softened. "You also told me about that Channing Tatum looking guy so it doesn't sound like your dating life is going so well either."

"It's not my fault that Tinder makes the worst matches. I can't help that." Mia said defensively. Holly just shook her head.

"It's not just that, Mia. It's not just the fact you're cooping yourself up in this apartment all day and night. It's not just the fact that you have zero friends and a non-existent love life." Holly told her before giving her a worried look. "It's the fact that you're still clearly not over Michael."

"What are you talking about?" Mia asked her and Holly scoffed before she pointed at Mia's hand.

"You're still wearing your wedding ring." Holly pointed out.

"So?" Mia questioned and Holly gave her a look of disbelief before looking around the apartment.

"You still have all his pictures up. It's like a fucking shrine." Holly told her and Mia glared at her sister.

"What? So I'm just supposed to pack all his stuff up and pretend like he never existed?" Mia questioned and Holly gave her a sad look. It was that look of pity she always hated and especially when it came from her own sister.

"That's not what I'm saying." Holly told her before continuing to try and talk some sense into her. "I'm just saying that I don't think it's healthy for you to keep living like this. Mark and I are worried about you. Mom too for that matter."

"You think I'm going to kill myself or something?" Mia asked her in disbelief.

"No…I mean, yes. Maybe. I don't know." Holly said, sounding very confused. "Mia, you just haven't been quite the same since Michael. I'm worried about you."

"I'm not suicidal, Holly." Mia said, her voice sounding annoyed.

"It's been three years. Three years and you're still just like you were the day of the funeral. Nothing's changed." Holly told her and Mia glared at her. "You just keep going through life like you're walking through some kind of dream. You know, you haven't dated anyone seriously since Michael. Like not even one person."

"I've dated." Mia argued and Holly just shook her head at her sadly.

"I'm talking about a serious relationship, Mia. Not Tinder dates." Holly replied as she gave her sister a worried look. "Michael wouldn't want you like this. He would've wanted you to move on and be happy."

"You don't know what Michael would've wanted. No one does because he's dead." Mia told her sister and Holly just sighed.

"Mia, you deserve to be happy. I know Michael would've wanted that for you. He wouldn't want you to be like this." Holly tried to tell her but it was no use. Mia was very stubborn.

"It's not like I'll ever find someone like him again." Mia said bitterly and Holly frowned because it was so unlike Mia to be bitter. Holly still remembered how sweet and positive her sister used to be. It was never like Mia to be cynical. But since Michael's death, a lot of things had changed.

"I know you won't because he was Michael and he was special." Holly told her honestly, trying to make Mia understand her point. "But you shouldn't want to find someone like him. I don't want you spending your whole life comparing every guy you meet to Michael. You'll never be happy if you keep doing that."

"I don't want anyone other than him." Mia told her but her tone was more sad this time. Holly gave her a sympathetic look.

"I know you're hurting but I just want you to be happy. I want you to fall in love and get married again. I want you to have children too." Holly said sincerely. "You're too young, Amelia. You're too young to be wallowing in your own misery like this." Mia just stared at her in silence, her blue eyes filled with unshed tears.

"I just don't think I want those same things for myself anymore." Mia finally said, her voice quiet and sad. Holly swallowed hard as she looked at her younger sister who was filled with such sadness. Holly was about to reply to Mia's statement when Alyssa and Finn came over to them.

"Mommy, we're hungry." Alyssa said as she came up to the two women with her brother following suit. The seven year old and five year old looked at them expectantly.

"Uh…okay, sweetie." Holly said, still looking at her sister. Alyssa then frowned as she glanced over at her Aunt Mia who looked sad. The seven year old noticed that her aunt was sad a lot but she never understood why. Her mother said it was because Uncle Michael went to heaven but Alyssa still didn't quite understand.

"Aunt Mia, why are you crying?" Alyssa asked her while Finn just looked at her curiously. Mia sniffled as she immediately wiped the tears from her eyes and faked a smile. Her niece and nephew didn't need to see her be so miserable. That wasn't fair to them.

"I'm just being silly, guys." Mia told them as she started to get up from the couch. "Come on, I'll find you guys some snacks to eat in the kitchen. I think I still have some fruit roll-ups from last time."

"Yay!" Finn said as both he and his sister began to follow their aunt, forgetting about the fact that their aunt was crying not even two minutes ago. Mia kept up an upbeat and happy appearance for her niece and nephew but her sister knew better.

Holly watched her sister leave with a conflicted look on her face. She knew her sister was still sad and even though Holly tried to lift her spirits up, she didn't know if she was enough. Her sister seemed to coast through life living in this little bubble. Holly couldn't really understand what was going through her sister's head these days but she knew she was worried. Mia was sad and Holly didn't know how to fix her. Was there any part of her sister that was left to fix? Holly wasn't sure anymore because her sister wasn't herself. That was the one thing that was clear to her in that moment.