Hey guys. First of all, thanks for all the reviews. Second, sorry for taking so long to update, and third sorry for that error-filled last chapter. Mostly autocorrect fails but I take full credit for that part where I slipped into the wrong tense for a while. My head just isn't in the game. I'm a bit of a train wreck right now but I'm trying to get my shit together, I promise. On top of that I'm having trouble uploading, so that's fun.

When the sun rose the following morning, it found Owen and Amelia already awake, tangled up in each other and dreading what the day would bring. With a collective sigh they dragged themselves out of bed to get ready. Amelia got in the shower, and Owen went downstairs to eat. Carolyn, too, was awake and she bustled around fixing him breakfast.

By the time Owen ate and went back upstairs, Amelia had finished showering and was sitting in front of the vanity wrapped in a towel, getting ready to blow dry her hair. Droplets of water glistened on her bare, bony shoulders. "Your mom made breakfast. You should eat," he said softly before dropping a kiss on the top of her head.

She let out a shaky sigh. "Yeah. I will." He knew she probably wouldn't, but nodded and headed for the bathroom. When he emerged half an hour later, showered and clean-shaven, she was wearing a black dress. This one was new; the bodice was fitted, with a scoop neck and cap sleeves, and the skirt, falling to just above her knees, was full. Any other time his only thought would have been how gorgeous she looked in it.

He got dressed, watching her do her make-up as he did so. Then came the jewelry. He saw the frustration on her face as she struggled to fasten the clasp on her necklace and hurried to her. "Here, let me." As he took it from her he realized why she was having trouble - her hands, icy cold to the touch, were shaking like leaves. His throat tightened when he looked at the necklace and remembered the day he gave it to her.

It was a characteristically rainy mid-May morning. He approached their bedroom, carefully balancing a tray laden with scrambled eggs, bacon, homefries, a raspberry danish, fresh fruit, orange juice, coffee, a bud vase with a pink rose, a card, and a small box. Amelia was sitting up in bed, nursing two-week-old Isla. "Hey, mama," he called from the doorway, and his heart nearly burst when she looked up at him with sparkling eyes and a smile that could light up the darkest room; he'd never seen her as happy as she'd been the last few weeks.

"Ooo, whaddya got?" she inquired eagerly, earning a laugh from her husband. He'd teased her about her insatiable appetite in the final month of pregnancy, but that was nothing compared to now; apparently breastfeeding left her ravenous and he was astounded on a daily basis by how much food his petite wife could put away.

He set the tray across her lap and climbed under the covers, then took the baby once she was done nursing. He burped Isla, then cradled her in his arms and gently rocked her to sleep while Amelia dug into her breakfast as if she hadn't eaten in days. Once every plate was clean she opened the card first, getting a little weepy over the Hallmark sentiments, then the box. "Oh, Owen, it's beautiful," she gushed. It was a white gold heart with Isla Joy engraved on the front with an emerald, and 5/11/2018 on the back. She wasted no time putting it on, then leaned over and rewarded him with a long kiss. "It's perfect. Just like her."

"Happy Mother's Day," he said before leaning in for another kiss.

He brushed her hair aside and fastened the necklace, then turned her around and pulled her close. "I don't think I can do this. How do people do this? How do people bury their babies?" she asked, her trembling voice barely above a whisper. She'd been so strong all week, taking care of him and making arrangements, but he could tell the breakdown was coming. Maybe not this minute, but soon.

"I don't know. I really don't," was all he could choke out as he held her tight. They stood like that, each gathering strength from the other's presence, until Carolyn appeared in the doorway.

"We, um, we better get going," she announced sadly. Reluctantly the couple pulled apart from each other and they departed for the funeral home

After a brief, intimate service for family at the funeral home they made their way to the church and then, finally, the cemetery. Owen was a bit surprised at how well Amelia held up through it all, right until the very end. It was the lowering of the casket that did her in. A strangled "No!" escaped from her throat as she watched that little white casket disappear into the ground. Owen felt every last bit of strength leave her body, and he grabbed her before she could fall. He braced one arm across the small of her back; with his other hand he cradled the back of her head. She leaned into him, burying her face in his shoulder, and released the pent-up emotions she'd kept in check all week.

It wasn't pretty; her face burned red and hot, there was running mascara, smudged lipstick, and snot. Her whole body shuddered and twitched in his arms as her anguished sobbing was punctuated by coughing, sputtering, and gasping. Her grief was palpable, and if there had been any dry eyes in that cemetery before, there certainly weren't now. Eventually she calmed down enough for them to make their way to the car but once they were inside she lost it again.

They went back home, where their families and friends had been invited to gather after the funeral. Addison, Meredith, and their families arrived right behind them, and soon the women were setting out all the food sent by well-meaning friends and co-workers - trays of deli meat and cheese, fruit and veggie platters, pans of lasagna and baked ziti, salads of every kind, and an endless assortment of desserts. Amelia knew they were expected to stay and socialize, but she just wasn't feeling up to it. "I just wanna go to bed," she admitted Owen between sniffles.

"Then let's go to bed." If he was honest, Owen wasn't in the mood for socializing either. He led her upstairs where they changed out of their nice clothes and crawled under the covers. It wasn't long before people started to notice their absence, and Carolyn was the first to go upstairs in search of them. She found them in bed, with Amelia sobbing broken-heartedly into Owen's chest as he stroked her hair and wept. Seeing the state they were in, she just shut the door and went back downstairs with orders for everyone to just leave the grieving couple alone.

It was early evening before Amelia finally cried herself to sleep. Owen carefully disentangled himself and went downstairs, needing a cold drink. By now only their immediate families and closest friends remained. Addison, as usual, was still buzzing around, collecting dirty dishes and putting food away. She paused when she saw him. "Hey. How you hanging in there? You hungry? I can fix you a plate."

He shook his head. "I'm not really hungry. Where are Jake and the kids?"

"They went back to the hotel. Diana was getting cranky. Plus she has another appointment on Wednesday, so they're heading home in the morning. But, um, I can stick around a few more days, if you need anything…"

Owen smiled and pulled her into a hug. "Addison, you've done more than enough. You should go with them. But thank you for everything, and for taking care of Amelia while I was in the hospital."

"She's the sister I never had. I couldn't not be here. Just...just tell her to call me if she's up before eight tomorrow, and I'll stop by before we hit the road. Okay?"

"Okay."

With that Addison collected her purse, hugged everyone goodbye, and left. The Shepherd clan was close behind, leaving just Carolyn, Evelyn, Meredith, and Nathan, who started gathering up the kids as it was already past the twins' bedtime.

"So, is she okay? Can I go see her?" Meredith asked.

"She's sleeping. Probably best to just leave her alone."

Meredith nodded. "Okay. Well, give us a call if you need anything."

"I will. Thank you."

Soon Evelyn was gone too, and Carolyn headed up to bed. Owen grabbed a bottle of water for himself and one for Amelia, and went back to bed. He snuggled up to Amelia and fell asleep with one arm draped protectively over her.

Okay, that was another tough one to write. Again, apologies for the wait. I'll try to get the next chapter posted in the next few days.

How do you like the flashbacks in this chapter and the last? I'm kind of regretting starting where I did, because you never really got to know Isla. I'm thinking of incorporating more as the story progresses to give you a glimpse into their life prior to the shooting.