Page 70 of A Man for Mia

"Good?" Amanda roared, surging to her feet and fisting her hands. "You think it’s good that my son is lying in some hospital bed, dying?" She shrank backward at her own words, covering her face with her hands and trembling.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I think your anger is very good," Mia said, not wavering her from her position in the chair. "It’s a healthy step in the grieving process."

Amanda scowled. "What?" Tears matted her face, making her cheeks glow red. She wrinkled her features in confusion. "What are you? Some kind of quack?"

"No, I’m Mia Stallone," Mia answered, gracefully rising to her feet to face the other woman on the same level. "And I’ve been living through the stages of grief for three years, four months and two days."

Brows lowering in confusion, Amanda merely stared, shaking her head.

Mia dragged in a deep breath and finished, "Ever since my three-month old daughter suffocated to death while she was sleeping in bed next to me."

Amanda shuddered. "Oh. How horrible."

Nodding, Mia murmured, "Yeah. Pretty much." Collecting a brave breath, she glanced once toward Drew, and her chest eased. She turned back to his sister. "I was responsible for my child’s pain … for her death. So, I know how you feel. I understand how much you hurt right now." Relaxing her tense shoulders, she reached out with one hand toward Amanda. "I understand," she repeated.

Blinking back a new flood of tears, Amanda let out a tortured moan and surged toward Mia, hugging her hard. "I don’t want him to die," she said desperately, balling the back of Mia’s shirt in her fists. "I just don’t want him to die."

"He might not," Drew said, stepping forward to encompass both women in his arms.

Mia rested her head on his shoulder as she patiently stroked Mandy’s hair. "There’s still hope."

Drew pressed a brief kiss to their foreheads and pulled them tighter against him.

"I’m so scared," Amanda admitted weakly as she let Mia support her and Drew support them both.

Mia didn’t answer and neither did he. She could tell he was just as worried as his sister was. She’d never met Felix, but she’d heard about him from Drew and seen his picture. She compared his vigor to Lexie’s. It’d be awful if he was no longer around to cheer the world with his animated enthusiasm.

She closed her eyes tight and prayed, leaning against Drew the entire time. He rested his face on the top of her head, seeking as much as he gave.

From behind them, a trembling voice spoke. "A-Amanda?"

Drew’s sister slowly pulled away from them, lifting her face. Her soon-to-be-ex-husband stood fifteen feet away, drawn and shaky, his lips pressed thin.

"Jeffrey?" Mandy rasped.

"Is he … is he … ?" he was too afraid to ask.

When she just stood there, probably too choked up to answer, Drew finally supplied, "We’re still waiting for news from the doctor." Keeping his arms around Mia, he eased them both backward so Felix’s parents could have room.

Jeff nodded, never taking his eyes from Mandy. "Where are the girls? Are they okay?"

Instead of answering his question, Mandy murmured monotonously, "He fell. He … he was trying to make me breakfast, and he fell off the kitchen counter. He hit his head and wouldn’t wake up. The doctor’s still with him and … and it’s all my fault. I wasn’t there to stop him."

"No," Jeff breathed. "No, none of this is your fault. Amanda …" Tortured eyes lifted to hers. "I’m so sorry."

Mia had to look away when unashamed tears filled the man’s eyes.

"I’ve made such a mess of everything," he choked out, bowing his head with shame. "This wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t … if I hadn’t …"

Pity filled Mandy’s face. "Jeffrey," she murmured stepping close. She lifted her arms but dropped them at the last second.

"No," he said, obviously not caring for her resistance. He grabbed her wrist and tugged her into his arms.

She wilted once she was there, resting her head on his shoulder much like Mia had just done to Drew’s.

"I love you," he said, kissing her hair and her cheek. "Everything will be okay. Felix will be okay. We’ll be a family again, I swear. Everything will be okay."

The litany seemed to calm his wife. Amanda closed her eyes and relaxed in his embrace, filling Mia with a spark of jealousy, even though she knew all the problems they had. In the face of tragedy, they clung together. Ryan had only pushed her away.

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