Meredith's sister

29

Mia's POV

My head was killing me. A sharp, relentless pain pulsed behind my eyes as the sound of the doorbell echoed through the house. I groaned, dragging myself downstairs.

When I opened the door, I saw Amelia standing there.

"Today, I'm flying to Los Angeles for Addison's funeral. Want to come with me?" she asked.

I hesitated for only a moment before nodding. "Okay, but for how long?"

"A week?" she suggested.

I nodded again. "Alright. Wait here, let me pack."

Amelia nodded, and I rushed upstairs, throwing clothes into a suitcase. When I finished, I called Teddy, letting her know I'd be gone for the week. Then, I left with Amelia for the airport.

As soon as we settled into our seats on the plane, I exhaled deeply.

"You okay, Amelia?" I asked.

She nodded, but her expression remained distant. "I'm fine."

I didn't push. "So, where are we going once we get there?"

"First, we'll check into a hotel. Then, we'll go to the practice where Addison and I used to work."

I glanced at her. "The people there... were they close to Addison?"

Amelia shook her head. "No. They weren't just close." She paused. "They were family."

I nodded, understanding the weight of her words.

When we landed in Los Angeles, we headed straight to the hotel, checked in, and dropped off our bags. My headache was worse now, pounding with every movement, but I ignored it.

Amelia drove us to a medical practice called Oceanside Wellness Center.

"You ready?" she asked as we stood in the elevator.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I muttered.

"Oh, and just so you know," Amelia added, "there might be a lot of kids running around."

I blinked. "Okay."

The elevator doors opened, and Amelia stepped out first. I followed right behind her.

The place was lively—children laughing, nurses moving in and out of rooms. It felt warm, alive. A stark contrast to why we were really here.

"Amelia, you're here!" A woman's voice cut through the noise.

A Black woman walked up to us, her smile sad but welcoming.

"Yeah, couldn't miss this for the world," Amelia said.

"Mia, this is Naomi Bennett. She's a fertility specialist," Amelia introduced.

Naomi extended her hand. "So, you're the girl Addison couldn't stop talking about."

I swallowed, shaking her hand. "I guess that's me."

"It's nice to finally meet you," she said kindly before walking away.

Amelia led me through the practice, showing me around. We stopped in front of a familiar-looking office.

"Amelia, what a surprise!" A man approached us, a woman at his side.

Amelia smiled and hugged them both. "Hey, I had to see how you all were doing."

She turned to me. "Mia, this is Cooper and Charlotte."

"Hi," I said, shaking their hands.

Charlotte glanced at Amelia. "Jake told me that if you were here, he wanted to talk to you about Henry."